Yes, it's rock & roll's own King of Burlesque in his first solo stint, taking a crack at four old tunes and having a grand old time. His EP Crazy from the Heat won't have people begging DLR to drop out of Van Halen, but it is an appealing showcase for his raffish charm and wit. A case in point is Roth's "Just a Gigolo"/"I Ain't Got Nobody" vocal, an Anthony Newley-does-Satchmo howler, which is beautifully set off against the track's punchy walking bass. Dave seems unusually thoughtful on the Lovin' Spoonful's "Coconut Grove" – and his voice sounds eerily similar to John Sebastian's – but the mood doesn't seem to suit him. Better is the brassy strut of Dan Hartman's "Easy Street" (as uninhibited as if he were singing in the shower) and his wildly enthusiastic version of "California Girls." From the way he pronounces bikini ("BUH-keenee") to his yelps of delight during the chorus, one gets the feeling that this is a subject in which David Lee Roth is especially expert. (RS 442)

CHRISTOPHER CONNELLY