Blue Oyster Cult - Some Enchanted Evening (1978 us, solid hard rock, 2007 digi pak remaster with bonus tracks plus dvd)

Even though their previous studio release, Spectres, was one of the best selling albums of their career it just didn't live up to the monstrous ideology of that Blue Oyster Cult had created with such seminal releases as Secret Treaties and Agents of Fortune. Everything was there, to be true—searing leads, wonderfully out of place vocal harmonies, taut rhythms—but something was also missing. Funny thing is that it was almost as if the band knew that themselves and purposely realized that they needed to release a scorching live album to the public in order to reclaim some of that raucous bar band blast they were once so (in)famous for bringing.

To wit Some Enchanted Evening kicks off with "R.U. Ready 2 Rock," one of the more catchy, but also more lackluster offerings from Spectres. Needless to say, the live version is everything the studio version wasn't: it's loud, brash, and lives up to its title in every way, chugging and lunging out at the Atlanta audience with bristling energy and showcasing the band in their true element.

With "E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)" the band keeps the energy levels in the red, the familiar guitar lick driving the crowd into a frenzy as Buck Dharma lets loose with some scorching mutant blues. This is still one of the best captured versions of this searing number out there. By the third song, the epic "Astronomy," the band is in full swing and showing and proving that they really can't f@#k this one up.

From the intricate and sweeping grandiosity of "Astronomy" the band kick full bore into the blazing cover of the MC5 classic "Kick Out The Jams." BOC simultaneously stay true to the original Detroit rock fever of the original while putting their own New York certified stamp on it. That it mudslides right into a turgid rendition of "Godzilla" is all the better, too. While the original version found on Spectres is a bona fide classic its given a breath of hot, magma filtered air in a live setting. Coupling it with "Don't Fear The Reaper" is altogether a smart move, both for the folks who were at the show twenty years ago and for those of us reliving the experience vicariously.

The set is rounded out with a wonderful take on The Animals "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place." Rolling along to Dharma's crisp guitar leads and snappy basslines from Joe Bouchard. It's a meandering lull that will suck you in. But there's a punch line: the track grows from a lumbering lope into a full-blown growl and snarl, from the vocals and guitars down to the flailing drums and rumbling bass. As brilliant as those fools who brew Guinness.

The original seven song version of Some Enchanted Evening is perhaps the best introduction one could have to the bugged out world of Blue Oyster Cult. The band presents some of their best material in a manner that is not only true to the studio recordings, but also delivers them with unmistakable energy imbued in a live setting. Give this to any BOC virgin and they'll be able to tie a cherry stem into a bow without thinking twice.

As for the bonus material, the new version tacks on an additional seven tracks to recreate the original vision of the album (it was initially intended as a sprawling double live album, but later trimmed down to the single disc version most hardcore heads will no doubt have tucked away in a dusty crate somewhere). While cuts like "ME-262" keep the energy levels on tilt, they also feel somewhat out of place. While only the first four tracks of the original issue were recorded in Atlanta, the remaining three were mixed so that it sounded like one singular show. In similar fashion the bonus material is made up of four tracks recorded in Detroit, buffered by selections from shows in Little Rock, Rochester, and Boston.

"Harvester Of Eyes" is a charging, old school BOC rocker. "Hot Rails To Hell" follows suit, the guitar skirling and cantankerous in a menacing bleed of grunge encrusted blitzkrieg. "This Ain't The Summer Of Love" gets a drastic overhaul, sounding edgier and heavier than the studio version. And "5 Guitars" is just as the name implies. Sort of. It begins with a rolling bass swatch and snappy snare drum shuffle before blowing out into nothing but six-string sizzle. At 8-minutes and 33-seconds it's also the longest track on the album. The bonus portion concludes with two covers: the pretty staid "Born To Be Wild" (with the exception of the over-the-top keyboard solo) and another version of "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place."

Whereas the original seven song live album feels like a whole, mixed to sound like a snapshot of a single show and presents all sides of the band, from balls-to-the-wall rock to textured, nuanced almost softly psychedelic allusions, the second seven song section feels like a completely different show, one where the band is hell-bent on recapturing their garage rock roots. It might have been cool to have had them sequenced in such a way that it sounded like one show instead of two distinctly different ones buffered up against one another. Oh yeah, for the seriously hardcore there is an accompanying DVD of a show from Landover.

All in all the new, expanded version of Some Enchanted Evening is a ripping good time that showcases Blue Oyster Cult at the top of their arena rock game. In many ways this album even eclipses some of their studio efforts and works as a welcome shift from their impending slickness that began on Spectres and carried over into some of their later work, as well. 

by Spence D.  27 Mar 2007 

Tracks

Disc 

1. R.U. Ready 2 Rock (Albert Bouchard, Sandy Pearlman) - 6:07

2. E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) (Donald Roeser, Sandy Pearlman) - 5:16

3. Astronomy (Albert Bouchard, Joe Bouchard, Sandy Pearlman) - 8:26

4. Kick Out The Jams (Michael Davis, Wayne Kramer, Fred "Sonic" Smith, Dennis Thompson, Rob Tyner) - 3:07

5. Godzilla (Donald Roeser) - 4:08

6. (Don't Fear) The Reaper (Donald Roeser) - 6:09

7. We Gotta Get Out Of This Place (Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil) - 4:40

8. Me 262 (Eric Bloom, Donald Roeser, Sandy Pearlman) - 3:24

9. Harvester Of Eyes (Eric Bloom, Donald Roeser, Richard Meltzer) - 4:35 

10.Hot Rails To Hell (Joe Bouchard) - 5:01

11.This Ain't The Summer Of Love (Albert Bouchard, Murray Krugman, Don Waller) - 2:48

12.5 Guitars (Eric Bloom, Donald Roeser, Allen Lanier, Joe Bouchard, Albert Bouchard) - 8:34

13.Born To Be Wild (Mars Bonfire) - 6:30

14.We Gotta Get Out Of This Place (Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil) - 4:36

DVD
1. R.U. Ready To Rock (Albert Bouchard, Sandy Pearlman) - 5:29
2. E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) (Donald Roeser, Sandy Pearlman) - 5:04
3. Harvester of Eyes (Eric Bloom, Donald Roeser, Richard Meltzer) - 4:35
4. We Gotta Get Out Of This Place (Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil) - 4:09
5. Golden Age of Leather (Bruce Abbott, Donald Roeser) - 6:48
6. Astronomy (Albert Bouchard, Joe Bouchard, Sandy Pearlman) - 8:18
7. ME 262 (Eric Bloom, Donald Roeser, Sandy Pearlman) - 3:24
8. Kick Out The Jams (Michael Davis, Wayne Kramer, Fred "Sonic" Smith, Dennis Thompson, Rob Tyner) - 3:03
9. This Ain't The Summer Of Love (Albert Bouchard, Murray Krugman, Don Waller) - 2:48
10.5 Guitars (Eric Bloom, Donald Roeser, Allen Lanier, Joe Bouchard, Albert Bouchard) - 8:34
11.Born To Be Wild (Mars Bonfire) - 6:30
Filmed in 1978 at the Capital Center, Largo, MD, all tracks previously unreleased.

