Where it all began-the group was then a five piece and contained only Tim Hauser, bass singer, from the subsequent line-up. The production values and the quality of the voices are all professional enough, but it bears as much resemblance to the later incarnation as an apple to an orange, and the material brings back memories of seventies lounge acts and television pop stars. "You're A Viper" and "Java Jive" are as close as you can get-the former a swinging horn workout and the latter a relatively subdued version of the a cappella standard. "Guided Missiles" harkens back to Tim's doo-wop roots-he began his career as a teenage doo wop singer in a group called the Criterions. |