Derringer

AMG Review of Derringer

Tim Sendra
All Music Guide

Released in 1976, Derringer was the debut for Rick Derringer's eponymous band that featured Vinny Appice on drums. Derringer was best known as a member of the McCoys and as a member of the Winter brother's bands. He made a couple of good solo albums that flirted with hard rock and pop. Here he aims for straight-ahead hard rock. The songs are borderline catchy, they are very simple (both in construction and production) and unadorned. A few of the songs work well, probably due in part to the presence of Cynthia Weil's (of the legendary Mann/Weil songwriting team) help in the songwriting department. "Let Me In" and "You Can Have Me" are strong straight-ahead rockers with one foot in the glam rock camp; and "Comes a Woman" is a tough allad that features some excellent guitar work. [In 2004 Derringer was combined on one disc with the 1977 follow-up, Sweet Evil.]