The Norman Haines Band - Den Of Iniquity (1971 uk, brilliant soulful heavy prog rock, Esoteric 2011 reissue)

Keyboardist/singer/namesake Norman Haines started his professional musical career as a member of the Birmingham-based beat group The Brumbeats.  Following The Brumbeats' breakup Haines became a member of Locomotive, which cur a couple of highly regarded singles and the album "We Are Everything You See" before collapsing.  Haines then recruited lead guitarist Neil Clarke, singer/bassist Andy Hughes, and drummer Jimmy Skidmore for the band Sacrifice.  

In 1970 the Parlophone label signed Sacrifice to a recording contract.  Apparently unhappy with the band name, Parlophone marketing executives unilaterally released the band's debut single 'Daffodill' b/w 'Autumn Mobile' (Parlophone catalog number R 5871) under the name 'The Norman Haynes Band' (no I didn't typo that).

While the single did little commercially, Parlophone decided to finance an album.  With Tony Hall in the producer's chair, 1971's "Den of Iniquity" was recorded at Abbey Road Studios.  With namesake Haines and bassist Hughes responsible for the majority of material, the few detailed reviews I've stumbled across portrayed the album as having a dark progressive sound.  

Only partially true and not a particularly accurate description.  Propelled by the combination of Haines'  blistering voice and keyboards and Clarke's fantastic guitar, the results managed to combine razor sharp hard rock, blues-rock and more commercial moves. You're probably scratching your head trying to figure that combination out, but the fact of the matter is songs like the ominous title track, 'Finding My Way Home' and 'Everything You See (Mr. Armageddon)' (the latter previously recorded by Locomotive) should have held equal appeal to top-40 radio and free form FM audiences.  

Stylistically the biggest surprise was the pretty acoustic ballad 'Bourgeois'.  Written and sung by Hughes the track served to spotlight his folkie roots.  In contrast, side two found the band stretching out on a pair of largely instrumental blues-rock oriented numbers.  Less dynamic than side one, the 13 minute 'Rabbits' and 'Life Is So Unkind' served to spotlight the band's instrumental prowess, guitarist Clarke in particular getting a chance to showcase his first-rate playing.

With little support from Parlophone the LP didn't exactly burn up the charts, though part of the blame may have rested with the choice of art work.  The Heinrich Kley drawing was pretty stunning and some British retailers apparently refused to stock the album.

With the band calling it quits in 1972 Haines released a solo 45: 'Give It To You Girl' b/w 'Elaine' (Parlophone catalog number R 5960).  He was offered a spot in the newly formed Black Sabbath, but passed on it and then largely disappeared from the music scene though he appears to have returned to the fold fronting Norman Haines Blueskool.

Bad-cat

Tracks
1. Den Of Iniquity - 4:33
2. Finding My Way Home (N. Haines, Andy Hughes) - 3:25
3. Everything You See Mr.Armageddon - 4:35
4. When I Come Down - 3:56
5. Bourgeois (Andy Hughes) - 2:59
6. Rabbits (Neil Clarke) - 13:05
.a.Sonata (For A Singing Pig)
.b.Joint Effort
.c.Skidpatch
.d.Miracle
7. Life Is So Unkind - 8:21
.a.Moonlight Mazurka
.b.Echoes Of The Future
8. I Really Need A Friend - 3:44
9. Daffodil - 3:51
10.Autumn Mobile - 3:32
11.Give It To You Girl - 4:36
12.Elaine - 2:54
13.Rabbits (Single Version) (Neil Clarke) - 3:53
All compositions written by Norman Haines except where noted.

The Norman Haines Band
*Neil Clarke - Lead Guitar
*Norman Haines - Vocals, Keyboards
*Andy Hughes - Vocals, Bass
*Jimmy Skidmore - Drums, Percussion

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Drnwyn - Gypsies in the Mist (1978 us, decent acid psych folk rock, private press, 2006 edition)

2006 reissue of the hard to find sole album by US duo Drnwyn. Wonderful record that has some very cool psychedelic moments (especially the track '' The madman and the angel'' ), and a good number of fabulous folk rock midtempos. 

There's drums, bass and lots of acoustic guitars in here, but also electric leads, keys, mandolin and multi- part vocals with some female chorus as well. But most important, very well- crafted songs from start to finish. This was a private release back in 1978, and a deep dive into acid folk- psych. 

Tracks
1. Empty Bars - 4:55
2. Summer Sun - 4:36
3. Secrets Of The Past - 4:50
4. Brothers - 3:03
5. Move A Mountain - 5:02
6. Gypsies In The Mist - 6:27
7. Places Faces Pages - 5:26
8. The Madman And The Angel - 5:22
9. Something To Hang On The - 5:17
Music and Lyrics by David W. Hoag

Drnwyn
*David W. Hoag - Acoustic Guitar, Mandolin, Synthesizer, Vocals
*John Volio - Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
Guest Musicians
*Randy Pregibon - Lead Guitar
*Kevin McIlvaine - Bass Guitar
*Larry Davis, Drums
*Greg Smith - Keyboards
*Nancy Fannin - Voclas
*Cheryl McIlvaine - Vocals

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Various Artists - The Electric Asylum Vol. 5 (1969-75 uk, rare exalted freakrock)

The folks at Past & Present dropped the words "acid" or "psychedelic" from the subtitle of the fifth installment in their Electric Asylum series, and with good reason -- while most of these twenty tracks are truly eccentric, these isn't much here that sounds at all lysergic. 

Instead, this disc focuses on UK hard rock, glam rock, early progressive rock, and a few tunes that defy convenient generic classification. Tracey Dean's "Boy On The Ball" might have been new wave if it had a harder guitar line and had been released in 1978 instead of 1974 (Dean's voice has the most furious quaver ever captured on tape), and the oddball spoken work track that's tagged onto track 13 takes the product of a freshman poetry seminar and runs it through enough studio trickery to make it sound like the voice of a cut-rate God. 

Elsewhere, the medley of "Gimmie Gimmie Good Loving" and "Gimmie Some Loving" by Biggles is hard stomping proto-glam, Hector could be the Bay City Rollers' next door neighbors on "Ain't Got Time," "The Obeah Man" from Iron Horse generates some impressive hoodoo groove, Matchbox's "Rod" is a boogie-flavored pop rocker overloaded with echo and curious synthesizer squealings, Slow Dog's "Walking Through The Blue Grass" suggests T. Rex on cough syrup, Mustard's "Good Time Comin'" is a brilliantly sludgy hard rock track, Now revel in some sweet guitar distortion on "I Wanna Be Free," and one can't help but wonder if Devo ever heard "Yeah!!" by Jets, which anticipates the sound of their Freedom Of Choice album without the socio-political angles.

