Sky Dancer is a group from Damon, Iowa. This is the only album released by USA All in One Records in 1977 as a Private Press self-release, and is a live recording of a concert at The Royal Grove in Lincoln, Nebraska, in July 1977. The band consists of Decky Dykman, Doc Lawson, Zeke Ziebell, and Daniel Knisley, and was co-produced by the band and Steve Monroe. The band generally has a blues-based progressive hard sound with a certain amount of mainstream pop-ness, and the heavy riffs and phrases, melodic vocal lines, progressive arrangements, and fast-paced performance are a pretty good match.
The guitars, Hammond organ, and bass are all played with a lot of energy and bursting with timely and fast passages, and the drumming is perfectly lively, following the music with precision, making the ensemble fluent and proficient, which is honestly cool. The quality of the performance, the catchiness of the music, and the maturity of the arrangements, including the final tearful ballad, clearly exceed the level of an independent release, and if the recording quality were a little better, the result would be on par with the first-line major labels. It is a good album that lovers of hard and prog rock will enjoy. In 2008 Sky Dancer has been inducted into the Iowa Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Tracks
1. Rock And Roll Sweeetheart (Jim Priefert, Randy Zirbel) - 4:07
2. Get Down - 6:35
3. Fear No Evil - 9:30
4. Goody Two Shoes - 2:24
5. Rock And Roll Circus / Hang On To Your Life (Randy Zirbel, Steve Dykmann) - 9:16
6. Hot Rocks (Randy Zirbel) - 6:09
7. Never Want To Be Tied Down - 6:31
Compositions written by Steve Dykmann except where noted
Sky Dancer
*Dickie Dykmann - Guitar, Lead Vocals
*Doc Lawson - Hammond Organ, Piano, Vocals
*Zeke Zirbel - Bass, Vocals
*Daniel Nissly - Drums, Vocals
*Steve Monroe -
