Customer Reviews

Air Special

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After Brownsville Station's 1977 album on Private Stock absolutely overwhelmed me (check out their almost-Top-40 "Lady Put the Light on Me", in Cub Koda's own words "the best shuffle we ever recorded"), they came out with this final album in 1979 on Epic. In the liner notes of their best-of collection, Cub says "After The Martian Boogie was almost a hit but wasn't, it ook all the fight out of the band. We stumbled through one final album but our hearts weren't in it anymore." If their hearts weren't in it for this album, I can only imagine what might have been had their hearts really been in it. This album is worth it for "Never Say Die" alone, the song that would have been a blockbuster Bachman-Turner Overdrive hit had they ever recorded it. For this final album, Koda, Michael Lutz and Henry Weck were joined once again by Bruce "Beezer" Nazarian, who had officially joined the band for that 1977 album that more people STILL need to hear to believe. This was a band that was the very personification of melodic hard rock on the same order as Foghat. Cub may have thought they sounded like their hearts weren't in it toward the end...but I beg to differ. This was an album they could be proud of, and I hope Mr. Koda is smiling down from rock & roll heaven. This album is much better than even he gives it credit for. A fine finish to their story, chart success or not.

Brownsville Station's swan song is a remarkably tight, tough and HEAVY rock album that should have garnered more attention in its time. It's well worth rediscovering now, both by fans and the casual listener who appreciates quality hard rock. Working with noted producer Tom Werman [Cheap Trick, Ted Nugent, etc.], the band buckled down and strove hard to leave their novelty one-hit-wonder image behind, although glimmers of humor ARE still present. Werman gave the band a punch and crunch to their sound that kept just enough grit in the mix so that things didn't seem TOO slick. The emphasis is on down-and-dirty, bluesy Southern-spiked, hook-filled rock, starting with the explosive opening salvo, "Taste Of Your Love," and burning straight on through to the closer, "Down The Road A Piece." Other standout tracks include a rollicking cover of the old blues tune "Who Do You Love" and an equally bluesy original, "Cooda Crawlin'." Along with the eponymously titled album that preceded this one (which has NOT, for some reason, made its way to CD yet...WHY??), this is one of the lost gems of late-70s hard rock. Both are well worth the search.

I bought the album shortly after it came out in '78. It was one of the best albums in my collection back then. I had to buy the CD and it remains one of the best in my collection now. The whole CD is raw rock and roll. Air Special is great all the way through, from "Taste of Your Love" all the way through to "Down the Road Apiece". They do one heck of a rendition of "Who Do You Love". Definitely a "keeper". More than Highly recommended.

BROWNSVILLE-AIR SPECIAL: The almighty Brownsville Station may have shortened their name for this last great greasy gasp, but thankfully cut back on nothin' else. Swan songs this good scare the livin' crap outta me, cuz most 70s bands couldn't toss off an album HALF this decent even at their freakin' peak! Lava-spewin' covers of Bo Diddley's WHO DO YOU LOVE (makes George Thorogood sound like Barry Manilow) and RNB standard DOWN THE ROAD APIECE stand tall alongside loud 'n proud blooze-rockin' originals like COODA CRAWLIN', LET IT ROLL, and WAITIN' FOR THE WEEKEND. Fretboard manglers Cub Koda and Bruce "Beezer" Nazarian trade gritty "meat 'n taters" lead vocals, propelled by the smackdown rhythm section of Mike Lutz and H-Bomb Weck. This stuff sounded cool in your car, in a bar, maybe even underwater. Did radio play it? Did every record store stock it? Did most of yer uncool buddies even know about it? Nope...'COURSE NOT! Maybe THAT's what made it "special", bubba. At least BROWNSVILLE STATION went out howlin' like the bad-ass banshees a priveledged few of us always knew they were.

RATING: FIVE STAMPS OF APPROVAL

For old fans of 70's rock and roll, this is a masterpiece. Do not lose it.
It's one of the best BS work.