Album Review: Roy Wood & Wizzard - Main Street

Roy Wood and Wizzard: Main Street

Long awaited but decidedly underwhelming set from Move/ELO/Wizzard mastermind Roy Wood. Originally slated or release back in 1977 the album sat on the shelf for a quarter of a century before finding it's way to market in 2000. It needn't have bothered - Main Street is a thoroughly mediocre hodge podge of recycled ideas that marked the sad decline of a pop genius (not that Wood isn't still capable of musical magic, just that it materializes far less frequently then in the 60's and 70's).

For every decent track (Indiana Rainbow, Main Street) there's an equally forgettable offering (the underpowered cod big band French Perfume, the second division jazz rock of I Should Have Known, Saxmaniax which sounds like a backing session from Message From the Country). Main Street isn't all bad, and had it come from some unknown it would be considered fairly promising, bit from Roy Wood - after 25 years of waiting - it's a big disappointment.