Elton John (1971) Razor Face - LOST 70s GEMS

 Madman Across the Water is best known for the astounding opening track Tiny Dancer with it's effortlessly rolling melody and piano driven pulse. Levon, the second track follows in a similar melody with a Daniel-esque character song, the mopey balladry continues on Indian Sunset, but Razor Face is just as strong as Tiny Dancer with it's double tracked vocals and more lonesome aching vocal wails and a strong downhome accent. The title track carries an overcooked acoustic arrangement and overdone vocals by Elton. The ending lala las of Rotten peaches elevate the dour track while the mandolin draped folk rock of Holdiay Inn is reveals a different prowess, the backing vocals are acrobatic and gospel stacked while the sparkling strings of Paul Buckmaster ride in like a fantasy adventure score while an Eastern rage tinge subtly enters with them. The spindly workings of the mandolin are gasping with the stacked string orchestrations and the reverbed drums punching through. All the Nasties is clearly from the same chords of Tiny Dancer and carries the same verse/chorus phrasings and tempo as well as licks though the Handel sounding choral voices are more progressive touch sounding like a choir of monks or druids. Occasionally Elton's juicy wail stands out with his unique mannerisms like an operatic cowboy playing a saloon bar. Final track Goodbye captures the record's issue, it's too one note and dour in Eltons' vocal while the flexible piano, drums and strings struggle to drag some of the songs into the crackling chemistry that Bernie Taupins' magical lyricism could galvanise, without the Taupin the package would really feel far too laidback and monotone to work, when it clicks he rivals Neil Young, when it doesn't he could put the Eagles to forget what they were listening too.

Sylvers (1972) I Wish I Could Talk to You - LOST70sGEMS

Clearly devised in the Jackson Five mould, The Sylvers left it a little too late to jump on the bandwagon as the bubble gum pop vein was getting old by 72, the year of their bouncy Jackson-esque debut album. 1972 was the last year of that sounds mainstream popularity, it would be the year before the Jacksons great up and embraced dance oriented funk in 73's Get it Together as a whole generation grew up. 1969 and 1970 was by far the peak of bubblegum from 1910 Fruitgum Factory to Archie's Sugar Sugar to Tommy 'dizzy' Roe to the Jacksons and the Osmonds even stitching to the teen aimed candy coated rock n roll of Glam rock acts like the Sweet and T Rex. But Soft Rock/Yacht Rock/ FM/ AC/ whatever youwantocallit would take over in 73 with artists like Elton John, but the Sylvers were not hanging on to that bubblegum sound for too long, this gem and single from that album reveals where they were going; a harder more progressive soul. Though they ultimately went down the Disco RnB route here on this gem there is proof of something darker and more engaging.

This song belongs more to the rarely acknowledged genre of cinematic soul, a label of grand dramatic string arranged soul numbers from artists such as Isaac Hayes, The Unifics, the Undisputed Truth and Curtis Mayfield. They each had records that carried a widescreen sound; complete with dark, foreboding brass parts mingling with shrieking strings weaving a movie score feel. 
It starts with a maudlin piano that reminds me of the interesting modal piano lines of Earth Wind and Fire such as 1979's Fantasy, but here Leon Sylvers was ahead of the curve. A Philly styled touch is felt as a Electric sitar twangs in unison and a drumbeat kicks us in to a sweeping and grand verse sung by Leon in his caressing, wise baritone. This brooding arrangement hangs with the feel of a funeral march horns sound over the stormy arrangement before a flowery pop chorus vocal by Edmund Sylvers; its such a huge sounding track full of fatalism, all its missing is a gong smash. The sound has such a steady feel, a light touch and yet latent power, its extraordinary; just listen to that impulsive yelp at 1.42 is one of the best things I'll ever hear and shows how much hunger this group had. From the delicate descending piano run to the little harp flourishes that dip in and out to the fluttering electric guitar fills to those smoky horns seething underneath. This brooding suite captures the dark desires of teen hood so well and reveals the first glimpse of Leon Sylvers III who would go onto become a highly in demand Producer and arranger.

Montrose (1975) All I Need - LOST 70s GEMS

Fast falling behind other rock giants like Kiss, Queen and Rush who debuted after them, the Warner Bros Presents album of 75 asserts a more simple riff based sound with greater use of keyboards and effects.Bob James replaced the departing Sammy Hagar, later of Van Halen fame, after some acrimony between the singer and the band's name sake guitarist. The thrilling Matriach is full of Deep Purple playing and a chugging organ part that is like a telegraph line, All I Need is a very melodic pop cut off the record and the raucous, circular riffs and rough shouting vocals on the Twenty Flight Rock cover is another personal highlight as they broaden their approach. 

 The waves of phaser sound effects like crashing ocean waters lapping over the 60s sounding track Whaler is another neat production technique, while Bob James shines with a grittier and more youthful vocal on Dancin Feet and Lucky Man. But One and a Half is a blatant rip off of the Eastern finger-pickin instrumental, Black Mountainside from Led Zeppelin 1 which in itself was a direct cover of a folk instrumental by Davy Graham so ..I guess all is good then. The best thing about this album is, although less enjoyable than their previous two efforts, the B movie poster album cover where he gets the girl whilst a dinosaur with wings seems to terrorise a town of people at the foot of a castle is pure fun.

