Artist: Speedy KeenAlbum: Y'Know what I Mean?
Year: 1975
Songs of Note: Bad Boys, Almost Eighteen
What is a Speedy Keen? It is a former roommate and chauffeur of Pete Townshend and member of Thunderclap Newman of "Something in the Air" fame. Not a bad pedigree for a rocker. Unfortunately, Speedy does not do enough on this release to make himself stand out. Many of the songs on this record sound derivative and he doesn't establish a voice unique to Speedy Keen.
Much of the phrasing of the singing is very reminiscent of The Who and Pete Townshend. The lead track "Crazy Love" has a guitar riff that borrows extensively from George Harrison's "Apple Scruffs". Other tracks dabble in country and reggae to provide some variety.
Just because an artist is derivative does not necessarily make the music bad. It can be done in a way that at least makes it interesting to the listener. Speedy Keen tries and succeeds for the first half of the album. The second half is a real snoozer. It is the love side and is filled with ballads that did not hold my interest.
Does one side of record make it worth listening to? Not this record. It is was nice to see him experimenting in different styles on side one but the execution was just not there to carry one full album and what was at one time intended to be a double album.
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