Consumer Guide Album

Steve Gibbons Band: Caught in the Act [MCA, 1977]
Neither of Gibbons's first two albums convinced me that the world needed a young Bob Seger--which meant among other things a craftsman who hadn't yet mastered his craft. But this time he's writing 'em and picking 'em with a sharp nose for the cliche. Assholes the world over cover Berry and Dylan on the live album, but they won't risk unrecognized classics like "Tulane" and "Watching the River Flow," which is why they're assholes. And how many other craftsmen could imagine a mock myth called "Gave His Life to Rock 'n' Roll"? B+