Blue Oyster Cult
*Eric Bloom - Vocals, Guitar, Piano
*Joe Bouchard - Vocals, Guitar, Bass
*Albert Bouchard - Drums, Vocals
*Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser - Lead And Rhythm Guitars, Vocals
*Allen Lanier - Keyboards, Guitars

1972-79  Blue Oyster Cult - Original Album Classics (2008 five disc box set)
1974/77  Blue Oyster Cult - Spectres / Secret Treaties (2007 bonus tracks remaster and 2014 blu spec remaster) 
Related Act
1970 Stalk-Forrest Group - St. Cecilia, The Elektra Recordings (Rem Bonus Tracks)

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Lou Reed - Original Album Classics (1972-75 us, amazing 2008 five disc box set)

The career of Lou Reed defied capsule summarization. Like David Bowie (whom Reed directly inspired in many ways), he made over his image many times, mutating from theatrical glam rocker to strung-out junkie to avant-garde noiseman to straight rock & roller to your average guy. Few would deny Reed's immense importance and considerable achievements. As has often been written, he expanded the vocabulary of rock & roll lyrics into the previously forbidden territory of kinky sex, drug use (and abuse), decadence, transvestites, homosexuality, and suicidal depression. As has been pointed out less often, he remained committed to using rock & roll as a forum for literary, mature expression throughout his artistic life, without growing lyrically soft or musically complacent. By and large, he took on these challenging duties with uncompromising honesty and a high degree of realism. For these reasons, he was often cited as punk's most important ancestor. It's often overlooked, though, that he was equally skilled at celebrating romantic joy, and rock & roll itself, as he was at depicting harrowing urban realities. With the exception of Neil Young, no other star who rose to fame in the '60s continued to push himself so diligently into creating work that was, and remains, meaningful and contemporary. 

Although Reed achieved his greatest success as a solo artist, his most enduring accomplishments were as the leader of the Velvet Underground in the '60s. If Reed had never made any solo records, his work as the principal lead singer and songwriter for the Velvets would have still ensured his stature as one of the greatest rock visionaries of all time. The Velvet Underground are discussed at great length in many other sources, but it's sufficient to note that the four studio albums they recorded with Reed at the helm are essential listening, as is much of their live and extraneous material. "Heroin," "Sister Ray," "Sweet Jane," "Rock and Roll," "Venus in Furs," "All Tomorrow's Parties," "What Goes On," and "Lisa Says" are just the most famous classics that Reed wrote and sang for the group. As innovative as the Velvets were at breaking lyrical and instrumental taboos with their crunching experimental rock, they were unappreciated in their lifetime. Five years of little commercial success was undoubtedly a factor in Reed leaving the group he had founded in August 1970, just before the release of their most accessible effort, Loaded. Although Reed's songs and streetwise, sing-speak vocals dominated the Velvets, he was perhaps more reliant upon his talented collaborators than he realized, or was even willing to admit in his latter years. The most talented of these associates was John Cale, who was apparently fired by Reed in 1968 after the Velvets' second album (although the pair subsequently worked together on various other projects). 

Reed had a reputation of being a difficult man to work with for an extended period, and that made it difficult for his extensive solo oeuvre to compete with the standards of brilliance set by the Velvets. Nowhere was this more apparent than on his self-titled solo debut from 1971, recorded after he'd taken an extended hiatus from music, moving back to his parents' suburban Long Island home at one point. Lou Reed mostly consisted of flaccid versions of songs dating back to the Velvet days, and he could have really used the group to punch them up, as proved by the many outtake versions of these tunes that he actually recorded with the Velvet Underground (some of which didn't surface until about 25 years later). 

Reed got a shot in the arm (no distasteful pun intended) when David Bowie and Mick Ronson produced his second album, Transformer. A more energetic set that betrayed the influence of glam rock, it also included his sole Top 20 hit, "Walk on the Wild Side," and other good songs like "Vicious" and "Satellite of Love." It also made him a star in Britain, which was quick to appreciate the influence Reed had exerted on Bowie and other glam rockers. Reed went into more serious territory on Berlin (1973), its sweet orchestral production coating lyrical messages of despair and suicide. In some ways Reed's most ambitious and impressive solo effort, it was accorded a vituperative reception by critics in no mood for a nonstop bummer (however elegantly executed). Unbelievably, in retrospect, it made the Top Ten in Britain, though it flopped stateside. 

Having been given a cold shoulder for some of his most serious (if chilling) work, Reed apparently decided he was going to give the public what it wanted. He had guitarists Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner give his music more of a pop-metal, radio-friendly sheen. More disturbingly, he decided to play up to the cartoon junkie role that some in his audience seemed eager to assign to him. Onstage, that meant shocking bleached hair, painted fingernails, and simulated drug injections. On record, it led to some of his most careless performances. One of these, the 1974 album Sally Can't Dance, was also his most commercially successful, reaching the Top Ten, thus confirming both Reed's and the audience's worst instincts. As if to prove he could still be as uncompromising as anyone, he unleashed the double album Metal Machine Music, a nonstop assault of electronic noise. Opinions remain divided as to whether it was an artistic statement, a contract quota-filler, or a slap in the face to the public. 

Later, Reed never behaved as outrageously (in public and in the studio) as he did in the mid-'70s, although there was plenty of excitement in the decades that followed. When he decided to play it relatively straight, sincere, and hard-nosed, he could produce affecting work in the spirit of his best vintage material (parts of Coney Island Baby and Street Hassle). At other points, he seemed not to be putting too much effort into any aspect of his songs ("Rock and Roll Heart").

by Richie Unterberger

Tracks

Disc 1 Lou Reed 1972

1. I Can't Stand It - 2:37

2. Going Down - 2:57

3. Walk and Talk It - 3:40

4. Lisa Says - 5:34

5. Berlin - 5:16

6. I Love You - 2:21

7. Wild Child - 4:41

8. Love Makes You Feel - 3:13

9. Ride Into The Sun (Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison, Maureen Tucker) - 3:16

10.Ocean - 5:06

All songs by Lou Reed except as noted

Disc 2 Transformer 1972

1. Vicious – 2:58

2. Andy's Chest – 3:20

3. Perfect Day – 3:46

4. Hangin' 'Round – 3:35

5. Walk on the Wild Side – 4:15

6. Make Up – 3:00

7. Satellite of Love – 3:42

8. Wagon Wheel – 3:19

9. New York Telephone Conversation – 1:33

10.I'm So Free – 3:09

11.Goodnight Ladies – 4:21 

12.Hangin' Round" (Acoustic Demo) – 3:57

13.Perfect Day" (Acoustic Demo) / "Transformer" Radio Advertising (Hidden Track) – 4:50

