Montreal - A Summer's Night (1970 canada, wonderful soft folk rock with a jazzy feeling)

“Indicative of the fine working ability of Canada’s enthusiastic musicians is MONTREAL – the makers of the music you are about to hear.

Canadian musicians and performers have always been true to the gaiety of a Canadian summer and have the ability to use the long winter as a working tool. In our efforts to know a new kind of music and determine its influence upon the times and ourselves, we have yet to spend time really listening. This is listening music. Since man first began making sounds, there has been music to move the feet and music to move the mind. The music produced by these fine artists of today merge free-feeling music with words of importance. Although the nature of our situation will allow us to dance, these are still words to be heard.

Jean Cousineau’s guitar will never cease to intrigue your imagination. Gilles Losier’s piano and bass act as an organic rubber band, while his knowledge of sound will create other instruments from the one he is playing. Fran’s voice will bring the sun in the mornings and set it many an evening in your home or pad or camp-out. Montreal is a place for all ages, and so is MONTREAL’s music. A necessary experience”
by Richie Havens

Produced by Richie Havens (who also contributes sitar), this lost classic was recorded in New York in 1970. Featuring Canadian musicians Fran Losier, Gilles Losier and Jean Cousineau, as well as leading jazz flautist Jeremy Steig, psych-folk legend Buzz Linhart and the Carolyn Hester Coalition’s Skeeter Camera, it’s a mesmerising collection of jazzy folk-psych. Packed with glorious vocal harmonies and unforgettable melodies (culminating in the spellbinding acid folk masterpiece ‘Infinity’).

Tracks
1. What About the Wind? (Chris Rawlings) - 2:28
2. A Summer’s Night (Jean Cousineau) - 3:37
3. Circles and Lines (Mike Leibson) - 2:45
4. Sometimes in Stillness (Peter Page, Bill Horan) - 3:00
5. Third Floor Walk-Up (Peter Page, Bill Horan) - 5:30
6. Every Passing Moment (Kenny Rankin) - 2:59
7. Summertime (George Gershwin, DuBose Hayward) - 4:11
8. Round and Round (Fran Losier) - 3:05
9. Infinity (Peter Page, Bill Horan) - 7:58

Montreal
*Fran Losier - Vocals
*Jean Cousineau - Guitar
*Gilles Losier - Piano, Bass
Guest Musicians
*Richie Havens - Sitar, Koto
*Jeremy Steig - Flute
*Buzz Linhart - Vibes
*Skeeter Camera - Percussion

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Stray - Suicide (1971 uk, great hard rock, 2nd album)

London's Stray followed up an eclectic eponymous debut with more of the same on their 1971 sophomore effort, Suicide, which of course was just dandy since "more of the same" on this occasion essentially entailed another imaginative melding of different musical genres under the broad, forgiving definition afforded by the progressive rock tag.

As to the album's rather negative title, it didn't foreshadow a radical shift toward the quartet's pre-existing heavy rock tendencies (actually, more keyboards were the hot novelty here) so much as a reflection of these songs' darker overall mood when it came to their lyrics. Opener "Son of the Father" offered a perfect example, as it alternated quiet passages of sublime but chilling beauty with other hard-driving but rather upbeat sections -- all supporting questioning meditations about generations of men sent off to war after war.

Some ensuing tracks, like "Nature's Way" and "Do You Miss Me?" continue to showcase Stray's copious testosterone via wicked power chords and boogie grooves (but always interlaced with some unexpected jam or jazzy accent), and the especially forceful "Jericho" catapults untold scores of contrasting riffs against one another with urgent intensity, ultimately culminating in a truly frightening descending riff sequence.

Other songs take the opposite course of gentle introspection, achieving both mesmerizing (the lyrically corny but musically elegiac "Where Do Our Children Belong") and dismaying results (the soppy, string-laden Muzak of "Dearest Eloise"), while the neither-here-nor-there "Run Mister Run" evokes a Southern rock feel with its cow bells and blue-collar construction.

And, finally, there's the controversially themed title track, which combines a Black Sabbath-like bass progression from Gary G. Giles with foreboding fuzz chords and sizzling solo licks from Del Bromham (reminiscent of Sir Lord Baltimore) to impart its gloomy story. Not a very uplifting finale, obviously, but nothing that detracts from Suicide's multi-faceted creative accomplishment, under any circumstance -- especially considering the album was reportedly recorded at Olympic Studios in just 30 hours!
by Eduardo Rivadavia

Tracks
1. Son of the Father - 5:48
2. Nature's Way - 3:29
3. Where Do Our Children Belong - 3:39
4. Jericho - 4:55
5. Run Mister Run - 3:54
6. Dearest Eloise (Steve Gadd) - 2:30
7. Do You Miss Me? - 6:28
8. Suicide - 7:39
9. Encore - 0:36
All Songs by Del Bromham except where indicated.

Stray
*Del Bromham - Guitar, Vocals, Keyboards
*Ritchie Cole - Drums
*Steve Gadd - Harmonica, Guitar, Vocals
*Gary G. Giles - Bass
*Pete Dyer - Guitar, Vocals

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Thunder And Roses - King Of The Black Sunrise (1969 us, fine garage psych blues rock)

Thunder and Roses was an early power trio from Philadelphia USA, recorded “King of the Black Sunrise” and released by United Artists Records in 1969. This garage rock album is a hard rockin’, ultra heavy, Hendrix-inspired, slab of bluesy psychedelia. Track one, the classic “White Lace and Strange”, was covered by Nirvana in a radio broadcast that is included on their box set “With The Lights Out”.

The trio pay their respects to Hendrix with a strong version of Red House, then lay waste with a blitzkrieg of superb heavy psychedelic guitar like Cream, they never let the blues influences swamp the rock. Chris Bond went on to play for and produce Hall and Oates.

Tracks
1. White Lace and Strange - 3:16
2. I Love a Woman - 4:43
3. Country Life - 2:51
4. Red House (Jimi Hendrix) - 5:40
5. Moon Child - 4:14
6. Dear Dream Maker - 3:33
7. King of the Black Sunrise - 3:51
8. Open Up Your Eyes - 7:26
All song by Chris Bond, except where noted.

Thunder And Roses
*Chris Bond - Guitars, Vocals
*Tom Schaffer - Bass, Vocals
*George Emme - Drums

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The Appletree Theatre - Playback (1968 us/uk, brilliant concept, baroque pop, sunshine psychedelic rock, 2009 remastered)

Playback was released in 1968 off the Verve label. Both John and Terrence Boylan were the brains behind this project that is divided into three acts. It’s an inventive pop album with great songs, strange sound effects, comedy bits and trippy dialogue in between some of the tracks. Fans of Friends era Beach Boys, Family Tree, the Smoke (Michael Lloyd’s band) and the Millennium will really love this record though it has more of a downbeat mood than the before mentioned sunshine pop classics.

Playback was released in two different album covers (both covers are great) and was supposedly one of John Lennon’s favorites from 1968. Some of the tracks, such as I Wonder If Louise Is Home suggest the boys may have indulged in too many psychedelic drugs, with its distorted megaphone vocals and soaring horns. The album opener, Hightower Square, and Nevertheless It Was Italy are strong hallucinary floaters that play it straight, with light psychedelic arrangements. There’s even a beautiful 52 second acoustic track with gorgeous strings and downer vocals called Saturday Morning.

The real meat of this jaded pop album lies within it’s best 3 tracks: Brother Speed, You’re The Biggest Thing In My Life, and the wonderful What A Way To Go. Brother Speed is a great blue-eyed soul drug number with stax-like horn arrangements, pounding drums, stoned vocals, and a loud guitar psych solo. It’s a good one for sure but You’re The Biggest Thing In My Life is superb as well with tons of guitar feedback within the confines of a creepy but pretty conventional pop song.

