BOOMERANG - Boomerang [1971]

 Boomerang's eponymous 1971 debut also proved to be their last (though a shelved second album remains stashed away somewhere), and its surprisingly stripped-down and unfettered blues-rock approach will probably surprise those familiar with vocalist/organist Mark Stein's earlier work with psychedelic overlords Vanilla Fudge. Clearly inspired by the white-knuckled intensity of Led Zeppelin's first two albums, economic hard rockers like "Juke It," "Cynthia Fever," and "The Peddler" attempted to deliver the same thrilling brand of sheer power masking barely reigned-in virtuosity. Like every other six-stringer of the day, guitar wunderkind Ricky Ramirez (press clippings claimed he was 15 at the time of this recording) was thrust into the role of guitar hero whether he liked it or not; and, despite falling well short of achieving headline status (witness his nonexistent post-Boomerang career), he handled himself convincingly enough throughout, even contributing a nifty backward solo to "Hard Times." As for the band's true frontman and centerpiece, Mark Stein, tunes like the bluesy ballad "Fisherman" and the aforementioned "Juke It" reveal just how much future Deep Purple singer David Coverdale borrowed from his bluesy style. Not to beat a dead horse, but, also like Purple's Coverdale-fronted Mark III lineup, Boomerang offered frequent vocal sparing matches between Stein and bassist Jo Casmir. The duo trades vocal licks with particularly successful results on the extremely funky "Mockingbird," and the entire group's ability to mesh with lush string arrangements on the almost Allman Brothers-like "Brother's Comin' Home" serves as a final reminder of Boomerang's restrained versatility and unfulfilled promise. That fact notwithstanding, all of the above help make this self-titled release an obscure delight for enthusiasts of early-'70s hard rock. by Eduardo Rivadavia 
Tracklist
1 Juke It
2 Fisherman
3 Hard Times
4 Mockingbird
5 Cynthia Fever
6 Brother's Comin' Home
7 The Peddler
Credits
Bass Guitar, Vocals – Jo Casmir
Drums, Percussion – James Galluzi
Organ, Piano, Vocals – Mark Stein
Guitar [Lead, Rythm, Acoustic] – Richard Rameriz

BOOMERANG
Boomerang [1971]
CBR320/scan

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