Taos - Taos (1971 us, beautiful psychedelic pop with folk country tinges, 2012 Kismet edition)

Here’s an unusual jewel, released on Mercury Records in 1971. The band Taos was actually a quintet pieced together by a group of young men who had moved to the legendary Taos commune in the early 1970s, namely: Jeff Baker on guitar and vocals, Steve Oppenheim on keyboards and vocals, Albie Ciappa on drums, Burt Levine on guitar and banjo, and Kit Bedford on bass, with the occasional intermixing of instruments going on in between cuts. If the band’s commune connection leads you into expecting some sort of stoned, improvisational musical meanderings, however, you’re in for a surprise: their sole, self-titled record is pop music all the way.

Indeed, the band itself is surprisingly together, tempering mildly eccentric diversions into psychedelia and country music with a solid foundation in 1960s rock and roll. If there’s one band to which Taos owes its biggest debt, I’d say it would have to be The Beatles. Kit Bedford’s warm, melodic bass work channels Paul McCartney all the way, while the group’s vocal harmonies show a tendency to lean more towards the ragged schoolboy charm of the Four than the choirboy constructions of American groups such as the Byrds, or the Mamas and Papas. This influence is not to say that Taos lacks an identity of its own, however. On the contrary, they manage to take this influence in surprising directions, whether it’s the lonesome cosmic cowboy pastiche “After So Long” or the phased psychedelic boogie of “Twenty Thousand Miles In the Air Again”.

Despite the general cohesiveness of the album, however, there are the occasional faults, such as the unnecessary, repeating theme “The Day Begins,” which should have simply been turned into a full-fledged song rather than left as fragmentary interruptions in the tracklist. Every now and again the musicians also reveal a slight weakness in the vocal department, as the slightly squirrely lead on “Morning Sun” illustrates. Lastly, the song lyrics aren’t really worth shedding too much ink over – there’s certainly no metaphysical contemplation or social commentary going on here, whatever other Sixties sensibilities the record may boast. 

These latter complaints border on quibbling, though, because the music here is almost too much fun to criticize. Again, this is pop music, and should be enjoyed for what it is. I think that Taos is certainly consistent enough that, if you’re digging the tracks below, you’re gonna like what you hear the rest of the way through.

by Nik (The Rising Storm)

Tracks
1. Space Bird - 2:44
2. Think I'll Wait - 3:53
3. Morning Sun - 2:17
4. 20,000 Miles In The Air (Again) - 2:51
5. All My Life - 2:42
6. Everybody's Movin' (In The Sunshine) - 3:21
7. Love's Face - 2:46
8. Putting My Faith In You - 4:59
9. On The Way Down - 0:42
10.Climbing Up The Mountain - 3:22
11.Take Good Care - 1:55
12.After So Long (So Long) - 3:21

Taos
*Jeff Baker - Guitar, Vocals,
*Steve Oppenheim - Keyboards, Vocals
*Albie Ciappa - Drums
*Burt Levine - Guitar, Banjo
*Kit Bedford - Bass

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Cold Sun - Dark Shadows (1970/72 us, amazing texas psych with prog traces, World In Sound 2008 release)

Cold Sun from Austin, Texas was recorded in 1970 in the legendary Sonobeat studios, where the Mariani and Johnny Winter first LPs were produced. The Cold Sun band are considered contemporaries of Velvet Underground and The Fugs, often listed as being in a similar vein but inspirations for this unique piece actually go back to the desperated, haunted Joe Meek. 

All songs lyrically express dark, mystic poetry with the true 60s psychedelic floating/distorted fuzz spirit presented in short compact mini-epics along with several mind blowing long tunes, such as "Ra-Ma" (11 min), "Here In The Year" (9 min) and "Fall" (7 min). Discovered by Rockadelic Records of Dallas, Texas in 1991, the Dark Shadows album saw the light of day the next year as a limited LP version, to become today one of the most important and revered US psychedelic underground albums from the early 70s. 

(Rockadelic heard it in the form of an old scratchy acetate that one of the Cold Sun band members had made in order to be able to play the recording at friends` parties on their turntables. The acetate only contained 2/3 of the songs but so greatly impressed them that Rockadelic managed together with bandleader Bill Miller to release the complete sessions from mastertape.)--- Autoharp wizard Miller eventually spearheaded Roky Erickson`s international debut as the Cold Sun band joined forces with Roky in 1974 and became BliebAlien, later evolved into The Aliens and backed Roky on his famous albums and historical concerts. 

Carefully remastered from the mastertapes, this album will bring new rewarding listening experiences in expanded fidelity, plus 2 unreleased non-album songs, authentic Live/Concert recordings of "Live Again"(10 min) and "Mind Aura"(7 min). The fidelity of these reel to reel Live recordings is also remarkable. The CD and Vinyl issues will both have an extended booklet with liner notes by Jello Biafra plus rare photos and other surprises. The Vinyl issue is packaged in a luxury foldout cardboard cover as Dragonwyck, Phantasia or Mystic Siva and contains an extra 10" bonus record. 

World In Sound

 Tracks
1. South Texas - 5:17
2. Twisted Flower - 3:04
3. Here In The Year - 8:50
4. For Ever - 4:35
5. See What You Cause - 3:40
6. Fall (Billy Miller, Herman M. Nelson, Winston Taylor) - 7:20
7. Ra-Ma (Billy Miller, Tom McGarrigle) - 11:20
8. Live Again - 10:20
9. Mind Aura (Tom McGarrigle) - 7:38
Music and Lyrics by Billy Miller except ehere noted.

Cold Sun
*Billy Miller - Autoharp, Voices
*Mike Waugh - Bass
*Tom McGarrigle - Guitar
*Hugh Patton - Drums
*Mike Ritchey - Bass

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Michael Bloomfield with Nick Gravenites & Friends - Live At Bill Graham's Fillmore West (1969 us, classic psych/blues rock, 2009 remastered with extra track)

Let's see if I have this straight---Sony/Columbia Legacy saw fit to let two of these performances ("It Takes Time" and the incandescent "Carmelita Skiffle") turn up to round off their excellent Michael Bloomfield overview ("Don't Say That I Ain't Your Man," in 1998) but not to let the entire original album (released in 1969), plus the performances that were saved for Nick Gravenites' "My Labours," see the light of day once more.

