posted by all-musicrecords
Sky Dancer was an obscure but good band from Nebraska, released back in 1977, offers a solid, prog-ish hard rock with use of hammond organ and fine guitars. Imagine a mix of Deep Purple and Kopperfield.
This is the only album released by USA All in One Records in 1977 as a Private Press self-release, and is a live recording of a concert at The Royal Grove in Lincoln, Nebraska, in July 1977.
The band consists of Decky Dykman, Doc Lawson, Zeke Ziebell, and Daniel Knisley, and was co-produced by the band and Steve Monroe.
The band generally has a blues-based progressive hard sound with a certain amount of mainstream pop-ness, and the heavy riffs and phrases, melodic vocal lines, progressive arrangements, and fast-paced performance are a pretty good match.
The album opens inauspiciously enough with the crowd pleasing straight-up rockin' 'Rock and Roll Sweetheart'. But even here the guitarist begins to light things up. Once you hear 'Get Down' you know the band has serious chops and a lot of ideas to process.
You just don't get to hear this much chunky organ and jamming guitars this late in the 70s - especially from these shores.
'Fear No Evil' has one of the most intense superb second halves of any track I've heard in ages. 'Hang on To Your Life' and 'Hot Rocks' are similar.
This is the kind of hard rock you constantly look for - and rarely find. And 'Never Want to Be Tied Down' is the kind of thoughtful melancholic closer I was hoping it would be.
All 5 of these tracks are lengthy, and feature extensive soloing on guitar and Hammond. 'Rock and Roll Circus' is also a solid hard rocker, if not a bit normal for Sky Dancer.
The only throwaway here is the mercifully short boogie rock of 'Goody Two Shoes' and even it features some nice guitar work. Essential hard rock here.
The guitars, Hammond organ, and bass are all played with a lot of energy and bursting with timely and fast passages, and the drumming is perfectly lively, following the music with precision, making the ensemble fluent and proficient, which is honestly cool.
The quality of the performance, the catchiness of the music, and the maturity of the arrangements, including the final tearful ballad, clearly exceed the level of an independent release, and if the recording quality were a little better, the result would be on par with the first-line major labels. It is a good album that lovers of hard and prog rock will enjoy.
Track listing
1. Rock And Roll Sweeetheart - 4:07
Written-By – J. Priefert, Randy Zirbe
2. Get Down - 6:35
Written-By – Steve Dykmann
3. Fear No Evil - 9:30
Written-By – Steve Dykmann
4. Goody Two Shoes - 2:24
Written-By – Steve Dykmann
5. Rock And Roll Circus - 3:54
Written-By – Randy Zirbel
6. Hang On To Your Life - 5:10
Written-By – Steve Dykmann
7. Hot Rocks (Randy Zirbel) - 6:09
Written-By – Randy Zirbe
8. Never Want To Be Tied Down - 6:31
Written-By – Steve Dykmann
Compositions written by Steve Dykmann except where noted
Companies, etc.
- Recorded At – The Royal Grove, Lincoln, NE
- Mixed At – A And R Recording Studio
- Published By – Monroe-Ames Music
Credits
- Bass, Vocals – Zeke Zirbel
- Coordinator [Recording coordinator] – Cammy Asp
- Drums, Vocals – Daniel Nissly
- Engineer – Bob Krusen
- Guitar, Lead Vocals – Dickie Dykmann
- Layout – Debbie Dykmann
- Organ [Hammond], Piano, Vocals – Doc Lawson
- Photography By [Back Photo] – Slim Terrill
- Photography By [Front Photo] – Ron Blatchley
- Producer – Sky Dancer
- Producer, Engineer – Steve Monroe
- Recorded By – A&R Mobile Studio
Notes
Released: 1977
Genre: Rock
Length: 44:32
Label - Paisley Press
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