Album Review: John Weider – John Weider

This is a curious one. A CD reissue of an album originally released in 1976, it’s the solo debut of British multi-instrumentalist Weider, formerly of the Animals (circa 1966-68), an embryonic lineup of Crabby Appleton, and Family (1969-71). Before all that, he had also replaced Mick Green in Johnny Kidd & the Pirates of “Shakin’ All Over” fame. He was briefly in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, but then, so was everybody (I kid!).

Yet Weider was far from a household name, and fine a musician as he may have been, his contributions to most of the aforementioned projects were not among their chief virtues. Still, he landed a record contract with Anchor Records, a tiny label that lasted but five years. Best known for releasing records by Ace (“How Long”), Anchor also somehow got to release Alice Cooper’s Welcome to My Nightmare album in the UK, but – alas – not much else.

Used copies of John Weider are easily available on Discogs.com for well under €5, but to be fair, that doesn’t include shipping. And thanks to the oleaginous orange oaf and his tariffs, shipping is expensive.

All of which is to ask (if rhetorically): is there a reason – and/or a market – for this reissue of John Weider?

If one’s tastes run toward soft and mellow ‘70s rock – the sort of music that gets the epithet yacht rock applied to it – then the answer may well be yes. The arrangements and playing on cuts like “Promises” are nice if unchallenging. There’s a breezy, acoustic-leaning flavor to the songs that recalls Seals and Crofts, or Pilot at its most inoffensive. The music also sounds a bit like Alan Parsons Project without the progressive feel, or Splinter. Or America. Or… you get the idea.

There are bright spots that transcend the cheery blandness. “Don’t Give up on Me” sounds a LOT like Pilot, and that’s all to the good. The peppy handclaps are a bit whitebread, but as ‘70s pop goes, it’s quite solid. Weider’s double-tracked lead guitar work is tasty; more of that might have made this album a more compelling listen.

But then there’s “Say So,” which is redolent of nothing so much as Eagles. And Eagles are personae non grata on this blog. “Prelude II” is some lovely Spanish guitar instrumental work, but it’s subtle to the point of almost disappearing on the record. “Ambush Alice” feels like a rewrite of “Don’t Give Up on Me.” The rest of the album proceeds in similar fashion: pleasant, but revealing little of lasting note about Weider. “Never Give Up on Love” injects some energy into the album, albeit quite late in the game. Weider’s guitar here may remind some of Ernie Isley’s lead guitar on the Isley Brothers’ “That Lady” from 1973. Of all things! Weider solos his way out on the end of “Poor Boy,” but memories of the album may fade as quickly as that track.

Roger Houdaille’s liner notes are informative and well worth reading by interested parties. The reissue features clear sound but no bonus tracks or such. Ultimately, as recorded solo debuts go, John Weider is… okay. Fans of that kind of pop rock should give it a spin, but don’t approach John Weider expecting to encounter some long-overlooked gem.