Boomerang - Boomerang (1971) {2015, Reissue}

Boomerang's eponymous 1971 debut also proved to be their last (though a shelved second album remains stashed away somewhere), and its surprisingly stripped-down and unfettered blues-rock approach will probably surprise those familiar with vocalist/organist Mark Stein's earlier work with psychedelic overlords Vanilla Fudge. Clearly inspired by the white-knuckled intensity of Led Zeppelin's first two albums, economic hard rockers like "Juke It," "Cynthia Fever," and "The Peddler" attempted to deliver the same thrilling brand of sheer power masking barely reigned-in virtuosity. Like every other six-stringer of the day, guitar wunderkind Ricky Ramirez (press clippings claimed he was 15 at the time of this recording) was thrust into the role of guitar hero whether he liked it or not; and, despite falling well short of achieving headline status (witness his nonexistent post-Boomerang career), he handled himself convincingly enough throughout, even contributing a nifty backward solo to "Hard Times." As for the band's true frontman and centerpiece, Mark Stein, tunes like the bluesy ballad "Fisherman" and the aforementioned "Juke It" reveal just how much future Deep Purple singer David Coverdale borrowed from his bluesy style. Not to beat a dead horse, but, also like Purple's Coverdale-fronted Mark III lineup, Boomerang offered frequent vocal sparing matches between Stein and bassist Jo Casmir. The duo trades vocal licks with particularly successful results on the extremely funky "Mockingbird," and the entire group's ability to mesh with lush string arrangements on the almost Allman Brothers-like "Brother's Comin' Home" serves as a final reminder of Boomerang's restrained versatility and unfulfilled promise. That fact notwithstanding, all of the above help make this self-titled release an obscure delight for enthusiasts of early-'70s hard rock.

Although they were blessed from the start with stronger business connections and longer musical pedigree than most new hard rock acts of the early '70s, New York's promising Boomerang never lived up to commercial expectations, and their failed bid for stardom was both disappointing and fleeting. When the Vanilla Fudge rhythm section of Tim Bogert and Carmine Appice quit to form hard rockers Cactus in 1970, vocalist and keyboard player Mark Stein briefly considered carrying on with replacement musicians before realizing he'd do better moving on to newer pastures himself. Turning down an offer from Atlantic Records boss Ahmet Ertegun to record a solo album, Stein set about forming a new outfit to front, and the result was the short-lived Boomerang. Drummer James Galluzi and bassist/vocalist Jo Casmir were both Vanilla Fudge fans from nearby Poughkeepsie, New York, and with the arrival of teenage guitar prodigy Ricky Ramirez, Boomerang dove headlong into writing and rehearsing new material in a bluesy, hard rock vein that was far more straightforward than the Fudge. Scoring a deal with RCA, Boomerang issued their self-titled debut in 1971, but were soon floundering due to less-than sterling live shows and leader Mark Stein's own lack of motivation. Sharing management with the notably more successful Cactus made for some uncomfortable politics as well, and, although a second album was actually recorded, a disillusioned and disinterested Stein decided to shelve both the record and Boomerang's career forever.

~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music