BOOMERANG (USA) - Boomerang (LP, RCA Victor, 1971)

RATING: 8/10

This is the one and only album from this now-obscure American bunch, formed by singer/keyboardist Mark Stein after the first of many break-ups of Vanilla Fudge. Without delving too deep into the reasons for the split, fact is that the lads were at loggerheads with each other, and their typical, organ-heavy psych/prog song was losing ground to the more direct, guitar-driven sound of contemporaries such as Mountain, Sir Lord Baltimore and Grand Funk, who seemed to be more of the flavor of the time in the USA. When his colleagues Tim Bogert and Carmine Appice decided to jump ship in order to form Cactus, Mr. Stein and his bandmate Vince Martell (guitar) tried to keep Vanilla Fudge sailing on at first, enlisting James Galuzzi (D, ex-Dino and the Cavemen) and Sal D'Onofrio (bass) to fill the blanks. But it was a short-lived endeavor, and when Vince Martell decided he wasn't that willing to soldier on after all, Stein felt the time was right to try a different approach. Keeping the services of Galuzzi, the singer/keyboardist recruited Jo Casmir (B/V) and guitar wonder Richard Ramirez (who had only 16 years of age at the time of recording), and word soon spread around that a new venture named Boomerang was born.

If you expect to hear the psychedelic heaviness of Vanilla Fudge, you may be heading for a slight disappointment - not that they disregard their former style completely, but it's clear as day that Mark Stein wanted his new project to be a diferent beast altogether, moving towards a dynamic hard rock sound not at all dissimilar to what groups like Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin were developing at roughly the same time (and not much of a surprise that is, as Stein was good friends with several Zep members and had many strong connections in the British rock scene). It didn't took him long to sign the dotted line with RCA, and the debut LP from Boomerang was at the shops before 1971 was over - a record that the contemporary rock scene really should had paid more attention to, if you ask me.

The opening track, "Juke it", is sure to bring a smile to any self-respecting heavy rock fan in a matter of seconds, with a strong (and heavy as hell) guitar-organ interplay that Ritchie Blackmore and Jon Lord would be proud to call their own. The band is tight, the musicianship is remarkable, and, being little more than a kid at the time, Richard Ramirez plays with a blend of dexterity and ingenuity that is no less than jaw-dropping given his age. Stein's singing is top notch throughout, but he's clever enough to allow Casmir (a very good singer in his own right) ample access to the mike stand as well, their duets during the subtle semi-ballad "Fisherman" being an instant highlight. The alternate singing in the excellent rendition to Inez and Charlie Foxx's "Mockingbird" is perhaps even better, with Casmir sounding a lot like Glenn Hughes (an extraordinary high praise in my book, you can rest assured of that) and the whole band allowing their soul influences to take rein for great effect. Every single song works beautifully, and the 4-piece move with great confidence from the solid rockers ("The Peddler") to the more subtle material (as in the really moving ballad "Brother's Coming Home", a poignant and not-remotely-overdone homage to the veterans from Vietnam), with a few surprises (such as the acoustic intro and the backmasked guitar solo during "Hard Times") to keep every listener alert and interested throughout. The only bad thing about this album is that it's pitifully short (only seven tracks in little more than 30 minutes), but you can always play it all over again as soon as it's over, you know.  

The cruel fact that Boomerang's eponymous LP just didn't sell is truly a life's great mystery (the prominent "featuring Mark Stein" sticker seemingly doing little to help matters), the public's reception being so unspectacular that the prospect of a USA tour to promote it never got past the planning stage. Still, the band somehow got as far as laying down tracks for a second release before RCA concluded there was no reason to keep it going and finally opted to pull the plug on them. Though it was never officially issued (and, according to Mark Stein himself, most probably never will), bootleg versions of this tentative sophomore album have been circulating for a long while now, and it's not that difficult to locate mp3 files of it if you know where to search. I won't make any effort to write a full review of it (as it is, in its current form, little more than a collection of unreleased songs), but let's say the material shows the band doing something of a detour towards blues rock, sometimes being strongly reminiscent of acts such as Savoy Brown. It's an interesting development, and most songs are nice enough, but it lacks some of the punch and charming enthusiasm of their innaugural LP, and I honestly don't think they were heading for world domination had it been released as originally planned. Whatever the case, Mark Stein unceremoniously disbanded Boomerang in 1973, taking something of a sabbathical from the music scene before resurfacing as a member of the Tommy Bolin Band. He was also a feature in some of the many reunions of Vanilla Fudge, including the most recent - and successful - one, that started in 1999 and is still going strong to this day. Of the other members, only Richard Ramirez (now signing as Rick Ramirez, perhaps to avoid any confusion with a certain serial killer, you see) kept plugging in, releasing records with bands such as Striker, Bruzer (where he was joined by drummer Vinnie Appice) and the Pamela Moore Band - none of those, unfortunately, attaining the level of adulation his guitar playing damn sure deserved.

