Rockin' the World – Earth Quake

Creatively, Earth Quake had its ups and downs in the late 1970s. There were times when the obscure Northern California rockers sounded inspired, and other times when they seemed unfocused and confused. Consisting of live performances from 1975, Earth Quake's first album, Rocking the World, finds the quintet sounding like a neighborhood bar band. Think of a raw, hard-rocking bar band from 1975 -- one that was into Grand Funk Railroad, Bad Company, and Bachman-Turner Overdrive, among others -- and you'll get an idea where Earth Quake is coming from on covers of Bobby Troup's "Route 66," the Electric Light Orchestra's "Ma Ma Ma Belle," the Easybeats' "Friday on My Mind," and the Small Faces' "Tin Soldier" as well as original material like "Mr. Security" and "(Sitting in the Middle of) Madness." Bar bands, of course, can either go through the motions or really get into what they're doing; on this album, Earth Quake sounds like a bar band that is inspired rather than bored. Rocking the World isn't mind-blowing, but it's competent and generally fun. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide