The title track to
Alec Bathgate's first solo album ponders the peculiar trappings of fame: "50,000,000
Elvis fans can't be wrong/I guess they knew it all along. If you want to be a star, go today/buy a suit of gold lame." Well, it's unlikely that this particular
Gold Lame outfit will turn
Bathgate into a household name of
Presley's stature. That said, this album is still pretty damned neat. This collection of three-minute, '60s-inspired toe-tappers has a number of high points, including the backward-guitar-bedecked "Win Your Love," a cover of
Leonard Dillon's reggae standard "Train to Skaville," and the garage-y sounding "Pet Hates" (which was actually recorded in
Bathgate's garage; how's that for authenticity?). With 16 tracks,
Gold Lame may overstay its welcome. Still, this
Tall Dwarf's album is no small achievement. ~ Michael Jourdan