Album Review

Jason Elias [allmusic.com]

Despite the fact that the band was one of the more influential outfits of the late '60s and early '70s, a few key departures caused them to recede from the charts before a few of their peers. Even the return of vocalist David Clayton-Thomas couldn't help the fortunes of their last two '70s albums, and they were released in 1976. Brand New Day is their first and only effort for soon defunct ABC. Brand New Day is produced by Roy Halee and group member Bobby Colomby. The two had been co-producers for 1971's classic Blood Sweat and Tears 4, but, by 1977, the musical landscape had changed, so this is closer to R&B and polished pop, rather than the amalgam of styles that the group was famous for. ''Dreaming As One'' is a duet between Clayton-Thomas and Chaka Khan and despite the interesting chemistry, the song is barely there. Both ''Same Old Blues'' and the humorous ''Gimme That Wine'' have the band incorporating a funkier sound by way of elastic bass patterns and Clayton-Thomas's playful vocals. The well-intentioned tribute to Janis Joplin, ''Rock and Roll Queen,'' comes off a little heavy handed. This does end strong, however. The cover of Billie Holiday's ''Don't Explain'' has a graceful arrangement and a subdued and effective vocal from Thomas. For the most part, Brand New Day wasn't as innovative or as grand as previous releases, but fans will enjoy some of the better moments.