Leaving it to Australia's Raven label to do what should have been done long enough ago. Considering Legacy's diligence in its "Roots 'n' Blues" series and with much of the Bloomfield canon from his Columbia years, that omission should be considered a crime. That said, thank Raven for its own diligence and for producing a set that presents everything Columbia recorded (save "Winter Country Blues," omitted for space reasons but still alive and well on the reissued "My Labours") the 1969 weekend Bloomfield, Nick Gravenites, and a few of their regular musical partners (including Bloomfield's former Butterfield Blues Band teammate Mark Naftalin on piano, his "Live Adventures" bassist John Kahn, his soon-to-be-frequent drummer Bob Jones, and erstwhile Electric Flag baritone saxophonist Snooky Flowers) commandeered the Fillmore West for some freewheeling blues and soul jamming.

Concede the point that this isn't exactly "Super Session Mk III" (and not just because organist Ira Kamin is no Al Kooper, though he's quite tasteful and sinuous in his own right), and you have one of the most powerful documents in the Bloomfield catalog. The horns and the Gravenites voice may deceive you into thinking this was a kind of projection of what Bloomfield ultimately wished the Electric Flag to have been, but this music is far more tightly grounded in blues and soul than the eclectic (and ill-fated) Flag, and these musicians, whatever their individual inclinations, are most at home in those two neighbourhoods.

Gravenites has rarely been heard in better or more soulful voice, even when it cracks now and then; Kahn, Jones, and conga player Dino Andino play as though they'd been welded together for years; Naftalin and Kamin are as supple a keyboard team as you could ask without stepping on each other's corns; and the horns---Flowers, Gerald Oshita (baritone sax), Noel Jewkis (tenor sax), and John Wilmeth (trumpet)---sound as buttery and exuberant as the tightest sessions of the Memphis Horns.

And Bloomfield? He gives more than enough evidence of what Al Kooper hoped to isolate with "Super Session" in the first place: catching him when he could just forget everything except playing his heart out, from the kickoff lick to "It Takes Time" (boy, did he never forget what Otis Rush among the other Chicago masters taught him as a teenager hanging around the classic southside blues clubs) to the last notes of "Moon Tune." And just about all points in between. If you missed out hearing it on "Don't Say I Ain't Your Man: Essential Blues, 1964-69" (it's since gone out of print), here's "Carmelita Skiffle"---the original vinyl release closer---and Bloomfield plain rollicking, practically squeezing everything he'd learned about and felt about the blues into one incendiarily melodious solo, before handing it off to Jewkis for a smooth saxophone break and Kamin for a soaring organ solo, before returning with an exclamation point of a coda.

In between? "Oh, Mama" is a Bloomfield composition, the kind of soul he'd begun exploring in the Electric Flag, and while the music is exquisite Bloomfield as a singer was a virtuoso guitarist. With Gravenites extending his breather, Jones takes a surprisingly solid vocal on the Arthur Conley chestnut "Love Got Me" (and you thought all Conley was good for was "Sweet Soul Music"). With Gravenites returning, "Blues on a Westside" lives up to its mini-legend as a wrenching jam, with Bloomfield absolutely soaring. Taj Mahal joins up for a throbbing "One More Mile," and Gravenites' "It's About Time" could be said to live up to its title, working blues into a James Brown-like groove in a more freewheeling style, guitar and piano wrestling each other's chords deftly and riding the rhythm smoothly, Bloomfield firing off a few horn-like bursts to set up his solo statement.

And the "My Labours" additions? All of them Gravenites compositions, the one that's most likely to stick in your head is "Gypsy Good Time," what they used to call funky blues, punctuated sweatily by Willmeth's trumpet phrases and Andino's rolling secondary rhythm, with the full band cutting a deep and wide groove over which Gravenites sings exuberantly and Bloomfield peels off a fiery, melodious solo.

It's a shame the compilers found no room for "Winter Country Blues" but chose to fill out the available space with "Mary Ann," a quartet performance (and a good one) from "The Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper," which is actually a good introduction to that set if you don't have it yet. Just why the new compilers saw fit to include that as a bonus track isn't made clear. But it shouldn't distract you from the power of the main attraction.
Blues-Duke

Tracks
1. It Takes Time - Vocals: Nick Gravenites (Otis Rush, Willie Oixon) - 4:27
2. Oh Mama - Vocals: Michael Bloomfield (Michael Bloomfield) - 2:59
3. Love Got Me - Vocals: Bob Jones (Arthur Conley) - 2:37
4. Blues On West Side - Vocals: Nick Gravenites (Nick Gravenites) - 15:18
5. One More Mile To Go - Vocals: Taj Mahal (Joseph Cotton) - 10:35
6. It's About Time - Vocals: Nick Gravenites (Nick Gravenites) - 7:00
7. Carmelita Skiffle - Instrumental (M. Bloomfield, N. Gravenites, B. T. Jones, M. Naftalin) - 5:11
8. Killing My Love - Vocals: Nick Gravenites (Nick Gravenites) - 5:18
9. Gypsy Good Time - Vocals: Nick Gravenites (Nick Gravenites) - 4:30
10. Holy Moly - Vocals: Nick Gravenites (Nick Gravenites) - 3:54
11. Moon Tune - Vocals: Nick Gravenites (Nick Gravenites) - 8:32
12. Mary Ann - Vocals: Michael Bloomfield (Ray Charles) - 5:28
Tracks 1-7 from the Columbia album Live At Bill Graham's Fillmore West
Tracks 8-11 from the Nick Gravenites Columbia album My Labors (featuring Mike Bloomfield)
Track 12 from the Columbia album The Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield andAI Kooper

Musicians
*Michael Bloomfield - Guitar, vocals
*Nick Gravenites - Vocals, guitar
*Mark Naftalin - Piano
*Ira Kamin - Organ
*John Kahn - Bass
*Bob Jones - Drums, vocals
*Dino Andino - Conga
*Noel Jewkis - Tenor sax
*Gerald Oshita - Baritone sax
*Snooky Flowers - Baritone sax
*John Wilmeth - Trumpet
*Taj Mahal - Vocals
Bonus Track
*Michael Bloomfield - Guitar, vocals
*Al Kooper - Organ, vocals
*John Kahn - Bass
*Skip Prokop - Drums

Mike Bloomfield's tapestry
1966-68  Strawberry Jam (with Paul Butterfield's Blues Band)
1976 Live at the Old Waldorf
1976 KGB 

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Various Artists - Piccadilly Sunshine Part 5 (1966-69 uk, many more pop psych and other flavours)

