Additional information
Roy Wood & Wizard: Roy Wood (vocals, guitar, electric sitar, bass clarinet, oboe, saxophone, French horn, keyboards, bass, drums, background vocals); Richard Plant (vocals); Rick Price (pedal steel guitar, bass); Nick Pentelow, Mike Burney (flute, saxophone); Bob Brady (piano); Charlie Grima (drums, congas, percussion). Recorded at The Music Centre, Wembley, England. Includes liner notes by Roy Wood. Digitally remastered by Roy Wood and Roger Lomas (2000, Ro-Lo Studios). Personnel: Roy Wood (vocals); Rick Price (pedal steel guitar); Mike Burney (flute, saxophone); Bob Brady (piano); Charlie Grima (drums, percussion, background vocals). Recording information: The Music Centre, Wembley (04/25/1976). Recorded in 1976, but not released until 2000 because the record label considered it uncommercial, Main Street proves the record company right -- there was no way in hell this collection of winding jazz-influenced instrumentals, studio experimentation, and dense post-Beach Boys pop would have gotten onto the charts, particularly in 1976. That doesn't mean that it should have sat on the shelves for nearly 25 years, either, since Roy Wood's cult is of the kind that will purchase anything he cut. Still, this can be pretty tough sledding even for that cult, since it isn't so much eccentric as it is messy. There are a few nice moments here and there, particularly on the terrific "Indiana Rainbow," but that's better heard on Exotic Mixture. This is for Roy fanatics and historians; interesting to hear once, but unlikely to find its way back to the stereo too often. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Reviews
Q (9/00, p.131) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Mad, inventive stuff, mashing up jazz with Hendrix guitars, brass arrangements, a sense of humor a mile high....Well worth a listen." Mojo (Publisher) (6/00, p.120) - "...A genuine rarity...a previously unreleased record....mixing laid-back pop-soul, synth and sax-driven ballads, fuzz-driven pop and funky instrumentals....it's a beguiling concoction..."