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<\/center>\nThe Ides of March \u2013 <\/strong>Vehicle<\/strong><\/em>
\nYou know the title song: it’s the one you were sure was by another, more well-known artist. \u201cVehicle\u201d is the 70s answer to The Knickerbockers<\/strong>‘ \u201cLies.\u201d And like Head East<\/strong>‘s Flat As a Pancake<\/em>, hardly anyone has heard anything beyond the single. But the other tunes on this ten-track LP (newly reissued with four bonus tracks) show that this, er, Chicago-based band had a pretty wide breadth of style in their bag of tricks. Not all the tracks are horn-laden, either. Some interesting covers (CSN<\/strong>, Jethro Tull<\/strong><\/a>, Beatles<\/strong>) and some tasty lead guitar work make this album well worth re-discovering.<\/p>\n
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<\/center>\nThe 5<\/strong>th<\/strong><\/sup> Dimension \u2013 <\/strong>Earthbound<\/strong><\/em>
\nAfter their string of hits, The 5th<\/sup> Dimension began to tire of their soul-meets-MOR formula. This album \u2013 long out of print \u2013 was an attempt to try something new. Commercially, it was largely a failure, yielding no hit singles and barely scraping the album charts. But this Jimmy Webb<\/strong>-produced album (with Larry Coryell<\/strong><\/a> on guitar!) is a surprisingly varied affair, with some gems waiting to be discovered. Though the opening title number is syrupy and mawkish, \u201cDon’t Stop For Nothing\u201d is some deep funk. And the group’s inventive reading of The Beatles<\/strong>‘ \u201cI’ve Got a Feeling\u201d is excellent. Groovy.<\/p>\n
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<\/center>\nIan Matthews \u2013 <\/strong>Stealin’ Home<\/strong><\/em>
\nThough he was a one-time member of Fairport Convention<\/strong>, on this solo LP \u2013 the most well-known of oh-so-many \u2013 Matthews is in soft-rock mode. The songs here sound like a softer version of Alan Parsons Project<\/strong>: flawlessly performed, arranged and recorded, full of catchy melodies. Nothing here rocks \u2013 not by a long shot \u2013 but nearly every track sounds as if could have been a radio hit in the late 70s (\u201cShake It\u201d was indeed). Fans of that laid-back Southern California sound (see also: Fleetwood Mac<\/strong>, Stephen Bishop<\/strong>) will dig. A live ’78 concert adds nine bonus tracks.<\/p>\n
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<\/center>\nZephyr \u2013 <\/strong>Zephyr<\/strong><\/em>
\nThe career of guitarist Tommy Bolin<\/strong><\/a> is looked upon as one of promise largely unfulfilled. His solo albums have some great moments, but remain spotty; his posthumous outtake collections show he had plenty of talent and ideas. This album \u2013 originally released in 1969 \u2013 is his earliest recorded effort. Though the group is sonically dominated by husband-and-wife duo David Givens<\/strong> (bass) and Candy Givens<\/strong> (histrionic, Janis Joplin<\/strong>esque vocals), Bolin does get the chance to strut his stuff on some lengthy numbers. If one can get past the vocals, Zephyr<\/em> is a very good album in the Big Brother<\/strong> mold.<\/p>\n
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<\/center>\nRenaissance \u2013 <\/strong>Scheherazade and Other Stories<\/strong><\/em>
\nArguably, British \u201cprogressive\u201d music has long drawn from a different set of influences than its North American counterpart. Renaissance<\/strong><\/a> built their music upon a foundation that was equal parts classical and European folk. With the five-octave voice of Annie Haslam<\/strong> as its central focus, the group made gentle yet ambitious music. Scheherazade<\/em> remains the high water mark of the group’s 1970s output. This new reissue doesn’t add bonus tracks or liner notes; what it does instead is present the album in SACD format, an ideal move for a record that featured crystalline production (by the band themselves) to begin with.<\/p>\n
20 more capsule reviews to come.<\/p>\n
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