Backstage Pass: Roxy Music - The Studio Albums

The best thing to happen to lovers of experimental art-rock was King Crimson rejecting Bryan Ferry - who then, with bassist Graham Simpson (who only lasted through the first album), recruited saxophone and oboe player Andy Mackay and synth master Brian Eno to join them in 1970. Drummer Paul Thompson followed 1971, the final piece came in 1972, with guitarist Phil Manzanera. In 1973 Brian Eno was replaced by Eddie Jobson, while journeyman John Gustafson took over on bass - and a host of other artists would come and go over the years.

Here's a look at their studio albums recorded from 1972 to 1982.

Roxy Music (June 16, 1972)

Chart Action: UK #10

U.S Track Listing: Re-Make/Re-Model / Ladytron / If There Is Something / Virgina Plain / 2BH / The Bob (Medley) / Chance Meeting / Would You Believe / Sea Breezes / Bitter End

What an eclectic mix of sound and style, old school horns, a pre-new wave crooner, Eno's synths and tapes that certainly "sound like the moon", on numbers like The Bob - it's postmodern pop married to the avant-garde, with the sheen of glitter and glamour, and Andy Mackay summed it up best, "we certainly didn't invent eclecticism but we did say and prove that rock 'n' roll could accommodate – well, anything really"

Ferry wasn't a fan of the production side of it, and it's a little thin there, but the core music carries the album - Re-Make/Re-Model sets the table brilliantly, with band mates trading solos that pay tribute to the Beatles, Duane Eddy, and Wagner. And having Virginia Plain on my LP (which was not recorded in time to make the UK pressing) gives the release an added boost. I love the sound collage, Eno's synth and treatments (with that epic solo section), Mackay's tweeting horns, Manzanera guitar work, all make this one of the bands most memorable. 2BH, the smooth tribute to Humprey Bogart and Casablanca closes the first side on a high, lifted by Simpson's memorable bass work, Eno's echo effects, Ferry's Hohner Pianet N electric piano and McKay's sweet sax solo.

The second side is mellower, and marked by pretty melodies (Sea Breezes, which later transforms with off-kilter guitars, and staccato drums), and 50s-style horns (Would You Believe) and the glorious spaciness Eno brought to the production. All told, a damn good debut.

Grade: ★★★★½

For Your Pleasure (March 23, 1973)

Chart Action: UK #4 / US #193

Track Listing: Do the Strand / Beauty Queen / Strictly Confidential / Editions of You / In Every Dream Home a Heartache / The Bogus Man / Grey Lagoons / For Your Pleasure

Only their second time at bat, and already, a masterpiece. Described as glam, with threads of the type of experimentalism that would fuel the new wave, woven throughout. The rocking "Strand" shows a band firing on all cylinders - musically expert, the performances and arrangements impress. After that it swings over to a melodic ballad, marked by one of Ferry's finest vocal efforts, but, which, is almost conventional by comparison. In contrast to that, you have Eno, being anything but conventional, which points to the future of art-student rock.

I can really hear how influential it was both musically -the synths in Editions of You makes me think of Devo's "Mr. DNA", and lyrically, In Every Dream Home a Heartache would fit right into Black Francis' twisted universe. But it also lines up well with their contemporaries, Bowie, or Krautrockers, like Can who can be felt in the near 10-minute opus, The Bogus Man.

It's a fusion of the eerie, the dreamlike, the discordant and melodic - which result in an album that is fascinating, disconcerting, and beautiful.

FYI: That's Dali protégée Amanda Lear featured on that noteworthy cover. And actress Judy Dench is heard at the end of the final number.

Grade: ★★★★★

Stranded (November 1973)

Chart Action: UK #1 / US #186

Track Listing: Street Life / Just Like You / Amazona / Psalm / Serenade / A Song for Europe / Mother of Pearl / Sunset

Roxy's 3rd is a little more straightforward - not that the musical weirdness was completely excised, see the spellbinding Amazona, cowritten with Phil Manzanera for one - while the release downshifts by closing each side with slow-tempo tunes, Psalm and Sunset. It mostly roars, with highs like the Beatlesque A Song of Europe (with verses sounding a lot like those in "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"), and the best of the bunch, the funky rocker Mother of Pearl. Featuring a cool guitar riff and lead from Phil, that transitions into a slower, groovier piece which leans on the piano and bass, which then steadily increases in tempo by riding on Paul Thompson's lively drumming. Nice.

Even without Eno's ingenious soundscapes, Roxy's as sublime as ever, and Jobson proves to be a talent in his own right.

Grade: ★★★★½

Country Life (November 15, 1974)

Chart Action: UK #3 / US #37

Track Listing: The Thrill of it All / Three and Nine / All I Want is You / Out of the Blue / If It Takes Al Night / Bitter Sweet / Triptych / Casanova / A Really Good Time / Prairie Rose

Country kicks things off exciting and vibrant with The Thrill of it All - a perfectly constructed piece - electrifying, explosive, with enthralling instrumentation that leaves you wanting more. But if you think Roxy's going to stay safe and comfortable in this lane, you'll soon be surprised by the variety of sonic treats they offer up, from Elizabethan to Boogie-woogie and more, for example...

Out of the Blue sounds like the prototype of the 'new romantics' sound, I hear John Taylor when listening to John Gustafson's bass work. So, there you go, the new wave influencer of the first two albums, has found another movement to inspire. 

Jobson comes into his own on the LP, contributing synths, strings, keys and an electric violin - he establishes his own musical voice, while fusing nicely with Ferry's vision for the band, who is aided in that by Manzanera and MacKay's continuing contributions as co-writers.

Significant and inspired, it's another top-notch collection from the guys.

Grade: ★★★★½

Siren (October 24, 1975)

Chart Action: UK #4 / US #50

Track Listing: Love is the Drug / End of the Line / Sentimental Fool / Whirlwind / She Sells / Could it Happen to Me / Both Ends Burning / Nightengale / Just Another High

It's always strange for me to learn later, that an album I've absolutely adored for decades, isn't as adored by other fans - but if this is the sound of an exhausted band (as one Spin writer suggests), along the lines of the Beatles for Sale, or Alice Cooper's Muscle of Love it sure doesn't sound like it.

Of course, one tune that is universally praised is the opener, Love is the Drug, a groovy, bass led classic that gave the band their biggest hit. While some 70s songs can sound like a product of their time, Drug is eternal.

Now, I'm a Beatles nut, and Siren evokes all that I love about that sound - the pop flavoring with killer hooks, and even some pretty harmonizing (End of the Line). While it sees the group drifting further from its experimental early days, this has ever been an evolving band, and that won't stop with Siren.