All songs written by Lou Reed

Disc 3 Berlin 1973

1. Berlin – 3:23

2. Lady Day – 3:40

3. Men of Good Fortune – 4:37

4. Caroline Says I – 3:57

5. How Do You Think It Feels – 3:42

6. Oh, Jim – 5:13

7. Caroline Says II – 4:10

8. The Kids – 7:55

9/ The Bed – 5:51

10.Sad Song – 6:55

All tracks composed by Lou Reed

Disc 4 Sally Can't Dance 1974

1. Ride Sally Ride - 4:05

2. Animal Language - 3:05

3. Baby Face - 5:05

4. N. Y. Stars - 4:01

5. Kill Your Sons - 3:40

6. Ennui - 3:43

7. Sally Can't Dance - 4:12

8. Billy - 5:10

9. Good Taste - 3:30

10.Sally Can't Dance (Single Version) - 4:12

All songs by Lou Reed

Disc 5 Coney Island Baby 1975
1. Crazy Feeling - 2:56
2. Charley's Girl - 2:36
3. She's My Best Friend - 6:00
4. Kicks - 6:06
5. A Gift - 3:47
6. Ooohhh Baby - 3:45
7. Nobody's Business - 3:41
8. Coney Island Baby - 6:36
9. Nowhere At All - 3:17
10.Downtown Dirt - 4:18
11.Leave Me Alone - 5:35
12.Crazy Feeling - 2:39
13.She's My Best Friend - 4:08
14.Coney Island Baby - 5:41
All compositions by Lou Reed
Track 9 Recorded November 18, 21, 1975 At Mediasound Studios, NYC
Track 10 Recorded January 3, 4, 1975 At Electric Lady Studios, NYC
Track 11 Recorded October 19, 20, 1975 At Mediasound Studios, NYC
Track 12 Recorded January 3, 4, 1975 At Electric Lady Studios, NYC
Track 13 Recorded January 4, 1975 At Electric Lady Studios, NYC
Track 14 Recorded January 6, 1975 At Electric Lady Studios, NYC

Personnel 
1972 Lou Reed
*Lou Reed - Guitar, Arranger, Keyboards, Vocals, Producer
*Clem Cattini - Percussion
*Helene Francois - Harmony Vocals
*Kay Garner - Harmony Vocals
*Steve Howe - Guitar
*Les Hurdle - Bass
*Paul Keogh - Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
*Brian Odgers - Bass
*Caleb Quaye - Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Piano
*Rick Wakeman - Piano, Keyboards
1972 Transformer
*Lou Reed - Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
*Herbie Flowers - Bass Guitar, Double-Bass, Tuba
*Mick Ronson - Lead Guitar, Piano, Recorder, Backing Vocals, String Arrangements
*John Halsey - Drums
*Ronnie Ross - Baritone Saxophone
*David Bowie - Backing Vocals
*The Thunderthighs - Backing Vocals
*Barry Desouza - Drums
*Ritchie Dharma - Drums
*Klaus Voormann - Bass
1973 Berlin
*Lou Reed - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
*Bob Ezrin - Piano, Mellotron
*Michael Brecker - Tenor Sax
*Randy Brecker - Trumpet
*Jack Bruce - Bass
*Aynsley Dunbar - Drums
*Steve Hunter - Electric Guitar
*Tony Levin - Bass
*Allan Macmillan - Piano
*Gene Martynec - Acoustic Guitar, Synthesizer, Vocal Arrangement
*Jon Pierson - Bass Trombone
*Dick Wagner - Background Vocals, Electric Guitar
*Blue Weaver - Piano
*B.J. Wilson - Drums
*Steve Winwood - Organ, Harmonium
*Bob Ezrin, Dennis Ferrante, Steve Hyden, Elizabeth March, Lou Reed, Dick Wagner - Choir

1974 Sally Can't Dance

*Lou Reed - Vocals, Guitar

*Danny Weis - Guitar, Tambourine, Background Vocals, Horn Arrangement

*Paul Fleisher - Saxophone On "Billy"

*David Taylor, Lou Marini, Trevor Koehler, Jon Faddis, Alan Rubin, Alex Foster - Horns

*Steve Katz - Harmonica, Horn Arrangement

*Michael Fonfara - Keyboards, Background Vocals, Horn Arrangement

*Prakash John - Bass, Background Vocals

*Doug Yule - Bass On "Billy"

*Ritchie Dharma - Drums On "Kill Your Sons" & "Ennui"

*Pentti "Whitey" Glan - Drums

*Michael Wendroff - Background Vocals

*Joanne Vent - Background Vocals

1975 Coney Island Baby

*Lou Reed - Vocals, Guitar, Piano

*Bob Kulick - Guitar

*Bruce Yaw - Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass

*Michael Suchorsky - Drums

*Joanne Vent, Michael Wendroff, Godfrey Diamond - Background Vocals

*Doug Yule - Bass, Guitar (On Bonus Tracks)

*Bob Meday - Drums (On Bonus Tracks)

*Michael Fonfara - Keyboards  (On Bonus Tracks)

1978 Lou Reed - Street Hassle (2006 japan)  

1972 Lou Reed, John Cale And Nico - Live At Bataclan Paris (2013 remaster)  

1967-69  Velvet Underground - Another View (SHM Japan)  

1968-69  Velvet Underground - VU (japan remaster)  

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Blue Oyster Cult - Spectres / Secret Treaties (1977 / 1974 us, exceptional hard rock, 2007 bonus tracks remaster and 2014 blu spec remaster)

Often looked at as the least attractive and least talented younger sibling to the monster Agents of Fortune, 1977's Spectres is actually quite strong on its own and holds up pretty well next to that breakthrough album. As SONY Legacy is slowly making their way through the catalog, this remaster is quite nice and a long time coming. All the original album cuts sound great, and there are four bonus tracks included, all songs recorded at the same sessions, and appearing here for the first time.

Making your way through this release, there really are a lot of intelligent, catchy, heavy rock tunes, some dripping with a dash of proggy atmosphere & texture, a little dose of "metal" here and there, but for the most part just very good rock music. Sure, the thing kicks off with the infamous "Godzilla", a snarling heavy rock beast that reminded fans that they could easily melt the speakers alongside Black Sabbath and Ted Nugent anyday. However, let's not forget the brash "Golden Age of Leather", or the super melodic "Death Valley Nights", complete with searing guitar licks from Donald 'Buck Dharma' Roeser. Spirited funk rock track "Searchin' For Celine" and the meditative rocker "Fireworks" both show the writing talents of Allen Lanier and Albert Bouchard, and the Eric Bloom/Ian Hunter penned "Goin' Through the Motions" is a great rock radio tune that surprisingly wasn't a smash hit. The heavy rocker "R.U. Ready 2 Rock" became a live favorite, and features crisp riffs from Buck and honky tonk piano from Lanier. "Celestial The Queen" is a grand & majestic tune that relies heavily on layers of vocals and Lanier's keyboard work. The last two tracks are quite interesting; "I Love the Night" is a tender piece written by Roeser, featuring his melodic vocals and an emotional guitar solo, while "Nosferatu" is a dark and mysterious piece about vampires, and comes pretty close to prog rock.

