Prior to Live at the Rat there were few compilations documenting the vital Boston music scene. Producer Wayne Wadhams, who hit the Top 40 in the '60s with his band the Fifth Estate and their version of Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead, recorded this collection along with Miles Siegel and Allen Smith. It survives as an important document of excellent music from New England in the mid-'70s. A black and white photo on the back features 25 of the participants -- their hairstyles and clothing quite telling -- making for a warm community atmosphere. 30 Seconds With Michael Fremer is perhaps the best-known bit and the highest-profile personality from this point in time. Michael Fremer was a comedian and disc jockey who used to emcee major concerts in the region. A full-length album with his bits was released on Kant Tell Records (a take-off of K-Tel, and it is as funny as this highlight on Chef's Salad. Wadhams was pushing "the sound of Boston," and his original composition for the Gang Band is a good ribbing at the Sound of Philadelphia that Gamble Huff made so popular in the '70s. It's an excellent instrumental, and is a good indication of where the Fifth Estate might have headed. Samadhi's Freedom Spark is another instrumental, and it is a cross between Traffic and Full Circle (the CBS band produced by Wadhams). Moon Over Miami made a little noise during this era, and they would have been perfect on a bill with the Average White Band. Stu Nunnery's pop/adult contemporary Suddenly opens the album. The performance is great, but the song doesn't have that something extra that Randy Edelman and Tim Moore were able to instill into their well-crafted singer/songwriter albums. Don Ebbett fares a little better, as do Ervin Ford. The River and Your Wings, written by Jonathan W. Helfand, has a gospel/funk feel, and despite all the styles poured into this Chef's Salad -- the folk-rock of Denis O'Neill, country sounds of Bill Ervin and Kenny Dulong -- the reggae, pop, and comedy come together seamlessly, probably due to Wadham's experience. What remains is a snapshot that the music scene it represents can be proud of. ~ Joe Viglione, Rovi

1		Suddenly
2		Fire in the Sky
3		Tsob
4		Move on Up
5		Freedom Spark
6		Waiter, Waiter
7		The River and Your Wings
8		Halloween
9		Country Music's Here to Stay
10		Where's My Money
11		Rainy Day
12		30 Seconds With Michael Fremer