 Even the lesser tracks are enjoyably curious in the manner of the best British rock of the mid-1970s, and this is compelling in a way the more psych-oriented volumes in this series were not (if only because this stuff hasn't been anthologized with the same alacrity as freakbeat). The Electric Asylum Vol. 5 is weird and wild fun -- lace up your paisley boots and check it out. 

by Mark Deming

Artists - Tracks
1. Tracey Dean - Boy On The Ball - 2:44
2. Colonel Bagshot - One Look In Her Eyes - 2:45
3. Biggles - Gimme Gimme Good Lovin/Gimme Some Lovin’ - 3:46
4. Iron Horse - The Obeah Man - 3:26
5. Dunno - Magic Beat - 2:06
6. Hector - Ain’t Got Time - 2:59
7. Baby - Heartbreaker - 3:25
8. Slow Dog - Walking Through The Blue Grass - 2:48
9. 13 Amp - Need A Woman - 2:53
10.Matchbox - Rod - 2:14
11.Life - Love Nest - 2:52
12.Now - I Wanna Be Free - 2:35
13.Squeek - Make Hay While The Sun Shines - 5:25
14.Dawn Chorus - Electric Garden.2:34
15.Jets - Yeah! - 2:38
16.Tracey Dean - Moonshiner - 3:29
17.Boston Boppers - Whirlwind Girl - 2:47
18.Barry Green - Papa Do - 2:23
19.Mustard - Good Time Comin’ - 2:36
20.Whistle - When The Lights Go Out On Broadway - 2:57

The Electric Asylum series
1970-74  Volume One
1969-73  Volume Two
1970-74  Volume Three
1970-75  Volume Four

other Past and Present compilations
60-70's  Floor Filler Killers / New Directions Vol. 3
60-70's  Mind Expanders Vol.2
1967-74  Psych Bites Vol.1
1968-74  Psych Bites Vol.2
1969-73  Up All Night

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Liar - Set The World On Fire (1978 uk, good mainstream rock, 2020 remaster)

Liar's second album was released in 1978, with a single "Set the World on Fire", and following a promotional visit to the US by Burton and Taylor, the band undertook a tour of Yugoslavia in preparation for a nationwide tour of the United States with American band Styx. 

The album was initially well received in the US; at one point, it was the third most played album in the Billboard airplay charts behind Bob Dylan's Street Legal and The Who's Who Are You.  Following heavy airplay, the album entered the album charts, and despite strong opposition from the band, a decision was made to pull out of the Styx tour in the belief that continued sales would mean that the band would soon be able to headline on their own. However, airplay soon tailed off and the album left the charts.

A decision was then made by Delta and Bearsville for the band to record another album in California. Thus, in late 1978, the band took up temporary residence in Hollywood and recorded a third album at Stevie Wonder's Crystal Studios in Los Angeles, again produced by John Alcock.

The album was felt to lack an obvious single, and talks concerning policy between management and Bearsville eventually broke down. At one point A&M records considered signing the band, but did not. During this contractual wrangling, the band returned to the UK, and undertook a successful sell out tour with UFO, culminating in two nights at the then Hammersmith Odeon. It proved impossible to find a solution to the band's contractual problems and Liar folded; the Hammersmith Odeon gig on 16 February 1979 becoming their last.

Tracks

1. Set The World On Fire (Dave Taylor) - 3:47

2. Town Of Evil People (Dave Burton) - 5:45

3. I'm Calling (Dave Burton) - 4:30

4. Midnight Promises (Steve Mann, Graham Batten) - 4:50 

5. Five Knuckle Shuffle (Dave Taylor, Steve Mitchell) - 3:04

6. High Life (Paul Travis, Dave Taylor) - 3:30

7. Frustration (Dave Burton, Clive Brooks) - 4:57

8. Who Cares (Paul Travis, Dave Taylor) - 7:28

Liar
*Dave Burton - Vocals
*Paul Travis - Guitar
*Dave Taylor - Bass
*Clive Brooks - Drums
*Steve Mann - Guitar

1977  Straight From The Hip (Japan remaster)

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Maffitt And Davies - The Rise And Fall Of Honesty (1968 us, marvelous acoustic folk rock with psychedelic traces, 2010 Rev Ola bonus tracks edition)

Maffitt/Davies was a short lived duo who released one album off Capitol in 1968. Judging by the cover you’d expect psychedelic fireworks but The Rise and Fall of Honesty is really an Ameriana folk-rock record. This is another good one that never saw release in the cd era. I found a vinyl copy in the Boston area for only $15 dollars though lately this lp has been somewhat hard to come by. While labelmate lps by the Common People and Food attract more attention I think that Maffitt/Davies was a much, much better group.

The record starts off with a brilliant version of Bob Dylan’s Just Like A Woman. Maffitt/Davies transform this standard into a heartbreaking orchestrated folk track that must surely rank as one of the best versions of this song. Forest Lawn, the album’s failed single, has a distinct Face to Face Kink’s sound though it’s notable for its dobro and freaky church organ. Tom Thumb’s Blues is the other Dylan cover on this record and shows the band taking a Byrds/Everly Brothers vocal harmony approach. The playing is topnotch throughout the record (check out instrumental Lungi Dal Caro Beni) and the duo’s vocal harmonies are tight if a bit unconventional. This is a quiet, tranquil record that never bores and reminds me of prime late 60?s Dillards on their folk-rock outings.

One of my favorite tracks on the album is Landscape Grown Cold. This is a visionary slice of American music that predates the alt. country/folk boom with dark lyrics, strings, phasing towards the end, and a vibe similar to Texas band Euphoria. More noteworthy tracks are Kingswood Manor which is a good folk-rock track that flirts with psychedelia by way of tabla (and drug references within the lyrics) while country-rocker City Sidewalks is very trancey and will appeal to any true Byrds fan. About 3 or 4 tracks on the album include drums though electric guitar fans should note with caution that most of this disc is acoustic.

