Customer Reviews

They Only Come Out at Night (Hybr) (Omr)

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Extraordinary: this is the band that spawned Ronnie Montrose, Rick Derringer and Dan Hartman. And then there's the extraordinary Edgar Winter himself, younger brother of bluesman Johnny, and also an albino.

The single of the classic jazz/rock track 'Frankenstein' made it to the top of the US charts in 73, but it was pallid in comparison to the LP version here. The Winter Group played the tune for British TV at the time -- on the 'Old Grey Whistle Test' -- and it was a virtuoso, multi-instrumental performance, with Winter dashing between saxophone, timbales and ARP synth.

The two other great reasons for buying this album are the well-crafted 'Undercover Man' and 'Rock'N'Roll Boogie Woogie Blues'. The guitar work throughout this album is superb, but with both Montrose and Derringer present, what else could you expect?

THE EDGAR WINTER GROUP-THEY ONLY COME OUT AT NIGHT:

THE EDGAR WINTER GROUP-THEY ONLY COME OUT AT NIGHT: The Edgar Winter Group amounted to a "supergroup", even though no one knew it at the time. Multi-instrumentalist Winter had previously led the horn-accentuated RNB outfit White Trash, notably on the concert jamfest ROADWORK. Guitarist Ronnie Montrose was soon to form popular hard rock act Montrose with future star Sammy Hagar. Producer/axeman/former McCoys member Rick Derringer had also tenured with both Edgar and Johnny Winter in various bands. Bassist/co-lead vocalist Dan Hartman went on to enjoy solo smashes INSTANT REPLAY and I CAN DREAM ABOUT YOU, as well as creating James Brown's 80s comeback LIVING IN AMERICA. With all that talent in one lineup, it's hardly a shock that THEY ONLY COME OUT AT NIGHT netted the catchy cult classic HANGIN' AROUND...slick blue eyed soul smash FREE RIDE, sung and composed by Hartman...and the million selling monster instumental hit FRANKENSTEIN, so christened due to its much edited/"stitched together" properties. These genre-hoppin' cats also knew their way around a Latin-tinged tune like ALTA MIRA, the country twang of ROUND AND ROUND, and rock and roll boogie woogie blues, naming one ditty exactly that. Winter's soulful blooze-on-fire wail of a voice, searing sax, and inventive, visceral, synth riffs fused smartly with Hartman's pop sensibilities and Rick and Ronnie's guitar hero antics, making NIGHT nearly impossible to top. None of them, alone or together, ever did.

RATING: FIVE STIFFS

Edgar Winter's fourth solo album, originally released in 1972, turned in a more pop-crafted direction than the blues/R&B work of his releases with White Trash. No doubt having Dan Hartman in the band, playing bass and writing songs (not to mention Rick Derringer producing), helped edge Winter along, but it's both Hartman and Winters' songs that climbed the charts. Winter's instrumental synthesizer rocker "Frankenstein" drew the most attention, but Hartman's rock-funk "Free Ride" added the punctuation mark.

This is a fine summer album, with enough energy in the guitars to keep it from turning into bubblegum, but enough melody and harmony singing to make it excellent sing-along radio-fare. In addition to the hits, there's the nothing-to-do sunshine harmonies of "Hangin' Around," the South-of-the-border flavored "Alta Mira," the countrified "Round & Round," and the bluesy party-time "We All Had a Real Good Time." Taken together they make a classic early '70s pop-rock album that's held up nicely. 4-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings.

This awesome rock & roll album would have been even better had it included just one thing: the SINGLE version of "Free Ride", available on the "Edgar Winter Collection" from Rhino. It was the followup single to their huge hit "Frankenstein". Like Three Dog Night and a few other artists back in roughly that same time frame, a trip back into the studio was made to create even hotter versions of the songs to be played on the radio. The single version of "Free Ride" is just that much hotter, that much punchier and that much more full of life....and was a huge hit itself! One listen and you'll see what I mean. I'm not saying the album track isn't good...I'm just saying the single version just jumps right out at you, daring you to resist it. As for the rest of the album, I can't say anything that most of these other reviewers have said. One of the best of the 70s, full of great rock & roll music and a pure joy to listen to!

Does anyone out there remember Disco2 on BBC2? Ok, so I'm giving away my age, but I will NEVER forget the sight of Edgar Winter with keyboard slung around his neck, alto sax to hand and sound oscillator bank behind him making "Frankenstein" just about the most exciting thing you could ever get into.
Nothing on the album fails to succeed in its own style with a generally country feel behind most. Terrific. "Round and Around" I did with my own band all those years ago and who could fail to get tapping to "free ride". My album stopper still remains "Autumn"; a complete contrast to the rest of song list, it retains a lasting haunting quality - a real weepy if ever I heard one. Well worth adding to any collection.

About the time this record came out, but before I ever heard of it, I saw the EWG at a roller rink in Elizabeth, NJ with my friends. They opened up with "Keep Playin' That Rock and Roll" but unlike the White Trash version with horns, it was dominated by Ronnie Montrose' raunchy guitar and I fell in love. I went as soon as I could to Korvette's, where I bought most of my records in those days, to get the new LP that Edgar mentioned while on stage. I took one look at the cover and said, "What is this......" I was happy that I bought it and I still go back to it frequently. In fact, I am probably in the minority here, but "Frankenstein" is my least favorite song and I usually skip it. But listen to all the other songs, starting with "Hangin' Around" and "When it Comes" and you will be hooked quick. The slow ballad "Autumn" and the latin sounding "Alta Mira" sound different, but all the tracks add up to one of the greatest LP's ever recorded. In my opinion, Edgar Winter never reached this level again.

