Classic Cd Review: Savoy Brown: STREET CORNER TALKING

By 1971, the British blues-rock group Savoy Brown was shaken by the departure of members Lonesome Dave Peverett, Rodger Earl and Tone Stevens who formed the harder blues-rock band, Foghat. This left just Kim Simmonds as the only original member of the band. But, this hardly stopped him from recruiting new members and producing a true blues-rock classic, STREET CORNER TALKING, that is still loved to this day. "Tell Mama" even became a moderately successful single as well, and the Polydor cd release of this album includes both the album version and the single version of this great little song. But, at just 46 minutes, this cd album seems short, but yet sweet enough to satisfy. Someday an more expanded version of this album needs to be made. But still, this classic is more than satisfying in the current issue form.

In 1971, STREET CORNER TALKING hit #75 on the U.S. charts, which wasn't nearly as successful as LOOKING IN(which featured great classic rock cover artwork) which reached #39 in 1970, but considering the wholesale change in band members, it was pretty remarkable that an album as good as STREET CORNER TALKING could even be made. Even more surprising was that HELLBOUND TRAIN from one year later, 1972, became the most successful album ever by the band, peaking at #34. After that came a couple of albums that were comparative stinkers, LION's SHARE and JACK THE TOAD, but still had a few enjoyable numbers. For a band that became a revolving door for musicians, Savoy Brown always had something good musically to share, no matter who decided to hang their hat just long enough to play.

Even ROLLING STONE found STREET CORNER TALKING to be a real milestone effort for this band, noting that "it lives and breathes as none of Savoy Brown's recent releases have done". It's a great classic rock effort, by any reasonable measurement.

The Bottom Line: A great classic British blues-rock effort here that belongs in any well stocked library of classic rock. +++(Three solid stars good. Buy this own and love it).