If the 20 tracks collected on this, the fourth installment, are anything to go by, the splendid Piccadilly Sunshine series is still in its zenith. As the gray streets of late-‘60s Britain magically blossomed into a lysergic Edwardian wonderland of the imagination, Jago Simms tells his toy town tale about a “Conventional Fella” who liked to get nude after a hard day’s accounting so he could become “just as free as any bird or bee”, while lazy trumpets, tinkling harpsichords, shimmying Mod-psych organ and glorious guitar fuzz herald such forgotten classics as The Laurels’ “Rainmaker”, Keith Field’s “Stop! Thief” and the Now’s foray into early prog on “The Hands On my Clock Stand Still”.  Simply amazing stuff! 

by Alan Brown 22 March 2011

Artists - Tracks 
1. Samurai - Temple Of Gold - 2:15
2. The Running Jumping Standing Still Band - Ayeo - 2:18
3. Sight And Sound - Alley Alley - 2:45
4. Washington Dc’s-  32nd Floor - 2:29
5. Laurels  Sunshine - Thursday - 2:40
6. Jago Simms - In Too Deep - 2:25
7. Oedipus Complex - Empty Highway - 3:02
8. Wayne Fontana - In My World  - 3:01
9. Nocturnes - Look At Me - 3:15
10.John Bryant  - Columbine - 2:36
11.Sweet Thursday - Cobwebs - 3:22
12.Seymour Kelly - Indian Scene - 2:32
13.Tony Rivers And The Castaways - Pantomime - 3:46
14.Watch Committee - Now I Think The Other Way - 2:02
15.Merlin Q - The Secret  - 2:45
16.Roger Denison - Running Out Of Time - 2:10
17.Ian Whitcomb - Groovy Day - 2:23
18.Roulettes  - Airport People - 2:38
19.Sounds Bob Rogers - Dream With Me - 2:06
20.Toyshop - Say Goodbye To Yesterday - 3:21

The Piccadilly Sunshine flavours 
1968-70  Piccadilly Sunshine Part 1
1966-71  Piccadilly Sunshine Part 2
1967-70  Piccadilly Sunshine Part 3
1967-69  Piccadilly Sunshine Part 4

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Atomic Rooster - Devil's Answer • Rare Live Recordings (1970-72•81 uk, classic hard prog rock, rare material)

 Atomic Rooster 

Devil's Answer • Rare Live Recordings (1970-72•81 uk, classic hard prog rock, rare material)

rep>>> Fred - Fred (1971 us, brilliant progressive folk rock, World In Sound 2001 release)

Fred - Fred 1971 (World In Sound 2001)

Wishbone Ash - Tracks (1972-2001 uk, live recordings of great classic songs, 2001 double disc release)

'Tracks' is a collection of rare versions of some of Wishbone Ash's best loved work, along with some seldom heard gems and surprises. The revolving Wishbone line-up is well presented with all the usual suspects. The music selected for this album treats the listener to exciting live versions of classic songs that have contributed to a legacy, that is uniquely 'Wishbone'. 

The airing of this archive material, gives us a backstage pass, shedding a new light on a great British band's stage performances, both from years gone by, right up to the year 2001. Raw and unadulterated, check out the inimitable twin lead sound that blazed a trail for many others, who have often tried, but never improved on the original blueprint laid down by this British original in late 1969.

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Tangible Evidence - 4:05

2. Front Page News - 5:32

3. Lifeline - 7:00

4. Living Proof - 5:53 

5. Anger In Harmony - 4:33

6. Queen Of Torture - 3:13

7. Insomnia - 6:50

8. Wings Of Desire - 3:34

9. Ballad Of The Beacon - 4:10

10. Strange Affair - 5:13

11. Outward Bound - 3:45

12. Warrior - 5:34

13. Keeper Of The Light - 4:09

14. Why Don't We - 7:47

Disc 2
1. In The Skin - 5:51
2. The King Will Come - 6:58
3. Persephone - 3:41
4. Standing In The Rain - 6:49
5. Throw Down The Sword - 6:01
6. Way Of The World - 10:23
7. You See Red - 6:16
8. Number The Brave - 5:44
9. Everybody Needs A Friend - 6:03
10. Master Of Disguise - 3:42
11. The Ring - 4:37
12. No More Lonely Nights - 6:23

Wishbone Ash
-Former members-
*Andy Powell - Vocals, Guitar
*Ted Turner - Guitar, Vocals (1970-73, 1987-94)
*Martin Turner - Bass, Vocals (1970-80, 1987-91, 1995-96)
*Steve Upton - Drums (1970-89)
-other members-
*Laurie Wisefield - Guitar, Vocals (1974-85)
*Jamie Crompton - Guitar, Vocals (1985-87)
*Roger Filgate - Guitar, Vocals (1995-96)
*Mark Birch - Guitar, Vocals (1997-98)
*John Wetton - Bass, Vocals (1981)
*Trevor Bolder - Bass, Vocals (1982)
*Mervyn Spence - Bass, Vocals (1985)
*Andy Pyle - Bass, Vocals (1985-87, 1992-94)
*Tony Kishman - Bass, Vocals (1996-97)
*Bob Skeat - Bass, Vocals (1998-)
*Ray Weston - Drums (1991-94, 1998-2006)
*Mike Sturgis - Drums (1995-97)

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Dryewater - Southpaw (1974 us, rough 'n' hard garage psych with southern flame)

Now a highly regarded release among the collectors of early 70’s U.S. rock, Dryewater’s Southpaw album was privately released to little fanfare on the J.T.B. label in 1974. The North Carolina based four piece pressed just 500 copies of the album (fewer still with actual covers!) and the rarity value of this initial release has since increased as it’s since become known that the band destroyed the copies they failed to sell at the time! Maybe they had higher expectations for the album, and this is justifiable, as in hindsight the ten original compositions show a very confident release by an obviously proficient line up. 

Strong rhythm guitar work forms the basis of most of the songs, but also evident is some melodic, perhaps slightly progressive keyboard work, that both underpins the occasional acid lead guitar solos and maintains the overall momentum of each performance. With a tight rhythm section and strong vocals too, this all makes for a rockin’ rollercoaster ride. A fine example of the harder West Coast sound of the time. Check out the melodic Don’t Let Her Sleep Too Long, the riff - heavy track 2, and rolling rhythms of track10, 

Dryewater were certainly overlooked at the time A limited vinyl run released by Void Records in 1996 briefly led to a renewed interest in the band.

