ROCK-A-RAMA
THE ESSO TRINIDAD STEEL BAND -(Warner Brothers) 1917::: Warner Brothers seems to be dead sure that next year�s top stars are gonna be Stoneground, Deep Purple, and this bunch of West Indian bizarros. I disagree a hundred percent, but it doesn�t keep me from digging the hell out of the odd sonorities produced by this metal orchestra. They take on everything from �Apeman� to an excerpt from Saint-Saens� Carnival of the Animals, and it seems as natural as breathing. They show up on the new Moby Grape and John Sebastian albums, and their conductor is a priest. Any other questions??
NEW RIDERS OF THE PURPLE SAGE -(Columbia)::: I heard these guys on the radio during the closing of the Fillmore West, and they sounded like the Band mixed with Commander Cody. Their record is one of the most expendable pieces of product so far this year. See, there�s this genre I call Marin County Livingroom Music. It�s fun to play, it�s fun to be in the same room with when it�s being played, it�s played on acoustic instruments for the most part, and sometimes you get into a good groove that makes you feel great inside, but the next day you aren�t likely to remember just what it was, and it doesn�t matter. It�s a kind of private affair, and fer chrissakes if you don�t charge admission to your livingroom you shouldn�t expect others to pay money to hear it. That�s what�s wrong with this album.
