Spiders From Mars

About

At least when Dino Danelli and Gene Cornish, rhythm section for the Rascal, made a respectable outing with Bulldog and the minor hit "No," they showed some semblance of musical vision. A rhythm section for David Bowie on one of the most classic rock albums of all time, "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders From Mar," should have known better. The obscurity of this album is probably for the best, keeping the Spiders legacy somewhat intact. "Fallen Star" sounds like a Bad Company outtake, and it is one of the stronger track, but Trevor Bolder's "Red Eyes" is painful, as is "Shine a Light," the composition by vocalist Pete McDonald and guitarist Dave Black. Bowie/Ronson they are not; Hunter/Ronson they are not. Bassist Trevor Bolder's "Prisoner" is actually pretty good, it works better than the post-Ian Hunter Mott albums like Shouting and Pointing. Problem with "Prisoner" is it is almost there -- it needed a singer who doesn't overdo it, which is exactly the problem with Mott. Replacing a David Bowie or an Ian Hunter is not that simple. That Bad Company went gold post-Paul Rodgers in 1991/1992 with Brian Howe is really amazing, because who remembers Brian Howe, and, more important, who remembers the songs he sang? Trevor Bolder and Pete McDonald co-write another Bad Company-style tune, "(I Don't Wanna Do No) Limbo," another song that is halfway there. Serious production is missing from this outing. A Tony Visconti or Bob Ezrin might've slapped these guys around and come up with a record worthy of the name Spiders From Mar. "Stranger to My Door" is very Bowie-esque with some "Changes"-style piano; it contains elements of the Guess Who's "Sour Suite" and works much better than "White Man Black Man," a cheap re-write of a Three Dog Night hit about racial harmony which preceded this album by a few year. When an artist cannot improve upon a theme, what is the point? This disc is a stretch. It is too bad David Bowie did not continue the Ziggy theme for a few more albums; sometimes his chameleon approach to his music cheats the fan. And maybe Woodmansey and Bolder deserved a better fate. They aren't the greatest musicians on the planet, but they did provide back-up to one of the legends; their performance in Boston in 1972 with Bowie and very few people in the audience was historic. M. Woodmansey's trite "Good Day America" is evidence why some drummers should not be allowed to write song. The guitar solo lacks the personality that Ronson or a Mick Ralphs put into the albums that matter. Randy Bachman's instrumental record, Axe, speaks volumes more than this attempt to reclaim former glory. Bolder's "Rainbow" is another song that starts fine and falls apart before you know it. "Can It Be For" is more pseudo-progressive wandering. There are elements of things that could've worked here, but musicians who have climbed the mountaintop should not fall this hard. An embarrassment. Credits Dave Black -- Guitar Trevor Bolder -- Bass Mike Garson -- Keyboards Peter Kelsey -- Engineer Dennis MacKay -- Producer Dennis McCay -- Producer Pete McDonald -- Vocals Alan Robinson -- Liner Notes Gerry Smith -- Engineer Becky Stewart -- Design Chris Welch -- Liner Notes Mick "Woody" Woodmansey -- Drums .

via Last.fm

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