Born in September 1947, Buddy Miles is most renowned for his role as drummer in Jimi Hendrix's Band Of Gypsys. His playing career began in his father's jazz band, but by the mid 60s he was playing in the backing bands of soul vocal groups such as Ruby and the Romantics. In 1966 he joined the band of Wilson Pickett, and it was here that Mike Bloomfield spotted him and asked Buddy to join the band that he was forming after leaving the Butterfield Blues Band. This band became the Electric Flag , who were planning to create an eclectic blend of blues, psychedelia, rock and jazz. The debut album cooked, but the band disintegrated after that - with Miles remaining for a second album without Butterfield.
After this, with the help of the Electric Flag horn section he formed his own outfit The Buddy Miles Express. The debut album was produced by Jimi Hendrix and was called 'Expressway To Your Skull'. Released on Mercury this was the first of a number of collaborations with the legendary guitar man. Hendrix also produced the 2nd Buddy Miles Express album 'Electric Church' and appeared on Hendrix's 'Electric Ladyland' LRWhen the guitarist disbanded his original group the Experience, Miles along with Buddy Cox were recruited to his new outfit The Band of Gypsy's'.This funkier rock group did not last long releasing only one live album before Miles was replaced.
The drummer's next move was to record this album Them Changes' which remained on the chart for over a year making the drummer a star. On the back of this Miles hit the road with Carlos Santana and the pair recorded the top 10 live album 'Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles! Live!' for CBS. After this Miles continued to record for CBS and even took part in a 1974 Electric Flag re-union. He then switched labels to Casablanca for two albums. However after this he kept a reasonably low profile for the next decade, releasing only one album for Atlantic in 1981.
He suddenly found himself on the charts once more in 1986 when he voiced a version of “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” for a dried raisin commercial, that when released as by the California Raisins became a worldwide hit. The last few years have seen Miles in demand with a reformed Buddy Miles Express. Them Changes' the album was Buddy Miles signature tune, and the album was his most successful. It contained both the funky and the sublime. There are two fantastic cover versions of Neil Young's 'Down By The River' and Greg AlIman's "Dreams". But the music conveyed within the tracks swings with the power of rock and the nuance of soul. Them Changes' the track is furiously funky and this and other originals show a more than capable songwriter. What's more to fans of Miles work with Hendrix and the Electric Flag it is a pleasure to hear his voice. A classic slice of funky rock.
Rehearsals for Retirement might have been a prophetic title for an album by a major singer-songwriter who, after the 1969 release of this LP, would write and record barely any first-rate compositions, and would soon cease writing songs altogether. Despite the tombstone on the cover, though, it was only in hindsight that some critics viewed the effort as that of an artist who knew his creative muse was in danger of expiration. Phil Ochs’ writing, singing, and verve remained sharp and vital on his third A&M album, the last to be produced by Larry Marks. It was his optimism and drive that were wilting, in the wake of a year that had seen the counterculture take the brunt of Establishment repression at the 1968 Democratic Convention (at which Ochs performed and demonstrated), the escalation of the Vietnam War, and tumult in both campuses and inner-city ghettoes.
In comparison to his previous pair of A&M albums (1967’s Pleasures of the Harbor and 1968’s Tape from California, both reissued on CD by Collectors’ Choice Music), the production on Rehearsals for Retirement was relatively straightforward. It largely eschewed the baroque orchestration that had colored much of those pair of Marks-produced efforts. The decrease of risk-taking with the arrangements might have meant that there were no peaks to match "Outside of a Small Circle of Friends," "The Party," and "The War Is Over." Yet it also guaranteed a consistency of tone that each of those earlier LPs lacked. Although Lincoln Mayorga contributed classical-flavored piano (as he had on Pleasures of the Harbor and Tapes from California), he and Phil were also joined by guitarist-bassist Bob Rafkin, who had a more conventional rock orientation than either of his colleagues.
Much of Rehearsals for Retirement was inspired by Ochs’ experiences in Chicago. His disillusionment with idealistic activism and sense of despondency about American society could have hardly been reflected more bitterly than it was in the opening cut, "Pretty Smart on My Part." A peppy melody and characteristically exuberant vocal disguised a lyric about as disturbing as any in pop music, Ochs taking on the persona of a paranoid American who perceives anyone different from him as a threat, whether a hitchhiker that he beats up or a pretty woman he ties and whips. For all its bold and even violent imagery, note how similar the rhythms, melody, and execution are to those of Buddy Holly, an influence that would assert itself quite visibly on Ochs’ subsequent Gunfight at Carnegie Hall album.
