The most refined of the three albums by
the Frost features singer/songwriter
Dick Wagner as producer, with
Sam Charters, producer of the first two albums --
Frost Music and
Rock and Roll Music -- listed as executive producer. The album kicks off with a seven-minute, 38-second
"Black As Night," taking this Detroit band further into the domain
U.K. rockers dominated. Excellent low-key
Sabbath riff,
progressive rock melody, and
"Hey Jude" chorus conclusion. If the first two
Frost discs are some hybrid of
Brit and
Detroit rock, the line gets further erased on
"Through the Eyes of Love," the title track. The flavor is more like
Marmalade's
"Reflections of My Life" than
Grand Funk's
"Closer to Home," but the tune veers off into a direction explored by neither of the above with a relentless chorus of "God help us please" -- the subtitle of this song.
Vanguard certainly showed faith by releasing three albums by
the Frost, but one wonders listening to this if a
Terry Knight or
Jeff Wald had gotten behind these fellows how music history might have changed.
"Maybe Tomorrow" has a riff taken from
the Beatle's
"She Said." The two minute and 31 seconds would have been fun on radio across America.
Don Hartman's
"Fifteen Hundred Miles (Through the Eye of a Beatle)" seems to reiterate the Detroit/London feel the music conveys.
Garris Gordy's one songwriting contribution,
"It's So Hard," further explores
Frost's musical path, that fuzzy bassline holding up the chorus vocals and
Wagner's impeccable guitar. The riff pulled out of the
Humble Pie textbook, and the influence of
Steve Marriott from both
Small Faces and
Humble Pie evident here.
"A Long Way From Home" turns things around yet again, a
pop ballad with heavy
Gordy Garris piano.
Dick Wagner proved his ability to write hits with
Alice Cooper later in the decade, and this one track is the best example of
the Frost's leader's
pop sensibilities and skills. It is majestic, inspiring music. Where
the Amboy Dukes and
Terry Knight & the Pack got the ink, this band slugged it out in the trenches and was true to their mission. The cover art by
David Edward Byrd, designed by
Jules Halfant, is misleading. It does not represent the music inside, music that
Vanguard was not known for. Play this next to the album by
Flint to notice the difference in execution. Truly a lost
hard pop artifact that deserves to find an audience. ~ Joe Viglione