Flamin' Groovies
Flaming - Kama Sutra 1970 Comments:On The Flamin’ Groovies’ second album, the group had switched record company from the bigger Epic to the somewhat smaller Kama Sutra. The predecessor "Supersnazz" from 1969 had been an ambitious project with many expensive studio hours, which i.a. had resulted in a quite ”produced” sound that the group could not really recognize themselves in. When commercial success failed, it was logical move to return to a more basic stripped down sound. That's exactly what "Flamingo" is. There are not many extra frills, just the simple and energetic rock’n roll that had earned the group a solid following in their home state of California.
Apart from "Keep a Knockin '", the group's two songwriters, Roy Loney and Cyril Jordan, are responsible of the songwriting. Most of their songs are at this point quite traditional based on rock'n roll and rhythm'n blues, and there are only faint hints that they would develop towards a much more melodic and Beatles / Byrds inspired direction. Jordan, who is still active with the group, was later to co-write with Chris Wilson and many of the group's most appreciated songs; not least "Shake Some Action", were written by the two.
The strongest rocking contribution on "Flamingo" is "Sweet Roll Me on Down" - classic Flamin’ Groovies. On the ballad "She's Falling Apart", the group shows a very different side, the album's most complex track – a very nice chorus.
Another quite different song is "Childhood's End". A country number with acoustic guitars. A pretty nice melody, but also a song that may make you wonder whether it is a parody and a joke.
Summing up, this is not the group's best album, but it has good moments. The two subsequent albums "Teenage Head" and "Shake Some Action" are better places to start, if you want to get into the group and their music.
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