The music is time worn, ancient and has that lived in feel but always inventive and never short on ideas. What ever happened to these musicians? Does anyone know? Anyway, if Americana or folk-rock is your bag, prepare yourself for a really good one.

by Jason (The Rising Storm)

Tracks
1. Just Like A Woman (Bob Dylan) - 5:10
2. Landscape Grown Cold (John Hartford) - 4:26
3. Big Time Man (M Whelan) - 2:36
4. KingSWOod Manor (H. Axton, l. Ulz) - 3:57
5. Time Of Towns (H. Axton, l. Ulz) - 4:06
6. Forest Lawn (Brian Davies) - 3:19
7. Tom Thumb's Blues (Bob Dylan) - 5:29
8. City Sidewalks (T. Anderson) - 3:24
9. You'll Never Know (Bob Gibson, Shel Silverstein) - 4:04
10.Lungi Dal Caro Bene (Giuseppe Sarti, Maffitt, Davies) - 2:44
11.Parade (Phil Ochs) - 2:46
12.Quietly Blow My Mind (Tim Anderson) - 2:34
13.Come Back Momma (Bob Gibson) - 2:35
14.Things (Unknown) - 2:27
15 Flowers (Fred Neil) - 3:24
16.Kind Word (Unknown) - 2:23
17.Twelve Golden Strings  (Unknown) - 3:04
Bonus tracks from 11-17.

Musicians
*Clark Maffitt - Vocals, Guitar
*Brian Davies - Vocals, Guitar
*Michael Lang - Piano
*Jimmy Bond - Bass
*Joe Osborne - Bass
*James Gordon - Drums
*Milt Holland - Tabla

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Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers - Roadrunner The Beserkley Collection (1971-79, amazing proto punk wave freakish 'n' roll, double disc set)

Lest the Gods of Indie strike me down, I have a confession to make that could well ruin the few hip credentials in my possession.  But here goes nothing: 

Forgive me, oh Indie Father, for I have sinned. I am guilty of ignorance and bandwagon jumping.  I regret that until recently I have been sinful due to an ignorance of the works of Jonathan Richman and his band, the Modern Lovers. 

There I said it—but let me defend myself. Yes, Richman has been releasing records since the early 70s and is still releasing them today. Yes, his name is uttered amongst the musical cognoscenti in hushed tones. Yes, he helped to pioneer and promote the proto-punk sound along with the Velvet Underground and the Stooges. And yes, he’s also influenced more of today’s acts than the wacky-baccy. So why is that when I tell people I’ve been listening to the Modern Lovers that I’m met with blank looks? 

Maybe I am forgiven for my obliviousness. The sad truth is that Jonathan is the muso’s best kept secret,  the kind of guy who gets namedropped more often than played.  So if you’re shaking your head thinking “OMG! This guy doesn’t have a clue about the Modern Lovers WTF?!” then stop reading—for once this is not for you. Please go back to trying to impress people with your in-depth knowledge of Wackies Dub obscurities. 

We all have to start somewhere and Roadrunner Roadrunner, a 46 track retrospective of Richman’s 1970s output, is the perfect Alpha course to the church of the Modern Lovers. 

Richman’s influences are obvious from the outset: shambolic Velvets-style rock’n’roll fused with tinges of doo-wop and sweet melodies reminiscent of the Beach Boys.  These influences pale in significance however, when compared to the massive list of performers who took their cues from him. 

Anyone who ever dared to challenge the balls-out machismo of the atypical rock idol has Jonathan to look up to.Every lovable nerd from Stephen Malkmus to MC Paul Barman can thank the Modern Lovers for handing them their pass to the world of uncool. 

As for Emo? Pah! Richman practically invented the stuff. “This is your chance to make me feel awkward”, intones the jealous male dumpee on “I’m Straight”, but this isn’t the kind of cloying self-pity one would get from the likes of Death Cab and Co. 

Even through his beat-up nasal whine, one can tell Richman has tongue placed firmly in cheek,  winking wryly at his audience as if to say “yes, we all act like asses in times of love and hate”.  It’s this kind of honesty—Jonathan’s straight-up but witty sentiments—that make the Modern Lovers such an endearingly feel-great act. 

The playfulness and delivery on some of the more downbeat tracks such as “Hospital” and “Affection” propel them well away from the wallowing drudgery of any of your present-day indie wimpsters. 

In the past, bands like the Beach Boys would boast about the speed of their motors.  Jonathan had his own take on the “Little Deuce Coupe” mentality with his own clapped-out “Dodge Veg-O-Matic”—the story of one man’s love for a no-go junk-heap.  He turns the Beach Boys on their heads again on the California Girls-y “New England” in which he compares Maine with the magnificent Israeli desert. 

It’s these celebrations of the mundane that make Richman a true champion for the common man. It didn’t hurt that the Modern Lovers would also regularly play old folks and children’s homes as well as the obligatory rock venues. “Government Centre”, a song about playing a gig in an office, conjures up images of secretaries dancing on their desks. Similarly, nursery rhymes such as “I’m a Little Dinosaur” and “Here Come The Martian Martians” are soundtracks for infant mosh-pits. 

This is all encompassing rock’n’roll—inventive and shambolic enough to satiate the toughest of rockers  yet wholesome enough that holidaying families could easily sing along to it in the car.  Sorry all you hipsters and musos—thanks to this compilation your secret is well and truly out. 

This music is for everybody.

by Charlie Frame

Tracks

Disc One 

1. Roadrunner (Twice) - 4:06 

2. Astral Plane - 3:00 

3. Pablo Picasso - 4:22 

4. She Cracked - 2:55 

5. Hospital - 5:31 

6. Someone I Care About - 3:39 

7. I'm Straight - 4:18 

8. Modern World (Alternate Take) - 3:16 

9. Dignified And Old - 2:28 

10.Government Centre - 2:17 

11.The New Teller - 1:42 

12.It Will Stand (General Johnson) - 2:36 

13.Back In The Usa (Chuck Berry) - 2:26 

14.Rockin' Shopping Center - 3:38 

15.New England - 2:25 

16.Lonely Financial Zone - 3:00 

17.Here Come The Martian Martians - 3:15 

18.Amazing Grace (John Newton, Traditional) - 2:48 

19.Rockin' Rockin' Leprechauns - 2:12 

20.Summer Morning - 3:52 

21.Afternoon - 2:51 

22.Egyptian Reggae (Earl Johnson, Jonathan Richman) - 2:37 

Disc Two
1. The Sweeping Wind (Ewa Ti Feng) (Traditional) - 2:03
2. Dodge Veg-O-Matic (Extended Version) - 5:42
3. Fly Into The Mystery - 3:18
4. The Wheels On The Bu (Traditional) - 2:29
5. Angels Watching Over Me (Traditional) - 1:51
6. I'm A Little Airplane - 2:41
7. Hey There Little Insect - 2:46
8. Ice Cream Man - 7:28
9. I'm A Little Dinosaur - 2:03
10.The Morning Of Our Lives - 5:28
11.Chapel Of Love (Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, Phil Spector) - 2:43
12.Abdul And Cleopatra - 3:17
13.Lover Please (Billy Swan) - 1:57
14.Affection - 4:07
15.Buzz Buzz Buzz (Robert Byrd, John Gray) - 1:58
16.Back In Your Life - 2:13
17.Party In The Woods Tonight - 3:01
18.I'm Nature's Mosquito - 2:44
19.Lydia (Levy) - 3:09
20.I Hear You Calling Me (Charles Marshall) - 2:51
21.Roadrunner (Once) - 4:43
All Songs by Jonathan Richman unless as else indicated.

