The Morning Call from Allentown, Pennsylvania • 52

Reviews By: ALLEN WEINER, ALAN JANESCH, DAVE GASKILL, LINDA LUTHER. BILL WHITE. PAT HENDRICK, MICHELE DiGIROLAMO, BILL WEDO, LEN RIGHI and KATHY McAULEY. Watchtower." but Lennon and McCartney's "Norweigian Wood" is flaccid. It seems this band needs an audience to be at its best.

Of The Morning Call EARTH, WIND FIRE: I Am (ARG'Coiumbia) and "Love Hurts" shows Minnie is equally at home with rocking numbers as with softer ones. She has an ample amount of talented help on this disc, including Stevie Wonder. Tom Scott, the Seawind Horns, and Jose Feliciano. who joins in on her version of "Light My Fire." This is not a great LP. but one that's pleasant, refreshing, and likely to And its way into quite a few record collections.

pulsates, rises and falls. Browne builds to a climax, producing varied effects by adding and subtracting different instruments. But it eventually lapses into conventional four-beat "da-da-da-da." "Planet Earth" and "Kisarazu" are the two cuts that stand above the others, proving talent is definitely at work. Now if only Browne would take the final step and solidify his musical execution MALCOM TOMLINSON: Rock And Roll Hermit brand of rock that puts it to the ever-present (if not always hip to sing about) forces of oppression without bludgeoning the listener. The sound of "TRB Two" is more keyboard-dominated than the band's debut "Power In The Darkness." New keyboardist Ian "Quince" Parker offers a melodic counterpoint to the spirited, forceful playing of guitarist Danny Kustow.

Bassistwriter Robinson's voice may lack subtlety, but it conveys warmth, charm and commitment. While two or three of the 1 1 songs may be overweening, the rallying cry of "All Right Alt Night." the accusatory "Blue Murder." the rocking "Days Of Rage." and "Hold Out" which is stirring in a Dylanesque way. are very good. cians the calibre of George Benson. Michael Brecker.

Brian Auger. Ronnie Montrose. Herbie Hancock. Stanley Clarke and Cecil Taylor. What they come up with is mostly pleasant jazz-funk or jazz-rock.

The track with pianist Taylor and Williams together. "Morgan's Motion." is something completely different from the others, and is probably the best one here. Benson's "Hip a decent piece of jazz-funk, features one of those arching, precise, soulless guitar melodies he so well, and Tom Scott plays some high, clean solos on lyrtcon on his own "Hittin' On 6." A Playboy reader might want to buy this LP. put it on the turntable, switch on the Jacuzzi, and invite his favorite girlfriend over for some easy listening in the whirlpool. McCOY TYNER: Together (Milestone) L.k,.LL.,,, THE OAK RIDGE BOYS: The Oak Ridge Boys Have Arrived (ABC) Many groups have brought the gospel sound to secular country music, but there are none better known than the Statler Brothers.

Larry Gatlin. and the Oak Ridge Boys. The Starters have stuck with a strict gospel sound, changing only the words, while Gatlin recently soared out of gospel into some incredible ballad styles, taking with him only the close harmonies The Oak Ridge Boys can't decide which way to go, and on their newest release remain firmly entrenched on dead center. Though not as strong vocally as the Statlers and Gatlin. the Boys have chosen an interesting variety of material that includes two good teary ballads, a half-serious attempt at rock n' roll, and one gimmick number.

Also, there's Rodney Crowell's Cajun "Leaving Louisiana In The Broad Daylight" and a gospel traditional, "Dig A Little Deeper In The Well." In all but two songs the Boys show signs of an energy that by the next album may move off center toward more creative uses of their many talents MANFRED MANN'S EARTH BAND: Angel Station (Warner Bros You can hold the album jacket right side up. so that the half-nude woman in a bat costume is hanging from the ceiling, or you can hold the jacket upside down, so that the gray-suited man is hanging from the ceiling Or you can do what I'm going to do give the album jacket, with the record inside, to a colleague. Why? Because this LP suffers from the Bob Welch syndrome. AH flash and no substance. Even on the best cut.

Dylan's "You Angel You." Mann feels compelled to work in the superfluous sounds of electronic synthesizers, brasses, tack piano, woodwinds, and a few trumpet obltgatos. Mann's "Resurrection." easily the worst song here, is about the tasteless marketing of religious artifacts. But the song, like the LP itself, is pretty tasteless DUNCAN BROWNE: The Wild Places (Sire) This is a sometimes interesting LP by a former member of the art rock band Metro. Browne has developed a unique and exotic style, but he only uses it some of the time, so every once in a while the music drifts off into a humdrum pop beat. For example, "Camino Real (Parts 1 2.

3)" Is an essentially good instrumental cut The music Over 50,000 Records JMB fl All tapis 171 SPEEDY'S Class. It's a rare and valuable commodity. Tomlinson's musical class has restored hope that rock 'n' roll can be a simple good time without being simpleminded and can still deliver high-energy fun without bowing to the great god Megawatt. There's no wall of noise here, only talented and and enthusiastic musicians playing their hearts out in an imaginative, yet controlled, fashion. No doubt you've heard these riffs on a thousand different songs, but here they're resurrected beautifully.