The album comes to a close with the outstanding What A Way To Go. This is one of the great introspective acid folk-rock songs that hits a downer psych nerve that few can equal. It’s a good one to play for square friends as the track has beautifully spaced out vocals and crazed, nonsensical lyrics. Highly recommended!
by Jason Nardelli

Tracks
1. In the Beginning (instrumental) - 0:55
2. Hightower Square - 2:24
3. Lullaby (instrumental) - 0:25
4. Saturday Morning - 1:53
5. Nevertheless It was Italy- 2:15
6. I Wonder If Louise Is Home - 2:10
7. Chez Louise - 1:02
8. E-Train - 1:00
9. Meanwhile - 0:15
10. Brother Speed - 3:15
11.You're the Biggest Thing In My Life - 3:35
12.Don't Blame It On Your Wife - 2:50
13.The Sorry State of Staying Awake - 3:54
14.Barefoot Boy - 2:43
15.Lotus Flower (instrumental) - 2:16
16.What a Way To Go - 2:50
All songs by John Boylan and Terry Boylan.

Musicians
*John Boylan - Vocals
*Terry Boylan - Vocals
*Larry Coryell - Guitar
*Eric Gale - Guitar
*Herb Lovelle - Vocals
*Chuck Rainey - Bass
*Chuck Israels - Bass Guitar
*Paul Griffin - Piano
*Buddy Saltzman - Drums
*Michael Equine - Drums
*Zal Yanovsky - Guitar

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The Box Tops - The Best Of Box Tops (1967-70 us, wondrous guitar pop, 20bit remaster edition)

The Box Tops came out of Memphis in 1967 with a sound that both explored the possibilities of rhythm and blues while mixing the sound with straight forward rock 'n' roll. Chilton's voice was flexible, capable of sounding Eric Burdon-husky (as on "The Letter") or sweetly innocent (as on "Neon Rainbow").

"The Letter" went straight to # 1 in 1967, spending four weeks in the top spot in the U. S. It was quickly followed up the charts by "Neon Rainbow", which reached # 24. In 1968, the band had its first (and only) million-selling single with "Cry Like A Baby", which rose to # 2 for two weeks ("...when I think about the good love you gave me / I cry like a baby / livin' without you is drivin' me crazy / I cry like a baby..."). Kind of a cross between the Memphis rhythm and blues of "The Letter" and classic gospel music.

The band was abused like many a band at the hands of producers and record labels --- the more popular they got, the more likely they were to lose control in the studio. Chilton has said that the band's music on record was mostly him singing lead supported by studio musicians, rather than the band (in fact, with one other exception, Chilton was the only band member to appear on the studio recordings made after "The Letter").

For a budding songwriter like Chilton, it was also somewhat discouraging, I imagine, to be told to sing songs written by people not even in the band. Many of the songs were written by Wayne Carson Thompson (including "The Letter", "Neon Rainbow" and "Soul Deep") or by the team of Dan Penn, producer of the records, and Spooner Oldham (Penn and Oldham wrote such soul classics as "I'm Your Puppet" and "Dark End Of The Street" in addition to Box Tops tunes like "Cry Like A Baby" and "I Met Her In Church").

The band charted with 10 Hot 100 singles between 1967-70. In 1968, following the Top 10 success of "Cry Like A Baby" as the year began, the group scored three additional Top 40 hits with "Choo Choo Train" (# 26), "I Met Her In Church" (# 37) and "Sweet Cream Ladies, Forward March" (# 28; which remained on the charts into 1969).

Their cover version of Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released" (# 67) became their first non-Top 40 hit in 1969. They moved back into the Top 40 with "Soul Deep" (# 18) by late summer of that same year ("...my love is a river running soul deep / way down inside me it's soul deep..."). "Soul Deep" was the band's last trip into the Top 40. The next two singles quickly died on the charts ("Turn On A Dream" peaked at # 58 and "You Keep Turning Up On Me" stiffed at # 92).

Although the group did place four albums on the chart, none made the national Top 40 Album chart in Billboard. Though Chilton had his greatest chart success with The Box Tops, he is today may be best remembered for his work with the power pop band Big Star, though Big Star never charted with any single or album according to Billboard magazine. Fans of Chilton's later work will be glad that some of his early compositions with The Box Tops are on this compilation: "I Must Be The Devil", "Together", "The Happy Song" and "I See Only Sunshine".

The CD booklet The 8-page CD booklet is informative, but very lacking in the illustration department (a single, small shot of each band member; no group photos). The recordings benefit from 20 bit digital mastering done from the original master tapes.

Tracks
1. The Letter (Wayne Carson Thompson) - 1:52
2. Neon Rainbow (Wayne Carson Thompson) - 3:01
3. Happy Times (Penn, Oldham) - 1:44
4. Cry Like A Baby (Penn, Oldham) - 2:32
5. Fields Of Clover (Penn, Oldham) - 2:50
6. Choo Choo Train (Fritts, Hinton) 2:50
7. She Shot A Hole In My Soul (M. Gayden, C. Neebe) - 2:41
8. People Gonna Talk (Penn, Oldham) - 4:08
9. I Met Her In Church (Penn, Oldham) - 2:41
10. Sweet Cream Ladies, Forward March (B. Weinstein, J. Stroll) - 2:13
11. Together (A. Chilton) - 3:21
12. I Must Be The Devil (A. Chilton) - 3:35
13. Soul Deep (Wayne Carson Thompson) - 2:27
14. I Shall Be Released (B. Dylan) - 2:47
15. Happy Song (A. Chilton) - 1:55
16. Turn On A Dream (M. James) - 2:48
17. I See Only Sunshine (A. Chilton) - 2:14
18. You Keep Tightening Up On Me (Wayne Carson Thompson) - 2:27

The Box Tops
*Alex Chilton - Guitar, Lead Vocals
*Gary Talley - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Bill Cunningham - Bass, Vocals
*Danny Smythe - Drums, Vocals 1967 - 1968
*John Evans - Keyboards, Vocals 1967 - 1968
*Thomas Boggs - Drums, Vocals 1968 - 1969
*Rick Allen - Keyboards, Vocals 1968 - 1969
*Harold Cloud - Bass 1969 - 1970
*Bobby Guidotti - Drums, Vocals 1969 - 1970
*Swain Schaefer - Keyboards, Vocals 1969 - 1970

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Dino Valente – Dino Valente (1968 us, delightful psych acid folk rock)

Dino Valente (Chester Powers was his real name, Dino was a name which he remembered kids called him, and which gave him a good feeling ; it was actually Valenti which he took as an artist’s new last name, but the label misspelled it), after briefly joining the air force, he soon spent time playing at coffee houses and spaghetti shops, formed a short time a duo with Fred Neil, a period where he wrote "Get Together", a song that would bring him fame through the covers by Jefferson Airplane and by the Youngbloods, who made it a top 10 hit in the US.

His first real single from 1964, was a folk pop song called "Birdses" which became the inspiration for Gene Clark to name his new band the Birdses, or differently written, as the Byrds. In 1965 he started to sing with Quicksilver Messenger Service, but before this was really settled, he was busted for the possession of two ounces of pot, so that after a court case where the judge cited his anti-government song “what about me” he was sent to jail for 11 months, an experience which must have done much harm.

In 1968 he got a CBS record deal which he wanted to become a solo record, but which still was produced by the label with some band arrangements, with Bob Johnston leading, how they preferred to hear it, a result which I think, in the end, really made the best of it, and was still done with respect to the music, to give it some balance, because to some degree the album shows almost a bit too much to bear easily, moments of painfully sad and fucked up conclusions, from a human being that had been broken on occasions and now leans on a few fragile things on which to hang upon.

