Rockasteria: 06/01/2024

Wednesday, June 19, 2024

Shawn Phillips - Do You Wonder (1975 us, elegant prog folk rock)

As a fan of Shawn Phillips. it couldn't be missing from my collection, his misunderstood but beautiful album, "Do you wonder", released in 1975, an attempt by Shawn to go into different sonic realms, funky rhythms, excellent arrangements -as always-, great horns. All these in a high perfomance standarts.

Tracks

1. Do You Wonder - 2:57

2. Xasper - 5:12

3. City To City - 3:19

4. Blunt And Frank - 2:49

5. Believe In Life - 5:50

6. As All I Played- Maestoso-Intermezzo-Tristesse - 6:44

7. Golden Flower - 4:26

8. Looking At The Angel - 4:51

9. Summer Vignette - 4:53

All compositions by Shawn Phillips, except "Intermexxo" written by Peter Robinson

Musicians

*Shawn Phillips - Guitar, Vocals

*Oren Waters - Backing Vocals

*Max Bennett - Bass

*Mike Baird - Drums

*Robben Ford - Guitar

*Peter Robinson - Piano, Synthesizer

*Jim Keltner - Drums

*John Guerin - Drums

*Don Menza - Saxophone

*Maxine Willard Waters - Backing Vocals

*Brandy Bento - Bass

*Luther Waters - Backing Vocals

*Findley Brothers - Brass

*Ben Benay - Guitar

*Julia Tillman Waters - Backing Vocals

*Jim Horn - Arrangements, Recorder, Saxophone

*Chuck Findley - Trombone

1970 Shawn Phillips - Contribution / Second Contribution (2009 remaster)
1971 Shawn Phillips - Collaboration
1969-72 Shawn Phillips - Faces (2014 remaster)

1971-74 Shawn Phillips - At The BBC (2009 release)

1973 Shawn Phillips - Bright White
1974 Shawn Phillips - Furthermore (2014 issue)
1976 Shawn Phillips - Rumplestiltskin's Resolve (2013 remaster)
1977 Shawn Phillips - Spaced (2013 remaster)
1978 Shawn Phillips - Transcendence (2015 remaster)

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Thursday, June 13, 2024

Karakorum - Prison Bitterness (1969 uk, extraordinary psych prog rock, 2021 digi sleeve release)

For many reasons 1969 was a remarkable year and the beginning of a hugely exciting new era for me....

Kingsley Ward (co-founder of Rockfield Studios) had asked if I would check out a new band that had been bugging him all summer. He wanted to help them and knew they offered something quite different. I first met Karakorum at their next rehearsal within a dilapidated chapel located in the grounds of Harewood Park (Herefordshire).

Of course the music on this album will speak for itself, but on that day, I was instantly blown away not only by their undoubted individual talent as musicians but also because they were each fearlessly original, creative and engagingly different. The band gradually became one of the most intriguing acts to play many of the University/College venues, concert halls and British club circuits - notably London's iconic Marquee Club and the famous Liverpool Cavern Club. It soon became apparent that Paul, James, Martin, and later Rich, were individually unique. They soon began to gain acknowledgements from fellow musicians.

The club/pub scene in London traditionally provided a 'shop window' for A&R reps to discover the latest 'happening' bands. Karakorum was indeed such a band but despite having generated a lot of curiosity and interest, the record industry was not quite ready for them. As time went on, the band's response was to consider changing musical direction. Ultimately, we drifted apart.

Karakorum was an exceptional band and the British music industry had clearly missed out on signing what I still believe would have become one of the UK's finest bands. I'm delighted that after all these years and through this album their creative spirit and musical genius has been allowed to surface once again.

by John Vigar

Tracks

1. Arnold Collins In Drag - 3:46

2. Living My Life - 3:01

3. Prison Bitterness - 4:07

4. Breakfast - 5:22

5. When The War Is Over - 4:34

All songs by James Williams, Martin Chambers, Paul Cobbold

Karakorum

*James Williams - Guitar, Vocals

*Martin Chambers - Drums

*Paul Cobbold - Bass, Keyboards

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Sunday, June 9, 2024

Mark LeVine - Pilgrims Progress (1968 us, awesome trippy acid psych folk rock feat. Ry Cooder, 2007 digipak remaster)

Mark LeVine is an opportunist, taking advantage of this year 1968, discographically blank for his mentor Bob Dylan, to follow in his footsteps. "Pilgrims progress" could have been a logical continuation of the masterpiece "John Wesley Harding" - 1967 as Dylan's shadow haunts these 12 compositions.

The album's title appears to be a nod to John Bunyan's Christian short story and allegory "The Pilgrim's Progress from this world to that which is to come" - 1678-1684. But here there is no question of virtue and puritanism: Mark Levine, draped in the trappings of the cursed poet, makes explicit reference to drugs and sex.

Among the studio musicians are a certain Ry Cooder, who no longer needs to be introduced, and the trio Jerry Scheff, Ben Benay and Toxey French, noted for having shared a few recording sessions with Curt Boettcher and publishing a obscure album under the name Goldenrod.

It's made with exactly the same features as Gentle Soul, and while that one has a soft rock or flowery feel, this one does away with excessive decoration, and has a finish that looks ahead to the singer-songwriter works of the 70s. It has become. Produced by Mike Deasy

Tracks

1. Going To The Country - 4:21

2. Twenty-One Years Older Than Yesterday - 3:44

3. Dr. Grossman - 2:25

4. Purple Dreams Are Creepy - 3:22

5. The Love Song - 3:02

6. Richard Lee - 7:19

7. Miller's Crossing - 2:53

8. Texas Style - 6:37

9. Sure I Can Write - 4:53

10.Better Dad Than Dead - 5:19

11.Nothing More Is Nothing Less - 4:06

12.Periwinkle Blue - 2:27

Words and Music by Mark LeVine

Personnel

*Mark Levine - Vocals, Rythm Guitar

*Ry Cooder - Acoustic Lead Guitar, Acoustic, Electric Bottleneck Guitar, Mandolin

*Michael Deasy - Acoustic, Electric Lead Guitar

*Joe Osborn - Bass

*Jerry Scheff - Bass

*Toxey French - Drums

*Paul Humphrey - Drums

*Larry Knechtel - Piano

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Tuesday, June 4, 2024

Redwing - Take Me Home (1973 us, fantastic dusty country rock, 2017 remaster)

A great record, with lots and lots of twang. They really upped the ante on their country bona fides: the album opens with the jaunty "Here I Go Again," an uptempo country-rock tune that's very reminiscent of the Gram Parsons-era Flying Burrito Brothers, followed by "Fast Locomotive," with some tight, funky chicken-picking guitar straight out of the Jerry Reed playbook, while the instrumental "Katy Warren Breakdown" showcases some awesome Joe Maphis-flavored flatpicking.

Guitarists Andrew Samuels and Tom Phillips display a mastery of country picking that's head and shoulders above what most of the country-rockers were doing at the time, while guest fiddler Tiny Moore adds some sweet licks of his own, around Phillips' dazzling yet concise dobro and pedal steel. More conventional rock/pop riffs come into play on the boogie-funk of "Lost Highway" and the dreary slow-dance power ballad, "Our Day."

As a viable regional band, Redwing might not have been able to set aside their hippie-pop and ballroom boogie roots, but even if those songs give the album an uneven feel, it's still packed with genuine gems. It's also worth noting that all the songs on here are originals, including the humorous, Doug Sahm-ish "Lowdown Samuel," co-written by fiddler-pianist Ed Bogas. If you're looking for a swell souvenir of the San Francisco country-rock scene at it's best, here it is.

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