RSSMarc Benno [extended]
- Look Inside the Asylum Choir [Smash, 1968] B
- Asylum Choir II [Shelter, 1971] B
- Ambush [A&M, 1972] B+
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Consumer Guide Reviews:
The Asylum Choir: Look Inside the Asylum Choir [Smash, 1968]
This year-old effort by Leon Russell and Marc Benno, now re-released, got a lot of nice reviews and no sales first time around, which is more or less what it deserved. A nice record to write reviews about: strong studio work with a heavy Zappa flavor, quality of satire ditto. B
Leon Russell & Marc Benno: Asylum Choir II [Shelter, 1971]
If the first one was their acid album this 1969 session is their protest album, beginning and ending with advice to a "straight brother" and featuring a revised "Sweet Home Chicago" (for Mayor Daley and his "northern rednecks"), a soppy antiwar song, a scabrous antiwar song, and a confusing anti-smoking song. As well as four love songs that will never make Merv Griffin, one because it advocates "eating salty candy." B
Ambush [A&M, 1972]
In a lot of ways this is a perfect record--easy studio funk unmarred by a single error of commission. Benno does Boz Scaggs a lot looser and happier than Boz Scaggs has for a while, and Bobby Keys stands out among the sidemen (Radle, Keltner, Utley) only because he's never sounded better. It's divided into a irresistible dance side and a decent enough listening side. Yet I no longer trust such basically unthinking supercompetence to provide lasting pleasure. Anyone who doesn't share my reservations should probably buy this, and even if you do--well, I keep playing it. B+