« David Diamond "Pop Star" Interview | Main | Patrick Knowles R.I.P. »
old All Music Guide Zot bio
The Ultimate 80's Retro Music Page has a large collection of band bios from the 80's, including one for Zot. This was taken from the All Music Guide listing for Zot which doesn't seem to be complete anymore. I remember this from their old database. Fortunately the people at the Ultimate 80's Retro Music Page archived this blurb:
Veteran producer Pat Moran, who worked with Edie Brickell, Jon Butcher Axis, and so many others, engineers and produces this highly listenable and entertaining album by the band Zot. It's the songs and vocals of keyboard player Randy Wayne who would go on to work with one of the big acts at the Stiefel Company which represented Zot, that act being Rod Stewart. There's appropriate alien cover art and a vocal from Wayne which is borderline Nick Gilder veering off into David Bowie territory. Randy Wayne would have been the perfect addition to the Spiders From Mars when Bowie's rhythm section tried to launch a career of their own. This is the stuff fans of Ziggy Stardust could truly have appreciated. Though there are no sparks of brilliance à la Roxy Music or other adventurous experimental bands, Zot works because the music is simple, ethereal, and quite pleasing.
The undercurrents could be stronger, there is no push and pull, and while songs like "I Believe in Miracles" have their moments, they just don't have enough to get them all the way over the bar that was commercial FM radio. Ultravox would at least throw you a "Wide Boys," and something like that would've been a plus here. It's all original compositions by Randy Wayne, and had he covered a Ric Ocasek tune from the Cars' Panorama album or even Sweeny Todd's "Roxy Roller," or Ultravox, the album would have that diversion it seems to be crying out for. But the bright side is that the LP is very good and is a fun listen: something to pull out and play when the mood strikes. A surprisingly pleasant disc despite its lack of dynamics. ~ Joe Viglione, All Music Guide
Posted by Bill at February 5, 2005 3:33 PM
