Monday, November 22, 2021

Don't be sad (Jiva) (LP 743)

Jiva  Jiva (Vinyl, Dark Horse Records, 1975) **  

GenreDark Horse Records/ pop-rock

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperbolesGear costume: It pretty much all sounds the same. Something's Goin On Inside LA was the single and lead track on their sole album so let's go with that. 

Active compensatory factors: I'm sure they look back at that cover and cringe. Four American guys with their shirts off saying, "please take us seriously".

Jiva, from California, comprised: Michael Lanning, Guitar, Vocals; James Strauss, Bass, Vocals; Thomas Hilton, Guitar, Vocals; and Michael Reed, Drums, Percussion.

The music I've summed up before when writing about Dark Horse label product. I was a tad harsh then, but listening to it again made me think of a descriptor I've heard used in my English teacher role while marking essays - competent stodge.

It's reasonably well played and competently sung but there is nothing out of the ordinary happening here. Lord knows what George heard from this first American band to get a Dark Horse spot that made him think - I've got to put that out!

Where do they all belong? Alongside the other Dark Horse albums that are, on the whole, not a patch on the Apple Records roster.

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