February 16, 1974 - Wizzard Disc Music Paper

WHEN told that thousands of Disc readers had voted him Top Musi- cian of the Year, Roy Wood's reaction was hardly typical. "They must be mad" he re- marked, in that soft Bir- mingham drawl of his. An inflated ego is not one of his faults. But that's not to say he wasn't both flattered and pleased by the award, as well as being surprised.

''I suppose I do play a lot of instruments," modestly admit- ted the man who single- handed managed to create the whole of Dear Elaine, vocals, music, production and all. "I'm not technically good on each one - I play in my own way, which is pretty unau- thentic. I don't play the oboe or the cello the way a real oboist or cellist would, but I still get the sound I want out of it.