Flash Cadillac And The Continental Kids - There's No Face Like Chrome (2024) [Hi-Res]

Anything was bound to be a disappointment after their promising debut, and Flash Cadillac's second album certainly has some sophomore slump about it, despite several strong points. Some of the album's inconsistency is likely due to the fact that the planned production team of Leiber and Stoller didn't work out; drummer Toxey French reportedly handled both producing and engineering.

Oddly, the lead track (and single), "Dancin' On a Saturday Night," came from British songwriters most often associated with glam rock. "Dancin'" is extremely catchy, but does set a more restrained tone than found on most of their first album. The oldies they cover, too, are not near the standard of their debut: Leiber and Stoller's "Message from Garcia" is one of the songwriters' lesser efforts, and their take on "Youngblood," (recorded for the band's appearance on the TV series Happy Days) sounds rushed and thin.

"Rock and Roll Heaven" (with lyrics saluting '50s rockers, unlike the Righteous Brothers' hit version) is extremely poppy, with outstanding vocals, whereas "A Fool Like You" is as bad a song as was ever foisted off on the band, and sounds painfully out of place. As on the band's debut, Kris Moe contributes a couple of listenable originals. Despite a few clunkers, not bad, but not up to their potential. © James A. Gardner