Few days ago we featured ‘The Complete Blue Sky Albums 1976-1978 [HNE 5-CD Box Set remastered]’, including all the LP’s from Rick Derringer’s own band DERRINGER. Among these there’s their 2nd album ”Sweet Evil” (1977), which is the more ‘commercial & catchy’ and sports a bigger production (Jack Douglas of Aerosmith / Cheap Trick is behind the boards).
Well, the LP has been remastered by Rock Candy specialists too, and some of you asked for their version. As we never featured ”Sweet Evil [Rock Candy remastered & Reloaded]” before, here you have it to compare – and complete your Rock Candy collection as well.
During the mid-Seventies American hard rock had reached its zenith with acts like Aerosmith, Montrose and Ted Nugent ruling the roost and setting standards for years to come. Among those lynch pins were a number of up and comers all eager to capture a slice of the action and DERRINGER were one of the very best.
Fitting right into the period the band focused on lean and mean riffs, punchy production and wide screen songs blessed with heavy and dark overtones.
Formed by teenage protégée Rick Derringer who had scored a huge hit, ‘Hang On Sloopy’ , in the 1960s with his band the McCoys and later going on to play with Edgar and Johnny Winter, Rick’s star was certainly in the ascendance when he decided to form this uncompromising hard rock band. Enlisting second guitarist Danny Johnson, and now legendary bassist Kenny Aaronson and drummer Vinny Appice, the band quickly established themselves as contenders with a solid debut album, but it was their second record, the wonderfully titled ”Sweet Evil”, that really put the cat among the pigeons.
”Sweet Evil” features cool songwriting, a kickin’ vibe, and Jack Douglas’ production work is dead on. Johnson, along with Rick lay down hot licks and leads throughout the LP, while young Vinnie Appice pounds the skins relentlessly, with Aaronson holding down the bottom end on bass.
Thr leads off with the most commercial cut from the set, the melodic “Don’t Stop Lovin’ Me”, and since there the quartet rip on the remaining tracks. The metallic “Sittin’ By The Pool”, which features a hot call ‘n’ response intro and bold rock star lyrics, plus “Let’s Make It”, are the heaviest tracks from the release.
Other highlights include the rocking “Keep On Makin’ Love” (the cousin of Aerosmith’s funk ‘n’ rollin’ “Last Child”) which is primed with killer slide guitar from diminutive Ricky D, the bluesy “One Eyed Jack”, and the mysterious slow moving, yet heavy title cut which begins as a semi-ballad but turns into the album’s most energetic track half way through.
The album closes in fitting form with “I Didn’t Ask To Be Born”.
Released in a time when punk and new wave were consuming musical attention, ”Sweet Evil” is an under-rated recording from Derringer during the dazed ‘n’ confused ’70s. An album loaded down with warm summer night Camaro cruisin’ rock ‘n’ roll.
Are you a Classic Rock fan? A 70’s Hard Rocker / heavy funk-bluesy aficionado? Check it out, and don’t listen to what the negative critics might have said about this LP, such as DERRINGER’s ”Sweet Evil” being a second-hand Aerosmith. They’re all wrong.
This rock candy remaster is very good, with nice harmonics in the vinyl LP style.
Highly Recommended
01 – Don’t Stop Loving Me
02 – Sittin’ By the Pool
03 – Keep On Makin’ Love
04 – One Eyed Jack
05 – Let’s Make It
06 – Sweet Evil
07 – Drivin’ Sideways
08 – I Didn’t Ask to Be Born
Rick Derringer – vocals, guitar
Kenny Aaronson – bass
Vinny Appice – drums
Danny Johnson – guitar
DERRINGER – Sweet Evil [Rock Candy Remastered & Reloaded] 2013
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