Fotomaker had a pretty impressive pedigree. Guitarist/vocalist
Wally Bryson came from power pop gods
the Raspberries, and bassist
Gene Cornish and drummer
Dino Danelli were founding members of
the Rascals. The other two bandmembers, guitarist/vocalist
Lex Marchesi and keyboardist/vocalist
Frankie Vinci, were no slouches either, as the two of them were responsible for most of the songwriting and singing on the band's fine 1978 debut. The record is very much in the power pop vein with walls of guitars,
Beatlesque vocal harmonies, and big hooks. Unsurprisingly, they sound very much like
the Raspberries, lacking that band's grandeur but replacing it with an easygoing charm. Their classic song, "Where Have You Been All My Life," is easily a match for
the Raspberries' best. It is the kind of song that guitars were invented for, and will be going around your head for hours after you hear it. The rest of the album can't match it but there are some fine songs, like "Can I Please Have Some More," the very
Todd Rundgren-sounding "Two Can Make It Work," the power ballad "All These Years," and "Pain." There is a subtle soft rock undercurrent to many of the tunes that may put off rockers who prefer a harder edge, but it actually gives the record some texture.
Fotomaker may not be the lost classic that one might hope for, but it is a fine pop record with a fair amount of power and some very fine songs. ~ Tim Sendra