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Jardine - Look In The Window (1969 uk, psych sparkler with folk shades)

A lost jewel of the late 1960s UK psychedelia! Jardine recorded this album in 1969 for release by Polydor. That never happened, and the LP was shelved. 

Now, almost 40 years later, you can be among the first to discover the excellence of these brooding poetic tracks, all written by Keith Law just before he joined psych band Velvett Fogg for their only album. Something strange and sinister, with moments of fragile beauty, perhaps akin to what would have resulted if Comus had set their lyrics to Moody Blues-esque melodies. 

Some heavy guitar solos, organ, flute, and flowing sitar, for good measure. Most of the bands in Birmingham were either pop or soul hased. Velvet! togg, along ivith Black Sabbath, The Moi>e, and Traffic were probably the onfy progressive bands. Velvett Fogg was the more outrageous and the more psychedelic. Keith Law's band Love and Understanding was pure flower-power, and as such was being, they were in 1967, one of the first Psych bands. 

Jardine is the French translation of the English word "garden." Jardine is also the name of a short-lived but also charismatic and exceptional group from 1960 5 Birmingham, a hand that managed to leave some jewels which could easily have granted them a place close to the now legendary "kings" of the British psychedelic scene.

by Nick Karathanassis

Tracks
1. Execution Of The Child (Version 1) - 4:07
2. Rain Day Julep - 3:48
3. Hello, Goodbye, Victoria Cane - 3:12
4. Hannah, Wife Of Thomas Kite - 1:57
5. Harpsichord - 3:40
6. Somewhere Within Orphelius - 4:09
7. Roses And Ribbons - 3:08
8. Masochists Of Strangulation - 3:09
9. Lady On The Hillside - 3:07
10. Execution Of The Child (Version 2) - 3:29
11. The Story Of Acorn Rose - 1:45
12. Blackbirds Of Jardine - 5:21
All songs by Keith Law.

Jardine
*Keith Law - Vocals, Guitar, Flute
*Mickey Cox - Guitar, Vocals
*Brian Urquart - Bass
*Colin Appleyard - Drums
Guest Musicians
*Peter Frampton - Guitar
*Andy Bown - Keyboards
*Michael Berg - Keyboards

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Various Artists - The Electric Asylum, Vol. 4 (1970-75 uk, rare hard 'n' heavy freakrock)

The fourth volume in Past & Present's Electric Asylum series walks away from the psychedelic themes of the earlier installments in favor of U.K. hard rock singles of the early to mid-'70s, most hailing from the days before heavy metal had fully codified itself and sometimes betraying the influence of the working-class end of glam (think Slade, not Bowie). 

If there is a psychedelic angle to these tunes, it usually presents itself in the form of twisty melodies, the occasional lyrical eccentricity, or curious band names, but most of these 20 tunes are hard-stomping numbers full of big guitars, bigger drums, and growling vocalists, and acts like Incredible Hog, Wolfrilla, and Hard Horse deliver pretty much the sort of meat-and-potatoes hard rock thunder you'd expect. 

Seeing as '70s hard rock hasn't been compiled to death like a number of other genres, Rock Hard British Freakrock certainly has novelty going for it, and there are a few real gems to be found here -- Mustard's "I Saw, I Heard" is built around a brilliant chunky guitar sound and a superb throbbing bassline, Slowload's "Big Boobs Boogie" is as raucous as the title would suggest, "Red Shoe Trucken" by Bear Brothers sounds like some odd but fortunate cross between Deep Purple and Gary Glitter, Bubbles' "Zap n' Cat" has a sleazy swagger along with some great nasty guitar licks, and "Eagles" by Sundance suggests what the James Gang might have sounded like if they'd come from Birmingham and not Ohio. 

While not every track here sounds like a lost classic, and some of the source singles are noticeably worn, this collection is never boring, and the best stuff is choice beer-swilling, air-guitar mangling music that will get your denims dirty in no time flat. 

by Mark Deming

Artists - Tracks
1.Hector - Lady - 3:13
2.Slowload - Big Boobs Boogie - 3:08
3.Rog And Pip - Warlord - 3:28
4.Wolfrilla - Come Tomorrow - 3:09
5.Incredible Hog - Lame - 3:22
6.Smoke - That's What I Want - 2:25
7.Spunky Spider - You Won't Come - 2:44
8.Ning - Machine - 3:22
9.Quiet World - Rest Comfortably - 2:52
10.Turtle - You Turned Your Back And Walked Away - 2:46
11.Bear Brothers* - Red Show Trucken - 2:45
12.Hard Horse - So Long I'm Moving On - 2:42
13.Mustard - I Saw I Heard - 2:39
14.Tuesday - Big Mr. Little Man - 2:12
15.Godson - We've Not Made It - 3:01
16.Bubbles - Zap N' Cat - 2:33
17.Sunshine Kid - My Linda - 2:22
18.Clutch - Black Angel - 3:36
19.Jackal - Year Of The Tiger - 3:32
20.Sundance - Eagles - 3:11

The Electric Asylum series
1970-74  Volume One
1969-73  Volume Two
1970-74  Volume Three

other Past and Present compilations
60-70's  Floor Filler Killers / New Directions Vol. 3
60-70's  Mind Expanders Vol.2
1967-74  Psych Bites Vol.1
1968-74  Psych Bites Vol.2
1969-73  Up All Night

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Various Artists - The Electric Asylum Vol. 3 (1970-74 uk, rare psych mod glam rock)

The title of this 20-track compilation might mislead some listeners to expect too much in the way of psychedelic music. Certainly there's some lingering influence from mod rock and psychedelia on this collection of early-'70s cuts. 

But really, it's more pop than anything else, and arguably glam rock is more of a factor than mod psychedelia, even of the slightly retro sort. It's not a genre easy to pigeonhole or, one would think, to market. That hasn't stopped Past 'n' Present from dedicating a whole series to it, however, and this anthology is actually fairly entertaining and amusing on the whole, if lacking in killer songs and somewhat on the lightweight side overall. 

