Christ Child, Hard. Acts like Talking Heads and Blondie seem certain to outlive the new wave movement, just as Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead survived after the era that brought them to attention. Christ Child, on the other hand, sounds like a 1970s equivalent of Ultimate Spinach. The outfit will be luck to survive 1978. On a few cuts, the lead vocalist does a fair imitation of Frank Zappa, but Christ Child lacks his sense of humor. Also missing are direction, musical competence, and any hint of sincerity.

The album is available here.

Edwards & Ralph, Edwards & Ralph. Recording as the Bells during the early 1970s, this duo scored a Top 5 single with the dreamy, low-keyed “Stay Awhile.” If you recall that effort, you know what to expect from this pop collection, which uses the word “love” in half its titles and devotes itself solely to romantic ballads. On the plus side, count the addictive melodies as well as the appropriately understated production by Peter Yarrow and keyboardist Barry Becket. On the other hand, everything on this LP is inconsequential and predictable. You might still, but probably not a lot.

The album is available here.

Ted Nugent and the Amboy Dukes, Marriage on the Rocks—Rock Bottom and Survival of the Fittest—Live. Now that rocker Ted Nugent has begun to sell records almost as rapidly as he plays the guitar, the re-release of the bulk of his 11 Amboy Dukes LPs seems inevitable. The two discs here, which he cut during 1969 and 1970, should be of historical interest to those who rate Nugent among their favorites. However, the now-defunct Dukes possessed only a modicum of talent and these wildly uneven sets find Nugent rambling all over the musical lot. Some of the guitar work proves redolent of his recent material, but elsewhere, he offers everything from so-so flamenco experiments to dated-sounding psychedelia.

Marriage on the Rocks is available here, and Survival of the Fittest is available here.

Elvis Presley, The Elvis Tapes. Elvis Presley wasn’t known for being articulate in interview situations, and the 1957 press conference preserved here—conducted when he was just 22 and the world was at his feet—is no exception. Throughout the talk, he is anything but loquacious, and typically silly questions like “Where do you go for a quiet cup of coffee nowadays?” don’t help. On the other hand, Presley’s huge place in rock’s history and the scarcity of his press talks render virtually everything he said of some interest.

The album is available here.

Snail, Snail. After nearly a decade as one of California’s best unrecorded bands, the Santa Cruz–based Snail has finally made it onto vinyl. While frequently reminiscent of a cross between the Atlanta Rhythm Section and the Doobie Brothers, the outfit is hard to type. Its debut features everything from layered string sections to acoustic and slide guitars to heavy-metal chording. Though the group evidences less originality (particularly in the lyrics department) than polish, these elements jell nicely. There’s more than enough substance here to make you look forward to the follow-up.

The album is available here.

Charlie, Lines. Much of this third album, which arrives 14 months after the group’s sophomore release, sounds merely like the result of the need for product. Tightly knit rock instrumentation and occasionally deft lyrics do suggest that Charlie might someday deliver on the promise of its best previous work. The bulk of the present tracks, however, showcase perfunctory tales of groupies and other aspects of life on the road, and the poorly mixed, undistinguished vocals do little to redeem the set.

The album is available here.

On the Bookshelf

1978: The New Wave Punk Rock Explosion, by Caroline Coon. Some simplistic conclusions and an insufficiently critical stance notwithstanding, this survey of the British punk scene should serve as a valuable introduction for American fans. To a much greater extent than its U.S. counterpart, English punk is a sociological phenomenon, a fact that doesn’t escape the author, a Melody Maker critic. Her illustrated book offers incisive, interview-based profiles of groups such as the Clash, the Stranglers, the Damned, and, of course, the Sex Pistols. Best of all, it includes lyrics to some of their otherwise impossible-to-decipher songs.

The book is available here.