The bonus tracks are a mixed bag, but will be of great interest to fans. "Night Flyer" is a poppy rocker, "Dial M for Murder" features some snarling guitar work, an angry vocal from Bloom, and raging Hammond from Lanier, but "Please Hold" is pretty awful. The band's take on the Ronettes classic "Be My Baby" is suprisingly good, if a bit odd. After hearing these four songs, you'll realize why they were left off of Spectres, but it's great having them here so you can take in the entire session in one listen. Overall, this album might not be the immediate classic that Secret Treaties, Agents of Fortune, or Tyranny and Mutation are, but it comes close. 

by Pete Pardo

The music is clean and precisely heard.  The shouted parts in “Godzilla” are easily discernable while the clarity of the music is excellent.  This is true throughout Spectres, which should please fans.  The expanded parts of Spectres contain 4 bonus tracks recorded during the Spectre sessions but not used.The bonus cuts are easily discernible as having been from these sessions however, it’s also clear why they were left off.  They are fun tracks and their inclusion here is worthy as it shows us a process of selection.  These tracks feel out of place with the overall theme of the album but regardless add value to this new package.  “Please Hold,” the third bonus cut is a mid-‘60s Stones-like song that holds well.  The final bonus track, “Be My Baby” is a cover of The Ronettes’ popular, “Be My Baby” and is actually a very good cover at that, if not a curiosity, and an oft-traded BOC track - it reminds of the use of “Loco-Motion” by Grand Funk Railroad.

Tracks
1. Godzilla (Donald Roeser) - 3:41
2. Golden Age of Leather (Bruce Abbott, Donald Roeser) - 5:53
3. Death Valley Nights  (Richard Meltzer, Albert Bouchard) - 4:07
4. Searchin’ for Celine  (Allen Lanier) - 3:35
5. Fireworks  (Albert Bouchard) - 3:14
6. R.U. Ready 2 Rock  (Sandy Pearlman, Albert Bouchard) - 3:45
7. Celestial the Queen  (Helen Wheels, Joe Bouchard) - 3:24
8. Goin’ Through the Motions (Eric Bloom, Ian Hunter) - 3:12
9. I Love the Night (Donald Roeser) - 4:23
10.Nosferatu  (Helen Wheels, Joe Bouchard) - 5:23
11.Night Flyer  (Joe Bouchard, Murray Krugman) - 3:48
12.Dial M For Murder  (Donald Roeser) - 3:11
13.Please Hold (Albert Bouchard) - 2:47
14.Be My Baby" (Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, Phil Spector) - 3:01

Blue Oyster Cult
*Eric Bloom - Vocals, Guitar
*Joe Bouchard - Bass Guitar, Vocals, Guitar
*Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser - Lead, Rhythm Guitars, Vocals
*Albert Bouchard - Drums, Vocals, Harmonica
*Allen Lanier - Keyboards, Guitar
With
*Newark Boys Chorus - Vocals

1972-79  Blue Oyster Cult - Original Album Classics (2008 five disc box set)
Related Act
1970 Stalk-Forrest Group - St. Cecilia, The Elektra Recordings (Rem Bonus Tracks)

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Blue Oyster Cult - Original Album Classics (1972-79 us, superb hard rock, 2008 five disc box set plus 2014 Blu Spec Agents Of Fortune)

Blue Öyster Cult was the thinking man's heavy metal group. Put together on a college campus by a couple of rock critics, it maintained a close relationship with a series of literary figures (often in the fields of science fiction and horror), including Eric Von Lustbader, Patti Smith, Michael Moorcock, and Stephen King, while turning out some of the more listenable metal music of the early and mid-'70s. The band that became Blue Öyster Cult was organized in 1967 at Stony Brook College on Long Island by students (and later rock critics) Sandy Pearlman and Richard Meltzer as Soft White Underbelly and consisted of Andy Winters (bass), Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (guitar), John Wiesenthal -- quickly replaced by Allen Lanier -- (keyboards), and Albert Bouchard (drums), with Pearlman managing and Pearlman and Meltzer writing songs. Initially without a lead singer, they added Les Bronstein on vocals. This quintet signed to Elektra Records and recorded an album that was never released. They then dropped Bronstein and replaced him with their road manager, Eric Bloom, as the band's name was changed to Oaxaca. A second Elektra album also went unreleased, though a single was issued under the name the Stalk-Forrest Group. 

Cut loose by Elektra, they changed their name again, to Blue Öyster Cult, and signed to Columbia Records in late 1971, by which time Winters had been replaced by Albert Bouchard's brother Joe. Blue Öyster Cult, their debut album, was released in January 1972 and made the lower reaches of the charts. Columbia sent a promotional EP, Live Bootleg, to radio stations in October, and followed with BÖC's second album, Tyranny & Mutation, in February 1973. Their third album, Secret Treaties, was released in April 1974 and became their first to break into the Top 100 bestsellers. (It eventually went gold.)

In May 1976 came their fourth studio album, Agents of Fortune, including the Top 40 (Top Ten on some charts) hit single "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" (featured in the classic John Carpenter horror film Halloween), which became their first gold and then platinum album. (On Your Feet went gold shortly after.) 

by William Ruhlmann

One area of clear improvement is in the matter of lyrics; for the first time there is less emphasis on absurd, crypto-intellectual rambling and more of a coherent attack on a variety of subjects.  The former had simply become tiresome; the latter opens up whole new areas for Cult investigation. 

"This Ain't the Summer of Love," for example, is a fresh approach to a subject one would expect to have been exhausted long ago. The Cult is still loud ("Tattoo Vampire"), still mordant ("[Don't Fear] The Reaper"), still obsessed with their peculiar brand of beery mysticism ("E.T.I. [Extra Terrestrial Intelligence]"). But by dropping the S&M angle and by inserting slivers of genuine rock & roll like "True Confessions," their best song ever, the Cult is easing into maturity with integrity. 

Agents of Fortune's comparativeness slickness even serves to enhance their dark image: the ominous villiany conveyed by Buck Dharma's agile guitar lines on "Tenderloin" is far more effective than his heretofore standard thudding meanness. Blue Oyster Cult has built its career on a series of brutal non sequitors. nitially, these took the form of a group image of fascist hoodiness and "ugly" music detailed by AWOL rock critics' wordplay. This time, it is Patti Smith's presence, as co-writer of "Debbie Denise" and "The Revenge of Vera Gemini, " that provides the Cult with the aleatory motivation to seek success in the burgeoning commercial punk rock sweepstakes. 

Another central influence is Allen Lanier's increasing importance, here evidenced by his authorship of "True Confessions" and "Morning Final," and ambitious bomb. In fact, former major-domos Sandy Pearlman and Murray Krugman seem to be barely keeping the boys in line, let alone under their aesthetic thumbs. Or maybe that's just what they want us to think, since, with David Lewis, they are credited with producing the record. In any event, it works: Agents of Fortune is a very pleasant surprise, its first side containing some of the best rock released thus far this year.

by Ken Tucker, Rolling Stone, 7-15-76

Tracks 

Disc 1 Blue Oyster Cult 1972

1. Transmaniacon MC  (Sandy Pearlman, Donald Roeser, Eric Bloom) - 3:21

2. I'm on the Lamb But I Ain't No Sheep (Sandy Pearlman, Albert Bouchard, Eric Bloom) - 3:10

3. Then Came the Last Days of May  (Donald Roeser) - 3:31

4. Stairway to the Stars (Richard Meltzer, Albert Bouchard, Donald Roeser) - 3:43

5. Before the Kiss, a Redcap (Sandy Pearlman, Murray Krugman, Allen Lanier, Donald Roeser) - 4:59

6. Screams  (Joe Bouchard) - 3:10

7. She's as Beautiful as a Foot  (Richard Meltzer, Albert Bouchard, Allen Lanier) - 2:58

8. Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll  (Sandy Pearlman, Donald Roeser,  Albert Bouchard) - 4:03