Certainly it's not stuff you're likely to have encountered before; one look at the track listings will be enough to zap any "seen that, heard that" collector smugness you might have out of your system, with only Roger Ruskin Spear (formerly of the Bonzo Dog Band) and the novelty group the Barron Knights likely to be familiar names even to Anglophiles. 

Occasionally the material is obviously derivative, if never quite annoyingly so. Part of M.A.S.K.'s "Gotta Get Away" can't fail to recall the Beatles' "Dear Prudence," for instance, while Shakane's "Rhona" sounds a little like a hybrid of "Honky Tonk Women"-era Rolling Stones and Creedence Clearwater Revival, and T. Rex is echoed on a number of tracks. But there are some quite cool more offbeat things here, like Spode's "Cincinnati Woman," which is an uncanny, eerie early-'70s update of Joe Meek's productions; 1984's weird and wobbly cover of the Syndicate of Sound's mid-'60s garage rock hit "Little Girl"; and Roger Ruskin Spear's predictably absurd, monstrous, heavy rock satire "Drop Out."

 There are also some connections to much more familiar names in some of these tracks, like Wheels' respectable modish groover "She Don't Mean It," featuring Crispian St. Peters. 

by Richie Unterberger

Artists - Tracks
1. Renegade - Lovin' And Forgiving - 2:40
2. Primitive Man - Animal Love - 2:28
3. The Sensations - Oh My Eli - 3:37
4. Puzzle - Houla - 3:06
5. Barracuda  - I Feel So Down - 2:38
6. Grumbleweeds - Hey Babe) Follow Me - 2:52
7. Boneshaker  - Sweetness - 3:00
8. Barron Knights - You’re All I Need - 3:12
9. Dynasty  - Tutankhamun - 3:46
10.M.A.S.K.  - Gotta Get Away - 3:37
11.Shakane - Rhona - 3:01
12.Wheels  - She Don’t Mean It - 3:00
13.Spode  - Cincinatti Woman - 2:47
14.1984  - Little Girl - 2:38
15.Greg Robbins - Virginia Creeper - 2:20
16.Things Fall Apart - Bye Bye My Rose - 2:56
17.Roger Ruskin Spear - Drop Out - 2:03
18.Don Crown - The Flying Machines - 2:02
19.Zebedee  - She Couldn’t Make Gravy - 3:43
20.Amazon Trust - Sheila Lee - 2:36

The Electric Asylum series
1970-74  Volume One
1969-73  Volume Two

other Past and Present compilations
60-70's  Floor Filler Killers / New Directions Vol. 3
60-70's  Mind Expanders Vol.2
1967-74  Psych Bites Vol.1
1968-74  Psych Bites Vol.2
1969-73  Up All Night

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Liar - Straight From The Hip (1977 uk, great hard rock ballanced between melodic and pub rockin, with Clive Brooks from Uriel/Egg fame, japan remaster)

Liar was formed in 1975 in Maidenhead in Berkshire by Dave Taylor formerly of Edison Lighthouse. In 1976, the band came to the attention of Chris Demetriou, a freelance producer and A'n'R man for Decca Records. Demetriou took the band into Decca's West Hampstead studios, inviting singer/guitarist Paul Travis, with whom he had worked before, to sit in with them to help with song arrangements and also to provide a channel of communication between studio and control room. 

After various personnel changes, the line-up for the first album, Straight from the Hip, comprised David Burton (lead vocals and guitar), Dave Taylor (formerly of Catapilla; bass and vocals), Paul Travis (guitar and vocals) and Clive Brooks (previously of Egg and The Groundhogs; drums). Lead guitar was provided on a session basis by Geoff Whitehorn, then working with Crawler, although at the time of the album's release this role had been filled by Steve Mann, subsequently with Lionheart, MSG and Sweet, who completed the final line-up. Keyboards on two tracks were by John (Rabbit) Bundrick.

Following the debut album 'Straight From The Hip' in 1977, released on  Decca label during 1977, the band undertook an initial tour of the UK with Slade, followed by two European tours, covering Holland and Germany. A three week tour of Hungary, sharing the stage with top Hungarian band Piramis, followed, and the final show of this tour in Budapest had an audience of 35,000. 

Tracks

1. Soft Light, Sweet Music (Paul Travis, Barrylord) - 3:38

2. Straight From The Hip Kid (Paul Travis, Norma Tager) - 3:16

3. Roll Me Down - 3:23

4. Rich Man's Woman - 4:03

5. Try Lovin' (Paul Travis, Norma Tager) - 3:09

6. Chicago Shakedown (Dave Taylor, Steve Mitchell) - 4:29

7. Full Time Woman (Paul Travis, Norma Tager) - 4:17

8. Born To Rock And Roll - 3:46

9. Light Of The City - 3:34

10.Blame It On The Kids (Paul Travis, Norma Tager) - 4:36

11.Full Time Woman (Paul Travis, Norma Tager) - 4:36

12.Here You Come Knocking - 3:20

All songs by Dave Taylor unless as else stated.

Bonus tracks 11-12 as Paul Travis

Liar
*Dave Burton - Vocals
*Paul Travis - Guitar
*Dave Taylor - Bass
*Clive Brooks - Drums
*Steve Mann - Guitar

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Starwood - Starwood (1977 us, nice mellow rock with country folk rock drops, Vinyl edition)

Starwood formed in Aspen Colorado round the mid seventies.The band made a self-titled album for Columbia; it was recorded at the Caribou Ranch in Nederland, where Elton John, Stephen Stills, Rod Stewart and numerous others would make albums.

 The single “Burning Over You” was released to radio in 1977. The band toured with the Dirt Band for most of a year, appearing at Red Rocks; they finished 1978 with a show at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, on a bill with Santana and Eddie Money. 

Starwood didn't quite hit rock-star status. They played a final gig, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, and never made another record, never toured again.

Musically they’re running upon country and folk forms, somehow like  a light version of Crosby Stills and Nash  with sound closest to Little River Band and Firefall, in conclusion an enjoyable album with many good moments.  

