This was the second album for the band, actually released less that a year after the debut in 1977. Believe it or not, there is still a configuration of Legs out there with a new record scheduled for this year. Have to look for it and give it a listen. I always labeled them as a West Coast version of Angel, and why not, they were on the same label. Organ heavy more than synths, twin guitars, good vocalist, adequate rhythm section. They toured like hell with "TED NUGENT, KISS, GOLDEN EARRING, STYX, SAMMY HAGAR, TRIUMPH, RUSH, MONTROSE, ALICE COOPER, Y&T, REO SPEEDWAGON, NAZARETH, BOB SEGER, RIOT, MOXY, TEN YEARS AFTER, MOUNTAIN, J. GEILS BAND, GLEN HUGHES, MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP, UFO, THE BABYS, ANGEL, ULI JOHN ROTH, BUDGIE, DIO, STARZ, STEPPENWOLF." Maybe you saw them. Guns N Roses were reportedly big fans. I only had vinyl copies until 2000. That's when one of the original members got a UK company to issue CD formats. Guess he thought the British would like it based on their love for Uriah Heep, which Legs could have been mistaken for at times. This track has been called their "Stairway To Heaven"...
Seemed only fitting that one of the bands in the list above turned out to be next in line for the player, taking me into smokey north Florida and Lake City...
MOXY's debut album was/is one of Rock's most under-appreciated records of all time! They were so good that another artist heard them recording from the next studio and had to sit in...
That's right, boys & girls, there are Tommy Bolin solos all over the album. He was recording "Teaser" and there was a James Gang connection that opened the door for him. Suffice it to say that my vinyl copy is a treasured possession. MOXY was just the latest configuration of members, some playing together since the late 60's, but it was certainly the most successful, albeit short-lived. By the time the third album came out, the singer had damaged his vocal cords, and the years of touring with its alcohol, drugs & sex had fractured the group. They had opened for everybody before headlining in Texas with an OPENING act called AC/DC. As it has been told, MOXY's singer was considered as the replacement for Bon Scott after he passed, but he could only be valid in a studio, not on stage. The singer that replaced him on the 4th album later became famous for fronting another Canadian band a couple of years later, Loverboy.
But it was the first three albums, especially the songs penned by original guitarist Earl Johnson (none too shabby a slinger as well; reportedly still touring as MOXY) that are classics. How about an encore before heading toward Gainesville...
And let me kick off the next CD with the title track...
Truly one of the great Rock bands of all time, in my opinion. They were far more than "Boys Are Back In Town." Not a weak link in the mix, even when they traded in guitarists. To replace Robbo, they brought in Gary Moore, Snowy White, and John Sykes. This is from "Live & Dangerous" and it's the song Van Morrison wished he had written...
Phil Lynott had such a distinctive voice. He left us way too soon. Many consider "Bad Rep..." as good a record as "Jailbreak." I have and love them all, with a little extra fondness for "Fighting."
By now I'm in the home stretch, cruising toward Ocala, caffeine buzz in full effect. Thank goodness for cruise control because the next band is a pedal-presser...
Not considered one of their best, but me likey anyway. "Desolation Blvd." was the soundtrack of my high school years. "Give Us A Wink" was the motivational music for baseball my senior year. Safe to say that "...Wink" would be a deserted island disc for me. "Off The Record" arrived while I was still making the adjustment to college life, and it provided comforting heaviness for the early Mad Rocker shows. This is the track I played on the "WPRK Midday Flashback" a couple of weeks ago...
There is a 7 1/2 minute track called "Windy City" that I've found tour rehearsal tape from almost exactly 35 years ago today. Personally haven't heard that before. Cool!
By now I'm to the first toll plaza on the Turnpike, so finishing up the ride is...
David Byron's first solo album. I had two or three Uriah Heep LP's, but I truly enjoyed this album and it's variety more. Sort of like Lowell George's solo away from Little Feat, "Thanks, I'll Eat It Here." Love the Feat, but that individual effort is still in my Top 500 Ever. Technically, "...Prisoners" is Top 500, too, but ranked behind LG's since it was basically half of the Heep playing. I still can't get this song out of my head from a week ago...
A lot of people back then likened him to Ian Gillan. I understood it but disagreed. Ian's voice was an instrument, Byron's an accompaniment. But that didn't diminish its effectiveness within the song. He wrote well, too. While fumbling around for a video to play, I found some of the Rough Diamond group from 1977...
That's Clem Clempson of Humble Pie on guitar and the drummer played with Wings. I only have that record on cassette but I may need to search for it now.
Thanks for riding along with me on this side excursion from the norm. I'll be back soon with two new posts from female-fronted bands...
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