The Courier-News from Bridgewater, New Jersey • Page 21

Record reviews Rock 'n' roll's sensitive side: Two strikes, one hit trend of underachievement does not seem attempting to tie change into bundles of stability. This is meaty stuff for rock albums but through the use of rock imagery be handles it very well. In the title cut Stewart's persona says "Now you're part of a crowd, they're laughing at something, and the music's loud, a girl comes towards you, you once used to know, you reach out your hand, but you're all alone, in those time passages." This is definitely not epistemological writing but to use the image of a romantic relationship in this way is an excellent use of symbolism and drama. "Valentina which glamorizes a lost lover (again one of those "things that don't even uses the language of "Heartbreak Hotel" been so long on lonely to make its point Alan Parsons, who does a pretentious job on his own work, is an excellent producer for Stewart, adding sensitive uneiy 10 oe oroken. That feeling is strengthened by most of the other cuts on the first side of the LP They resort to disco beats and basslines and funky female backup vocalists who should be singing with the Bee Gees instead of Young.

There are also slow ballads with a lot of flute the type of songs Young has played too many times before. But the album is salvaged on side two with "American Dream Suite," five powerful related numbers with biting melodies that are sequed expertly. The overly simplistic lyrics deal with the now cliched themes of the loneliness of city life and the promise and disillusionment of the youth movement stemming from Vietnam and the environmental movement. But the musicianship especially the harmonica and tenor sax solos and Young's smooth, vibrant singing provide more than adequate compensation. BILL BLEYER CRAIG FULLER ERIC KAZ "Craig Fuller-Enc Kaz" (Columbia) Eric Kaz is one of this country's premier pop music songwriters.

And Craig Fuller formed Pure Prairie League, one of the best surviving country rock ensembles. But despite impressive credentials, the result of their collaboration is mediocre. Fuller, who wrote PPL's most popular song, "Amie," and Kaz. who authored "Love Has No Pride," "I'm Blowing Away" and other classics performed by artists including Linda Ronstadt and Bonnie Raitt, first worked together on two justifiably ill-received American Flyer albums. Their newest effort contains nine love songs with intelligent lyrics written by the two, and many could be standards if performed by someone else.

But Kaz and Fuller both have weak wavering voices that succeed only in sounding maudlin. They convey little feeling and sing dangerously close to a monotone. In addition, most of the songs have the same tedious slow tempo and even help from Leo Sayer, J.D. Souther and musicians who normally back James Taylor and Jackson Browne can't save BILL BLEYER JESSE COLIN YOUNG "America Dream" (Elektra) The very mellow former frontman of the Youngbloods hasn't produced much of note since his overlooked "Song for Juli" album in 1973. From the sound of his anemic and pointless remake of Buddy Holly's "Rave On" that kicks off his latest release, the loucnes to the often fragile The sound effects on "Life In Dark Water" and the backing arrangement of "End Of The Day" are excellent examples of production without heavy-handedness.

"Song On The Radio" is one of the best cuts due to its use of Dylanesque word rhythm blended with a gently rocking arrangement. This a long way from the folderol about AI Stewart reading a dozen books to create "The Year Of The Cat" album. In this album he finds it is necessary to do more than read to be an artist It is necessary to think and this is definitely a thought-out album. But most important, it's fun to hear. SALCAPUTO AL STEWART "Time Passages" (Arista) Since Donovan and folk-rock are no longer around, Al Stewart's music is a more-than-adequate substitute.