In the years that followed Boomerang's demise, Mark Stein (though acknowledging the quality of some songs in particular) opted to dismiss the whole thing as little more than a period of experimentation, something he did to kept busy while trying to reassess his career after the great success - and sudden downfall - of Vanilla Fudge. I kinda can see where he's coming from, you know, but I politely beg to differ, as I think Boomerang were a great heavy rock band that could have really got somewhere under different circumstances. It's not only about the music, as we all know, and some stars must be aligned in order for a band to make it big, which simply wasn't the case around here. Still, I would be very proud of Boomerang's sole LP if I was in Stein's shoes, and those of you who enjoy some heavy music as it was done in the early 1970s should really take this one home if you ever see a copy of it coming your way.

Mark Stein (V/K), Jo Casmir (V/B), Richard Ramirez (G), James Galuzzi (D).

01. Juke It (Galuzzi, Stein, Ramirez)
02. Fisherman (Stein)
03. Hard Times (Galuzzi, Stein, Ramirez)
04. Mockingbird (I. Foxx, C. Foxx)
05. Cynthia Fever (Galuzzi, Stein, Ramirez, Brennen)
06. Brother's Coming Home (Stein)
07. The Peddler (Galuzzi, Stein, Ramirez)

Have you been involved with any of the bands mentioned here? Have any extra info and/or corrections? Please e-mail me at drequon@gmail.com and let me know!

HOGGS (UK-Wales) - See it Now (7'', Now Records, 1980)

RATING: 6/10

Being (as it undoubtedly was) a movement of renewal in the realm of metal (not only in the UK, but also highly influential all over Europe and beyond), it's only natural that the whole NWOBHM phenomenon got strongly associated with youthful bands and musicians, many (if not most) of them being still adolescents when the acts they got known for first plugged in their instruments. Let's face it, much of NWOBHM's charm has to do with a certain sense of naivety, with kids that had high dreams of heavy rock stardom while still pretty much figuring out what being in a band was all about. But there's another side to the NWOBHM thing, you know: not only it was a call for thousands of young hopefuls to join the fun, it also served as something of a guiding light for many experienced musicians who were struggling to survive in the clubs and pubs and had little idea on what to do next. I mean, it's no mystery that bands like Saxon, Quartz and Demon were doing the rounds (sometimes in slightly different form) for quite a while before the dam begin to burst (some particular cases of reinvention, like Rage/Nutz, being quite extreme), and it's also well-known history how groups like Judas Priest, Budgie, Black Sabbath and Uriah Heep (to name a few) took the opportunity to reinvent/modernize their sound, with varying degrees of success. But there's surely a lot left to be said about hundreds (if not thousands) of musicians who, after spending years playing as small-crowd pleasers, had little (if any) hope to ever make it big - and, when the NWOBHM explosion started happening around them, felt they had found a new lifeblood, or at least something worth giving a try. Hailing from South Wales, Hoggs was surely one of such cases: not a bunch of hopefuls still not a day over twenty, but rather an assemble of reasonably experienced small-club stalwarts, trying to get a good thing going along with the kids. Oh well, they didn't make it as further as they would probably have liked, but still their "See it Now" 7'' single from 1980 is a decent addition to the collection of any NWOBHM aficionado, so I think the effort of dropping a few lines about them is more than justified. And make yourself comfortable, as there's quite a lot to be said, actually...

In fact, the roots of the outfit in question can be traced way back into the early 1970's, when vocalist Richie Galloni first joined the band Quest - his first collaboration with Myfyr Isaac, who would later have a level of involvement with the far more well-known Budgie. This particular act (something of an offshoot from an even earlier ensemble named Smokestack) would later reinforce the Budgie connection, as drummer Steve Williams joined the ranks for a while before having a significant run as Budgie's sticksman - and calling Isaac to join him there, which pretty much signaled the end of Quest. There's a missing bridge between Quest and Richie Galloni's presence in the James Hogg Band (a group that, incidentally, I'm quite sure has never featured a member named James Hogg at all), but I guess he was doing the rounds with minor local outfits in the meantime, bands whose names are now lost in the mists of time. 