The album opens with “time”, a beautiful and strong sad song about dreams which pass and are lost but for which new dreams can appear instead. Some disappointments of his experiences reveal themselves further, while other songs hold so tight to romantic ideals, mixed with the overly focus on the eternal now, probably because the past still looks painful and the future is not trusted, while certain things still weighs tons.

Some of his singing, (like on “my friend”), is expressed with a conscious, and slowly moving forward singing, which might have come from his time with Fred Neil. But then, also some frustrations creep into it, like a thoroughly bitten maize-ear, his voice makes a few strange moves now and then, whining his cries in such strange moves that it recalls these failures of the endless in time moves with no directions of leading nowhere (remember how Syd Barrett did his own overly sad moves with his lyrics and tone variations in his words, this is of course still different), showing the crumbling role of importance of his own identity, such a position could become on the edge of suicidal, at the same time also his greatest hopes and projections of personal romance and love sounds so equally sad, as if losing its grip on it while biting into its importance.

One time (on “me and my uncle”), Dino sounds like the underground Dylan (he much more was one of Dylan’s characters, the liner notes described him). On “my friend”, there’s a more jazzy background arrangement, while “tomorrow” also is orchestrated. For me, such arrangements also succeed to bring the personality at such moments back to a comfortable real situation and reality. The last track “test” however ends experimental, with just flute in the background, and subtle overuse of echoes, with his bass voice lingering on, and is rather psychedelic, as a fading out with more abstract energy the little weird part that had participated in the album.
by Psychedelic-Folk

Tracks
1. Time - 3:08
2. Something New - 7:10
3. My Friend - 5:53
4. Listen to Me - 3:16
5. Me and My Uncle (John Phillips) - 3:58
6. Tomorrow - 4:09
7. Children of the Sun - 7:05
8. New Wind Blowing - 6:13
9. Everything Is Gonna Be OK - 2:50
10.Test - 3:14
11.Shame on You Babe - 8:04
12.Now and Now Only - 4:04
All songs by Dino Valente, except where indicated.

*Dino Valente - Guitar, Vocals

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Gene Clark - White Light (1971 us, brilliant folk rock, bonus tracks edition)

Gene Clark's 1971 platter, with its stark black cover featuring his silhouette illuminated by the sun, was dubbed White Light -- though the words never appear on the cover -- and if ever a title fit a record, it's this one. Over its nine original tracks, it has established itself as one of the greatest singer/songwriter albums ever made. After leaving the Byrds in 1966, recording with the Gosdin Brothers, and breaking up the Dillard & Clark group that was a pioneering country-rock outfit, Clark took time to hone his songwriting to its barest essentials.

The focus on these tracks is intense, they are taut and reflect his growing obsession with country music. Produced by the late guitarist Jesse Ed Davis (who also worked with Taj Mahal, Leon Russell, Link Wray, and poet John Trudell, among others), Clark took his songs to his new label with confidence and they supported him. The band is comprised of Flying Burrito Brothers' bassist Chris Ethridge, the then-Steve Miller Band-pianist (and future jazz great) Ben Sidran, organist Michael Utley, and drummer Gary Mallaber.

Clark's writing, as evidenced on "The Virgin," the title cut, "For a Spanish Guitar," "One in a Hundred," and "With Tomorrow," reveals a stark kind of simplicity in his lines. Using melodies mutated out of country, and revealing that he was the original poet and architect of the Byrds' sound on White Light, Clark created a wide open set of tracks that are at once full of space, a rugged gentility, and are harrowingly intimate in places.

His reading of Bob Dylan's "Tears of Rage," towards the end of the record rivals, if not eclipses, the Band's. Less wrecked and ravaged, Clark's song is more a bewildered tome of resignation to a present and future in the abyss. Now this is classic rock.
by Thom Jurek

 Tracks
1. The Virgin - 3:38
2. With Tomorrow (Clark, Jesse Ed Davis) - 2:27
3. White Light - 3:39
4. Because Of You - 4:04
5. One In A Hundred - 3:35
6. For A Spanish Guitar - 5:00
7. Where My Love Lies Asleep - 4:22
8. Tears Of Rage (Bob Dylan, Richard Manuel) - 4:14
9. 1975 - 3:55
10.Because Of You (Alternate Mix) - 4:06
11.Stand By Me (Previously Unreleased) (Ben E. King, Jerry Lieber, Mike Stoller) - 2:45
12.Ship Of The Lord (Previously Unreleased) - 2:34
13.Opening Day (Previously Unreleased) - 4:02
14.Winter In (Rare Track) - 3:21
All Songs Written By Gene Clark, Except Where Noted

Musicians
*Gene Clark - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
*Jesse Ed Davis - Electric Guitar
*Chris Ethridge - Bass
*Gary Mallaber - Drums
*Mike Utley - Organ
*Ben Sidran - Piano

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Robin Trower - Tale Untold, Chrysalis Years (1973-76 uk, impressive guitar rock, 3 disc box-set, 2010 remaster bonus tracks issue)

Guitarist Robin Trower made his name playing R&B with the Paramounts and classically-tinged art rock with Procol Harum, but wanted no part of either when he launched his solo career in 1972. As the focal point in a guitar-dominated power trio, Trower stretched out, experimented, and, as many have noted, paid homage to Jimi Hendrix in his own way.

Other than his reliance on the reverb of a Fender Stratocaster for tone and atmosphere and the trio format, however, Trower was far from a Hendrix clone. For one, whereas Hendrix’s music always had rough edges in spite of its virtuosity, Trower epitomized precision—from the tight arrangements (owing to his background in Procol Harum) and structured solos, right down to the cleaner tone of his guitar. While Hendrix’s R&B influence came from playing loose, uptempo blues and soul, Trower’s background (with the Paramounts) was in uptown white British R&B. What Trower was doing with Hendrix wasn’t any different than what the Rolling Stones were doing with Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters: updating it and expanding upon it.

While revered by guitar aficionados, Trower didn’t earn nearly as much respect from critics, and if past reissues are any indication, record labels. Of his first five solo albums, included in their entirety on this three-CD compilation, only Bridge of Sighs has ever gotten a decent remaster, the rest left to wallow in straight transfers with flat sound—or worse, in the case of the original ‘80s CD reissues of Live and Long Misty Days. While short on liner notes and packaging, A Tale Untold at last gives all of Trower’s first five the mastering they deserve.

Twice Removed from Yesterday (1973) kicked things off in prodigious fashion, displaying all the elements that would manifest throughout Trower’s early works: bassist James Dewar’s rich, soulful vocals, spacey arrangements, and of course, incredible guitar playing. The dreamy title track and “Daydream” in particular lay the groundwork for the future, and the more laid-back “Ballerina” was the first of many ballads that fit comfortably beside harder-rocking material. That said, the debut rocks harder than most later works, with Trower playing in a slightly more distorted tone on riffs like “I Can’t Stand It”, “Sinner’s Song”, and “I Can’t Wait Much Longer”. (The hardest rocking track of the sessions, “Take a Fast Train”, a killer non-LP B-side ignored by reissue labels for years, is included here.)

Trower’s tone on 1974’s career-defining Bridge of Sighs replaced the slight distortion with echo and effects as the music took another step forward (with commercial success to boot; this was one of four Trower albums to go gold). As fine a debut as Twice Removed was, Bridge of Sighs was even better—including the monumental title track (an FM staple) and rocking stage favorites like “Day of the Eagle”, “Too Rolling Stoned”, and “Little Bit of Sympathy”—all delivered with Trower’s trademark fluidity. Two ballads—“About to Begin” and “In This Place”—were just as good, and the funky edge of “Lady Love” would point the way to Trower’s next stylistic foray.

