NITZINGER
''LIVE BETTER ELECTRICALLY''
1976
57:23
1 Control 03:19
2 Are You With Me 03:41
3 Live Better Electrically 02:17
4 Around 03:47
5 Gimme A Wink 03:38
6 Yellow Dog 03:15
7 Tell Texas 02:30
8 Vagabond 03:25
9 No Way Around You 03:36
10 The Writing On The Wall 02:26
11 Ticklelick (Bonus) 02:27
12 Fingers In The Fan (Bonus) 03:36
13 Rap Is Crap (Bonus) 04:18
14 Louisiana Cok Fight (Bonus) 03:15
15 Jellyroll Blues (Bonus) 04:57
16 Control (Bonus) 04:23
17 L.A. Texas Boy (Bonus) 02:01
18 Little Bitty Girl (Bonus) 00:22
David Alley - Vocals (Background)
The Austin Singers - Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Layton DePenning - Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Jerry Harris - Bass
Paul Leim - Drums
Marianne Lindsey - Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Phyllis Lindsey - Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Nitzinger Primary Artist
John Nitzinger - Guitar, Vocals
Darrell Norris - Drums
Bob Pickering Producer
Randy Reeder - Drums
Whitney Thomas - Keyboards
Larry White - Guitar (Steel)
Kenneth Whitfield - Keyboards, Organ
REVIEW
by Eduardo Rivadavia (AllMusic)
Arriving all of four years after Nitzinger's closely stacked first two albums -- 1971's hit-bearing eponymous debut and 1973's nearly as good sophomore effort, One Foot in History -- 1976's Live Better Electrically brought an unexpected resurrection of a band name that many fans had probably given up for dead. But namesake vocalist/guitarist John Nitzinger was apparently only hibernating all that time, and even though he didn't see fit to bring his onetime bandmates back with him (replacing them with now long forgotten henchmen), his talents for creating blues-inflected hard rock and boogie remained commendably undiminished, even as his curiosity for occasional stylistic diversions had grown exponentially. In fact, the differences between some songs were so stark at times that the only thing connecting them was a certainty that Nitzinger was very well aware of modern musical trends -- as evidenced, on the one hand, by the tough Midwestern groove of rocking opener "Control," which was obviously inspired by rising star Ted Nugent; and, on the other, the head-turning funk disco of "Are You with Me," which shockingly emulated the Commodores' "Machine Gun." Spread somewhere betwixt this odd couple were several additional heavy rock nuggets like the bluntly aggressive title track and the geographically confrontational "Tell Texas," as well as more far-fetched forays like the somnolent blues ballad "Around" and string-laden soft country-rock (with nifty pedal steel) of "Vagabond." And then, rounding out the set came some hybrid offerings that forged a nervous truce between both camps: namely the part acoustic, part progressive, soul sister singer backed-up "Gimme a Wink" and the deliciously funky rocker "Yellow Dog," featuring both a space rock midsection and one of the best guitar licks of Nitzinger's entire career. All told, Live Better Electrically boasted the same compelling mixture of expected hard rock fervor and unexpected distractions, only slightly more confusing than those earlier works; whether fans would be able to take it in stride or as an offense was really utterly subjective. Unfortunately, such opinions would become moot when Nitzinger promptly lapsed back into obscurity following the album's release, and the next time he was heard from would be as a member of Carl Palmer's and Alice Cooper's early-'80s bands.
BIOGRAPHY
by Eduardo Rivadavia (AllMusic)
Nitzinger is the band named after Texan guitarist John Nitzinger, whose long career has yielded sporadic releases and on-stage appearances for over three decades, starting in the late '60s. Hailing from the city of Fort Worth, John Nitzinger was, by his own account, a precocious songwriter and musician and was involved in several bands and nondescript single releases in the mid- to late '60s. But it wasn't until the next decade that the Nitzinger name began gaining recognition -- first as a sometime songwriter for fellow Texans Bloodrock, and then, after recruiting bassist Curly Benton and drummer Linda Waring, to create a power trio named after himself. This lineup recorded an eclectic eponymous debut album (part bluesy boogie rock, part esoteric post-psych) for Capitol in 1971 and briefly broke into the American charts' Top 200 with a spunky Southern rock single called "Louisiana Cock Fight." A sophomore effort named (perhaps somewhat prematurely) One Foot in History followed in 1973 and introduced second guitarist Bugs Henderson, but achieved no repeat trip into the charts. So, after collaborating with Henderson on another Southern hard rock album billed simply to Thunder, it wasn't long before Nitzinger -- the band -- had been reduced to John and assorted session musicians, recklessly experimenting with everything in between rock and disco on 1976's Live Better...Electrically. The guitarist would later work with Carl Palmer's PM project and Alice Cooper during his Zipper Catches Skin album and tour, but has otherwise been largely forgotten outside the state of Texas, where he informally retired to after years of road work (he also reportedly conquered a few addictions and won a battle with cancer). The new millennium finally saw John Nitzinger record another album, mixing both new material and re-recorded classics for the appropriately named Going Back to Texas, released in 2002. And since then, Nitzinger has carried on performing occasional gigs, fostering an on-going musical partnership with former Bloodrock buddy Jim Rutledge and basking in a steady rediscovery of his early work thanks to the information-spreading power of the Internet.
