(Turn On) The Music Machine

AMG Review of (Turn On) The Music Machine

Richie Unterberger
All Music Guide

The Music Machine's debut would have been a lot better if they'd let Sean Bonniwell write all of the songs. Yet it was, as was often the case at the time, divided between fine Bonniwell originals and dispensable covers of then-current ock hits. Which means that, side by side with excellent Bonniwell originals like "Talk Talk," "The People in Me," and "Trouble," you'll find lukewarm covers of Neil Diamond's "Cherry Cherry," the Beatles' "Taxman," and "96 Tears" (though the slow, moody reading of "Hey Joe" is nice). Most of the Bonniwell songs were issued in much better company on the Rhino anthology, although one good one, the typically tortuous "Wrong," is only available on this album. [The CD was retitled and re-released in 2006.]