To get there, the late Reg Isidore was replaced in late 1974 by former of Gypsy and Sly and the Family Stone drummer Bill Lordan, who immediately added another dimension. Isidore may have had a great feel, but not nearly the chops of his successor. On live versions of songs from the first two albums, Lordan replaced Isidore’s more rudimentary (albeit effective) fills and backbeats with a fantastic array of hi-hat action, snare-ride cymbal interplay, polyrhythms executed simultaneously on different parts of the kit, a funky bottom, and, above all, a drive that the trio never had.

The difference can be heard on various bootlegs, as well as 1975’s Live, a strong set recorded on February 3, 1975, for Swedish radio. Being unaware that they were being taped made the band “loose and uninhibited”, according to Trower—and it shows on ripping versions of “Too Rolling Stoned”, “Lady Love”, and “Alethea”. Unlike many such sets, Trower’s live album adds to the studio versions—and would make a great candidate for an expanded edition since it’s a truncated version of the full set.

Before that album saw release, however, the new lineup would make a disappointing third studio album, 1975’s For Earth Below. Recorded at the Record Plant in LA, the album has the cocaine studio feel all over it: trebly highs, slightly too much bass, and more languid tempos. The material isn’t necessarily the problem—“Gonna Be More Suspicious”, “Alethea”, and “Shame the Devil” are fine tracks—but the execution is, particularly from a band capable of much better.

Though sometimes maligned as a Bridge of Sighs clone, 1976’s Long Misty Days was a return to form. Here, the funky edge spearheaded by Lordan finally appears in the studio on wah-wah enhanced tracks like “Caledonia”, “S.M.O.”, and “Pride”, and Trower revisits the blues on “Same Rain Falls” and “Messin’ the Blues”. The psychedelic title track, replete with Trower’s brilliant sustain and also included in an edited single version, is another winner—rounding out a fine run. (A Tale Untold includes a previously unreleased song from the Long Misty Days sessions, “Let Me Be the One”, which is OK.) Like previous albums, the changes were subtle, and innovation not necessarily a strong point, but Trower and band more than made up for it with strong performances and material.

Long Misty Days is the end of this set, but by no means the end of the story. Not counting two early ‘80s collaborations with Jack Bruce, Trower would go on to make four more solo albums on Chrysalis—one great (1980’s Victims of the Fury), two very good (1977’s In City Dreams and 1983’s Back It Up), one not so great (1978’s Caravan to Midnight), but all ripe for remastering.
By Doug Sheppard

Tracks
Disc 1
1973 Twice Removed From Yesterday
1. I Can't Wait Much Longer (Trower, Dewar) - 5:26
2. Daydream (Trower, Dewar) - 6:28
3. Hannah (Trower, Dewar, Isidore) - 5:30
4. Man Of The World (Trower, Dewar) - 2:44
5. I Can't Stand It (Trower, Dewar) - 3:43
6. Rock Me Baby (Joe Josea, B.B. King) - 4:21
7. Twice Removed From Yesterday (Trower, Dewar) - 3:58
8. Sinner's Song (Trower, Dewar) - 5:25
9. Ballerina (Trower, Dewar) - 3:47
10. Take A Fast Train (Bonus Track, B Side) (Trower, Dewar) - 3:16
1974 Bridge Of Sights
11. Day Of The Eagle - 5:02
12. Bridge Of Sighs - 5:01
13. In This Place - 4:30
14. Fool And Me (Trower, Dewar) - 3:56

Disc 2
1974 Bridge Of Sights
1. Too Rolling Stoned - 7:34
2. About To Begin - 3:45
3. Lady Love (Trower, Dewar) - 3:20
4. Little Bit Of Sympathy (Trower, Dewar) - 4:19
5. Day Of The Eagle (Bonus Track, Single Edit) (Trower, Dewar) - 2:53
1975 For Earth Below
6. Shame The Devil - 3:27
7. It's Only Money (Trower, Dewar) - 5:30
8. Confessin' Midnight - 5:53
9. Fine Day - 3:36
10. Alethea - 3:06
11. A Tale Untold - 5:28
12. Gonna Be More Suspicious - 3:06
13. For Earth Below - 6:06
1975 Live
14. Too Rolling Stoned - 6:40
15. Daydream - 8:00
16. Rock Me Baby (KJoe Josea, B.B. King) - 5:58

Disc 3
1975 Live
1. Lady Love (Trower, Dewar) - 3:07
2. I Can't Wait Much Longer - 6:58
3. Alethea (Trower, Dewar) - 4:10
4. Little Bit Of Sympathy - 5:55
1976 Long Misty Days
5. Same Rain Falls (Trower, Dewar) - 3:15
6. Long Misty Days (Trower, Dewar) - 5:43
7. Hold Me (Trower, Dewar) - 3:36
8. Caledonia (Trower, Dewar) - 3:41
9. Pride (Trower, Dewar) - 3:10
10. Sailing (Gavin Sutherland) - 3:45
11. SMO (Dewar, Lordan, Trower) - 3:44
12. I Can't Live Without You (Dewar, Frankie Miller, Trower) - 4:25
13. Messin' The Blues (Dewar, Lordan, Trower) - 3:58
14. Long Misty Days (Bonus Track, Single Edit) (Trower, Dewar) - 4:45
15. Let Me Be The One (Bonus Track, Previously Unreleased) (Trower, Dewar) - 4:33
All songs by Robin Trower except otherwise.

Musicians
*Robin Trower - Guitar
*Jemas Dewar - Bass, Vocals
*Reg Isidore - Drums (Disc1 & Disc 2 tracks 1-5)
*Bill Lordan - Drums (Disc 2 tracks 6-16 & Disc 3)

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Stray - Stray (1970 uk, great heavy rock)

 

Reissue from the June 1970 original release on the Transatlantic label, Stray's eponymously titled debut album is widely acknowledged as their masterpiece. This compilation has been remastered and features them10 previously unreleased sides 'Change Your Mind', 'Answer In Love', 'Send Out A Smile',' I Am What I Am', 'Love In Your Heart', 'Loving You Is Sweeter Than Four', 'The Man Who Paints Pictures', 'In The Night', 'Outcast' & 'All In Your Mind'. Stray made their mark in the late 60s by owning lighting rigs, pyrotechnics and transport in a time when most bands were content to just get up onstage and play.

Stray dated back to 1966 when teenagers vocalist Steve Gadd, guitarist Del Bromham, bass player Gary Giles and drummer Steve Crutchley formed the band whilst all were attending the local Christopher Wren School in London. At this point the average age of Stray members was 14. Steve Crutchley quit to pursue traditional Jazz and was duly replaced by Richie Cole as Stray became regulars on the London club circuit, performing at such venues as Shepherds Bush Goldhawk Club and Covent Garden's Middle Earth. In May 1969 Stray supported The Groundhogs at Southall Farx Club and signed to Transatlantic Records in January 1970.

Stray appeared at their first Reading Festival in 1971, alongside such acts as Rory Gallagher, Medicine Head and Van Der Graaf Generator. Later that year the group also made their debut TV appearance on the show 'Disco 2', although a gig the same year at the Weeley Festival found Stray in bother with the coastguard when stage flares were mistaken for a distress call by the local lifeboat! Stray's first British headline tour in the winter of 1971 had Red Dirt and Steve Tilston supporting. The band would also tour Europe as support to Ten Years After. They would promptly return to the UK for more support shows to the likes of Status Quo before touring nationwide with The Groundhogs.

