More Instant Reviews

I had fun yesterday, plunking down some unheard records and gabbing about them here. So here are a half-dozen more discs found at Sunday's record show in St. Louis. Again, in most cases I know nothing about these outside of the info contained on the label. I could strike gold or be saddled with yet another loser. Let's find out.

Myles & Dupont - Loud Mouth Annie/Heaven or Heartbreak (Argo 5326) Judging by the black Argo label, I'd guess this hails from the late 1950's. And it's an instant favorite, an uptempo rocker with lots of piano. It seems that ol' Loud Mouth Annie created such a ruckus that she landed in jail. Pretty soon the cops are on the phone wanting someone to come get her because she makes more noise than the United Nations. The guys decide to leave her in jail though. The highlight is a great, rockin' guitar break. The flip is slower and far less compelling, though there is some good guitar running through it. You'll want this one for "Loud Mouth Annie", a winner all the way around. (8)

Suburban 9 to 5 - Sunshine Becomes You/Capt. Kangaroo (Golden Voice 2630) I do know something about these guys. I reviewed their 45 on the Ledger label a couple of months ago. That single contained a pair of uptempo rockers. The Suburban 9 to 5 were a Peoria, IL garage band that featured a young Gary Richrath on guitar. He'd go on to become a member of REO Speedwagon. "Sunshine Becomes You" sounds a lot like the other 45, only it's slower and more on the moody side. It has a nice, subtle use of organ. "Capt. Kangaroo" is more up-tempo but still a bit moody. The organ is a tad more prominent and there are some good drum fills. The vocals seem a little strained on both sides. Overall, pretty good but not great. (6)

The Kokomos - Open House Party/No Lies (Josie 906) This one is a Bob Crewe production. "Open House Party" is upbeat dance music but heavily orchestrated, with male and female voices that are a little too clean. It sounds like the kind of thing they'd have played on Hullabaloo to feature their go-go dancers but moreso for the parents than the teens. The flipside is slower and even less remarkable. Sort of fun but not much else. (4)

Louisiana Red - Ride On Red, Ride On/Red's Dream (Roulette 4469) This one is on the magenta colored Roulette label that was in use about 1962. Louisiana Red has a gravelly voice and "Ride On Red, Ride On" is up-tempo yet a bit bluesy, with guitar, drums and some harmonica. Red sings about driving from Pittsburgh to New Orleans and how he was discriminated against down south. When he got to Shreveport, he stopped to eat and had to "eat his sammich on the street"! So now he's coming back north to his freedom. The song has a nice break and is a real winner. "Red's Dream" is in the traditional blues style, with lots of harmonica. Here, he's dreaming about speaking to the U.N. (sheesh, another reference) and trying to run the Russians out of Cuba. He meets the President and offers to run the Senate, so he can add some soul brothers. Terrific. (8)

Big Pete and the Minute Men - Big Pete/Baracuda (Brent 7025) Here we have a pair of instrumentals. "Big Pete" is up-tempo, with loads of organ and some horns. It has a wailing sax that takes over on the break. I'm not sure when this was released but I'd guess early 1960's. It's a nice mover and I like it a lot. "Baracuda" is credited to Hugo Montenegro and has a Mexican flavor. The organ still figures prominently in the mix but the horns are played as lead instruments here. Okay, but not as good as "Big Pete". (7)

Steady Wailin' Sid - Mannix/Ora Lee (Rock Steady 335) Here's a label out of Evansville, IN. "Mannix" is funky soul, with a real 1970's sound. It's perhaps a bit like The Commodores funkier moments. Steady Wailin' Sid sings that he used to watch the TV private eye in bed with his woman. Now she's vamoosed without a trace, so Sid wants Mannix to go find her because he's the best. Uh huh. "Ora Lee" is also funky but uses what sounds like a drum machine rather than the real thing and that detracts from my listening pleasure. Overall a bit too 70's. (5)