George Harrison - GEORGE HARRISON***

Love Comes To Everyone/Not Guilty/Here Comes The Moon/Soft Hearted Hana/Blow Away/Faster/Dark Sweet Lady/Your Love Is Forever/Soft Touch/If You Believe

This somewhat delayed, and not particularly memorable, eponymous album from George Harrison has been described as mellow soft rock. Blow Away was a US No. 16 hit single. (US:14 UK:39)

“This is Harrison at his warmest and gentlest; soft rock it may be, and a long way from the punk of the time, but on its own terms it succeeds beautifully. Anyone who doesn't smile upon hearing Blow Away must have a heart of lead.”

“It lacks any of the lyrical greatness we got from him before, no ingenuity to speak of. This is some mellow rock music and not the good kind. It has a few fun songs but everything's fairly musically unimaginative.”

“George Harrison is a subtle, sweet-natured album filled with charms and warm musings about newfound love. He was clearly in a good place, and his inspiration shines through in the gentle melodies and laid-back sound. Slick acoustic and slide guitars are at front and centre. Never the strongest vocalist, he supports his voice here with thoughtful arrangements.”

“George goes all soft rock and it mostly suits him. Loads of keyboards provide a really lush sound around his beautiful guitar playing and vocals. The songs sound really joyous; you get the feeling that with his new family Harrison was entering a really contented phase in his life.”

“George Harrison is a mellow, laid-back album, consisting mainly of ballads. The first half of the album is excellent. Love Comes To Everyone, with its gentle disco beat sets the mood for the rest of the album. Not Guilty is a dark and moody song, and I also like Here Comes The Moon, not as good as Here Comes The Sun and it does become slightly repetitive, but it's pleasant enough to listen to. Soft-Hearted Hana stands out as entirely different from all the other tracks and has funny lyrics and a strong melody. However, Blow Away is probably my favourite song here, it's upbeat, optimistic and catchy. The second half of the album is not quite as strong.”

“I always wondered why Harrison never made more albums like this. Very relaxing and captivating, its the kind of album where you disconnect yourself from the outside world of technology and sit back and listen from beginning to end.”

Enlightened Rogues - THE ALLMAN BROTHERS***

Crazy Love/Can’t Take It With You/Pegasus/Need Your Love So Bad/Blind Love/Try It One More Time/Just Ain’t Easy/Sail Away

The southern blues-rock band The Allman Brothers had not released an album in four years but they still retained a loyal following. However, Enlightened Rogues would be the last time that they enjoyed a placing in the upper reaches of the charts. (US:9)

“After four years off, the boys return with this typical Allman Brothers southern blues rock long play. This is not a great album but it does have good dual guitar work. Pegasus is a fine jam and sounds great with a buzz and headphones.”

“Enlightened Rogues was a great comeback for the Allman Brothers Band after an acrimonious split in 1976. Guitarist Dickey Betts is energized by new guitarist Dan Toler's presence, and he and organist Gregg Allman really shine both vocally and instrumentally.”

“Most of this sounds like a band trying recapture lightning in a bottle. They get close a few times, but in the end they just miss it.”

“Not exactly a standout in the Allmans' catalogue and far from essential, but certainly worth owning for Crazy Love and Pegasus. The highlight, however, is the soulful ballad, Just Ain't Easy, anchored by one of Gregg's best vocal performances.”

“Enlightened Rogues is very similar in sound to Brothers & Sisters, although perhaps a bit less bluesy. Dickey Betts shoulders most of the compositional work here and it is fairly obvious which tracks were penned by him when listening.”

“The Allman Brothers reunited during late 1978 and entered the recording studio to produce their first studio album in four years. What emerged was a very good, if not excellent album. If you want to experience some good music by the group, but are not in the mood for their longer, drawn-out, improvisational material, then Enlightened Rogues is an album for you.”

“It may have been four years since their last album, but Dickey Betts was still the focal point of the band. He wrote or co-wrote five of the eight tracks, provided the lead guitar work, and shared lead vocal duties with Gregg Allman. There may not be many tracks considered essential, but this is populated with a number of consistently good songs.”

Desolation Angels - BAD COMPANY***

Rock & Roll Fantasy/Crazy Circles/Gone Gone Gone/Evil Wind/Early In The Morning/Lonely For Your Love/Oh Atlanta/Take The Time/Rhythm Machine/She Brings Me Love

The uneven and lacklustre Desolation Angels was the final big seller from the British blues-rock band Bad Company, helped by the US No.13 hit Rock & Roll Fantasy. (US:3 UK:10)

“The album kicks off with a great track in Rock & Roll Fantasy followed by another beautiful song Crazy Circles, but then fades away. I feel there are too many slow songs where the band lyrically is trying to be bluesy, but the music doesn't match it and there is lack of consistency in sound.”

