lunes, 10 de agosto de 2020

NEWS - Hot Off The Press [USA power pop, pop 1974] 2010 Riverman Music, Yoga Records BTR0053, ycd003

 

Riverman Music reissues a unique '70s pop obscurity. The lead instrument is a pedal steel guitar, played with more imagination than anywhere other than the Misunderstood's studio recordings, often with some nice, fuzzy distortion. It rarely sounds "country." The songs are strong pop/rock, with Beach Boys-style harmony vocals on the softer songs, and tougher (but still melodic) singing on the rockers. Other than the opening "song" (three minutes of a guy fiddling with a radio dial), everything here is memorable, and no two songs sound alike. Highlights include the powerful "Loser," with a stunning steel guitar solo, and the long album-closer "New York City," but this is consistent enough that any given listener could feel equally strong about any two others. This is exactly the kind of band a daring major label executive would have struck gold with in the '60s, but nobody would dare to touch in the '70s. The endless streams of slide on these songs makes you almost woozy, but in that pleasant, A.M. radio, hot car/hot summer day, off-kilter '70s way. Surprisingly groovy. Includes two previously unreleased bonus tracks.

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