After hitting it big in the arena rock sweepstakes with Fool for the City, Foghat continued along the same lines on 1976's Night Shift. This time, ex-Edgar Winter sideman Dan Hartman took the producer's chair. The result is a well-produced and solid hard rock album that nonetheless feels disappointing because it lacks the consistently high levels of energy and inspiration that marked its predecessor. This time, the hard rocking highlights included the title track, a powerhouse tune built on a strong combination of an ascending guitar riff and rumbling bassline, and "Drivin' Wheel," an automobile-themed slab of boogie rock that glides along on a stomping, cymbal-accented beat and plenty of fat power chords. Night Shift also boasts one of the group's best ballads in "I'll Be Standing By," an emotional number that boasts a heart-tugging vocal performance from Lonesome Dave Peverett and a skillful arrangement that plays off soaring electric guitar riffs against a lush string arrangement. Elsewhere, the material is energetic but hit-or-miss in terms of its quality: "Drivin' Wheel" is a fun but repetitive rocker that lacks any surprises in its rather monotone arrangement, and "Hot Shot Love" is an uninspired attempt at creating a radio-friendly midtempo tune. The end result is an album that offers enough highlights to please Foghat's hardcore audience but is too inconsistent to keep the casual listener interested. As a result, neophyte Foghat enthusiasts should probably sample Night Shift's highlights on a compilation before deciding whether or not to pick it up.
© Donald A. Guarisco /TiVo