On the tails of archiving such similar unheralded pop greats like Blue Ash, Not Lame is proud to release a truly special 2 CD of early/mid 70`s Boston-based greats, Reddy Teddy, whose self-titled, self-released LP was one of the first D.I.Y. releases that filled the gap of gritty early 70`s Rolling Stones-cum-early Aerosmith rock with the sensibilities of The New York Dolls, as well as the new frontiers being forged with nascent punk explosion of the time. Throw in classic Badfinger, Alice Cooper and The Who and you have a major find for 70`s rock and power pop fans! This lone-album from Reddy Teddy is a bona fide rarity fetching well over $100 with record collectors for years. Basically (as one scribe recently put it), Reddy Teddy were to Boston what the New York Dolls were to New York. Well put, indeed. Reddy Teddy:
"The late Matthew McKenzie is pretty obscure, even in power pop circles, but that doesn`t mean his music isn`t worth (re)discovery. His work with the 70s band Reddy Teddy represents an earnest and largely successful attempt to blend the sounds of the Who and the Rolling Stones into rocking power pop that bristles with energy without forgetting the hooks. His 70s and 80s solo work isn`t quite as raucous as RT, but it`s still primarily concerned with melody and vigor. There was a lot of talent in this guy; it`s too bad it didn`t get more attention while he was alive."-High Bias
This collection takes the best of their self-titled album, a treasure trove of studio-recorded demos for major labels, live material and the post-Reddy Teddy work of leader Matthew MacKenzie, who died tragically in 1988(and to whom all the efforts of this release are dedicated to). Well-versed power pop fans will recognize MacKenzie`s name from his stellar guitar work on the first solo album from Television guitarist Richard Lloyd("Alchemy").
Check out the prodigious amount of soundbites here and you`ll hear a truly gripping, original takes on classic 70`s rock that is impossible to `genre-cize`. It`s a little gritty rock, power pop, new wave, glam rock and down-right ultra-cool rock.
Just like Not Lame`s reissue of classic material from the influential Blue Ash, for fans of plain and simple great 70`s rock `n roll with a strong pop, highly melodic, catchy edge, "Teddy Boy" is a major find of a criminally over looked band. Until now. Here`s the proof. Listen and Enjoy.
More fun Reddy Teddy fact: Their self-titled was produced by ex-Left Banke/Beckies leader, Michael Brown and they were signed to Mercury, along w/ the N.Y. Dolls in 1974(the album, ultimately, shelved, though).
Here`s what the RockInBoston web site had to say about Reddy Teddy: ""Moron Rock" and "Magic, Magic" could have been Dolls songs, if you removed the trippy bridge from the latter; "Teddy Boy" would have lived happily on any of the first three Aerosmith LP`s. But listening to Reddy Teddy`s eponymous 1976 LP is like a trip through the family tree of seventies rock styles, although the band never mimicked. It`s just that Matthew MacKenzie was a writer with a broad and varied palette, an explorer who wouldn`t settle for mining a single vein when there was a whole mountain of pop and rock to burrow through. Spending 39 minutes with the Reddy Teddy LP is a very worthwhile use of your time. "Boys and Girls" combines elements of Richie Valens and the Champs with pure power pop. "Shark in the Dark" recalls Peter Townsend`s classic mid-period writing for the Who, as do the verses in "Moron Rock" and "Magic Magic". Not all of the Teddy tunes recall earlier or contemporary influences, to be sure. There are tunes like "Ooh-Wow!" and "Novelty Shoes", which are pure Reddy Teddy, quintisential Boston rock; these are tunes referential only to fellow Beanscenesters like Willie "Loco" Alexander and the Boom Boom Band. Other elements of Rt`s recorded work point solidly towards the future. "Ooh-Wow!" predates and harkens to Meatloaf`s later (and best) material. Bits of "Magic Magic" sound like LA`s great X, and the song "Romance" would be just as comfortable in a set by Oasis, Buffalo Tom, Dinosaur, Jr. or any other 90`s band. The guitar interplay of songs like "Magic Magic" and "Romance" point the way towards groups like Television, and match the intensity of Todd Rundgren`s work with the Nazz. Indeed, it`s no surprise that years later, when Richard Lloyd left Television, he recruited Matthew MacKenzie to play guitar on the very solid "Alchemy" LP".
Soundbite Listening Note: there are a lot of soundbites here, the first 7 represent the Reddy Teddy material and the last five are Matthew MacKenzie`s post-Reddy Teddy(very poppy) material.
 Listen - mp3
Listen - mp3
Listen - mp3
Listen - mp3
Listen - mp3
Listen - mp3
Listen - mp3
Listen - mp3
Listen - mp3
Listen - mp3
Listen - mp3
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