"The Doll House," decorated by Mayorga’s stately piano runs, was the oldest song on Rehearsals for Retirement. It was also, along with such late-‘60s Ochs compositions as "When in Rome" and "The Floods of Florence," one of his most surreal, containing a little-noticed blatant homage to/parody of Bob Dylan’s vocal style for a few lines. "I Kill Therefore I Am" was a return to the frightening realism of "Pretty Smart on My Part," another sketch (this time in the third person) of a macho man determined to keep America safe from longhairs, African-Americans, students, and others at odds with his narrow-minded view of the United States. Any doubt that Ochs’ angst had been largely triggered by events in Chicago was put to rest by "William Butler Yeats Visits Lincoln Park and Escapes Unscathed." The melancholy tale of chaos in the city’s Lincoln Park was backed by grand Mayorga piano and accordion, in one instance where Ochs and Marks managed to use quasi-classical backing in an understated fashion.
Ochs painted his loss of faith-in idealism and, more distressingly, his own purpose-in more personal terms in "My Life," which features some of his most moving vibrato singing. "The Scorpion Departs But Never Returns," inspired by a nuclear submarine accident, put the apocalyptic glumness that hovered over most of Rehearsals for Retirement in more symbolic terms: certainly it could just be taken as a tale of a ship lost at sea, but it also reflects directionlessness Ochs saw in both the course of America and within his own life. "The World Began in Eden But Ended in Los Angeles," an uncommonly straightahead barroom rocker for Ochs, portrayed Los Angeles not as paradise, but as a morally bankrupt, polluted, and overdeveloped city, a viewpoint much less prevalent in the 1960s than it is today. (Could it be that those tacky horns are a subtle dig at A&M Records co-founder Herb Alpert?) The country-rock-tinged "Doesn’t Lenny Live Here Anymore" fit in well with the album’s somber ambience, but steered clear of sociopolitical comment, illustrating that loneliness and alienation can be found in the lives of everyday people, as well as in battlegrounds for America’s future.
Ochs’ disenchantment with that future, however, roared back into play for "Another Age," with its infectious "Secret Agent Man" tempo and bold pledge of allegiance against the flag (and to vintage rebels such as Thomas Paine, Jesse James, and Robin Hood). The record ended on a suitably resigned note with the title track, again spotlighting Mayorga’s rolling, almost loungish piano accompaniment. Rehearsals for Retirement, for all its sad disappointment, was not a bummer to listen to: the melodies were graceful, and Ochs’ singing passionate and often uplifting, perhaps despite himself. It was a huge commercial disappointment, however, reaching only #167, and earning a deletion from A&M’s catalog just months after its release.
At least Rehearsals for Retirement was released in the United States, which is more than could be said for Gunfight at Carnegie Hall, recorded in 1970 but not issued until the mid-1970s (and then only in Canada). That album, often difficult to obtain since it first came out, has been added to Rehearsals for Retirement on this CD.
Gunfight was recorded at Carnegie Hall on March 27, 1970, during a most controversial phase of Ochs’ career. Exhausted by his struggles to embody the conscience of left-wing America during much of the 1960s, he began to wear Elvis Presley-style gold lamé suits onstage, and sprinkle his concerts with covers of vintage rock tunes, particularly those of Elvis and Buddy Holly. This was part of his effort to establish continuity with the socially aware material in which he specialized, and the roots music that he loved. In the event, however, it was accorded a mixed reception, much as Bob Dylan’s first electric concerts had sparked a divided reaction in the mid-1960s.
Backed by Rehearsals session men Mayorga and Rafkin, as well as drummer Kevin Kelly (who had been in the Gram Parsons-era Byrds) and bassist Kenny Kaufman, Ochs delivered a set of both rock-oriented interpretations of some of his most popular tunes, and medleys of Presley and Holly songs. On top of that were covers of "Mona Lisa" (probably modeled on Carl Mann’s hit rockabilly version) and Merle Haggard’s "Okie from Muskogee." The latter was likely a willfully provocative choice, Haggard’s hit embodying the most reactionary elements of America, and Ochs himself embodying the least reactionary elements of the United States.
The portion of the set preserved on Gunfight was actually an unbalanced representation of the show, which contained much original material that did not appear on the LP. (One of those songs, an acoustic version of "Crucifixion," did eventually get issued on the Chords of Fame anthology and the Farewells & Fantasies box set.) Because it leaned so heavily on the cover tunes (particularly the medleys), the record gave the not wholly accurate impression that Ochs was more interested in covering rock’n’roll oldies than performing his own songs at the concert. The audience’s response to those medleys was not quite vitriolic, but certainly muted and bewildered.