Tracks
1. Burnin' Over You (D. J. Holster) - 4:54
2. Almost Monte Carlo (D. J. Holster) - 4:28
3. Simone (D. J. Holster, B. Mysior) - 2:53
4. Always Brings Me Tears (H. Gregg) - 3:22
5. Tortuga (M. Moore) - 3:34
6. (I Gotta) Dance With You (D. J. Holster) - 3:15
7. You Don't Have To Cry (D. J. Holster, H. Gregg) - 3:33
8. Silver And Gold (D. J. Holster, H. Gregg) - 5:46
9. Give A Little Bit (D. J. Holster, H. Gregg) - 3:40
10.Ophelia (D. J. Holster, R. E. Carpenter) - 3:29

Starwood
*David James Holster - Vocals, Guitar,
*Robert E. Carpenter - Keyboards,
*Haden Gregg - Guitar, Vocals,
*Bob Mason - Guitar, Vocals,
*Bernie Mysior - Bass,
*Michael Buono - Drums,
*Bryan Savage - Woodwinds

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Various Artists - The Electric Asylum Vol. 2 (1969-73 uk, more rare acid freakrock)

These are obscurities -- and you better believe they are very obscure when the most well-known artists are Steamhammer and the Montanas -- from the late '60s and early '70s, and about as much early hard rock (with some prog rock elements as well) as psychedelia. With all due respect to the estimable Past & Present label for digging into a genre that reissues haven't explored much, it's doubtful that comps such as these will launch as much collector enthusiasm for the style as specialist reissues did for freakbeat. 

The material is largely somber, the arrangements on the heavy side, and the songs not too memorable, if often tightly played and well produced. These are the kinds of releases that, in any era, clutter the bins of ill-distributed records that very few people have heard or are familiar with; these just happen to be ones belonging to the British early-'70s hard rock division. You can hear echoes of Jimi Hendrix, Spooky Tooth, Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac, Ten Years After, the Jeff Beck Group, Jethro Tull, and the like, if usually in a less lively and ebullient mood, but nothing that's going make you wonder why these acts didn't get bigger. 

The inclusion of a couple pretty pointless covers of well-known tunes by big stars (the Deep Set doing Neil Young's "Cinnamon Girl" and the Treetops singing the Moody Blues' "Gypsy") doesn't help. On a more positive note, Josephine Levine's vocals on J.C. Heavy's "Mr. Deal" add welcome spice to what otherwise is a pretty testosterone-heavy set, and Steamhammer's "Windmill" has a lighter, dreamier, more psychedelic feel than their predominantly blues-based output (and the rest of this CD). And no, the Iron Maiden who do "Falling" here are not the famous metal band of the same name. 

by Richie Unterberger

Artists - Tracks
1.Cats Eyes - The Wizard - 3:38
2.Buster Jangle’s Flying Mattress - Taken Over My Brain - 2:55
3.J.C. Heavy - Mr. Deal - 3:35
4.Eastwood - I Am Free - 3:58
5.Iron Maiden - Falling - 6:05
6.Wolfrilla - Song For Jimmi - 3:08
7.The Deep Set - Cinnamon Girl - 3:20
8.Steamhammer - Windmill - 4:25
9.Gentry - Attempted Contact - 3:14
10.Humbug - Ebeneezer - 3:52
11.Montanas - Doctor Nero - 2:49
12.Choc - Time - 3:11
13.Magnet - Mr. Guy Fawkes - 3:56
14.Mosaic - Bird Of Time - 2:19
15.Chameleon - Who Am I? - 3:27
16.Now - People Are Standing - 3:09
17.Iron Cross - All Of The Time - 3:10
18.The Treetops - Gypsy - 3:32
19.Lost Dog - Latchkey Child - 3:04
20.J.C. Heavy - That Woman’s Mind - 2:39

The Electric Asylum series
1970-74  Volume One

other Past and Present compilations
60-70's  Floor Filler Killers / New Directions Vol. 3
60-70's  Mind Expanders Vol.2
1967-74  Psych Bites Vol.1
1968-74  Psych Bites Vol.2
1969-73  Up All Night

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Various Artists - The Electric Asylum Vol. 1 (1970-74 uk, rare acid freakrock, Past and Present release)

20 blasts of long-forgotten British Freakrock. The Glorious British Psychedelic music scene did not cease to exist at midnight on December 31st 1969, it took on the previous decade with furore, new gadgets and studio gimmicks, but with some of the same key players. 

From the hard and loud sound of J.C. Heavy, Rainbow Family and Steel Mill to the sublimely bonkers Asylum, Monsoon, Mighty ‘Em and Galahad interspersed with spoonfuls of Psychedelia, Doom and Acid Rock.

Artists - Tracks
1. Mighty 'Em - Jekyll & Hyde - 3:23
2. Asylum - Suzy's Back - 2:36
3. Iron Horse - Magic Love - 3:04
4. Monsoon - Night Of The Fly - 3:01
5. Galahad - Rocket Summer - 3:06
6. J.C. Heavy - Is This Really Me - 3:12
7. Rainbow Family, The - Travellin' Lady - 2:49
8. Puzzle - Do You Feel The Pain - 2:48
9. Grumbleweeds, The - In A Teknicolor Dreem - 3:44
10.Explosive, The - Hey Presto, Magic Man - 3:05
11.J.C. Heavy - Do What You Like - 3:15
12.Choc - The Devil - 3:07
13.Danta - Queen Of Sheba - 4:17
14.Vincent Crane's Atomic Rooster* - O.D.- 3:19
15.Renegade - Never Let Me Go - 2:34
16.Satisfaction - Love It Is - 3:01
17.Audience - Eye To Eye - 2:33
18.Steel Mill - Get On The Line - 4:17
19.Kirk St. James - Tears I Cry3:55
20.Legs - So Many Faces - 2:54

The Past and Present compilations
60-70's  Floor Filler Killers / New Directions Vol. 3
60-70's  Mind Expanders Vol.2
1967-74  Psych Bites Vol.1
1968-74  Psych Bites Vol.2
1969-73  Up All Night

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Dick Campbell - Blue Winds Only Know (1965 us, great folk rock with smart pop feel, 2003 Rev Ola issue)

The enigmatic Dick Campbell, singer, songwriter, producer and one of the most famous humorists in the 1960's music business, it's sometimes difficult to tell whether he means something seriously or not the quality of the music remains the same as ever outstanding! In 1965, on his way from Massachusetts to join Gary Usher in California, he stopped off in Chicago to produce a band.and ended up making one of the foremost and most collectable electric-Dylan clone albums of the period....with backing from the Butterfield Blues Band and the young Peter Cetera.

Dick had never any intention of being a folk rocker, The Beach Boys and The Four Seasons being more his thing, his publisher being behind the deal, but the idea of making a record with these outstanding musicians AND getting paid was too much to turn down! only the occasional incongruous surf backing vocal and deliberately over-convoluted faux Dylan lyric gives away Dick's real personality It is possible to take it all as a straight Dylan cop ala David Blue..(with rather better melodies!)..if one does not spot Dick's enigmatic smile on the cover!.