Tomlinson's voice has a gruff, soulful quality remi-ntscent of Springsteen's. His sidemen offer strong horn and guitar backing, nothing flashy, just tasteful parts to complement the whole sound. Class. It's never sounded better. TOM ROBINSON BAND: TRB Two (Harvest) These days, overt political comment in music is about as welcome as a hole in a parachute.

But the Tom Robinson Band, with the help of star-spangled electronics whiz kidproducer Todd Rundgren. has by-and-large succeeded in fashioning a hummable TIB TWO FRANKIE MILLER: Perfect Fit (Chrysalis) Blue-eyed soul man Miller has turned out a succession of gutsy albums that put fellow Scotsman and soundalike Rod Stewart to shame, but Miller continues to labor in obscurity. Perhaps in quest of the nches Stewart has mined. Frankie slows down the tempo on his new release, and the result is a lesser effort by his standards The backup band, much changed from his excellent last LP. is tediously uninspiring, leaving Miller alone to earn the toad.

That's not so terrible his raspy voice is one of the most expressive anywhere, and he's wonderfully convincing on the soulful "Falling In Love With You" (easily the best thing on the slow-motion second side), the chugging rocker "A Woman To Love." and a rousing cover of the Motown hit. "Something About You." While "Perfect Fit" is be low-par Miller, it's above-par rock. FRANK MARINO MAHOGANY RUSH: Tales Of The Unexpected (Columbia) This disc has its good and bad features sides two and one. respectively. A set of live hard-rocking tracks "Down.

Down. Down." "Door Of Illusion." "Woman." and "Bottom 01 The Road" makes side two a real pleasure. Marino and band perform them well and inject so much energy into them that even the microphones must have been tired at the end of the set. The energy and emotion that make the live tracks so appealing just aren't there on. side one.

Two of the four studio tracks are covers: There's 3 fine rendition of Dylan's "All Alona The nrrrnrv In recent years. Earth. Wind Fire, a rune-man ensemble from Chicago, has been noted for consistently appealing, inventive and effervescent jazzsouTmusic. latest effort goes beyond every level of achievement Maurice White's legions have yet attempted. "I Am" is a splendid example of ability to create soul with individuality and without cliches, music that is both artistic and commercial.

Helped along by sis- ler group. The Emotions. Boogie Wonderland" is the LP's most commercial tune, a tiibute to both jazzsoul and disco fans that is pulsating and pleasing. "Star." a follow-up to smash "Shining Star." is a powerful, melodic song that out-boogies such masters of funk as Par-liamentFunkadelic. "After The Love Is Gone" is perhaps the best ballad has ever recorded.

It's sensitive and warm, and interesting enough to justrfy its four -minute length. "You And is a bouncy chunk of funk, a steamy reminder to the self-styled master of punkdom. Rick James his work pales in comparison. The LP is fueled by Larry Dunn's usual vibrant keyboard work and the flaming licks of guitarists Verdine White and George Bailey. But the major credit must go to Maurice White.

vocalistwriter-producer. Though rhythm and blues music is in decline. continues to grow by leaps and bounds. White's success shows that there is hope for and that hope is written on the Earth. Wind Fire.

J. TONY WILLIAMS: The Joy Of Flying (Columbia) The music here is tne kind that Playboy magazine 1 1 readers think is azz. (These-- are the same readers who invariably do things like vote for Barbra Streisand as the best jazz singer in Playboy's" annual reader's music poll.) Anyway, this LP was conceived as an all-star excursion by drummer Williams, who also produced. Williams' technique is nothing to sniff at but his drumming style is a little flashy and obtrusive. Williams has assembled musi Tyner's latest is steadily rising in the charts for a good reason it's solid, soulful jazz.

With recognized allstars like Tyner on piano. Freddie Hubbard on trumpet. Hubert Laws on flute, and Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, this LP is rhythmic syrup with a bite. Even drummer Jack De-Johnette does a passable job. Tyner's "Ballad For Aisha" is my favonte track, with its solemn, fluid sensitivities and haunting Hubbard flugelhorn.

Playing together, this group of fusion artists produces something taut and mellow on all six tracks It's as though some of the musicians, less frenetic now with age. are perpetrating a "new jazz of old style that is evident on this LP full of resonance and soul. MINNIE RIPERTON: Minnie (Capitol) When I first heard Minnie's "Loving You" a few years back. I decided she was someone you either loved or hated. (What I really disliked about that song were the birds chirping in the background.) This LP has dispelled my negative feelings.

Riperton works several different musical styles, and there's none of the soppy sentimentality I had expected. Two outstanding cuts are "Never Existed Before." with its gentle Latin beat, and the hypnotic, sensual "I'm A Woman." "Dancin' And Actin' Crazy." "Lover And Friend" 11 LARGEST SELECTION OF 4 TAPES and RECORDS FOUND ANYWHERE DISCO CLASSICAL COUNTRY JAZZ ROCK MANY MORE scee SOUL 603 HAMILTON MALL AlltNTOWN, PA. Tapes to Choose From U1.