CHRISTGAU CONSUMER GUIDE
BACHMAN-TURNER OVERDRIVE: "Head On" (Mercury):: The badmouthing finally reached even a bemused admirer like myself, so that I was all ready with an alternate title "Flat Tired"; pretty funny, eh? — until I listened one last time. Which is when I noticed that "Average Man" is a well-above-average cut, a typical paradox for this obstreperously ordinary group and album.
CHRISTGAU CONSUMER GUIDE
BACHMAN-TURNER OVERDRIVE: "Head On" (Mercury):: The badmouthing finally reached even a bemused admirer like myself, so that I was all ready with an alternate title "Flat Tired"; pretty funny, eh? — until I listened one last time. Which is when I noticed that "Average Man" is a wellabove-average cut, a typical paradox for this obstreperously ordinary group and album. Clomp on. B minus.
FOCUS: "Mother Focus" (Atco) si In which art-rock frankly abandons all pretense of both art and rock for tongue-in-cheek mood mush. Which is a relief, if only because you know George Melachrino would never record a tune called "I Need a Bathroom."
C Plus.
DONNA SUMMER: "Love to Love You Baby" (Oasis) :: Did you come yet? Huh? Did you come yet?
C Plus.
BURNING SPEAR: "Marcus Garvey" (Island) ,:: Easily the most African (and political) ■ sounding reggae LP yet to crease the U.S.A. The songs are basically chants, the rhythms are basically polyrhythms, and the horns hint at the highlife — if climaxing your own U.S.ALP with cries of "Give me what is mine" isn't high life enough.
B Plus.