Making its first-ever legit release on CD, Boomerang was a heavy rock outfit formed by ex-Vanilla Fudge keyboardist/vocalist Mark Stein. While a few of the album's seven tracks are a bit laid back in a folksy/Allman Brothers way ("Fisherman" for example), the best cuts such as the opener "Juke It" and "The Peddler" are killer 70s hard rock, more straight ahead than the proggy drawn-out arrangements of Fudge. Of note is the amazing guitarist Richard Rameriz — unfortunately sharing a name with the notorious Night Stalker mass-murderer — who joined the band at age 15 and recorded the album a year-and-a-half later.
The sound quality is excellent, and a big kudos to Wounded Bird for adding a bonus 8th track in the form of the band's fantastic non-album single b-side, "Montreal Jail," itself better than a number of the album's tracks.
Yes, the frequent complaint of Wounded Bird is their booklets and there are some forehead-slapping targets here: opening track "Juke It" appears incorrectly as just "Juke" both in the booklet and back tray insert, guitarist Rameriz's name is misspelled "Ramirez" in all six of his songwriting credits, and the four-page booklet reproduces the front cover artwork a second time on page 3 when the complete production credits and Michael Cuscuña's essay about the band could have better and more logically filled the space. However, the original LP's back cover with all that text is in fact reproduced on page 4 and can be viewed, albeit with a magnifying glass. Booklet aside, the music is awesome. Thanks to Wounded Bird for rescuing a great obscurity no one else bothered to release and issuing it at a great midline price as well.
According to numerous sources including Mark Stein himself, Boomerang did in fact record a complete 2nd LP which remains unreleased (Stein says he has a copy). The amazing Rameriz went on to record an album with Striker for Arista in 1978 but his current whereabouts are unknown. Stein is currently doing random Fudge shows into 2016 with original members Carmine Appice and Vince Martell.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B013R4QO96/?tag=imwan-20
