Shaun Cassidy: WASP

[1980, Warner Brothers/Curb Records]

AMG RATING: 8

Review: In an attempt to radically change his image, Todd Rundgren and Utopia were recruited to re-invent teen idol Cassidy for the New Wave 80’s. They wound up effectively remaking Rundgren’s Faithful album with lesser-known cover songs, looser arrangements, and with Shaun on lead vocals. Like Faithful, WASP is an eclectic selection of covers, mixed with typical Rundgren originals, all delivered with adventurous, uniformly fine vocals from Cassidy.

The opening take on Bowie’s “Rebel Rebel” demonstrates my frustration with this album: Cassidy sounds great in his lower register, but Rundgren adds a munchkin-like second lead vocal, turning the song into near-parody. Similarly, “Shake Me, Wake Me” is nearly ruined by synthesizer tweets and synth drums, and “Once Bitten, Twice Shy” sports a playful tack-piano that undermines Cassidy’s edgy delivery.

Throughout the album, though, Cassidy’s expressive vocals redeem material that is hampered by production quirks. And most of the album rises above the dated arrangements that mar some of the best selections. “It’s My Life” is effectively creepy with its eerie vocal and funereal tempo, “So Sad About Us” sports the strong group vocals and drive of Rundgren-styled power pop, and “WASP” features a rapped lead vocal and heavy riff reminiscent of Utopia at its best.

WASP is a gutsy album for Cassidy and, when he’s not being overshadowed by his producer and backup band, a fine showcase for a talented singer who clearly transcended the teenybopper niche he was stuck in. -- James A. Gardner

Extra bonus blab: A couple of days ago, I was reminded of how much I liked this phase of Rundgren's career and the four-piece Utopia. Their self-titled, 1982 album is out of print as I write this, in early 2006, and still sounds powerful and fresh. Bands I've been with have played three of the album's 15 tracks (and that's without trying "Libertine," the best-know song from it), and they always go over. Which makes me even more disappointed at what seems like Rundgren's attempts to belittle Cassidy on this album. The version of "Rebel Rebel" on WASP is to Sean Cassidy as "Will You Lay With Me In A Field Of Stone" was to a young Tanya Tucker ... at least, it sure seems that way to me. Cassidy's gone on to create a couple of pretty creepy and cool TV shows, in American Gothic (and fans of the Brady Bunch movies really need to see Gary Cole in Gothic!) and this (2005-06) season's Invasion, which is less derivative of Body Snatchers than I'd feared, but also running out of story lines. Sure wish Cassidy had done some more music like the best of WASP and that Rundgren had taken the assignment more seriously.