Album Review:

Amidst the Honda Bike Craze, everyone seemed to be jumping on the bandwagon, and small Crown Records didn't want to be left in the dust. Like most surf/hot releases from the label, they enlisted session guitarist Jerry cole to write, record, and play on an album dedicated to the newest fad.

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The album's first track, 'Turn Her On,' is devoid of any energy, mostly due to a lack of any backing vocals. '250 Scrambler,' though a better composition, suffers a similar fate. The first instrumental, 'The Pits,' has a bit of fuzz but offers nothing new, and its sparse instrumentation makes it sound more like a jam session than an actual track. Cole's bland vocal returns for 'Big Race,' a forgettable number that should've been an outtake. A note-for-note cover of the Champs' 'Jumpin' Bean,' 'Bike Talk' actually has a rather inventive concept, though it doesn't go anywhere with it. The same composition can be heard on Motorcycles U.S.A. by the Hornets (another Cole project). The album's best track is undoubtedly '650 cc,' which features a jazzed-up sax solo. 'Chop 74' also accomplishes what it sets out to do quite accurately, giving Cole another chance to show off his guitar skills. 'Steel Shoe' winds up being all right overall, but the stupidly titled 'Around the Oval' is one of the worst moments of the whole genre; 'Twin Scramblers' doesn't do much to help either

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What's probably most interesting about this release is the number of vocal numbers Cole decided to include. Perhaps if given more time to record backing vocals and a chance to iron out the arrangements more, the album could've been in the same ranks as the better bike releases. Unfortunately, that's not the case, and the record only merits one lone star.

Similar to another Crown album, The Deuce Coupes, Cycle Psychos is just about the worst of the Crown releases. If you want the better of the label's hot rod releases, check out Hot Rod Alley and Checkered Flag.