Ochs was not a match for Holly or Presley as a rock singer, nor were his interpretations so radical or imaginative as to stand among his more notable creative endeavors. Gunfight, nevertheless, was an interesting, at times fascinating glimpse at a most odd detour in Ochs’ checkered career. He energetically ran through long Holly and Presley medleys (which were not confined solely to hits), and bantered somewhat exasperatedly with an audience that would have likely been far more enamored of his own vintage compositions. There was also the bonus of hearing no-frills rock versions of "Pleasures of the Harbor" and "Tape from California," songs bestowed with far more heavily produced arrangements in their studio versions. And he couldn’t have gone over too badly; it was 3am in the morning when Ochs launched into his encore of Elvis’ "A Fool Such As I," the hardy audience having stuck with him even after Carnegie Hall cut the power for a few minutes due to the late hour.
by Richie Unterberger
Tracks
Disc 1 Rehearsals For Retirement 1969
1. Pretty Smart On My Part - 3:18
2. The Doll House - 4:41
3. I Kill Therefore I Am - 2:55
4. William Butler Yeats Visits Lincoln Park And Escapes Unscathed - 3:30
5. My Life - 3:13
6. The Scorpion Departs And Never Returns - 4:16
7. The World Began In Eden And Ended In Los Angeles - 3:07
8. Doesn't Lenny Live Here Anymore - 6:12
9. Another Age - 3:43
10.Rehearsals For Retirement - 4:10
Music and Lyrics by Phil Ochs
Disc 2 Gunfight At Carnegie Hall 1970
1. Mona Lisa (Jay Livingston, Ray Evans) - 3:49
2. I Ain't Marchin' Anymore (Phil Ochs) - 4:25
3. Oakie From Muskogee (Merle Haggard, Roy Edward Burris) - 2:49
4. Chords Of Fame (Phil Ochs) - 4:41
5. Buddy Holly Medley (Charles Hardin, Norman Petty, Joe Mauldin, Niki Sullivan, Jerry Allison, Sonny West, Bill Tilghman) - 7:18
6. Pleasures Of The Harbor (Phil Ochs) - 6:00
7. Tape From California (Phil Ochs) - 5:10
8. Elvis Medley (Arthur Crudup, Pearl King, Ruth Durand, Joe Robichaux, Tommy Durden, Elvis Presley, Otis Blackwell, Roy Turk, Lou Handman, William Trader) - 10:13
A guitarist/singer who led his own guitar/vocals group Ross and The Alan Ross Band. In the early 1970s, he was a technical guitarist who was sometimes called along with Eric Clapton , partly because he belonged to the same label as RSO.
1971, after working in Love Affair's predecessor bands Soul Survivors and Tangerine Peel, formed Ro Ro with bassist Warwick Rose, and released "Meet Me On The Water", a hidden folk-rock masterpiece and the only highly rated album for Regal Zonophone.
Later the same year, he participated in The Who 's bassist John Entwistle 's solo album "Whistle Rhymes" and acted as a member of the touring band Rigor Mortis . He also participated in Entwistle's next solo album, Rigor Mortis Sets In.
1973, he formed his own leader group Ross with former Indian Summer keyboardist Bob Jackson , who had worked with Rigor Mortis and Pete Brown on sessions , and obtained a contract with RSO. Released two albums, "Ross" and "The Pit And The Pendulum", which mixed elements, but disbanded without achieving great success.
1976, he formed Stars with former Octopus and Slack Alice keyboardist John Cook and former Atomic Rooster drummer Ric Parnell , releasing one album, but it was short-lived. In the second half of the same year, he was also enrolled with Babe Ruth.
Tracks
1. That Was Yesterday (Peter Matthews, Ric Parnell, Lance Dixon, Simon Lait, Alan Ross, Mike Finesilver) - 4:54
2. Nothing Ever Comes That Easy (Peter Matthews, Ric Parnell, Lance Dixon, Simon Lait, Alan Ross, Mike Finesilver) - 5:33
3. Going Down (For The Third Time) (Peter Matthews, Ric Parnell, Lance Dixon, Simon Lait, Alan Ross) - 4:17
4. Heart Of Stone (Peter Matthews, Ric Parnell, Lance Dixon, Simon Lait, Alan Ross, Zoe Kronberger) - 5:17
5. Platform Soul (Peter Matthews, Ric Parnell, Lance Dixon, Simon Lait, Alan Ross, Phoebe Weatherfield) - 4:38
6. Mr Push-Me-Pull-Ya (Peter Matthews, Ric Parnell, Lance Dixon, Simon Lait, Alan Ross) - 4:40
7. Punishment Park (Peter Matthews, Ric Parnell, Lance Dixon, Simon Lait, Alan Ross, Mike Finesilver) - 6:24
8. Not Fade Away (Charles Hardin, Norman Petty) - 4:00
US underground heavy rock sensations Poobah released this very fine sophomore effort U.S. Rock back in 1976, and the folks at Ripple Music are making it available once again, remastered and with 4 bonus tracks, lyrics, and photos. If you haven't heard of this band or discovered their kick ass proto-metal sound, this is as good a place to start as any.