Tracks
1. Winterground - 3:02
2. Trouble - 4:07
3. Give Yourself Time To Live - 3:24
4. Don’t Let Her Sleep Too Long - 2:58
5. Let Me Take You - 3:31
6. Thunder - 2:57
7. See Them Run - 2:02
8. Revelation - 2:23
9. Set Out On The River - 2:49
10. After All - 6:30

All compositions by Richard Drye

Dryewater
*Richard Drye - Guitar, Lead Vocals
*Shaye Drye - Keyboards, Vocals
*Robert Blair - Bass, Vocals
*Garland Walker Stidham - Drums

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Graham Bond - Holy Magick (1970 uk, remarkable progressive jazz blues rock, 2006 digiPak bonus tracks remaster)

According to ancient Druidic and Celtic legend, King Arthur will return in this age of Aquarius to sustain us. And man, he's going to blow a mean blues; according to merlin Bond! Long before the recent spate of black magic involvement by some groups, Graham has been involved in white, or as he prefers to call it - holy magick. In order to help the word and perhaps gain a little more understanding he has devoted his latest album "to the true seekers of light". 

The lyrics are mainly incantations and chants in Egyptian and Atlean. Stonehenge is photographed on the sleeve with Graham and his wife Diane Stewart raising their arms in supplication. If you can't take the magick however, there is a lot of wailing music to enjoy. Graham sings with his usual pre-Joe Cocker intensity, and plays organ, piano and sax. Keith Bailey is a storm on drums, and other musicians involved are Victor Brox, Big Pete Bailey, Aliki Ashman, John Gross, Alex Dmochowski, Godfrey McLean and John Morsehead. They are at their best on slow tempo blues like "The Judgement". 

And even if you don't want an astral temple constructed around you, playing side one, should help contact the "higher forces", according to Bond. At least we can invent a new category - Rockult!

by Chris Welch, January 2, 1971 

Holy Magick opens with a fantastic trippy Jam, "Meditation". A 23-minute insane song, full of references to the 'Dark Side', and with some very good instrumental lines. The Female-Vocals, are particularly interesting, and so is trying to understand the weird words he is singing. The Saxophone has some great lines, the Organ work is also very cool. "Return Of Arthur" has a strong Blues sonority, with Joe Cocker-like Vocals and an astonishing Guitar Solo.

In the beginning it may sound weird and unpleasant, but it will turn into a very enjoyable listen, after the first minute. "The Magician", again with some blasting Saxophone work, this song is full of energy and power, probably due to the Bass line. The Screaming Vocals, by Bond, are the cheery at the top of the cake. "The Judgement" is completely different from the other songs, calm, without any sort of insane Instrumental solo. The Back-Vocals are pretty good on this one, sounding as if they were answering the Lead-Vocals. "My Archangel" is the lest song. It is quite weak, not much to say about it except that it i a feel-good song, without much interest.

The Cover-Art was photographed in Stonehenge, featuring Graham Bond and his wife, performing a strange ritual. This Album was not well received by the critics, but it is nonetheless a fantastic Album.
by Adamus67

Tracks
1. Holy Magick Suite (Graham Bond) - 23:09
...a.Meditation Aumgn
...b.The Qabilistic Cross
...c.The Word Of The Aeon
...d.Invocation To The Light
...e.The Pentagram Ritual
...f .Qabalistic Cross
...g.Hymn Of Praise
...h.12 Gates To The City
...i.The Holy Words Iao Sabao (These Are The Words)
...j.Aquarius Mantra (In Egyptian)
...k.Enochian (Atlantean) Call
...l.Abragadabra The Word Of The Aeon
...m.Praise "City Of Light"
...n.The Qabalistic Cross, Aumgn
2. Return Of Arthur (Graham Bond) - 5:06
3. The Magician (Graham Bond) - 4:04
4. The Judgement (Diane Stewart) - 4:45
5. My Archangel Mikael (Diane Stewart) - 4:09
6. Water Water (Single Version) (Graham Bond, Diane Stewart) - 3:46
7. 12 Gates To The City (Single Version) (Graham Bond) - 3:40

Musicians
*Alex Dmochowski - Bass Guitar
*Rick Gretch - Bass Guitar
*Jerry Salisbury - Cornet
*Godfrey McLean, Keith Bailey - Drums
*John Morsehead, Kevin Stacey - Guitar
*Big Pete Bailey - Percussion
*John Gross - Tenor Saxophone
*Aliki Ashman ,  Annette Brox - Vocals
*Victor Brox - Vocals, Electric Piano, Piano, Vocals
*Diane Stewart  - Vocals, Gong
*Graham Bond - Vocals, Alto Electric, Acoustic  Saxophone

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The Carolyn Hester Coalition - Magazine (1970 us, powerful vocal acid psych folk, 2009 Sunbeam issue)

Carolyn Hester is a noted Folk Singer from the 60's Greenwich Village Folk Scene. She appeared on the cover of the "Saturday Evening Post" in the May 30th, 1964 issue and has been remembered in many books including "Chronicles", Bob Dylan's autobiography, as being the person who was most instrumental in Dylan's signing to Columbia records - the label that took an unknown singer-songwriter and elevated him to super-stardom. 

Hester is known for her angelic voice and her repertoire of traditional English ballads mixed with an original selection of contemporary folk. She has recorded more than fifteen albums in her fifty years of performing. She was signed to the Decca/Coral label in 1957 by her manager-producer, Norman Petty. Also under Petty's influence at that time, was a hip entertainer and friend of Hester's, Buddy Holly. Throughout the '60s, Hester was well-established in the Greenwhich Village folk scene where she met a young, Bob Dylan.

In the late 60’s Carolyn released two albums as The Carolyn Hester Coalition, their second “Magazine” originally issued in 1970 by the Metromedia label. Magazine is slightly more moody and not as sunshiney as the first record, but it is still fairly light, approachable West Coast-ish psych/folk/pop. There are some covers on this record, mixed with originals that hold up next to any other record of its ilk from the era. Hester's crystalline, sweet voice is backed by some hauntingly deep and melodic fuzz, proving that Hester wasn't just any Texas songbird.