Roughly at the same time, the James Hogg Band were cutting their teeth in the Wales rock club scene, delivering a brand of fairly typical (but still very solid) blues rock. The group's origins trace back to 1970, under the name Wedgwood Blues, and they received a modicum of local attention while running under the guise of Haverson’s Apricot, though they opted to change their moniker again in the latter months of 1971. The original line-up would consist of Rob Ashong (V), Gregg Harris (G), Phil Davies (B, later to join the Welsh prog rockers Quicksand) and Paul Lyddon (D), soon to be substituted by John Lloyd. When Davies left, it seems that Ashong simply took all bass duties to himself, turning the band into a functional 3-piece. I'll only mention such items briefly, as dropping full reviews of each would be time-consuming and of little interest for the purposes of this blog, but no less than three singles were released by this particular bunch, namely "Lovely Lady Rock" (c/w "Happy Sad", 1972), "California Blues" (c/w "Everybody Smile", 1973) and "Gotta Be a Winner" (yeah, that one from The Casuals, also with "Everybody Smile" as the B side, 1973), all issued by Regal Zonophone. Curiously, only the last release bears the full James Hogg Band name in its labels, the first two slices of vinyl being credited as a more functional James Hogg - and don't ask me the reasons for such a decision, as I honestly don't have a clue. As a bit of moonlighting, the lads would also lend a hand to Welsh-singing folk vocalist Heather Jones, acting as a backing band in her "Pan Ddaw'r Dydd" (1972) EP as well as the "Mae'r Olwyn Yn Troi" full-length from 1974. 

The James Hogg Band seems to have disbanded in the final days of 1974, after a short-lived attempt to reinvent themselves as a 4-piece, with a new bass player named Geoff Stokes and Rob Ashong assuming the slide guitar instead. Things get quite obscure from this point onwards, and I'm not 100% sure I'm tying the loose ends correctly, but it seems that a James Hogg Band reunion took place in the late 1970s (most probably in 1978, though I can easily be wrong on this), centered around Harris and Lloyd and with Galloni agreeing to join as a new vocalist. Some natural line-up changes happened along the way, and by 1979 the trio would be augmented by Robert Margertson (G) and Steve Taylor (B, and not the guy from The Cigarettes, incidentally). And that's when the 5-piece decided to leave the James Hogg Band soubriquet behind for good, in order to reinvent themselves as a more hard-hitting, forceful heavy rock proposition - though they also didn't wanted to complete alienate their former fanbase, thus the rechristening as Hoggs (not the strongest band name ever, but nevermind).

Even though the more heavy-rock-oriented climate of the times sure had a lot to do with their decision, I suppose their connection with the NWOBHM era came more by chance than design, and I don't think they were listening to contemporary metal bands that much at the time, as the 1970s vibe on both tracks of their sole vinyl release (pressed by the modest Now Records sometime in 1980) is just too obvious to be ignored. "See it Now" begins with a prominent, slighty funky bassline, before the guitars kick in and give the track a more typically hard rocking vibe. Still, rest assured it's not a heavy metal tune by any stretch: to my ears, it's more of a pop-infused, highly melodic hard rock tune in the vein of Midas' "Can't Stop Loving You Now" or Masterstroke's "Prisioner of love", though perhaps the more adequate comparison would be with not-at-all-metal acts like Rough Diamond, Humble Pie and even early Fleetwood Mac. The vocalist does a pretty decent Robert Plant impersonation, and the track as a whole is quite entertaining, though it ends rather abruptly, with a anticlimatic and clumsly fade-out halfway through the final chorus. 