9. Workshop of the Telescopes  (Sandy Pearlman, Albert Bouchard, Roeser, Allen Lanier, Joe Bouchard, Eric Bloom) - 4:01

10.Redeemed (Sandy Pearlman, Harry Farcas, Albert Bouchard, Allen Lanier) - 3:52

11.Donovan's Monkey  (Meltzer, Albert Bouchard) - 3:50

12.What is Quicksand  (Meltzer,Allen Lanierr) - 3:40

13.A Fact About Sneakers (Meltzer, Albert Bouchard) - 2:50

14.Betty Lou's Got a New Pair of Shoes  (Bobby Freeman) - 2:34

Disc 2 Tyranny And Mutation 1973

1. The Red and the Black  (Albert Bouchard, Eric Bloom, Sandy Pearlman) – 4:24

2. O.D.'d on Life Itself (Eric Bloom, Albert Bouchard, Joe Bouchard, Sandy Pearlman) – 4:47

3. Hot Rails to Hell  (Joe Bouchard) – 5:12

4. 7 Screaming Diz-Busters  (Albert Bouchard, Joe Bouchard, Donald Roeser, Sandy Pearlman) – 7:01

5. Baby Ice Dog  (Albert Bouchard, Eric Bloom, Patti Smith) – 3:29

6. Wings Wetted Down  (Albert Bouchard, Joe Bouchard) – 4:12

7. Teen Archer  (Donald Roeser, Eric Bloom, Richard Meltzer) – 3:57

8. Mistress of the Salmon Salt (Quicklime Girl) (Albert Bouchard, Sandy Pearlman) – 5:08

9. Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll  (Live) (Sandy Pearlman, Donald Roeser, Albert Bouchard) – 4:44

10.Buck's Boogie  (Studio Version) (Sandy Pearlman, Eric Bloom, Albert Bouchard) – 5:22

11.7 Screaming Diz-Busters  (Live) (Albert Bouchard, Joe Bouchard, Donald Roeser, Sandy Pearlman) – 14:01

12.O.D.'d on Life Itself  (Live) (Eric Bloom, Albert Bouchard, Joe Bouchard, Sandy Pearlman) – 4:52

Disc 3 Secret Treaties 1974

1.  Career of Evil (Albert Bouchard, Patti Smith) - 3:59

2.  Subhuman  (Eric Bloom, Sandy Pearlman) - 4:39

3.  Dominance and Submission  (Albert Bouchard, Eric Bloom, Sandy Pearlman) - 5:23

4.  ME 262 (Eric Bloom, Donald Roeser, Sandy Pearlman) - 4:48

5.  Cagey Cretins  (Albert Bouchard, Richard Meltzer) - 3:16

6.  Harvester of Eyes  (Donald Roeser, Eric Bloom, Richard Meltzer) - 4:42

7.  Flaming Telepaths  (Albert Bouchard, Eric Bloom, Sandy Pearlman, Donald Roeser) - 5:20

8.  Astronomy  (Joe Bouchard, Albert Bouchard, Sandy Pearlman) - 6:38

9.  Boorman the Chauffer  (Joe Bouchard, Murray Krugman) - 3:13

10. Mommy  (Eric Bloom, Richard Meltzer) - 3:32

11. Mes Dames Sarat  (Allen Lanier) - 4:07

12. Born to Be Wild  (Mars Bonfire) - 3:40

13. Career of Evil (Single Version)  (Albert Bouchard, Patti Smith) - 3:00

Disc 4 Agents Of Fortune 1976

1. This Ain't the Summer of Love (Albert Bouchard, Murray Krugman, Don Waller) – 2:20

2. True Confessions  (Allen Lanier) – 2:57

3. (Don't Fear) The Reaper  (Donald Roeser) – 5:09

4. E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)  (Sandy Pearlman, Donald Roeser) – 3:42

5. The Revenge of Vera Gemini (feat. Patti Smith) (Albert Bouchard, Patti Smith) – 3:53

6. Sinful Love (Albert Bouchard, Helen Robbins) – 3:29

7. Tattoo Vampire  (Albert Bouchard, Helen Robbins) – 2:41

8. Morning Final (Joe Bouchard) – 4:30

9. Tenderloin  (Allen Lanier) – 3:40

10.Debbie Denise  (Albert Bouchard, Patti Smith) – 4:23

11.Fire of Unknown Origin (Original Version) (Eric Bloom, Albert Bouchard, Joe Bouchard, Donald Roeser, Patti Smith) - 3:30

12.Sally  (Demo Version) (Albert Bouchard) - 2:40

13.(Don't Fear) The Reaper (Demo Version) (Donald Roeser) - 6:20

14.Dance The Night Away (Demo Version) (Jim Carroll, Allen Lanier) - 2:37

Disc 5 Mirrors 1979
1. Dr. Music  (Richard Meltzer, Joe Bouchard, Donald Roeser) - 3:10
2. The Great Sun Jester (Michael Moorcock, John Trivers, Eric Bloom) - 4:48
3. In Thee (Allen Lanier) - 3:48
4. Mirrors (Donald Roeser, Bruce Abbott) - 3:44
5. Moon Crazy (Joe Bouchard) - 4:06
6. The Vigil  (Donald Roeser, Sandy Roeser) - 6:25
7. I Am The Storm  (Joe Bouchard, Ronald Binder) - 3:42
8. You're Not The One (I Was Looking For) (Albert Bouchard, Caryn Bouchard) - 3:14
9. Lonely Teardrops (Allen Lanier) - 3:37

Blue Oyster Cult
*Eric Bloom - Lead Vocals, Stun Guitar, Keyboards
*Albert Bouchard - Drums, Lead Vocals
*Joe Bouchard - Bass, Lead Vocals
*Allen Lanier - Rhythm Guitar, Keyboards
*Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser - Lead Guitar, Lead Vocals
With
*Patti Smith - Vocals (Agents Of Fortune)
*Randy Brecker - Horns (Agents Of Fortune)
*Michael Brecker - Horns (Agents Of Fortune)

Related Act
1970 Stalk-Forrest Group - St. Cecilia, The Elektra Recordings (Rem Bonus Tracks)

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Lee Michaels - Fifth (1971 elegant funky rhythm and blues, 2016 remaster)

Michael Olsen was born in Los Angeles in 1945. In 1961, Michael Olsen joined a surf-rock band named The Sentinels. In 1962, they played in concert with The Coasters and The Righteous Brothers. One of the members of the band was John Barata, who later joined The Turtles, Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship. Michael Olsen next joined the Joel Scott Trio. Scott had formerly been the frontman for Joel Hill & The Strangers. The band had a #11 hit in November 1960 in Vancouver titled “Little Lover.” In 1966, he moved to San Francisco and began to bill himself as Lee Michaels, drawing on his first name to become his surname. That year he joined a group named The Family Tree who had some regional hits in a few radio markets in California.

