The Only Ones fall into that weird gap between over-done arena rock, and stipped down power-pop. A pleasant oddity in the evolution of rock during the 70's. This is the best of both worlds; you have professionalism, and great songwriting coupled with the grittiness and urgency that were missing from bands like Blue Oyster Cult or Kansas. I am a fan of the guitar solo and they deliver the goods, but it isn't always segued by some dramatic synth/acoustic guitar bridge or whatever. Plus the lead singer has one of those voices that immediately strikes a chord, kinda like Johnathan Richman or Daniel Johnston. It's just a very individual voice, he can't hit all the notes, but he can convey emotion. They are one of those bands that could have only happened during the 70's, a band at a musical, and stylistic cross-roads.
Git It
Originally found on this blog.
