line up 1

- Ronald Halicki --

- Philip Kachaturian (RIP 2013) -- 

- Sunshine

Genre: pop

Rating: 3 stars ***

Title:  Automobile Downstairs

Company: Mark Holly

Catalog: AW #14011
Year: 1977

Country/State: US

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: --

Available: 2

Catalog ID: 5808

Price: $150.00

As far as I can tell, there are only two online reviews for this album - one is 15 words long and essentially boils down to a one word adjective - 'weird'.  The other's about 100 words long and can be summarized as saying the album is  'weird'.

The Nashville-based Album World was one of the stranger tax scam labels, releasing individual albums credited to a wide array of different label names (aka Mark Holly).  That said, even within the Album World catalog, this was one of the odder releases.  With all eight tracks credited to Philip Kachaturian (three tracks co-written with Ronald Halicki, 1977's "Automobile Downstairs" bounced all over the musical spectrum, leading you to wonder if this was really a band effort, or simply a bunch of miscellaneous demos the company had slapped together in an effort to cobble together an LP worth of material.

As it turns out the album actually seems to have been lifted from the incidental music composed for the late H.B. Halicki's 1974 archetype car chase film "Gone In 60 Seconds".  Kachaturian and Halicki (who happened to be the director's brother and also had a bit role in the film), were credited as having composed the film's score which featured the following six tracks:

1.) Big Town, Big City

2.) Chariot Ride

3.) Gone In 60 Seconds

4.) I Do Hope the Man Doesn't Catch Me

5.) Lois Lane Blues

6.) Low Rider

Same songs with different titles?  I don't know, but will have to track down a copy of the film to see.  If so, you're left to wonder how Album World got hold of the tapes and why they bothered ...  Ah the mysterious world of tax scam labels.

"Automobile Downstairs" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Trippin   (Philip Kachaturian) -   rating: *** stars

'Trippin' opened the album with a surprisingly funky acoustic number - the lead singer had kind of an interesting Southern drawl ...  imagine a marginally talented Boz Scaggs if he'd spent a couple of years hangin' around Alabama bars.  Unfortunately the female backing singers weren't arranged very well and the whole thing just faded out as it was beginning to come together.    

2.) When was Forever One More Day   (Philip Kachaturian) -   rating: *** stars

'When was Forever One More Day' opened up with some nice slide guitar and had kind of mild psych feel to it.  The echoic vocals had kind of John Lennon solo career feel, though they sounded like they'd been recorded in a distant shower.  The song itself was a mildly interesting mid-tempo ballad that could have been quite good with some more attention.   

3.) Forget Those Fears   (Philip Kachaturian) -    rating: *** stars

'Forget Those Fears' was probably the most mainstream and commercial track.  A decent mid-tempo rocker it showcased some tasty lead guitar, but the under-produced feel left the distinct impression this was a rough demo.   

4.) Hope You Come Through   (Philip Kachaturian) -    rating: *** stars

An attractive bluesy number, 'Hope You Come Through' spotlighted some nice acoustic slide guitar moves (Bobby Whitlock would have approved), but suffered from chronically underpowered drumming and another understated vocal.   Again, the overall sound was that of an incomplete demo.   

So where to start with side two?  First off the track listing shown on the liner notes was clearly mixed up.  My guess for the right sequencing was: 

1.) Lickin'

2.) Automobile Downstairs

3.) Can You Give Me a Reason

4.) The Champion Rides Alone

Assuming my sequencing reflected the correct order, here are some comments on the four tracks:

(side 2)

1.) Lickin'   (Philip Kachaturian - Ronald Halicki) -   rating: ** stars

The keyboard driven ballad 'Lickin'' was unlike anything on side one.  The song clearly showcased a different singer who attacked the song with a  pseudo-Dylan warble.  The moody song actually wasn't half bad, though the harmonica fade out didn't do much for me.    

2.) Automobile Downstairs   (Philip Kachaturian - Ronald Halicki) -   rating: ** stars

Kind of a bubbly blues number that then bounced into ballad mode, 'Automobile Downstairs' didn't make much sense lyrically.  Maybe in the context of the film?  

3.) Can You Give Me a Reason   (Philip Kachaturian - Ronald Halicki) -   rating: *** stars

Even though it suffered from horrible fidelity, 'Can You Give Me a Reason' was a likeably slice of funk - well at least as funky as urban white guys could get.  Nice lead guitar throughout and a catchy hook gave the song quite a bit of commercial potential.  Shame the track sounded so muddy.   

4.) The Champion Rides Alone   (Philip Kachaturian) -   rating: *** stars

'The Champion Rides Alone' ended the short album (roughly 25 minutes playing time) with another okay ballad.  The singer wasn't the greatest thing you've ever heard, but the song had a stronger hook than most of the other seven songs and the acoustic slide guitar was nice. 

All told it didn't make for an album you'd hum for the next month, but it was quirky, even for the tax scam world.

SRB 10/2009