Tracks

1. Rise Like Phoenix (Carolyn Hester, Dave Blume) - 3:18

2. Dedicated (Steve Wolfe) - 3:04

3. Plant The Crops In The Garden (D. Newburge, Dave Blume) - 3:00 

4. Beadmaker (Carolyn Hester) - 2:51

5. St. James Infirmary (Joe Primrose) - 5:22

6. Just Follow Me (Tim Moore, Steve Wolfe, Dave Blume) - 5:14 

7. (Sittin On The) Dock Of The Bay (Otis Redding, Steve Cropper) - 3:50

8. Sir Robert, The Lost Knight (C. Parisi, Dave Blume) - 3:43

9. Calico Sky (S. Davis, Dave Blume) - 2:38

10.Swing Low, Sweet Chariot (Traditional) - 2:48

The Carolyn Hester Coalition
*Carolyn Hester - Vocals, Guitar
*Steve Wolfe -Guitar, Percussion
*Dave Blume - Bass, Keyboards, Melodica
*Skeeter Camera - Drums, Flute
*Dave Mauney - Vibes, Bass

1969  The Carolyn Hester Coalition (2005 edition)

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Chain - Live (1969-70 aussie, extraordinary blues rock with experimental mood, 2010 Aztec remaster)

If there is one Australian band that deserves the oft-overused adjective "legendary", then that band would be Chain. As has been stated many times, the name Chain is synonymous with blues of the highest order and integrity. Originally formed in 1968, and except for a gap between 1974 and 1982, the band has continued in one form or another to this day. 

The five key figures in the saga of Chain are Warren Morgan, Phil Manning, Matt Taylor, the late Barry 'Big Goose' Sullivan and Barry 'Little Goose' Harvey but there have been numerous musicians who have passed through the ranks. Morgan, Manning and Taylor each assumed leadership at one lime or another, with the two Gooses comprising the best rhythm section the band has ever known. Inevitably, at any given time the fundamental nature of Chain has been shaped by the particular musicians present. Still, with all the comings and goings, there is one thing of which we can be sure: Chain "the whole" will always be greater than the sum of its parts. 

This portion of the story covers the years 1968 up to the end of 1970, the period preceding the release of thc landmark Australian blues album Toward The Blues and thc enduring hit single 'Black and Blue”. Specifically, we'll focus on the Live Chain version of the band, headed by Morgan and Manning. This is thc first reissue of the album since its original release (Festival SFL-933926) in October 1970. With three bonus tracks added for good measure it makes for compelling listening.

Tracks
1. The World is Wailing (Morgan, Manning, Sullivan, Harvey) -12:11
2. Black and White (Warren Morgan) -12:30
3. Pilgrimage (Harvey, Sullivan, Mason, Morgan, Manning) - 8:40
4. Gen rude Street Blues (Phil Manning) - 6:01
5. Chaser (Sullivan, Mason, Harvey, Morgan, Manning) - 7:13
6. On The Road Again (Glyn Mason) - 4:34
7. Show Me Home (Phil Manning) - 3:27
8. Mr. Time (Warren Morgan) - 4:55
Tracks 1-6 recorded  live at Caesar's Palace, Sydney. July 1970
Tracks 7 and 8 Single Festival FK-3331, October 1969

Chain
*Phil Manning - Guitar, Vocals
*Warren Morgan - Electric, Acoustic Piano, Vocals
*Glyn Mason - Guitar, Vocals
*Barry 'Big Goose' Sullivan - Bass
*Barry 'Little Goose' Harvey - Drums
*Tim Piper - Bass (Tracks 7 and 8)
*Claude Papesch - Organ (Tracks 7 and 8)
*Ace Follington - Drums (Tracks 7 and 8)

more Chain
1971  Toward The Blues
1973  Two Of A Kind

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The Yardbirds - Five Live Yardbirds (1964 uk, clasic live, blues 'n' roll, 2007 Repertoire digi pack with extra tracks release)

Five Live Yardbirds was the first important -- indeed, essential -- live album to come out of the 1960s British rock & roll boom. In terms of the performance captured and the recording quality, it was also the best such live record of the entire middle of the decade. 

Cut at a Marquee Club show in 1964 , Five Live Yardbirds was a popular album, especially once Eric Clapton's fame began to spread after leaving the band. Although the album didn't appear officially in the United States until its CD release by Rhino in the late 1980s, four of its tracks -- "Smokestack Lightning," "Respectable," "I'm a Man," and "Here 'Tis" -- made up one side of their classic U.S. album Having a Rave Up, and the British EMI LP became a very popular import during the early 1970s as a showcase for both the band and the playing of Eric Clapton. 

That album had astonishingly good sound, which was not the case with any of the reissues that followed, on vinyl or CD -- even Rhino's compact disc suffered from blurry textures and noise, though it was an improvement over any release since the original EMI LP. The 1999 Repertoire Records reissue is the first CD that matches the clarity and sharpness of the original LP, and along with that improvement, their original concert has been very sensibly expanded with a half-dozen live cuts from roughly the same period, recorded at the Crawdaddy Club. 

Among them is a killer live version of the Billy Boy Arnold classic "I Wish You Would."There's also a pair of live tracks from German television in 1967 -- "I'm a Man" and "Shapes of Things"; the two, in a flash, make up for what they lack in perfect fidelity. 

by Bruce Eder

Tracks
1.Too Much Monkey Business (C. Berry) - 3.52
2. I Got Love If You Want It (Moore) - 2.40
3. Smokestack Lightning (C. Burnett) - 5.35
4. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl (Demarais) - 2.44
5. Respectable (Isley, Isley, Isley) - 5.35
6. Five Long Years (E. Boyd) - 5.21
7. Pretty Girl (E. McDaniels) - 3.00
8. Louise (John Lee Hooker) - 3.43
9. I'm A Man (E. McDaniels) - 4.33
10. Here'tis(E. McDaniels) - 5.10
11. Smokestack Lightning (C. Burnett) - 6.47
12. You Can't Judge A Book By Looking At The Cover (W. Dixon) - 2.55
13. Let It Rock (C. Berry) - 2.17
14. I Wish You Would (B. Arnold) - 5.53
15. Who Do You Love (E. McDaniels) - 2.17
16. Honey In Your Hips (K. Relf) - 5.53
17. I'm A Man (E. McDaniels) - 4.13
18. Shapes Of Things (Samwell-Smith , Relf , McCarty) - 2.27

The Yardbirds
*Eric Clapton – Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Chris Dreja – Rhythm Guitar
*Jim McCarty – Drums
*Keith Relf – Lead Vocals Harmonica, Maracas
*Paul "Sam" Samwell-Smith – Bass Guitar, Vocals

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Various Artists - Lovers From The Sky Vol. 4 (1968-71 uk, pop psych sounds from the Apple era, 2010 RPM release)

On the fourth volume of this interesting series devoted to songwriters who were under contract to Apple Publishing, the connection to the more public face of Apple -- namely, Apple Records, home to the Beatles and artists like Badfinger and Mary Hopkin -- can be pretty tenuous. Most of these artists did not release music on the Apple label, and some of these songs weren't even published by Apple, although in those cases the writers and/or composers did at least have some Apple connection on their resumes. 