Elton John (1970) Bad Side of the Moon - LOST 70s GEMS

The self titled sophomore album by Elton john would be the first of the decade he would come to rule and personify in his ultra-characteristic balladry, though famous for the towering ode, 'Your Song' its a surprisingly consistent set of tunes if never capturing the subtle and sublime sentiment of that breakthrough hit. Between tthe legendary Bernie Taupin lyrical content and Paul Buckmaster's grand scheme of strings and choirs
There is the harpsichord lined, medieval love song I Need You to Turn To, the groovy gospel knockabout Take me to the Pilot, silly Stones-esque hoedowns like No Shoe Strings on Louise with it's ragged nature and then tracks like First Episode at Hienton which capture Elton's deep heartfelt and flawless vocals as clear and ornate as ever; sung with a delicate touch and rugged nature held in check. Border Song is a little too heavy in Johns' forced nasal delivery, with Tiny Dancer turnarounds and placid verses but but he leans on the trailing twangy nature of his vocal melody on every line and lacks his later lighter touch and finessed vocal polish.

 Sixty Years On and the Greatest Delivery are an exercise (or an excuse) for Buckmaster to try some bold string charts before some delicate, world music folk pickin enter in and some boring baroque verses by Elton. The Cage is catchy funky pop rocker and very melodic for a loose album jam, demonstrating how he would dominate the 70s with his love for the most popular genres of the upcoming decade that loomed ahead; soft rock and disco. The King Must Die is corny 'court of the Jester' imagery while Bad Side of the Moon is the most impressive mix of groove based pop balladry with enough funky soul and gospel backing singers to transcend the generic production, while Grey Seal has a more singer-songwriter feel and is another subtle tribute along the lines of Tiny Dancer and hits to come as well as the aforementioned Your Song. Live track Rock n Roll Madonna is a bonus that displays the Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting grit and Fats Domino thunder to come.

Montrose (1974) - Starliner - LOST 70s GEMS

Paper Money the sophomore album from California hard rockers Montrose starts off with the melodic pop of Underground, which has a pretty middle eight of "one by one they'll all taking up my space and time" with a steady lead in back to the main body fo the song like Zeppelin; the track is distinguished by the more harmonious vocals and shimmering guitar work though the jagged stop/starts and airey distortion keeps the aerial crunch of the debut album. The droning multi tracked slide guitar melody that opens the next track, Connection, is gorgeously beautiful before it leads to a placid folk acoustic verse that reflects Gong to California by Zeppellin, no doubt a towering influence of all bands circa 74 and thereafter. Nobody balanced these elements of acoustic guitars, mellotrons, chiming arpeggios and building up drum beat like Zep, but Montrose were by far the closest to their British idols; the refined vocal melodies and more variety of playing makes this a solid followup from the gigantic hard rock expanse of their debut album. The Dreamer is unimaginative track ironically, but Starliner returns to the semi-Prog space rock of Space Station #5 with it's gooey guitar and reverb soaked guitar whooshes, some quacky wah wah synth ala P Funkedelic and enough speed drumming to hint at the bright prog pop of the Who and Yes. Ronnie Montrose delights in multi tracked guitar melodies and droning like Brain May, who was also just getting started. Question; just how many bands took form Montrose? 

  Spaceage Sacrifice is another mix of flights of space rock and solid hard rock grooves, though We're Going Home's Mellotroned ballad lacks the sincerity to really drive home the winsome melancholy it aims for with it's tragic blues solo. Paper Money starts with dramatic rolls and sliding power chords for backing to the money troubles of the lyrics; from the drama to the down-to-earth; and just listen to the strangled, mangled heavily fuzz guitar solo that symbolises the ever-intensifying financial anxieties. But it's the quality of the melodies and songwriting which explains why this album, though not loved by fans nor critics was their highest charting.

Montrose (1973) Space Station # 5 - LOST 70s GEMS

 Montrose's 1973 debut album is a slashing slab of 70s hard rock bliss, from the outset the cowbell and screeching vocals sound like the arena rock of later 70s bands like Kiss and eventually hair metal come early. But the staccato rhythms recall Rush who were still a year away from releasing their debut, the spacey reverb, tumbling arpeggios, clanging double stops feel very much like Rush. Unlike that pretentious Canadian rockers the subject isn't as forced not to keep bringing it up but they seem to predate the 'Rush' sound a year early, while Sammy Hagar with his blonde perm seemed like a traveller form the early 80s. A severely underrated American hard rock group, while not an answer to Led Zeppelin, clearly able to hold their own against later exhilarating, jacked up hard rock of ACDC,

 Space Station #5 is again more in the Sci-Fi realm of Rush with talkbox growls and astral whines of guitar like an army of theremins starting the track, this heavily phased distorted space rock must have inspired By-tor and the Snowdog its ridiculously similar. The tune carries a Sabbath fury with its chug and a proggy speed shuffle, while a Bonham-esque /When the Levee Breaks drum beat starts off Rock Candy which pretty much mimics a lot of Alex Lifeson's early playing. The Sci-Fi space rock promise is too often squandered by powerful arena rock struts like Good Rockin Tonight which are pure addictive hard rock, it's shame they didn't balance a bit more for a more ambitious debut