Ian Lloyd Albums (5)
'In the Land of O-de-Po'
Release Date 1/1/2008
Tracks 12
Label Machine Dream
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Best known as the singer for the early-'70s New York-based band Stories (who specialized in rock & roll and soul sounds, as evidenced by their lone smash hit, "Brother Louie") and as a backup singer for Foreigner during their heyday, Ian Lloyd issued his first solo release in 12 years in 2009, In the Land of O-de-Po. Interestingly, the music contained on the album bears absolutely no resemblance to the two primary acts that Lloyd was associated with, as it features an unmistakable modern/electronic rock edge, cases in point being such tracks as the groovy "O-de-Po" and the electro beats of "Hi2Fly," while "City of Dreams" can be best described as modern-day Yes. And wouldn't you know it -- Lloyd just couldn't resist re-recording "Brother Louie," which incorporates the same sounds/approaches as the aforementioned tunes. Fans expecting Lloyd to resuscitate the classic rock sounds of his work from the 1970s are in for quite a surprise with In the Land of O-de-Po. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
'3WC (Third Wave Civilization)'
Release Date 1/1/1980
Tracks 10
Label Scotti Bros.
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
3WC is terrific, a smoother outing than the previous Goose Bumps with the singer and producer, Ian Lloyd and Bruce Fairbairn, respectively, seeming to be in sync, more comfortable with each other. "Straight From the Heart" was recorded three years before it became the breakout hit for the former lead singer of Sweeny Todd, a guy by the name of Bryan Adams, and this early version is an absolute revelation. What would have happened had the voice on the number one hit "Brother Louie" taken "Straight From the Heart" to the Top Ten first? Maybe it would have led to more hits for Ian Lloyd. Bryan Adams' songwriting partner, Jim Vallance, co-writes the title track with Ian Lloyd, and it is a great direction for this singer in search of a new hit. It is spacy, it is science fiction, it takes his Ric Ocasek-written track, "Slip Away," from the previous disc to the next level. It is simply a great piece of music. With Mick Jones of Foreigner, the brilliant Fairbairn, Loverboy's Paul Dean, and songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Jim Vallance, it is hard to imagine the former singer of Stories missing with this superlative effort. Foreigner's manager, Bud Prager, had the ear of the industry, and producer Fairbairn was a year away from his breakthrough hits with Loverboy. Much more refined than the excellent Goose Bumps album from 1979, that album had much potential but was all over the map. 3WC smooths things out with the pop flavors of Stories and that '80s sound which Bryan Adams made so popular. Lloyd's own songs, "Dedicated to You" and "Wanderers," are much more on target here as well, while he takes on covers of Gary Glitter's "Do You Wanna Touch Me" (which Tommy James did four years before this album), and the Supremes' "Stop! In the Name of Love." Both covers are fun, and they allow Lloyd the opportunity to go beyond the seriousness of the original tunes. The album is consistent with the tremendous reading of "Straight From the Heart," a Vallance/Adams original that works in "Lonely Nights" and an appealing combination of sounds which finally complement this valuable singer as perfectly as did the compositions of the Left Bank's Michael Browne. Innovative and carefully produced, it was just a couple of years before its time. Seek it out, hear some magic, and wonder what it takes to bring important music like this to the attention of the public. ~ Joe Viglione, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Managed by Bud Prager in 1979 (the man who represented Foreigner, Deena Miller -- daughter of Rolling Stones producer Jimmy Miller -- Leslie West, and many others), the former singer for Stories was produced by a man instrumental in Aerosmith's comeback, the late Bruce Fairbairn. With help from members of the Cars, Foreigner, and former Aerosmith guitarist Jimmy Crespo, this album had all the elements for the breakthrough disc that Ian Lloyd deserved. "Slip Away" was written by Ric Ocasek and should have been a big Cars hit since it really didn't conquer radio on behalf of Lloyd. Ben Orr is on bass and backing vocals, Ric Ocasek pipes in on backing vocals and rhythm guitar, and Jimmy Crespo plays the very new wavey guitar -- it's Aerosmith meets the Cars with Stories lead vocalist! Russ Ballard's "First Heartbreak" sounds like a lost girl group classic with T.Rex overtones. A smart cover like the Bee Gees' "Holiday gets all synthed up, while the Zombies' "Time of the Season," always a welcome title, gets a respectable and unique reading by Stories former lead singer. "Open Soul Surgery" definitely goes the Foreigner route, though Lou Gramm and Mick Jones are on other tracks like "Love Stealer" and "She Broke Your Heart." Side one is very good, but side two fares even better, the title track, "Goose Bumps," with a solid riff and creepy vocal by the singer, and something even more key -- hooks different from the other 11 songs. There are substantial melodies all over this disc, solving the problem of his Polydor outing three years prior. Where the self-titled Ian Lloyd disc was mostly penned by the singer, Goose Bumps has a dazzling display of inviting and original tunes from all sorts of contributors. Ian Hunter and Corky Laing collaborate on "Easy Money" -- and this would've been great on a Mott the Hoople or Mountain disc, very different and distinctive, like when Hunter co-wrote "Goin' Through the Motions" for Blue Oyster Cult. "New City Lights" features Michael Brecker on tenor sax while Jim Vallance and Bryan Adams contribute the strong "I'm Ready." Paul DaVinci pens the final tune, "Love Is a Ship"; it is dreamy, another change of pace, and a superb conclusion to an album by a singer who gets help from some serious players, colors and flavors for his music that are more than worthwhile. Coming three years after his self-titled Polydor release, the 1976 disc which retained the services of Stories guitarist Steve Love and also contained performances by Mick Jones, this was the one after the transition album, the one that should have brought Ian Lloyd more hits like "I'm Coming Home," "Mammy Blue," and "Brother Louie." It made some noise but got lost in the rock & roll shuffle, however, Goose Bumps, with its red fingernails scraping across a chalk board cover (perhaps a little too punk for a pop artist), is more than just a solid outing from Ian Lloyd, it is an exemplary record and is worth repeated spins. ~ Joe Viglione, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
His first solo outing after Stories' 1973 album Traveling Underground on Buddah, a disc that was labeled Ian Lloyd & Stories, this self-titled recording features Stories' guitarist Steve Love along with the guitar man from Foreigner, Mick Jones. Lloyd is in his best Rod Stewart voice -- even looking a bit like a young Stewart on the cover. For the most part this is a good recording, but Love and Lloyd definitely lost the groove they had with Stories three years earlier, and it would be three years until Goose Bumps would materialize on Scotti Brothers, where Stories producer Richie Wise did A&R duties. Ian Lloyd originals like "I'll Give You Love" and "Lonely Dancer" tend to sound like jams, and the shame of it is that "I'll Give You Love" had the potential to sound like a nice outtake from Paul McCartney's Ram album. The pull of hard rock was a leaning that took away from Ian Lloyd's fan base, and solo collaborations with Michael Brown of the Left Banke would have been more welcome by original fans than pairings with musicians from Foreigner. Having said that, it's a bit of a paradox when Mick Jones sole songwriting contribution, "One More Chance (Sha La La)" almost sounds like the Small Faces, down to the Steve Marriott vocal. By the time Goose Bumps came along, things would get more focused. Jimmy Mack's "Let Me Down Easy" is one of the album's highlights, with Ian McDonald's saxophone a tasty supplement to Lloyd's sensitive and wonderfully warm performance. Most of the material on Ian Lloyd is written by producer Gregg Diamond and the singer, and fails to reach the heights of the two songs by Jimmie Mack and Mick Jones. "Sensations" sure tries, and it is nice to have Steve Love and Mick Jones collaborating on guitars and backing vocals, a terrific hook in need of a more melodic verse, but lovely guitar lines provide a pretty balance which is consistent across both sides of this album. It's really not a bad recording at all, but with label changes and the momentum of "Brother Louie" long gone, this album really had less of a chance to shine. It definitely needed stronger material, something they successfully addressed on Goose Bumps; covering more Hot Chocolate or the Left Banke would have been advisable for this first solo outing which, despite the flaws, has real merit. ~ Joe Viglione, All Music Guide
