Stingray: Joe Cocker

If Jamaica say you will wasn't quite as good as I can Stand a Little Rain it was because at times Cocker presented more polished versions of the successful formulae of the earlier record. Stingray suffers from the same complaint, and although there are changes (no musicians achieve solo status and apart from one sax break there is no brass) the music still falls roughly into Cocker's two main styles: simple haunting melodies and driving rock numbers.

There are no outstanding songs, and possibly because of the very smooth production none of the musicians every really stretch themselves. The usual build-up to an intense repetitive chorus/fade has been restrained in such a way as to rob Cocker of a lot of his power. He is always confidently on top of his music, but never has to strive very hard to get there. In only two tracks (The Jealous Kind' and 'Moon Dew') does he approach top form. The occasional moments of excellence (eg Sam Rivers' soprano sax in 'The Jealous Kind' and Eric Gale's jazz guitar intro. to 'Catfish') barely even highlight the unassuming competency of the rest of the record.

There is female backing on only one track on Side One, and on all but one Side Two. But in spite of this they do not differ much. Richard Tee's organ, good as it is, contributes to this overall similarity by its continual presence. He has the grace, but lacks the flair.

The result is that there are no surprises, and nothing that even comes close to the beauty of The Moon is a Harsh Mistress' or the enrgy of 'Put Out the Light'.

Albert Lee plays an uncharacteristically restrained guitar on 'You Came Along', and Clapton is in his typically simple style for 'Worrier'. Dylan's The Man in Me' is pleasant reggae number. Even the playing of jazz-oriented session men Cornell Dupree, Eric Gale and Steve Gadd belies the very middling Cocker-rock style which prevails. It's not just easy listening because the music is there to get into, but unless [unclear: you] make a conscious effort Stingray reamins just that.

Cocker has done much better. This record does little more than evince that he can do so again.

—Simon Wilson

Fly Like an Eagle: Steve Miller Band

Steve Miller's a superior rip-off artist in that he only rips himself off; it's always been his style and it's beautiful. For example, notice similarities between the opening of the title track and "My Dark Hour", "Rock 'n me" and the "Joker's" "Mary Lou", and reflections of "Journey from Eden" and "Children of the Future" in "Blue Odyssey/Sweet Maree". One's always conscious of Miller's identity in the way he weaves his familiar licks into new shapes for the 'new age'. Miller fits into a niche of history along with Quicksilver, the Dead... and separately as the 'straightest' blues band of the lot. His is a wash of space music, his own blues, country humour (John Mcfee's dobro picking on "Dance, dance, dance" surely evokes a smile), and, above all, feel good music.

A space intro leads into "Fly like an eagle" with Miller's abstract lyrics: 'Time keeps on slipping into the future....feed the babies...house the street people...oh, there's a solution". Cross rhythms and special effects are strongly to his advantage as are the Miller-blues on "Mercury Blues" and the appealing vocal lines in "Wild Mountain Honey" and "Serenade": "We're lost in space, the time is gone and the earth is your home".

Side two opens with 'Take the money and run" - 'this here's a story 'bout Billy Joe and Bobby Sue, two young lovers with nothing better to do' than re-enact Bonnie and Clyde's scene. Sam Cooke's "You Send Me" can't help but bring back memories to the days of Boz Scaggs/Miller teamwork as a fine pair of guitarists, each with a unique voice (i.e. "Sailor"). But nothing's lacking in either respect here; Miller can croon as well as Boz in Cooke's ode to a young modern maiden. "Blue Odyssey" and "Sweet Maree" bring out the Blues from the Steve Miller Band again with a blend of James Cotton's harp and Miller's acoustic guitar. This is feelgood music-soft licks floating above head level. "The Window" is peculiarly memorable for its mixing (guest stars in abundance) and vocals -"Ask my baby what she wants to be, she says a monkey swinging in a tree. Ask my baby what she's thinking of, says there's nothing stronger than love". Just look through the window for peace, harmony and love; sure, we've heard it before, but not like this.

"Fly Like An Eagle", Miller's ninth album, is as good a place to start as the first and notable "Children of the Future". He's one of the musicians it would be a great pity for anyone to miss. And he's a musician in every sense of the termartistically, critically, lyrically and hangtogetherly. If you've never heard of Steve Miller and his cohorts, listen to this album with a fresh mind as a well-deserved change from trends in music; and if you're lucky enough to know Miller well, then this is a Ninth Symphony.

- Katy Corner

A Night on the Town: Rod Stewart

This latest album from Rod Stewart is, like his previous releases, a collection of both artists material and his own original compositions. Side one is appropriately labelled the 'slow' side and comprises two love songs: "Tonight's the Night" and "Fool for You" an old Cat Stevens [unclear: song;g;] 'The First Cut is the Deepest" and finishes with 'The Killing of Georgie" a ballad describing the misfortunes a young gay encounters when he goes to New York city.

Side two opens with 'The Ball Trap" which is fairly lewd in comparison with "Pretty Flamingo" which follows it. The next two tracks, "Big Bayou" and "The Wild Side of Life" are both new versions of old country-rock songs and the album ends with "Trade Winds", a slow moan about what are now fairly standard problems.

Competent backing is provided throughout by the Garage Band which makes good use of a strings and brass section to complement the vocals.

In general it is a good album, which although lacking the brilliance of some of his past successes provides good value all the same. If internally assessed it would get a B1.

Boris