Roy Wood - Wizzard

Wizzard

SINGLES As AND Bs

REPERTOIRE

The flawed genius of Wood was multidirectional. Wizzard's hits like "See My Baby Jive" are ornate but homemade po-mo rock'n'roll, the exact midpoint between Spector and Meek; other tracks like "Bend Over Beethoven" could almost be Zappa. But for Wood's undiluted vision, the first CD of his solo anthology stands as a UK Smile; ranging from the Scottish reggae of "Going Down The Road" to inventing Kid Creole on "Indiana Rainbow" and the shattered beauty of the greatest song he ever wrote, "The Rain Came Down On Everything." It is best to pass over disc two in regretful silence.

Rating: 4 / 10