At this point Stray took on the services of manager Wilf Pine. Securing another Reading Festival slot in 1972 - appearing with Status Quo, Ten Years After and Wizzard - Stray supported The Groundhogs once more in August 1973, experimenting with additional live musicians; including keyboard player Andy Powell, backing vocalists and brass section. Stray also opened for Black Sabbath at Alexandra Palace in the same month.
Stray (Official site)

Tracks
1. All In Your Mind - 9:21
2. Taken All The Good Things - 5:30
3. Around The World In Eighty Days - 3:37
4. Time Machine - 4:41
5. Only What You Make It - 4:00
6. Yesterday's Promises (Gadd) - 4:19
7. Move On (Bromham, Gadd, Cole, Giles) - 5:46
8. In Reverse / Some Say (Bromham, Gadd, Cole, Giles) - 8:58
9. Change Your Mind (Bromham, Gadd) - 5:11
10.The Man Who Paints The Pictures (Holtzman, Holtzman, Knust) - 2:33
11.In The Night (Unknown) - 4:01
12.Outcast - 4:00
13.All In Your Mind (Single Version) - 2:59
All songs by Del Bromham except where stated.

Stray
*Del Bromham - Guitar, Vocals, Keyboards
*Ritchie Cole - Drums
*Steve Gadd - Harmonica, Guitar, Vocals
*Gary G. Giles - Bass
*Pete Dyer - Guitar, Vocals

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Alquin - The Mountain Queen (1973 holland, outstanding progressive rock with blues and jazz shades, 2009 esoteric remaster issue)

A few students in Delft start a group in 1968. It is called Threshold Fear and they mainly play rhytmn and blues. In 1970 the band members are: Hein Mars (bass, vocals), Job Tarenskeen (vocal, sax, percussion), Ronald Ottenhof (sax, flute), Ferdinand Bakker (guitar, vocals, keyboards), Dick Franssen (keyboards) and Bart Terlaak (drums). A single is released on Negram: Sally Saddlepain/Thank me not, the track was produced by Peter Vink who later on would form Finch

At the end of 1971 the group changes the drummer:Terlaak goes and Paul Weststrate comes. In January 1972 they perform in Paradiso for the first time, under their old name. Shortly thereafter (February 1972) the group changes its name to Alquin, after the student society and rehearsal room Alcuin.Due to their growing reputation, May 1972 a record deal with Polydor is closed for 2 albums and 4 singles, and they record their debut album Marks, produced by Hans van Oosterhout. He was also the producer of Supersister. The album is mainly a mix of rock, jazz and classical influences; “symphonic rock”. As a single You always can change is released with on the flip side the non album track Hard royce.

The popularity of the band is growing in 1973 The readers of Oor magazine vote Alquin as the ‘number 1 trendsetter’ of 1973. Alquin tours Great Britain in April and May (17 performances), on stages like Liverpool University, Cavern Club, Greyhound and Marquee Club (London) and including a live TV performance on The Old Grey Whistle Test. They also give a good performance as the one and only Dutch act at the Pinkpop festival in the Netherlands. A second album, The Mountain Queen is recorded at the DeLane Lea studio’s in London, with the help of producer Derek Lawrence. He was also the producer of Deep Purple and Wishbone Ash. For fans of progressive rock, this is probably their best effort.
Alquin-org

Tracks
1. The Dance - 13:00
2. Soft-Eyed Woman - 2:38
3. Convicts Of The Air - 3:50
4. Mountain Queen - 14:45
5. Don And Dewey - 1:27
6. Mr. Banum's JR's Maginificent And Fabulous City (part one) - 8:25

Alquin
*Hein Mars - Bass
*Paul Westrate - Drums
*Job Tarenskeen - Saxophone, Percussion, Vocals
*Ronald Ottenhoff - Saxophone, Flute
*Ferdinand Bakker - Guitar, Electric Violin, Piano, Vocals
*Dick Franssen - Organ, Piano, E-Piano

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Douglas Fir - Hard Heartsingin' (1970 us, excellent psychedelic blues rock, Gear Fab edition)

It was an incredible era....one like we'll never see again. Howdy, I'm Douglas A. Snider (AKA Douglas Fir). The band was formed as a complete foursome after many of the tracks on the album had already been cut. The original band was a trio comprised of myself on drums and lead vocals, Tim Doyle on Hammond B-3, and Richie Moore on guitar. We went by the name of "The Sun Trio".

We played alot of "Meat Marketn Bars" in order to pay for the studio time and worked day jobs as well. I worked the high timber industry as a logger and fire fighter. Tim worked in construction, and Richie (the smart one in retrospect) drove a liquor delivery truck. We had a dream...to cut an album and hit the big time...and we damned near did it!! We were totally committed to the project!! It was our dream...the only thing we thought of day and night. We were fortunate in that a couple of guys named Mike Carter and Russ Gorsline, two great recording engineers, also got caught up in the energy of the project.

They fronted us alot of studio time, and when we couldn't pay at times, they shuffled alot of paper around so the studio's owners didn't see the bills. We wrote and recorded some of the songs on the studio floor, and others took more planning and time (obviously the cuts with strings, horns, etc.).After laboring for two long years, we finally decided that we had enough to show the record companies. SO...The big plunge...broke and owing studios, I sold my Honda 305 Scrambler and bought a one-way ticket to Hollywood.

Many hours pounding the pavement and dealing with rejection....Until I met a man by accident in an elevator in the Sunset Vine Towers. Serendipity! The man turned out to be one of Hollywood's hottest arrangers at the time. After a few beers (quite a few) he took me down to the third floor and introduced me to executives from MGM/QUAD Records and we played the tape...Magic...a deal was struck immediately,  the studio bills were paid off, and we added Bruce Bye on bass making the final composite of Douglas Fir.

MGM released a single titled "Smokey Joe's" which received a great deal of airplay, and we toured briefly before the label folded. That's showbiz, folks. But hey...we had a great time making these tracks, playing the 60's bars and Groovin'. And By God, we sold the album even if we didn't get the big hit. Thanks for listening in!!
by Douglas A. Snider,  Hendersonville, Tennessee

Tracks
1. Hard Heartsingin (D. T. Jay, D. A. Snider) - 4:23
2. Jersey Thursday (Donovan P. Leitch) - 2:18
3. I Didn't Try (D.T. Jay, R.L. Moore, D.A. Snider) - 3:40
4. Early In The Morning Rain (Jay, Moore, Snider) - 3:51
5. New Orleans Queen (Snider, Bye, Fetsch, Gorsline) - 3:17
6. Moratorium Waltz (Douglas A. Snider) - 3:05
7. Smokey Joe's (Bye/Fetsch, Moore, Snider) - 2:19
8. Comin' Back Home (Douglas A. Snider) - 3:52
9. Tom's Song (Fetsch, Ford, Snider) - 3:01
10.21 Years (Moore, Snider) - 2:54

Douglas Fir
*Richie Moore - Guitar
*Tim Doyle - Keyboards
*Douglas A. Snider - Drums, Vocals
*Bruce Bye - Bass

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Paul Kossoff - Kossoff Kirke Tetsu Rabbit / Back Street Crawler / The Band Plays On / 2nd Street (1972/73/75/76 uk, superb guitar work, four albums, 2005 double disc edition)

Throughout the years, rock music has been littered with talented musicians whose lives were cut short due to drug-related deaths. Free/Back Street Crawler guitarist Paul Kossoff was one such casualty. Kossoff was born in London, England, on September 14, 1950, and early on studied classical guitar (before giving up on the instrument by his teenaged years). But upon discovering the British blues-rock movement of the '60s, Kossoff's interest in guitar perked up once again, especially after catching a John Mayall's Bluesbreakers live show with Eric Clapton.

