Genre: pop
Rating: 3 stars ***
Title:  Time To Give
Company: Guinness
Catalog: GNS 36054
Year: 1977
Country/State: Pennsylvania
Grade (cover/record): NM / NM
Comments: sealed; cut top right corner
Available:  2
Catalog ID:  126
Price:  $50.00

There isn't a great deal of material out there of either of the band's earlier albums and there's literally nothing to be found on 1977's "Time To Give". This time out all ten tracks were credited to Eric Beam, but judging by the overarching sound, these tracks were probably recorded in the early 1970s. Pure speculation on my part, but I'd guess they were probably recorded at roughly the same time the debut album was cut. Musically these ten tracks were all over the place, though you had to give these guys credit for being willing to try out difference things. True, lots of it didn't work well, but it made for a varied and occasionally engrossing listening experience.

- Sounding like something The Free Design might have done with Mary Hopkins, the harpsichord and balalaika propelled 'Shoes' was an odd way to start the album. Don't ask me how, or why, but for some reason this song was actually quite good. It had one of those melodies that climbed into your head and wouldn't leave. The song also sported one of the album's best guitar solos.  rating: **** stars  
- A stab at deep, insightful social commentary, 'Something You'll Hear In a Song' seemed to want to redo and improve on 'Eleanor Rigby'. Not a good choice since this one simply came off as being pompous, self-pitying (c'mon, get over it guy), and boring. The children's chorus didn't help it one bit. rating: ** stars  
- 'Jessica Lancer' started out with some nice stabbing organ and kind of druggy flavor. Unfortunately another sensitive singer/songwriter lyric killed it for me. rating: ** stars  
- Thank goodness, 'She Done Me Wrong' found the band finally taking a stab at a rock number. Opening with a tasty lead guitar, the track took a while to get going, but compared to the rest of the set, was a genuine rocker. Not great by any means, but the lead guitar was okay.  rating: *** stars  
- Side one's most commercial track, 'New Found Lair' had a tasty pounding electric keyboard hook and some multi-layered harmony vocals that actually gave the song a light progressive touch. Imagine a really, really young Styx ... Totally unexpected and quite enjoyable. My only complaint on this one was that the left channel suddenly dropped at the end of the song and it faded out far too early.   rating: **** stars  
- Borrowed from the original 1972 album, side 2 started out with a wonderful slice of 1967-styled sunshine pop. One of the standout tracks, 'Life' sounded like a strange cross pollination of a Beatles tune and something The Free Design might have done. Complete with punchy horns, it was different but quite engaging and would have made a nice single. rating: **** stars
- The title track was a pretty keyboard ballad with some nice fuzz guitar and a harpsichord solo (yes, I'm a sucker for harpsichord). Unfortunately it suffered from a flat Billy Hricsina lead vocal. Shame they didn't go back and re-cut it with a better performance. Given the abrupt ending, this one also sounded like it was prematurely cut in order to fit the album   rating: ** stars  
- 'Follow Me' started out as a commercial pop-rocker sounding like something Badfinger might have cut, but then incorporate an engaging little progressive segment, before returning to pop-rock. Fantastic David Lenart lead guitar performance. Probably my favorite song on the LP. rating: **** stars
- Side two's most commercial effort, 'Gettin' It Better Together' blended Beach Boy harmonies with a top-40 melody and a great bass pattern from David Adomites. Could've been a radio staple. rating: **** stars  
- 'Cowboy' found the band taking a stab at country-rock. Pretty melody and gorgeous vocal harmonies. The song also sported one of the weirdest synthesizers I've ever heard - anyone know what they were playing?  And Eric Beam provided the answer below !!!   rating: *** stars  

So of the their three releases, where's this one stack up? Well, I'd buy it first. It wasn't all that different from the first two, but struck me as the most adventuresome and enjoyable of the set. By the way, since the collection never saw much in the way of distribution the then-scandalous cover probably didn't make much difference. That said, whoever the model was, she was blessing with some amazing breasts ...

"Time To Give" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Shoes (Eric Beam) - 3:10
2.) Something You'll Hear In a Song (Eric Beam) - 3:06
3.) Jessica Lancer (Eric Beam) - 3:05
4.) She Done Me Wrong (Eric Beam) - 3:05
5.) New Found Lair (Eric Beam) - 2:16

(side 2)
1.) Life (Eric Beam) - 2:19
2.) Time To Give (Eric Beam) - 2:49
3.) Follow Me (Eric Beam) - 2:39
4.) Gettin' It Better Together (Eric Beam) - 2:35
5.) Cowboy (Eric Beam) - 2:39


The band apparently struggled on through 1974 releasing a non-LP single on the small North American Music Industries (NAMI) label:



- 'She Didn't Forget Her Shoes (Johnny & Louise)' b/w '' (NAMI catalog number 2011)

Beam quit in 1974 with the survivors continuing for a couple of years as The Felix Harp Band.

As of 2006 Adomites still seemed to be active on the Pittsburgh music scene. Last thing I could track down had him playing as a member of Rick Malis' backing band.