“The rot is starting to set in. Very middle of the road mediocre blues hard-rock is what you get here. That great touch that they once had is pretty much gone.”

“Rock & Roll Fantasy and Gone Gone Gone are all time crankin' party tunes. As for the rest, it was a good attempt to stay in the public eye in those dark days of disco and punk. But you can only go to the well so many times. Not enough here worth recommending.”

“A decent hard rock/blues rock album. All of the songs are pretty good, but the problem is that none of the songs are great. However, If you like Bad Company I think you would like this album as well. Guitar work is decent, Rock & Roll Fantasy is a great opener and starts this album right. Rhythm Machine changes it up a bit with a disco-ish vibe going on here.”

“Most of the praise for Desolation Angels is due to the huge success of Rock & Roll Fantasy their biggest hit in a long time. The production is more crisp and radio-friendly than the muddiness of the last two albums, but it also reeks of late 70s arena rock.”

“As the 1970s dragged toward their inevitable close, Bad Company slowly began their downhill slide with Desolation Angels. Not to say that it is a totally bad album, but there are more turkeys on this set than diamonds.”

“Desolation Angels is a return to form for the band. Containing the standard heavy-blues rock the band give some of the tracks a more pop feel that was needed back in the late 70s. Rock & Roll Fantasy starts the album out in style and gives the rest of the songs a high standard to shoot for which they easily achieve.”

Their 20 Greatest Hits - THE THREE DEGREES****

When Will I See You Again/Can’t You See What You’re Doing To Me/Toast Of Love/We’re All Alone/Long Lost Lover/Get Your Love Back/I Like Being A Woman/What I Did For Love/Standing Up For Love/Take Good Care Of Yourself/Dirty Ol’ Man/Loving Cup/A Woman Needs A Good Man/TSOP/Another Heartache/Distant Lover/Together/Here I Am/Year Of Decision/Love Train

The Philadelphia girl group The Three Degrees released some of the most melodic soul tracks of the 1970s. They were more consistently popular in the UK than their home country, their best known song being the UK No. 1 When Will I See You Again. (UK:8)

“Some great Gamble & Huff songs and production, but still not enough variation to sustain interest for twenty tracks. It would have been better to trim it.”

“The Three Degrees for me was what The Supremes were to others. Love these ladies and the Sound of Philadelphia. Best girl group out there.” “All the key tracks you could probably want are here. The Three Degrees are timeless.”

“The Three Degrees were one of the most successful groups to emerge from the Philadelphia soul scene in the seventies. Their American success was limited to their Philly sound period but they continued to have success in Europe, particularly Britain, for a few years after that. Their music is a wonderful mix of ballads and up-tempo material, but may generally be described as easy-listening disco music.”

“Every track on this disc features exceptional harmonies and musical arrangements. I never caught myself thinking about the fact that these songs were produced in the 70s. As someone who loves music, I appreciate the timeless quality of this music.”

“The Three Degrees were originally a sixties girl group out of Philadelphia, However, all these songs are taken from the seventies, when the group was signed to Philadelphia International Records and their albums were being produced by Gamble & Huff. At that point the Three Degrees were now doing lush disco songs. Then they got to sing with MFSB on TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia) and that same summer they hit the charts with their mega-hit, When Will I See You Again that became their signature song.”

“In terms of the disco sound these songs have a certain touch of elegance with a smoother sound than a lot of their contemporaries. As is often the case with groups like this, the hits are not necessarily the best.”

Manifesto - ROXY MUSIC***

Manifesto/Trash/Angel Eyes/Still Falls The Rain/Stronger Through The Years/Ain’t That So/My Little Girl/Dance Away/Cry Cry Cry/Spin Me Round

After a gap of four years the art-rock group Roxy Music announce their return with Manifesto. It is a rather uneven album with a couple of excellent singles outshining the remainder of the tracks. Features the romantic UK No. 2 Dance Away plus the UK No. 4 Angel Eyes. (US:23 UK:7)

“Side one starts the album (recorded after a four year hiatus) in excellent energetic fashion, having obviously grown slicker from their incorporation of disco and soul. However, the record quickly loses steam.”

“Roxy Music were certainly not operating at the height of their powers when they made this rather monotonous and disappointingly dull album. Not an awful record necessarily, but it obviously pales in comparison to their earlier albums which were produced with more energy and conviction.”

“The strongest song is still Dance Away. There is no denying that Ferry has always known how to write the perfect pop song. Although it sounds nothing like Roxy Music, I can't help but enjoy its wonderful melody and great heart-broken lyrics:”

“Nothing is terrible here but it’s just rather dull. And from Roxy Music I don't want dullness, I want off the wall weirdness or seductive new wave. Apart from Angel Eyes and Dance Away the rest is throwaway. It’s not terrible by any means but once you compare it to their albums before this you realise how weak it is.”

