Dick Wagner

Dick Wagner

He was one of the greatest guitar sidemen of all time, a mainstay in the bands of Lou Reed (Rock n Roll Animal) and Alice Cooper. And this album was his best shot at the big time. But solo stardom was not meant to be for the late, great Dick Wagner, even though the music on his 1978 self-titled debut was worthy of wide recognition. The record actually had a lot going for it; long-time Reed and Cooper band-mates Prakash John, Whitey Glan and Steve Hunter played on it, and overseeing the whole affair was producer/mastermind Bob Ezrin (Alice Cooper, Peter Gabriel, Kiss, Pink Floyd). But Atlantic Records, the label, made an inexplicable marketing error and entitled the album Richard Wagner, which led many record store clerks to stock the release in their classical section (we ve rectified this mistake some 45 years later by changing the title and cover art to Dick Wagner). Hence, the record never found its proper audience and is only now seeing a legitimate reissue on CD. Which is really too bad...it s a surprisingly personal record that showcases a number of songwriting styles along with the hot guitar solos you d expect from Wagner, all presented with Ezrin s trademark widescreen production values. Our Real Gone reissue includes new liner notes by Gene Sculatti. Truly one that got away from one of rock music s unsung greats.

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