Unless that kind of thing easily upsets you, however, you'll find this quite an interesting collection of rarities from the poppier side of British pop-psychedelia, several of which were previously unreleased. With the exception of Merseybeat band the Fourmost (represented by three late-'60s tracks from long after their brief commercial peak, including a 1969 single, "Rosetta," produced by Paul McCartney), none of the artists were hitmakers. 

Some did have notable careers or connections, including folk guitarist Stefan Grossman; Brute Force (represented by the notorious naughty novelty "King of Fuh" and his version of "Nobody Knows," which was a minor hit for the Chiffons); Andy Ellison (formerly of John's Children); Timon, the future Tymon Dogg; and Lon & Derrek Van Eaton, who did manage to release a 1972 LP on Apple. Quite a few of the others failed to make the slightest of commercial dents, though a few of them were able to record songs by notable Apple-published songwriters. Marilyn Powell's "Something to Hold on To," for example, was written by Benny Gallagher and Graham Lyle, and the tracks here by Marzipan, Moving Finer, and Ellison were penned by George Alexander of Grapefruit. Based on these 19 songs, Apple's publishing division was largely on the lookout for Beatlesque pop that was more mainstream than the Beatles and fairly commercial. 

While none of these cuts seem like obvious hits, they are quite pleasant, and usually quite well-produced, representative samples of British pop-psych that avoid the over-sweetness into which the genre was apt to lapse. Lilting, pleasing harmonies are also to the fore on much of the material, with Promise's demo of "Not Sarah" (one of the highlights) using the Beatles' own Mellotron. the Fourmost sound a bit like an updated Unit 4+2 or hipper Seekers on the folk-poppish "Just Like Before"; Marilyn Powell offers a bit of female pop-soul on "Something to Hold on To," and the Eatons are represented by a demo version of their nice, harmony pop-folk-rock, 1972 George Harrison-produced single "Sweet Music." 

by Richie Unterberger

Artists - Tracks - Composer
1. Andy Ellison - Fool From Upper Eden (George Alexander) - 2:51
2. Focal Point - Far Away From Forever (D. Rhodes, P. Tennant) - 3:40
3. Promise - Not Sarah (Alan Morgan, Steve Webber) - 3:02
4. Fourmost - Do I Know You (Brian O'Hara) - 2:22
5. Moving Finger - Jeremy The Lamp (George Alexander) - 2:41
6. Contact - Lovers From The Sky (Trevor Bannister) - 2:40
7. Brute Force - King Of Fuh (Stephen Friedland) - 3:03
8. Fourmost - Just Like Before (Brian O'Hara) - 2:26
9. Stefan Grossman - Not You, Or I, My Dear (Grossman) - 2:28
10.Timon - Now She Says She's Young (Tymon Dogg) - 3:05
11.Promise - Where Love's Concerned (A. Morgan, S. Webber) - 2:15
12.Marilyn Powell - Something To Hold On To (B. Gallagher, G. Lyle) - 2:53
13.Focal Point - Lonely Woman (D. Rhodes, P.l Tennant) - 3:27
14.Brute Force - Nobody Knows (Stephen Friedland) - 2:59
15.Contact - Round And Round (Trevor Bannister) - 3:51
16.Focal Point - Tales From The GPO Files (D. Rhodes, P. Tennant) - 2:19
17.Fourmost - Rosetta (Earl Hines, Henri Woode) - 2:11
18.Marzipan - Sweet Water Mary (George Alexander) - 3:14
19.Lon, Derrek Van Eaton - Sweet Music (D. Van Eaton, L. Van Eaton) - 2:17

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Chain - Two Of A Kind (1973 aussie, stylish blues rock)

In the '73 Sunbury Festival featured Mighty Mouse, as well as a Matt Taylor "solo" slot. Phil and the two Barrys, augmented by second drummer Kevin Murphy backed Matt for this gig. On Mushroom's triple-album document of the event, The Great Australian Rock Festival Sunbury 1973, Mighty Mouse weigh in with the lengthy "Sunset Song", while Matt's set is represented by his own composition, "Brisbane To Beechworth". He had already recorded with his Sunbury line-up (minus Murphy, but with "Sleepy" Greg Lawrie on board) for his debut solo album Straight As A Die. Also a Chain record in all but name, and showcasing Taylor's own rollicking, witty compositions, this album was a Top-20 seller and in September yielded Mushroom Records' first placing in the national Top 10 singles list, "I Remember When I Was Young" a song that, like "I'll Be Gone", "Eagle Rock" and "Most People I Know", has become a perennial 70s OzRock anthem. 

With so much activity involving so many Chain alumni, it was inevitable that Mighty Mouse would evolve into yet another Chain -- by now the 15th permutation of the band!. Signing to Mushroom, this line-up issued two singles, the medium-tempo "I Thought You Weren't My Friend" (August) and the gruff shuffle-blues "I'm Gonna Miss You Babe" (November). Neither was particularly successful, but the reconstituted group did impress on the touring circuit, appearing in March at yet another large outdoor gathering, the Down Under Rock Festival in Melbourne (again, all the usual suspects were on a bill that featured – surprise – headliners The Aztecs). During May, Chain toured the country as support to the Muddy Waters Band and soon after teamed with that band's James "Peewee" Madison (guitar, vocals) and George "Mojo" Beauford (vocals, harmonica) for recordings that would form part of Chain's next LP, Two Of A Kind.

One of Melbourne's premier "head" venues around this time, along with the T.F. Much Ballroom, was the Garrison Disco in Prahran, the venue which had served as the unofficial HQ for Madder Lake. Local council pressure forced Garrison's closure in June 1973, and as one of its most popular and regularly-performing acts, Chain was fittingly invited to be among a handful of select bands that paid tribute to the place in its final days. Two Chain songs ("Grab A Snatch And Hold It" and "Do What You Wanna Do"), recorded live there on 7 June, appeared on the various artists' album Garrison: The Final Blow Vol. 2, along with "Roberta" by Taylor and Lawrie as a duo. Other songs recorded that evening were released in other formats: the single "I Thought You Weren't My Friend", b/w "Elephant", an edit of the extended soloing jam "How To Set Fire To An Elephant", which appeared in its full 18-minute form on Two Of A Kind. 

