The debut self-titled release from supergroup Widowmaker has long been out of print on CD, but thanks to those wonderful folks over at Angel Air, this very fine album from 1976 can now be enjoyed once again. Comprised of guitarist Luther Grosvenor (aka Ariel Bender) from Spooky Tooth, Mott the Hoople, and Stealers Wheel, vocalist Steve Ellis of Love Affair, bassist Bob Daisley of Chickenshack (and later Rainbow, Uriah Heep, Gary Moore, and Ozzy among others), guitarist Huw Lloyd-Langton of Hawkwind, and drummer Paul Nicholls of Lindisfarne, along with a little help from keyboard player Zoot Money, Widowmaker certainly had the pedigree for success. Signed to Don Arden's Jet Records, the band only lasted a little over a year and after their follow-up release Little Too Late to Cry they broke up in 1977.
Thankfully, all the hype paid off, as Widowmaker is a very strong & varied release. From the hard rock sounds of "Such a Shame", "On the Road", and "Ain't Telling You Nothing" to the more acoustic strains of "Pin a Rose On Me" and "Straight Faced Fighter", this was a band that used all their experiences to come up with an album that had a little something for everyone. Ellis has a vocal delivery that's like a mix of Robert Plant, Phil Mogg, and Steve Marriott, especially the latter, so when the band launch into their hard rock, bluesy & boogie mode the comparisons to Humble Pie are unmistakable. The pairing of Bender & Lloyd-Langton was a good one, as each delivers some tasty licks, heavy rock riffs, searing blues-rock solos, and deft acoustic work throughout the album,, but it's their ability to work with Ellis to deliver memorable rock songs, like the addicting hard rock anthem "Running Free", complete with its Bad Company styled riffs, that really drives this album. In addition, the band work in some country & gospel flavors on a few of the tracks (again reminding of Humble Pie) which only adds to the overall wide spectrum of flavors on display.
Angel Air's remaster sounds great, and the inclusion of 3 bonus live tracks from The Paris Theater in London that same year in 1976 (all gritty rockers and not tracks included on the studio album) is a wonderful treat. The booklet has a nice history of the band, complete with commentary from Bender & Ellis, plus a host of photographs, making this an overall exceptional package and one of early 2013's most anticipated reissues.
Track Listing
1) Such a Shame
2) Pin a Rose on Me
3) On the Road
4) Straight Faced Fighter
5) Ain't Telling You Nothing
6) When I Met You
7) Leave the Kids Alone
8) Shine a Light On Me
9) Running Free
10) Got a Dream
Bonus Tracks
11) Come on Up (Live)
12) Too Late (live)
13) El Doomo (live)
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