Teenage Head is one of the best albums of the early 70s, and a high water mark for the Roy Loney-era Groovies. The title track is one of their best-known songs, but everything else on the record is just as great. The covers of Randy Newman's "Have You Seen My Baby?" (recorded just a few months after Randy's version) and Robert Johnson's "32/20" are top-notch interpretations, and the originals run the gamut from ballads to blues shuffles to rockers.
The liner notes to the reissue say that either Mick or Keith thought that Teenage Head was better than Sticky Fingers, which sounds a little urban-legendy, but I'm pretty sure which album I prefer between the two. The two albums were released at just around the same time, and it's uncanny how alike they sound.
Teenage Head also got a rave review from Rolling Stone, this one from future benefactor Greg Shaw.
I tell ya, fun's a-poppin' all over this album. It has the power to pull you into the never-ending party that follows the Flamin' Groovies around. It's good-time music for sure, and good rock & roll besides, full of the kind of songs you find yourself trucking to as you walk down the street.
Unfortunately, Roy Loney left the band shortly after the album's release, so they weren't able to do a full tour and extend the albun's potential. Roy's last show with the band was a big showcase at the closing of Fillmore West that was broadcast on KSAN, released on a live album, and now streamable at Wolfgang's Vault.
Roy's departure left the Groovies in limbo since he was the lead vocalist and band leader, but they found a new singer (Chris Wilson from the band Loose Gravel), and managed to carry on, launching a second phase of the band with guitarist Cyril Jordan at the helm.
More on that later.
No comments:
Post a Comment