Genre: rock
Rating: 3 stars ***
Title: Slow Poke
Company: Rocking Horse
Catalog: RHR
5615
Year: 1977
Country/State: US
Grade (cover/record): NM / NM
Comments: still in shrink wrap (opened)
Available: SOLD
Catalog ID: SOLD 5714
Price: SOLD $250.00
Yet another mystery release on the Rocking Horse tax cam label. Here's the info you can glean from the liner notes:
- 1977 copyright: Frederick W. Van Dusen
- Album concept: Abramson Studio, Design Alliance (perhaps Herb Abramson of Atlantic Records fame?)
- Cover design: Frederick Myers / Hour Hands
No writing or performance credits, not production information. Add to that I couldn't find a single reference or review for the album. Nothing on Acid Archives, AllMusic, Rate Your Music, etc. Couldn't even find a copy on the usual dealer lists ... Not exactly a lot to go on.
This is all speculation on my part, but based on the material I'd guess they were a mid-1970s US outfit with a penchant for UK bands. Tracks like the rocking opener 'Upside Down', 'On the Brink' and 'Get Some Action' had kind of a Chinn- Chapman flavored pop ring to them - imagine and American version of Smokie if they had wanted to rock, or perhaps a US version of The Sweet if they hadn't been so enamored with power pop. On the other hand, lots of UK bands were pretty good at copping an American feel. Watch it turn out these guys were Croats, or something !!!
- 'Upside Down" opened the album with a nice Badfinger-styled rocker. Tasty guitar and catchy chorus that could have earner these guys some airplay had someone bothered to try marketing the song. rating: *** stars
- Propelled by keyboards, 'On the Brink' was cut from the same cloth as 'Upside Down'. Add in a touch of Mott the Hoople and a great screaming guitar solo and this one was equally commercial. One of the standout performances. rating: **** stars
- Slowing it down, 'Far Clouds Away' was the first song to sport an American feel. Could've been the group sing-along vocals ... rating: *** stars
- Get Some Action' was the first major disappointment. Not that it wasn't catchy, or commercial, rather just kind of mundane. rating: ** stars
- Back to catchy Badfinger-styled rock with 'Taking Off''. Fantastic melody, nice guitar and the anonymous singer had a nice delivery on lyrics like 'I see your insides most every days ...' rating: **** stars
- 'Baby It's Time For Your Love' showed these guys could get kind of funky. No, you won't confuse them with George Clinton and company, but for a bunch of white guys the results were half bad. I'd certainly rather hear this than something by Wild Cherry. rating: *** stars
- Every time I listened to 'It's Just a Matter of Time' it reminded me of another band, but I just couldn't put my finger on it. As fate would have it, my older son happened to be walking through the room one day and asked me what Black Crowes album I was listening to ... End of story.. rating: *** stars
Not a major creative breakthrough, but still surprisingly enjoyable and impressive; many name bands would have done well to release something as good. I'd love to know something about who these guys were ...
"Slow
Poke" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Upside Down
2.) On the Brink
3.) Far Clouds Away
4.) Get Some Action
(side
2)
1.) Taking Off
2.) Baby It's Time For Your Love
3.) It's Just a Matter of Time