In The Land Of FREE we still Keep on Rockin'

It's Not Dark Yet

Plain and Fancy

Music gives soul to universe, wings to mind, flight to imagination, charm to sadness, and life to everything.

Plato

Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Jonathan Kelly - Jonathan Kelly (1969-70 ireland, amazing folk psych rock, 2017 korean remaster)



In late sixties Jonathan was becoming more and more popular in his native Ireland, but he knew that England was where the music was really at, The Beatles, Carnaby Street etc. Jonathan's last two singles had been released in Britain and so he decided that it was a case of "England here I come"

Britain was awash with talent in the late sixties and even some one of Jonathan's immense talent and fame in his native Ireland was not assured success and he made several trips across the Irish Sea and played many small gigs in and around London before he got his break. One night in 1969 he was playing in a restaurant when in walked Colin Petersen who was formally a member of the Bee Gees said "I knew when I saw and heard him that this was a talent which should be encouraged and developed". Colin became his Record Producer and Colin's wife Joanne became his personal manager. He released another single this time called 'Denver' but again this single failed to get into the top ten. A follow up single was released in 1970 called 'Make a stranger your friend' another antiwar song. This song had a catchy chorus and Jonathan's talents were recognised by many people in show business if not yet by the record buying public at large. A choir was formed to sing the chorus amongst those who turned up to join in were, Mick Taylor from the Rolling Stones, Klaus Voorman, Madeleine Bell, Carl Wayne and Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan, surely with a cast like this it would be a massive hit...but it wasn't.

Two more singles followed and 1970 was to be a good year for Jonathan, though by the end of it the success he so richly deserved would still not be his. The first of these singles was 'Don't you believe it' this is a very sought after single because Eric Clapton was invited to play slide guitar on the track, even Slowhand's presence wasn't enough to get it into the top ten though. The next single wasn't released under Jonathan's name but instead under the name of 'Humpy Bong' the song 'Don't you be too long' was backed with 'We're allright till then' both excellent songs. Jonathan was the writer of both tracks and played guitar on the single but this time the vocal duties were taken by Tim Staffell. Humpy Bong were short lived and never played any concerts although there was one appearance on Top Of The Pops. 1970 also saw the release of Jonathan's first album, simply titled 'Jonathan Kelly' This album included many of his singles as well as other unreleased songs, it is now a hard to find item and is the rarest of all Jonathan's albums.
by Gerald Sables

Tracks
1. Denver - 3:03
2. Son Jon - 2:34
3. Tom Bodey - 3:14
4. Sailor - 2:40
5. Mrs Gilbert - 1:54
6. Don't You Be Too Long - 4:13
7. Don't You Believe It - 2:32
8. Julia - 3:29
9. That Grand Old Uniform Of Mine - 3:48
10.Another Man's Wife - 3:19
11.Daddy Don't Take Me Down Fishing - 2:45
12.Sunday Saddle - 2:36
Words and Music by Jonathan Kelly

Personnel
*Jonathan Kelly - Lead Vocals, Guitar
*Tony Ashton - Piano
*Kim Gardner - Bass
*Roy Dyke - Drums
*Billy Bell - Banjo, Steel Guitar
*Lesley Duncan - Backing Vocals
*Madeline Bell - Backing Vocals 
*Sue - Backing Vocals 
*Sonny - Backing Vocals
*John Barham - Orchestra Arrangements

Saturday, December 25, 2021

Nine Below Zero - Live At The Marquee (1980 uk, high energy rhythm 'n' blues pub rock, 2012 remaster with original album plus encore and video)



Nine Below Zero started off life as Stan’s Blues Band in 1977 and consisted of four South London lads who found inspiration in the Rhythm and Blues.  Led by Dennis Greaves (lead vocals & guitar) the band included his schoolmates Mark Feltham (vocals & harmonica), Peter ‘Pete’ Clark (Bass) and Kenny Bradley (Drums).

Graves was obsessed by the Blues.  But to form a R&B band in the late 70s was a bold, almost reckless, move.  This was the time when Punk was exploding, and had literally blown other music genres – like R&B and Progessive Rock – out of the water.  (I think I’m right in saying that Dr. Feelgood were probably the only well-known British R&B band at the time. They’d formed in 1971 and hailed from Canvey Island in Essex and were known for their driving R&B which had made them one of the most popular bands on the growing London pub rock circuit.)

Despite the seemingly unstoppable rise of Punk, the sharply dressed Stan’s Blues Band played in local South London pubs like the Apples and Pears, the Clockhouse, the Green Man and the Thomas ‘A’ Becket.  Playing six to seven nights a week they built up a loyal following.  Like Dr. Feelgood they went hell for leather and played at a frenetic pace.  Mixing original songs with covers at their gigs, they were soon playing all over London.

Stan’s Blues Band changed their name to Nine Below Zero (they were named after a song by Sonny Boy Williamson II) on the advice of former musician Mickey Modern.  He’d seen them play at the Thomas ‘A’ Becket (in the Old Kent Road, Southwark, South London) in 1979 and was so impressed that he offered to manage them.

In a bold – but completely justifiable – move, Modern decided that Nine Below Zero’s first album would be a live one.  And so with just one change of personal (Micky Burkey for Kenny Bradley on Drums) Live At The Marquee was released in 1980.  

The album was recorded at the well-known music venue, the Marquee Club (in Wardour Street, West London) on Wednesday 16th & Thursday 17th July and was billed as a live recording.  The admission fee was £2 with a reduced rate available for students & Marquee Club members.
by John Field 


This re-release is the latest on Universal’s ‘Re-present’ imprint. The album was originally released back in 1980 and became a huge success for the band. This remastered release sees the original 14 track album expanded to 21 tracks for the first time, taking in the whole show, also included in the package is a DVD featuring live footage from the night, so instead of having to imagine the sweaty crowd crammed in to the Marquee you can see them in all their glory.

Musically Nine Below Zero are a hard working rhythm and blues outfit who put their heart and soul into a performance. The guitar work of Dennis Greaves coupled with the fantastic harmonica work of Mark Feltham are the backbone of the Nine Below Zero sound and on tracks like ‘Tore Down’, ‘Hootchie Cootchie Coo’ and ‘Pack Fair & Square’ the guys demonstrate what rocking blues are all about.

