- Joey Baron - drums

- Sergio Brandao - cavaquinho

- D.K. Dyson - background vocals

- Bernard Fowler - backing vocals

- Bill Frisell - guitar

- Melvin Gibbs: bass

- Steve Horton - percussion, guitar

- Gail Lou - background vocals

- John Lurie - saxophone

- Jill Jaffe - violin

- Arto Lindsay - vocals

- Vernon Reid - guitar

- Peter Scherer - keyboards, synthesizers, vocals

- Nana Vasconcelos - percussion

- John Zorn - alto sax 

- DNA (Atlo Lindsay)

- The Golden Palmonios (Arto Lindsay)

- Arto Lindsay (solo efforts)

- Peter Scherer and Arto Lindsay

Genre: rock

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  Greed

Company: Virgin

Catalog: 1-90903

Year: 1987

Country/State: 

Grade (cover/record): Virgin

Comments: minor ring wear; cut out notch in spine; small promo sticker on cover; orifginal inner sleeve

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 4418

Price: $8.00

Cost: $66.00

Given singer/guitarist Arto Lindsay's avant-garde reputation (check out his work with the band DNA), The Ambitious Lovers' sophomore set stands as another surprise to my ears.  Produced by keyboardist Peter Scherer, 1987's "Greed" offers up another set of commercial, dance-oriented material. That may not sound like a compliment, but four things differentiate it from the forgettable flood of mid-1980s dreck:

1.) He may look like a dweeb, but Lindsay has a great voice and it's a blast listening to him when he switches over to Portuguese ('Caso' and 'Para Nao Contrariar Voce')

2.) Scherer continually pulls some amazing melodies and textures out of his keyboards

3.) On tracks such as 'Copy Me' and 'Privacy' the pair manage to blend American dance rock with Brazilian rhythms like nobody else - Image Was Not Was with a South American flavor ...

4.) No matter how commercial they may sound, the pair always manage to inject some of their dissonant musical roots into the project ('Too Far' and 'Omotesando')

True, this won't appeal to everybody (though most folks would find it hard to sit still during something like 'Quasi You' or 'Love Overlap'), but if you've never heard these guys, check them out, especially if you can find one of the LPs cheap (like this offer).

"Greed" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Copy Me   (Arto Lindsay - Peter Scherer) - 3:44 

2.) Privacy   (Arto Lindsay - Peter Scherer) - 3:44 

3.) Caso   (Arto Lindsay - Peter Scherer) - 2:41 

4.) King   (Arto Lindsay - Peter Scherer) - 4:35 

5.) Omotesando (instrumental)   (Arto Lindsay - Peter Scherer) - 1:35

6.) Too Far   (Arto Lindsay - Peter Scherer) - 3:01 

(side 2)

1.) Love Overlap   (Arto Lindsay - Peter Scherer) -  4:39 

2.) Admit it   (Arto Lindsay - Peter Scherer) -  3:44 

3.) Steel Wool   (Arto Lindsay - Peter Scherer) -  1:01 

4.) Para Nao Contrariar Voce   (Arto Lindsay - Peter Scherer) -  2:37 

5.) Quasi You    (Arto Lindsay - Peter Scherer) - 4:24 

6.) It Only Has To Happen Once    (Arto Lindsay - Peter Scherer - Nana Vasconcelos) - 3:40 

7.) Dot Stuff     (Arto Lindsay - Peter Scherer) - 0:58