Lisa Burns - Lisa Burns Album

So no-one has ever heard of Lisa Burns. Slightly more people, but still not many have heard of Willie Alexander's Boom Boom Band, who were her back-up band on this release. Far more people will have heard of the producer, Craig Leon, but probably still no little about him.

I picked this up back in 1978 on the strength of her being backed by the Boom Boom Band (whose two vastly under-rated MCA albums I had recently bought). I instantly fell in love with it and have been playing it ever since. It is a great tragedy that this is one of so many albums from that era that have failed to make it into the digital/CD age. It's hardly surprising - the single CD release of the two Boom Boom Band MCA albums has been out of print for over 20 years and no-one has made any efforts to re-release them, not even the Japanese (who seem happy to re-release almost anything). This album is begging out for remastering and re-releasing on CD, so let's hope someone like Cherry Red or Ace reads this and gets on with it.

But what about the music? In some ways this album bears comparison to Ellen Foley's 'Nightout'. Both 1978, both featuring mostly covers of their favourite songs, with a steady touring band backing them and relative giants producing them. But time has been kinder to Foley, despite her follow-up being the most self-indulgent pap. 'Lisa Burns' is an album made up of some of Lisa's favourite songs, coupled with some co-written with underground star Helen Wheels (and Donna Tonery), backed by a great rock band and produced with more than a touch of Spector in the air. The one false move is Leon's attempt to get the Spector drum sound (and he had the same problem with the Boom Boom Band). Some of the tracks are perfect, but on a few the drums feel too high in the mix and Leon doesn't quite hit the Spector leitmotif. But this is a minor detail really, and despite what Joe Viglione says (and he is highly scathing of both this album and the two Boom Boom Band outings) this is a wonderful album.

The choice of material is strong and these songs have never sounded better than they do here. Wayne Carson Thompson's 'Soul Deep' (he also wrote the letter, also for the Box Tops and Alex Chilton) is massive. I love this and the bridging bass line. Absolutely wonderful music. Her take on Jackie DeShannon's 'When You Walk In The Room' is classic 60's, 'Needles And Pins'-esque guitars merging with Spector to make a truly great version of a well-used song.

Lisa also goes left field, recording two songs by Canadian 'giant' Michel Pagliaro, 'Some Sing, Some Dance' and 'Lovin' You Ain't Easy'. I'd not heard of him before, but these are versions that far transcend the originals and take them from bland AOR to unforgettable Spector-influenced rock. There are three songs by Moon Martin (one of which he wrote for her) and the rest are by Lisa, Wheels, Tonery and Leon.

This is a great album, massively under-rated, under promoted at the time and tragically forgotten. Lisa herself released one more single under her own name (with a very different New Wave synth sound) before teaming up with her long-standing musical partner Sal Maida (formerly of early Roxy Music) to release a mini-lp as Velveteen. After that there was nothing until the noughties when she started to release country-esque albums under her own name and also with George Burns. But none of these efforts have matched the creative pinnacle of this album. I still love listening to it now - it still sounds as fresh as it did back then. Obviously if you don't like the Wall Of Sound then this may not be you, but it's worth a try (especially as you can pick the vinyl up so cheaply). I really hope it gets the deluxe CD treatment soon, but it remains a masterpiece whether this happens or not.