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:: Snow - Crack The Whip ::

This is the 2nd K-WEST album I've found (the other one was featured here on October 22, 2005, and that album contains so many gems, I vowed to revisit it someday, and I will. Oh yes, I will.). The funny thing about the 2 records is the 1st one came out shortly after the station abandoned it's long standing easy listening format, going head to head with L.A. FM rock mainstays KMET and KLOS, and the 2nd record came out just before the station ditched the rawk format for oldies, and then eventually an "urban" format that continues to this day (Power 106). Both records contain original music sent in by listeners hoping to make the big time. It was hard to choose a song to write about, but I finally settled on "Crack The Whip" by Snow.

Now, I never thought I would be able to find any information about Snow, but I lucked out this time (funny how injecting the word "metal" in a Google search can reap such benefits). Comprised of Doug Ellison on vocals, Carlos Cavazo on guitar, Tony Cavazo on bass and Stephen Quadros on drums, Snow was not around for long but rocked the hell out of the L.A. clubs during 1980. Carlos left to join Quiet Riot, which had lost original guitarist Randy Rhoads to the Oz man. This new version of Quiet Riot of course went on to great fortune and fame, followed rapidly by defeat and humiliation.

"Crack The Whip" reminds me of mid-seventies Deep Purple. Although Carlos Cavazo shines, vocalist Doug Ellison is my favorite thing going on here. I love the way he says "Load knows I need you and the way you crack the whip", and the line about tying up his feet and hands is precious. I don't know who wrote the song, someone named White (Snow White?), but it also appeared on Snow's only EP released in 1980. Great, another thing to scour the used bins for.


Mike

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 18, 2006 at 6:22 AM. You can skip to the end and leave a response.