To close - it might be a controversial opinion fan-wise (it was critically praised for the most part), this ranks among my favorite Roxy records, I really dig the melodies and the musicianship, I can sit and marvel over the heaviness of Paul Thompson's standout drums and Gustafson's R&B basslines, the slick guitarwork from Phil (all 3 make Whirlwind a blast), strings, keys and horns on She Sells - and Bryan's vocals are as good as they've ever been, expressive, smooth and textured. All of these elements draw me in, puts me under a spell, just as the title promises.

Grade: ★★★★★

Manifesto (March 16, 1979)

Chart Action: UK #7 / US #23

Track Listing: Manifesto / Trash / Angel Eyes / Still Falls the Rain / Stronger Through the Years / Ain't That So / My Little Girl / Dance Away / Cry Cry Cry / Spin Me Round

Roxy returns after a 4-year break a little more dancey and discoey - odd that the band that helped shape the new wave and new romantic style, wouldn't come back to lead the charge towards a new musical movement, but settle in with a solid, though not particularly challenging rhythm heavy sound. Manifesto is a pleasant album, toe-tapping enjoyable, but the wow factor isn't present, this wasn't going to change the world, or leave a lasting impression on the musical landscape, but as pure entertainment, sharply performed, it's worthwhile.

A few noteworthy tracks: Manifesto, with Ferry's vocals sounding mature and throaty - even better is Trash, which gives us a little taste of the off-beat (that brief, honking horn sound made me smile, as it came off like a nod to the past); and the pretty Dance Away, (single version preferred) which was a big hit in the UK.

Alan Spenner and Gary Tebbs are the credited bassist, not sure which laid down those tasty basslines from song to song, but I like the sound of them in tracks like Still Falls the Rain and Stronger Through the Years, which are also lifted by some cool and curious guitar riffs and solos from Manzanera. Least I forget them, Ferry's harmonica and Mackay's sax take center stage with Ain't That So. The band's in good form.

Grade: ★★★★

Flesh + Blood (May 23, 1980)

Chart Action: UK #1 / US #35

Track Listing: The Midnight Hour / Oh Yeah! / Same Old Scene / Flesh and Blood / My Only Love / Over You / Eight Miles High / Rain, Rain, Rain / No Strange Delight / Running Wild

While the most poorly reviewed release of the group's studio efforts, Flesh + Blood has its champions, and I'm one of them. While Bryan is in full tuxedoed crooner mode, and the inclusion of cover songs indicates these were included to pad out the album, as they're rather average covers (Midnight is better than Eight); the originals are smooth, singable and easy on the ears (My Only Love). Yes, the edge is gone, the innovation is gone, and drummer Paul Thompson is nowhere in sight - we're down to three core members, Ferry, Mackay and Manzanera, but the compositions are compelling, with dream-like ballads, and up-tempo poppers (Flesh and Blood, Over You) to keep the blood flowing.

The album is tuneful throughout, and never gets so low key as to become boring.

Grade: ★★★½

Avalon (May 28, 1982)

Chart Action: UK #1 / US #53

Track Listing: More Than This / The Space Between / Avalon / India / While My Heart is Still Beating / The Main Thing / Take a Chance with Me / To Turn You On / True to Life / Tara

Speaking of low-key, this is very, very mellow. Though better received critically than the last (and it is beautiful, and it is precise) it's a little too laid back to suit my tastes. 

More Than This gets the album off to an amazing start, it has a nice tempo, and soars on a snappy, pretty melody. Track two has an ethereal funkiness but lacks the irresistible melody, and it meanders to the point of boring me, which is a sticking point on a lot of this material. The third, for example, is catchier than the last, but damn, Ferry's drifting into Perry Como territory with his vocals. While Take a Chance with Me gives the production a brief pulse, for the most part this is very languorous - elegant, but plastic and somnambulant. After finishing with it I went back and played Do the Strand and oh how the mighty have fallen - from the cutting edge, into the realm of Muzak.  

Grade: ★★★

And that's all she wrote, though there was a possible 9th, a studio album that was not to be...

While developed as a Roxy Music project, Ferry instead recorded and released Olympia as a solo in 2010 (joined on certain tracks by former bandmates Mackay, Manzanera and Eno). It would have been a decent return, though not a spectacular one. I dig the opening tune and a couple with Eno (Alphaville, Me Oh My). Ferry's voice is a whisper, the songs are often an easy stroll, with a handful offering a thumping dance vibe as a changeup, but in truth it's more Bryan than Roxy so probably best that he elected to go that route and title it as he did.

Ranking Roxy

1. For Your Pleasure

2. Siren

3. Roxy Music

4. Country Life

5. Stranded

6. Manifesto

7. Flesh + Blood

8. Avalon

Backstage Pass: Greg Kihn - The Beserkley Years

I'd never heard of the guy before, or this west coast independent label he was on, but my friend had several of his albums, and when Kihn got big time radio play with the Breakup Song, he shared those previous releases with me, which I enjoyed - so much that when I found them in the cutout section at one of the chain records stores, I added them to my collection as well. 

Greg Kihn (1976)

Tracks: Don't Expect to Be Right / Any Other Woman / Emily Davison / Try Try to Fall in Love / Kid from Louieville / Worse or Better / He Will Break Your Heart / What Goes On / Satisfied / Why Don't You Try Me

The cover showed the singer/songwriter standing in front of the record store where he worked at the time, and the music inside made for a respectable introduction to the artist's brand of poppy rock (Worse or Better), with a dash of folk (the pretty cover of Cooker's, Try Try to Fall in Love). The repetition can work against it in spots (Any Other Woman, which is not a bad tune, it just needed something to break it up). 

Story song Emily Davison is based on a true tale, and has a nursey-rhyme like cadence, which makes for a fascinating blend of music and lyric. The mellow stroll of a tune, Kid from Louieville is the highlight, though with its 5:23 runtime, it overstays its welcome.

Greg Kihn Again (1977)

Tracks: Love Made a Fool of You / Island / Last of Me / Real Big Man / Politics / Hurt So Bad / For You / If You Be My Love / Madison Avenue / Untie My Hands

Greg's second time at bat was a step forward. This rates among my favorites from Kihn. And I don't know if it was due to working with an indie label with a smaller budget, but there's something about the quality of the overall sound - it's professionally played and produced, but not overly slick, it had a unique tone to it that I liked.

