ROCK-A-RAMA
AALON—Cream City (Arista)::Another member of the Eric Burdon/Far Out extended family makes his solo move, in an intriguing soulguitar pop opera (or at least concept album) that kids the rock biz all over its own starcrossed turf. Not all of the songs work as wittily as Aalon's general concept and descriptive liner notes (not to mention the many rewards of the infinitely-detailed cover art), but the swirling guitar textures and the Curtis Mayfield-cum-Felix Cavaliere vocals are superfine.
ROCK-A-RAMA
This month's Rock-a-ramas were written by Richard Riegel, Billy Altman and Michael Davis.
AALON—Cream City (Arista)::Another member of the Eric Burdon/Far Out extended family makes his solo move, in an intriguing soulguitar pop opera (or at least concept album) that kids the rock biz all over its own starcrossed turf. Not all of the songs work as wittily as Aalon's general concept and descriptive liner notes (not to mention the many rewards of the infinitely-detailed cover art), but the swirling guitar textures and the Curtis Mayfield-cum-Felix Cavaliere vocals are superfine. No cosmic potato love for the L.T.D. masses, neither, just raw "jungle desire." Get it!
R.R.
NUTZ—Hard Nutz (A&M)::Cover shows these guys' leftover hippie tresses airbrushed away, for possible crossover-punk charting, but this ain't the New Wave, just a love letter in the sand from the traditional Anglometal middle classes. My spouse even claims Nutz sound like that gratuitous rock band (typical Wrigley bozos) on the Juicy Fruit Gum TV spot. File under "Widowmaker" (being English don't do it all).
R.R.