Rating: *** (3 stars)
Title: The Fifth Avenue Band
Company: Reprise
Catalog: RS 6369
Year: 1969
Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+
Comments:
Available: 1
Price: $35.00
By the late-'60s
the trio were members of The Fifth Avenue Band (the line up
rounded out by drummer Pete Heywood,
vocalist Joe Lind and keyboard player Murray Weinstock). Signed by
Reprise, the band's self-titled 1969 debut was interesting for a number of
reasons, including the fact it teamed them with Lovin Spoonful alumis Jerry
Yester and Zal Yanvosky (Lovin' Spoonful producer Erik Jacobsen handling
five tracks). Certainly a result of the Lovin' Spoonful connection,
numerous reviews and references have compared "The
Fifth Avenue Band" to the Lovin' Spoonful catalog.
To our ears, with the exception of "Nice Folks", the comparison isn't really there. With
Altman and Gallway responsible for
the majority of material, the set was actually quite diverse. The
opener "Fast Freight" recalled The Band's styled of rural rock;
"One Way or
The Other" could be mistaken for The Fifth Dimension (not kidding)
and "Good Lady of Toronto" sported a pretty country-rock melody.
Elsewhere, "Eden
Rock" sounded like something you'd hear at a Sade concert. Sure,
this LP won't change your life in any form or fashion, but it's surprisingly
engaging.
"The Fifth Avenue Band" track
listing:
(side 1)
1.) Fast Freight (Peter Gallway) -
2.) One Way or The Other (Kenny Altman) -
3.) Good Lady of Toronto (Peter Gallway) -
4.) Eden Rock (Kenny Altman - Peter Gallway) -
5.) Country Time Rhymes (Peter Gallway) -
(side 2)
1.) Calamity Jane (Peter Gallway) -
2.) Nice Folks (Kenny Altman) -
3.) Cockeyed Shame (Peter Gallway) -
4.) Faithful Be Fair (Kenny Altman) -
5.) In Hollywood (Peter Gallway) -
6.) Angel (Jon Lind) -
Gallway reappeared as a member of Ohio Knox and then embarked on a sporadic solo career (see separate entries). There's also a second Fifth Avenue Band album. Recorded in 1990 for the Japanese Pony Canyon label, we've never heard the set. Anyone know anything about it?