Chicken Shack - Imagination Lady (Remastered) (CD)

All Music Guide

Imagination Lady is the fifth longplayer for Stan Webb's Chicken Shack. Much in the same tradition as the great British bluesmen Alexis Corner and John Mayall, Webb's revolvingdoor personnel landed the band several notable members, including: John Almond (tenor/alto sax), Hughie Flint (drums), and Christine Perfect (keyboards/vocals). For this album, Webb (guitar/vocals) gathered a trio consisting of himself, future Gods and Jethro Tull member John Glascock (bass), and Paul Hancox (drums). Enthusiasts of the more traditional 40 Blue Fingers, Freshly Packed and Ready to Serve and OK Ken albums have been quick to dismiss the latterera band, often citing the whole over amplified power metal trip as detracting from their blues origins. While certainly valid assessments, the power trio featured on Imagination Lady brings more than sheer volume to this release. As with the previous Chicken Shack longplayers, this disc features several Webb originals augmented with some wellchosen cover tunes.... The album opens with a ferocious cover of B.B. King's "Crying Won't Help You." This version is highlighted by Glascock's thrashing basslines and Webb's wahwah driven lead guitar and ginsoaked vocals. In a style akin to the Faces or even some of the rowdier moments from the Peter Greenled Fleetwood Mac, this trio grinds out the blues with a decidedly English edge. The folkie "If I Were a Carpenter" is speared with searing electric guitar leads that rip throughout the likewise spirited contributions from Glascock and Hancox. The tune is also afforded an unexpected sensitivity that contrasts well between the allout sonic onslaught of the chorus and the restrained polyrhythms of the verses. In regards to original material, "Daughter of the Hillside" is without a doubt Webb's most impressive contribution to the album. It is arguably the strongest side on the disc. This straightahead rocker is an ideal trio effort with equal contributions from all three recalling the intense instrumentality of Cream or early Led Zeppelin. With so much potential, it's unfortunate that the 11minute epic "Telling Your Fortune" which is nothing more than a 12bar blues platform for solos from Webb and Hancox is so erratic. In an ironic contrast, the closing number "The Loser" is upbeat and almost poporiented, again displaying the immense strength of this shortlived incarnation of Chicken Shack. - Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide Read more Less