“Dance Away, is a simple, infectious and heartbreaking ballad that shows why Ferry was so good at writing these types of songs, and why his songwriting style inspired a whole onslaught of clones in the years to follow.”

“This album very nicely has one foot in the older catalogue, and one in the later period. It also still has many of the original band members to continue the creative and cool sound that is distinctive of the band.”

“Manifesto, Roxy Music's first album in nearly four years after the fine run ending with Siren, does not measure up. Neither the supposedly more European sounding East Side or the slick and poppy West Side themes, deliver enough great songs or moments to make this a favourite of mine.”

Spirits Having Flown - THE BEE GEES****

Tragedy/Too Much Heaven/Love You Inside Out/Reaching Out/Spirits Having Flown/Search Find/Stop (Think Again)Living Together/I’m Satisfied/Until

Spirits Having Flown was the last of The Bee Gee’s enormously successful disco era albums. From now on the hits would be much less frequent. This one features no fewer than three US No. 1 hits – Tragedy, Too Much Heaven and Love You Inside Out. (US:1 UK:1)

“The Bee Gees of course had a long heritage before their disco years, and they have talent to burn. They can sing in harmony as well as any of the top groups ever did. And Barry Gibb and that falsetto - my goodness, how did he sustain that for so long?”

“After the success of Saturday Night Fever The Bee Gees wanted to make a studio album thriving upon the same spirit. Tragedy is a groovy disco track sung in their recognizable falsetto voices. Too Much Heaven is a smooth ballad sung in their falsetto voices with vibrato. Dreamy sounds are created by keyboards, synthesizers and vibraphone. Strings, horns and funky bass riffs give it a fuller sound and a dynamic feeling. Love You Inside Out uses a quiet disco beat, smooth harmonies and tight vocals to evoke romance. Their experience in songwriting and their vocal quality sets them apart from other disco acts.”

“While not the strongest Bee Gees release, it still has well written songs and a balance to it. One can only imagine how hard it must of been to follow up the beast that was Saturday Night Fever. Tragedy is still one of my fist pumping favourites and Love You Inside Out is one of the better songs on here.”

“There's nothing groundbreaking about this album; but in essence, it aims to be nothing more than a pop LP and by that criteria, it succeeds completely. The production is impressive and the trio's vocals are always top-notch; a little falsetto-heavy, admittedly, but still a thing of great beauty.”

“A truly superb album, especially on their having to live up to the reputation they built up in the light of Saturday Night Fever. Unashamedly commercial with instantly hummable tunes.”

Minute By Minute - THE DOOBIE BROTHERS***

Here To Love You/What A Fool Believes/Minute By Minute/Dependin’ On You/Don’t Stop To Watch The Wheels/ Open Your Eyes/Sweet Feelin’/Steamer Lane Breakdown/You Never Change/How Do The Fools Survive

The Doobie Brothers transformation from a hard rocking band to a bland soul outfit reaches its apogee with Minute By Minute. The group is now under the control of Michael McDonald who has supplanted the original chief songwriter Tom Johnston. The end result was a Grammy for this US chart topping album helped along by the US No. 1 single What A Fool Believes, thus reflecting changing public musical tastes. (US:1)

“I am a little embarrassed to admit I own this terrible long play. At one time I was into the cool southern rock and the Doobies were a good southern rock band.. This ultra laid back lounge music is a disgrace; absolutely not southern rock in any way shape or form.”

“Its common knowledge that Michael McDonald led the Doobie Brothers into a keyboard-soaked R & B era far removed from the Tom Johnston guitar-based sound. I happen to like both incarnations though the McDonald era did tend to get a bit tedious. Overall, this isn't a bad set.”

“By this time, there is almost nothing that remains from the classic group that recorded the classic early albums. Indeed there is nothing going for this album unless you're into sickening AOR mush, with insufferable Michael McDonald vocals splattered all over it. Only fools would believe that this is a worthy album.”

“Grammy award winning album Minute By Minute is a definitive moment for a now schizophrenic band. Simmons holds onto the guitar-centric Doobie sound for approximately a third of the album, McDonald brings R & B/smooth jazz keyboard to the forefront of about half, and the rest is a melding of them together in an awesome fusion.”

“Overall, the record sounds just too much like a bunch of studio musicians churning out pedestrian blue eyed soul. Very bland effort from this once mighty band, despite the one monster found here.”

“Michael McDonald's gasping, soulful vocals here pack a major wallop and are simply infectious, and he handles the lead vocals on a handful of classic tracks.”