COUNT ON DRACULA

This one is a pretty good hard rock album in the vein of Deep Purple (around "Burn") by them. I still prefer it to "Deal Done at Night" though not really anything interesting in terms of prog here. Typical for the year of release there are as well some of those inevitable disco/funk rhythms present which I use to dislike actually. Nevertheless an enjoyable listen after a rest in the shelf for a couple of years when I've got need for something nice and easy.

I'll round up my 2,5 to 3 stars!

The title track opens the (wet) fire. Sub-par hard to heavy rock song. I have never been over enthusiast over this band and I'm afraid that "Count On Dracula" is not really the type of album which will overwhelm myself with joy and musical (whatever else?) pleasure.

"The Rescue" and its electro beat has also little to offer. Almost seven minutes of the same (boring) stuff. Press nextT. I don't know if they chose the title of the next song on purpose, but "Sad Fan" is a great illustration of what a fan of the early days might feel when listening to this funky/heavy tune. Prog is not anyway near on this album; but during "Sad Fan", it is thousands miles away.

And the worse is still to come. One doesn't need to wait for long. The following soul/funky "Pick On Me" is truly awful. Only one option at this stage.If ever you would like to listen to how the band sounds while playing some reggae, "Caterpillar" is recommended. But frankly, it is very poor again.

The whole album is just a waste of time to listen to. Only some very good guitar notes save a very weak "Limelight". Vaguely "Santana" oriented. But not the great "Santana" of the debut, unfortunately.

Some good and heavy organ (à la Hensley) also comes at the rescue during "Witchhunters". One good minute, finally.

This album is not a good one, not even average. Mostly funky it really features very little quality tracks. I can't really think of something else than one star to rate it.

3.5 stars

I don't know why people dislike this album. Sure maybe it's not their best effort but definitely worth of attention and not bringing shame on band. If all songs were as good as title track I'd give this album probably 5 but without more great ideas band served some good and some average tracks. Anyway this first tune is almost Black Sabbath like but the chorus is very catchy. Repeating that 'count on the count' is very funny play on words. The Rescue is abother hard rock song with good riff and strange keyboard sounds in the background. BTW keyboards don't play main role on the whole release. It's not Hoodoo Man. Sad Fan is lighter than previous two tracks and the rhythm section is a bit reggae - like. Not bad but not a highlight. Pick On Me in rthytm section is almost like 70's disco but fortunatelly it's a bit heavier than Bee Gees. Caterpillar again reggae tempo but this time it's more melodic than Sad Fan. I like this tune. It could be a hit if Birth Control were hits band. Limelight - more keyboards while Witchhunters more hard rockish. Well not bad. Maybe it's not such good as Hoodoo Man but who expected another HM from the band in late 70's? Songs 1,2, 7 are strongest moments on this release to me. The rest aren't bad, some are pretty average like Pick On Me but I think this album is good enough to give it a chance.

I'm really surprised to see how unwelcome this album seems to be here. Why? Why? I ask as I shake my fists at the heavens and try to remember that there really is no place like home. But really such a low rating for Count on Dracula? I don't understand, but I do have a theory, and that is that very few people actually do the one thing that is required for a pure love bond with this record to occur: I can only assume the average listener doesn't REALLY *trust* the count. I suppose to make such an incredibly assumptive and arrogant statement like this means I must back it up, so I guess I will do that now.

Bullet Point One: This album is given most of it's incredibly heavy weight through the inclusion of three songs. These three songs of heaviness are:

1. Count on Dracula 2. The Rescue (Sometime in the Future) 3. Caterpillar

From the opening moment, the snarling organ, the awesome mixture of hard rock and funk, the absolutely bizarre lyrics that assure you that Bern really does trust the count, all the way through to the very end, this song just plain rocks. And maybe the plainness is what turns off many, I don't know, but I like the rocking rollicking quality of the song and the great vocals. A good opener that will soon be surpassed by probably the best song on the record...

And so the rescue went according to plan/ safe and sound safe and sound....The world is about to be blown up and someone somewhere is doing something to help someone get off it (maybe Ford and Arthur?) but it is a great tune, an excellent rocky almost danceable number that usually shakes my groove thing whether I want it to or not. It is true that the next couple songs are a little less exciting, but are they really? That, my friends, is not for my silly little self to decide because they do all rock nicely, groove ferociously and seem to be pretty wonderful in their own special way. "Pick on Me" was actually the single from the album and that they chose it as their single instead of either "The Rescue" or the (I'm about to talk about and gush all over) wonderful and quite gorgeous in its own way "Caterpillar" is a mystery to me and makes me think that Birth Control's lack of popularity had more to do with bad planning than any lack in the band itself! Because, whoa, what a song "Catepillar" is. Awesome lyrics, great music, a super fantastic better than anything Phil Collins ever made kind of song, that makes people who have never actually thought start smoking (from the ears) and people who have thought too much want to lay down on the ground and hurl donuts at the feet of the Virgin. Or that's what it would be like for me if I ever thought or didn't think.

The last two songs are rather nice if not the epic quality of the three I mentioned earlier. Plus, I mean, really it does have THAT cover...and nothing else really matters.