The Pittsburgh Press from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • Page 117

Pittsburgh Press, Oct. 25, 1 98 1 6 "5 1 Old Spark's Back For The Kendalls Books Music ft x- vl By JERRY SHARPE The Kendalls have a new image and a new record company but they've carefully kept the same old formula which keeps bringing them the same old success. Royce Kendall, 48, and his daughter, Jeannie, 27, are good, old-fashioned family people. But their stock in the singing trade is in catchy-tuned, cleverly worded, cheatin' songs. Remember "Heaven's Just a Sin Away" which propelled them from unknowns to success in 1977? And now their latest success says: 'Teach me to cheat "Show me bow to do it "I wanna learn from the very best the' one who cheats on me." After years with Ovation, they've switched to Mercury, scoring the charts with "Teach Me To Cheat," the single from the album "Lettin" You in on a Feeling (Mercury SRM 1-6005).

And their new look features the conservative Royce with his hair softly curled and Jeannie switching from her 1940s gangster hats to a modem cowboy lid with Indian bead band. Says Royce: "Even though we've been successful, this new album is something special because we've recaptured the spark of our first Fans probably won't notice a bit of difference between the quality of this album and the interim ones. Basically, the father-daughter team from St Louis has kept the same style Jeannie out in front wailing the sad ones in her high-pitched voice and tossing a few "do-do-do-s into the snappier numbers. Then there's her "oo-oo" trademark in this album's top-notch "Blue (oo-oo) All Over You." Meanwhile, Royce is there as usual adding faint harmony most of the time and doing a full-fledged duet complete with his own solo lines on the upbeat, pleasant "Summer Sounds." It just might be that more "Summer Sounds" stuff is needed to get the Kendalls out of the cheatin' song rut even thought it has turned out to be lined with gold. Maybe more songs like the one in which Jeannie uses clever words to tell a guy she's madly in love with him "You Need Intensive Care' Or maybe more songs like the zippy and catchy "If You're Waiting on Me You're Backing Up." Or even a few remakes of older tunes such as the excellent "Making Believe" on a previous album.

great success, the thing that made us special." He goes on to tell how he suddenly felt that something wasn't quite right in the studio for some time. So the duo decided to try another studio and there it was the old spark. What happened was that the Kendalls didn't know that their regular studio sold its mixing board, a complicated piece of electronic equipment that's vital to good studio work. When Royce heard the playbacks after re cording at East Avalon Studios in Muscle Shoals, he said, "Hey, it's there, the same old feeling and sound." He found out that the Muscle Shoals outfit had bought his old favorite mixing board from Tree International which bought it from the first studio. "And if Muscle Shoals sells the thing, I'm gonna buy it myself and nail it up in my garage if that's what I have to do," Royce quips.

Royce and Jeannie Kendall are recording with a new company now, but are using their old success formula. 'Abacab' More Of Same From Genesis i i i nut AThorn Birds7 Author Flies In New Direction By PETE BISHOP If there's a band in the world the Shakespearean dictum "This above all to thine own self be true" fits, it's Genesis. State-of-the-art albums are about as popular these days as a Pac-Man video game in LeMont. But what is the British trio offering? Natch, yet another state-of-the-art disc, "Aba-cab" (Atlantic SD 19313). And if there's a band in the world that benefits from that bromide, it's Genesis.

"Abacab" debuted at No. 41 in Billboard last week, not a shabby start at all. Obviously the fans know wha.t they like and expect, and Genesis isn't disappointing them. WITH DRUM and bass dominating layer upon layer of often unusual sounds, keyboard flavoring, a slew of overdubbing (which is why they take extra musicians on tour) and drummer Phil Collins's voice, not the world's strongest, somehow coming through more often than not, the sound is tyical Genesis except for "No Reply at All." Would you believe something hot, fast and funky from Genesis with the Earth, Wind and Fire horns baoking up to boot? Well, that's what it is, and it's a darn good cut. So is the seven-minute title track, as good a straight rocker as they've done in a long time.

Neither probably will be a big hit, the former because it's too muscular, the latter because of length. The best bet to fill that bill is ballad "Like It or Not." Other worthwhile tracks are "Another Record" (more of a rocker), the easy-beat "Man on the Corner" and the seven-minute duo of "Dodo" and "Lurker." The former shifts from hard rock Genesis sticks to its success formula on its latest album, "Abacab." Band members are, from left, Mike Rutherford, Tony Banks and Phil Collins. familiar, didn't he used to be a to the poignant "Lovebird" kissed me while I was sleep-in', goodbye in her eyes. She knew the spell had broken; it came as no And if the music doesn't quite measure up, it's too bad but no great sin. The only question is why, since The Who's output has been spotty in recent years, Entwistle would release a solo album at all (the same question applies to Pete Townshcnd as well).

