line up 1

- Gregg Stevens -- vocals, keyboards, guitar, vibes

  supporting musicians:

- Vic Calucci -- bass

- Rick Thomas -- drums, percussion

- none known

Genre: pop

Rating: 2 stars **

Title:  I'm So Lucky

Company: ARBA

Catalog: AW $14058
Year: 1977

Country/State: US

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: --

Available: 1

Catalog ID: 1556

Price: $180.00

Totally unknown singer and the liner notes on his album don't add much to the story:

"Much of Gregg's music is characterized and flavored by his four year stay in Georgia.   It represents, as he puts it, the "Up's and Down's of his life."  It is centered greatly in his love for music, the women in his life and his deep inter strength gained from belief in God.  He is both morally and physically strong, a sound human being with love ofr humanity and family.   Gregg is skilled at piano, guitar and vibs (sic).  He also plays the organ and does most of his own musical arranging.  he has composed several classical and semi-classical works along with contemporary music."

Judging by the back panel photo, Stevens was quite the family man - along with what I presumed was his wife, I counted six kids none looking like they were older the 14 - 15 (again assuming they were his kids - maybe he borrowed the for the photo shoot),.   

1977's "I'm So Lucky' was largely a one man show.  Stevens produced the album, arranged it with Carlos Franzetti (who released his own tax scam album for Morris Levy's Tiger Lily label), wrote all nine tunes, and handled much of the instrumentation.  No matter what other isolated reviews may say about this album, it wasn't a lost rock classic; in fact, exemplified by tracks like the opener 'I'm So Lucky (disco)', 'What The World Dishes Out', and 'What The World Dishes Out', much of the album reflected a lowest common denominator styled of light disco.  Big ballads like ' I Don't Have the Right' and 'After All the Years' were equally lame and forgettable. So against that backdrop was there anything worthwhile here?  Well, when he avoided his lounge lizard voice (' I Ain't Complaining"), Stevens actually had a decent voice - check out his soulful performance on the side two version of the title track.   ' I'm So Lucky' was easily the album's stand out performance.   The guy also had a distinctive affection for early synthesizers, so if you like that sound, there's plenty of it here for you - be sure to check out 'Going Back Home'.   Another quick warning - technically this wasn't one of the most mesmerizing productions you'd ever heard, much of it sounding like it had been recorded in a broom closet.  

"I'm so Lucky" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) I'm So Lucky (disco)   (Gregg Stevens) - 3:25

The title track showed up on the album in two variants.  The disco variant sped the tune up, piling on an assortment of dance-oriented production moves, including mindless Latin percussion, heavy orchestration, and some of the lamest synthesizers (ARP?) you've ever heard.  Steven's actually sounded like a lounge act on this one.   ARBA actually released it as an instantly obscure single:

- 1977's 'I'm So Lucky' b/w 'I Don't Have the Right' (ARBA catalog number IRDA 459-A)  rating: ** stars

2.) I Don't Have the Right   (Gregg Stevens)  - 4:44

Sappy, poorly orchestrated ballad ... rating: ** stars

3.) Going Back Home   (Gregg Stevens)  - 3:19

With some of the heaviest synthesizers I've ever heard on a song, I'm guessing 'Going Back Home' was the tune Stevens referred to in the liner notes as reflecting his time in Georgia.   rating: *** stars

4.) If It's a Dream   (Gregg Stevens)  - 3:16

Schmaltzy ballad that sounded like something Mac Davis might have charted with.  The loud, upfront piano and shrill backing singer almost drown Stevens out.    rating: ** stars

5.) Won't Be Satisfied   (Gregg Stevens)    (Gregg Stevens)  - 2:49

Barrelhouse piano propelled pop tune that sounded like something Spanky and Our Gang could have handled.   rating: *** stars

(side 2)
1.) I'm So Lucky   (Gregg Stevens)  - 3:42

Yeah it was the same tune, but the low rent disco effects were exchanged for a slow, slinky ballad, wiith a blaxpolitation flavor.  Assuming it was Stevens handling the vocals,you were left wondering how a cheesy lookin' white guy managed to record a tune that sounded like an early-'70s mash-up between Isaac Hayes and Barry White.   Always loved Rich Thomas frenetic drumming. An impressive performance and easily the album's highlight.  rating: **** stars

2.) What The World Dishes Out   (Gregg Stevens)  - 6:04

Weird slice of disco meets-Bobby Keyes and the Manhattan Transfer.  The tune could have been good had the arrangement featured more of Stevens deep soulful voice. Instead you got way too much of the shubby-dooby-da refrain which was guaranteed to simply drive you nuts.    rating: ** stars

3.) After All the Years   (Gregg Stevens)  - 4:23

Big, overblown, and hopeless ballad.  Might be worth listening to just for the odd percussion effects (sounding like someone chipping paint and a rattlesnake), as well as the dated synthesizer washes.    rating: ** star

4.) I Ain't Complaining   (Gregg Stevens)  - 2:56

Imagine a Clarence Carter country-soul lyric set to a tmid-'70s television series theme song and you'd get a feel for this throwaway slice of disco-lite.  The lyrics were pretty funny, though I guess you had to admire the positive, can-do attitude.  rating: *** stars