Pavlov's Dog - At The Sound of the Bell (Fabulous 2nd album 1975)

Pavlov's Dog lead singer David Surkamp was everything that was wrong with the band's Columbia debut Pampered Menial. Tempered here by Blue Oyster Cult producers Murray Krugman and Sandy Pearlman, who also recorded the first disc, the sound is more appealing to the ear. The question is, where was it going? Too pop for progressive rock, and too progressive for Top 40, the music is driving and more focused the second time around. There are some heavy guests to add to the festivities, Roxy Music's sax player Andy McKay along with drummer William Bruford and Arista sax player Michael Brecker, though the tracks they appear on are not designated. "Valkerie" has a great hook, of "bring back the good old days," and the production here is cleaner than the first time around, but there is something very left field about this group, extremely non-commercial, even on a pretty ballad like "Standing Here With You (Megan's Song)." The music isn't as artsy as the Mothers of Invention, and certainly not as on target as Blue Oyster Cult, making one wonder if A&R man Mark Spector was just being courteous to producers Krugman and Pearlman? Mark Spector had produced Bob Segarini's 1975 effort with Dudes on Columbia, and went on to manage 38 Special, his pop leanings make this signing all the more mysterious. That being said, this outing is actually more pop oriented, or at least as poppy as this style and singer may want to be. "Try to Hang On" is light and listener friendly, one of the best tracks on the album; it is followed by "Gold Nuggets" which is almost a continuation of "Try to Hang On." "She Breaks Like Morning Sky" interrupts the flow a bit, driving a little harder, but the performance is still light years beyond the previous album. The producers have brought the music up in the mix, and the skillful playing of Pampered Meniel is brought a few notches up. "Early Morning On" is a superior track, musically, and though Surkamp is more subdued, it is still his voice which throws the monkey wrench into this affair. The cover concept with model Michael Mantel dressed as the Hunchback of Notre Dame and swinging upside down from bells is very cool, while the mascot from the previous album's cover, the 1849 artwork/engravings by Robert Vernon, appears again on the record sleeve/lyric sheet. At the risk of sounding cruel to the lead vocalist/writer/co-writer of all the songs, both albums would work better as instrumentals -- David Surkamp's voice a little too grating for the elegant and complex music inside these grooves. Adventurous and meaningful, The Sound of the Bell is a great concept and musical experience that falls short. Have to give them A for effort, though.

AMG Review by Joe Viglione

Pavlov's Dog - Pampered Menial (All Time Classic Album 1974)

Pampered Menial was the first album from Pavlov's Dog, a band produced by Murray Krugman and Sandy Pearlman, the duo behind Blue Oyster Cult. The seven men in this group are revealed in the gatefold holding "Horace," a dog, while three engravings from 1849 by artist Robert Vernon make up the front, back and inside cover. Those paintings are striking, and though the music, mostly written by vocalist David Surkamp, tries hard, it just isn't as captivating as the package which surrounds it. Surkamp sounds like a chick singer, something that wasn't quite in vogue yet -- Journey and the Mickey Thomas Starship wouldn't happen for another four years, not until 1979, and even Thomas' hit with the Elvin Bishop Group was a year away, male vocalists were singing in lower registers at this point. With song titles like "Theme From Subway Sue" and "Of Once And Future Kings" the identity that a Blue Oyster Cult maintained was missing here. "Subway Sue" sounding very much like the 80s version of Mott, the band after Ian Hunter took his leave. If you thought Mott's high pitched vocals were out of place and annoying, check out Surkamp's strange warbling. The band itself isn't half bad. "Episode's mellotron, courtesy of Doug Rayburn and Siegfried Carver's violin, provide more than adequate sounds. Carver's sole composition, "Preludin," comes off as one of the best tracks, perhaps because it is an instrumental version of progressive rock that Triumvirat and early Journey were exploring, But when David Surkamp's vocals kick in again on the next tune, like Pavlov's experiments, it makes the listener want to break things, including this record. "Julia" is a mediocre lyric and ok melody, just destroyed by the vocalist who composed it. If this were an instrumental group, the music would be much easier to take. The band provides elegant rock, majestic drums by Mike Safron, additional keyboards by David Hamilton augmenting Rayburn's mellotron and flute, and solid 70s production from Krugman and Pearlman. Lead guitarist Steve Scorfina co-writes a beautiful piece with vocalist Surkamp in "Late November," but its perfection is marred by the whining sounds of the frontman. It is really sad, as there seems to be much potential here, drummer Michael Safron's "Song Dance" another highly creative number. A & R man Mark Spector had some kind of ears, what he was thinking here is anyone's guess. The solid riffs, the wonderful blend of sounds, all destroyed by David Surkamp's forced vocals which sound like some experiment by Pavlov gone awry. The Mott band from Shouting & Pointing infamy should have been put on a stage with Pavlov's Dog to see which act could clear the room first. "Fast Gun" is another solid progressive tune, but without the polish of a Brad Delp or Steve Perry, it just didn't stand a chance. Columbia Records should re-issue an instrumental version of this disc via their Legacy series, the music deserves it.

AMG Review by Joe Viglione