This album may have been recorded 42 years ago, but it still sounds as fresh and as urgent as it did back in the day and with the remastered treatment and the inclusion of the DVD it makes a compelling package. The band are still treading the boards and no doubt still putting in quality performances proving that old blues bands never die, they just need a bit of a polish from time to time.
by David Wilson


Tracks
1. Tore Down (Sonny Thompson) - 2:55
2. Straighten Her Out (Dennis Greaves, Mark Feltham, Peter Clark, Stix Burkey) - 2:30
3. Homework (Al Perkins, Dave Clark) - 2:28
4. I Can't Help Myself (Brian Holland, Edward Holland, Jr., Lamont Dozier) - 2:20
5. Can I Get A Witness (Brian Holland, Edward Holland, Jr., Lamont Dozier) - 3:21
6. Ridin' On The L'n'N (Lionel Hampton) - 4:32
7. I Can't Quit You Baby (Willie Dixon) - 6:03
8. Stop You Naggin' (Dennis Greaves) - 2:30
9. Hootchie Cootchie Coo (Hank Ballard) - 2:30
10.Wooly Bully (Domingo Samudio) - 2:47
11.Got My Mojo Working (Preston Foster) - 6:16
12.Pack Fair And Square (Big Walter Price) - 2:16
13.Watch Yourself (Walter Jacobs) - 3:56
14.Swing Job (Dennis Greaves, Mark Feltham, Peter Clark, Stix Burkey) - 2:26
15.Rocket 88 (Ike Turner) - 2:58
16.(Just A Little Bit) (Earl Washington, John Thornton, Piney Brown, Ralph Bass, Sylvester Thompson) - 2:20
17.Twenty Years Behind (Wilko Johnson) - 1:59
18.Stormy Monday (T-Bone Walker) - 4:47
19.Is That You (Dennis Greaves) - 2:24
20.Keep On Knocking (Perry Bradford) - 5:25
21.Madison Blues (Elmore James) - 5:57


DVD
1. Tore Down
2. Homework
3. (Just) A Little Bit
4. I Can'T Help Myself
5. Can I Get A Witness
6. Hootchie Cootchie Coo
7. Is That You
8. Keep On Knocking

Nine Below Zero
*Peter Clark - Bass 
*Stix Burkey - Drums  
*Dennis (The Menace) Greaves - Lead Vocals, Guitar
*Mark (The Harp) Feltham - Vocals, Harp


Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Big Brother And The Holding Company Feat. Janis Joplin - The Lost Tapes (1966-67 us, classic west coast psych blues rock, 2008 double disc)



Before we all lived together we rehearsed every day in an old loft on Henry Street. Mouse and Suzi Perry lived there and while we practiced Mouse and Kelly would be doing posters for the weekend dances at the Avalon.  How they could work with a thousand people hanging around always amazed me. Coming and going was a loose knit group of people called "the Family Dog," many of whom were crazies from Detroit.  They were our audience and we were their band. James was from Detroit.  He said that his first job at fourteen was being a human hood ornament on his father's car in the "Thrill Show".  He would be mounted horizontally on the hood with his head out in front; the car was then driven at high speed through a wooden wall of fire.  The first time he was a little scared and moved ever so slightly just before impact and almost broke his neck.  Later he learned to keep his head perfectly straight and didn't feel a thing. 

Our first logo was the Indian God's Eye. Cindy, Peter's wife, made a little silkscreen and printed God's eyes on leather with our name.  They were just chunks and odd shaped scraps of shoe leather; we handed these out to our friends.  Then we went to putting our stickers and buttons. Everyone had buttons in those days. The stickers were square yellow things with the god's eye;  that was our idea of publicity. Our first interview was in the "Mojo Navigator", a very underground newsletter.  In it we put down the Fillmore; Janis said it was full of sailors looking to get laid. We agreed that the Avalon - where we played a lot was the more happening place. A week later Bill Graham - who had read the interview - threw Janis out of the Fillmore just as she was coming in up the front stairs. She was wired and was taken completely by surprise. It was a scene; both she and Graham screaming and cursing each other at top volume.  

Janis always started screaming when she was taken off guard. Janis had come out from Texas to join us in June. When she first started singing with the band, some of our hardcore fans did not like her. They saw her as a distraction from our unique "freak-rock" sound. From the rest of us, there was immediate acceptance - an instantaneous recognition that she was great and that we were all plugged into the same socket. It just was. But in those first few months some people actually said to us, "get rid of the chick". One day we all piled into a car, drove over to Marin, picked up a newspaper and looked up 'Houses for Rent'. That same day we found a big house in the little town of Lagunitas and rented it for three hundred a month.  It was a beautiful day. Everything seemed to work out right. Nothing could go wrong; God takes care of us perfectly. I'd taken psylicibin. 

The house was at the end of a road way back in the woods with no other houses around it.  On the big butane tank coming up the driveway someone had scrawled "God is alive and well".  Later another had added "In Argentina". Eventually the house became known as "Argentina". Peter and Cindy and their baby Lisa took one of the bedrooms upstairs, James and Nancy and their baby, Hongo, took the other.  Jam's had a lovely sunlit room like a porch which she decorated with plants.  Like the room she became her most peaceful and beautiful self during that time. I lived in a funky space in the back of the kitchen.  I liked that it became the favorite hangout. Sam and Rita moved into a tiny out in the back. They were always getting high and getting it on.  They were lovestruck, inseparable and on a never-ending honeymoon. Soon the inevitable conflicts began.  Peter and Cindy liked cleanliness, regular meals and a bit of order. Nancy and Rita were into drugs and staying up all night stringing beads and general anarchy. Nancy in particular was one of the original free spirits and believed in letting her son, as well as everything else in the house and the universe, run free.  Add to all this Mishka, James and Nancy's german shepherd - a big, neurotic, whining, barking animal that was constantly chewing or chasing something. You knew that it couldn't go on for very long. 

The Dead and Quicksilver were both living within two miles and we had one great rock and roll party there.  We cooked up a mess of food, bought a few cases of cheap wine and rolled a hundred joints from a big pile of grass that had been found growing in Nebraska or some place. The inner sanctum of the San Francisco rock scene showed up. Everyone jammed together; six or seven guitars all at once.  Probably a couple of hundred people came and went - all night and into the morning. At dawn people were all over the place,  coming down from this, waking up from that.  Someone had brought a goat with them; there was goat shit all over the house and it had eaten half of my bedspread. Big Brother, with all its wives, lovers, children and pets lived there together until the end of 1966. 

