Here's another vinyl from a band I was unfamiliar with until I came across their record; a sort-of-supergroup that fell apart after just one LP, Rough Diamond consisted of former members of Uriah Heep (singer David Byron), Humble Pie/Colosseum (guitarist Clem Clempson) and Wings (drummer Geoff Britton), as well as keyboardist Damon Butcher and bassist Willie Bath. Byron is the biggest name here, but the clincher for me was Clempson, one of the most underrated guitarists ever - to the wider public, at least. Deep Purple knew what they were doing when they asked him to audition as a replacement for Ritchie Blackmore in '75. It's not too difficult to imagine how that collaboration might sound, as Rough Diamond songs often sound quite similar to DP tracks of that period - not the heavy metal rockers like "Burn" and "Stormbringer", but the groovy mid-tempo funk that Coverdale and Hughes introduced on the eponymous albums. My favorite track here is the ballad. Every hard rock album of the 70's contained the obligatory ballad. In this case, though, there's no sense of the band simply completing an obligation: Byron pours his soul into "Seasong", while Clempson and Butcher add emotive solos. Opener "Rock N' Roll" is an anthemic (albeit unimaginatively titled) rocker featuring a nice, out-of-character sax solo. Other highlights include the catchy riff of upbeat "Hobo", and the funky "Lock & Key". "The Link" is a nice piano interlude, while the rest are pleasant AOR with soul and hard rock influences. The LP failed to enter the Top 100; it probably wasn't hard enough to win over Uriah Heep fans. Of course, Rough Diamond's lack of success isn't necessarily indicative of a lack of quality: 1977 was the year of punk's onslaught; any noisy band wearing short hair and safety pins would be positively received, but the mere sight of Byron's moustache and perm on the back cover would be enough to deter anyone from owning this LP lest they suffer the ridicule of their savvier peers. So, is it a literal raw diamond, or is it fool's gold? Neither, it seems. Despite a respectable vocal effort by Byron and typically flawless guitar by Clempson, the perfunctory material prevents this LP from rising above mediocrity - yet, it should still satisfy fans of 70's bluesy hard rock and AOR.
**** for Seasong
*** for Rock N' Roll, Lookin' For You, Lock & Key, Scared, Hobo, The Link
** for By The Horn, End Of The Line
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