The Hello People - Bricks (1975)

The Hello People, this one being their final release from 1975, "Bricks". By this point, the band had been pruned down to a quartet and streamlined their musical approach considerably. Under the direction of mentor Todd Rundgren, the band entered the studio in early 1975 and had "Bricks" on store shelves by the summer. Though Rundgren's golden touch had revived many sagging careers of the artists he worked with, The Hello People did not fare quite as well. By early 1977, the band had stopped touring and effectively fizzled by year's end. The post-breakup activities of former members are not known.

If you enjoyed the psychedelic sounds of the band's early albums, you will probably not find much to enjoy with "Bricks". Here we see a pastiche of mellow pop, hard rock and 50's doowop. Though there are highlights such as the perfectly crafted "Pass Me By", which incidentally appeared earlier in a different form on a previous album by the band, most of the material here is rather pedestrian. Despite this flaw, I honestly do enjoy this album from time to time. It's all about moderation folks and this is an album that does not hold up well under repeated listenings. Having said that, this is a relic worth checking out, especially if you are already familiar with the band.Review by Robots For Ronnie:

A1     One Life Time    
A2     It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference
    Arranged By [Strings] – Kirby JohnsonGuitar – Dave Wilcox (2)
A3     Dinosaur    
A4     Just Can't Help Myself    
A5     Mad Red Ant Lady    
A6     Book Of Love    
B1     Faces    
B2     I Want Someone    
B3     So Good To Be Alive    
B4     Never Get A Girl Like You    
B5     Pass Me By

**Enjoy**