During that time we rehearsed almost every day and sometimes after dinner too. Getting better, tighterand more integrated as a band was ourtop priority.  By the time we simultaneously but separately all moved back to the city we had developed some musical muscles.  Also, we'd become somewhat of a family of brothers and sisters; despite the disputes and the different personalities,  we loved each other. Together, I think we felt more ready to take on the world. The music on this album is truly a record of that time of incubation and innocence.
by David Getz


Tracks
Disc 1 
1. Bye Bye Baby (Powell St. John) - 4:10
2. Great White Guru (Chris Kenner, Arranged by David Getz, James Gurley, Janis Joplin, Peter Albin, Sam Andrew) - 5:46
3. Women Is Losers (David Getz, James Gurley, Janis Joplin, Peter Albin, Sam Andrew) - 5:09
4. Oh My Soul (Richard Penniman) - 2:34 
5. Amazing Grace (Traditional) - 11:30 
6. Caterpillar (Peter Albin) - 4:11 
7. It's A Deal (David Getz, James Gurley, Janis Joplin, Peter Albin, Sam Andrew) - 2:13 
8. Hi Heel Sneakers (Robert Higgenbotham) - 3:36 
9. Faster Pussycat Kill Kill (Bert Shefter, Igo Kantor, Paul Sawtell) - 2:22 
10.Turtle Blues (Janis Joplin) - 6:46 
11.All Is Loneliness (Louis Thomas Hardin) - 9:04 
12.Light Is Faster Than Sound (Peter Albin) - 6:26 
Track 2 "Great White Guru" is a free version of "Land Of The Thousand Dances"
Recorded Live January 1967, at the Matrix, San Francisco


Disc 2 
1. (Come On Baby) Let The Good Times Roll (Leonard Lee) - 2:37
2. I Know You Rider (Traditional) - 3:13 
3. Moanin' At Midnight (Chester Burnett) - 4:57 
4. Hey Baby (Peter Albin, Sam Andrew, Dave Getz, James Gurley, Janis Joplin) - 2:50 
5. Down On Me (Traditional Arranged by Janis Joplin) - 2:45 
6. Whisperman (Peter Albin, Sam Andrew, Dave Getz, James Gurley, Janis Joplin) - 1:46 
7. Women Is Losers (David Getz, James Gurley, Janis Joplin, Peter Albin, Sam Andrew) - 3:48 
8. Blow My Mind (Jimmy McCracklin) - 2:34 
9. Oh My Soul (Richard Penniman) - 2:34 
10.Ball And Chain (Big Mama Thornton) - 6:43 
11.Coo-Coo (Peter Albin) - 2:30 
12.Gutra's Garden (Peter Albin, Sam Andrew, Dave Getz, James Gurley, Janis Joplin) - 4:36 
13.Harry (Dave Getz) - 0:37 
14.Hall Of The Mountain King (Traditional) - 6:51
Recorded Live July 1966, California Hall San Francisco

Big Brother And Holding Company 
*Janis Joplin - Vocals, Maracas
*Peter Albin- Bass, Vocals
*Sam Andrew - Guitar
*David Getz - Drums
*James Gurley - Guitar


 

Friday, December 17, 2021

Gary St. Clair - Gary St. Clair (1971 us, good classic rock with folk and spirituals touches, 2010 korean remaster)



Originally from Washington D.C., Gary St. Clair has been a musician, songwriter and producer for over 50 years.Husky, powerful and soulful vocals, with  female chorus by Clydie King, Vanetta Fields and Jesse Smith, featured in this 1971 album by the swamp rocker. 

Straight ahead hard rockin' numbers, delightful chorus that shines through the tight rhythm section. Some  ballad-like songs, sighing numbers. reminiscent of Eagles, folky shades filled with piano, and spiritual references, the final result leaves a pleasant taste.


Tracks
1. Dr. Rock And Roll - 2:57
2. Song For Tomorrow - 3:23
3. Comin` On Home (Gary St. Clair, Tim O'Brien) - 3:13
4. Gospel Changes - 4:42
5. Jim Dandy - 4:40
6. Satisfy You (Gary St. Clair, Tim O'Brien) - 4:13
7. Little Brother (Gary St. Clair, Tim O'Brien) - 5:03
8. Somebody To Love (Gary St. Clair, Tim O'Brien) - 4:04
9. Shake A Hand (Joe Morris) - 6:03
All compositions by Gary St. Clair unless as else stated

Personnel
Gary St. Clair - Vocals, Guitar, Piano
Ralph Bryan - Guitar, Percussion 
David Bennett Cohen - Guitar, Dobro, Slide Guitar
Danny Conway - Drums
Oma Drake - Background Vocals 
Venetta Fields - Background Vocals
Stephen Hines - Piano
Carol Hunter - 12 String, Acoustic Guitars
Gloria Jones - Background Vocals
King Errisson - Congas, Percussion
Clydie King - Background Vocals
Josef Lamanno - Bass 
Tom O'Brien - Bass 
Jesse Smith - Background Vocals
Ron Starr - Saxophone
Mark Wickham - Guitar, Percussion 

Sunday, December 12, 2021

Day Of Phoenix - Mind Funeral The Recordings (1969-72 denmark, brilliant psych folk prog jam rock, 2020 double disc digipak remaster)



Well, it’s happened again, as not for the first time I find myself confounded and astounded at the way the Esoteric Miners keep unearthing albums and bands which have somehow avoided exposure like so many agoraphopic moles! Now, I don’t mind admitting that, when it comes to useless knowledge about obscure 1970s recording artists, I tend to imagine that I have more than the average bear, but once again I find myself asking the question ‘Who in the name of heaven are these guys?’ Well, now I know. They were a Danish band, and as was the way with a small and somewhat incestuous scene over there at the dawn of the ’70s, had some crossover musician-wise with other bands such as Secret Oyster and Burnin Red Ivanhoe (both of whom I happily DID know about!). So once again nourished in the way of, well, esoteric musical knowledge, I plunged into this double CD to see what was going on in this new and fascinating area.

The first thing which I have to admit to finding odd is the name. I can understand if they didn’t want something as simple as Phoenix, but Day Of The Phoenix would have worked quite well as a more evocative title. Instead, they settled on Day Of Phoenix, which inescapably reminds me of a mis-spelt tourist brochure! Still, it makes you remember it (or would have, if I’d heard of it!), and it’s certainly not the worst band name ever. They released two albums and two singles during their lifetime and shifting line-ups, and these two discs have the lot. The first disc contains the first album Wide Open N-Way, from 1971, and a single consisting of two covers from the pens of Dave Cousins and Randy Newman, which sneaked out without much attention in 1969. No, it’s the album that we’re interested in here, and with good reason as it is without doubt a forgotten prog-rock gem. Of its five tracks, three are over ten minutes long, and if that doesn’t prick up the ears of an old prog-head then I don’t know what does. Incidentally, I have no clue what an N-Way might be, and the happily hippy lyrics to the title song don’t make it any clearer. I thought maybe it might be a Danish road, but I suspect it is far more interesting than that.

