Genre: rock
Rating: 3 stars ***
Title: Big Wha-Koo
Company: ABC
Catalog: AB-971
Year: 1977
Country/State: --
Grade (cover/record): VG / VG
Comments: original custom inner sleeve; demo stamp on front cover; minor ring wear
Available: 2
GEMM catalog ID: 5388
Price: $15.00
Based on the Steely Dan connection (vocalist David Palmer sang with the original 1972-73 line up), I bought a copy of this album when it first came out. I can remember playing it in my dorm room, though my roommate was less than thrilled (Rob sorry for the aural abuse I subjected you to). For a long time it was a big favorite and I still have the original filed away (with the rest of their catalog), but I hadn’t played it in years. Anyhow, a couple of months I was at a flea market and stumbled across a copy of the band’s “Berkshire” album. For a buck I couldn’t resist and after spinning it I was about to go pull the rest of their albums in order to get reacquainted. Anyhow, about a week later I was in Chincoteague and stumbled across a copy of “Big Wha-Koo” at a used record store for a buck. Couldn’t turn it down at that price (along with about 40 other items) …
Though most critics disagree, produced by Roy Halee, 1977’s “Big Wha-Koo” always struck me as being the band’s best release (critics seem to give the nod to “Berkshire”). In my book the album’s also one of those lost mid-1970s pseudo-classics. With a little bit of publicity and a better album cover who knows what might have happened … With singer David Palmer and guitarist Danny Douma credited with penning most of the material, the collection found a nice niche between commercial pop and AOR. Nice melodies, great harmony vocals and modestly entertaining lyrics (I know, who listens to the words), made for a strong collection with six of the eight songs being worthwhile (the throwaway reggae number ‘Waiting On a Woman’ and the Douma’s bland ballad ‘Amnesty’ didn’t do much for me). Perhaps a result of his association with Steely Dan, the late Palmer was always a personal favorite. Though his voice was light and somewhat fragile, it proved well suited to material like the pretty, should’ve-been-a-hit ballad ‘Save Your Tears’, ‘Love’s Been Known’ and the gospel-flavored ‘Don’t Knock’. That said, these guys could also rock out. Propelled by Douma’s lead guitar, the jangle-rocker ‘Oh Philistine’ and the title track were both worth hearing. Take this with a grain of salt, but after hearing the album, with a little bit of imagination you can picture what Steely Dan might have sounded like had Becker and Fagan elected to keep the “Can’t Buy a Thrill”-era band together and pursue a more commercial stance. ABC tapped the album for a single in the form of 'Whiskey Voices' b/w '' (ABC catalog number ABC-12271).
"Big Wha-Koo" track listing:
(side 1)
1.)
Whiskey Voices (David
Palmer – Carbone) –
2.)
Save Your Tears (David Palmer
– Carbone) –
3.)
Oh Philistine (Danny
Douma – David Palmer) –
4.)
Love’s Been Known (Danny
Douma – David Palmer) –
(side 2)
1.)
Waiting On a Woman (Danny
Douma) –
2.)
Amnesty (Danny Douma) –
3.)
Don’t Knock
4.)
Big Whakoo (Danny Douma
– David Palmer) –
Douma
subsequently released a solo album (worth looking for) and then reappeared
as Terry Kath’s replacement in Chicago.
