Classic Album Redux - Head East – Flat as a Pancake

There was a time in high school, when I listened to a ton of Head East.  As the years went by, it seems that time had kinda passed the guys over, which is a shame.  At their best, Head East produced some of the catchiest, arena rock of the ‘70’s, and for those who’re interested in exploring their deep catalog, their 1975 debut is a beaut of a place to start.

I think part of the problem Head East had was one of perception.  With their mid-western roots (St. Louis, MO) and their good ‘ol boy long-hair-and-denim image, seems like people always wanted to clump them in with the more melodic southern bands like Atlantic Rhythm Section.  But Head East were nothing like them, other than both bands having an inherent ability to craft a damn-fine rocking pop song.  Head East weren’t nearly as jammy as the southern bands, and while they employed a good southern tone and twinge to their guitars and certainly knew how to boogie, Head East weren’t afraid to bring out the keyboards and display a gentle prog tendency.  All of this made them hard to classify.

In their purest form, Head East were an arena rock band, pure and simple. With fine musicianship, great vocal harmonies, tight arrangements, and stellar song writing chops, Head East really came across like a blend of Journey and REO Speedwagon (back when both bands were still cool, ie. Infinity-era Journey and You can Tune a Piano, but You Can’t Tunafish-era REO) or maybe the perfect combination of Rush and Southern Rock.  Or perhaps they could be thought of as a fully Midwestern Supertramp.  Certainly, Supertramp would've approved of their vocals.

Flat as a Pancake showcases all that made Head East a consistent draw on the arena circuit and stands the test of time as a damn good ‘70’s AOR album.  Even better than that, it kicks off with one of the great, lost 70’s melodic rock songs, “Never Been Any Reason.”  Sure, Head East never threatened the charts too seriously, but “Never Been Any Reason” and “Love Me Tonight,” did crack the charts and Flat as a Pancake went gold.

And for good reason.  “Never Been Any Reason,” displayed everything that made Head East special.  Beginning with big washes of synth (Moog?) as if this was a prog album (think Kansas) Head East dropped the keys on a dime and cracked it down to a simple, yet perfectly toned guitar riff.  By the time the vocals came in, I was already hooked.  Then, when I heard the vocal interplay of the opening verse, the song became infectious.  drummer Steve Huston has a slightly rougher, throaty tone, while lead singer John Schlitt’s higher voice sounds like a cross between Steve Perry and Geddy Lee, but with some good southern soul christening his vocal chords.   And when they get together, beauty is born.   Actually, all five members of the band sing, and lay down the vocal harmonies in a way that just speaks perfection.   Any doubts that  remain about “Never Any Reason,” vanish as soon as the so-good-it-drills-into-your-head chorus breaks out, “Save my life/I’m going down for the last time.”  Toss in an opulent moog synth solo mid song, and a near-accapella  chorus breakdown and we definitely have one of the best, lost melodic rock songs of the decade.  You can still hear it today on certain Classic Rock station formats.

But Head East weren’t about one song.  “One Against the Other,” brings on a bit of that southern boogie with a racial tolerance/socially conscious slant to the lyrics.   It’s no surprise that “Love Me Tonight” tickled the charts. With it’s elegantly strummed acoustic guitar and great bass run, the boys display their chops easily.  Toss in another hum-it-as-soon-as-you-hear-it chorus and we got another winner.  Light and easy, this is probably the most Supertramp-esque song on the album.  Think “Give a Little Bit,” and you won’t be too far off. 

“City of Gold,” meanwhile proves that these guys didn’t forget how to rock.  Bring that prog back, with it’s synths, complex arrangements, and tale of a quest to find an ancient city made entirely of gold.  Heavier in tone that any other track on the album, “City of Gold,” shows that Head East really could’ve taken their music in any direction they’d wanted.  Hints of the Moody Blues.  Shades of Rush.  It’s all here.  “Fly By Night Lady,” ends side one with an adrenaline-rousing, richly textured, acoustic rocker.  Perhaps even more than “Never Any Reason,” this song encompasses Head East.  Great hooks, stellar vocal arrangements, a great vocal from Schlitt, some good anger, nice aggression, charging acoustic guitars, fierce bass runs.  Another lost classic from the ‘70’s, and while this one was never a hit, it may be my favorite track on the album. 

“Jefftown Creek,” kicks off side two (yes, I own the CD, but only play the vinyl).  Big organ builds slowly, building anticipation for what’s sure to be an epic.  Again, here we get the more proggy Head East, a far cry from their rootsy,country boy image.  And while the song is light (“me and you and a bottle of wine) the scope of the arrangement isn’t.   This is full-on southern-tilt epic, with some of the mightiest Skynard-esque guitar chops on the album.  The unison vocal harmonies are about as tight as you’re gonna find anywhere, and the whole song just boogies over it’s 6 minutes-plus with a confident southern swagger that I find irresistible. 

“Love Me Along,” brings out a little southern bluesy vibe a la ARS with some tasty slide and gang vocals.  “Ticket Back to Georgia,” is a lighter-waving ballad, while album closer “Brother Jacob,” just sends the band out with a loose abandon of twangy, hillbilly rock.  If the Grateful Dead had done this number, it’d have been a staple of their live sets.

There’s a perfect harmony to the album as whole and such an easy flow between songs that it almost feels like a “greatest hits,” package, not a band’s debut. But debut it was.  Head East went on to a long career, criss-crossing the country on the arena circuit and released several more stellar albums, like their double-live disc, but if you’re looking for a place to start with these guys, start at the beginning.

Flat as a Pancake may just be one of the great lost melodic rock albums of the decade.


--Racer

Buy here: Flat As a Pancake




Comments

Mighty High said…
I've always wanted to know more about these guys. Looks like I need to pick up their live album. Cheers, Racer!
Great review! As a follow up - John Schlitt is still performing, with over 20 albums to his credit as frontman for Petra, Christian music's legendary rock band, and 3 solo albums. Check out JohnWSchlitt.com to hear and read more!
Unknown said…
Flat as a Pancake is one of my top three albums to sit down and listen, because it just flows from each song to the next. Recorded when albums were made to be heard from start to finish.
BTW, my other favorites are Grand Funk Railroad Closer to Home, and the Doobie Brothers Toulouse Street.
Ralph said…
The best band of the 70's still listen to them today