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- David Werner -- vocals, guitar, keyboards

  backing musicians: (1974)

- Mark Doyle -- guitar, keyboards

- Joe Farrell -- sax

- Tony Glaister -- drums, percussion

- Max Kendrick -- lead guitar

- Gary Link -- bass

- Linda November - backing vocals

- Maeretha Stewart -- backing vocals

- Tasha Thomas -- backing vocals

- none known

Genre: glam-rock

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title: Whizz Kind

Company: RCA Victor

Catalog: APL1-0350
Year: 1974

Country/State: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: small cut out notch top edge; original custom lyric inner sleeve

Available: 1

Catalog ID: --

Price: $25.00

My introduction to Pittsburgh born singer/guitarist David Werner came at a party I attended in high school.  A friend with in-depth and amazing musical tastes was playing an LP I'd never heard.  I asked if it was new David Bowie.  My host laughed and showed me "Whizz Kid".  I liked it, but didn't rush out to buy a copy.  (Even if I had, I probably couldn't have found a copy since RCA didn't exactly hype the collection.)  Some thirty years later I stumbled across a copy at a yard sale.  Instantly recognizing the cover I grabbed it, happily parting ways with the $4.00 asking price.  

Self taught, along with an older brother, as a teenager Werner started playing in local pick-up bands. By high school was writing material and regularly playing clubs and bars.  Using his family's reel-to-reel tape player he started recording demos and in a real display of chutzpah began hitch-hiking to New York City trying to find a musical sponsor.  Werner was apparently only seventeen when spotted by A&R man/producer Bruce Somerfeld  (perhaps best known for his work with Lou Reed) and signed by RCA.  In spite of Werner's youth RCA management was clearly impressed by the teenager.  Almost unheard of for a new artist, along with Somerfeld he was allowed to co-produce his 1974 debut "Whizz Kid".  In addition to featuring all original material, Werner was also credited with the musical arrangements.  Add in he handled all the vocals, played guitar and keyboards.  Kind of a musical wonder child.  Anyhow, the album's always fascinated me given it seemed to provide a glance into Werner's album collection which appeared heavily slanted to Bowie and Mott the Hoople.  Beyond the platform shoes and the heavy makeup shown on the back cover photo, Bowie's influences were clear on the opening rocker 'One More Wild Guitar' and the stark piano ballad 'Plan 9'.  The title track, the single 'The Ballad Of Trixie Silver' and 'Love Is Tragic' could all have passed for Ian Hunter and Mott the Hoople performances.  Admittedly this may not have been the year's most original album, but what's the old saying ... "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery "  I'd also underscore the album benefited tremendously from the support of former Free Will and Jukin' Bones guitarist Mark Doyle and ex-The Rogues guitarist Max Kendrick.  Maybe not the glitziest players you've ever heard, but Doyle and Kendrick improved ever track they played on, giving Mark Ronson a run for his money in the process.  I'll give it an extra star for how impressive the set was for such a young performer.

"Whizz Kid" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) One More Wild Guitar (David Werner) - 3:29 rating: **** stars

As mentioned above, I had a friend who played this album for me at a party.  I remember being puzzled and thinking I was up-to-date on music, asking him if it was a new David Bowie LP.  He just laughed at me and showed me the album.  David who?    To this day I think Werner's vocals almost out Bowie the Thin White Duke himself.  Add in Max Kendrick's glam lead guitar and 'One More Wild Guitar  would not have sounded out of place on a mid-'70s Bowie album.

2.) Whizz Kid (David Werner) - 3:34 rating: **** stars 

One of the album's most commercial offerings, the rocking title track sounded like something Bowie had written and produced for Ian Hunter and Mott the Hoople.  Given the track's English-tinge, its still hard for me to believe the guy was a Pittsburgh native.  RCA tapped it as the leadoff single, but perhaps afraid of drawing attention from Bowie (also signed to RCA), seemingly did little to promote the 45:

- 1974's 'Whizz Kid' b/w 'It's a Little Bit Sad' (RCA Victor catalog number APBO 0253)

3.) The Lady In Waiting (David Werner) - 3:36 rating: *** stars

Maybe a tad over-sentimental, 'The Lady In Waiting' was a pretty, largely acoustic ballad.  Multi-tracked vocals, sweet acoustic guitars and a nice Kendrick slide guitar solo all combined to make it one of the album's prettier tunes.  With an English folk flavor, the tune was atypical, sounding like something Eric Carmen would have dreamed about. The song also appeared as the "B" side on Werner's 'The Ballad Of Trixie Silver' 45.

4.) The Ballad of Trixie Silver (David Werner) - 5:56 rating: **** stars 

One of the album's more Glam influenced performance, 'The Ballad Of Trixie Silver' was another performance that reminded me of Mott the Hoople.  Admittedly, Werner sounded like a younger Ian Hunter, but the Kendrick's solo would have given Mick Ronson a run for his money.  An abbreviated version of the song was tapped as the album's second single:

- 1974's 'The Ballad of Trixie Silver' b/w 'The Lady Is Waiting' (RCA Victor catalog number PB 10006)

5.) It's A Little Bit Sad (David Werner) -  2:50 rating: ** stars

A stark, keyboard powered ballad, 'It's A Little Bit Sad' would have benefited by losing the orchestration.  Pretty, but a touch to fey ...  Always wondered why the song faded out so quickly.

(side 2)
1.) Love Is Tragic (David Werner) - 4:36 rating: **** stars

Powered by another awesome Doyle performance, I'd pick the Glam rocker 'Love Is Tragic' as the standout performance.  Not only was Werber able to pull off a good Bowie, here he turned in a Mott the Hoople performance that was almost as good as anything Hunter and company ever recorded.  Not hard to imagine it on the "All The Young Dudes" album and that's high praise.

2.) Plan 9 (David Werner) - 1:07 rating: ** stars

The album's most experimental effort, 'Plan 9' was a spacey, multi-tracked ballad - just Werner accompanyng himself on piano with some Ataris-styled sound effects.  Kind of a Bowie 'Major Tom' feeling to it.

3.) Counting the Ways (David Werner) - 4:53 rating: *** stars

Bring the background vocalists to the fore (Linda November, Maeretha Stewart and Tasha Thomas), 'Counting the Ways' was a pastoral, McCartney-esque ballad.  Originally it didn't do much for me, but the refrain was sweet and it's one of the song's that's subsequently grown on me.

4.) The Death of Me Yet (David Werner) - 3:37 rating: **** stars

Always wondered how a seventeen year old from Pittsburgh could nail Ian Hunter to well ...  If you though Werner was a studio creature, check out this YouTube clip.  Recorded at an October 1979 performance at  L.A.'s Whiskey A Go Go and released by Epic Records as a promotion LP ("Dave Werner - Live" - Epic catalog number AS 690), it's a pretty impressive performance:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YGGtwOFmUc 

5.) A Sleepless Night (David Werner) - 4:40 rating: *** stars

Unfortunately the album ended on a disappointing note - 'A Sleepless Night' was a sappy, bland and heavily orchestrated ballad.  Kind of a Bill Murray "Nick Winters" SNL lounge act vibe to the performance.  I'll give it an extra for Joe Farrell 's awesome sax solo.

 © Scott R. Blackerby February, 2025