Basic Glee
was recorded at
Tabby Road Studio
, the living room of
Richard X. Heyman
and his wife,
Nancy Leigh
. The insert photo of the artist amidst his
electronics
, guitar, keyboards, and cat on a chair is real "underground
rock
" imagery. The liners state that the basics to more than double the songs on
's 14 tracks were "cranked out at a 24-track studio over one blistering weekend...."
Heyman
gives the world more of his over the top
power pop
on this outing, taking the majesty of a
Flamin' Groovies
"You Tore Me Down"
-type tune and mixing it up with
Roger McGuinn
guitar chimes a la
"Chestnut Mare,"
all intensified like a
Beatles
single sped up by
George Martin
-- with
appearing to do it in real time. All the songs are pretty much in the three-and-a-half- to four-minute range, with only a couple straying from the formula.
"Everywhere She Goes"
opens up with
Beach Boy
vocals and
Pete Townshend
windmill guitar strums while
"Pauline"
borrows heavily from the vibe of
Nick Lowe
's
"(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding."
Like
Emitt Rhodes
projects outside of
the Merry-Go-Round
and
McCartney
's first solo album, when artists shoulder projects of this complexity on their own, the projects are stamped indelibly and have few flavors from outside the artists' spheres. For
, that's not necessarily a bad thing -- it's sometimes too much of a good thing. There's lots of frosting on
"One Way Feeling"
"Let It Go,"
as well as lots of energy. Could
Eric Carmen
sustain this intensity releasing 14 tracks along the lines of
"Hey, Deanie"
? One suspects not, and it is a lot to absorb in one sitting. The upside is that any of these tunes could brighten up any radio show, so picking a single is extra difficult. There are hooks galore, and jangly guitars and vocals that really care.
"When Evening Comes"
might be a
ballad
, less heavy than much of the disc, but the tempo is up there with the rockers. If you're sold on
"Diminishing Her Return"
"Broken Umbrella,"
you're going to like
"What in the World"
with its irresistible chorus. That's not to say
plays like a
Ramones
record;
is much too clever to beat one riff into the ground. It's
heaven, especially on a slowed-up
"Wishful Thinking."
may want to consider teaming up with
Joey Molland
from
Badfinger
; they are both on the same wavelength with two albums that resonate with shimmering guitars and vocals: this CD and
Molland
This Way Up
.
"Waterline"
is deliciously elegant and would make a wonderful single backed with
"What in the World."
"My Lorraine Bow"
is also nice with waves of guitars and pretty melodies, all adding up to another impressive effort from
. ~ Joe Viglione