(This review first appeared in issue 52 of Shindig! magazine)
Hampered on its initial
1976 release by a refusal to tour and the feeling of it being a major
label take on the new wave zeitgeist, this sole eponymous album has
aged well. Marked by its warmth and pure joy of (power) pop, it may
have been at odds with the prevailing AOR professionalism of the era
but forty years on reveals itself as a lost gem.
Founding member of The
Left Banke, Michael Brown had a genius knack for delicate melodies
and classical influenced arrangements which sat well with the power
pop brio of his newly found bandmates, who'd learned their craft in
Chessmann Square, a journeyman group founded on a love of
harmony-rich British Invasion bands.
The Beckies
would turn out to be Brown's last release on a major label. This
first time on CD reissue is a fitting tribute to the man, whose
talents gave so much and deserved more in return.