Kossoff soon purchased an electric guitar (a vintage Gibson Les Paul, which eventually become his trademark guitar) and began playing in local bands. Through one such band, Black Cat Bones, Kossoff became good friends with their drummer, Simon Kirke, who would serve a prominent part in Kossoff's musical future. Eventually feeling that the band had reached its zenith, the band broke up after the Black Cat Bones backed bluesman Champion Jack Dupree on a song called "When You Feel the Feeling."

Kossoff and Kirke set out to form another group, hooking up with vocalist Paul Rodgers and bassist Andy Fraser, the quartet decided to go by the name Free (which was supposedly christened by British blues icon Alexis Korner). Just as the new band signed a deal with Island/A&M Records, Kossoff had fully blossomed into an outstanding guitarist, renowned for his fluid, slow, and melodic leads and bluesy riffs. Free issued a pair of albums in the late '60s that went largely unnoticed -- 1968's Tons of Sobs and 1969's self-titled release -- as Kossoff grew slightly disillusioned by the group's lack of commercial progress and tried out for guitar openings in such groups as the Rolling Stones and Jethro Tull.

But big-time success would prove to be just around the corner for Free as their 1970 release Fire and Water spawned the massive hit single (and eventual classic rock standard) "All Right Now" and helped secure the group a spot at the esteemed 1970 Isle of Wight Festival (which also included performances by the Who and Sly & the Family Stone, as well as one of the final performances ever by both Jimi Hendrix and the Doors).

But, this would prove to be Free's commercial apex as after one more release, 1971's underappreciated Highway, the group brokeup. In the wake of their split, Free's record label issued the concert set Free Live, while its members indulged in other projects. Both Kirke and Kossoff decided to stay together, forming the short-lived Kossoff, Kirke, Tetsu & Rabbit, along with bassist Tetsu Yamauchi and keyboardist John "Rabbit" Bundrick, issuing a lone self-titled release the same year. To the delight of fans, Free's split was short-lived as the quartet reunited in 1972, offering a strong "comeback" album, Free at Last. But behind the scenes, things were in disarray:

Kossoff, by this time, had developed a dangerous drug dependency, which led to Fraser's exit from the band. With Yamauchi taking Fraser's place in the lineup (and Bundrick on board for good measure), the new lineup of Free attempted to record a sixth studio album, but due to his problems, Kossoff's input was minimal (with Rodgers and another guitarist subbing in for Kossoff). When Free supported the resulting album, 1973's Heartbreaker, with a tour, Kossoff was replaced with Wendell Richardson and upon the tour's completion, Free split up once more, but this time for good (as both Rodgers and Kirke would go on to form Bad Company).

The same year as Free's swan song, Kossoff was able to pull himself together long enough to record a solo album, Back Street Crawler, which surprisingly featured contributions from his former Free bandmates (as well as Yes drummer Alan White). Happy with the results, Kossoff decided to form a full-time solo outfit, named after the title of his solo debut.

In addition to Kossoff, Back Street Crawler featured singer Terry Wilson-Slesser, keyboard player Mike Montgomery, bassist Terry Wilson, and drummer Tony Braunagel and the lineup signed on with Atlantic Records to issue a total of two releases -- 1975's The Band Plays On and 1976's Second Street. But Kossoff's health kept worsening; while in a London drug rehab in 1975, Kossoff narrowly escaped death when his heart stopped beating and he had to be revived. Undeterred, Kossoff continued on his destructive path and on March 19, 1976, Kossoff died from a drug-induced heart attack while on a plane flight from Los Angeles to New York at the age of 25.

In the wake of his tragic death, a 16-track career retrospective of Kossoff's, titled Koss (after his nickname), was issued in 1977. Subsequently, several British Kossoff releases were issued in the '80s on the Street Tunes label: 1981's The Hunter, 1982's Leaves in the Wind, 1983's Mr. Big, and 1984's Croydon June 15th, 1975. The late '90s saw a renewed interest in Kossoff and another career retrospective was issued, 1997's 14-track Blue Blue Soul, as well as five-disc Free box set Songs of Yesterday, and a Free biography entitled Heavy Load -- The Story of Free.

by Greg Prato

Tracks
Disc 1
- 1975 The Band Plays On
1. Hoo Doo Woman (Braunagel, Kossoff, Montgomery, Slesser, Wilson) - 4:18
2. New York, New York (Montgomery) - 4:40
3. Stealing My Way (Kossoff, Montgomery) - 4:22
4. Survivor (Montgomery) - 3:36
5. It's A Long Way Down To The Top (Montgomery) - 5:59
6. All The Girls Are Crazy (Braunagel) - 3:34
7. Jason Blue (Montgomery) - 4:57
8. Train Song (Braunagel, T. Wilson) - 4:36
9. Rock & Roll Junkie (Montgomery) - 3:18
10.The Band Plays On (T. Wilson) - 5:00
1973 Back Street Crawler
11.Tuesday Morning (Kossoff) - 16:50
12.I'm Ready (Roden, Roussel ) - 2:20
13.Time Away (Kossoff, Martyn) - 5:40
14.Molten Gold (Kossoff) - 6:48
15.Back Street Crawler (Don't Need You No More) (Kossoff) - 4:11

Tracks
Disc 2 
- 1976 2nd Street 
1. Selfish Lover - 3:26
2. Blue Soul - 3:46
3. Stop Doing What You're Doing - 3:26
4. Raging River - 3:16
5. Some Kind of Happy - 5:00
6. Sweet, Sweet Beauty - 3:14
7. Just For You - 6:18
8. On Your Life - 3:54
9. Leaves In The Wind - 5:12
- 1972 Kossoff, Kirke, Tetsu and Rabbit
10.Blue Grass (Bundrick) - 5:10
11.Sammy's Alright (Bundrick) - 4:08
12.Anna (Kirke) - 3:43
13.Just for the Box (Kossoff) - 3:33
14.Hold On (Kirke, Kossoff) - 5:26
15.Fool's Life (Bundrick) - 4:29
16.Yellow House (Bundrick) - 3:26
17.Dying Fire (Kirke) - 4:31
18.I'm on the Run (Bundrick) - 4:38
19.Colours (Elliott Burgess, Kossoff) - 4:47

Musicians
 - 1972 Kossoff, Kirke, Tetsu and Rabbit
*Paul Kossoff - Guitars
*John "Rabbit" Bundrick - Electric Piano, Mellotron, Piano, Organ, Vocals
*Tetsu Yamauchi - Bass
*Simon Kirke - Drums, Vocals
*B.J. Cole - Steel Guitar

 - 1973 Back Street Crawler
*Paul Kossoff - Lead Guitar
*Trevor Burton - Bass Guitar
*Alan White - Drums
*Rabbit – Keyboards
*Alan Spencer - Bass Guitar
*Jean Roussel - Keyboards
*Jess Roden - Vocals
*Tetsu Yamauchi - Bass Guitar
*Simon Kirke - Drums
*John Martyn - Guitar
*Paul Rodgers - Vocals
*Andy Fraser - Bass Guitar
*Conrad Isidore - Drums
*Clive Chaman - Bass Guitar

- 1975 The Band Plays On
*Paul Kossoff - Guitar
*Terry Wilson Slesser - Vocals
*Terry Wilson - Guitar, Bass Guitar
*Tony Braunagel - Drums
*Mike Montgomery - Keyboards, Vocals
*Pete Van - Baritone Saxophone
*Eddie Quansah - Trumpet, Flugel Horn
*George Lee - Flutes, Tenor, Soprano Saxophones

- 1976 2nd Street
*Terry Wilson Slesser - Lead Vocals
*Paul Kossoff - Lead Guitar
*Terry Wilson - Bass, Acoustic, Electric Guitars
*John "Rabbit" Bundrick - Keyboard, Vocals
*Tony Braunagel - Drums, Vocals

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Gun - Gunsight (1969 uk, great hard rock, 2nd album, japan 2008 remaster)

The orchestral arrangements from the debut were gone on "Gunsight", resulting in a more basic and less intricate sound. The material was not of the same standard either, but still good enough to make the album a worthy encore to Gun's short career. The opener "Head in the Clouds" is probably the best song here, being a simple and straightforward hard rocker, but with a good melody and punch.

