Scientific Bombs AwayAIM 1025 1988
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Roy Loney : lead vocals, rhythm guitar/
Larry Lea: lead & rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Danny Mihm: drums & percussion
Peter "Buzz" Miller : bass, lead guitar
Butch Berman : piano
Cyril Jordan : backing vocals on 3,11,12 /
James Ferrell : slide guitar on 1,4
Mike Wilhelm : lead guitar on 5,6
Rick Estrin : harmonica on 1,5
Stu Blank : piano on 2,11,12.
Thanks to: Ginnie Syn, Marie Hano, Tom Edwards, Peter Noble, Geraint Watkins, J.P. Richardson, Slim Gaillard, Nervous Norvos, Charlie Feathers, Peter “Buzz” Miller, CIDJ, “Steak”Steckler, Bert and Bob, Roberta Bayley.
Detdicated to the memory of “big” Jon Catania
Produced by Roy Loney for Rockin’ Roy Productions
Engineer: Peter Miller
This was the first album by Roy to be released on CD (it was also released on vinyl). The problem is that it was released on two different labels (AIM and Norton) and the they have a slightly different track sequencing and one or two songs were unique on each release. The album is full of fine songs but the sound is strange. The drums sounds like they had tried to create a ”big” drum sound but failed. The bass has no punch (probably connected directly to the line in on the mixing desk) and most tracks are drenched in reverb and echo. I think a remixed and re-mastered version of this record would make this record to be one of Roy’s very best.
1) Chicken Run Around (Roy A. Loney) This Bo Diddley style rocker sets the pace for the album.
2) Bip Bop Boom (Hawks). A dynamite version of an obscure rockabilly classic.
3) Ruin Your Shoes (Roy A. Loney). This song about ”The Pricess of ice” has everything and is one of my personal favourites. A melodic mid-tempo song with a great melody.
4) Deviled Eyes (Roy A. Loney). With another mix this track could sound like a track on ”Out After Dark”. It’s a good raw rocker with Danny playing mostly on the toms, with piano, maraccas and a strange bass backing vocal that is a way too loud compared to the rest. A very good song with a strange sound.
5) Nervous Slim (Roy A. Loney). A very funny (and corny!) type of 30's jazz style!
6) Boy, Man! (Roy A. Loney). ”The kid can rock” Roy sings in this song about an old rock’ roller, and sure he can!
7) Bad News Travels Fast (Roy A. Loney). A great Rockabilly song again with a strange sound. What is wrong with the drums?
8) Your Best Friend's Number (Roy A. Loney). A great mid tempo rocker again with a great melody. This song sounds better than most on the album and the twangy guitar at the end is great!
9) Here Comes Curly (Roy A. Loney). This is a very funny song in a style quite similar to Papa-Om-Mow-Mow
10) Cry Like The Wind (Roy A. Loney). A very good and melodic song with lots of reverb and twangy guitars. One of my personal favourites again.
11) Nobody (Wayne Carson Thompson). A great rocker recorded by Bruce Channel in 1968.
12) Feel So Fine (Leonard Lee). A great Shirley & Lee song with a fine groove, a bit like Nina Simone!
The album was released a couple of months later by Norton, Norton 209. It has two extra tracks not on the AIM release, but on the other hand they have omitted "Nervous Slim".
1. Chicken Run Around
2. Bip Bop Boom
3. Ruin Your Shoes
4. Bad News Travels Fast
5. Deviled Eyes
6. Boy,Man!
7. Your Best Friends Number
8. Here Comes Curly
9. Send in the Girls (Roy A. Loney). A very funny rocker with naughty lyrics where Roy sings with some kind of Cockney accent!
10. Cry Like the Wind
11. Steppin' Around (Loney - Lea). This song has a style similar to Buddy Holly or "Sheila" by Tommy Roe. A very good song again!
12. Nobody
13. Feel So Fine
Summary
Well if the sound had been better… The songs on this album are very good. The sound is strange. Maybe the fault is they tried it to sound 60’s with 80’s equipment. I don’t know, I’ll give it 7/10.