Henry Gross: Love is the Stuff

Title: Love is the Stuff

Artist: Henry Gross

Year: 1978

Songs of Note: Rock 'N' Roll I Love You

For those not familiar with Henry Gross, you are not alone. He was a founding member of Sha Na Na and had one minor hit "Shannon". This was inspired by the passing of Carl Wilson's Irish Setter. The song was also the subject of the long distance dedication that gave us this Casey Kasem gem where he flips his lid.

Side 1 starts strongly enough with "Rock 'N' I Love You", a lite rock number that would fit nicely alongside Gerry Rafferty or Michael McDonald era Doobie Brothers. Guitars are the driving force behind the song and Gross showcases a lovely falsetto. The rest of the songs on this side continue this lite rocking motif. "Love is the Stuff" and "Only the Beautiful" are surprisingly bitter given how upbeat the music sounds. "Love is the Stuff" outlines why a relationship is failing and "Only the Beautiful" seems to be him complaining how good looking people always get their way

Side 2 starts off with the sleepy number , "Where the Blue Begins". Todd Rundgren had already mastered this sound six years earlier on Something/Anything and moved on. The rest of the side bounces between styles, with a lite jazz rock of "Buy With My Heart" to more of a lite southern rock fare of "Creeping Jenny" and "Shakedown Your Love".

Overall, this was a surprisingly good album. I was not optimistic with the prominently featured chest hair on the cover but I gave the music a chance. This fits nicely in category of simple 70's lite rock that would play well at the pharmacy or dentist's waiting room.