The partly acoustic blues of "Drown Yourself in the River" is less interesting, even when it powers up to a much more electric rocker in the middle. The strings on the ballad "Angeline" are the only remains of the orchestral arrangements from the debut. The hardest, most aggressive and noisiest track the band recorded comes in "Dreams and Screams" where Farrell hits the drums like it's the last thing he'll ever do in his life. "Situation Vacant" features interestingly enough a riff that Hawkwind later would borrow in "Sea of Holes" from their masterpiece "Warrior on the Edge of Time".

"Hobo" is a nice little pop tune with slight country and blues influences. The trio also went into pure folk-territory in the acoustic "Oh Lady You" that is sandwiched in between the two parts of the instrumental "Lady Link" where Adrian Curtis again delivers some flamenco-styled playing. The closer "Long Hair Wild Man" is basically a hard rocker with a pop melody and showed that the band perhaps was starting to occasionally be a bit dated and stagnated, especially when Led Zeppelin released their two first albums the same year. Still, Gun were far more interesting and sophisticated than most others of the many late 60's power trios. "Gunsight" is not a bad album at all, but be sure to start with the debut.

Tracks
1. Head in the clouds - 4:40
2. Drown yourself in the river - 2:56
3. Angeline - 5:36
4. Dreams and screams - 5:16
5. Situation vacant - 4:07
6. Hobo - 3:39
7. Lady link pt. 1 - 0:51
8. Oh lady you - 5:27
9 .Lady link pt. 2 - 0:38
10.Long hair wildman - 3:52

Gun
*Adrian Curtiss-Gurvitz - Guitar, Vocals
*Paul Curtiss-Gurvitz - Bass
*Louis Farrell - Drums

Gun 1st album 1968

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Blast Furnace - Blast Furnace (1971 denmark, awesome progressive rock, 2002 bonus track edition)

The Danish music scene is often underestimated but Rock 'n' Roll, Rhythm and Blues and the Beatles had also arrived in Denmark Apart from this there was a small but good Jazz and Folk scene. At the end of the 60s Progressive- and Psychedelic rock bands developed from these differing styles with an unmistakeable individuality Danish bands were also brave enough to sing in their own language as well as English. Dag Erik Asbjornsen's book 'Scented Gardens Of The Mind' (Borderline) gives an overview of the Danish Beat and Rock scene and is recommended reading for music fans.

The widespread interest in Danish and Scandinavian Progressive and Psychedelic music led LONG HAIR to release a new series from these bands whose music deserves a second listen. BLAST FURNACE'S eponymous debut album was released in 1971 on Polydor/Denmark and is our first in the series with the original album on CD plus their single from 1971 "Lister Du Omkring Hjorner" as a bonus track BLAST FURNACE were 3 lads from Copenhagen and a singing drummer from Britain called Tom McEwan who ended up in the Danish capital.

Arne Wiirgler (bass, cello) played previously in Jazz formations and also, interesting for Progressive Rock fans, with PAN who released a wonderful LP on Sonet in 1970, Thor Backhausen (organ, piano, flute) a multitalented musician and the then 18-year-old Niels Vangkilde (guitar) completed BLAST FURNACE. This was the 1971 line-up who recorded the eponymous album in Copenhagen's Rosenberg studios for Polydor/Denrnark. "Lister Du Omkring Hjorner" was also recorded for a planned single release.

Album sales did not match the high musical quality of the record and the fact that everyone in Copenhagen's small music scene played and jammed with everyone else meant that the band's life was short-lived. Bands came and went and the musicians found themselves in other groups. Tom McEvvan and Niels Vangkilde joined the cult band Culpeper's Orchard and played on their third LP, 1972's ''Going for a Song" on Polydor/Denmark; also a good and recommendable Album. Arne Wurgler worked with Benny Hoist and Thor Backhausen carried on with Delta Blues Band and Culpeper's Orchard. BLAST FURNACE'S music shines through excellent song writing and musical competence.

Balanced instrumental passages with razor edged guitars, harmonious Hammond organ and flute with a touch of aggressive singing are the ingredients for an impressive and pleasureable listening experience. Contrary to their counterparts, BLAST FURNACE chose not to indulge in long instrumental or long drawn out improvisation. The songs are clearly structured, lively and rounded off with intelligent and critical lyrics.

They are a product of their time and still, even with their clear structuring, definitely to be categorised under the label "Progressive-Rock''. Dag Erik Asbjornsen praised the LP as one of the best Danish productions, a classic album in the tradition of the Beatles, Traffic and Jethro Tull.
Translation by Trevor Wilson

 Tracks
1. First and Last (Arne Wurgler, Tom McEwan) - 4:08
2. Ginger Cake (Niels Vangkilde, Tom McEwan) - 5:34
3. Jaywalker (Arne Wurgler, Tom McEwan) - 4:14
4. B-MajOr Blast (Arne Wikgler) - 0:20
5. This Time of Year (Ole Kjaer, Arne Wiirgler, Ken Tindall) - 4:14
6. Toy Town (Thor Backhausen, Tom McEwan) - 7:17
7. Man bites Dog (Tom Me Ewan) - 2:07
8. Long Distance (Niels Vangkilde, Tom McEwan) - 4:03
9. Goodbye Mr. Bobo (Thor Backhausen, Tom McEwan) - 2:41
10.Dr. Night (Thor Backhausen, Tom McEwan) - 4:59
11.Bye Bye Bobo (Thor Backhausen, John McEwan) - 1:28
12.Lister Du Omkring Hjorner (Bonus track) (Arne Wurgler) - 4:23

Blast Furnace
*Thor Backhausen - Organ, Piano, Flute, Vocals
*Tom McEwan - Drums, Congas, Percussion, Piano, Lead Vocals
*Niels Vangkilde - Acoustic, Electric Guitars, Background Vocals
*Arne Wurgler - Bass, Cello, Acoustic Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals
*Terese Damsholt - Background Vocals
*Anne-Lise Rosberg - Background Vocals

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Jungle - Jungle (1969 us, amazing and fluid heavy fuzz psychedelic rock)

This is one of the best and most sought after psychedelic gems ever recorded, with amazing and fluid heavy fuzz guitars, superb organ, drums and fantastic songwriting. Recorded in New York in 1969 while the band was living in a farm in Vermont.

The original was pressed in a run of 50 demo copy/s only! No names or hints are given on the original LP but after over a decade of excrutiating search, Miguel Rodriguez, the man behind finding DARIUS, GARRETT LUND, STONEWALL and many more, finally found the band members!

So here is your chance to listen to one of the great mystical Albums of the Psychedelic Private Press Collectors realm at the fraction of the cost of the original, in AMAZING sound. This gem comes in a gatefold cover with unseen pictures and full band history, released in full colaboration with the surviving Band members.