Anyhow, the music is a curious mix of jazzy, expansive proggy jamming and tighter composed sections, with some West Coast harmony vocals oddly evoking the likes of Crosby, Stills And Nash. Take for example the oddly titled Cellophane, Parts One And Two which opens the album (one could say that maybe it should have closed the record, so as to wrap things up, but perhaps we shouldn’t). It really does come closer than anything else I’ve ever heard to what might have arisen had David Crosby And Graham Nash joined Yes instead of Jon Anderson – and it’s actually really, really good. The nice, breezy vocals fit with the casual, unfettered instrumental excursions perfectly, and it’s almost a shame when the song eventually ends. 

The title track is next up, with comparisons to Yes being further underlined by the fluid yet very clean guitar tone of Karsten Lyng. The other epic is the twelve-minute Mind Funeral, giving its its name to this collection, which mixes more tricky musicianship and superb ensemble playing with lyrics such as ‘carry the coffin the size of a matchbox’ – and yes, I’m sure we all know people with minds which would fit that! It’s an unexpectedly great album, and whets the appetite for 1972’s The Neighbour’s Son, which followed it. The one real exception to this rule is the near-seven-minute Paradox, which illustrates firmly that they could still open up and confound expectations when they wanted to. They just, well, didn’t want to. The two sides of another single are cut from the same pleasant cloth.

This is a nicely designed package, and it certainly makes sense to collect the full output – and at least you get Paradox, which makes the second album worth the owning – but the reason you really need this one is Wide Open N-Way, which remains an astonishing illustration of just how much the freedom of the artistic times could create great music. A shame they didn’t follow it up in that same rich vein, but take it from me, they are well worth discovering. Unless everyone else already knew about them, in which case I shall hang my head. While listening to Disc One, naturally.
by Steve Pilkington, December 8, 2020


Tracks
Disc 1 
1. Cellophane #1 / Cellophane #2 (Ole Prehn) - 13:12
2. Wide Open N-Way - 11:11
3. If You Ask Me - 4:53
4. Mind Funeral - 12:19
5. Tick-Tack (Ole Prehn) - 1:15
6. Tell Me - 3:02
7. I Think It's Gonna Rain Today - 2:28
All compositions by Ole Prehn, Karsten Lyng except where noted
Tracks 1-5 from "Wide Open N Way" 1971
Bonus tracks 6-7 from 1969


Disc 2
1. I'm Feeling So Lonely (Karsten Lyng) - 2:25
2. Magic Wind - 2:41
3. Drifting (Ole Prehn) - 1:56
4. Zombie - 3:37
5. Paradox - 6:34
6. It's A Long Way (Karsten Lyng) - 3:26
7. Turn Me On (Karsten Lyng) - 3:33
8. So We Meet Again - 4:38
9. Use Your Sense (Karsten Lyng) - 3:39
10.Our Love Has Ended (Karsten Lyng) - 2:56
11.Deep Within The Storm (Ole Prehn) - 3:26
12.Chicken Skin - 3:55
All songs by Ole Prehn, Karsten Lyng except where indicated


Day Of Phoenix
*Ole Prehn - Six, Twelve String Guitars, Vocals 
*Karsten Lyng - Lead Guitars 
*Erik Stedt - Bass, Piano, Saw 
*Hendrik Friis - Drums, Percussion 
*Hans Lauridsen - Lead Vocals (Disc 1, Tracks 1-5, Disc 2)
*Cy Nicklin - Vocals, Guitar (Disc 1, Tracks 6-7)
*Jess Staehr - Bass (Disc 1, Tracks 6-7)
With
*Peter Friis - Double Bass 
*Ulrik Jensen - Oboe
*Kenneth Knudsen - Piano
*Tony Reeves - Bass




 

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Deke Leonard - Kamikaze (1974 uk, awesome guitar psych rock, 2015 remaster with extra tracks)



Having released his debut solo album Iceberg in 1973, Deke Leonard formed a band of the same name to tour it. Original bassist Paul Burton was replaced by Martin Ace by the time Kamikaze was recorded, in typical fashion in between live dates promoting the first album. Another of Deke’s narratives describes the cover shoot. The tale involves searching for big cats, Jumbo jets, and being drenched to achieve the desired photographic intent, and so another chapter in Deke’s life on the road is written…

This record, not surprisingly, sounds more like a band than Iceberg, although oddly it is not as immediate as its predecessor. Kamikaze again features Deke’s penchant for good time rockers, kicking off with Jay Hawk Special. The addition of fiddle player Byron Berline on the initially bluesy Sharpened Claws playing a rumbustious jig’n’reel in the second half of the song lends it a downhome countrified feel, and as the song ends Byron’s fiddle carries on, a lone hoedown after everyone has gone home.

Deke’s vocal on the Quo-like rocker In Search Of Sarah And Twenty Six Horses bears an uncanny resemblance to Noddy Holder, something I had not considered before, but the resemblance is definitely there. You would think from the title that this song was inspired by a CS&N styled drug-fuelled haze, but the straight ahead nature of the music puts paid to that theory. Deke explains further in a convoluted tale involving a girl called Sarah Cheesewright and a book entitled Portrait Of The Artist And 26 Horses, another example of his way with a story. 

The personnel on the concluding track of the album proper Devil’s Gloves is a Man line-up in all but name, and points the way for the future, as Deke rejoined his natural home soon after the release of this album. The song itself is a charging energetic romp that crosses Deke’s R&B sensibilities with the soon-to-be new Man line-up’s taste for a different twist on funk rock, here driven by Terry Williams’ drums in tandem with Dave Charles’ congas.

The best of the bonus tracks is an early version of California Silks And Satins which would of course later appear on Man’s Rhinos Winos And Lunatics album. Co-written with former Help Yourself singer and songwriter Malcolm Morley, this first version is more electric and more strung out, and very “West Coast” in feel. Morley was another who joined Man’s new line-up a few months down the line.

Kamikaze and Iceberg before it showcase a songwriter in fine form, and as one of the bonus tracks here has it, Deke Leonard is definitely a joyful soul. If you’re a fan of Man you probably already have these two albums, but isn’t it about time you replaced those well worn vinyl copies with these pristine remasters?
by Roger Trenwith, 6th May 2015


Tracks
1. Cool Summer Rain (Deke Leonard, Francis Leonard) - 0:32
2. Jayhawk Special - 4:17
3. Sharpened Claws - 7:20
4. Taking The Easy Way Out - 5:28
5. The Black Gates Of Death - 4:42
6. Stacia - 1:04
7. Broken Glass And Lime Juice (Deke Leonard, Francis Leonard) - 5:36
8. April The Third - 3:51
9. Louisiana Hoedown (Tom Riley) - 2:55
10.In Search Of Sarah And Twenty-Six Horses - 6:48
11.The Devil's Gloves - 5:16
12.She's A Cow - 3:34
13.California Silks And Satins (Deke Leonard, Malcom Morley) - 7:58
14.Joyful Soul - 3:28
15.Steel Painting Man (Martin Ace) - 4:21
All songs by Deke Leonard except where indicated
Bonus tracks 12-15