Now, I have something very informative to tell you. Though the flipside is named as "Time on the Line" both in the label and the sleeve, it transpires that we were wronged about it for all these years, and this is not the name of the track after all! After some investigation, I'm positive the name of the song is actually "Worst Kind of Woman" - a kinda baffling revelation that was only made possible because a few individuals who happened to follow the band's fortunes way back in the 1970's remembered the track from live performances. It's hard to explain how the song came to be miscredited in such a bizarre manner, but it seems that Hoggs did have a self-penned number named "Time on the Line" after all, so it's reasonable to assume they recorded three or more tracks, opting to use "Time on the Line" (hence the name being used on the final product) but mastering and pressing the vinyl with "Worst Kind of Woman" instead by mistake. Whatever the case, the song itself is a very mellow ballad with languid instrumentation and heartfelt (if rather mundane) lyrics about an aching heart. It gets a bit more intense towards the end, and with a very busy guitar solo too, so it's at least more interesting and lively than similar ballads some heavy rock bands from the era opted to employ as B-sides. Maybe it was a well-received tearjerker when Hoggs played it on small pubs in and around their original area, but I'm strongly inclined to think that a more intense, heavy rocking number would have been a far better choice when it comes to conquer new fans - and who knows, maybe the original choice was indeed a more lively and hard-hitting number after all? 

All things considered, this humble 7'' is a decent addition for any expanding NWOBHM collection, though most of us are unlikely to be willing to spend silly amounts of money to get it. This piece of vinyl exposure wasn't enough to change Hoggs' fortunes in any decisive manner though, and it seems the group didn't really last the distance after its sole single release, being safe to assume they were no longer active long before the half of the 80s. Most members seem to have moved away from the music scene in later years, though some pretty similar names may cause a bit of confusion (drummer John Lloyd, for instance, may or may not be the same guy who recorded for Australian groups like Icehouse and High Rise Bombers, as timelines roughly fit and such migrations were hardly an uncommon occurence at the time). At present, only Richie Galloni's late fortunes can be retold with reasonable certainty, as he contributed with the revived Sassafras and is still very much involved with blues/prog rockers Son of Man, these being but a few highlights on an eventful career that is still going strong to this day. 

Richie Galloni (V), Gregg Harris (G), Robert Margertson (G), Steve Taylor (B), John Lloyd (D).

01. See it Now
02. Worst Kind of Woman (miscredited as "Time on The Line")

Have you been involved with any of the bands mentioned here? Have any extra info and/or corrections? Please e-mail me at drequon@gmail.com and let me know!

DIVLJE JAGODE (CRO) - Stakleni Hotel (LP, Diskoton, 1981)

RATING: 6/10

It was somewhat unfortunate that, after cementing their reputation as spearheads of Balkanic hard/heavy music with their self-titled debut LP from 1978, Divlje Jagode were forced to wait a long while before making their next step towards world domination (or solid local stardom, to put it on more realistic terms). From 1979 to 1980, some members of the original line-up had to fulfill their army obligations, and some (as bassist Nihad Jusufhodžić) would never resurface in other bands of note. During the hiatus, axeman 'Zele' Lipovača collaborated with Mirzino Jato, a local disco/pop act fronted by Mirza Alijagić to which Zele contributed both as a musician and songwriter for their successful Šećer I Med (1979) LP. Keyboardist 'Muc' Ismailovski also enjoyed some moonlighting in the meantime, joining pop-rockers Srebrna Krila - a commitment he opted to keep when Divlje Jagode decided to regroup in 1980, soldiering on until his untimely demise in New Year's Eve 1999. Drummer Adonis Dokuzović also wasn't available - not exactly sure why, I must admit, though he would later help his wife Carmen in a solo pop/rock project as well as establishing his own Katedrala studio facilities. In the latter half of 1980, a new Divlje Jagode was born, with Zele originally keeping the services of singer Ante Janković and adding Alen Islamović (B) and Nasko Budimlić (D) to the picture. This 4-piece would move to record label Diskoton, as Zele was dissatisfied with the way Jugodisk promoted their first LP, and finally unleashed "Stakleni Hotel" in the latter half of 1981. 

Now readers take note, this is quite clearly a transitional album, as opening track "Autostop" demonstrates without much room for a doubt. The riffs are full-blown metal, and Janković puts some real effort into delivering a stronger, more powerful vocal performance than what is heard on the group's first LP - but the chorus comes with soft female voices singing the name of the track, no less, adding some pop-rockish element to the song in a pretty abrupt manner. The result is mostly enjoyable (and the track became a strong radio hit in Yugoslavia), but it's clear for all to hear that Divlje Jagode, though already a heavy metal band at heart, were still struggling to find the best way to express it into their music. My strong impression is that, when they crank up the volume and devote themselves to play loud and heavy, it's like the road to take is opening right in front of them - but, unfortunately, they still take too much detours along the way, wasting time with some pretty pointless exercises instead of making the heavy-rocking statement they seem eager to deliver.

