Genre: rock
Rating: ** (2 stars)
Title: Nantucket
Company: Epic
Catalog: JE 35353
Year: 1978
Country/State: --
Grade (cover/record): VG/VG
Comments: someone wrote '$1.00' in small letters on front cover; original inner sleeve with lyrics
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 4344
Price: $6.00
Cost: $66.00
My memories of this North Carolina-based outfit is that they were more conventional than Cheap Trick, rocked harder than REO Speedwagon, but had fewer chops than Boston. Having listened to their self-titled 1978 debut for the first time in 25 years, those memories are pretty much confirmed ...
These guys certainly paid their dues, before getting their late-1970s brush with fame. Living in Jacksonville, North Carolina, Mark Downing, Tommy Redd and Larry Uzzell started their first cover band ('Stacks of Gold') while still in their teens. By 1971 they were performing as 'Nantucket Sleighride' (borrowed from the title of a Mountain LP) and starting to incorporate original material into their performancs. Within a matter of months they trimmed the name down to Nantucket. Over the next eight years the group went through a string of personnel changes, while becoming regulars on the Southeastern club circuit.
Signing with Epic Records, the band finally scored a contract in 1978. Unfortunately, Epic executives apparently had no idea what to do with these guys, ultimately deciding that the best marketing strategy was to dump them into the 'Southern rock' bin. Needless to say their cleverly-titled debut "Nantucket" wasn't really a Southern rock album. Produced by Win Kutz, exemplified by tracks such as 'Heartbreaker' and '' the set offered up a then-state-of-the-art set of AOR. With guitarist Redd responsible for all ten tracks, the album was actually fairly diverse, taking stabs at boogie ('Real Romance'), top-40 pop (''Girl, You Blew a Good Thing), and even some modest progressive moves (What's the Matter with Loving You''). Unfortunately, there wasn't anything particularly impressive, or original here. They may have been great in concert, but on the debut they were simply professional. Elsewhere, in support of the album Epic released two singles:
- 1978's 'Heartbreaker' b/w 'She's No Good' (Epic catalog number 8-50056)
- 1978's 'Quite Like You' b/w 'Girl You Blew a Good Thing' (Epic catalog number 8-500xx)
"Nantucket" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Heartbreaker (Tommy Redd) - 3:53
2.) Never Gonna Take Your Lies (Tommy Redd) - 3:49
3.) Real Romance (Tommy Redd) - 4:08
4.) She's No Good (Tommy Redd) - 3:36
5.) Born In a Honky Tonk (Tommy Redd) - 3:21
(side
2)
1.) It's Getting Harder (Tommy Redd) - 3:33
2.) Girl, You Blew a Good Thing (Tommy Redd) - 3:29
3.) Spring Fever (Tommy Redd) - 4:44
4.) Quite Like You (Tommy Redd) -2 :28
5.) What's the Matter with Loving You (Tommy Redd) - 3:24