The melodies and overall songwriting are tighter, more memorable. The pretty ballads, Last of Me (love that cool cascading bass/guitar line) and If You Be My Love, which boasts sweet harmonies and superb melodies, and structures, are standouts. Greg's in fine voice, both dramatic and smooth (see Politics, for one), Larry Lynch's rolling drum pattern add character to Politics, and he and Steve Wright's bass work on Hurt So Bad help make that a winner. Dave Carpender plays a mean guitar on the closing instrumental and is an asset throughout (his lovely lead riff on Hurt So Bad, for another) - also, former guitarist Robbie Dunbar is present (and excellent) on the Springsteen cover, For You.

Finally, that album cover would be troublesome today, might have been troublesome in '77, but I was fascinated by it, it didn't seem to have anything to do with the contents inside. Island has a Jamaican tenor, but that's the only tune that travels to other lands (Greg says he has an interesting story about this, but so far, he hasn't shared it as far as I know).

Next of Kihn (1978)
Tracks: Cold Hard Cash / Museum / Remember / Chinatown / Sorry / Everybody Else / Undertsander / Secret Meetings

Kicks ass right out of the gate, with Greg belting out the line "Gimme Gimme My Money" (akin -cough- aKihn to Spinal Tap's, "Gimme Some Money?" lol) No covers here, all the tracks were written by Greg, and they frequently smoke - the fast and furious Museum is marked by frantic drumming, screaming lead guitar, power popping melodies and sharp harmony, and later, Chinatown hits hard and heavy with electrifying instrumental play.

It cools down a bit with a 12-string opening for Remember, a near 7-minute jazzy masterpiece, that according to Khin's website, had to be recorded live in one take, due to its complex arrangement. Carpender and Khin's deft finger picking is elaborate and gorgeous, equally laudable are Wright and Lynch's contributions. If I were to make a list of the band's greatest songs, this would easily rank at the top spot.

The second half introduces some Beatle-esque pop rock (Sorry, Everybody Else) and Understander blends both - it has some thumping, echoing drum, and impressive Byrds-like vocals.

Arguably the bands finest hour, in under an hour (it runs 36 min).

That eye grabbing cover art was done by Michael Zagaris

With the Naked Eye (1979)

Tracks: Rendezvous / In the Naked Eye / Getting Away with Murder / Moulin Rouge / Beside Myself / Roadrunner / Another Lonely Saturday Night / Can't Have the Highs (Without the Lows) / Fallen Idol

The first LP released as the Greg Kihn Band treads along a comfortable pop-rock pathway and apart from Moulin Rouge, rarely strays from that. There's nothing bad about this (aside from the hilariously melodramatic Fallen Idol, which makes me wince), only, it doesn't deliver on the promise of the previous release. The rockers aren't as enduring or endearing, and it never takes you somewhere different, the way Remember did. So no, it's not a creative leap forward, but for energetic happiness etched on vinyl, this does the job. It's an innocuous collection of listenable, likeable rock, well performed and sung.

Note: Larry Lynch sings his own Can't Have the Highs, I believe that's the first without Greg as the lead singer, but it won't be the last.

Glass House Rock (1980)

Tracks: Castaway / Desire Me / Anna Belle Lee / Things to Come / Small Change / The Only Dance There Is / The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance / Serenade Her / Night After Night / For Your Love

Kihn enters the 80s with a harder sound, and a keyboard (played by Gary Phillips). The bass/keys combo rumbles on songs like Desire Me and the beautiful, mid-tempo ballad Anna Belle Lee. 

The album ratchets up with the finger snapping boogie of Things to Come, Carpender's fuzz guitar opens the bluesey The Only Dance; so, there's a variety of styles married to the groups power pop.    

Greg shares vocal duties with bassist Steve Wright and drummer Larry Lynch on tracks 7, 9 & 10. They're fine, but Kihn's smokey, scratchy vocals are always preferred, and the release suffers a slight slump in this section, though not fatally so. All in all, it's a good, solid listen, with several peaks.

Note: From here on we no longer see Greg on the Beserkley covers, and while this has nice color and design, I can't tell if that gloved hand is pointing or flipping us off? HaHa.

RocKihnRoll (June 1981)

Tracks: Valerie / The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em) / Womankind / Can't Stop Hurting Myself / Trouble in Paradise / Sheila / Nothing's Gonna Change / The Girl Most Likely / When the Music Starts / True Confessions

Power Pop at its power Poppiest! Greg has covered Buddy Holly in the past, and covers Tommy Roe's Holly-like Sheila here, so that's the vibe on his 6th release, that's the vibe you get from the opener, Valerie, and the following number. 

Yeah, The Breakup Song, that was a game changer for Kihn. It received steady radio play, and was his highest charting single to that point, climbing all the way to the 15th slot on the Billboard Hot 100. Every piece of that song, from the "Uh-Uh-Uh's" to the guitar riff and keys, and chorus, are the epitome of an 'ear worm'.

For me, the strength of the release is those first 4 numbers; the rest of the album is good (When the Music Starts is a standout on the second side), but the fantastic four are on a whole other level. That said, if you're craving finely crafted tunes with hooks galore, you can't go wrong with either side of RocKihnRoll. 

Oh, and cool cut-out art for the cover.

Kihntinued (1982)

Tracks: Happy Man / Every Love Song / Everyday/Saturday / Dedication / Tell Me Lies / Testify / Sound System / Seeing is Believing / Higher and Higher / Family

While Happy Man (which they did a music video for) seems to signal a repeat of the style of the previous release, this one quickly goes down its own path, a little funkier (Every Love Song), a little Reggae-ish (Tell Me Lies), a little New Wavey (Everyday/Saturday) with a little mix of each (Sound System). 

It is interesting how several tunes lock onto these ostinatos, usually provided by Steve Wrights bass, and keep to a steady tempo and structure. (Overall Kihn's not a big bridge guy, and while I think certain songs could benefit from such detours, he tends to stay the course.)  There's some good, groovy stuff here, with my favorites being the foot tapping first, and the laid back last (Family), though there's a sameness in tempo and style that undercuts the overall effectiveness of the whole. Still, I appreciate that the band didn't want to rest on its laurels. 

Sadly, this will be guitarist Dave Carpender's last album with the band.

Kihnspiracy (1983)

Tracks: Jeopardy / Fascination / Tear That City Down / Talkin' to Myself / Can't Love Them All / I Fall to Pieces / Someday / Curious / How Long / Love Never Fails

Featured the bands only top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 (landing at #2, behind the wall that was Michael Jackson's Beat It), Jeopardy is one groovy, danceable tune, it's easy to see why listeners ate it up and allowed it to rocket up the charts. The up-tempo, hook-leaden Fascination that followed wasn't bad, but it then settles into a series of nondescript numbers that were neither here nor there. okay, but unremarkable. My least favorite from the Beserkley era.

