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Records; Rick Derringer

Records; Rick Derringer image
Parent Issue
Day
25
Month
April
Year
1975
OCR Text

Rick Derringer, Spring Fever, Blue Sky PZ 33423

This is an absolutely shameless album, which is as it should be. After all, rock is nothing  if not audacious. From the high gloss cover, with its picture of Rick which points out his strong resemblance to Olivia Newton-John, all the way to the high-gloss sound -- it's a polished semi-precious gem. Rick has no style but what he can glean from his compatriots, so if the brothers Winter seem heavily in evidence, it should come as no surprise. Edgar plays keyboards and saxes throughout, Johnny plays a simple slide guitar part on one cut.

It's a party album, which is not meant to disparage the songs. He rocks like George Foreman punches, and he is a very inventive producer. This comes out on "Don't Ever Say Goodbye," a number which could teach Bad Company a thing or two, and on his Jamaican refurbishment of the moldiest of oldies, "Hang On, Sloopy." (Derringer, in case you hadn't heard, was leader of the McCoys.) Other standouts include "He Needs Some Answers," and a stun-gun number called "Rock," which features Chick Corea on moogs. The rest of the band is John Siomos on drums, who is a master, and John Siegler, of Todd Rundgren's Utopia, on bass.

If not perfect, it still will brighten up your spring.

Paul J. Grant