You know an album is destined for the cut-out bin—and “The I-Own-Every-Record-You’d-Never-Buy” CD Consumer’s Guide—when it's originally limited to German-only distribution. Such was the fate of Megaton, first released in 1970 on Decca Records. Copies of the lp eventually found their way to England, but even the Brits couldn’t save this 10-track collection of melodic hard rock from plunging to the depths of musical obscurity. The brainchild of Les Humphries (he of the Les Humphries Singers), Megaton was a mysterious one-off studio project designed to capitalize on the heavy metal movement of the early ‘70s (remarkably, the lead singer's identity remains unknown to this day). The record, home to one of the decade's more memorable pieces of cover art, is overflowing with an impressive mix of thunderous riffs and fiery guitar solos. “Out of Your Own Little World,” “Wanna Be a Hero” and “Coo Cooki Choo” are stylish, metal-based numbers, while “Life Was Easy Yesterday” reveals a more pop-oriented, commercial approach to the band’s overall sound. There are a couple of missteps. “Niagara” is a blatant rip-off of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love,” while “Man in an Aeroplane” is about as odd as its title suggests. All in all, though, Megaton, a rock rarity of the highest order, is worth a spot in any collection of '70s-era hard rock.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Megaton
You know an album is destined for the cut-out bin—and “The I-Own-Every-Record-You’d-Never-Buy” CD Consumer’s Guide—when it's originally limited to German-only distribution. Such was the fate of Megaton, first released in 1970 on Decca Records. Copies of the lp eventually found their way to England, but even the Brits couldn’t save this 10-track collection of melodic hard rock from plunging to the depths of musical obscurity. The brainchild of Les Humphries (he of the Les Humphries Singers), Megaton was a mysterious one-off studio project designed to capitalize on the heavy metal movement of the early ‘70s (remarkably, the lead singer's identity remains unknown to this day). The record, home to one of the decade's more memorable pieces of cover art, is overflowing with an impressive mix of thunderous riffs and fiery guitar solos. “Out of Your Own Little World,” “Wanna Be a Hero” and “Coo Cooki Choo” are stylish, metal-based numbers, while “Life Was Easy Yesterday” reveals a more pop-oriented, commercial approach to the band’s overall sound. There are a couple of missteps. “Niagara” is a blatant rip-off of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love,” while “Man in an Aeroplane” is about as odd as its title suggests. All in all, though, Megaton, a rock rarity of the highest order, is worth a spot in any collection of '70s-era hard rock.
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