Long out of print,
Silk Torpedo
provides an interesting glance into the glam era. Beginning with "Dream" -- a ghostly instrumental prelude that their friends in Led Zeppelin would later cop for "In the Evening" -- this album launches into "Joey," a superb combination of piano boogie, crashing drums, and melodramatic choruses draped in Hammond organ.
Phil May's
vocals on this piece run somewhere between
Ian Hunter
and
Steve Tyler
, and are every bit as effective. "Maybe You Tried" is a glittering slice of glam rock, all pouting and hip-thrusting, with a simply killer guitar hook from
Pete Tolson
. From this strong start, though, the album falters into a torpid sort of introspection. Still, "Belfast Cowboys" deserves kudos for taking on the Irish Question long before
U2
was taking its first music lessons. ~ Paul Collins