SCORCHING BEAUTY

Iron Butterfly

Proto-Prog

2.56 | 41 ratings

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Easy Livin
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin

I'm a gladda it's finished!

When Iron Butterfly broke up in 1971 after a brief but significant existence, it seemed the band was finished. In 1975 however, guitarist Eric Braunn and drummer Ron Bushy got a band together, using the Iron Butterfly name for obvious marketing reasons, and recorded two further albums for MCA records. "Scorching beauty" was the first of these albums.

Anyone looking for another "In-a-gadda-da-vida" will be sadly disappointed by this collection. The album contains nine 3-5 minute songs which, while reasonably diverse, are prosaic at best. The opening "1975 overture" is not particularly impressive musically, but the chanted vocals and Celtic influences misleadingly give the impression that the band is looking to explore interesting new territories. The second track, "Hard miseree" quickly dispels any such notions though, as the band rip off a HAWKWIND riff fronted by some dubious vocals. The track does benefit from some decent if all too brief organ.

After this, we settle down to a succession of songs which sound like THREE DOG NIGHT rejects. "Searchin' Circles" is an insipid ballad which sails rather too close to TDN's "Going in circles", and "People of the world" is a clear attempt at a finding a chart single ("Joy to the world"?).

The CROSBY STILLS AND NASH like "Pearly gates" is slightly more interesting with its alternating tempos, but the main relevance of this track is that it is co-written by a certain JON ANDERSON. Only the closing "Before you go" has any real appeal, and even then it is only once the vocal section has finished and the album plays out with a decent, HOT TUNA like guitar section.

A very lightweight offering for this once pioneering band, which sees two former members trying to exploit the name while desperately seeking a hit single.

Easy Livin | 2/5 | 2006-5-6

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