Dick would go on to produce many classic mid-west garage bands, and write and record the amazing fairy tale album "Beyond A Shadow Of A Doubt" with Gary Usher and Curt Boettcher, as well as be publishing A'n'R for Harry Nillson and Paul Williams, AND writing songs for the Cowsills to boot.but the sheer Mouse And The Traps gall of this record gives us...the essential Dick Campbell! Dick Campbell was a part of the legendary Gary Usher/Curt Boettcher circle and this release contains Backing by The Butterfield Blues Band with Mike Bloomfield, as on the classic Dylan early electric albums, Peter Cetera, later of Chicago and members of The Buckinghams.

Tracks
1 Blue Winds Only Know - 2:30
2 Share With Me - 3:00
3 Don't Give Up On Me - 2:06
4 Echo - 2:00
5 If I Didn't See You - 3:47
6 I'll Be Alone - 2:20
7 Love Knows Only You - 2:07
8 Maybe - 2:43
9 Pretend It's Me - 2:17
10 Sea Gull - 2:26
11 Time To Sing For You - 2:07
12 So Long - 2:39
13 Window World (Dick Campbell, Keypashine Golesorkh) - 1:41
14 Peace On Earth (D. Campbell, K. Golesorkhi, Steve Hoffman) - 1:59
15 Sometimes (Dick Campbell) - 1:46
16 The World (Dick Campbell, Keypashine Golesorkh) - 2:31
All songs by Dick Campbell, Gary Usher unless as else stated.
Bonus tracks 13-16

*Dick Campbell - Voclas, Guitar

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Hudson And Ford - Worlds Collide (1975 uk, delicate glam soft rock, Vinyl edition)

“Worlds Collide” was the “difficult” third album by Hudson and Ford, more glam than their previous works, but not bad at all. Their single "When Love has Overgrown" tanked, and no other was attempted from the album. This was despite Hudson Ford's invocation in soft-rock numbers like as "As Hours Go By," a gentle piece with Latin percussion and echoing electric piano. The album develops sharper edges later, with the shrill "Jesus Said" and the satisfyingly jagged guitar in the glam rave-up of "Petro Rock." All in all an  enjoyably release.

Tracks
1. Did Worlds Collide? - 5:52
2. Mechanics - 3:28
3. When Love Has Overgrown - 3:48
4. As Hours Go By - 3:01
5. Bootleg - 3:11
6. Jesus Said - 3:42
7. Day Without Love - 4:44
8. Petro Rock - 3:20
9. Mile High City - 3:37
10. Keep Me Rolling - 4:07
Words and Music by Richard Hudson, John Ford

Musicians
*Richard Hudson - Vocals, Accoustic Guitar
*John Ford - Vocals, Bass
*Micky Keene - Electric Guitar
*Chris Parren - All Keyboards
*Ken Laws - Drums, Percussion
*Johnny Mealing - Bass, Strings Arrangement
*Dick Morrissey - Saxophone
*Tom Allom - Organ

Others releases
1973  Nickelodeon
1974  Free Spirit

Related Acts
1967  Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera
1969  Ride A Hustler's Dream

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Pulse - Pulse (1969 us, tough 'n' rough psych blues rock, Fallout bonus tracks edition)

From New Haven, Connecticut, The Pulse evolved out of The Bram Rigg Set and The Shags, and were originally known as The Pulse Of Burritt Bradley.

The track, Burritt Bradley, is a surreal slice of psychedelic madness, which can also be found on the Beyond The Calico Wall (LP & CD) compilation.

By contrast, their album is a furious heavy rock affair and rated highly by some collectors.

Tommy Violante left in 1969, although the band soldiered on until '72, playing mostly rehashed Cream-type stuff.

Pulse (originally named "The Pulse of Burritt Bradley," after a name they saw on a grave stone) released two singles: "Can Can Girl" / "Burritt Bradley" and "My Old Boy" / "Another Woman".

Pulse initially included Augusto, Violante, Bennett Segal (drums), Peter Neri (lead guitar), Richard "Sno Whyte" Bednarzcyk (organ), and Paul Rosanno and Lance Gardner both playing bass.

The group honed their skills for almost a year just jamming in the studio, but by the time their first album was released both Violante and Gardner had departed.

The self-titled album Pulse was a real accomplishment. Not only was the playing and songwriting solid, the heavy style and complex arrangements seem a few years ahead of their time 

by Fuzz, Acid 'n' Flowers

Tracks

1. Too Much Lovin' (Peter Neri) - 3:15

2. Another Woman (Paul Rosanno) - 737

3. Hypnotized (Peter Neri) - 4:36

4. Thanks For Thinking Of Me (Bennett Segal) - 3:53

5. Lo-Down (Carl Donnell) - 3:54

6. She's Killin' Me (Bennett Segal) - 3:45

7. Garden Of Love (Peter Neri) - 3:33

8. Amassilation (Bennett Segal) - 5:54

9. My Old Boy (Bennett Segal) - 2:25

10.Can Can Girl (Carl Donnell, Tommy Roberts) - 2:45

11.Burritt Bradley (Paul Rosano, Benet Segal, Peter Neri, Jeffrey Potter, Richard Bednarczyk, Carl Donnell) - 2:57

Pulse
*Carl Augusto - Vocals
*Tom Violante - Rhythm Guitar
*Bennett Segal - Drums
*Peter Neri - Lead Guitar
*Richard "Sno Whyte" Bednarzcyk - Organ
*Paul Rosanno - Bass

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Various Artists - Quiet Days In Clichy (1969 multinational, exiting varied styles psych blues jazz rock, 2010 remaster)

Looking back at this over forty year old film, it's an interesting relic, to be sure, and actually a very intriguing piece of art. At times, seemingly intending to offend, though in others attempting to draw us in to the characters and their escapades, 'Quiet Days in Clichy' is a fairly uneven piece of cinematic experimentation, based off the novel by Henry Miller, that will surely attract or repel its audience, and fast.

This is the story of two men in France, whose bond is seemingly formed by their shared interest in sharing the opposite sex. 'Quiet Days in Clichy' is more than just what's on the surface. The constant prolonged shots, where any action seemingly is shown for three to five times as long as it needs to take, creates a fascinating look at the characters, even if they are only as interested as their genitalia are locked and loaded. 

There are no quick flashes, or brief moments whatsoever, and that makes the film somewhat intimate, holding on like a lover right at the edge of satisfaction trying to extend that moment as long as possible. The extended silence that permeates the majority of the film is also quite refreshing, as the Country Joe McDonald soundtrack acts as a narrative, of sorts, crude as it may be. 

