Search - Trapeze :: Trapeze

Not what you'd expect

Marty Jones | Florida | 09/27/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"If you have heard "Medusa" or "You are the Music" and are looking for something similar, this isn't it. This version of Trapeze had 5 members and a real leaning towards a softer sound. That's not to say that the songs aren't decent, but they sound a lot more like Fat Mattress or one of the other flower-pop groups of the day.



I have been listening to this album for 35 years and some of the songs did make it on to my "best of Trapeze" CD mix - but it is nowhere as exciting an album as Medusa is.



"

Ropes well worn on "Trapeze" ('76)

Les Thomassen | Atlanta, GA USA | 10/26/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Trapeze sounds practiced, if occasionally weary, on its 1976 self-titled release. Marking their fifth studio release and the second time they had used the title, "Trapeze" ('76) offers a 35-minute slice of middle '70s rock - guitar-based, honest, gritty.
There's no glitter here. No call for make-up. No hint of the spandex-wrapped sound of the '80s. This is comfortable rock'n'roll, to be guarded like you might a tattered pair of boots that look rough, but know your feet better than any others.
The line-up on "Trapeze" matches the one heard on the band's previous album, "Hot Wire." Guitarist/singer Mel Galley remains the main contributor, writing or co-writing nearly all of the 10 songs on the disc. Rob Kendrick is back to do guitar work. Drummer Dave Holland and bassist Pete Wright also appear again.
The sound is less funky than on "Hot Wire." Solid guitar exchange between Galley and Kendrick give momentum to songs such as "The Raid" and "Monkey." Piano and organ work used occasionally add thickness to the sound. And there's some nifty slide guitar work, particularly in "I Need You," that sounds something like Micky Moody in the early stages of Whitesnake.
Fans of Glenn Hughes will want to pay attention to two songs - "Chances" and "Nothin' For Nothin'" - where he does the lead vocals. Both are strong entries. "Chances" is a slow-tempo, sweet song somewhat like "Will Our Love End" from earlier Trapeze days. And "Nothin' For Nothin'" shows a country blues influence with Hughes at his nasal best.
Like "Hot Wire," "Trapeze" ('76) was originally distributed by Warner Brothers and is re-released on CD by One Way Records. Trapeze fans may want to add a star to the ranking given here. And anyone who feels connected to middle '70s rock will find a welcoming cushion in the sound of this album."