Co-produced by David Courtney and British TV star and former singing idol Adam Faith, Roger Daltrey's first solo album finds the Who's redoubtable lead singer in the extremely uncharacteristic context of mainstream pop, verging on middle-of-the-road. And the good news is that he acquits himself admirably. Daltrey is a superbly produced and written album, only one of its ten songs being less than good-to-excellent in quality. The record not only brings out lesser-known facets of Daltrey's vocal expressiveness, it is an equal triumph for the songwriting team of Courtney-Sayer who penned eight of its ten songs. (The other two are Faith-Courtney collaborations.)

The unifying theme of the material is the necessity for self-reliance, a virtue Daltrey epitomizes vocally on every cut. As for the musical ingredients of Daltrey, they come from hither, thither and yon, the most apparent influences being the Beatles (especially George Harrison) and the Who. (Drummer Bob Henrit pounds like a Keith Moon double.)

The album opens with the jaunty "One Man Band" (a different song than the recent Creed-Bell hit for Ronnie Dyson). This one is a first-class tune that is instantly memorable, altogether as charming as the best vintage McCartney. Other high points are "You Are Yourself," a powerful, straightforward ballad with a fine string arrangement by the ever-tasteful Del Newman, plus nicely sensible lyrics. Equally impressive is "Thinking," a bracing electric rocker that has Daltrey raving in his gutsiest Who style. Side one closes with "You And Me," an ultra-simple love song that enables Newman to strut his strings like Elgar.

Side two opens with a stirring medley of two Courtney-Sayer gems—"Hard Life" and "Giving It All Away"—that easily bear a heavy production load of strings and brass. It's followed by the album's only bummer, "The Story So Far," an exercise in modified reggae that wastes the keyboard talents of Argent's Russ Ballard. The final highlight, "Reasons," is another indelible Courtney-Sayer rocker with a stunning refrain: "Well I pick up my life and I turn and walk away/I pick up my life and live for every day." The album closes with a very short reprise of "One Man Band."

Daltrey, though it doesn't have the lofty aspirations of Townshend's formidable Who Came First (truly a "One Man Band" affair) is every bit as satisfying. Though some may find the pop-rock production to be rock heresy, it is nevertheless totally sympathetic to Daltrey's obvious desire to extend his vocal repertoire. (RS 139)

STEPHEN HOLDEN