That's for him to answer if he chooses. For now, accept "Too Late the Hero" as OK. ANY ALBUM containing a song called "The Love We Got Ain't Worth Two Deati Flies" can't be all bad. and "I'm Not Selling OutI'm Buying In" (Takoma TAK 7099) by Swamp Dogg isn't all bad in fact, it isn't bad at all. "I'm gonna rock 'n' roll my (uh, how about backside?) off for you," sings Swamp Dogg (real name: Jerry Williams Jr.) on a very short intro, and that's exactly what he does when he launches right into "Wine Women and Rock 'n' Roll." It's a good old roll-back-the-rug, party-time rock 'n' roller which sounds overall like Meat Loaf having fun.

Swamp Dogg, as fine a pianist as he is a soulful, bundle-of -energy singer, continues the fun with the thudding, bomping "California Is Drowning and I Live Down by the River" and that tune about the dead flies, a duet with Esther Phillips and her alleycat purr-snarl. Both have that old Memphis Stax-Volt sound, and Swamp Dogg has excellent backers to help him recreate it. He's not all laughs and giggles, though. "California" is a satirical stab at the Golden State's wbes, "Low Friends in High Places" takes shots at weapons dealers and slumlords and "It's Just a Little Time Left" is a plea for justice for blacks and Indians, for creating jobs and for peace in the world "so John Lennon didn't die in vain." deeper, more complex study. Each character has involved needs and motivations, which are revealed with almost luxurious leisure by the author.

'3 Ms. McCullough's perceptions and writing style are as admirable as ever. By dwelling solely on the patients and their nurse for the first half of the book, she draws the reader totally into an alien atmos-phere with consummate skill. i When the story widens to include -new characters, new settings, ers feel the same relief the charac- ters experience. Some may find this psychological study a bit slow, but others will held bv the mounting susnpnv although Entwistle's excellent, lead-style lines atone for that somewhat.

Many tempos are on the moderate or even easy side; nothing compares with "The Quiet One" which Entwistle wrote for The Who's last album. Nonetheless, "Too Late the Hero" has its rocking moments: "Sleepin Man" and "I'm Coming Home." Yet its best spots are those easier ones: "Lovebird" (a single here perhaps?) and the title track, IVi minutes of arty, grandiose ballad with guitars, synthesizers, tambourine, piano and flute which sounds a lot like Genesis. Wordplay is Entwistle's forte, from the irreverent "Talk Dirty" to the sobering "Fallen' Angel" cares but everyone stares as you stagger to the bar. That face is to near-reggae and back again, the latter a touch more sprightly. The overly repetitious "Who Dunnit?" is the only dud.

As usual, "Abacab" is for listeners (although Genesis certainly is dynamic enough in concert), and they'll be rewarded. And, it seems, they already are. THE MOST AMAZING thing about The Who is that as great and influential a band as they are, their members have always found time for solo projects and they've largely been very good efforts, too. "Too Late the Hero" (Atco SD 38-142) by bassist John Entwistle, who teams with drummer Joe Vitale and Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh, is not very good due to a surprising lack of firepower, especially from Walsh, AN INDECENT OBSESSION, by Colleen McCullough. Harper Row.

$13.50. By BARBARA WEEKS BOLTON Around 8.5 million people in the United States and countless readers in 17 other countries bought copies of Colleen McCullough's "The Thorn Birds." It will be interesting to learn how many of these fans are equally entranced by her third book. Even the publisher warns it is "a tale unlike any she has written before." While the title is alrriost guaranteed to win a second glance from strangers who see you reading it on a bus, it's only fair to explain that "duty, the most indecent of all obsession, (is) just another name for love." Much of the story takes place in the mental ward of an Australian military hospital on an Indo-Pacific island. It is near the end of World War II. Nurse Honour Langtry is in charge of six "troppo" patients in Ward who have broken under the stresses of jungle warfare.

The cast and immediate setting remind one of the play and film "The Hasty Heart." But this is a i xWest Quartet' High Adventure Where will all of the steadily building jealousy, love, violence and tragedy lead these people? Others will wish the tale had ended as it opened in Ward The novel is complete in most ways as the war ends and the patients leave. Was it the author or publisher who turned what might have been an epilogue into the final part of the book? MEWB JuL (MSB sultan as a gift No true Irishman would let anything like that happen to any girl especially when he happens to be in love with her himself. McCreary's scheme to rescue Lisette is creatively daring and great reading. "Kondn" is a real heart thumper and could be the best of the lot. It's set in New Guinea where the natives still practice ancient rites.

Kurt Sonderfeld is the plantation owner with a shady past who has grandiose plans for becoming leader of the local tribes. Voodoo rites and the schemes of a power-hungry ex-Nazi keep the action churning along with the reader's stomach. All four tales are powerful and written in the vivid style that has characterized all of Morris West's best-sellers. A WEST QUARTET, by Morris West. William Morrow Co.