Greg Douglass takes over as the band's guitarist.

Kihntagious (1984)

Tracks: Reunited / Rock / Make Up / Stand Together / Confrontation Music / One Thing About Love / Worst that Could Happen / Trouble with the Girl / Cheri Baby / Hard Times / Work, Work, Work

Oof, these puns - the album starts off with the winning staccato rock of Reunited, which was giving the music video treatment. The rest of the record features the repetitions he's been leaning in to, offers a few that have a funky feel, a bit of reggae (Confrontation Music, perhaps a tribute to Marley, who released an LP titled "Confrontation"?), and blue-eyed soul (Make-Up), these and the others are all good enough, but, aside from the first and Hard Times, don't thrill my ear the way his early releases did, it's "workmanlike rock", competent, but not elevating, and in truth it's not really my thing, I like pop-rock Greg, I like the folkier flavored Greg, but I'm losing interest in funky Greg. 

End of an era: This will be the final album released by Beserkley, and marks the last time he'll record with Gary Phillips and founding member Larry Lynch. 

And that's it for this stage of his career. There were further albums, so there could be a part 2, once/if I give them a go.

Post Beserkley studio releases (no compilations or live albums) 

1985 Citizen Kihn / 1986 Love and Rock and Roll / 1992 Kihn of Hearts / 1994 Mutiny (used copies on disc, not streaming) / 1996 Horror Show (import CD only) / 2017 Rekihndled

The Essentials 

1. Next of Kihn (the band at the peak of its creative powers) 

2. Greg Kihn Again (With the addition of Carpender, the pieces are all in place)

3. RocKihnRoll (power pop that put the Greg Kihn Band on the map)

4. Greg Kihn (self-titled debut, to hear where it all started)

Backstage Pass: Nazareth from '71 to '81

Nazareth formed in December 1968 in Dunfermline, Scotland, from the remaining members of semi-professional local group the Shadettes (formed in 1961) by vocalist Dan McCafferty, guitarist Manny Charlton, bassist Pete Agnew, and drummer Darrell Sweet - Wikipedia. 

When Manny, and later Dan passed away in 2022, I revisited my old studio albums. Here's what I thought of them.

Nazareth (self-titled debut - November 1971)

Tracks: Witchdoctor Woman / Dear John / Empty Arms, Empty Heart / I Had a Dream / Red Light Lady (Parts 1 & 2) / Fat Man / Country Girl / Morning Dew / King Is Dead

Way back when it seemed maybe a little too diverse, but in hindsight it was a fitting introduction, it has the grinding rock, blues, country, a cover of a folk tune, a lush AOR ballad… it’s like they were setting the table for the career to come, “This is what you’re going to get from us over the decades”, next LP will be folky, following that, a rocker, etc etc.  

While the debut might not rank among their giants, it’s a solid first step, and with standouts like the soaring, King is Dead, with its riveting lyrics, gorgeous strings and harmonies (and Dan's gentle, moving leads), it has moments of brilliance.

Interestingly, Pete Agnew takes over vocals on I Had a Dream, and does well by it, his singing is appropriately smooth and mournful.

Exercises (July 1972)

Tracks: I Will Not Be Led / Cat’s Eye, Apple Pie / In My Time / Woke Up This Morning / Called Her Name / Fool About You / Love, Now You’re Gone / Madelaine / Sad Song / 1692 (Glencoe Massacre)

This one has not been well received mostly because it’s not hard rock, it’s more a bluesy, folky collection. But I've always liked it, maybe because I’m a folky myself and really enjoyed the acoustic and orchestral sounds. I dig this swampy version of "Woke Up This Morning" near as much as the rocking version on Razamanaz, and "Called Her Name" is a groovy, yearning winner. 

I see where "Madeline" has been compared, negatively, to a Badfinger ballad, yeah, so what, it's a pretty number, with a sweet 12-string guitar - it's another ace track to my ears. 

Note: Pre-Queen, Roy Thomas Baker was the producer.

Razamanaz (May 1973)

Tracks: Razamanaz / Alcatraz / Vigilante Man / Woke Up This Morning / Night Woman / Bad, Bad Boy / Sold My Soul / Too Bad, Too Sad / Broken Down Angel

While I’ll always defend Exercises, Razamanaz takes the band to whole other level and establishes their signature sound. It consistently rocks, but with a taste of the country or folk stylings they're drawn too. They cover Woody Guthrie’s “Vigilante Man”, for example, but give it a stomping, bluesy flavor. 

Each musician is at their peak powers - focus on an individual instrument and be gobsmacked. The thumping backbone provided by Sweet and Agnew creates a formidable foundation, Charlton's skill with phrasing and motif... yeah, his licks scream, but he's as brilliant at making that guitar speak, it's a voice as strong as Dan's, both soulful, expressive and pulse pounding. 

Many fans consider it their greatest LP, and at least production wise, it might be my favorite - it has a real muscular, low-end sound, with the kind of heavy bass and drums presence I dig.

 

Loud 'n' Proud (November 1973)

Tracks: Go Down Fighting / Not Faking It / Turn on Your Receiver / Teenage Nervous Breakdown / Freewheeler / This Flight Tonight / Child in the Sun / The Ballad of Hollis Brown

The Scottish rockers 2nd release in 1973 is an outstanding follow up to the previous album, and from the first to the last, you'll not find a weak track in the lot. LnP can really sizzle, though my favorites on it are more melodic and hookier. “Turn on Your Receiver” is a countrified toe tapping rocker, while “Child of the Sun” opens with some pretty harmonies and features some slick guitar work.

And the covers are a delight, Little Feats “Teenage Nervous Breakdown”, and Joni Mitchel’s “This Flight Tonight”, which became a hit for them.  The record closes with a blistering take on Dylan’s “The Ballad of Hollis Brown” - The band drenches it in feedback and fuzz, which transforms the tune into a 9-minute nightmare. (posted above).

Rampant (April 1974)

Tracks: Silver Dollar Forger (Parts 1 & 2) / Glad When You’re Gone / Loved and Lost / Shanghai’d in Shanghai / Jet Lag / Light My Way / Sunshine / Shapes of Things - Space Safari

The 3rd and final album produced by Deep Purple's Roger Glover, and though it’s not quite up to the level of "Razamanaz" or "Loud ‘n’ Proud" or the God-Tier album that came after, "Hair of the Dog", you still have plenty of head boppin' boogie blues rockers to enjoy - plus there's Dan's raspy howl and Manny's fluid guitar work to hold you, and keyboards are brought into the mix nicely. My favorite tracks? I like the spacy purr of Light My Way, which takes us to the smooth acoustics that open the catchy Sunshine. 

