Shazam

by The Move

Overview

Compared to the Move's long-gestating 1968 eponymous debut, their 1970 sophomore effort Shazam is unified. It was not culled from sessions from a period of 14 months but instead largely made at one time...but that doesn't necessarily mean that it's any easier to get a handle on the album. The Move changed greatly in the period between their first albums, with original bassist Chris "Ace" Kefford leaving in a cloud of acid in 1968. In his absence, rhythm guitarist Trevor Burton jumped over to bass, beginning an odd period where the group was cutting songs, most penned by Roy Wood but a few written by David Morgan, a fellow Birmingham-based songwriter signed to the publishing company of Move lead singer Carl Wayne. Pulled between these two camps, the Move finally had a true hit single with Wood's gorgeous, watery psychedelic epic "Blackberry Way," not long after Burton left the band and Richard Price was pulled in as his replacement so the band could earn money by touring cabarets in Europe. Here, the band grew muscular and weirder, traits that are showcased on the short-yet-sprawling Shazam. Throwing out the concise constructions and meticulous miniatures of their psychedelic singles, the Move concentrate on heavy progressive rock on Shazam. With the exception of the gentle, string-laden "Beautiful Daughter" -- quite clearly a holdover from previous sessions due to both its sweetness and brevity -- none of the six songs here clock in under five minutes, with two sprawling over seven and "Fields of People" inching toward the 11-minute mark. To what extent this was an intentional experiment or a way of coping with a lack of material is hard to tell; of these six, only the thunderous opener "Hello Susie" truly qualifies as a new Wood original, as "Beautiful Daughter" dates earlier and "Cherry Blossom Clinic Revisited" itself is a reworked, expanded version of a song from the debut. "Hello Susie" also points the way to the heavy, hooky rock & roll the Move would patent on Message from the Country, and it does feel different than either this new "Cherry Blossom Clinic Revisited" or the three covers that make up the second side of Shazam. All these four songs are arranged so the band can dabble in color and texture, shifting from guitars as heavy as their Brummie cohorts Black Sabbath to fragile harmonies. It's wildly inventive music and, as pure sound, the Move may never have been better than they are here, as there are more ideas in each of these long, languid jams than most bands have in a career. Once again, the sheer number of ideas can be intimidating upon first listen and there may be so many that some listeners may never get past this rush of invention, but Shazam rewards repeated spins many times over. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	11/24/2023
Label:	Esoteric Recordings
UPC:	5013929463813

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Move   Primary Artist
Carl Wayne   Bass,Vocals
Tony Visconti   Bass
Roy Wood   Guitar,Vocals,Keyboards
Rick Price   Bass,Guitar,Vocals
Trevor Burton   Bass,Drums,Guitar,Vocals
Dave Morgan   Guitar
Bev Bevan   Drums,Vocals
Richard Tandy   Bass

Technical Credits

Sharon Sheeley   Composer
Teddy Randazzo   Composer
David Morgan   Composer
Paul Simon   Composer
Sonny Curtis   Composer
Jimmy Miller   Producer
Chris Hillman   Composer
Jack Clement   Composer
Larry Weiss   Composer
Carl Wayne   Producer
Cynthia Weil   Composer
Tony Visconti   String Arrangements,Woodwind Arrangement
Carl Smith   Composer
Carole King   Composer
Gary Wright   Composer
Dick Holler   Composer
Rob Keyloch   Mixing
Jerry Ragovoy   Composer
Roy Wood   Composer,Producer
Rick Price   Producer
Raynard Miner   Composer
Mike Love   Composer
Brian Wilson   Composer
Gerry Goffin   Composer
Gary Jackson   Composer
Marijohn Wilkin   Composer
Danny Dill   Composer
Bert Berns   Composer
Barry Mann   Composer
Eddie Cochran   Composer
Wyatt Day   Composer
Denny Cordell   Producer
Denny Laine   Composer
Jon Pierson   Composer
Roger McGuinn   Composer
Neil Diamond   Composer
Mike Hurst   Producer
Arthur Lee   Composer
Tom Paxton   Composer
Todd Rundgren   Composer
Chris Welch   Liner Notes
H.J. Simon   Liner Notes
John Pierson   Composer
Bobby Weinstein   Composer