CONCERT REVIEW: The Rake's Progress, New York City, Feb. 22, 1995

- Bob Gajarsky

America needs a new band to provide real rock and roll. Say hello to The Rake's Progress.

Gregg, Stuart, Peter, Bob and Tim took the hometown New York crowd of several hundred screaming fans through 25 nearly all original selections. Even the cover of the Clash's "Magnificent Seven", which probably went unrecognized by most of the audience, had everyone dancing and hollering for more. The could-be fraternity theme song, "Annie Says She Can't", kept the crowd moving and jumping, while the better known tracks off their independent six song E.P. (Cheese Food Prostitute, on hifi Records) elicited strong crowd response.

It's unusual to see a local band generate this amount of electricity with its only commercial product being on a small independent label, but The Rake's Progress isn't an ordinary band. Their first full length work will be release on the new Herb Alpert/Jerry Moss collaboration label, AlMo Records, in late May or early June. We'll keep you updated on one of the most refreshing new bands around.