In December 1966, Lee Michaels appeared on stage as an opening act for Love at the Filmore Auditorium. Later that month he was an opening act for Big Brother & The Holding Company, whose featured singer was Janis Joplin. At the end of the month he opened for Country Joe & The Fish. In 1967, Michaels opened for The Steve Miller Blues Band in February, Pink Floyd in October and Bo Diddley that November. In 1968, he released his first solo album, Carnival Of Life. He accompanied himself on piano, organ and guitar.

In 1969, Michaels released a single titled “Goodbye, Goodbye”, which peaked at #10 in San Bernardino. In August ’69, Michaels song “Heighty Hi” climbed to #2 on KMEN in San Bernardino and #6 in Sacramento. The single was also released in Canada, the UK, Germany and France. Meanwhile, he opened concerts that year for Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Hollywood  Bowl, and The Kinks in Boston.

In 1970, Michaels released “What Now America”, which climbed to #13 in San Jose. The song lamented a generation that knows “America” is wrong. Implicitly anti-Vietnam War, the song was only a local hit in a few California radio markets. Michaels fan base grew that year as he opened concerts for The Moody Blues at the Filmore East in New York City that March, and for the Faces in Boston. However, Michaels made it to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1971 with “Do You Know What I Mean”. That summer he opened a concert for Ten Years After in Milwaukee. Michaels follow-up single was a remake of an old Marvin Gaye hit from the fall of 1963 called “Can I Get A Witness”.

“Can I Get A Witness” climbed to #5 in New Haven (CT), #6 in Escondido (CA) and #7 in Fresno (CA). “Can I Get Witness” was also released in Canada where it climbed to #3 in Vancouver. The single was also sold in Japan, the UK and Germany. “Can I Get A Witness” was the second single from the album, 5th, a reference to Michaels fifth studio album release. Incidentally, the opening track on the album was “Keep The Circle Turning,” which featured guest vocals by Merry Clayton. The previous year she’d been a guest vocalist on the Rolling Stones’ “Gimmie Shelter“.

At the height of his popularity, Lee Michaels played in concert with recording artists Cactus and Humble Pie. He appeared at Filmore East in New York City and Filmore West in San Francisco. He also played Carnegie Hall in New York City. While several websites credit Lee Michaels as being a session musician for Jimi Hendrix, his name does not appear on the credits for any of Hendrix’s three studio albums.

Lee Michaels released four more studio albums between 1972 and 1975. In 1973, he released one live album recorded at a concert in Carnegie Hall. However, with each successive album release his record sales continued to drop. His final single release was in 1973. By the end of the decade Lee Michaels officially went into semi-retirement. In 1982, Michaels released Absolute Lee on his own Squish label. Since then he has been silent in the recording studio.

Michaels went in a new direction and opened a seafood restaurant called Killer Shrimp in Marina del Rey.

by Ray McGinnis, December 14, 2018

Tracks
1. Keep The Circle Turning (Joel Christie) - 2:44
2. You Are What You Do - 3:01
3. Willie And The Hand Jive (Johnny Otis) - 3:04
4. Didn't Have To Happen - 2:35
5. Rock Me Baby (Riley King, Joe Josea) - 2:32
6. Do You Know What I Mean - 3:14
7. Ya Ya (Lee Dorsey, Clarence Lewis, Morgan Robinson, Morris Levy) - 2:21
8. Can I Get A Witness (Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Eddie Holland) - 3:05
9. Oak Fire - 2:55
10.I Don't Want Her - 2:25
All songs by Lee Michaels except where noted

Personnel
*Lee Michaels – Lead Vocals, Organ, Piano
*Jackie Kelso – Saxophone
*Joel Larson – Drums
*Merry Clayton - Vocals

1968  Lee Michaels - Recital (2016 hard sleeve remaster)
1968  Lee Michaels - Carnival Of Life (2010 remaster)
1969  Lee Michaels - Lee Michaels 
1970  Lee Michaels - Barrel

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Tim Buckley - Venice Mating Call (1969 us, monumental live recordings, 2017 double disc digi pak remaster)

In September 1969, and at just 22 years old, Tim Buckley was at the top of his game. A couple of months after the release of what remains one of his most widely-loved albums (Happy Sad), he was in the midst of an especially fertile creative period. He played a well-received string of shows in L.A., documented on the 1994 release Live at the Troubadour. Now, hours of additional material from those shows have emerged, extending the late folk-rock cult hero’s legacy: Venice Mating Call and Greetings from West Hollywood.

By then,  Buckley had only been a recording artist for three years.  Yet, he’d already undergone a remarkable artistic evolution. His self-titled debut LP was a relatively simple slice of art-folk, while the follow-up, Goodbye and Hello, leaped into ambitious, Sgt. Pepper-influenced baroque rock. But Happy Sad took a drastic detour into a passionate folk-jazz feel inspired by Miles Davis’ jazz innovations. By the start of the ’70s, Buckley would venture into avant-garde explorations; at the end of ’69, Buckley was really feeling his oats, coming to terms with the power and possibilities of his voice, letting it all hang out, and making it work. And that’s the luminous period captured on the Troubadour recordings.

Up until now, all fans had to go by was Live at the Troubadour;  Venice Mating Call and Greetings from West Hollywood make it clear that Buckley was capable of making magic happen onstage every night. Of course, it didn’t hurt that he had one of his most spontaneous ensembles on hand for these shows: his longtime sidekick Lee Underwood on lead guitar and electric piano, Frank Zappa/Captain Beefheart drummer Art Tripp, bassist John Balkin and conga man Carter “C.C.” Collins. Together, they tackled material from Happy Sad and Blue Afternoon, as well as embryonic versions of songs from later albums and even some tunes that would never see the inside of a studio.

Greetings from West Hollywood (a play on the title of Buckley’s 1972 album Greetings From L.A.) is a nine-song double LP, while Venice Mating Call (named after the Buckley instrumental included in both packages), is a 13-song, two-CD set. Each contains its own unique set of recordings from the Troubadour run. And it’s clear that Buckley and his band were on fire for the entire stint. The quintet used their free-flowing improv chops to turn those songs inside out, upside down, and any other way the muse demanded in the moment.  The result is a constantly-shifting amalgam of folk, rock, jazz, blues, and more.

Buckley commands a broad range of emotions over the course of these sets, with his fluid tenor turning either urgent or sultry, as the moment demands; the band is right there with him every step of the way. He makes his way through a hazy dreamscape in the hypnotic “Driftin’,” employing long tones that swell and swoop with a gauzy, ghostly feel, as Underwood frames Buckley’s ululations with some gently jazz swooping of his own. On the breezy, bossa nova-inflected “Blue Melody,” Buckley comes off like an otherworldly Joao Gilberto, as Underwood gracefully blurs the edges of the tune and Collins chimes in with just the right percussive punctuation.

But when Buckley gets worked up, as on “Gypsy Woman,” Underwood’s edgy electric piano  and Tripp’s drumming egg him on, and it sounds like he damn near leaves his body. He wails, shrieks, moans, coos, and generally pushes his voice past the limits of human possibility, while the band alternates between a simmer and furious boil. On “Nobody Walkin’,” Buckley and company turn a basic bluesy vamp into a churning, sweaty cross between a Baptist revival meeting and a jazz-juiced bacchanal.

