Zebra - No Tellin' Lies
#249
September 1984
Zebra
No Tellin’ Lies
3.5 out of 5
Highlights:
I Don’t Like It
Takin' a Stance
Before there was Greta Van Fleet…there was Zebra.
This is such an aping of everything Zeppelin was about (Soaring falsetto vocals, middle eastern tinged lead noodling, heavy bass, but recorded in the 80s with deep echo and a serious lack of songcraft. Then they can’t decide if they are The Beatles or who they want to be. Now I have no issues with bands who ape other styles. My own band could be called anything, but original is not one of those things. But, if the songs aren’t there, the songs aren’t there, man. “Lullaby” can sound as much like Lennon as it wants, or ELO, but the writing isn’t there, sadly.
All that said, I appreciate the early 70s glam attempt here in the same way that I appreciated Bandit. But Bandit had the good sense to hang it up before the 80s began and Zebra is rapidly out of fashion with the era. But some of the lead guitar work, "Takin' a Stance", for instance, is spot on, the songs just aren't, though.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/no-tellin-lies/204725758
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