Musicians
*Deke Leonard - Vocals, Guitar, Piano
*Martin Ace - Bass
*Brian Breeze - Guitar
*Keith Hodge - Drums
*Dave Charles - Drums   
*Byron Berline - Fiddle, Mandolin 
*Tommy Riley - Drums 
*Lincoln Carr - Bass, Guitar 
*Micky Jones - Guitar 
*Ken Whaley - Bass 
*Terry Williams - Drums 
*Dave Charles - Conga Drums 

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Thursday, December 2, 2021

Deke Leonard - Iceberg (1973 uk, fantastic jam roots bluesy classic rock, 2015 remaster and expanded)



Co-founder of Welsh wizards Man and lifelong rock’n’roll raconteur, Deke Leonard was in and out of that legendary band more times than Harold Wilson collected and handed in the keys to 10 Downing Street. After being sacked by Man in early 1972 Deke recorded his first solo album Iceberg, starting in May of that year, with the album eventually being released in 1973.

Leonard was always an old-fashioned rock’n’roller at heart, and during his spells in Man his presence kept a check on their looser jamband instincts, as you can see in the 20-minute version of Spunk Rock on the fabulous Greasy Truckers compilation album recorded earlier in 1972 with Deke in the band. This track remains my favourite ever jamming track, as there is not an ounce of fat on it. Contrast that with the following year’s similarly lengthy Deke-less C’mon, a different kettle of spacerockin’ hippy rambling entirely…I still love it all the same.

Deke tells a great story as his three “life on the road” autobiographies to date attest, and the cover booklet tale regarding his trademark humbug Telecaster is a fine example. If you look closely you will see that the Telecaster has a Stratocaster neck. This is because he had to replace the original after nearly getting electrocuted, which apparently “screwed the neck up”, requiring the temporary replacement for the photo. One wonders what it did to the guitarist, never mind the neck of his instrument!

A few of the tunes on this back-to-basics R&B knees-up of an album found their way into Man’s set when he rejoined in 1974. One of these is the belting 7171-551, and the tale behind that is a good one. Originally the tune had a working title that was actually Mike Nesmith’s phone number. Quite rightly Deke decided he couldn’t use that for the title on the record, so the track listing for the release was changed. Unfortunately the record label printed the first batch of the LP with Nesmith’s actual 10 digit phone number! 

Mixing rock’n’roll stompers with souped up psychedelicised country rock, Leonard is joined by a fine cast of the Manband family past, present and future, and by members of the closely related band Help Yourself. Dave Edmunds lends production assistance on future Man track A Hard Way To Live, a song released as a single. Deke had to deconstruct Edmunds’ layered production, lest it sounded “exactly like a Dave Edmunds record”. Deke ponders in his wryly humorous way that had he left it alone he might have had a hit with it.

All in all this album is a fine representation of Leonard’s good time vibe, and the informative booklet plus six bonus tracks taken from non-album singles, b-sides and outtakes.
by Roger Trenwith, 6th May 2015

Born Roger Leonard in Llanelli, South Wales in December 1944, Deke played in various bands throughout the sixties and took his stage name from Deke Rivers, Elvis’ character in the 1957 movie ‘Loving You’.

In 1968 he joined harmony group The Bystanders, however, the band soon embraced a West Coast psychedelia, progressive rock and blues dynamic and changed their name to Man.

Deke Leonard died on 31 January 2017, aged 72. According to his obituary in the April 2017 edition of the magazine Classic Rock, the cause of death was heart failure.


Tracks
1. Razorblade And Rattlesnake - 6:03
2. I Just Can't Win - 2:43
3. Lisa - 3:55
4. Nothing Is Happening (Deke Leonard, Martin Ace) - 4:34
5. Looking For A Man - 3:50
6. A Hard Way To Live - 3:28
7. Broken Ovation - 5:28
8. Jesse - 4:08
9. Ten Thousand Takers - 3:06
10.The Ghost Of Musket Flat (Deke Leonard, Martin Ace) - 2:48
11.Crosby (Second Class Citizen Blues) (Deke Leonard, Martin Ace, Micky Jones, Terry Williamas, Dave Phillips) - 1:54
12.7171 551 - 5:29
13.Diamond Road - 3:49
14.Turning In Circles - 3:35
15.The Aching Is So Sweet - 4:51
16.Nothing Is Happening (Deke Leonard, Martin Ace) - 3:50
17.The Four Corners Of Hell - 6:02
18.Afterburner Boogie - 3:52
All compositions by Deke Leonard except where noted

Musicians
*Deke Leonard - Guitar, Slide guitar, Keyboards, Harmonium, Vocals
*Martin Ace - Bass, Vocals
*Beau Adams - Drums 
*Dave Charles - Drums, Vocals
*Martin Ace - Bass
*Tommy Riley - Drums 
*Paul Burton - Bass, Vocals
*Byron Berline - Fiddle 
*Mike Gibbons - Drums 
*Malcolm Morley - Guitar, Vocals
*Dave Phillips - Violin 
*Cosby Eichler - Vocals 
*Ralph Down - Electronics 
*George Ace - Vocals

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Sunday, November 28, 2021

Oklahoma - Oklahoma (1977 us, fine southern soft rock, 2021 korean remaster)



The production of Oklahoma album was handled by a couple of West Coast heavyweights: Terry Melcher – who produced the Byrds, The Mamas and The Papas and Paul Revere and the Raiders, among many other acts – and Mark Lindsay, the vocalist on all of Paul Revere and the Raiders’ ‘60s hits, as well as a successful early ’70s solo artist. As far as I knew, neither Melcher nor Lindsay had any ties to our state.

Here was a mystery that demanded answers. And luckily, I found just the guy who could provide them. He’s guitarist-vocalist-songwriter Steve Crossley, formerly of the band Oklahoma, who’s still a busy performer in and around Oklahoma City. Engaging and upbeat, he seemed happy to talk about the group and its brief turn on the national stage.

Interestingly, Crossley says that Oklahoma’s formation was tied to the end of another major-label act from the Sooner State – Buckwheat, a group out of Erick, Okla., that recorded four albums for London Records in the late ‘60s/early ‘70s. Its personnel included a young woman who would become one of Tulsa’s best-known pop vocalists, the late Debbie Campbell, along with her then-husband, Dub Campbell.

