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enjoyable record. It ’ s not going to become a loot has caked against my pants from " Lbe now- they ' ve degenerated to the point of
posh dr nteur hypev htp must, nor are Kaylan and Let Live " on Fofrrrr Changft Speaking «istained clashing irritation. Their only saving
and Volman going to become teenage idols (a of ha date the other night. Lee repeat ! the grace (?) b that they ’ re so garNed as to render
more visually unprepossessing duo. in fact, line in a somehow cheery, dirjeelikc chant over incomprehenuMe the lyrics ( which arc more
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would be hard to unearth Volman it, as a march beat: Oh what a dish/She smelled pompous than ever ), but the Airplane took
on the slipcover.
amply illustrated by the back cover, on the juit tike a fi\h. " care of that one by printing every last word
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rotund side, while Kaytan looks tike a Arthur l ee a very much involved in the -
dissipated Fmmctt Kelly in a gray fright wig), Sly Hendnv equation, which states that Mack But enough of the sunftghters the rest
but the LP will bring you good cheer, and rock V rollert working for the while mas * * of the band could traditionally be counted
there aren t all that many albums out tend to self • dcstruct. The proof of the on, in spite of all ( trace ' s and Paul ' s turgidity,
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to cook. No more. Immediately and detest-
nowadays you can say that about pudding here h the cover. Lee. head shaved,
Ken Barnes carrying broom and janitor ' * suit, slapping ably discemable is Jorma ' s unimaginative,
palm with himself, in Monde ung. carrying an tastelessly uncontrolled use of wah- wah.
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clectrk guitar, looking over hb shoulder. Lvidcntly he ’ s been playing the Moore so
Since the abrupt end of hi * mutual much lately that he ’ s forgotten how- to rock.
admiration society with Jimi Hendrix, So why is hb embarrassing display of musical
picture * like that mu t turn up with haunting exhaustion featured prominently while the
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frequency * in Lee * * mirror. The frequent beautiful and far from burnt- out fiddle of
Hendmismt, both musically and vocally, Papa John Creach is reduced to a single solo
which make up much of Ihu album, even that fades out nght ui the middle * '
though they are not Lee * * traditional forte, The pisvpoor production, done by the
are nevertheless part of the karma he ' got to Airplane themselves , also obscures the ex -
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work out A * he wails on " Busied Feet": cellent bass play ing of Jack Caudy. How ’ s the
" Think about the future. " < sounds like new drummer John Barbata? Impossible to
futility), " hut don ' t forget about the past. " tell (when he plays at aQ. which b on only
Right now. Arthur Lee i the unrecognised about half of the tracks), because he's
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Joe Loui of rock n ' roil, and Vindicator t an submerged in the pervasive, clattering mish-
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urgent, personal but entertaining work by a mash.
former champ sparring in run down gym , This idea of sacrificing individuality for
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building back confidence because somewhere group effort only works when every body b
along the line he » convinced himself he ' s over inspired. When nobody is , the band end up a
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the hill. This album isn ’ t quite vindication for soft dull sphere and the audience with a
Arthur Lee. but it's an important step definite preference for solo albums. The
VINDICATOR forward on the comeback trail members of the Airplane function separately
ARTHUR LEE Wayne Robins so much lately that it's no longer possible for
A&M them to work and produce together as a
collectively compact unit It just don t fuse
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Like Van Morrison, Arthur Lee has been at all anymore.
gifted with enormous catalytic power in his The only creative aspect of the whole
writing, the often innocent enunciation of a thing b the cover. By folding it a certain way
phrase capable of transforming the human you can get a real nifty stash box. Then
spud. While Van has successfully battled from there 's no place for the record. That ' s fuse,
darkness in search of sunshine, however. though. Mail it to Chccch and Chong -
Arthur Lee has continued to explore the dark Hot Scott Fisher and Drew Ford
side of the soul, as if the intxustion of light
would obstruct him from his task , which b to CORNELIUS BROTHERS
batter aw ?) at the punching hag in the ANO SISTER ROSE
Stillman ' s Gym of hi * psyche. UNITEO ARTISTS
Vindicator b a mad. desperate, articulate
album. Articulate not because Lee is at the
peak of hb poetry, because he often is not. Basically, there are two Cornelius Biothers
There are some ordinary riffs , and ordinary and Sister Rose (CBASR ) sounds. One is the
basic, upbeat piano sound layered with tight,
lines , as well as the flashes of scenic brilliance spiralling harmony, as in “Treat Her Like A
Arthur Lee followers revel in. The picture Lady. their 1971 summer hit. The other b
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presented asks more questions than it the smooth, nice V easy soul sound so
answers , Nevertheless, it 's the kind of honest popular m the summer of 72. what with the
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statement we keep looking for from people
who date to be making "honest statements. " LONG JOHN SILVER
If you asked Arthur Lee. he d probably tell JEFFERSON AIRPLANE m- «
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you half of it's a lie, and half of it don ' t GRUNT
matter. par n
There’s an overwhelming obsession with The fact that some groups pcisist tong
death on 1 ’lnJicator. with explicit lyrical after they ' ve passed their peak might seem
reference * in at least half the songs. like a credit to their stimina. but efforts like
"Everybody’s ( k>t To Live " ( * ' ' cause this to try and recapture their artistic past arc
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every body ' s gonna die. Lee sings ) is doses ! inevitable failures.
muucaOy to the medium paced Lee Love nff Where to begin? Well, for one thing , it ’ s
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uwd too infrequently since Four Sail It obvious that Marty Bilin * departure w-a * the
seem * less effective than the implicit agony of pnme factor in the Airplane ' s current vocal
Lee ’s vocal in "Busted Feet. ’ * or the Mack liabilities. Grace Slick ' s worn out vocal chords
humor that surfaces on several cuts. are more strained than ever. And if Paul
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Try the 56 second " Ol Morgue Mouth. " Kantner ever knew how to deliver a song m
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wIloH " eat anything that don t ' the first place, hb wientific- politico- rcligtoui
pretensions are enough to make you ap-
plate or movin ’ too fast. " It 's the
companion piece to "Hamburger Breath preciate David Peel. Grace and Paul ’ s vocal
Stinkfinger. " which features Arthur s most harmonising were alwa * just flat and ragged
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romantic (If less hnllian!) line since " Oh the enough to be a hair away from disaster; by
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