Featuring the stellar guitar skills & vocals of Jim Gustafson, Poobah on this album also included Ken Smetzer (vocals, keyboards), Gene Procopio (drums), and Phil Jones (vocals, bass). Imagine a mix of Mk III & IV Deep Purple, James Gang, Led Zeppelin, Foghat, Cactus, Aerosmith, Trapeze, and Grand Funk Railroad, and you have an idea of the style of this energetic American band. "Flesh Fantasies" and "Pullin' Me Down" are muscular funk metal tracks that wouldn't have sounded out of place on Purple's Stormbringer or Come Taste the Band albums, while "Watch Me" and "Coast to Coast" also find metallic riffing, tasty Hammond organ, and funky grooves forming a whirlwind of sound not unlike classic Trapeze, Deep Purple, James Gang, and the Edgar Winter Group, with a little bluesy boogie ala Cactus. "Let's Rock" is squarely in that Cactus/Foghat boogie zone, and Gustafson's Jimmy Page-meets-Jim McCarty styled licks are absolutely blistering on the hard rocking "Thru These Eyes".
Fans of Uriah Heep will love the crunchy guitar riffs and insistent Hammond organ on the heavy "Crazy", with Gustafson's vocals hitting those high notes like a cross between David Byron and Ian Gillan. "Keep on Rollin' " is a straight forward rocker with catchy hooks and more of these delicious Purple/Heep styled guitar/organ riffs, while "Right Out of the Night" is the albums longest and most prog-rock styled piece, with atmospheric keyboards from Smetzer, emotional vocals, and floating arrangements, bringing to mind Styx or Kansas. Jones takes the lead vocal on the raunchy riff rock of Out of You", the closing track on the album proper that features plenty of wicked guitar work, thick grooves, and tasty Hammond.
The bonus tracks are a lot of fun as well; "Your Way, My Way" is a dreamy prog number with lush string synth washes and a great vocal from Gustafson, "Cold Blooded Lover" a catchy little hard rock tune, the atmospheric "Enjoy What You Have", and a ripping live version of "Steamroller", the semi-legendary title track from Poobah's third album.
Honestly, there were so many great heavy rock/proto-metal bands on the scene back in the '70s who never quite made the big time, many of them nearly as good as the heavyweights who became superstars, and Poobah sit up there very high on that list. This is a fantastic album for any lover of heavy music from the 1970s, so if you didn't discover this one back in 1976, now's your chance to do so.
"Highway" recorded and released in 1974 was the first album of the band. Much similar to other British swamp rockers like Ro Ro, Brian Short, Tennent Morrison and Black Cat Bones. Featuring Ray Minhinnet an exquisite guitarist, not only a marvellous player, but also an expert in guitar history.
Tracks
1. Silver City (Jon Elstar, Will Killeen) - 5:57
2. Song For A Friend (Ray Minhinnet, John Gordon) - 6:44
3. Cajun Queen (John Gordon, Ian Byron, Ray Minhinnet) - 6:08
4. Blinds Me (Jon Elstar) - 4:44
5. Ready! (John Gordon, Jim Hall) - 3:20
6. Down By The Wishing Well (Jon Elstar, Will Killeen) - 5:24
After leaving Rare Bird Mark, Ashton formed a new band, Headstone, together with a great guitarist called Steve Bolton. Steve used to play with Atomic Rooster. They signed a contract with Trident Productions who had already signed a new band called Queen. A great bass player Philip Chen joined who later went on to play with Rod Stewart. We recorded with the same producer of Rare Bird’s first album, John Antony. Headstone made two albums for Trident EMI.
Irish violinist Joe O'Donnell joint also Headstone circa 1975, while in and out of East Of Eden. Joe was a member of The Woods Band. This band folded and Gay & Terry Woods signed to Polydor as a duo. Joe appears on their debut LP "Backwoods", released in 1972. He then joined the fourth, unrecorded lineup of UK folkrock legends the Trees. This was reputedly the most rockin' version of the band. In 1973, Joe replaced Dave Arbus in East Of Eden.
Tracks
1. Eastern Wind - 3:45
2. Warm Sunny Days - 4:52
3. Turn Your Head - 3:53
4. Gyrosame (Steve Bolton) - 3:09
5. Karma (Jerome Rimson) - 3:42
6. Hard Road - 4:21
7. Large Weather We're Having, Lucy (Steve Bolton) - 3:01
8. Searching Light (Steve Bolton) - 3:21
9. Get Through To You - 4:23
10.All I Ask - 3:54
11.Someone's Gotta Give - 6:09
All compositions by Mark Ashton except where indicated
Headstone
*Mark Ashton - Lead Vocals, Acoustic, Electric Guitars
American trio the Poor Boys--Robert Fazio (lead vocals), Thomas Corio (organ, piano, vocals), and Edwin Corliss (percussion, vocals)--released their only album on the Motown-owned Rare Earth label in 1970. ) -- released their only album on the Motown-affiliated Rare Earth label in 1970. Produced by Michael Valvano, who had worked with Stoney and Meat Loaf on Rare Earth and Frijid Pink. This album has all the delicious elements of bubblegum pop, including catchy tunes, cheap organs, fuzz guitar, happy and simple lyrics, falsetto background vocals, etc. It is a pleasant highly complete album.