In the mid-‘70s, after Buckwheat split up, “their drummer, Sonny Ray Griffiths, came back to Oklahoma City, supposedly looking for a replacement band for London Records,” Crossley remembers. “So I moved out to L.A. with him. We got a house gig in Costa Mesa at the Lucky Lion, and Dub Campbell came down and saw the band and was interested in playing with us. He plays great fiddle and guitar. So he signed up with us.”
Oklahoma’s formation was tied to the end of another major-label act from the Sooner State – Buckwheat.

Unfortunately, London Records didn’t make a deal with the group, and neither did any other record company. Although the band, dubbed Pearly Hawkins, was getting plenty of work on the West Coast, Crossley opted to return to Oklahoma City, where he soon joined another rock outfit, Ringes. After several personnel changes, Ringes would become Oklahoma. 

“The original Ringes members were Dwight Trahern on drums, Ben Blakemore on bass and vocals, Danny White on vocals and percussion, Speedy West Jr. on guitar, Joe Intrieri on keys, and myself, with Michael Slack and Lynn Bailey as our sound engineers,” Crossley says.

“We made a demo, and I played it for Dub. Dub knew Mark (Lindsay) and got it to him somehow, and then Mark and Terry Melcher came and saw us. They really liked it, went back to L.A., and brought Mike Curb back with ‘em. We did a showcase for Mike at the old Long Branch Saloon in Oklahoma City. They were excited and signed us to a deal.

“Whenever they got the money to do the deal,” he adds, “they moved back here (to Oklahoma City) for about a month, and we cut that stuff over at the old Producers Workshop, most of it. Curb was just starting Curb Records at that time, and he subbed us out to Capitol.”
While Curb (who’s not credited on the disc) was on his way to becoming a famous music-business executive, and Melcher was a very well-known producer, the star name in the production team belonged to Lindsay, the voice on such rock ‘n’ roll classics as “Kicks” and “Hungry.”

At the time of his affiliation with Ringes, Lindsay’s last charted single as a solo act was several years behind him (although he continues to tour and record to this day). For Oklahoma, he was all over the place, not only co-producing, but also singing background vocals, engineering and mixing the record.

“Oh, he was really working hard,” recalls Crossley. “He’d quit refined sugar, gotten on this hopped-up diet, and he had a lot of energy. The neat thing was that when those guys came back here for a month, staying at the house of a friend of ours, we got to know them pretty well, and pretty quickly. We became pretty good buddies. It was cool.”

But the producers also made some changes, cutting the band to four members: Crossley, Blakemore, guitarist Don Juntunen (who also continues to perform music around Oklahoma City) and drummer Sam Flores. They also changed the name of the group “because they thought Ringes sounded too much like Wings,” Crossley notes with a chuckle. He believes the new moniker may also have been influenced by the band Kansas, which was becoming hot at the time.

Unfortunately, nothing similar happened with Oklahoma. Capitol released a single from the disc, the Crossley-penned “What You Treat Me So Bad For,” and then the album; neither made much of a showing. Talk of a national tour fizzled, and Oklahoma played only a handful of dates.

As often happens in these sorts of situations, frustration and unmet expectations led to friction within the group, and Crossley left after a New Year’s Eve date in Oklahoma City at the end of 1977. Although the band went on for a while with replacement members, including Steve Hardin, the noted keyboardist and songwriter from Bartlesville, Capitol Records soon dropped the act and it broke up for good.

“You know how it is, with egos and everything,” says Crossley with another chuckle. “It just goes from, ‘We’re on top of the world’ to ‘Hey, man! You’re not playing the right notes!’ Some of the guys kind of got ‘egoed’ out and thought it should have been way bigger than it was. I was lucky to know guys like Dub (Campbell) and Michael Smotherman, who’d already had major-label deals. If I had a question about something, I could call ‘em and say, ‘Here’s what’s going on,’ and they could tell me pretty much what to expect.”

Crossley ended up playing with Smotherman, another Buckwheat alumnus who went on to make his own significant mark in the industry. That job led to a songwriting and performing deal with Glen Campbell, and Crossley worked with a number of other music stars as well, returning to Oklahoma City for good in 1982, when his son, Steven, was born.

These days, he’s getting plenty of gigs both as a solo artist and with OKC bands like the Blue Cats and Hoppy Niles’ One-Armed Bandit. He even played a couple of jobs with Mark Lindsay when Lindsay’s touring brought him to the area. Obviously, Crossley harbors no ill feelings toward his former producer – or, it appears, about the one-off performance of Oklahoma as a big-time recording act.

“Because I was getting that advice (from Smotherman and Campbell),” he reflects, “I think I was a little bit cooler about it than some of the other guys. It was just hard for them to understand why the wheel wasn’t turning as fast as it should’ve been. I really didn’t know either, but I was a little bit more prepared, because I knew a little more about the reality of it.”
by John Wooley, March 29, 2011


Tracks
1. One More Round (Steve Crossley) - 4:13
2. Whatcha Treatin Me So Bad For? (Steve Crossley) - 2:26
3. Tracy - 3:34
4. Together Now - 2:57
5. Magic - 3:10
6. Piece Of My Life - 2:52
7. Love You Tonight - 3:08
8. Ain't It Sad? (Ben Blakemore, Don Juntunen, Joe Intrieri, Sam Flores, Steve Crossley) - 6:33
All compositions by Ben Blakemore except where stated

Oklahoma
*Ben Blakemore - Bass, Vocals 
*Don Juntunen - Lead Guitar
*Sam Flores - Drums, Vocals 
*Steve Crossley - Guitar, Vocals
With
*Joe Intrieri - Keyboards
*Max Gronenthal - Keyboards 
*Michael Lewis - Keyboards
*Danny White - Vocals
*Mark Lindsay - Vocals 
*Max Gronenthal - Vocals
*Terry Melcher - Vocals


Wednesday, November 24, 2021

Various Artists - Morning Of The Earth (1972 australia, fantastic blend of folk prog soft classic rock, 2002 remaster)



In 1972, Albert Falzon made a film that would forever change the way the world thought about surfing. The film was Morning of the Earth. For many people it was the very first time they came to recognise surfing as a complete lifestyle. This recognition, coupled with mind-blowing, innovative surfing made the film a classic that has remained vital for over 40 years.Albe’s portrayal of all things pure and simple influenced generations, and passed on an enduring sprit to our culture, our music, and our lifestyle.