Miles-ago

Tracks
1. Two Of A Kind (James Madison) - 4:44
2. Reconsider Baby (Lowell Fulsom) - 4:39
3. Everybody Has To Lose Sometime (Traditional) - 8:22
4. Blues With A Feeling (Little Walter Jacobs) - 4:47
5. How To Set Fire To An Elephant (Ian Clyne) - 19:22

Chain
*Phil Manning - Guitar, Vocals
*Barry Sullivan - Bass
*Barry Harvey - Drums
*Ian Clyne - Keyboards
*Mal Capewell - Sax, Flute
with
*James "Peewee" Madison - Guitar, Vocals
*George "Mojo" Beauford - Vocals, Harmonica

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Chain - Toward The Blues (1971 aussie, superb blues rock, 2007 Picar bonus tracks issue)

Formed from the remnants of Perth band the Beaten Tracks in 1968, the Chain were named by singer Wendy Saddington after the classic soul track "Chain of Fools." Saddington soon left and the band released one of Australia's first progressive blues singles, "Show Me Home," in 1969. Soon after, the Chain shortened their moniker to Chain. In June 1970, Chain recorded the classic live album, Live Chain, at Caesar's Palace discotheque, and along with other Australian acts like Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs, Carson, and the Adderley Smith Blues Band, were considered at the forefront of the Australian blues movement.

In 1971 the new Chain (already by now, "Mk 7"!) attracted the attention of the aggressive young entrepreneur Michael Gudinski, who was by then in the throes of putting together the enduring Mushroom indie record label. Gudinski, who also became the group's manager soon afterwards, has subsequently acknowledged that Mushroom was conceived and built upon Chain's reputation, and he in turn enthusiastically helped foster their career during those heady times.

During the same year, the band continued to grow in stature as a must-see drawcard around the Melbourne blues haunts, as well as being a popular staple at the various outdoor festivals common to the era. An appearance at the Odyssey Festival at Ourimbah in January was captured on the double-LP set History Of Chain, cementing the group's greatness for posterity. Other festival appearances, such as at Myponga outside Adelaide and Wallacia near Sydney (each featuring a roster of the cream of OzRock's best) had a similar effect, and Chain by now were regarded as among the premier of Australia's progressive blues units.

The "classic" line-up of Chain enjoyed a national top ten hit in May with its debut Infinity single, "Black And Blue" (working title: "We're Groaning"), backed with Taylor's ambitious but solidly-delivered and decidedly progressive "Lightning Ground". The A-side recalled the traditional Afro-American "work-song" motif, and heralded the solid, blueswailing body of songs featured on Toward The Blues, Chain's first album for Festival's "progressive" Infinity imprint, which was released to great (and enduring) critical acclaim in September.

At a climactic concert on 13 June 1971 at the Melbourne Town Hall, where a number of the scene's pre-eminent bands assembled (headliners Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs released an LP of their stunning performance there), a self-deprecating Chain were awarded a silver disc plaque (at that time a coveted accolade) for selling 25,000 copies of the "Black 'n' Blue" single, a record that went on to become one of mainstream rock radio's most-played and most oft-requested staples.
MidozTouch-com

Tracks
1. Thirty Two-Twenty Blues (Robert Johnson) - 4:10
2. Snatch It Back And Hold It (Junior Wells) - 5:03
3. Boogie - 10:44
4. Booze Is Bad News Blues - 7:46
5. Albert Gooses Gonna Turn The Blues Looses - 7:04
6. Black And Blue - 4:50
7. Undgemend - 3:28
8. Blow In D - 6:01
9. Mr. President - 3:40
10.Leaving - 2:47
11.Two Of A Kind - 4:43
12.Forever - 5:07
13.I'm Gonna Miss You Babe - 3:30
14.Gertrude Street Blues - 5:01
All songs by Barry Harvey, Phil Manning, Barry Sullivan, Matt Taylor, except where noted.

Chain
*Barry Harvey - Drums
*Phil Manning - Guitar
*Barry Sullivan - Bass
*Matt Taylor - Vocals, Harmonica

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Flake - Hows Your Mother (1971 aussie, great soulful psych rock, mini LP replica)

Flake - Hows Your Mother (1971 aussie, great soulful psych rock, 2006 reissue)

The David - Another Day, Another Lifetime (1965-68 us, revealing psychg beat, extra tracks issue)

The David started in 1965 when lead singer and vocalist Warren Hansen got together with bassist Chuck Spieth, drummer Tim Harrison, and rhythm guitarist Mike Butte. Once they added lead guitarist Mark Bird, they got bookings in the Los Angeles area as "The Reasons." In 1966, while attending a gig at the Santa Monica Auditorium, the band met an enthusiastic young man named Steven Vail who convinced them to let him manage them. 

Vail redubbed them "The David" to be unique and memorable to a young listening audience. Within months, Steven Vail landed the group a recording contract with 20th Century-Fox Records.   In October 1966, The David went into the recording studio for the first time with 20th Century-Fox producer Jackie Mills. They recorded "Bus Token" (sometimes called "Bus Token Fare"), "Foolish Man," and what would become their first A-side, "Forty Miles." 

The single was released in December 1966 (backed with "Bus Token"). The group went out to promote it in their clean-cut white corduroy suits and neatly-trimmed long hair. 20th Century-Fox involved them in a nationwide promotional contest where the grand prize was a trip to Los Angeles, a studio tour, and a date with The David. "Forty Miles" received heavy airplay on the West Coast and went to #19 on Bakersfield, CA's top 40 outlet, KIFM.In November, for their second 20th Century-Fox session, they recorded "Out Of My Mind" and "People Saying, People Seeing," but it took more than six months, til June 1967, for 20th Century-Fox to release "People Saying, People Seeing" b/w "Forty Miles." 

The group then went through changes. They parted ways with 20th Century Fox, rhythm guitarist Mike Butte left the band,  while Steve Vail formed The Vance Music Company, whose first signing was The David.  Plans were madefor an album with big production. String arranger extraordinaire Gene Page (who was all over the & many disco hits of the 70s)  brought to Sound Recorders in Hollywood a full panoply of horns, strings, sitar, and additional vocals for the sessions that began on November 20,1967.  

The sessions later switched to American Recording Co. in Studio City, CA with Richard Podolor as the engineer. Capping Steven Vail's conglomeration and masterpiece of a production was the cover stunningly designed by painter Alan Maynard. When VMC issued the album at the tail end of 1967, the label picked "I'm Not Alone" as the first single, which was issued in a fancy picture sleeve TV beach performance: featuring a photograph by close friend of the band, Chris Georgesco. But radio station program directors had other ideas, especially on the East Coast where "Another Day, Another Lifetime/I Would Like To Know," "Sweet December" and "Time M" got most of the airplay. "Time M" is an obvious example of the theme of time that runs throughout the album, but the song's title is itself a mystery lost in time. 