The concerts captured on these two collections will be revelatory to those who haven’t already heard Live at the Troubadour. But even for those who have, it firmly reinforces the fact that Tim Buckley was one of the most fearless artists of his era. Not only did he push the artistic envelope by trying new things in the studio (evidenced by albums Lorca and Starsailor), he was equally courageous in front of an audience, willing to follow a feeling wherever it led. And with the superhuman vocal talent displayed on these recordings, Buckley was able to go places nobody else could.

by Jim Allen, October 27, 2017

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Buzzin’ Fly - 5:50

2. Strange Feelin’ - 5:48

3. Blue Melody - 5:42

4. Chase The Blues Away - 6:54

5. Venice Mating Call - 6:53

6. Gypsy Woman - 13:05

7. I Don’T Need It To Rain - 11:43

Disc 2
1. Driftin’ - 8:10
2. I Wanna Testify - 9:08
3. Anonymous Proposition - 8:08
4. Lorca - 11:10
5. I Had A Talk With My Woman - 7:25
6. Nobody Walkin’ - 8:25
All songs by Tim Buckley

Musicians
*Tim Buckley - Twelve-String Guitar, Vocals
*Lee Underwood - Electric Guitar, Electric Piano
*Art Tripp - Drums
*Carter C.C. Collins - Congas
*John Balkin - Bass

1966-74  Tim Buckley - Wings The Complete Singles (2016 remaster)  

1966  Tim Buckley - Tim Buckley (Part 1 of 2017 eight cds box set)
1967  Tim Buckley - Goodbye And Hello  (Part 2 of 2017 eight cds box set)
1967  Tim Buckley - Live At The Folklore Center (2009 digipak release)
1969  Tim Buckley - Happy Sad (Part 3 of 2017 eight cds box set)
1969  Tim Buckley - Blue Afternoon (Part 4 of the 2017 eight cds box set)
1969 Tim Buckley - Greetings From West Hollywood (2017 remaster)
1970  Tim Buckley - Lorca (Part 5 of the 2017 eight cds box set)
1970  Tim Buckley - Starsailor (Part 6 of the 2017 eight cds box set)
1972  Tim Buckley - Greetings From L.A. (Part 7 of the 2017 eight cds box set)
1967-69  Tim Buckley - Works In Progress (Part 8 of the 2017 eight cds box set)
1973  Tim Buckley - Sefronia (2017 remaster)
1973  Tim Buckley - Honeyman 
1974  Tim Buckley - Look At The Fool (2017 remaster)

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The Grass Roots - Uprooted / Powers Of The Night (1979/82 us, wonderful melt of classic rock blue eyed soul and power pop, 2005 edition)

Robert Frank "Rob" Grill was born November 30, 1943 in Los Angeles, California and was an American lead singer, songwriter and bass guitarist.

He was the central member of The Grass Roots and he launched a solo career in 1979, assisted on his solo project by several members of Fleetwood Mac. He then returned to leading The Grass Roots into the new millennium.

He was a native of Hollywood, California where he attended Hollywood High School. Soon after graduation, he began working at American Recording Studios with musician friends Cory Wells and John Kay (who later formed Three Dog Night & Steppenwolf).

Rob and The Grass Roots teamed up with mega-hit producer Steve Barri (The Mamas and the Papas, Tommy Roe, Four Tops and Dusty Springfield) and went on to chart twenty nine singles, thirteen of which went gold, followed by two gold albums and two platinum albums. In the new millennium, he released two live albums and one with a symphonic quartet.

Rob passed away on July 11, 2011
The GrassRoots 

In 1982, seven years after the group disbanded, and three years after he recorded his solo album Uprooted, Rob Grill reactivated the Grass Roots with three new musicians and cut this album, which must be tied with its predecessor, The Grass Roots on the Haven label, as the most obscure album in the group's output. That's a genuine pity, as the record has lots of very good moments and is far more polished and successful than Uprooted -- one can only imagine that, beyond any role that the relative weakness of MCA at the time played in its failure (this reviewer scarcely saw or heard a word printed about the album or its release), it died an absolute death in the MTV-dominated environment of 1982-1983, as many worthwhile records did.

The album opens with a title track that's a little bit too much of a by-the-numbers power pop exercise, but from there we move through some nicely soul-flavored pop/rock with lots of hooks, vocal, and instrumental -- the guitars, in particular, are memorable and Grill is in excellent voice almost everywhere, and the selection of material is stronger than most of what is on Uprooted.

Given the large number of session musicians who participated on the Grass Roots' most famous recordings, there seems to be little point in pondering who's doing the backup singing behind Grill or playing some of what we hear; on the other hand, it does seem to be a great showcase for Terry Oubre's guitar work. And the results are consistently appealing, if not groundbreaking -- actually, a lot like the group's best work of the '60s. There were at least three potential singles on this album, which marked just about the last time that the Grass Roots were anything but an oldies act, redoing their vintage hits either on-stage or in the studio. One wishes it were a little better known on that basis, as well as a pretty good place for this band to have stopped making new music.
by Bruce Eder

Tracks
1. Feel The Heat (D. Callens, E. Villeria, W. Warkins) - 4:40
2. God Help The Man (Dennis Provisor) - 5:02
3. Have Mercy (Dennis Provisor, Rob Grill) - 3:24
4. Rockin' On The Road Again (Rob Grill) - 3:25
5. Strangers (Mike Chapman, Nicky Chin) - 4:17
6. Rock Sugar (Dennis Provisor) - 5:28
7. When Will It Be (Dennis Provisor) - 5:23
8. Open Up Your Heart (D. Callens, E. Villeria, W. Warkins) - 4:38
9. Where Were You When I Needed You (P.F. Sloan, Steve Barri) - 3:42
10.Powers Of The Night.. (Frieda Parton, Mark Anderson) - 4:21
11.Here Comes That Feeling Again (John Sembello, Louie Shelton) - 3:18
12.Try Me (Alex Call, Jim Keller) - 3:05
13.Keeps On Burning (Bobby Bennett, Rob Grill) - 3:09
14.I'm Not Gonna Cry Anymore (Bobby David) - 3:44
15.She Don't Know Me (Mark Avsec) - 3:28
16.Mirage (John Bettis, Michael Clark) - 3:28
17.You've Got To Be The One (Evan Pace, Scott Lipsker) - 2:48
18.Feels Like The First Time (Detlef Peterson, Inga Rumpf, Rob Grill) - 4:30
19.Little Too Late (Alex Call) - 4:01
Tracks 1-9 from Rob Grill 1979 solo album "Uprooted"
Tracks 10-19 from The Grass Roots 1982 album "Powers Of The Night"

Personnel
1979 Uprooted
*Rob Grill - Vocals
*Dennis Provisor - Keyboards
*Brian Naughton - Guitar
*Lindsey Buckingham - Guitar
*Steve Hunter - Guitar
*Mick Fleetwood - Drums
*Mike Huey - Drums
*John McVie - Bass
*Mark Leonard - Bass
*Annie McCloone - Backing Vocals
*Bill Champlin - Backing Vocals
*Carl Graves - Backing Vocals
*Donnie Gerrard - Backing Vocals
*Jay Gruska - Backing Vocals
*Kathy Collier - Backing Vocals

The Grass Roots 1982
*Ralph Gilmore - Drums, Vocals
*Rob Grill - Lead Vocals, Bass
*Terry Oubre - Guitar, Vocals
*Charles Judge - Keyboards, Vocals

1967-68  Grassroots - Let's Live For Today / Feelings 
1969  The Grass Roots - Leaving It All Behind  (2010 edition)
1972-73  The Grass Roots - Move Along / Alotta Mileage

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One Of Hours ‎- When You Hear The Music, It's Yours (1967-68 us, fantastic psych garage rock, 2019 release)

One of Hours were a Stonewall neighborhood band from Lexington’s south side. Formed in 1966, the three core members of the original lineup had been playing in a prior group called the 7 Suns performing primarily rock ‘n roll and early rhythm and blues covers for fraternity parties and special occasions.

