Tim Rose - Playboy Records (RCA)

Reviewed by Jellyroll Morton Jnr.

Combine the influences of Spooky Tooth and Johnny Hallyday with the previously dormant talents of Tim Rose and you have an album that seems to keep on growing. Being Tim Rose' first album, one would expect to find that things weren't quite together with the group, but most of the difficulties have been capably overcome with some good production by Gary Wright, ex Spooky Tooth. Besides producing the album, Wright wrote some of the songs as well as playing organ and piano on all tracks. Tracks such as Cryin' Shame, Cotton Growing Man and It takes a little longer, all written by Wright, end up sounding like cuts from the last Spooky Tooth album, and even the tracks written by Rose have the same lyrical and musical flavour.

Only 3 cuts on the album are actually written by Rose, while he includes rather orchestrated and heavy versions of Hide your love away and If were a Carpenter. Rose' voice is a little harsh in parts, it tended to grate at first, but it fits in well with the tone of the album.