Tracks
1. House Of Rooms - 7:09
2. Somewhere Sweet Memories - 4:35
3. Gray Picnic - 8:05
4. Changes I'm Going Through - 3:40
5. Early Morning Rising - 9:13
6. Slave Ship - 8:11

Jungle
*Virgil "Butch" Daniels - Guitars
*Jay Mierly - Vocals
*John Dawson - Bass
*James Ryan Clark - Lead Guitar
*Delbert Lang - Drums

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Savoy Brown - Boogie Brothers (1974 uk, super blues rock with Stan Webb, Miller Anderson and Kim Simmonds)

Although the membership of Savoy Brown had always been a somewhat unstable institution - guitarist Kim Simmonds excepted - when the latter announced in 1973 that he was finaiy laying the group to rest there were many glum faces among blues enthusiasts around the world. Few believed that workaholic Kim would cease to function as a musician, but just before Christmas that term and when the Savoyians last album, LION'S SHARE (U.K.: Decca TXS 112. Re!.: 7th September 1973; U.S.: Parrot XPAS 71059), had barely departed the American Top 200, there were numerous shocked – and delighted - aficionados who heard that a new S.B. was about to be bom.

As expected. Simmonds was its leading light, but now the band would boast no less than three top-drawer axmen and frontlines with the recruitment of one-time Chicken Shack leader Stan Webb and Scot Miller Anderson. For most of their lifetime Savoy Brown had concentrated, very successfully, on the Stateside market, but as they built their act this time around Britain benefitted by receiving their early concert dates; indeed two of their five London gigs set box-office records with hundreds of fans having to be turned away as the “House Full” notices were erected. Kim was exuberant in his press conferences: "We re-formed to create a stronger image and more forceful music.

With this unit, I've already been told that I'm playing better than I've done for years. This is because members of the group are working for each other. The current band has possibilities that are boundless, a defined image. At last I believe Savoy Brown wilt achieve all the things I have always wanted it to." This latest incarnation was a quintet completed by bassist Jimmy Leverton and trap-rattier Eric Dillon, but how did it come about? Kim's brother/manager, Harry, approached the Glaswegian Anderson who, with Jimmy and Eric amongst others bitted as Hemlock, acted as a support act for one of Savoy Brown's recent cross-state crusades on the other side of the Atlantic.

Anderson's pedigree already included playing on such as Dave Cousins* TWO WEEKS LAST SUMMER (A&M. 1972). and being a long-time kingpin of Keef Hartley's entourage, as well as issuing a solo album on Deram, BRIGHT CITY (U.K.: SOL 3. 10th September 1971; U.S.: DES 18062, April 1972), while Hemlock had been similarly-blessed by the Decca U.KTLondon Records U.S.A. offshoot when their eponymous LP effort was unveiled in Britain only as SML 1102 on 12th October 1973. Harry Simmonds took over the reigns for their business affairs also but, as Miter was wont to point out, the seven-piece Hemlock while being an excellent band technically somehow lacked excitement.

Since the three compatriots wished to stay together and hopefully progress, Simmonds proposal of Savoy Brown incumbency was soon accepted. Difton and Leverton had been in harness as a rhythm section for a long time, the former beginning his drumming obsession at 13 and being expelled from school for pursuing stick work at the expense of all else. At 15 he was signed by Gerry Dorsey - later to find superstardom as Engelbert Humperdinck - as skin-beater in the singer's regular backing crew, and from there he and Leverton liaised after becoming members of ex- Jimi Hendrix four-stringer Noel Redding's prefect.

Fat Mattress, which took them to see Uncle Sam. As Mattress failed to emulate the Hendrix Experience's acclaim, so both quit to spend two years in session work prior to throwing in their lot with Anderson. Leverton's pedigree was not dissimilar to Dillon's, both having served an apprenticeship in the seething hotbed of talent that was the German bierkellers of the 1960's; performing with Redding in The Loving Kind and clinching a spelt in Engetoert's band, so that when Noel requested he join Fat Mattress Jimmy recommended Eric too.

Keeping it in the family, eh? Anyway, by this means having restored Savoy Brown to a four-piece, it seemed a great idea to go the whole hog and get Stan Webb in on the act, since Chicken Shack were also in a state of turbulence and indecision. Webb, who was always somehow bigger than the group he fronted, but which he declined to headline his name over during their lengthy existence, liked the idea of pooling resources with his 'rival' Stmmonds when courted, and thus Savoy Brown Mk. Heaven-Knows-What bounced into view. Stiff signed to Decca/London, they wasted no time in getting the contents of their proposed long-player down on tape, the prolific Anderson penning most of the numbers to be promoted along with one from Stan, a brace from Kim and a tilt at Bias McDaniel - alias Bo Diddley's - YOU DON'T LOVE ME.

Cut in London at Island Records' Basing Street establishment, the whole shebang was christened, aptly, BOOGIE BROTHERS, and rush-released in America as London XPS 638, thereby removing them from the subsidiary Parrot imprint which had played host to Savoy wares to date. A single was pulled in EVERYBODY LOVES A DRINKING MAN - coupled with RIDE ON BABE from JACK THE TOAD - as 45-206, which failed to breach the best-setters, but on April 20th 1974 B.B. entered the chart to initiate an 8-week stay whose high point would be No. 101.

An accompanying tour there was greeted with the usual euphoric reception as Webb later recalled in print: 'Yen, it went well - we took Madison Square Garden in New York by storm...' In the United Kingdom Decca responded by scheduling their identical BOOGIE BROTHERS for May 24th unveiling as SKL 5186, thereby relegating the combo once again to the label's standard full-price series from the luxury TXS line which they'd latterly occupied.

Missing this time also was the attendant expansive gatefold sleeve. Decca declined to pull a seven-inch extract from the parent, but were exasperated that even with this powerful personnel a notation on the published hot sates register eluded the Brown's yet again. Sadly, future company policy would ensure this could never be bettered, for BOOGIE was to be the last of their 'official' albums ever accorded U.K. issue by The Supreme Record Company'; from that point onwards they became a truly American - and elsewhere - phenomenon.

Perhaps a little surprisingly, bearing in mind that Simmonds, Webb and Anderson were ail forthright figures, this Savoy Brown remained together for almost a year before fragmenting. In 1975 Stan and Miller went off to form Broken Glass with keyboarder Tony Ashton; Jimmy ensconced himself on Henry McCuHough's album for George Harrison's Dark Horse set-up, MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS, and Eric found himself playing with Dog Soldier - where Miller Anderson and Keef Hartley would at one time or another also put in an appearance.

And Kim? in '75 Mr. Simmonds re-united with ex-Savoyians Paul Raymond (Keyboards, Guitar. Vocate) and drummer/percussionist Dave Bidwell, bringing in also Andy Rae (Bass. Vocals) and, following Bidwll's tragic drug-related demise. Tommy Fame* as replacement, and headed back on down the road towards an LP billed as WIRE FIRE. That wheel was turning once more...
by John Tracy, London 1991

Tracks
1. Highway Blues (Kim Simmonds) - 4:04
2. Me And The Preacher (Miller Anderson) - 3:34
3. My Love's Lying Down (Stan Webb) - 5:53
4. You Don't Love Me (You Don't Care) (E. McDaniel) - 4:56
5. Always The Same (Miller Anderson) - 2:00
6. Everybody Loves A Drinking Man (Miller Anderson) - 3:04
7. Rock 'N' Roll Star (Miller Anderson) - 7:08
8. Boogie Brothers (Miller Anderson) - 5:20
9. Threegy Blues (Kim Simmonds) - 2:12

Savoy Brown
*Jimmy Leverton - Bass, Vocals
*Miller Anderson - Lead, Rhythm, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
*Kim Simmonds - Lead, Rhythm, Slide, Steel, Acoustic Guitar
*Stan Webb - Slide, Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
*Eric Dillon - Drums

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