Genre: rock
Rating: *** (3 stars)
Title:  Tobacco Road
Company: A&M 
Catalog: SP-4300
Year: 1971
Country/State: US/UK
Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+
Comments: --
Available: 1
Catalog ID: 6388
Price: $15.00

In the wake of the band's breakup, A&M decided to squeeze a couple of extra bucks out of the American buying public, reissuing the 1968 debut "It's All About Spooky Tooth" as "Tobacco Road". Artistically there wasn't much point to it, but from a marketing standpoint it apparently made some sense given people were confused enough to propel it on to the American charts. It wasn't a gigantic seller, but managed to hit # 152.

- I'll readily admit that I've always thought Janis Ian's version of 'Society's Child' was one of the most irritating songs I've ever heard. Sure, the sentiments were in the right spot, but the song itself is cloying and hyper-sensitive. Pretty much what you'd expect from a then-17 year old. ANd then there's the Spooky Tooth version which in attempting to 'heavy-up' the track manages to make it even worse. Gary Wright's church organ introduction had potential, but then Wright shifted into hyper-emotive mode and double tracked his lead vocals with results that sounded like Alvin and the Chipmunks getting stoned on whippets. rating: ** stars
- Thankfully 'Love Really Changed Me' found the band returning to a more mainstream rock-oriented sound. Kicked along by a nice Luther Grosvenor guitar riff, the song had a bouncy, almost-pop flavored melody. Imagine mid-era Spencer Davis Group and you'd be in the right aural ballpark. grading: *** stars
- A mid-tempo, vaporous ballad, 'Here I Lived So Well' was pretty enough showcasing some of the band's sweetest, but never really got a great deal of energy going. In fact, I'd argue Greg Ridley's bass line was probably the standout part of the track. rating: *** stars
- Dylan wrote it; The Band made it famous ... Spooky Tooth's cover of 'Too Much of Nothing' was certainly enjoyable (always loved Grosvenor's banjo accompaniment), but nothing here was going to make you forget The Band's version. rating: *** stars
- Easily one of the best song on the album, the Wright-penned 'Sunshine Help Me' sported a great, pounding melody that was actually good enough to make you overlook Wright's stratospheric falsetto. rating: **** stars
- Side two found the band returning to a more pop-oriented sound with the enjoyable ' It's All About a Roundabout'. For me the winning ingredients were Wright deft harpsichord flourishes and some nice barrelhouse piano. One of the best melodies Wright ever wrote, it's hard to understand why this one wasn't tapped as a single. rating: **** stars
- For some reason every self-respecting '60s-era band seemed to feel the need to cover John D. Loudermilk's 'Tobacco Road'. The Spooky Tooth version initially slowed the song down to a funeral dirge, putting Wright's multi-tracks vocals upfront and center. It then abruptly shifted gears into an anonymous blues-rocker middle segment and then back to dirge before stretching it out with a typical rock close out. Pass ... rating: ** stars
- With Mike Harrison and Wright sharing lead vocals, 'It Hurts You So' almost sounded like a different band. A fragile, almost fey ballad, it was another pretty ballad that benefited from having a hint of Brit-psych influence in the underlying melody. Great drums from Michael Kellie ... rating: *** stars
- Another R&B-tinged number, 'Forget It, I've Got It' was built on some nice Wright keyboards, a squealing Grosvenor solo, and interesting percussion touches. Quite different from your standard Spooky Tooth song, I actually liked this one quite a bit. rating: *** stars
- Another son with Mike Harrison handling lead vocals, 'Bubbles' sounded like a mid-1960s British toytown psych effort. The track actually had a rather rough, semi-finished feel, but there were plenty of giify production effects including bubble sounds, phased vocals, and Ridley's acid-tinged bass guitar pattern. Definitely a timepiece, but a fun timepiece. rating: *** stars

Collector's will probably want to look for the original 1968 "It's All About Spooky Tooth" album. Other folks may be be willing to settle for this release since it has the same songs and you can a copy far cheaper ... yeah, the downside is the cover art on this album is nowhere near as good.


"Tobacco Road" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Society's Child (Janis Ian) - 4:30
2.) Love Really Changed Me (Luther Grosvenor - Jimmy Miller - Gary Wright) - 3:33
3.) Here I Lived So Well (Luther Grosvenor - Mike Harrison - Jimmy Miller - Gary Wright) - 5:06
4.) Too Much of Nothing (Bob Dylan) - 3:57
5.) Sunshine Help Me (Gary Wright) - 3:02

(side 2)
1.) It's All About a Roundabout (Jimmy Miller - Gary Wright) - 2:43
2.) Tobacco Road (John D. Loudermilk) - 5:33
3.) It Hurts You So (Jimmy Miller - Gary Wright) - 3:03
4.) Forget It, I've Got It (Jimmy Miller - Gary Wright) - 3:26
5.) Bubbles (Luther Grosvenor - Gary Wright) - 2:49