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Buffalo

Sustained reputation as a major force in Oz punk rock without undue trouble. Their album Only Want You For Your Body was banned from some stores throughout Australia due to its macho cover but the group have always thrived on this sort of publicity, and their popularity picked up as a result. Also in the early part of the year, guitarist John Baxter was exited from the group and the band changed from previous Black Sabbath-type music to more direct hard rock approach. A single, Little Queenie showing new musical approach gained some airplay in Australia but a follow-up, Lucky has seen no action so far. '75 was also a year in which Buffalo straightened out previous slap happy business approach and mounted extensive tours around country. By end of year had picked up considerable popularity around Melbourne and had visited other states successfully. The Future: There's a strong chance Buffalo could make it into the major league in '76. They have charasmatic, if slightly menacing stage presence and a loyal following. Much will depend on upcoming album, Mother's Choice which will be first real showing of band's new musical direction.


Buffalo Improve
Juke No 40 February 11, 1976

Rock punks supreme Buffalo are in Melbourne at this time. This can be discerned from the audible screams of excited band ladies, and the strangled cries of horror as motel managers enter their post party rooms. By gee, she's a hard life in Rock 'n' Roll. Manager Sebastian Chase reports a growing maturity in the band's outlook. Apparently the score to date at their new motel is only broken doors one, roadies fist no score.


Buffalo
 No 7, March 12, 1976

I read your article on Buffalo some time back, and since then I've heard some of their material, which is pretty good. Could you please tell me the name of all their albums so far, and release dates if possible. They released two singles, Little Queenie and Lucky - which albums are these on? Buffalo Fan Dandenong, Vic. Album run-down: Dead Forever, Volcanic Rock, Buffalo Only Want You For Your Body, Mother's Choice - all available on Phonogram. (Dead Forever has recently gone gold.) To date they've released about six singles and an EP. However Phonogram usually delete singles nine months after release date. Little Queenie and Lucky are both on their latest album. Mother's Choice.


Buffalo Mothers's Choice
(Vertigo)

Consider Buffalo. Here they are on their fourth album. They've been operating since the early 70's and they've built up a strong reputation as the sleeziest rock outfit who ever handed out a satisfying noise at your local dance. The question is why are they still playing your local dance? I mean what with Hush and AC/DC showing that punko rock is a supremely commercial proposition, why aren't Buffalo A Big National Name as well? It's true enough that Buffalo have notched up a gold record (for their 1st album, Dead Forever), and their 2nd and 3rd elpees are Almost There. Also that this very album, Mother's Choice sold 1,000 in the first week alone. And that's not bad going. But it's not all that great either, considering that Buffalo are (on a good night) about the most powerful raw rock band in Australia. A thick, sludgy, muddy, powerful sound. Arguably that sound is why the band have never completed the Rock Success Equation. You know how it goes: Successful live appearances leads to successful single, leads to successful album and another successful single, leads to the headline National Tour . It's the lack of that successful single that ballses things up.

Buffalo have to this date released something like 8 singles. And only one of 'em (Little Queenie) even looked like getting enough airplay to guarantee a good chart position. Little Queenie is on this album and a good rendition it is too. Norm Roue (since departed) slices through some particularly mean cuts of slide guitar and Karl Taylor keeps a fuzzed up boogie beat on rhythm guitar. Dave Tice strangles the lyrics. With Little Queenie they were unlucky not to have had a hit. Their latest single Lucky is not so fine. Norm Roue is asleep in the corner, the rhythm section is battling against some studio acoustic problem, and losing badly, Dave Tice doesn't seem to be singing with mucho conviction. Lucky is also on Mother's Choice and its lacklustre production is a problem that spreads throughout the album. Another problem is that Choice is the first Buffalo album without former guitarist John Baxter. Baxter was a guitarist in the heavy metal Black Sabbath mould - very specialised and frequently limited, but at least lively. What's here is a hotch potch of more standard rock guitar from Norm Roue (who's on most cuts) and Karl Taylor (who's on all of 'em). Norm Roue, apart from Little Queenie doesn't contribute too many sparkling moments and Karl Taylor sounds strangely flat - as if he's left his best licks back at the dance hall. The album was actually recorded in bits and pieces over the past year and the lack of cohesion shows. There's a certain rough and ready live feel, but the recording quality varies alarmingly from track to track and the material is everywhere. There are two Chuck Berry songs, a couple of tempo riff-pieces, a few dramatic commentary pieces about The World and Its Sorry State, which are sabotaged by some dismal and offhand production. And there's yer actual heavy blooz - five minutes of something called Essukay (ess-u-kay ... geddit!). The production afflicted upon the rhythm section of Peter Wells (bass) and Jim Economou (drums) is just awful and the piece sinks without a trace despite a few snatches of nifty slide from Roue and some echo chamber vocal gymnastics from Tice. Harsh words? You betcha. Especially for an album that somehow manages to retain a good feel despite its multitude of faults. Oh gawd, I dunno. Go out and at least listen to it I s'pose. Make up your own mind as to why this band are still just doing orright - when by rights they really should have made the Very Big Time, long long ago.
Mike Guthrie