$14.95. By RUTH M. WHITE It would be very difficult to choose which is the best of the four novels in "A West Quartet" Let's just say that each of them has a quality of excellence which would make such a decision one of Eersonal preference. AH of them are igh adventure tales with central heroes who are fearless, romantic types who always end up with the right girl. "The Naked Country" is set in Australia where cattle rancher Lance Dillon tangles with the local natives.

He is badly wounded and becomes the object of a search by the ranch hands and a rather nasty aborigine who wants to finish the job. There are some thrilling hunt-and-chase scenes before the climax on this one. "Gallows on the Sand" has a sunken treasure theme riding tandem with a love story. Renn Lundigan gets himself fired from his job as a history professor and begins a new career hunting treasure in a sunken galleon. The real adventure begins when Lundigan finds he must compete with unscrupulous Manny Mannix who also wants the treasure.

It's a tossup whether the sharks, Manny or Lundigan will win the prize. Another well-told tale in this series is "The Concubine." McCreary, a top-notch oil driller, is recruited by Rubensohn, a shady character who wants McCreary to bring in a well on an island in Indonesia. Rubensohn's beautiful mistress, Lisette, adds to McCreary's problems when she is given to the local TODAY at 3:00 P.M. IN CONCERT So, we've got someone who has something to say and can do so in appealing musical settings. If that sounds like Steve Wonder and Gil Scott-Heron, so much the better.

Perhaps such comparisons will net Swamp Dogg more fans he deserves them. THE FASTEST-BREAKING albums in the country are the Police's "Ghost in the Machine," Diana Ross's "All the Greatest Hits," the Michael Schenker Group's "MSG," Survivor's "Premonition" and Ul-travox's "Rage in Eden." The fastest-breaking singles are Stevie Nicks's "Leather and Lace," Lindsey Buckingham's "Trouble," Electric Light Orchestra's "Twilight" and Kim Carnes' "Mistaken Identity." THE SILENCERS plus ROBBERS ROOST, TEARS 6 LAU6HTIK, DILLON TAYLOR BAND, BO SLOAN BAND, CHURCH STREET All Seats $5.00 COOD SEATS STILL AVAILABLE OF OUR COMING ATTRACTIONS SOCT. 31 PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND 8 PM $10. S8 dir.ct from Nsvy OrtMnt THOV. CLARK 3 A 7 P.M $17.50, $15, $12.50, $8 J.

MAIL ORDERS ACCEPTED) Indlcat Show, Tlm, No. of Tickets, Nam, Addrou, Zip nd with tompd, lf-addreisd nvelop. COMING! 11TH ANNUA! JAZZ SEMINAR UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH JAZZ CONCERT The Famous COLDSTREAM GUARDS and ROYAL SCOTS I. sit The enthralling new novel by the author of Come Pour the Wine, Portraits and A World Full of CYNTHIA FREEMAN NoHrne r. DRAGOON GUARDS DECEMBER 10 8:00 P.M.

at the CIVIC ARENA 4 Man and Ideas Lecture with AlvinTofflcr noted author and social critic "The Third Wave: Change in the 80's and Beyond" Friday, November 6, 1981 Carnegie Music Hall Sponsored by the Council for Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Carnegie Institute and Joy Manufacturing Company. Call 622-3172 for ticket information. Jamot Moody (tanor-alto tax, Aula) Creator of "Moody's Mood (or Love" MiHJackion(vibraharp) Lead soloist with the Modern Jazz Quartet Barmy Bailey (trumpet) Former lead trumpet with Lionel Hampton and Quincy Jones Monty Alexander (piano) Jamaica's number one jazz pianist Eddie Gomez (baas) Award winning bassist with the Bill Evans Trio Freddie Wait (drums) "One of the most explosive young drummers of our time Nathan Davis (soprano aax) Formerly with Eric Dolphy and Art Blakey Carnegie Music Hall, Saturday, October 31, 1981, 8 p.m. Sponsored by: Pitt Program Council Office of Student Activities Department of News and Publications The Music Department Office of Urban and Community Affairs Tickets available at the Pitt Student Union Ticket Office $4.00 with Pitt valid undergraduate I.D. $8.00 all others All teats reserved The project is supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

The saga of passionate, courageous Chavala Landau, her people's One Performance Only struggle for a homeland, and her lifelong dedication to her family's Cynthia Freeman's most ambitious and richly satisfying novel. Tickets $7.00. $8.00. $9.00 Mail Orders Now Enclose check or money order for total plus $1.00, and self-addressed, stamped envelope for return of tickets to you. Mail Orders: SCOTS GUARDS, CIVIC ARENA, PITTSBURGH, PA 15219 For special group rates information, call 391-5074.

For telephone charge, VISA or Mastercharge, call 3914620. 200,000 copies in print before uouoieaay isoon Main Selection ARBOR HOUSE.