Artful Dodger Albums (4)
What The Critics Say
Artful Dodger is a classic example of a great band who arrived at the wrong time -- in this case, they were caught in the mid-'70s crossroads, between the power pop of the Raspberries and the crunching rock of Cheap Trick, whose producer Jack Douglas helmed Artful Dodger's debut as well as Honor Among Thieves, their excellent second album. Sonically, Artful Dodger falls between the Raspberries and Cheap Trick -- they have guitars and jangle and melodies that evoke the Beatles -- but to call them pop almost seems dismissive, to ignore that Honor Among Thieves is a heavy rock & roll record, an album where the power chords outweigh the power pop. That's not to downplay the songwriting of guitarist Gary Herrewig and vocalist Billy Paliselli, the two members who write the bulk of the album (rhythm guitarist Gary Cox contributes two numbers, including the nicely spacy "Dandelion" where he takes lead vocals): they write muscular, insistent pop songs where the riffs are as memorable as the melodies, songs hooky enough that it's easy to see why Artful Dodger is tagged as power pop. But what makes Honor Among Thieves a lost '70s classic is that it works as a rock & roll record -- it's a rush of pure addictive sound, one that captures the sound and feel of its era, but transcends it just because it rocks so hard. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Artful Dodger's self-titled 1975 debut album is high-quality power-pop. Unfortunately, the quintet, which originally formed in Virginia, never even cracked the Billboard album charts with its four releases. Perhaps Artful Dodger was ahead of its time considering that producer Jack Douglas wouldn't helm Cheap Trick's acclaimed debut for two more years. The band was probably most popular in Cleveland, where some songs still received regular rock radio airplay 25 years later. The fact that Artful Dodger and Honor Among Thieves were reissued on CD in 1997 by Pendulum Entertainment Group (through Sony Music) confirms the band had a big enough cult following -- particularly in Cleveland -- to warrant dusting them off. "Wayside" is brilliant and it's a travesty that it wasn't a smash hit. Crispy, melodic guitar work from Gary Herrewig and Gary Cox, integral bass parts from Steve Cooper, effective drumming from Steve Brigida and superb vocals from Billy Paliselli add up to a great lost classic. "It' s Over" and "Follow Me" slather on catchy vocals and electric and acoustic guitar parts. "Silver and Gold" manages to combine touches of blues, country and pure pop into the power-pop formula. "Waiting Place" is the most sophisticated song on the album from an arrangement standpoint and it often settles into a slow, funky groove. The relaxed rockabilly of "New York City" is a surprising but effective finale. The Artful Dodger CD reissue liner notes are virtually unreadable since they simply reproduce the original LP's back cover. The white lettering is faint and blurry. Reproducing the back cover was OK, but the credits should also have been re-typeset on the blank inside fold. Nevertheless, power-pop fans owe it to themselves to seek out Artful Dodger, if only for "Wayside." ~ Bret Adams, All Music Guide
