Pie are such all-time losers they almost wind up winning.

Smokin' is (save for the live album) their worst yet. Except for "30 Days In The Hole," a perfectly competent Free imitation, this album must win the Wretched Excess award of the budding young decade. And I'm not saying that just because of the glorious 8:53 "I Wonder." Smokin' abounds with highlights aplenty that together compose an object lesson in how not to play rock and roll.

"Roadrunner" is slowed down to a tortoise crawl, maybe to showcase the just plain stupid one-note organ solos. "C'mon Everybody" is horrific, especially when compared to the heartwarming early-Blue Cheer-ish version by UFO (a real Third Generation British rock group, not sham posturers, and a fine one) on their debut album last year.

Other cuts aren't so much bad as they are nondescript, ultimately boring because of their length: for example, "Sweet Peace And Time" and "The Fixer." "You're So Good To Me" is four minutes spent around mainly two chords, which'd be fine were it the Stooges or Black Sabbath or even the Kingsmen or the Music Machine, but it's not even rock–a mere ballad, for Chris-sake, and a boring one at that.

"Old Time Feelin'," on the other hand, is offensive: the end-of-the-side WhiteBoy country blooze conceit in its worst form yet. The Stones play good slide guitar, but Humble Pie–psssshew!

Mainly Humble Pie are just another less than mediocre English rock group: aside from T. Rex, Black Sabbath, and UFO, I wouldn't care if they all collapsed tomorrow. To me, America is where the exciting young talent is: Fanny, Nils Lofgren, Dust, Black Oak Arkansas, the amazing Blue Oyster Cult. Even Van Morrison lives in the USA! But that's yet another story.

In the meantime, my next-door neighbor said it, I didn't: "Smokin' makes a great Frisbee." A killer group, a killer album–check it out for yourself. (RS 108)

MIKE SAUNDERS