THE LAW; "The Law" (Atlantic). * * 1/2
LYNARD SKYNARD 1991; "Lynard Skynard 1991" (Atlantic). ***JOE WALSH; "Ordinary Average Guy" (Epic-Associated).*
MIKE + THE MECHANICS; "Word of Mouth" (Atlantic). *
It seems a lot of old rockers are running on Energizer batteries these days - they just keep going and going and going.
Granted, there aren't as many old-timers thumping the drums today as there were a couple years back when a virtual army of '60s and '70s rockers made a frontal assault on the charts. But those that remain are persistent, and few can argue with the ongoing success of "old" rockers like Rod Stewart, Bonnie Raitt, Van Halen and even Alice Cooper.
Add a few other names to the list trying to recapture past glories:
Robert Plant and Roger Daltry may have defined the prototypical rock vocalist, but it could be argued that few since have perfected it like Paul Rodgers, the one-time front man for Free, Bad Company and The Firm (with Led Zeppelin great Jimmy Page).
Now Rodgers is back with The Law, this time teaming with Kenney Jones, an original member of Small Faces and a later addition to The Who (after the untimely death of Keith Moon).
The result is "The Law," a collection of rockers dripping with bluesy guitars, Bad Company-ish bass rhythms and Rodgers' trademark vocals. Despite the fact that most of the 11 tracks are radio friendly, "The Law" has been unjustly ignored, even by rock radio stations. The exception is the "Laying Down the Law" single, which is one of the weaker cuts on the album.
Try out the frenetic pace of "Nature of the Beast" or the rough-edged "Best of My Love" (not to be confused with the Eagles' tune by the same name) and you can't help but draw comparisons to the best blues-rockers of years past. While not a "great" album, it's a far sight better than most fodder on the market.
OK, OK. Everyone knows Lynryd Skynyrd died when vocalist Ronnie Van Zant and guitarist Steve Gaines died in a fiery plane crash in a Mississippi swamp on Oct. 20, 1977.
So who are these guys parading around 14 years later as Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991 and pushing a new album? And how come they sound so much like the real Lynyrd Skynyrd?
Probably because they are Lynyrd Skynyrd. Most folks never stopped to realize that most of that quintessential southern rock band did not die in that plane crash, either because they were not part of the 1977 makeup of Lynyrd Skynyrd, or because they survived the crash.
The 1991 line-up features founding guitarist Gary Rossington, keyboardist Billy Powell, who joined in 1971; bassists Leon Wilkeson and Ed King, who signed on in 1972; and drummer Artimus Pyle, who signed on in 1975.
Appropriately, the lead vocalist is Johnny Van Zant, the younger brother of the late Ronnie Van Zant. Hauntingly enough, Johnny's whiskey-edged vocal style is the spittin' image of his dead brother.
While the deaths of Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines remain a tragic footnote, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the band, lives on.
This isn't the first go-round for the reconstituted Lynyrd Skynyrd. A 1987 "tribute" tour was an unqualified and unpredictable success, prompting more tours in 1988 and 1989. However, the 1991 release marks the first album of new studio material.
And it's a good one, offering up a delicious menu of Southern-fried rockers that are tried-and-true to the Lynyrd Skynyrd tradition. Throw in a few nice ballads and "1991" is a winner.
The album's first single is "Smokestack Lightning," an enjoyable going-out-to-party tune. But the best of the lot include the delightful "Southern Women," the sure-fire hit "Pure and Simple" and the world-weary "I've Seen Enough." Throw in tunes like "Backstreet Crawler" and "Money Man" and you've got one of the most pleasantly surprising albums in years.
Joe Walsh, he of ex-Eagle and ex-James Gang fame, has made it abundantly clear in press interviews: He doesn't need and doesn't want another hit record. Good news, Joe. You're not going to get it with "Ordinary Average Guy."
Sure, the title track has received moderate airplay on rock radio stations. But as a whole, the album is another in a growing list of tepid offerings by someone who used to be one of the premier rock guitarists in the business.
It's better than "Got Any Gum?" and "You Bought It, You Name It," but not much. And as a diehard fan, my patience is just about gone.
Even the exceptional production talents of Joe Vitale won't rescue this record from the ordinary average discount bins.
Another disappointment comes from Mike Rutherford (of Genesis), who after two hit albums with Mike + the Mechanics seems to have finally developed a knock in the engines with his third, entitled "Word of Mouth."
Rutherford has justifiably defied conventional wisdom that it was Phil Collins exclusively behind the success of Genesis by putting out some great solo material of his own and a surprising number of hit singles.
But his third attempt is not only simplistic and uncreative, it is downright boring.
Like the others, the Mechanics include Paul Carrack on vocals and keyboards, Paul Young on vocals, Peter Van Hooke on drums and Adrian Lee on keyboards. Rutherford holds down guitar and vocal duties.
"Word of Mouth" seems inexplicably floating just out of reach of the pop mainstream and a long ways from the the art-rock of Rutherford's youth. The result is a collection of 10 tunes that are uninspiring.
There are worse comparisons that could be made. Hey, Mike. Maybe it's time for a tuneup.