Rating: **** (4 stars)
Title: Testing
Company: Dominion
Catalog: NR 7360
Year: 1975
Grade (cover/record): G+/VG+
Comments: top and bottom seams largely split; original pressing - not one of the 400 Void reissues; LP plays great
Available: 1
GEMM catalog number:
Price: $275.00
There are literally thousands of bands out their with stories similar to Bluefield, West Virginia's The Sweet Toothe. You've heard the plotline before - group of buddies record an album for a small private label which pressed a handful of instantly obscure copies; the band then enjoy fifteen minutes of pseudo-fame (in this case opening for a mid-'70s reunited Iron Butterfly), before vanishing into the mists of rock history. What makes these guys different (bassist Pierce Bratton, drummer Michael Chilco, lead guitarist Emerson Conley, singer Michael Hopkins and rhythm guitarist David Leedy), is the fact their sole album is really good.
Produced by Benny Quinn and Patrick Glossop, 1975's
"Testing" was
released by the small Nashville-based
Dominion Records. Interestingly, on those rare occasions it shows up
on sales lists, the LP is frequently billed as psychedelic. It isn't. Sure, there
are occasional psych touches, the most notable being the lyric to "All the Way Home", but the majority of the album
offers up more conventional hard rock structures. Propelled by Hopkins' attractive voice and Conley's nifty fuzz guitar, tracks such as "Karen", "Music's Gotta Stay", "You Know How To Love Me" and
"E.R." sport great melodies and a sense of enthusiasm that must have made these guys a great live act. Even their isolated stabs at country bar band material ("Wind and Water" and "Swamp Fox")
are likeable. Even more impressive, for a small private pressing, credit producers
Quinn and Glossop with giving the album a wonderful, deep and full sound. Played loud on a quality stereo system, this LP rocks !!! One of our all time favorite rarities.
"Testing" track listing:
1.) Karen
2.) Music's Gotta Stay
3.) Wind and Water
4.) Live In Concert
5.) You Know How To Love Me
6.) Just Loved Look
7.) In the Beginning
8.) E.R.
9.) All the Way Home
10.) Swamp Fox
The album's been booted and subjected to a legitimate 400 pressing run by the small Void label. Guitarist Emerson apparently remastered the tape for the reissue project. probably not a smart thing to tell you, particularly since we'd like to sell our original copy, but the reissue should run you about $25 - rather than our stiff, but reasonable asking price for the classic original.) In case you're impressed by stuff like this, the LP's listed in Hans Pokora's 1001 Record Collector Dreams.
Also, the band have a small website. Not much there, but perhaps worth a moment of
your time: http://maxpages.com/sweettoothe
Conley remained active in music, under the name 'Emerson' reappearing with a 1992 album on the small LGM label ("The Power of Love" catalog number 2222).