This is one of those records that I've come to enjoy more over the years, I've even come around on their raucous Yardbirds cover that closes the second side.

Hair of the Dog (April 1975)

Tracks: Hair of the Dog / Miss Misery / Love Hurts / Changin’ Times / Beggar’s Day / Rose in the Heather / Whiskey Drinkin’ Woman / Please Don’t Judas Me

Or as it might have been titled Heir of the Dog… as they weren’t allowed to call it “Son of a Bitch”.

Revisiting it, and boy, chills went down my spine, there’s a reason this tops many Nazareth favorite album lists. That first side is sublime, opening with the title track (one of the all-time great driving songs with a killer guitar riff and plenty of cowbell) and following that with the crunchy, bluesy “Miss Misery”.

Mine is the US version with “Love Hurts” rather than “Guilty” (a Randy Newman cover) and I couldn’t imagine this LP without that power ballad - the track has so much heart and soul, I love how Dan’s voice strains and tears through it… which adds such an emotional punch. The A side closes with “Changing Times”, which reviewer Donald A. Guarisco calls “a throbbing hard rock tune driven by a hypnotic, circular-sounding guitar riff.”

Just when you think it couldn’t get any better, the flip side opens with the rocking/spacy twin offering Beggars Day (a cover of the Crazy Horse song) and Rose in the Heather.

For me, it loses a tiny bit of steam with “Whiskey Drinking Woman”, but it rebounds with the synth laced closer, a 9-minute opus titled “Please Don’t Judas Me”, which is a mournful funereal march that sees the band indulging their experimental side.

Guitarist Manny Charlton took on the role of producer from Roger Glover and he starts with a bang. You can’t ask for a better production debut than “Hair of the Dog” - it’s simply one of the greats, Nazareth or otherwise.

Close Enough for Rock 'n' Roll (March 1976) 

Tracks: Telegram / Vicki / Homesick Again / Vancouver Shakedown / Born Under the Wrong Sign / Loretta / Carry Out Feelings / Lift the Lid / You’re the Violin

It opens decently, with the ambitious Telegram and the poppy blues ballad, Homesick Again, but after that… 

There's some good play here from the band, and Dan's in fine voice, but it's missing a certain spark - songs that are almost there... but not quite. It has its fans, but I can't number myself among them.  It’s simply not as focused and memorable as the previous masterpiece or those that will come after.  

Play ‘n’ the Game (November 1976)

Tracks: Somebody to Roll / Down Home Girl / Flying / Waiting for the Man / Born to Love / I Want to Do Everything for You / I Don’t Want to Go on Without You / Wild Honey / L.A. Girls

Instrumental hooks a plenty - from Manny's repeated riff on the first track to Agnew's steady strutting bass line in Waiting for the Man (which is accompanied by a slide guitar that adds a creepy, cool vibe). The chugging, constant rhythms and ear catching musicianship are the albums strength; it's weakness?  Frankly, it sinks at the end with lumbering covers of the Drifters and Beach Boys. While L.A. Girl injects a little adrenaline into the LP, it's a minor effort. In total, Play 'n' the Game's a decent offering that fades at the point when it desperately needed a singular knockout track (like Hair of the Dog), or a breathtaking epic (on par with Hollis Brown), the type that would have rocketed it towards the stratosphere. That said, "Somebody to Roll" and "Waiting for the Man" are -al bacio-

So, while 1976 proved to be hit 'n' miss for me, the guys will find the heat the following year.

Expect No Mercy (November 1977)

Tracks: Expect No Mercy / Gone Dead Train / Shot Me Down / Revenge Is Sweet / Gimme What’s Mine / Kentucky Fried Blues / New York Broken Toy / Busted / Place in Your Heart / All the King’s Horses

Expect No Mercy cooks, and it’s the shot in arm I needed from these guys - Charlton’s killer licks, accompanied by frantic rhythms, bass and drums, and Dan using all his snarling vocal powers to great effect gets the album off to a thunderous start. There are catchy rock ballads too, like “Shot Me Down”, which appeals to the hook loving Beatles fan in me. And they haven’t abandoned their love of country, as heard in their bluesy cover of Harlan Howard’s “Busted”. And you get a taste of both in the poppy, western flavored “Place in Your Heart”. (Really, it sounds like the kind of song John and Paul would have written for Ringo, if Ringo had Dan’s range).

At 36 minutes total, with only 1 track exceeding the 4-minute mark, the album is lean and to the point, in gets in, kicks your butt and leaves you wanting more. Listening to this brought back a lot of happy memories.

No Mean City (January 1979)

Tracks: Just to Get into It / May the Sunshine / Simple Solution (Parts 1 & 2) / Star / Claim to Fame / Whatever You Want Babe / What’s in It for Me / No Mean City (Parts 1 & 2)

Nazareth closes the 70s with a bang. And a new member is added to the core lineup, guitarist Zal Cleminson. So yeah, this is guitar heavy rock that continues what the previous one started, you even get another metal -see what I had painted on the side of my van- style cover. 

Along with the dirty, driving blues (Claim to Fame and What's in It for Me - are two that find a groove and repeat it like a mantra), they also serve up a plate of snappy pop (Whatever You Want Babe) and include a mid-tempo power ballad that shines brightest of all (“Star” - a personal favorite). 

City's popular among critics and fans -one of the perennial Top Fivers- and though I don't rank it as high as Mercy, I agree that it was another jewel in the band's crown. 

Malice in Wonderland (February 1980)

Tracks: Holiday / Showdown at the Border / Talkin’ to One of the Boys / Heart’s Grown Cold / Fast Cars / Big Boy / Talkin’ About Love / Fallen Angel / Ship of Dreams / Turning a New Leaf

Malice is pure AOR, not since Exercises have they strayed this far from their grinding, crunchier sound.

I loved this album when it was released, I listened to it a lot, and the video for Holiday was a welcome mainstay on MTV - Of the music that defined 1980 for me, Nazareth was joined by Queen (The Game), Pat Benatar (Crime of Passion), Devo (Freedom of Choice) and bittersweetly, John Lennon’s LP return after a 5-year break (tragically marked by his murder 3 weeks later).

But how does it hold up? Pretty well, though admittedly after listening to Expect No Mercy and No Mean City it’s jarring to jump from those into this. It can sound overproduced, and plastic in spots (Talkin About Love), but it’s grand ear candy, with nice harmonies, and at least one classic power ballad (Hearts Grown Cold… though Fallen Angel is pretty darned good too). It might not be traditional Nazareth, but in terms of craft, of songwriting, arrangement and instrumentation it’s one of their finest.

