BGO
's 2004 release of
Derringer
's
Derringer/Sweet Evil
combines the first two albums by the diminutive axe-wielder
Rick Derringer
's eponymous band.
was released in 1976,
Sweet Evil
in 1977. Neither record made much of a splash and it is easy to see why. While the songs are borderline catchy, they are very simple (both in construction and production) and unadorned by little things like hooks and good vocals.
has a thin and not very expressive voice that can't really carry the day. His guitar solos are pretty run of the mill as well.
is the stronger of the two records, probably due in part to the presence of
Cynthia Weil
's (of the legendary
Mann
/
Weil
songwriting team) help in the songwriting department.
"Let Me In"
and
"You Can Have Me"
are strong straight-ahead rockers with one foot in the
glam rock
camp;
"Comes a Woman"
is a tough
ballad
that features some excellent guitar work. The only glaring misstep is the
disco
track,
"Envy,"
which shows how wide-ranging
's net was cast. It also shows that not everyone was suited to try his hand at it.
is a little more produced (
Jack Douglas
of
Cheap Trick
is behind the boards), but the songs aren't as strong. Tunes like
"Keep On Makin' Love"
"One-Eyed Jack"
are rudimentary and boring, and no amount of hot guitar soloing can save them. The record sounds like
Joe Walsh
outtakes and makes a good case for
sticking with a career as a sideman. Both records also show a distressing drop in quality from his previous two solo albums. ~ Tim Sendra