Do you know who Laurice is? If your answer is yes, are you Canadian? This singularly named pop star jumped all across the map in search of commercial success; the contents of this collection represent the years where he was trying to break through as a leather daddy. Almost Ready/Last Laugh/now Mighty Mouth label guy Harry Howes assembles this lost corner of Laurice’s career, studded with openly gay glam-pop and a great deal of campy delivery, even on songs with names like “I’m Gonna Smash Your Face In.” Laurice was trafficking heavily in Lou Reed’s mid-‘70s image and most likely the kind of clubs depicted in Friedkin’s “Cruising” – side B goes way off the scale with four lewd burners like the self-explanatory “Rock Hard” and the master/slave love song “Born to Serve.” Laurice pitched his tent at the corner where glam met disco, guitars raged, poppers spilled into rags, and everything got loose. And it’s a fun record to boot, with serious riffs in tracks like “Shy Baby.” You’ll find the novelty fades and the rock ‘n’ roll and wild party energy surge forward, even from the start. What you’ll find at Laurice’s website seems more like an infomercial than the representation of a musical artist who’s been active for decades. And it makes what you’ll hear on Best of Laurice, Vol. 1 that much more bizarre. (http://mightymouthmusic.com)
(Doug Mosurock)