It also boasts my favorite Nazareth cover - designed by Amy Nagasawa, the mannequins lend it a strange, otherworldly quality, and it captures a story we’re not privy too, where a blazing fire interrupts an outdoor party… the who, what, and whys swim in my head when I stare at that beaut?

The Fool Circle (February 1981)

Tracks: Dressed to Kill / Another Year / Moonlight Eyes / Pop the Silo / Let Me Be Your Leader / We Are the People / Every Young Man’s Dream / Little Part of You / Cocaine (Live) / Victoria

The Fool Circle was the last Nazareth album I ever bought, and I don’t have any strong memories of it, other than that weird cover. Critic Dave Marsh hated it, and it doesn’t seem to rank high among fans. Revisiting it, there are some good tracks, I like the poppy “Little Part of You”, by Manny Charlton, and some of the reggae sounds thrown in there are cool (it was recorded in George Martin’s studio on the island of Montserrat and bassist Pete Agnew feels that setting might have contributed to that). It’s a political album, and a rather minor effort from the band… but not a train wreck. It wouldn’t make my top 10, 

But for those that do...

#1. Hair of the Dog

#2. Loud ‘n’ Proud

#3. Expect No Mercy

#4. Razamanaz 

#5. Malice in Wonderland

#6. No Mean City 

#7. Rampant

#8. Exercises 

#9. Nazareth 

#10. Play 'n' the Game

Here’s another man’s opinion.

I love how it’s vinyl he’s displaying - not that I have anything against CDs, I have a lot of CDs, but with Nazareth I still only have my original records. I love the packaging of these things, the large size looks so nice what with the art, and with Naz vinyl just feels right, they should be on vinyl (though again, not a hater of other formats, in fact there’s probably some remasters that make them sound all the better).

And that’s the end of my journey - lets close with a last look at the founding four. 

Darrell Sweet (May 16, 1947 - April 30, 1999) * Manny Charlton (July 25, 1941 - July 5, 1922) 

Dan McCafferty (Oct 14, 1946 - Nov 8, 1922) * Pete Agnew (Sept 14, 1946 - Present)

Backstage Pass: Melanie from '68 to '79

Melanie Safka - February 3, 1947 - January 23, 2024

I was heartbroken by the news of Melanie's passing and have been listening to my old records and sinking into happy memories. I heard her a lot on that old transistor radio I had as a kid in the 70s and while this blog is dedicated to Alice Cooper, I thought I'd post a few words on other artists I like, maybe in the form of a list, maybe a few thoughts on the LPs I own, just to get them out of mind and on paper (so to speak).

Melanie's big break came at 1 AM, on a rainy night at Woodstock when the band who was supposed to play, refused to do so due to the weather. So she went on their stead, the audience raised candles (which inspired one of her greatest hits) and history was made. While I've checked out other releases on Spotify, I'm going to write about the studio albums I own from the late 60s through the 70s.

All songs written by Melanie, except where indicated

Born to Be (November 1968)

Tracks: In The Hour / I'm Back in Town / Bobo's Party / Mr. Tambourine Man (Dylan) / Momma Momma / I Really Loved Harold / Animal Crackers / Cristopher Robin (Is Saying His Prayer) (A.A. Milne w/Safka) / Close to It All / Merry Christmas 

Looking at old reviews, and yeah, I guess in 1968 it would sound as if Melanie was searching for a musical identity, swinging from tunes like Momma, Momma (with heavy lines like, "Sometimes I feel my life has come and gone - I live in this world, but I'm only looking on") to her goofing-around-singing on Animal Crackers - but in 2024, we know that this was her musical personality, the playful and the introspective, the childlike and the thoughtfully sober. It's what made Melanie, Melanie, it's what made her special. I think this is a fantastic debut - the first song impresses right off the bat, and its steady right down the line. Bobo's Party, Momma, Momma and I Really Loved Harold are the musical/lyrical highlights for me. And I find Christopher Robin sweet and charming. Merry Christmas is the closest thing to a skipper but for the most part, "Born to Be" is a winner.

Melanie (October 1969)

Tracks: I'm Back in Town / Tuning My Guitar / Soul Sister Annie (Kaye) / Any Guy / Uptown Down, Again / Beautiful People / Johnny Boy / Baby Guitar / Deep Down Low / For My Father / Take Me Home

As good as the first is, the second is even better, folky but soulful, a near perfect collection, my only complaints, some of the fade outs are too abrupt, and in spots, she’s not as disciplined vocally as she’ll become (for example, she’s just yelling by the end of Tuning my Guitar... which is nevertheless, one the albums best). Favorite track? Baby Guitar, anyone who thinks of her as this frivolous childlike hippy, should listen to this darkly surreal piece with its haunting instrumentation and evocative vocals... according to something I read at Songfacts, she didn't enjoy performing this "freaky" number very often, but she made an exception for an appearance on the Johnny Cash Show.

Candles in the Rain (April 1970)

Tracks: Candles in the Rain / Lay Down (Candles in the Rain) (accompanied by the Edwin Hawkins Singers) / Carolina in My Mind (Taylor) / Citiest People / What Have They Done to My Song Ma / Alexander Beetle (Safka, A.A. Milne) / The Good Guys / Lovin' Baby Girl / Ruby Tuesday (Jagger, Richards) / Leftover Wine

A game changer, a real breakout, her first gold album, with a top 10 hit (Lay Down) and fan favorite and radio mainstay, Look What They’ve Done to my Song, Ma. She's showing a lot of growth and maturity as an artist and singer... and yes, Melanie always had an expressive voice and great range, but it's in full bloom on this, one of my favorite releases from her - I even like Alexander Beetle, which is a sweet counter to the more painful pieces that address the difficult sides of the music industry, or her empathetic look at the damage city living can have on a soul (the lovely ballad, Citiest People). 

With its children's poems, hopeful anthems and looks at human nature (The Good Guys) - from the fantastic guitar picking and energetic strums of Lovin' Baby Girl to the vulnerability in Leftover Wine, "Candles" is a knockout. Last but not least, Lay Down is simply phenomenal, sweeping, inspiring, a singular listening experience. 

