Bob Poole - Chevy (The Taker)

Chevy album The Taker review, Paul Suter, Sounds, 06.12.1980 Chevy. Welcome to the new wave, same as the old wave. Sorry, but in Chevy's hands there's a distant move back towards traditional mainstream hard rock, firm and steady and destined for a long and fruitful career before they lapse into well deserved old fartdom. On stage they're an explosive force of devastating attack, but on record they're more carefully controlled. Producer John Stronach hasn't exactly come up trumps, but the sound is satisfactorily meaty, with the dual guitars of Paul Shanahan and Steve Walwyn creating an extra depth that obviates the need for the turgid, monotonous rifferama that lesser bands perforce adopt. They cop out a couple of times anyway with a pair of blundering boogie blowouts. 'Turn On The Light' actually incorporating the dreaded line 'I don't need no doctor' and not getting any better thereafter, if you'll excuse the painful pun. But enough of this moaning. This is a strong and mature debut that deserves full credit as such. Martin Cure has a superb rock voice, forceful but still tuneful, and excellently suited to the densely layered rocking that is Chevy's forte. The twin guitars are reminiscent ? inevitably? - of Wishbone, but on higher octane fuel. The eponymous 'Chevy' is a rock hard piece of driving riff that ultimately slides into action superbly. 'The Taker' is a vaguely pompish in its restrained power, and 'Too Much Loving' is a proud slower-paced rocker in the American vogue too, suggesting that they could well be welcome Stateside. 'Skybird' might upset the Deep South though, despite the fact that it's not a Skynyrd rip-off at all; the approach and title may be similar but the execution is quite their own, and the hook sinks into the memory like a steam iron going through cold custard. You will not forget ziss song! Not only a strong debut, but a clear sign of much more to come. They'll still be making great albums when more mercurial outfits are long gone. /(Paul Suter, Sounds, 06/12/80)/ CHEVY - THE TAKER LP