Out After DarkSolid Smoke SS-9001, 1979
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Also released with same tracks on Line Records (6.24248-AP), West Germany, 1979 and on Attic Records (LAT 1074), Canada, 1979 -- "With a Girl Like You" replacing "Trophy".
PRODUCED BY STEPHEN FISHER AND ROY LONEY
Recorded and mixed at John Altmann Recording, San Francisco
Engineer: John Altmann
Second Engineer: Stephen O'Hara
Mastered by Ken Perry at Capitol Recording Studios, Hollywood
Art Direction a Marty Arbunich, Ricko Tee and Ellie Byrom
Album Design; Ellie Byrom
Photography: Doug Baird
Therapy: Sandra Fox
Roy Loney: Lead Vocals & Rhythm guitars
Danny Mihm: Drums & percussion
Larry Lea: Lead & rhythm guitars, vocals
James Ferrell: Lead, slide and rhythm guitars
Maurice Tani: Bass, vocals
Additional keyboards: Nick Buck
Roy decided to form a band again and got Danny Mihm on drums and James Ferrell on guitar (both from The Flamin’ Groovies), Larry Lea on guitar and Maurice Tani on bass. They got a record contract with Solid Smoke records, a label specialised in re-issues of old rock and roll records. The result was this rock’n’roll masterpiece!
Side A
1-Born To Be Your Fool (Roy A. Loney). This record starts as the ”Artistic As Hell” EP with acoustic guitars, but when the rest of the band joins in this rocker it’s the electric guitars in the foreground. This record really takes over as the true follow-up to Teenage Head! The riff in this song is a bit like a rock’n’ roll version of Smoke On The Water!
2-Used Hoodoo (Roy A. Loney). This song is based on a led heavy riff that perfectly suits the mystic lyrics.
3-Phantom Mover (Roy A. Loney) is a wild rock’n’ roll number and the song was, according to Roy, written before the band took its name.
4-Neat Petite (Roy A. Loney) with its hypnotic chords sounds like a combination of Rolling Stones and Talking Heads.
5-Return To Sender (Winfield Scott and Otis Blackwell). This is the only song on this album that makes me a bit confused. It’s a very good song, they plays it very well, but why choose a very well-known Elvis song?
6-People People (Roy A. Loney). Back to a new Roy rock’n’ roller again and it’s time to turn the record over.
Side B
1) Rockin' In The Graveyard (M. Burnt). This is a very good choice of a cover, an old obscure song recorded by Jackie Morningstar. It’s very funny and has a very good rocking groove!
2) I Love It (Roy A. Loney). This mid tempo rocker is very Rolling Stones and the melody is just fantastic with a chorus tailor made to be a number one single!
3) Scum City (Roy A. Loney). A raw and dark primitive rock and roller with a great guitar break between the verses.
4) Trophy (Roy A. Loney). Trophy is a very piano driven mid tempo rock ballad with a melody that is so good. Why wasn’t it released as a single?
5) She Run Away (Roy A. Loney). It’s time for a very melodic rock song with great guitar solos between the verses.
6) San Francisco Girls (Roy A. Loney). The record ends with this very up-tempo garage rock and roll number where Roy compares the girls in San Francisco with girls around the world. Guess where the best girls are? I think he had “California Girls” by The Beach Boys in mind when he wrote this.
Summary: This record is perfect! OK, I could live without Return To Sender, but they plays it so good. This album is even better than Teenage Head! Everything is better! The songs are better, the production is better the musicians plays tighter. The sound is perfect through the whole album, a perfect rock production (actually one of the best sounding rock albums I know!)
Teenage Head is an all time classic but this isn’t. Why? 10/10
Comments from Marty Arbunich (former co-owner of Solid Smoke Records):