Morning of the Earth took a unique approach to music. For the first time, music was not treated as a background or incidental to the vision on the screen. The music was the narrator, with each track played in its entirety. The original soundtrack produced the Australian #1 single Open Up Your Heart and was the first Australian soundtrack to achieve gold sales. It was also recently included in the 100 Best Australian Albums.
Tracks
Artist - Title - Composer
1. G. Wayne Thomas - Morning Of The Earth (G. Wayne Thomas) - 5:06
2. Terry Hannagan - I'll Be Alright (John Capek, Terry Hannagan) - 4:05
3. Tamam Shud - First Things First (Tim Gaze) - 4:06
4. Brian Cadd - Sure Feels Good (Brian Cadd) - 3:44
5. Ticket - Awake (Eddie Hansen, Trevor Tombleson, Ricky Ball, Paul Woolright) - 5:20
6. G. Wayne Thomas - Getting Back (G. Wayne Thoma) - 5:06
7. G. Wayne Thomas - Open Up Your Heart (G. Wayne Thoma) - 3:42
8. Ticket - Dream Chant (Eddie Hansen, Trevor Tombleson, Ricky Ball, Paul Woolright) - 8:13
9. John J. Francis - Simple Ben (John J. Francis) - 7:43
10.Tamam Shud - Bali Waters (Lindsay Bjerre) - 6:16
11.Brian Cadd - Making It On Your Own (Brian Cadd) - 5:56
12.Peter Howe (Ullawatu) (Peter Howe) - 2:53
13.G. Wayne Thomas - Day Comes (G. Wayne Thomas) - 2:55
14.Tamam Shud - Sea The Swells (Lindsay Bjerre) - 6:15
15.Peter Howe (I'm Alive) (Peter Howe) - 3:42
16.Brian Cadd - Come With Me (Brian Cadd) - 4:55

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Sunday, November 21, 2021

Blue Oyster Cult - On Your Feet Or On Your Knees (1975 us, superb hard rock live blast, 2013 audiophile remaster)



On Your Feet or on Your Knees, Blue Öyster Cult's first live album (there would be two more), was also their first to peak inside the Top 40 best-sellers, which is more of an indication of the audience the group was building up through extensive touring than of its quality. Songs that had a tight, concentrated impact on studio albums got elongated here, and that impact was dissipated. 

And the song selection left a great deal to be desired if this was to be a fitting summation of the band's career so far. Perhaps by their 1974 tour, BÖC had dropped such classics from their first album as "Transmaniacon MC," "I'm on the Lamb But I Ain't No Sheep," and "Stairway to the Stars," but the less impressive material from the third album was no substitute. The album did mark the first commercial release of a version of "Buck's Boogie" as well as covers of the Yardbirds' "I Ain't Got You" and Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild." [A Strictly Limited Collector's Edition was released in 2013.] 
by William Ruhlmann
Tracks
1. The Subhuman (Eric Bloom, Sandy Pearlman) - 7:28
2. Harvester of Eyes (Donald Roeser, Eric Bloom, Richard Meltzer) - 4:56
3. Hot Rails To Hell (Joe Bouchard) - 5:38
4. The Red & the Black (Albert Bouchard, Eric Bloom, Sandy Pearlman) - 4:32
5. Seven Screaming Dizbusters (Albert Bouchard, Donald Roeser, Joe Bouchard, Sandy Pearlman) - 8:49
6. Buck's Boogie (Donald Roeser) - 7:12
7. Last Days of May (Donald Roeser) - 4:37
8. Cities on Flame (Albert Bouchard, Donald Roeser, Sandy Pearlman) - 4:04
9. Me 262 (Donald Roeser, Eric Bloom, Sandy Pearlman) - 8:22
10.Before the Kiss (A Redcap) (Allen Lanier, Donald Roeser, Murray Krugman, Sandy Pearlman) - 5:12
11.Maserati Gt (I Ain't Got You) (Clarence Carter) - 8:58
12.Born To Be Wild (Mars Bonfire) - 6:25

Blue Oyster Cult
*Eric Bloom - Lead vocals, Keyboards, Stun Guitar
*Albert Bouchard - Drums, Vocals 
*Joe Bouchard: Bass, Vocals
*Allen Lanier: Keyboards, Rhythm Guitar, Synthesizers
*Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser - Lead guitar, Vocals

1972-79  Blue Oyster Cult - Original Album Classics (2008 five disc box set)
1974/77  Blue Oyster Cult - Spectres / Secret Treaties (2007 bonus tracks remaster and 2014 blu spec remaster) 

Tuesday, November 16, 2021

Flamin' Groovies - Supersnazz (1969 us, impressive straight ahead boogie 'n' roll garage punk, 2000 bonus tracks and 2013 Audiophile remaster)



Founded by Ron Greco, Cyril Jordan and Roy Loney, the American Garage Rock band The Flamin' Groovies had their start in San Francisco in the mid Sixties. The debut album Supersnazz was released in 1969, containing both re-creations of '50s Rock 'n Roll songs and more melodic tracks. It made the group one of the forerunners of the Power Pop movement of the '70s—a genre the Flamin' Groovies had a major influence on and contributed significant work to.

Supersnazz has achieved a reputation among not just Flamin' Groovies fans, but lovers of Rock & Roll in general. It held up very well across the decades and is still able to make its own case for greatness as an impressive document of straight-ahead Rock & Roll circa 1969. It's both fully contemporary to its time and timeless, which makes the album a classic work.

They played a mixture of dirty, blues-rock with a smattering of British invasion rock and got caught in the shifting hippy scene.

Consequently, at that time, they looked (and sounded) way out of place. Nevertheless the band still played wonderful music and were arguably more appreciated in Europe than in their home land of the USA.

Look around. Bookshelves and, more increasingly, the internet, are just full of irritatingly inspirational soundbites on being a better person, having a better life, being happy et al. Social media areas such as LinkedIn seem to be populated by nothing else. Well, obviously, the Flamin Groovies were way ahead of the self help game because they literally ignored what was going on around them and ploughed a furrow that was all of their very own. These guys believed in themselves, were true to themselves, were brimming full of self confidence and refused to be shaken by outside criticism. They really needed all of that too because, about five minutes after this album hit the streets in 1969, it hit the bargain bins with a thud. It was toally ignored.

Some albums just don’t hold up over the years but this one has grown, like a hardy flower peeking from between concrete slabs, growing in recognisable quality and subsequent reputation as each year passes. It’s an incredible piece of straight ahead rock’n’roll. Contemporary to its time (and yet simple enough to be almost timseless) but with none of the artificial period nostalgia and fun (oh yes, lots and lots of fun), this is an album to seek out and wallow in. You too can bathe in a well that is occupied by proto-’70s punk, ’50s New Orleans R&B, country music, ragtime…you name it.

From the Stones-esque Love Have Mercy, the balladic A Part From That, the rocking The Girl Can’t Help It, Rockin’ Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu to the country vibes of Brushfire, this album was and is one of the most original rock albums in existence.