When I was a youngin' in the early 80's, my dad and I would cruise around in our boats--the '77 LeSabre, and the '84 Grand Marquis. I remember him playing me a ton of so-called "stoner rock"; everything from Cream to Steppenwolf to our favourite albino maestro.

The album starts strong with "Hanging Around," gets poppy with "Alta Mira," and by the halfway point, you're ready for "Free Ride," which is probably one of the best rock songs ever. The album cruises on a wave of bluesy rock with a tinge of Southern country, and at the end, it explodes in the intrumental masterpiece known as "Frankenstein."

I remember the look of absolute glee when my dad first played that song for me, and saw my jaw drop as the feedback made otheworldly beeps and wops at this glorious bridge, till the electrics would kick back in and rock you to a conclusion that is worthy of not only the best of "stoner rock," but transcends genres, reminds you of the best rock operas of everybody from Bowie to Spacehog, and just jams you home with a growling, howling lick that would make Ozzy Osbourne stutter "that's the most bloody f****ing amazing album ever, Sharon," even today.

This is a masterpiece. It has some flaws and lulls, no doubt, but this is 70's rock at its very, very best, too.

Pick it up.

Get over yourself and your worries about technical or lyrical perfection or historical impact.

And just get caught up in it all and rock out, man, rock out. Because nobody does it better than The Edgar Winter Group.

I had really ever only known about Edgar Winter from their occasional spots on classic rock radio, with their tunes Frankenstein and Free Ride, never really thinking about what other type of music they made and shrugged them off as no more than a one-hit wonder.

But one I picked up the album about six months back and have listened to it probably fifty times through. It is very hard for myself to start playing it and switch to something out on my playlist without listening to it in its entirety. While none of the songs in my mind (except for Frankenstein) truly stick out (which is possibly why it is not more well known,) the album gels together as a whole so well that few albums match it in terms of pure consistency.

While many of the songs seem simple in appearance, the instrumentation, the dynamics, and the full-blown singing of the more uptempo songs give a level of sophistication, yet remarkable, fun sound to each and every song, all the while staying unique from every other. Added to this, is the even more surprising fact that the two love songs, Round and Round, and Autumn, are two of the most beautiful songs to ever come out of a rock album, let alone a hard rock one.

Hanging Around is one of the best openers one could ever hope to have for an album, infectious, fun, spirited, truly awesome.

When It Comes is possibly the raunchiest sounding Edgar ever sounded (if that's really him singing, I'm not really sure since it sounds as if there are nine different voices singing each of the songs with lyrics), other great, fun sounding song.

Alta Mira is very quirky, yet charming song that you can't help but sing along to. Has an almost Jamaician sound that makes it all the more infectious.

Free Ride needs no explanation, as it's impossible to live past the age of 10 and not have heard the song at least once.

Undercover Man is probably the only weak song on the album if only for the ending which I think it stretched out just a bit too long. Although, it's Edgar in very fine form in terms of loud, almost off-kilter singing.

Round & Round is possibly my favorite song on the album, with its wonderful mix and acoustic and almost country-rock sound. Beautiful.

A ridiculous change of pace from Round & Round (although that's not a bad thing.) The song is basically self-evident from the title... Rock and Roll Boogie Woogie Blues. It delivers perfectly.

Autumn, as said before, is quite possibly the most beautiful rock song I've ever had the pleasure of listening to. Beyond gorgeous.

And almost lastly, another huge change of pace with quite possibly a song that perfectly exemplifies the college spirit (woot), with We All Had a Real Good Time. If there's a better song out there that keeps the fun, youthful spirit of us kids and of the basic tenets of Rock n' Roll, I've yet to hear it.

Well, if you're not convinced, then its at the fault of this reviewer and not the album.. for it is truly one of the best hard rock has to offer. Better than anything Skynyrd or Ted Nugent or Black Sabbath or Led Zeppelin has to offer. And that's no lie. A wonderful standout from 1972 (although it's difficult for me to say that definitively, since I was -13 at the time.)

Arguably, Edgar Winter Group's best album, this chart topper fused standard rock with `monster rock' and plenty of synthesizers. Edgar Winter and Rick Derringer cut loose with these self penned songs. "Hangin' Around" and "Alta Mira" are fun dance rock numbers that portray Winter at his best. "Free Ride" and "We All Had A Real Good Time" became FM rock standards with their `party on' style. Not to pigeon-hole themselves as purely hard rock, "Autumn" is a rare and unexpected ballad showcasing the groups songwriting skill. Of course, "Frankenstein" was the monster hit here and it combined a new found use of loud drums and maximum synthesizer along with unique guitar riffs and Winter's own splendid saxophone. It's a killer album that stands the test of time.

Note: Although the SACD stereo sound is fantastic here, it is unfortunate that the original quadrophonic tapes were not used to produce a multi-channel sound.

I purchased this album only yesterday and have listened to it over and over again. This is truly one of rock's few masterpieces. Hangin around is a fun opening song. Alta Mira is a nice rock and roll song. Free Ride is great well mixed too. And who could forget Frankenstein the masterpiece of masterpieces this is the best song in the whole world. You will be happy with your purchase.