The Good Book (January 1971)

Tracks: Good Book / Babe Rainbow / Sign on the Window (Dylan) / The Saddest Thing / Nickel Song / Isn't It a Pity / My Father (Collins) / Chords of Fame (Ochs) / You Can Go Fishin' / Birthday of the Sun / The Prize / Babe Rainbow (Reprise)

I used to consider this a step below the first 3, but revisiting it, it’s aged amazingly well, this is as good as anything she's done - looking over its wiki page, Cashbox considered it her best recording to that point, praising the maturity, vision and craft of the songwriting, arrangement and production, and they're not wrong, though Candles is still my #1. There are some nice covers (Dylan, Phil Ochs and especially the beautiful rendition of Judy Collins My Father) and some nice guitar work, Hugh McCracken plays the classical, Vinnie Bell on electric, Melanie herself plays a nylon guitar and banjo. The Saddest Thing is my favorite track for the plaintive melody and vocals. Nickle Song gave her a modest hit, ranking 35th on the Billboard Hot 100, 25th on Cashbox, I like the razor-sharp lyrics that once again speak to the business of music and fan expectations.

Gather Me (October 1971)

Tracks: Little Bit of Me / Some Day I'll Be a Farmer / Steppin' / Brand New Key / Ring Around the Moon / Ring the Living Bell / Railroad / Kansas / Some Say (I Got Devil) / Center of the Circle / What Wondrous Love (Arranged and adapted by Melanie) / Baby Day / Tell Me Why (Edwards, Parish, Spaeth)

A new career path, making music for her own label - and right out of the gate she has her biggest selling LP, with her only #1 single, Brand New Key, which was a doubled edge sword as that’s the song everyone knows, but it seems to overshadow every other accomplishment, to the point where she’s sometimes thought of as a 1 hit wonder. It’s a sweet little novelty, I do like the number, bought the single when it was released and played it over and over (it was even used that way in an inspired, dark, Kids in the Hall sketch), but there are other treasures on the record that display some lofty and varied songwriting, with the mournful ones my favorites - Little Bit of Me, Railroad (the section where she sings "Write it down now" in that small, fragile voice, coupled to sad/pretty music/instruments, simply takes my breath way) and Some Say (I Got Devil), is, wow, powerful - that one lingers long after it's over. The hippy folkster is represented in Baby Day, the soulful seeker of truth in the gospel-like, Living Bell - so all facets of Melanie are found in this gem of a record.  

Garden in the City (November 1971)

Tracks: Garden in the City / Love in My Mind / We Don't Know Where We're Going (De Vorzon & Botkin Jr.) / Lay Lady Lay (Dylan) / Jigsaw Puzzle (Jagger & Richards) / Don't You Wait by The Water / Stop! I Don't Wanna Hear It Anymore (De Vorzon & Botkin Jr.) / Somebody Loves Me (MacDonald, DeSylva, Gershwin) / People in the Front Row

The infamous scratch and sniff record. See that little yellow oval on the bottom of the cover? It reads… “Rub gently to release the magic of Melanie’s Garden.”, which is hilarious.

Melanie's discography can be rather confusing - LPs were retitled and repackaged (in the 90s and up, there were a lot of re-recordings), and you had her old company (Buddha) releasing compilations and unreleased tracks sold as new, when they weren’t, nor were they approved by the artist. Garden, then, is a mélange of older tunes, with a few songs from a movie soundtrack (R.P.M.) tossed in to fill it out (it only runs 28 min). It’s why it doesn’t have a unified sound - despite this, its listenable material, there’s some good music here, like the pretty, acoustical Love in My Mind, and the groovy People in the Front Row.

Another they released in 1971 was Please Love Me 

This one also includes the 2 songs from the R.P.M. soundtrack, as well as the 7 she did for the 1970 movie “All the Right Noises” - there's a couple dibs and dabs (an early single from 1968, “God’s Only Daughter”, and a different version of “In the Hour” from her debut). While she wasn’t fond of doing movie work, the music is pleasant, especially the pretty, Pebbles in the Sand.

Tracks: Please Love Me (All the Right Noises) / In the Hour (ATRN) / Getting Out (ATRN) / Momma, Momma / Save The Night (ATRN) / Please Love Me (Instrumental) / Ears to The Ground (ATRN) / We Don't Know Where We're Going (R.P.M.) / Pebbles in The Sand (ATRN) / Stop! I Don't Wanna Hear It Anymore (R.P.M.) / God's Only Daughter (1968 single)

Stoneground Words (October 1972)

Tracks: Together Alone / Between the Road Signs / Summer Weaving / My Rainbow Race (Seeger) / Do You Believe? / I Am Not a Poet (Night Song) / Stoneground Words / Song of the South, based on a Theme from Song of the North, adapted from the original / Maybe I Was (A Golf Ball) / Here I Am / Bonus Songs: Bitter Bad / Seeds

This was planned as an ambitious double album, that sadly was cut down to a single, but -silver linings- it's a hell of a single. It, and the following album, were an attempt to pull away from the commercialism of Brand New Key and shoot for a more serious mood and sound, and that's established from the opening track (the terrific Together Alone). That's not to say there aren't radio friendly hooks, the chorus to Do You Believe traveled with me through the day after hearing it just once. You also get a song titled Maybe I Was (A Golf Ball), and that'll put a grin on your face (though the tune itself is more solemn than you'd expect).

I really admire the musical arrangement on the album, the way the keys, strings, acoustic guitars, etc., with backing vocals, move in and out and around one another. So much to delight the ear, so many pieces to focus on and enjoy.

The last 2 numbers are unique to the 2015 CD (Seeds was a non-album single released in 1973), and while the upbeat Bitter Bad is a bit out of synch with what came before, I really dig this funky, twangy thing (and she says "Y'all", ha, took me back to my Nashville days). So yeah, Stoneground is another goodie, and its sister album...?

Madrugada (March 1974)

CD Tracks: Love to Lose Again / Lover's Cross (Croce) / Pretty Boy Floyd (Guthrie) / Wild Horses (Jagger, Richards) / I Think It's Going to Rain Today (Newman) / Will You Love Me Tomorrow (Goffin, King) / Maybe Not for a Lifetime / Holding Out / The Actress / Pine and Feather / I Am Being Guided

The U.K. version had 'Will You Love Me Tomorrow', instead of 'I Am Being Guided'. The CD includes both.

Melanie decided to take a break to be with her newborn daughter; during this time her husband collected the remaining tunes from the Stoneground sessions and released them under the title, Madrugada (a Portuguese word meaning between midnight and dawn, according to the liner notes)

Considering the circumstances, the similarities with Stoneground aren't surprising. This too has a toned down, earnest vibe. It does leans heavy on the covers, but most of those matches well with the others.

I should point out that I prefer the original US LP order, Pine and Feather works better as a closer, and while she does good work on WYLMT, it doesn't really fit.