Tracks
1. Love Have Mercy (Roy A. Loney) - 4:28
2. The Girl Can't Help It (Bobby Troup) - 3:28
3. Laurie Did It (Roy A. Loney) - 3:48
4. A Part From That (Cyril Jordan, Roy A. Loney) - 1:57
5. Rocking Pneumonia And Boogie Woogie Flu (Huey P. Smith, J. Vincent Edwards) - 2:41
6. The First One's Free (Roy A. Loney) - 3:38
7. Pagan Rachel (Al Dexter) - 1:52
8. Somethin' Else / Pistol Packin' Mama (Bob Cochran, Shari K. Sheeley) - 3:43
9. Brushfire (Cyril Jordan, Roy A. Loney) - 3:12
10.Bam Balam (Cyril Jordan, Roy A. Loney) - 1:47
11.Around The Corner (Cyril Jordan, Roy A. Loney) - 4:05
12.Rockin' Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu (Huey P. Smith, J. Vincent Edwards) - 2:36
13.The First One's Free (Roy A. Loney) - 3:37
14.Somethin' Else (Bob Cochran) - 2:06
15.Laurie Did It (Roy A. Loney) - 3:47
Bonus Tracks 12-15 only on 2000 Sundazed edition

The Flamin' Groovies
*Roy A. Loney - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Handclaps
*Cyril Jordan - Lead Guitar, Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Handclaps
*Tim Lynch - Lead Guitar, Vocals, Harmonica, Handclaps
*George Alexander - Bass Guitar, Harmonica, Handclaps
*Danny Mihm - Drums, Percussion, Handclaps
With
*Mike Lang - Keyboards (Tracks 1,5)



 

Friday, November 12, 2021

The Liverpool Scene - Amazing Adventures Of The Liverpool Scene (1968-70 uk, classic comical streetwise poetry anthology surrounded by explicitly rock-based ensemble, 2009 remaster)

 



The Liverpool Scene coalesced semi-accidentally around poet and painter Adrian Henri, one of the chief architects of the city’s multi-media “events” of the early-to-mid-60s. Today, being a poet is to risk being battered, de-kegged and set on fire. Back then, however, poetry was a noble, rather sexy and decidedly rock’n’roll calling, thanks in no small measure to the witty, perceptive and pretension-free work of Henri and his “Mersey Sound” contemporaries. Fronting a band was a logical and inevitable progression, and Henri did just that from 1967-70.

The Amazing Adventures Of… compiles the many highlights of The Liverpool Scene’s brief career, and is a five-course meal for the senses in a Pot Noodle world. Herein you will find giddy avant-garde experimentation (We’ll All Be Spacemen Before We Die), wry cultural commentary (Bomb Commercials), raucous pastiche (The Woo Woo, Baby, I’ve Got Those Fleetwood Mac Chicken Shack John Mayall Can’t Fail Blues), tender acoustic folk (The Raven, Burdock River Run), unabashed romanticism (The Only Thing It Needed Was You) and, throughout, a shining intelligence and genuinely poetic sensibility which gladdens the heart and replenishes the soul.

The contributions of guitarist/songwriter Andy Roberts, poet/ saxophonist Mike Evans and songwriter Mike Hart were as crucial to the band’s inimitable alchemy as Henri’s antic wit and benign presence. John Peel and Led Zeppelin adored them: hear the extraordinary key compositions Made in USA and The Entry Of Christ Into Liverpool to find out exactly why.
by Marco Rossi, 21st August 2009


Tracks
Disc 1
1. Love Is (Adrian Henri, Andy Roberts, Percy Jones, Brian Dodson, Mike Evans) - 1:17
2. Batpoem (Adrian Henri, Andy Roberts) - 1:47
3. Son, Son (Mike Hart) - 4:18
4. Tramcar To Frankenstein (Andy Roberts, Mike Evans) - 7:47
5. The Woo Woo (Adrian Henri, Andy Roberts, Percy Jones, Brian Dodson, Mike Evans) - 3:35
6. Burdock River Run (Andy Roberts) - 4:17
7. Happy Burial Blues (Maurice Cockrill, Mike Evans, Mike Hart) - 6:17
8. Universes (Adrian Henri, Andy Roberts, Mike Hart, Percy Jones, Brian Dodson, Mike Evans) - 6:20
9. I'm Just A Simple Boy (Mike Hart) - 2:17
10.Baby (Adrian Henri, Andy Roberts) - 2:44
11.Percy Parslow's Hamster Farm (Andy Roberts) - 3:56
12.Bomb Commercials (Mike Hart) - 2:20
13.Elsie Straws Saga (Adrian Henri) - 3:22
14.Wildwest (Adrian Henri) - 6:28
15.Colours (Mike Evans) - 5:23
16.Gliders, Parks (Mike Hart) - 5:31
17.Love Story (Adrian Henri, Andy Roberts) - 11:20


Disc 2
1. The Entry Of Christ Into Liverpool (Adrian Henri, Andy Roberts, Percy Jones, Brian Dodson, Mike Evans) - 7:49
2. We'll All Be Spacemen Before We Die (Andy Roberts, Percy Jones, Brian Dodson, Mike Evans) - 5:50
3. Human Tapeworm (Andy Roberts) - 3:27
4. The Morning The Sky Went Away (Andy Roberts, Mike Evans) - 1:43
5. Mental Astronaut (Adrian Henri, Andy Roberts, Percy Jones, Brian Dodson, Mike Evans) - 4:01
6. See The Conkering Heroine Come (Adrian Henri, Andy Roberts) - 4:29
7. Winter Poem (Adrian Henri, Percy Jones) - 3:22
8. Come Into The Perfumed Garden, Maud (Adrian Henri) - 7:55
9. The Raven (Andy Roberts) - 2:50
10.The Only Thing It Needed Was You (Mike Evans) - 0:54
11.I've Got These Fleetwood Mac Chicken Shack John Mayall Can't Fail Blues (Adrian Henri) - 5:37
12.64 (Andy Roberts) - 2:32
13.Night Song (Adrian Henri, Andy Roberts) - 2:18
14.G.B.S. Blues (Mike Evans) - 3:31
15.Made In USA (Adrian Henri, Mike Evans) - 21:59
16.Rainbow Poem (Adrian Henri) - 0:32

The Liverpool Scene
*Adrian Henri - Vocals, Poet
*Percy Jones - Bass, Harmonica
*Brian Dodson - Drums
*Mike Hart - Guitar, Vocals
*Andy Roberts - Guitar, Vocals, Accordion, Harmonica, Tin Whistle, Violin, Glockenspiel
*Mike Evans - Poet, Tenor, Alto Saxophone
With
*Pete Clarke - Drums
*Karl Jenkins - Oboe, Baritone Saxophone
*Ian Carr - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
*Malcolm Griffiths - Trombone

Related Acts
1972  Plainsong - Plainsong (2013 japan remaster)