This is not the "visionary" new album that the sticker on the cover declares but it is almost beautiful anyway. At times, Stewart's vocal quality is very reminiscent of Donovan and the quiet placidity of the lyrics also echoes the earlier singer. The themes of Stewart's music and lyrics are much different AL STEWART The title cut communicates nostalgia in the arrangement and lyrics but it also has a heavier shade of meaning. He says "the things you lean on are the things that don't last" echoing the truths of physics and zen that change is the constant condition of the universe. Humanity's role in the universe, he implies, is that of a timebinder Rock 'n' roll's tough side: Crazy Horse's garage barrage CRAZY HORSE "Crazy Moon" (RCA) Crazy Horse is perhaps the ultimate professional garage band, though some of its detractors would gladly insert a somewhere in theword.

as Neil Young's long-time backing group. Crazy Horse's new release follows some dispiriting years. Lead guitaSonyriteMOannySS died of a drug overdose in 1973. The bands releases ceased anditsdiiw and touring with Young waned until the 1975 release of "Zuma." aM But revitalized by the addition of guitarist Frank Sampedro and the tonic of with Young since 1975. Crazy Horse makes a case for some npendent appreciation with "Crazy Moon." At its best.

Crazy Horse sounds like The Band before its involvement with Dylan. sonwr'tjn among his compositions was "I Don't TWk About It. covered nicely by Rod Stewart definitely leaves some holes. And Nils Lofgren and Jack Nitzche. prominent contributors on the "Crazy Horse album, are long gone ami committed to their own solo projects.

But there's NeU Young playing on five of the 11 tracks and enough funky conviction to carry off even some banal lyrics and blah vocals. As an admitted Young fanatic, this listener craved the five cute featuring him and Sampedro sounding, as critic Paul Nelson once observed, like exposed hih-' tension wires touching. "She's Hot" and '-Thunder and Lightning" open with classic multi-layered exchanges between Young and Sampedro. The Detroit-bred rhythm gutaristho bringsCtazy Horse an obvious rhythm-and-blues influence, pushes Young harder than Whitten ever did on an album. Working in the highest reaches of the register they recall the searing duets of "Cortex the Killer" and "Drive Back." If bassist Billy Talbot and drummer Ralph Molina seem to figure less noticeably, it is a compliment to their absolute steadiness.

Used to grounding the lightning bolts of Young's live solos, they underpin without fail. vocally, though. The one exception is Talbot's delurhtfullv raunchy "New Orleans a humorous view of the Tomantic andi concerns prevalent in the album. i-eMrucuve Sampedro comes closest to a lyrically moving song with "Downhill," an ode to growth through seeming regression. And his voice, with traces of Bob Seger, can deliver better than Talbot or Molina's except on his inferior country-style tunes.

But Crazy Horse has always let its instrumentals, not its lyrics or vocals oo the evangelizing. Living rooms are for writers; garages are for players. -SAMFREEDMAN CRAZY HORSE 'Love Brought Me D.J. ROGERS Back" (Kalimba) I haven't heard a more solid album of soul music in a long time. D.J.

Rogers has been making albums for years but has not garnered the all-encompassing fame of Stevie Wonder, whose music his resembles. Rogers is completely responsible for the resemblance (although he may not be aware of it) as he sang, composed, arranged, produced, conducted and played keyboard for the entire album. If there is a maior flaw tn this aiHm it are obviously propelled by Rogers' vocal intensity but the intensity fails to be re-, produced in the sterile studio setting. At best it sounds forced. "Joy From You" is particularly Won-der-ish, as is "Sold On You." Both are light, funky soul.

The standout cut is "Changed," a gospel song. The backup singers add so much punch to Rogers' inflamed vocal it can drive a listener to shout with joy (despite a corny introductory passage). Patrice Rushen adds lovely synthesizer textures to the ballad "Yesterday Never Returns." "All My Love" has a particu-' larly compelling beat magnificently punctuated by handclapping. The album is CTeat for danriiw aiul is that his music and vocal delivery is too niuk 1 II OA a inuuii tine oievie s. so mum so Mat cn that casual listener won't know it's Rogers'.

The other nrnhlpm with th s. Rogers writes lyrics which are slightly that some of ihe. songs snarnithiii due Stevie's' uu raigui. ui umceri, we longer songs SALCAPUTO.