I have commented on Detectives debut album elsewhere on this blog, check that for biographical detail.
This album, their second (and last) was release only six months after their debut. They were touring (heavily apparently) with Kiss and (apparently) there were some punters who thought they were Led Zeppelin incognito, so, perhaps, they wanted to ride on that momentum.
Incognito?
I’m not sure how that works … given you could see what they looked like on tour, hence the “apparently”.
Also, interestingly, some punters on-line have suggested that they were better than Kiss on stage.
Whatever, that is wholly subjective, value laden and highly susceptible to conscious bias.
More clear, it seems that this album came out to capitalise on the touring and it is more of the debut.
And it is more of the same.
Blues tinged arena hard rock.
As I said before, “Arena rock had its roots in the late 60s hard rock but became a sound unto itself when elements of prog rock were added in the 70s and the rough edges were smoothed out for wider commercial exposure. The music was loud, slick and radio friendly. Perfect for driving to. FM radio picked up on it and flogged it creating a market for itself and the bands. The albums were a mix of hard rock songs and sweeping (usually over the top) power ballads”. http://whatfrankislisteningto.negstar.com/arena-rock/detective-detective-swan-song-1977/
And, like I said in relation to the debut, “These guys were the "new dinosaurs" of rock. Steadfast, and dominant, in a landscape that was changing”. http://whatfrankislisteningto.negstar.com/arena-rock/detective-detective-swan-song-1977/
That is still the case and perhaps it is a little worse, or better, depending on where you are standing.
All of the songs are over four minutes in length. Long songs I don’t have a problem with but songs that are between four and five minutes throw up “warning” signs for me. They are neither here nor there. And here we have a whole album of neither here nor there songs.
The songs aren’t short or sharp enough, or long in a groove enough to be interestingly.
Yes, yes, there are a couple exceptions.
Generally though, the album is a little smoke and a lot of mirrors as the band reference the popular styles of the day. They may have the DNA and the chops but it is all a bit too late in the musical timeline and a bit too long in the tooth.
But, as I said there is always a good song that creeps out.
And, you can’t fault a band for dedicating the album to Elvis (he had died in August 1977) but they should have thrown in an Elvis cover.
There is a lot of Rod Stewart in Michael Des Barres vocal swagger (Stewart was riding high in the charts) and there is some good riffing and soloing from guitarist Michael Monarch, good hard rock playing from bassist Bobby Pickett and drummer Jon Hyde … all from the Led Zeppelin song book, on whose label this appeared.
It is standard bluesy hard rock but the band show they have more with some prog rock asides, (keyboardist Tony Kaye was from Yes), jazzy gracenotes and some funky bass.
What it does have over the first album is hard rock in overdrive. The first album was perhaps a little soft whereas this is full on. That doesn’t make this album better, necessarily, just more single minded.
Check out my other comments for biographical detail on the band.
Tracks (best in italics)
Side One
- Help Me Up – (Jon Hyde) – very much like the Rod Stewart and very catchy in its own right.
- Competition – (Michael Des Barres, Pamela Des Barres, Michael Monarch, Tony Kaye) – like the Faces doing "Physical Graffiti"
- Are You Talkin' To Me?- (Michael Des Barres, Michael Monarch) – I hope not because I don't want to respond.
- Dynamite – (Monarch, Hyde) – "Physical Graffiti" with a touch of Ike and Tina Turner sass.
- Something Beautiful – (M. Des Barres) – a bit of prog artiness and a lot of boredom.
Side Two
- Warm Love – (Monarch, Hyde) – a good hard rock ballad.
- Betcha Won't Dance – (M. Des Barres, Bobby Pickett) – a good rocker
- Fever – (Monarch, Pickett, Hyde) – a lot of wankery going on here.
- Tear Jerker – (Monarch, Kaye, Hyde) – very, very familiar.
And …
Lots of studied swagger, though ultimately a little of this swagger goes a long way. This is a dull … I'm selling it.
Chart Action
Nothing no where
Sounds
Help Me Up
mp3 attached
Competition
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rrxhinhc_T4
Are You Talkin' To Me?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRXN_JDAnJ0
Dynamite
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVXjJ6mVKLY
Something Beautiful
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_4ictDGnRY
Warm Love
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTBJQElIchI
Betcha Won't Dance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqJ0eIdL_AA
Fever
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJdDVVSyIPw
Tear Jerker
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8ivUKLFU1g
Others
—
Review
https://www.allmusic.com/album/it-takes-one-to-know-one-mw0000324133
https://www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=19373
Bio
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detective_(band)
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/detective-mn0000244088
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Des_Barres
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Monarch
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Kaye_(musician)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Hyde
interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPcLG-_LTgM
Website
Trivia
- Detective even made an appearance on mainstream television on the popular US TV show, WKRP in Cincinnati (1978) as "Scum Of The Earth", a sort of US mainstream vision of a punk rock group. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rI_oECaA7Nw
- Michael des Barres replaced Robert Palmer in the band Power Station and turned to acting the US. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0220735/
RIP: Spencer P Jones (1956 – 2018)