''LIVE BETTER ELECTRICALLY''
1976
57:23
1 Control 03:19
2 Are You With Me 03:41
3 Live Better Electrically 02:17
4 Around 03:47
5 Gimme A Wink 03:38
6 Yellow Dog 03:15
7 Tell Texas 02:30
8 Vagabond 03:25
9 No Way Around You 03:36
10 The Writing On The Wall 02:26
11 Ticklelick (Bonus) 02:27
12 Fingers In The Fan (Bonus) 03:36
13 Rap Is Crap (Bonus) 04:18
14 Louisiana Cok Fight (Bonus) 03:15
15 Jellyroll Blues (Bonus) 04:57
16 Control (Bonus) 04:23
17 L.A. Texas Boy (Bonus) 02:01
18 Little Bitty Girl (Bonus) 00:22
David Alley - Vocals (Background)
The Austin Singers - Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Layton DePenning - Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Jerry Harris - Bass
Paul Leim - Drums
Marianne Lindsey - Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Phyllis Lindsey - Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Nitzinger Primary Artist
John Nitzinger - Guitar, Vocals
Darrell Norris - Drums
Bob Pickering Producer
Randy Reeder - Drums
Whitney Thomas - Keyboards
Larry White - Guitar (Steel)
Kenneth Whitfield - Keyboards, Organ
REVIEW
by Eduardo Rivadavia (AllMusic)
Arriving all of four years after Nitzinger's closely stacked first two albums -- 1971's hit-bearing eponymous debut and 1973's nearly as good sophomore effort, One Foot in History -- 1976's Live Better Electrically brought an unexpected resurrection of a band name that many fans had probably given up for dead. But namesake vocalist/guitarist John Nitzinger was apparently only hibernating all that time, and even though he didn't see fit to bring his onetime bandmates back with him (replacing them with now long forgotten henchmen), his talents for creating blues-inflected hard rock and boogie remained commendably undiminished, even as his curiosity for occasional stylistic diversions had grown exponentially. In fact, the differences between some songs were so stark at times that the only thing connecting them was a certainty that Nitzinger was very well aware of modern musical trends -- as evidenced, on the one hand, by the tough Midwestern groove of rocking opener "Control," which was obviously inspired by rising star Ted Nugent; and, on the other, the head-turning funk disco of "Are You with Me," which shockingly emulated the Commodores' "Machine Gun." Spread somewhere betwixt this odd couple were several additional heavy rock nuggets like the bluntly aggressive title track and the geographically confrontational "Tell Texas," as well as more far-fetched forays like the somnolent blues ballad "Around" and string-laden soft country-rock (with nifty pedal steel) of "Vagabond." And then, rounding out the set came some hybrid offerings that forged a nervous truce between both camps: namely the part acoustic, part progressive, soul sister singer backed-up "Gimme a Wink" and the deliciously funky rocker "Yellow Dog," featuring both a space rock midsection and one of the best guitar licks of Nitzinger's entire career. All told, Live Better Electrically boasted the same compelling mixture of expected hard rock fervor and unexpected distractions, only slightly more confusing than those earlier works; whether fans would be able to take it in stride or as an offense was really utterly subjective. Unfortunately, such opinions would become moot when Nitzinger promptly lapsed back into obscurity following the album's release, and the next time he was heard from would be as a member of Carl Palmer's and Alice Cooper's early-'80s bands.
BIOGRAPHY
by Eduardo Rivadavia (AllMusic)
Nitzinger is the band named after Texan guitarist John Nitzinger, whose long career has yielded sporadic releases and on-stage appearances for over three decades, starting in the late '60s. Hailing from the city of Fort Worth, John Nitzinger was, by his own account, a precocious songwriter and musician and was involved in several bands and nondescript single releases in the mid- to late '60s. But it wasn't until the next decade that the Nitzinger name began gaining recognition -- first as a sometime songwriter for fellow Texans Bloodrock, and then, after recruiting bassist Curly Benton and drummer Linda Waring, to create a power trio named after himself. This lineup recorded an eclectic eponymous debut album (part bluesy boogie rock, part esoteric post-psych) for Capitol in 1971 and briefly broke into the American charts' Top 200 with a spunky Southern rock single called "Louisiana Cock Fight." A sophomore effort named (perhaps somewhat prematurely) One Foot in History followed in 1973 and introduced second guitarist Bugs Henderson, but achieved no repeat trip into the charts. So, after collaborating with Henderson on another Southern hard rock album billed simply to Thunder, it wasn't long before Nitzinger -- the band -- had been reduced to John and assorted session musicians, recklessly experimenting with everything in between rock and disco on 1976's Live Better...Electrically. The guitarist would later work with Carl Palmer's PM project and Alice Cooper during his Zipper Catches Skin album and tour, but has otherwise been largely forgotten outside the state of Texas, where he informally retired to after years of road work (he also reportedly conquered a few addictions and won a battle with cancer). The new millennium finally saw John Nitzinger record another album, mixing both new material and re-recorded classics for the appropriately named Going Back to Texas, released in 2002. And since then, Nitzinger has carried on performing occasional gigs, fostering an on-going musical partnership with former Bloodrock buddy Jim Rutledge and basking in a steady rediscovery of his early work thanks to the information-spreading power of the Internet.
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