This was something that seemed to be a much bigger deal at the time than it is now, but when David Lee Roth split from Van Halen to his own solo career, at least in the mainstream-MTV-music world, shock waves were definitely made. The year before, Dave had released his EP Crazy from the Heat, which featured the glossy videos for "California Girls" and "Just A Gigolo" - plus, there was a rumored movie deal in the works (which eventually fell through) - which meant the competitive stakes between him and his old bandmates were sky high. Dave's response was to get together a crack lineup (Stevie Vai, Billy Sheehan, and Gregg Bissonette) and record Eat 'Em and Smile, a high-octane mix of cutting rockers and torch standards - in other words, not too far removed from his Van Halen days. The interplay between Roth and Vai is different than the relationship between him and Eddie Van Halen; Vai feeds more easily into Roth's slapstick impulses, and overall, he comes off as part of Dave's vast variety show - something you could never accuse Eddie of falling into. But the approach works, especially on the opening "Yankee Rose", which may very well be the funniest song Van Halen never wrote (I especially dig the talking guitar intro), and on big, gusto-filled numbers like the cover of "Tobacco Road" and "Goin' Crazy!".

If I remember my Greek mythology, Comus was the God of Anarchy and Festivity. And so, the band which took their name decided it was only right to record an album which reflected those values, although, in my opinion, I think it strays a bit too far to the anti-social side of the fence. The band's general aggro-folk sound could be seen as trail-blazing to today's genre-delimited crowds, but for my taste, many of these tracks just mess around for too long - going here and there through assorted passageways - and whenever they resolve themselves, it's unnecessarily tortured. If you are into this kind of weird folk gig, try the Incredible String Band, who were similar technically, but far more varied with many more albums to explore - and a really interesting career arc to boot - but yet have seemingly received a tenth of the notice Comus has for this one kooky, out-of-left-field record.

Payola$ were successful in Canada, but never broke through in the U.S., possibly because of the past connotations the band name carried. Joining lead singer Paul Hyde was guitarist Bob Rock - yes, the very same Bob Rock who would go on to produce Motley Crue and Metallica - and former glam-rock guitar God Mick Ronson produced No Stranger to Danger as well. The record contained a curious cross between jangly power pop, U2-like New Wave exercises, and atmospheric reggae-lite jams like "Eyes of a Stranger", which relied on Hyde's screeching vocals as the hook. Rock may have been cut out of stardom here, but would get his revenge many times over starting as early as the late 1980's.

At this point, Wood, Lynne, and Bevan were working on two albums at once, although the real work was on the ELO debut record. This last Move album was just that - close the book on the project once and for all. Still, it's a fairly good effort, mainly consisting of progressive pop material (tinged with the Wood/Lynne classical touch), interspersed with send-up material that is mildly entertaining. For example, Bevan does a hilarious - in that it's off the mark - imitation of Johnny Cash on "Ben Crawley Steel Company". But the serious stuff makes an impact as well, like on the soaring title track (composed by Lynne) and Wood's forlorn "It Wasn't My Idea To Dance". My preference is for the experimental nature of Looking On, but this is a good follow-up, and send-off.

By this point the original lineup of The Move had splintered, and despite a run of high-charting singles in their native U.K. they were at a crossroads. Shazam ended up being a compromise effort, consisting of mostly amplified covers to appease lead singer Carl Wayne, who ended up leaving the group shortly after the album was released, anyway. The first side is by far the more relevant one, featuring mostly Wood compositions, including a booming, more dramatic remake of "Cherry Blossom Clinic" (titled "Revisited"), followed by a stunning medley of classical works in the public domain reinterpreted in a rock setting. Also of note is "Hello Susie", which veers in a cheerful pop-metal direction. Out of the covers on the second side, "Fields of People" (originally cut by Ars Nova) is the definite standout, but still lags compared to the inspired content that came before it.