Dust

Description

The self-titled, sole album by the American rock band Dust was released on Myrrh Records in 1972, a division of Word. The album was produced by Gary Mullins and Billy Ray Hearn. Arranged and conducted by Lex de Azevedo. Dust, catalog number MST-6504-LP, was the fifth album released on Myrrh Records, Word’s first – and at the time brand new – contemporary music label. The band features guitarist Lynn Nichols, later a member of The Phil Keaggy Band (which released a sole album in 1977, entitled Emerging), and later Chagall Guevara.

The album was featured in the Album Reviews section of the May 13, 1972 issue of Billboard Magazine, filed under the Popular Category and given a 4-star rating (i.e. “albums with sales potential within their category of music and possible chart items“).

There are some nice moments on this early Myrrh production. Dust is best when they’re doing psychy hard rock, as on the opening «Gone» where jamming wah-wah rhythm guitar churns alongside loud echoey electric leads. The same ingredients crop up on «Rich Man» along with organ and soulful resounding harmonies. «My Song» and «Stand By Now» are both airy easy-flowing mid-tempo songs with pleasant organ-backed grooves. The rest of the album runs from hard pop-rock to folkrock, the overall vibe being early-’70s soulful commercial rock. Two real oddball items are worth mentioning: «Eenie Meenie Minie Moe» is an anti-bigotry children’s sing-a-long that’s a bit out of place, interjecting the “n” word alongside silly lines like “catch a hippie by the toe”. Then there’s that unintentionally hilarious seven-minute patriotic exegesis of «The Pledge Of Allegiance» – a Red Skelton routine, but performed here in semi-hippie fashion over the backdrop of «He Ain’t Heavy He’s My Brother». The lead guy gets down to some serious preachin’ on this one: “That’s a commitment to people, man!”; “And government is the people, man!” (I love those “man’s and “dig it’s he throws in there). This Album was definitely a keeper for me. Fascinating colorful pop-art cover to boot. [Ken Scott, The Archivist]

LP tracklist:

Side One
A1. “Gone” – 2:47
A2. “My Song” – 2:45
A3. “Rich Man” – 4:10
A4. “Friend Of Mine” – 3:29
A5. “Sweet Jesus” – 2:50

Side Two
B1. “Sunny Days” – 2:57
B2. “Eenie Meenie Minie Moe” – 2:47
B3. “Stand By Now” – 3:25
B4. “What’s The Use” – 3:17
B5. “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” & “Pledge Of Allegiance” – 7:05

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