Tracks
1. Beg Me (Edwin Corlis, Robert Fazio, Thomas Corio) - 3:28
2. Do What You Wanna Do (Michael Valvano) - 2:49
3. Can't Get Back In (Buck Griffin, Michael Valvano, William Ellis) - 3:20
4. Wooden Horse (Buck Griffin, Michael Valvano, William Ellis) - 3:21
5. A Place Called Love (Michael Valvano, Robert Fazio) - 3:09
6. Little Boy Blue (Robert Fazio, Thomas Corio) - 3:00
7. Mary Mary (Edwin Corlis, Robert Fazio, Thomas Corio) - 2:38
8. Rhyme Or Reason (Robert Fazio) - 2:54
9. You Made Your Bed (Now You Lie In It) (Robert Fazio, Thomas Corio) - 3:04
10.I Won't Take No For An Answer (Robert Fazio) - 2:56
11.Let's Do More About Love (Michael Valvano) - 3:19
12.Just Like A Clock (Robert Fazio, Thomas Corio) - 2:24
The Stillroven may be an unknown quantity to most listeners -- even those specializing in '60s music -- but these 18 songs are all well worth hearing for anyone who enjoys not just garage punk music of the era, but also solid mid-'60s pop/rock. Based on what's here, the Stillroven should have had a shot at national exposure and a major-label contract -- an opinion likely shared by anyone favorably inclined toward the type of American band that would cover the music of the early (i.e., pre-psychedelic) Moody Blues.
(Add to that the fact that the Stillroven's rendition of "And My Baby's Gone" -- which was a potential follow-up to their single "Hey Joe" and gives some indication of their range -- is, if anything, more energetic than the Moodies' original.) And their ventures into psychedelia, such as "Cast Thy Burden Upon the Stone," are filled with strange little touches -- the latter melds sitar flourishes and garage punk textures successfully into a compelling whole, with some influences of early Pink Floyd showing up in the second half, totally out of left field. And they do a version of the Small Faces' "Tell Me Have You Ever Seen Me" that is worth the price of admission, coming from a Minnesota-spawned band. They were also able to cover the Yardbirds' psych-pop single "Little Games" with greater enthusiasm than the Yardbirds themselves, and their version has an edge that the original lacked in the verses, even if the break isn't quite as technically bold as what Jimmy Page and company did.
Their version of "(I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone" is also well worth the listening time, familiar as the song is, for the abandon of their execution. And the Stillroven covers of the Rolling Stones and Love material are similarly impressive, showing off different attributes of their musicianship. All through this collection, it's clear that the Stillroven knew how to translate their best musical impulses as well as a lot of creative performance flourishes to their recordings without sacrificing energy or excitement. What the Stillroven lacked was an individual sound that was sufficiently memorable to make a lingering impression, and they might well not have fared too much better than they did, even with some national exposure. But as interpreters, and undoubtedly as a live band, they were first-rate, and this collection does distill that virtue down successfully from more than 50 years back.
by Bruce Eder
Tracks
1. (I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone (Bobby Hart, Tommy Boyce) - 2:29
2. She's My Woman (Dave Dean, John Howarth) - 2:45
3. Hey Joe (Billy Roberts) - 2:39
4. Sunny Day (Dave Dean, John Howarth) - 2:24
5. And My Baby's Gone (Denny Laine, Mike Pinder) - 2:13
6. Little Picture Playhouse (Eric Hine) - 2:05
7. Cast Thy Burden Upon The Stone (Dave Dean) - 2:46
8. Tell Me Have You Ever Seen Me (Ronnie Lane, Steve Marriott) - 2:27
9. Have You Got A Penny (David Stuart Sandler) - 2:38
10.Cheating (Dave Rowberry, Eric Burdon) - 2:51
11.Little Games (Phil Wainman) - 2:27
12.Love Is A Beautiful Thing (Felix Cavaliere, Gene Cornish) - 2:37
13.Under My Thumb (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards) - 2:53
14.Signed D.C (Arthur Lee) - 2:48
15.Come In The Morning (Bob Mosley) - 2:10
16.Necessary Person (Mike O'Gara) - 2:27
17.Tell Me Have You Ever Seen Me (Ronnie Lane, Steve Marriott) - 2:32
18.Freakout (Phil Berdahl, Dave Dean, John Howarth, Dave Berget, Jim Larkin) - 7:01
The Stillroven
*John Howarth - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Phil Berdahl - Drums
*Dave Dean - Keyboard
*Dan Kane - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar (Tracks 1-5, 10-13)
In the league of funk-rock albums, A Message to the People is top-notch. Buddy Miles was easily one the better bandleaders of the early '70s, and his ability to unite a group of talented players around well-crafted songs definitely makes this one of his best albums. The gorgeous "The Way I Feel Tonight," the funky, horn-driven "Place Over There," and the lovely closing "That's the Way Life Is" all rank among Miles' best songs and performances.
