Seeing this thread inspired me to dig out my copy and play the tracks that I’d neglected over the years: Jo Ann Walker, For You and Goodbye.  I think I’d only played those three twice at the most, last time probably three decades ago, so it was high time to see if time had mellowed my opinions of them (which weren’t high to begin with).

Well…For You is a *little* more listenable, but the other two I still found excruciating.  I’ve long thought that if Barry Palmer were available to sing on the entire album it would have been a slight improvement.  As it is, I’ve always found David Hanselmann’s vocals ear-grating.  Slightly less so on Oh I’m Late Again, and Bavarian in New York is saved by the instrumental parts.  Out of the Palmer tracks, Waterfall holds up well enough, and I’m partial to Darlin’ because it was already one of my favorite Beach Boys tunes.

Overall…yeah, it was definitely a comedown from previous efforts.  But it was at a time when most of our 70’s prog favorites were either breaking up or opting for a more basic sound, with varying degrees of commercial success.

I’d known about “Russian Roulette” but when I first saw it in a used shop I was immediately repelled.  Just how many fans did they think they’d gain with a cover of Jurgen in a burger-eating contest, with him barfing on the back cover?  It was no contest for me; after being let down by its predecessor, I had no compunctions about passing it up.