Once again, I'd say that the excessive balladry is the band's undoing, even more around here than it was the case in Divlje Jagode's debut. "Kako Si Topla i Mila" is almost insufferable to be honest, with tepid, tedious vocal lines and folky acoustic guitars that simply never go anywhere, the track as a whole being instantly (and mercifully) forgettable as soon as it's over. I'd say "Dodirni Me, Skloni Bol" fares perceivably better, with the intrusive acoustic guitars being restricted to the background and making room for more lively, definitely power-metal-ballad driven arrangements. Still, its position in the running order is far from adequate, slowing things down even further and giving the listener the uncanny feeling that the whole album is not going anywhere, like a dog trying to bite its own tail. With that said, "Potraži Put" is by far the best ballad on the album, closing proceedings with a melancholic, contemplative vibe not too far removed from the excellent "Jedina Moya" from their previous record. It's a pretty good one, and I can't help but thinking how nice it would be if it was the only ballad on display here, leaving room for other hard-hitting rockers to shine and wrapping the LP with a more thoughtful, bittersweet tone. Though not a tearjerker at all, I'm afraid "Ulica Na Lošem Glasu" must also be added to the record's misfires, this being a slightly bluesy hard-rocking tune that, despite its good intentions, lacks the bite and charm to stand beyond semi-heavy mediocrity.

But not all is lost, mind you. The title-track hits the nail right on the head, with some strong rifferama and a general feeling not at all dissimilar to Judas Priest in their "Hell Bent for Leather" or "British Steel" days. "Mrak Za Dvoje" is perhaps even better, even hinting to some dynamic twin-guitar work in places (which is actually quite curious, as the band had only one guitarist, but let's cut them some slack) and presenting a forceful, uncompromising drive that really succeeds into putting some metal-loving necks in motion. If this was a 5-track mini-LP, with this particular pair alongside "Autostop", "Potraži Put" and "Za One Do Tebe" (a least accomplished heavy number, but still serviceable enough to make the grade), maybe we would be lauding an undisputed underground classic, instead of describing a record that, although decent as a whole, demands a fair bit of patience to be listened to in one sitting. Whatever the story, "Stakleni Hotel" served its purpose, helping Divlje Jagode to rebrand themselves as a heavy metal proposition and paving the way for some very interesting developments to come. The production values are pretty respectable, all instruments are played with undeniable competence (no virtuosos showing themselves off really, but rather a nice and healthy display of teamwork), and there's definitely a lot worse you can do with your evening than giving this one a spin or two. Just don't go for it waiting for a something out of the ordinary and you'll be fine, I guess.

After over a hundred shows to promote "Stakleni Hotel", and with tracks like "Autostop" and "Dodirni Me, Skloni Bol" marking a strong presence on Balkan's radio stations, Toni Janković started to feel it would be a good move to invest into a solo career - a split that seem to have been pretty amicable, as the singer would frequently appear as a guest in Divlje Jagode's concerts, and his former colleagues would also lend a hand as backing musicians and/or songwriters on his solo albums. The departure of Janković opened way for bassist Alen Islamović to also relinquish the mike stand, and his powerful, surprisingly versatile vocals proved to be exactly what the band needed to finally find their footing as a metal band. More on that very soon...

Toni Janković (V), Sead 'Zele' Lipovača (G), Alen Islamović (B), Nasko Budimlić (D).

01. Autostop (Lipovača, G. Petranović) 03:41
02. Mrak Za Dvoje (Lipovača, Islamović) 03:41
03. Kako Si Topla i Mila (Lipovača, G. Petranović) 05:03
04. Stakleni Hotel (Lipovača, S. Nakić) 03:39
05. Ulica Na Lošem Glasu (Lipovača, G. Petranović) 04:15
06. Dodirni Me, Skloni Bol (Lipovača, M. Tucaković) 04:01
07. Za One Do Tebe (Lipovača, Islamović) 04:00
08. Potraži Put (Islamović) 04:30

Have you been involved with any of the bands mentioned here? Have any extra info and/or corrections? Please e-mail me at drequon@gmail.com and let me know!