Network/Nightwork

Personnel: George Bitzer (vocals, keyboards, synthesizer); Dennis Ferrante (background vocals).
Audio Mixer: David Thoener.
Director: Tommy Mottola.
Arrangers: Network; Eddie Leonetti.
A much-needed reissue for two of the late-'70s most oddly forgotten albums, kicked out in the first wave of post-disco mania by a seven-piece white band who seemed unclear just who, or what, they were. At the time, both Network and Nightwork were indeed little more than disco fodder, laden down with everything from the BeeGees to Hall & Oates, KC & the Sunshine Band, and all points worse than that. Andy Gibb even gets a co-production credit on the debut's "Save Me Save Me." But listened to today, so many ghosts of American rock's future arrive to rattle their chains that half of the '80s are predicted on this disc; from the stadium rock of Toto et. al to the glittering grimace of the hair metal crew, and onto a slab of Journey-esque prog, in the shape of the second album's "I Already Played It." None of which should cause a wholesale rewriting of music history, but a little recognition for Network would be nice. ~ Dave Thompson