Medley: Yell Help / Wednesday Night / Ugly
Dan Dare Pilot Of The Future
Island Girl
Grow Some Funk Of Your Own
I Feel Like A Bullet In The Gun Of Robert Ford
Street Kids
Hard Luck Story
Feed Me
Billy Bones And The White Bird
Frogtoon Music Album Info: Rock Of The Westies
Published: 03 Mar 2014, 18:57
Less Than Four Months After Issuing The Landmark And Autobiographical Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy 1975 Elton John Re-Emerged With A New Band And A Slightly Modified Sound. However The Departure Of Dee Murray Bass And Nigel Olsson Drums Would Ultimately Begin A Deceleration In Terms Of John's Success Which Rivalled Only The Beatles' And Elvis Presley's In Terms Of Global Acclaim. The Revamped Band Grew To Include New Associates James Newton Howard Keyboards And Kenny Passarelli Bass As Well As Roger Pope Drums And Caleb Quaye Guitar Who Had Both Performed With John As Far Back As His First Long-Player Empty Sky 1968 . He Also Retained The Services Of Davey Johnstone Guitar And Ray Cooper Percussion From The Most Recent Lineup. Musically Rock Of The Westies 1975 Maintains The Balance Of Harder-Edged Material And Effective Ballads. In Fact One Of The Album's Strongest Suits Is The Wide Spectrum Of Strong Material. The Ballsy No-Nonsense "Street Kids" And The Aggressive Gringo Rock Of The ZZ Top Sound-Alike "Grown Some Funk Of Your Own" Contrast The Poignant Power Balladry Of "I Feel Like A Bullet In The Gun Of Robert Ford " Or The Dark And Brooding Tale Of Addiction On "Feed Me." Perhaps Inspired By The Crossover R&B Appeal Of "Philadelphia Freedom " The Up-Tempo "Island Girl" Bears A Distinct And Danceable Groove That Lies Somewhere Between A Slightly Jamaican Vibe And Disco. Perhaps More Soulful In The Traditional Sense Are The Boogie-Based "Hard Luck Story" Or Propulsive Bo Diddley Beat That Drives "Billy Bones And The White Bird." While The Increasingly Fickle Public As Well As Lack Of A Strong Follow-Up To The Chart-Topping Single "Island Girl" May Have Prevented Rock Of The Westies From Becoming The Heir Apparent To Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy In The Wake Of John's Flawless Predecessors It Remains A Strong And Worthwhile Entry That Also Sets The Stage For Its Follow-Up Blue Moves 1976 . ~ Lindsay Planer Rovi