Richard Elliot - Trolltown (1986)

Not as consistently boring as many of Richard Elliot's subsequent albums, Trolltown contains a few decent tracks. "Ducks From Mars" and "Stankfoot" are gritty jazz/R&B numbers that have a lot more bite than one generally expects from the tenor, alto and soprano saxman, and the edgy "Come to My Apartment" is surprisingly rock-influenced. But those selections are the exception instead of the rule; the CD is dominated by the type of unlistenable and painfully dull "elevator music" Elliot is best known for. Especially embarrassing is his note-for-note cover of Stevie Wonder's "Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Going To Do)" -- what was a memorable R&B/pop hit in the hands of Wonder and Aretha Franklin sounds like pure schlock when Elliot gets ahold of it. Elliot has butchered his share of R&B classics, and this is one of the worst examples. Trolltown may not be as bad as some of the albums Elliot would record in the 1990s, but is nonetheless the work of someone who was always willing to throw artistic integrity to the wind. -- Alex Henderson