Shawn Foreman, Lexington Catholic HS Class of ’64, recruited his 7 Suns bandmates David Bogliole and Dave Flynn (both still Seniors at Catholic) and formed One of Hours. The band was fleshed out with the addition of Lafayette HS grad Carol Craig on vocals and Georgetown College student Robert Nelson on drums.

Searching for a new sound, the band worked on lyrics and arrangements as a unit. There was no designated ‘leader’ of the group, but Foreman is generally credited as the creative force behind the band’s sound and direction.

A young man of only 20, Foreman was the embodiment of his Pisces birth – a true poet and artist. Image was everything and he was obsessed with the British Invasion and the fashion that came along with it. The band had to have the right clothes, Chelsea boots, and (since he had short, wiry hair) he would often don a mod Beatle-cut wig for photos and studio hangouts. He prowled the streets in a ’57 Cadillac hearse (appropriate since he had already earned a certificate in Mortuary Science after a short stay in Louisville) and used his ride to haul the band’s equipment to practice and gigs.

Shawn Foreman was the youngest of two boys. His family moved to Kentucky from Brooklyn’s Bensonhurst neighborhood. His Italian Catholic mother Fulvia was a gifted pianist in the church and Shawn was also classically trained. His mother was very supportive of his musical interests and nurtured the band providing the use of the family’s basement, plenty of hot meals, and even helped with sewing outfits for the group during the early days.

The band walked into the newly founded Chetwyd studio (originally located at 1611 Fortune Drive in the Regency area of Southland) to record what would be the first release on the label. Ed Commons – a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, transplant – had already been working in radio and had a small jazz label there. A young entrepreneur, Commons was only 28 when he set up shop in his mother’s basement. His fledgling label would eventually produce eight singles, one EP, and at least four albums ranging from folk, jazz, soul, and garage/psych.

“It’s Best” b/w “Trifolia” was released in 1966. It is hard to pin down a direct influence from the band. Both sides have a dreamy, breezy psych pop Baroque feel unlike anything happening in Lexington at the time. The lyrics are imaginative and translucent with a lost-at-sea sound from the band. This complexity was intentional since, unlike other bands in the area, One of Hours were primarily a studio group. They played a few outings but were mostly interested in recording, writing, working on arrangements and experimenting with sound.

Bob Willcutt from Washington D.C. would join the group on guitar for their second and final release. Bob was at age 18 already a talented guitar player and prior had recorded with a group called the Curfews, a D.C. band with two garage 45s on the Montgomery label.

One of Hours already had a rough draft of the song “Feel the Pain” by 1967 when Bob made the scene to add the scorching guitar breaks and menacing feel to the track. Bob recalls working with the band and having “a great version of the Stones’ ‘Satisfaction’ worked up with extra fuzz tone.” He also remembers an upstairs shop at the intersection of High and Rose where a guy was making boutique effects pedals and having Willcutt come and ‘audition’ them for him.

By the summer of ’67 the single “Feel the Pain / Psychedelic Illusion” was released. “Feel the Pain” having a direct “(I’m Not Your) Stepping Stone” influence would be considered the A-side and the haunting, shimmering “Psychedelic Illusion”, which was made up almost on the spot with lyrics by Foreman and 12-string guitar courtesy of Willcutt. With nice bubbling bass lines from Bogliole and an organ dirge break from Shawn, this is a hidden gem on the two-sider.

500 copies were pressed at Recordings Incorporated pressing plant in Baltimore. Though distribution was slim, the record was getting some airplay on local Lexington radio station WLAP and by DJ Denny Mitchell on WVLK’s ‘Denny’s Den.’ The groups effort cracked the local Top 40 and a photo of the band was featured in the Lexington Herald-Leader upon the release of the new single.

Shortly after “Feel the Pain / Psychedelic Illusion”, the band morphed again adding new members and losing others. A name change to Dandelion Wine cemented the new lineup. By ’68 the band was traveling to D.C. to try and make a bigger city splash. Opening up for the likes of the Cherry People and Iron Butterfly, the group settled in an apartment there for a short time. The Civil Rights movement and accompanying race riots, protest marches and normal D.C. politics created an unusually chaotic time in the city and the band retreated back to Lexington and familiar territory.

Not missing a beat, Dandelion Wine played a memorable dance party at UK complete with a full psychedelic light rig, black lights and day glo painted dancers. They also quickly slid back into the studio to record an LP’s worth of unreleased material – “When You Hear the Music It’s Yours.” More progressive and art rock oriented with the sounds of the late ‘60s, it took 50 years but Willcutt has made it available on the internet digitized from a quarter inch tape of the original master.

By 1970 the band was dissolved. Shawn Foreman took off for California with the Dandelion Wine master in hopes of finding a record deal. It is also believed that he had many of the copies of the second One of Hours singles with him at the time as well. Foreman would be heard from one more time with his album of DIY electronic compositions “Transistor-Jet Strikes Back” before his untimely death at age 38 in June of 1985.

David Bogliole stayed in Lexington and became a practicing architect.

Dave Flynn continued to play music and joined several local country rock bands over the years.

Bob Willcutt continued to play guitar and was also in several soul/rock and country rock bands in the area including one with a Lemco release – B.W. Cat. He opened a guitar shop in the Southland area in the 1970s and remains in business today.

Robert Nelson moved to Arizona and continues to play drums in a wedding band dubbed Blue Passion.

Label owner Ed Commons is still in the music recording business and is the sound engineer for Red Barn Radio an old-time string band and Americana themed live broadcast and variety show in downtown Lexington at Arts Place. 

by Lee Bryant 

Tracks
1. When Your Hear The Music, It's Yours - 5:35
2. Mother Said - 2:26
3. Love Is Real - 2:15
4. Two Heads For 35 Cents - 2:34
5. Mary Jane Like A Woman - 3:25
6. Cry - 2:41
7. Within My Garden - 3:42
8. Little Willie - 3:35
9. Kazoo Man - 2:41
10.Sweet Dragonfly - 3:23
11.Incense C-19x - 2:02
12.A Way To Leave At Last - 3:31
All compositions by Bob Willcutt, Shawn Foreman, David Bogliole, Dave Flynn, Robert Nelson  

One Of Hours
*Bob Willcutt - Guitars
*Shawn Foreman - Hammond Organ, Piano, Flute
*David Bogliole - Bass
*Davy Randolph - Drums
*Vance Arnett - Lead Vocals

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