This is, yet again, an astonishingly good album, it's a wonder how she's maintained this excellence early on, it's a wonder she's not universally praised for it. Hell of a run, and it's not over yet.

Before she died, Melanie worked on restoring Stoneground to what she envisioned it to be, a double album, with a different track order. The results of these efforts were released in May 2024. I'm so used to the originals that I admit to having struggled with this order, the songs are great of course, but disc 1 just didn't jell (I prefer Together Alone as an album opener, Wild Horses doesn't fit at track 3). The blend is better on the second disc, where Pretty Boy Floyd gets that side off to a rousing start.

Disc 1 - Here I Am / My Rainbow Race / Wild Horses / Summer Weaving / Between the Road Signs / Together Alone / Maybe Not for A Lifetime / I Am Being Guided / I Think It’s Going to Rain Today / Maybe I Was A (Golf Ball) / The Actress  

Disc 2 - Pretty Boy Floyd / Lovers Cross / Song of the South / I Am Not a Poet / Pine and a Feather / Stoneground Words / Do You Believe / Holding Out / Love to Lose Again / Here I Am (solo acoustic)

As I See It Now (December 1974)

Tracks: Yankee Man / You're Not a Bad Ghost, Just an Old Song / Record Machine / Eyes of Man / Stars Up There / Don't Think Twice, It's All Right (Dylan) / Sweet Misery / Monongahela River / Yes Sir, That's My Baby (Kahn/Donaldson) / Autumn Lady / Chart Song / As I See it Now

It sets the tone by opening with a country song and then continues along those lines with twangy guitars and twangy singing - a couple of detours are heard on the way - the chorus of the Eyes of Man makes me think of the Caribbean, and Chart Song is one of her moving ballads. The album has its familiar qualities - she returns to Dylan with a slowed down take on Don't Think Twice; and writes about the music industry and the frustrations of the artist (Record Machine and Chart Song).

The contrasts can be interesting, Sweet Misery isn't a misery, and is rather fun, it's the following track, Monongahela River, where you find the lyrical gloom ("Some kill themselves living - Others get killed for trying"), but these two sides of Melanie are ace. 

All told, there are highs (Yankee Man, Chart Song), and lows (Yes Sir...), but when you add it all up, it's another notch on her belt.

Sunset and Other Beginnings (October 1975)

International Tracks: Perceive It / Almost Like Being in Love (Lerner, Lowe) / Loving My Children / You Can't Hurry Love/Mama Said (Holland, Dozier, Holland / Dixon & Denson) / People Are Just Getting Ready / Ol' Man River (Kern, Hammerstein) / I've Got My Mojo Working (Foster) / Where's the Band / Dream Seller (Meet Me On The Corner) (Clements) / What Do I Keep (Lipsitz, Devorine) / Sandman / The Sun And The Moon / Afraid Of The Dark

US Tracks: Perceive It / I've Got My Mojo Working / Loving My Children / Almost Like Being in Love / What Do I Keep / Afraid of the Dark / Where's The Band / You Can't Hurry Love/Mama Said / Sandman / People Are Just Getting Ready / Dream Seller (Meet Me on The Corner) / The Sun and The Moon

Aside from Perceive It (which reminds me of Cat Stevens) this is the first time I was flat out disappointed in a Melanie record. The songwriting and production, the covers, it all leaves me cold. There are two different versions of the record, the US release eliminates Ol' Man River (no loss) and rearranges the order (a shade better, but still...) Not a lot to say about this record, so I'll just move on to the next.

Photograph (1976)

Tracks: Cyclone / If I Needed You / The Letter (Carson Thompson) / Groundhog Day / Nickel Song - Music! Music! Music!" (Weiss & Baum) / Photograph / I'm So Blue / Secret of the Darkness (I Believe) / Save Me / Raindance / Friends and Company

2005 bonus material from "Double Exposure" reissue: Groundhog Day (10-min version) / Cyclone (alt version) / Secret of the Darkness Pt. 1 / Secret of the Darkness Pt. 2 / Unfinished Business (Selma Version) / Whamp Bhomp Song / Ruby Tuesday (Jagger, Richards) / Love to Live Again / Here We Go Again / Jukebox Magazine / Miranda (Ochs) / Unfinished Business (West Version) / Remember Me Good / Over the Rainbow (Arlen & Harburg)

An album that Atlantic pulled and refused to re-release (Someone pissed off somebody - thankfully, Rhino fought and fought and got the rights to distribute it, nearly 30 years later). The record came highly praised, but I wasn't sure, the first track was so slick, and those synths? But damned if it didn't get under my skin, and I was quickly won over by it and the following power ballad (If I Needed You). Unfortunately, the CD briefly lost momentum - The Letter is a skipper, and I didn't really need this new version of Nickle Song, I even reached a point where I put those two and Groundhog Day to the side and replaced them with the country, blues flavored Remember Me Good and the 10-minute version of Groundhog Day, which is extraordinary - at times gentle, then a real pulse pounder (love the drums). 

Other notables, the pretty guitar work (Save Me), the world-weary, emotion filled vocals (several) and Raindance sees her belting it out impressively. 

Bonus material was mostly fair (aside from the 2 jewels mentioned above), but I'm happy to have 'em.

Phonogenic – Not Just Another Pretty Face (March 1978)

Tracks: Knock On Wood (Floyd, Cropper) / Bon Apetite / Spunky / Runnin' After Love / We Can Work It Out (Lennon, McCartney) / I'd Rather Leave While I'm In Love (Sager, Allen) / Let It Be Me (Becaud, Curtis) / Yankee Man (Winchester) / Record People / California Dreamin' (Phillips, Phillips)

And it's back to blah. Middle of the road, soft rock blandness, with too many weak covers and Melanie just not sounding like her hearts in it. Record People is about the only thing I can muster any enthusiasm for.

Live Albums From this Period?

Leftover Wine (September 1970) / Melanie at Carnegie Hall (October 1973) / Ballroom Streets (January 1979 - recorded live in the studio, with a small audience) / (Also, In Concert – Live at Montreux, 1973 - a Germany and Yugoslavia-only release)

There were also several compilation albums, the most ambitious was The Four Sides of Melanie (1972), in which each side covered a different aspect of her career at that point. Side A was the formative years, Side B, the commercial (which included a 7 min version of Lay Down), Side C, the cover songs, with Side D emphasizing her imaginative, empathetic qualities. (track list here) 

The colorful covers could be folded into a cube and hung as a mobile. 

The 80s? I've sampled a few and might dig deeper into those and others at a later date. But for now, that's it. 

Rest in peace Melanie, you gifted the world a lot of beautiful music and made my life a little better and brighter.