We don't get the characters thoughts, save for some crudely drawn random thought bubbles that pop up on screen, as McDonald tells the tale from a different angle, chauvinistic as it may be, concerning their romps, and predicaments caused by their constant skirt chasing.

by Nate Boss

Artists - Tracks
1. Country Joe McDonald - Quiet Days in Clichy I. - 1:49
2. Country Joe McDonald - Nys' Love. - 4:20
3. Country Joe McDonald - Hungry Miller & The Hungry World. - 2:26
4. Andy Sundström - Clichy. - 2:46
5. Young Flowers - Behind the Golden Sun. - 2:17
6. Papa Bue's Viking Jazzband - Luxembourg Stomp. - 4:12
7. Country Joe McDonald - Quiet Days in Clichy II. - 3:52
8. Ben Webster - Blue Miller. - 4:02
9. Andy Sundström - Champs Elysées. - 2:40
10.Young Flowers - Menilmontant. - 4:08
11.Young Flowers - Party Beat. - 4:05
12.Country Joe McDonald - Mara. - 1:53

Country Joe discography
1965-71  The First Three E.P's
1967  Electric Music For The Mind And Body
1967  I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die
1969  Live! Fillmore West
1969  Here We Are Again
1970  CJ Fish
1970  Tonight I'm Singing Just For You
1971  Hold On It's Coming
1971  War War War
1973  Paris Sessions

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Albert Hammond ‎– It Never Rains In Southern Califonia / The Free Electric Band (1972-73 uk, fabulous country folk sunny rock, 2004 remaster)

Albert Hammond was born on May 18, 1944, in London and grew up in Gibraltar to Gibraltarian parents. In 1960, Albert left school, formed a band and began sending out recordings of his very first compositions to labels in England, where they were released by Parlophone Records. Soon thereafter, Albert met Mike Hazlewood and almost immediately, they teamed up as collaborators and began gaining recognition as a songwriting team: “Little Arrows” (Leapy Lee in 1968 - top 10 country and pop charts), “Make Me An Island” (a number one hit in 14 countries), “Gimme Dat Ding” (The Pipkins in 1970 - pop and R&B charts), “Freedom Come, Freedom Go” (The Fortunes in 1971), “Good Morning Freedom” (Blue Mink, 1970). “Gimme Dat Ding” was written for a children's television program called "Oliver In The Overworld" which starred Freddie and the Dreamers.

Having become one of Britain's most successful songwriting teams, Albert and Mike decided to move to southern California. Albert played his songs to every record company possible, until Hal Landers and Bobby Roberts gave him the first artist’s contract ever for their newly-built Mums label, a division of CBS’s Epic label. After auditioning for CBS president Clive Davis, and over 30 other people, Albert was asked to record some songs. Albert went into the studio to record what would become the It Never Rains In Southern California album. The title song went to number five in the U.S. and became a worldwide success. This offered Albert the opportunity to tour, which led him to almost all continents. Albert went on to record seven albums for the CBS label.

It Never Rains in Southern California is not only Albert Hammond's biggest solo hit, the album which spawned that Top Five smash was the best representation of the songwriter until his When I Need You album was released a few years later. The band is in a groove on this disc, and the songs are more happening than on the two immediate follow-ups, The Free Electric Band in 1973 and 1974's self-titled Albert Hammond. Songs like "Down by the River" and "The Road to Understanding" have more enthusiasm and spirit than the two succeeding albums. Albert Hammond, better-known as a songwriter for Jefferson Starship, Julio Iglesias, and Leo Sayer, among others, could have been a superstar on his own had he maintained the high level of songwriting exhibited on this disc. 

Though Mama Cass Elliot did a brilliant rendition of "If You've Gotta Break Another Heart" on her The Road Is No Place for a Lady album, that single was not embraced by the public as it should have been. The original version is here, along with the songwriter's take on his own "The Air That I Breathe." The Hollies would get a bigger hit out of this song than they had with "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother," but Hammond's has more tenderness and more subtlety. It's great. "Listen to the World" has the singer preaching with a band who is rock-solid behind him. Dan Altfeld's co-production with Hammond and Michael Omartian's impeccable arrangements (Omartian was everywhere at this point in time) are captivating. 

The material Mike Hazelwood was writing with Hammond here is also top-notch. "If You Gotta Break Another Heart" keeps coming back as a brilliant pop classic that will someday top the charts if given the chance. "Names, Tags, Numbers, & Labels" would get rearranged and released two years later on the Albert Hammond album, a practice the singer/songwriter continued on other releases. Taking previously recorded work and recrafting it wasn't a bad idea for a man whose tunes have helped so many other artists. It Never Rains in Southern California is a wonderful primer for people interested in this multifaceted artist. Songs like "From Great Britain to L.A." continue the theme initiated in It Never Rains in Southern California and continued on The Free Electric Band album -- a musician in search of fame. The arrangements, the vibe, all the elements fall into place perfectly on this outing, and it is a shame they couldn't duplicate the magic quickly and with such brio. Hammond could have rivaled Elton John for chart dominance at this time had he been able to churn out more albums as superb as this. 

by Joe Viglione

Tracks

1. Listen To The World - 3:00

2. If You Gotta Break Another Heart - 2:41 

3. From Great Britain To L.A. - 3:32

4. Brand New Day - 3:27 

5. Anyone Here In The Audience - 3:58 

6. It Never Rains In Southern California - 3:53 

7. Names, Tags, Numbers And Labels - 4:30  

8. Down By The River - 3:06 

9. The Road To Understanding - 4:24 

10.The Air That I Breathe - 3:51 

11.Smokey Factory Blues - 3:30 

12.The Peacemaker - 2:42  

13.Woman Of The World - 3:09 

14.Everything I Want To Do - 2:35 

15.Who's For Lunch Today? - 2:58 

16.The Free Electric Band - 3:26  

17.Rebecca - 3:09  

18.The Day The British Army Lost The War - 4:04  

19.For The Peace Of All Mankind - 4:13  

20.I'll Think I'll Go That Way - 3:36

All songs written by  Albert Hammond, Mike Hazelwood

Tracks 1-10 from "It Never Tains In Southern California" 1972

Tracks 11-20 from "The Free Electric Band" 1973

Musicians

*Albert Hammond - Guitar, Vocals

*Larry Carlton - Guitar

*Carol Carmichael Parks - Vocals

*Jim Gordon - Drums

*Jay Lewis - Guitar

*Michael Omartian - Keyboards

*Joe Osborn - Bass

*Sid Sharp - Strings

*Michael Omartian - Keyboards

*Alan Beutler, Jacky Kelso, Tommy Scott - Flute

*Don Altfeld - Percussion

*Ray Puhlman - Bass

*Carol Carmichael and Friends - Vocals

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