The song was originally just called "Time" but when it got on the session take sheet it had become "Time M," though no one knows why. "Mirrors Of Wood" features Warren playing an instrument of his own design called a plasmatar, a six-foot long wooden frame strung with piano wire and played with a bottleneck to give the vibrant rasp heard on the song. All the songs were written by Warren Hansen, except for "(Mister) You're A Better Man Than I," which Mike Hugg of Manfred Mann wrote for The Yardbirds. 

The David recorded it in March, 1968, at T.T.G. Studios in Hollywood along with "I Don't Care," featuring the combined vocals of Mark Bird and Chuck Spieth. Tom Moulton found the two T.T.G.- recorded songs on the original 8-track session tapes during the remixing of the CD. Used by the group to warm up, "(Mister) You're A Better Man Than I" was never intended for release and never had vocals put down on it, but anyone familiar with The Yardbirds' version can tell how skillfully The David do it. The group's promotional efforts included an appearance at the annual Miss Teen Screen Magazine pageant at the Hollywood Palladium. They were also a Gramophone To Groovy, a tv documentary on rock and roll. 

 The group continued  on after the album's release, eventually drifting apart in the »early 1970s. Warren Hansen started college at UCLA and then moved away to start an environmental consulting firm. Tim Harrison went up to Alaska to work on the oil pipeline but moved back to manage properties in the Los Angeles area (when not surfing). Mike Butte continued to live in the Pacific Palisades area and became a finishing carpenter.  Chuck Spieth died from smoke inhalation in an accidental house fire in Oregon in the early 70s. While psychedelic in nature, the album does not pinpoint exactly whom The David sound like because theycreated a sound all their own.  

They could have been the next big thing if only top 40 radio by late 1967 had not started sticking to the sound they knew, afraid to try something new.  Looking back, the album should have sold a lot better than it did. Thirty years later, The David continue to garner fans in the psychedelic/garage band underground.  The time has come for The David to get the recognition they truly deserve. It is long overdue.

by Steve Kolanjian

Tracks
1. Another Day, Another Lifetime I Would Like To Know - 5:53
2. I'm Not Alone - 1:50
3. Sweet December - 3:06
4. Tell Me More - 2:25
5. Now To You - 2:50
6. Professor Crawford - 2:41
7. Time M - 3:49
8. So Much More - 2:17
9. Mirrors Of Wood - 3:24
10.Of Our Other Days - 2:08
11.I Don't Care  (Unissued) - 2:12
12.Mister, You're a Better Man Than I  (Unissued) - 2:52

The David
*Warren Hansen - Organ, Vocals
*Mark Bird - Guitar
*Chuck Spieth - Bass
*Tim Harrison - Drums

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The Bards - The Moses Lake Recordings (1968 us, blended sophisticated solid pop psych, Curt Boetcher and Keith Olsen production)

The Bard's charted hit "Never Too Much Love" was released by Capital Records in 1967. Amazingly, 30 years later, the Best of the Bards unique and highly innovative sound has been rediscovered. The Bard's journey to success is a true study of serendipity meeting innovation. 

Early in the 1960s, before the Beatles, about the time that the Wailers and Kingsmen were waking up Seattle and the three chords of "Louie Louie" were inspiring garage bands along the west coast, the "Continentals" evolved on the other side of Washington State. Consisting mainly of Moses Lake High School music students, the Continentals configuration was constantly being shaped by graduation, college, the army draft and parents. 

When the final combination of Mike Balzotti on keyboards, Mardi Sheridan on guitar, Bob Galloway on drums and Chuck Warren on bass arrived a true band was born! Eight years of intense effort and creativity took the group with a new name "The Bards" to every dance hall, armory, radio station and recording studio in the Northwest. They created an immensely different and popular sound by setting classic and contemporary poetry to rock music. (The Bard name means an ancient order of lyric, minstrel poets.) 

They quickly became a standout group among the popular Northwest groups of the 60's-sharing the stage with acts like The Dave Clark Five, Rascals, Animals and The Turtles. At the height of their popularity, featured in a series of concerts with Tommy Roe, they were paid the ultimate sixties compliment when in mid-set, police had to escort them off stage past screaming mobs of young teens. It was the glory days of Rock 'n Roll and a time of transition in American culture. 

The Bards mirrored these changes as reflected in their music. They blended solid pop rhythms and some sophisticated chord structures against seductively memorable vocal melodies. They merged classic lyrics with psychedelic textures. The rewards of their innovative style came when the Bards ventured to Hollywood, packing their "garage" tapes. 

Legendary pop producer Curt Boetcher, obviously amused by their lack of "Hollywood chic" introduced himself in an elevator and invited them to pitch their music. Boetcher's production partner at that time was Keith Olsen, who later achieved worldwide fame producing artists who've sold over 100 million records. This serendipitous meeting resulted in "The Moses Lake Recordings" a unique mix of distinctive songs including a 20- minute "Rock Opera," based on a poem called "The Creation." 

This material, produced by the best in the business was never released because of the demise of the record label until now. In a recent documentary on Northwest music, legendary Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame DJ Pat O'Day was asked what NW group deserved greater national recognition. He answered, "The Bards." The Bards were both a product of their time and an unmistakably original. Like many originals there is a timeless quality that endures.

Bob, Chuck, Mardig, and Mike, February, 2002

Tracks
1. Rainy Days I Had With You (Mike Balzotti) - 2:26
2. Laredo (Mardig Sheridan, Mike Balzotti, Chuck Warren) - 3:55
3. Oobleck (Mike Balzotti, Seuss) - 2:39
4. Moses (Mike Balzotti, Chuck Warren) - 3:14
5. Reluctantly and Slow (Mardig Sheridan, Johnson) - 3:05
6. The Creation (Mardig Sheridan, Mike Balzotti, Johnson) - 14:18
....And the Light Broke - 1:42
....He Made the World - 3:42
....Seven Seas - 0:30
....Green, Green Grass - 2:17
....I'll Make Me a Man - 3:08
....Up From the Bed of the River - 2:27
....Amen - 0:25
7. Hollow Men (Mardig Sheridan, Mike Balzotti, Elliot) - 4:22

The Bards
*Mardig Sheridan - Guitar, Vocals
*Mike Balzotti - Keyboards, Vocals
*Chuck Warren - Bass Guitar, Vocals
*Bob Galloway - Drums, Vocals

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rep>>> Morly Grey - The Only Truth (1972 us, exciting psychedelic guitar rock, 2010 bonus tracks edition)

Morly Grey - The Only Truth 1972 (Sundazed 2010)