Looking Glass

by Joe Viglione The eight songs are evenly distributed between singer/guitarist Elliot Lurie and bassist/vocalist Piet Sweval, but Lurie wins the prize, as "Brandy" is one of those timeless and very special number one hits that come from out of the blue and make their mark. This one launched in the summer of 1972, and the New Jersey answer to the Beach Boys' '60s work could have led to an entire industry à la Brian Wilson's crew had they only had that concept in mind. The problem with the self-titled debut album is that it goes nowhere, much like the Arif Mardin-produced follow-up, Subway Serenade, in 1973, which had the "Brandy" clone song "Jimmy Loves Mary-Anne," itself a Top 40 hit, but in the lower regions of the Top 40, and a last gasp instead of new life. The credits list the brilliant Larry Fallon as horn and string arranger, but Fallon claims that he is the actual uncredited producer. Perhaps he felt his contributions lifted the band out of the realm of the mundane, and he would have a point. It's the additions of his horns, even on "Don't It Make You Feel Good," which give the proceedings a touch of something extra. Bob Lifton is credited as "audio consultant" and co-producer with the band, while the Toys' co-producer, Sandy Linzer, is thanked as a "guardian." The album is as complete as the 31 exact minutes it clocks in at -- able to be heard in the time one could watch a half-hour situation comedy on television. The back cover has the equipment in the studio shot Atlantic utilized when they had no Velvet Underground to photograph on the Loaded album, while the front has the four men, three with beard and moustache, looking pretty out of place. That's the frustration with this recording. Nothing comes close to the heights of "Brandy," James Giampa's congas on the hit not found anywhere else on the disc. What was needed was some strong outside material to capitalize on the success of the single and a band who needed to understand why they were successful. Lurie's deadpan vocal doesn't fit the Poco style of "Golden Rainbow," and outside of their attempt to rewrite the original hit, everything on this sounds like a "B" side. Get the hit single and you won't have to suffer through "From Stanton Station" or "One by One." Brian Wilson they were not.