Add to that two superb Gregg Allman covers (especially "Midnight Rider," which is arguably even more definitive than the original), and the results are impressive. Miles even predates hip-hop by lifting the horn riff from Joe Tex's "You're Right, Ray Charles" and crafting it into a new instrumental cut called, fittingly, "Joe Tex." Only a dud cover of Percy Sledge's "Sudden Stop" is the album's lone clinker. In fact, the album is so good, it's mystifying why it barely clocks in at a meager half-hour. "That's the Way Life Is" and the clavinet-laden "The Segment" are both over just as they've barely begun.
Similarly, no sooner does the cover of "Don't Keep Me Wonderin'" settle into a powerful groove than it stops to segue into the next cut. Why Miles felt the need to edit the material so severely is bizarre, since the album could easily have been twice as long and still hit its mark. It's a testament to Buddy Miles' talent that, as first-rate as the album is, it will leave any listener wanting more. Still, A Message to the People is every bit a funk classic.
by Victor W. Valdivia
A really fantastic album from drummer Buddy Miles – an artist that many folks know for his key rock work in the Band Of Gypsys group of Jimi Hendrix, but a musician with an equally great ear for soul and funk as well! Miles began in Electric Flag, and certainly has ties to the world of psych – and here, he mixes funkier currents with lots of strong trippy guitar from Marlo Henderson – a player we don't know that well, but who adds some great lines that are a lot like some of the Phil Upchurch contributions over at Chess/Cadet at the same time. Miles sings on most numbers, with that nicely honest vocal approach we love so much – but there's a few instrumental moments too, and the set's got some great use of horns throughout, which brings in some southern funky currents too. Titles include "Joe Tex", "Place Over There", "The Segment", "Don't Keep Me Wondering", "Sudden Stop", and "That's The Way Life Is".
Tracks
1. Joe Tex - 4:58
2. The Way I Feel Tonight - 5:06
3. Place Over There - 5:43
4. The Segment (Buddy Miles, Hank Redd) - 2:40
5. Don't Keep Me Wondering (Gregg Allman) - 2:01
6. Midnight Rider (Gregg Allman) - 3:38
7. Sudden Stop (Bobby Russell) - 4:21
8. Wholesale Love (Otis Redding) - 2:40
9. That's The Way Life Is - 2:06
All songs by Buddy Miles except where stated
Musicians
*Buddy Miles - Bass, Drums, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
A rootsy group from the Chicago scene, but one with a fair amount of wit, too – a subtle political agenda that's buried a bit beneath more rocking modes, and which really helps set these guys apart from the pack! The songwriting is often pretty smart, at least from a social perspective – couched amidst riffs and rhythms that are more mainstream overall, yet which know how to underscore the right punch of the group's intentions. A key illustration of this fact is the longer "Gospel" track – kind of a mini-suite aimed at Christian radio.
Back in 1973, naming an album after a slogan found on condom dispenser wasn’t exactly a smart commercial move—but what do you expect from a band whose members met at the Second City club in Chicago? Wilderness Road’s Warren Leming and Nate Herman were satirists and fixtures on the local bluegrass scene when they started the group to raise funds for the Chicago Consipiracy Trial in the aftermath of the 1968 DNC convention; after making self-titled concept album for Columbia, they signed to Warner-Reprise and made this cult classic record in 1973.
Though the front cover displayed them as futuristic glam-rockers, Wilderness Road actually played a mutant hybrid of mountain music, psychedelia, rock, country and avant political satire, sort of Chicago’s answer to Country Joe & the Fish and the Fugs…except they might have been funnier. For example, Sold… includes “The Gospel,” a suite of songs, fake commercial and spoken word interludes pointedly parodying religious radio, while “The Authentic British Blues” is a devastating takedown of the white boy blues genre.
Tracks
1. Pot Of Gold (A. Harvey) - 3:05
2. Rock Garden (Nate Herman) - 4:00
3. A.M.A. (Warren Leming) - 3:31
4. The Gospel/What Key Does The Gold Lord Sing In?/Sunday, Sunday/Mouth Jive/H (Nate Herman, Warren Leming) - 7:54
5. Reno (Nate Herman, Andy Haban, Warren Leming) - 3:57
6. Bored (Nate Herman) - 5:09
7. Long Winter (Nate Herman) - 4:01
8. The Authentic British Blues (Nate Herman, Warren Leming) - 4:17
"Are You Free On Saturday? " is the 1977 solo-album by British guitarist, songwriter and vocalist Alan Ross, this time for a small British label, Ebony Records.
Ross is no mean guitarist and had previously knocked out two albums with his cryptically named band Ross along with a couple of others namely Ro-Ro and Stars. Like Duncan Browne he re-emerged after a quiet spell with two albums that caused little stir at the time but to my mind merit a listen. This is the first and is again one found quite cheaply still.
On offer is melodic rock with fine guitar work and good instrumentation from a well oiled band including Ed Spevock on drums. I particularly like Ross’s work on the slower Mystified but there is much to be enjoyed with the title track and a version of Peter Gabriel’s Get The Guns also noteable. It’s a harder edged rock album again demonstrating Ross’s guitar prowess and again worthy of a listen.
