Album Review - Rick Derringer - Derringer Live

Artist:  Rick Derringer 

Album:  Derringer Live

Released:  1977

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OK, Rick Derringer has been one of my “guilty pleasures” since my mid-teens.  Nobody’s going to argue that his lyrics surpass Dylan, or his melodies beat the Beatles.  But you know what?  Sometimes it is enough to just Rock And Roll.  And Derringer can certainly rock.  Good time, 70’s vintage rock.  I’ll admit it, at 18 years old, I owned more Derringer albums than I did Beatles and Stones combined.  And, I think he’s one of the more underrated guitar players of the era.  [aside:  this review was inspired by a text message from my son (who is at college), asking who it was that I’ve said is the “most underrated guitar player”.] 

I like what Allmusic says in their review of this album:

“Rick Derringer may not be a great singer or a great songwriter … but he is a great guitar player and Derringer Live is the record where you get the best display of his white-hot guitar-slinging talents”

Anyway…

This 1977 live album is technically “Derringer”, which was Rick Derringer’s band.  Along with RickD was Danny Johnson (Guitar), Kenny Aaronson (Bass) and Vinny Appice (Drums).  No keyboards, no strings, no horns.  Just straight-ahead rock…  which was perfect for a me at the time; a 17 y/o kid from Pittsburgh.   I already had 1973’s “All American Boy” and 1975’s “Spring Fever”, so a live album was a natural addition.  Heck, I probably would've bought it for the album cover alone(and maybe did!).  It was one of my “Top 10 Favorite Live Albums” from my high-school collection, and is still great for when I’m in an uncomplicated mood.

The album starts out rocking with “Let Me In”, and doesn’t really let up until the last notes of and extended version of “Rock And Roll Hoochie Koo”.  Maybe not as intense as a Ramones concert, but it’s full speed start to finish.  My favorites would probably be “Across The Universe”, “Sailor” and “Still Alive And Well”.  [aside 2:  one of the venues where this album was recorded is The Tomorrow Club, in Youngstown OH, where I saw the Ramones a couple of years after this was released.... ]

I’ll give this one 4.5 out of 5, keeping in mind that it delivers exactly what it intends.   Forty-plus years after it’s release, I still play it occasionally.

As far as obscurity?  I’m going to say pretty obscure.  Rick Derringer only had one Top 40 song, with Rock And Roll Hoochie Koo peaking at #23.  He had 3 other songs make the Hot 100, but barely (Teenage Love Affair peaked at 80, Let Me In made #86 and his remake of Hang On Sloopy made it to #90).  Derringer Live peaked at #123 on the album charts.  While his highest charting album after “All American Boy (at #25), that’s not exactly a smash.  I suspect that the most people who remember him can’t name anything he did beyond “…Hoochie Koo”.

Back cover:

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Inner sleeve (click for larger version):