Pampered Menial＜限定盤/Colored Vinyl＞

Pampered Menial was the first album from Pavlovs Dog, a band produced by Murray Krugman and Sandy Pearlman, the duo behind Blue Oyster Cult. The seven men in this group are revealed in the gatefold holding Horace, a dog, while three engravings from 1849 by artist Robert Vernon make up the front, back, and inside cover. Those paintings are striking, and though the music -- mostly written by vocalist David Surkamp -- tries hard, it just isnt as captivating as the package that surrounds it. With song titles like Theme from Subway Sue and Of Once and Future Kings, the identity that Blue Oyster Cult maintained was missing here. The band itself isnt half bad. Episodes Mellotron, courtesy of Doug Rayburn, and Siegfried Carvers violin provide more than adequate sounds. Carvers sole composition, Preludin, comes off as one of the best tracks, perhaps because it is an instrumental version of progressive rock that Triumvirat and early Journey were exploring. Lead guitarist Steve Scorfina co-writes a beautiful piece with vocalist Surkamp in Late November, while drummer Michael Safrons Song Dance is another highly creative number. Pavlovs Dog provide elegant rock, with majestic drums by Safron, additional keyboards by David Hamilton augmenting Rayburns Mellotron and flute, and solid 70s production from Krugman and Pearlman. ~ Joe Viglione