Archival Buffalo News feature articles

  Despite my pessimistic purview, a pretty potent Top 10.   Dec. 27, 1975 A Throw-Away Time for Pop Discs   TO GET THE PICTURE of the excitement in 1975’s pop records, imagine a single flash of heat lightning over an endless sea of churning commercial mediocrity.           With that, let’s bid a hearty good riddance to what’s been pretty much a throw-away year. No deposit, no return.           The flash, of course, was Bruce Springsteen. His energetic and skillful renderings of inflated early ‘60s sensibilities were enough to raise visions of a new messiah on the covers of two leading news magazines.           But beyond Springsteen’s borrowed inspirations, the pickings got pretty slim. To paraphrase one of the folks on this list, everybody was making hay or else expecting rain. * * * THE WINNING track was tried and true ...

  High concept from one of Buffalo ’s most creative bands. Jan. 24, 1976 Pegasus – Music, Theater, Visual Allegory   FROM THE NECK DOWN , he strikes the figure of your average, well-meaning everyman, just trying to cope with the ups and downs of teenage life. But above his sport coat, shirt and tie … well, that’s another matter.           He’s the Alien and his troglodyte-headed form dominates a rock opera, “Alienation,” which moves across two stages and a projection screen every Thursday night at McVan’s, Niagara and Hertel.           “We’re all aliens, really,” says Mark Deane Freeland, singer for the group Pegasus and the guy behind the Alien’s mask.           “When you’re growing up,” he says, “it’s like everybody’s from a different planet. It’s like so much has happened to Steve over there that hasn’t happened to me. Your own ...

  Say Hallelujah! Oct. 18, 1975 Lord’s Marionettes Give Testament in Song   FOR EACH CAR OUTSIDE Gary and Barbara Becker’s West Seneca home, at least half a dozen bumper stickers rejoice in The Word. Faith Is The Victory. Praise The Lord. What The World Needs Now Is Jesus.             This is the rallying point for The Lord’s Marionettes, whose 13 members are a Gospel singing group and a spiritual community as well.           “Whatever is standing as an obstacle, Lord, please wash it away,” Gary prays to start the Wednesday evening practice. Gary , the oldest of the group, is its spiritual adviser.           His words strike great excitement in the singers circled around several microphones in the middle of the living room, holding hands.           They respond with a chorus of...

  One of Buffalo ’s leading recording studios, just as it was getting started.   Aug. 23, 1975   What’s That in the Basement? A Recording Studio, Naturally   MAYBE IT’S A SIGN of these electronic times. Where there used to be basement rock bands echoing decibels off the plumbing, now there’s guys with recording studios, soaking up the sound with acoustic tile and putting what’s left on tape.           Select Sound Studio, a compact subterranean operation north of Buffalo , fits the form.           The tapes Bill Kothen has taken of the house band – Topaz – are exceptionally clean and well-defined. And out on the front lawn you can’t hear a thing.           Engineer Kothen’s story pretty much tells how such things come to pass:           “I had some equalizers and mixers ups...

  Every once in a while, an imaginary friend dropped into my record reviews. Any resemblance to rock radio deejay Jim Santella is strictly coincidental.   Aug. 30, 1975   What’s Happening in the World of Music?   ALL SUMMER I’D BEEN DIALING up Jethro T. Megahertz to see if the old music biz philosopher could make sense out of the record scene, but all I’d get was his answering service.           They said he’d been keeping odd hours of late. He never called back.           Curiosity finally led me to stake out the wizened curmudgeon’s home base one hot August night. It was about 5 a.m. and I’d lapsed into a sweaty doze when a rhythmic shuffle of footsteps brought me abruptly to my senses. * * * “MEGAHERTZ , is that you?” I wasn’t so sure. In place of his trademark – the cowboy Stetson – was a floppy patchwork cap. The jeans had become tailored beige satin. The boo...

  On my personal list of all-time best concerts, this one is up around the top.   Dec. 18, 1975   Springsteen Springs Rock ‘n Roll Big Beat   Phil Spector’s Christmas album, that mating of holiday spirit with da-doo-ron-ron, booms out Wednesday night to a near-capacity Kleinhans Music Hall crowd that mostly was in grade school when Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans first translated “Here Comes Santa Claus” in the early ‘60s.           It’s not nostalgia that’s got these kids yelling for “Rosalita.” They’re too young to remember Roy Orbison and all the rest.           And it’s not the Time and Newsweek cover stories and all the type that gets them cheering for two lengthy encores. It’s a genuine case of old-time rock ‘n roll madness, renewed in Bruce Springsteen.           “Greetings From Ocean City, N.J.,” a sheet hung...

  By 1975, I was starting to get offers to do phone interviews with recording artists. As a Moody Blues fan, I jumped at this one.   Dec. 13, 1975 Graeme Sees an Edge in Rock             “After all these years as a minor deity,” says Graeme Edge, burly, bearded drummer for the Moody Blues, “I want to get back to playin’ rock ‘n roll.”           Edge’s urge to rock makes his “Kick Off Your Muddy Boots” the first independent effort from the currently disbanded Moodies that’s truly independent.           He intends to follow it up with another album and a tour, he says from New York City , where he’s winding up a promotional swing through the U.S.           “This was the first time I’ve done any producing,” he reflects. “I never did any with the Moodies. They were such a self-contained ...