In 1980, he appeared on an album by Wilson-Gale called "Gift Wrapped Set". In 1983, he played on Alexis Korner's album "Juvenile Delinquent".
Tracks
1. Are You Free On Saturday ? - 5:27
2. What You Gonna Do About It ? - 3:56
3. Man With The White Glove - 6:29
4. Mystified - 4:49
5. Get The Guns (Martin Hall, Peter Gabriel) - 3:28
6. Nothing Gets In My Way - 4:29
7. Baby Please (Dave Mason) - 2:56
8. Punishment Park (Mike Finesilver, Peter Ker) - 4:42
Mark Ashton, a remarkably resilient rock figure who first joined Rare Bird as a 19-year-old drummer. After two albums with the band, Ashton left and re-invented himself as a singer/guitarist in a new band, Headstone. Steve Bolton ex-Atomic Rooster. Bassist Phil Chen an Arrival veteran whilst keyboard player Tony Lukyn was previously with Tranquility.
They released two albums, both produced by John Anthony, with the second featuring cameos from Rare Bird-mates Steve Gould and Dave Kaffinetti.
On "Bad Habits" The style here is very different than Rare Bird – a bit singer/songwriter, but still with a full band approach overall – recorded in modes that mix British and Cali mid 70s styles in the best way possible, and coming across with a lean sort of style that really lets Ashton shine in the spotlight.
Tracks
1. Don't Turn Your Back - 4:25
2. Take Me Down - 4:15
3. High On You - 3:08
4. Love You Too - 2:24
5. O3B - 4:04
6. Open Your Eyes - 0:29
7. Live For Each Other - 3:47
8. You've Heard It All Before - 3:35
9. Bad Habits - 3:55
10.Take A Plane - 4:36
11.DMT - 4:32
All compositions by Mark Ashton except Track #5 by Steve Bolton
UK band from Sunderland, formed by ex-Cold Comfort drummer Ian Byron, guitarist Ray Minhinnit and former Heaven bassist John Gordon. The band scored exposure in the UK by acting as support to Black Sabbath's December 1973 tour. Ray Minhinnit played with artists such as Alan Price and Georgie Fame. Highway also included John Elstar, and James Hall. They released "Highway" in 1974 and "Smoking At The Edges" later the same year on EMI Records.
After they split Minhinnett joined Frankie Miller’s Full House in the mid-70s, he also played with Phoenix at the start of the 80s and was in John Coghlan’s Diesel Band. Minhinnett was soon concentrating on writing music, sometimes composing in collaboration with others, such as Andy Frazer and his long-term associate Bob Young. He was also musical director for a Sky Television music show. The 90's found Minhinnit working with ex-Whitesnake guitarist Micky Moody on the 1998 Minhinnit, Young and Moody project album.
John Gordon wound up playing with Pink Floyd man Roger Waters on his 'When The Wind Blows' album. Vocalist John Elstar played a small part in the history of Black Sabbath adding harmonica touches to their 1978 album 'Never Say Die'. In the early eighties Elstar fronted a short-lived London outfit dubbed Informer, involving ex-Side Winder and Stallion guitarist Stuart Smith, Whitesnake bassist Neil Murray and a pre-Iron Maiden Nico McBrain.
Tracks
1. No Need To Run (Ray Minhinnett) - 6:06
2. Better Times (Jim Hall, Ian Byron) - 3:04
3. Heaven`s End (Ray Minhinnett) - 2:25
4. Quantrill`s Men (Jon Elstar, Will Killeen) - 5:46
They were our first band way back in 1975, even before punk rock was invented and independent record labels were still few and far between. We released the “Speedball” extended play 7” vinyl 45 rpm record on Chiswick Records as by the Count Bishops. By the time of the first Chiswick album the vocalist had been ejected and Dave Tice added to the original band of Zenon De Fleur – rhythm guitar / Johnny Guitar – yes, you’ve guessed it, on lead guitar / Steve Lewins – bass (replaced by Pat McMullan on the second album) / Paul Balbi – drums. They were a total powerhouse of a band, with a tough R&B sound carrying more weight than Dr Feelgood and just this side of Motorhead, who they played with regularly. The young Julian (Jools) Holland tickled the ivories with great aplomb on both of the albums.
They delivered a mix of originals and astute cover versions, the latter drawn from blues, soul and beat sources as well as just plain good songs. Willie Dixon, Elmore James, Sonny Boy Williamson and Slim Harpo were all inspirations on these Long Players. Ray Davies, Van Morrison and Jeremy Spencer were all inspired by these same blues legends and so the tradition continued with covers from them too. The soul side is represented by a fine Hayes / Porter tune and one from Otis. But the single from the first album consisted of two sides written by Zenon who also wrote some great blues-based numbers with singer Dave Tice on the second album. The second single from that LP, which made it as far as Top Of The Pops, but unfortunately no further, was their storming rendition of the Strangeloves’ I Want Candy, which later charted in a somewhat more anaemic version for Bow Wow Wow. And we did try with releases in 6”, 7” and 10” formats.
The band maintained a healthy touring schedule and though they turned out great records, they were absolute dynamite live; very few bands at the time could stand up to them.
However the tragic death in a car accident of Zenon in March 1979 was a blow that the band never recovered from. It was not just that his driving rhythm guitar was sorely missed, but he was really the force behind the logistics of a band who toured a lot. He died suddenly and unexpectedly in hospital a few days after totalling his Aston Martin on the way from a gig. While in hospital he was overseeing the finishing touches to the second album’s release. The third single from the second Chiswick studio album was a great take on John D Loudermilk’s witty Mr Jones and it came out shortly after Zen’s death. The album followed a month later and the band went on the road with a substitute guitarist. They toured Australia later that year, but never played the UK again after that.
But they left a hell of a legacy in these two studio albums as well as a live album. For a long time bands like the Bishops were swamped in people’s minds by the onslaught of punk rock, but when it came to being tough, when it came to lifting an audience off their feet, the Bishops were a hard act to follow.
ACE-Recs
Tracks
1. I Need You (Ray Davies) - 2:25
2. Stay Free (Zenon De Fleur) - 3:09
3. Down In The Bottom (Willie Dixon) - 2:52
4. Talk To You (Steve Lewins) - 3:47
5. Shake Your Moneymaker (Elmore James) - 2:33
6. Down The Road A Piece (Don Raye) - 2:50
7. Baby You're Wrong (Zenon De Fleur) - 2:48
8. Don't Start Crying Now (James Moore, Jerry West) - 2:05
An obscure little record from the band of UK singer Alan Ross, a set that's very much got the 70s vibe of the messy hotel room on the cover -- kind of a shaggy blend of hard rock elements with a bit of tighter, more mainstream production! Alan's a strong singer who gets his vocals all compressed in a cool way in the setup of the sound, maybe a bit of an Eagles influence in the way the things come together, although the group are leaner and more focused on showcasing Ross, his lyrics, and his guitar work. Titles include "Angel", "Joe Henry", "Restless Nights", "Land Of The Snows", "Kamina", "I Will Be Alright", and "Don't Back Away".
Tracks
1. Restless Nights - 5:08
2. Ain't It A Shame - 4:00
3. Kamina - 4:03
4. I Will Be Alright (Jim Frank) - 4:06
5. Angel - 3:31
6. Joe Henry - 3:39
7. Land Of The Snows - 3:30
8. Salvation - 3:48
9. Don't Back Away - 4:59
All compositions by Alain Presencer, Alan Ross except where noted
The gang’s third album follows the same formula as their last: deliver a killer rock track out of the gate and then do your darnedest not to repeat that feat again. This time, the killer track is “Walk Away,” which I would tell you is even tighter than “Funk #49,” but that’s splitting heirs, as the two tracks are pretty much the sum and substance of James Gang’s legacy. If the band didn’t have any qualms about making the same album twice, they take pains on Thirds not to write the same song twice; I’d be hard-pressed to name another album that sounds so different from track to track.
What emerges on Thirds is a band with very different musical personalities. All three members contributed material on their last album, but this is the first time that members wrote and sang the material on their own. Dale Peters delivers a really sweet country song (“Dreamin’ in the Country”) and a blues song that builds into an impressive crescendo (“White Man/Black Man”), Jim Fox writes two tracks, including the ambitious and surprisingly philosophical album-ender, “Live My Life Again,” and Joe Walsh matches their contributions with four new songs. It turned out to be a good time to advance the personalities of Fox and Peters, as Walsh would leave the band the following year.
Although third albums are often where it all comes together, I would say that Rides Again is the tighter album because it rocks more consistently. On Thirds, the band brings in the sort of orchestral arrangements not normally associated with rock bands (unless they’re named The Beatles) and is guilty of meandering a bit on some of the more ambitious songs (e.g., “Again”). In fact, there are only three songs that technically rock on Thirds: “Walk Away,” “Midnight Man” (which is really more of a romantic pop song, though with tongue in cheek) and “Things I Could Be.” Given how good a rock drummer Jim Fox is (not my impression on the first album, btw), it’s a shame his talents are wasted on tracks like “Again” and “It’s All The Same.” As a kind of compensation, Fox does branch out into organ (“Things I Could Be”) and vibes on this album.
The band’s ambitions are (again) slightly misaligned with their abilities. It seems James Gang wanted to write a hit song, play with an orchestra and change the world all on the same album. They succeed on one of those fronts, but I feel like the orchestrated works here are a step back from what they already achieved on “The Bomber” and “Ashes the Rain and I.” By diffusing their energies in so many different directions, Thirds shows the band to be more than the sum of Joe Walsh’s songwriting abilities, but it’s not the first James Gang album you need to own.
