Index - Index (1967-70 us, great dark psych experimental rock, 2010 double disc edition with unreleased material)

Index were formed in early 1966 in Grosse Point, Michigan. In ‘66 drummer Jim Valice (17 years old) met Gary Francis. Jim played in a garage band, and Gary played another band. One day they had a jam session with one more cool guitarist John B. Ford.  Their first jam was exciting, the sound was full and powerful with John’s technical guitar playing.

In early ’67 the band played “Johnny B. Good” and “Mustang Sally”. At the time Gary didn’t have his own bass. Jim and John bought a violin shaped bass for Gary as present. They became a party band, playing at a pool,and in the living room, in the summer. They covered Chuck Berry, Animals, and played their original songs. At the time the band was called “Chicken Every Sunday”. One afternoon after a session, they decided to change the name. John went over to a book shelf, and said taking a book” "Let’s make the name from what ever page falls open!"”. He tossed the book to the floor. The band changed their name to the Index. best of hideout

The Underdogs, The Rationals, unique girl band Pleasure Seekers(including Hideout clerk girl, Suzi Quatro) Fugitives(SRC) and more garage bands played at teenage nightclubs like Hideout and The Undercroft.

In the summer of ’67 Index was attracked to a new record, with unique, innovative sound, it was The Jimi Hendrex Experience. Hearing it they tried to make their own “psychedelic” sound. John wrote “Fire Eyes”, ”Shock Wave” and “Feedback”.

In the fall Jim got into The University of Detroit, John went to Yale in Connecticut. He came Detroit every other weekend to play with the band. Index was playing around Detroit area. During the Christmas holidays in ’67, Index opened for The Rationals.

Next morning the band tried their own recording. The basement became recording studio. Throughout December they had gigs in evening and rehearsed for first album during the day. After 3 days recording, they spent a couple of days mixing and adding sound effects to make feedback.

The album cover was basic black and white. On the cover was a picture of “Orpheus and Bacus” founders of a singing club John had joined at Yale. On the back was their picture. The record pressing company in Detroit needed a label and logo to press on the record, they selected DC from their friend Dwight Conger (aka. DC) for his great help with the band.

In mid ’68 John made the sound a more acoustic, mellow style. He began to listen The Buffalo Springfield, The Byrds, and Bee Gees. Gary switched to rhythm guitar.They found new bass player, Tom Ballow who was only 16 years old. He played soul music like James Brown, Wilson Pickett in his former band Joe’s Soul Repair.

By the summer of ‘68, John met young girl called Jan and fell in love with her. She hated the feedback sound and encouraged John to play mellow and tone down his music. This is one of the reasons why many people mixed up their first and second album.

The band’s sound changed. He wrote “Rainy Starless Nights” and “I Love You”. In the summer they made one more album called The Red Album which included John’s love songs along with wild “Breakout”, cover of Bee Gees “New York Mining Disaster”, Birds’ “Eight Miles High”. It was finished in the end of August, But the album was not pressed for a month because they didn’t have recent photo.  John was busy on the East Coast. Gary went to college in upstate Michigan and lost interest with the band.

After the recording they had their own house party at John’s home. His parents were traveling. It was early September. Detroit “punks” gathered there, The Underdogs, Scott Richard Case(SRC) ,Alice Cooper. Suzie Quatro arrived very late along with the drummer Nancy. About 10AM the next morning the house was trashed inside and out.

At the time John’s parent came back! Beer bottles had leaked a trail across the hall rug and now onto Mr. Ford’s foot. Everyone was immediately expelled from the house.

To release red album, Jim sketched silhouettes of the band members for the sleeve using the photo for theback cover of Black album. A local radio station WABX played the cuts from Black and the Red albums. But it was too late.  Gary left the band in January ’69.Tom quit too. It was the end of their history. In December  ’69 Jim and John joined again , they recorded some songs to make one more album . It was released as JUST US, only 150 copies were pressed.

In ’84 Voxx reissued the Red Album, the echo fuzz sound enchanted the listener. In late of ‘80s unknown Sears label released the Black Album. (it seems bootleg)  And at last, in ’95 Jim Valis released the CD called Index Anthology on his own label ,Top Jimmy Productions. It includes 5 cuts from Black Album, 7 cuts from Red album and 9 bonus songs of ’69 recording. In ’97, as a 30 year anniversary Anthology II was released as 2 CD which including ’69 live recording, rest of Black album and the last recording as Just Us. 

60's Punk

Tracks

The Black Album

1. Eight Miles High (J. McGuinn, D, Crosby, G. Clark) - 3:33

2. Israeli Blues (John B. Ford) - 4:05

3. John Riley (Bob Gibson R. Neff) - 4:00

4. Turquoise Feline (John B. Ford, Jim Valice) - 3:30

5. Rainy, Starless Nights (John B. Ford) - 2:25

6. Fire Eyes (John B. Ford, Jim Valice) - 4:08

7. Shock Wave (John B. Ford, Jim Valice) - 3:20

8. You Keep Me Hanging On (B. Holland, L. Dozier, E. Holland) - 3:00

9. Feedback (John B. Ford) - 4:50

The Red Album

10.Turquoise Feline (John B. Ford, Jim Valice, Tom Ballew) - 3:50

11.I Can't See Nobody (Robin Gibb, Barry Gibb) - 3:00

12.Spoonful (W. Dixon) - 4:50

13.Eight Miles High (J. McGuinn, D, Crosby, G. Clark) - 3:33

14.New York Mining Disaster (Robin Gibb, Barry Gibb) - 3:20

15.Paradise Beach (John B. Ford, Jim Valice) - 3:30

16.Break Out (John B. Ford, Jim Valice, Tom Ballew) - 2:45

17.I Love You (John B. Ford) - 3.40

18.Rainy, Starless Nights (John B. Ford) - 3:10

Disc 2
Yesterday and Today
1. Jill (John B. Ford, Jim Valice) - 4:37
2. Long Tall Shorty (R. Davies) 3:38
3. Mustang Sally (Sir Mack Rice) - 2:42
4. You Like Me Too Much (G. Harrison) - 2:10
5. Yesterday and Today (John B. Ford, Jim Valice) - 2:19
6. It's All In Your Mind (John B. Ford, Jim Valice) - 2:08
7.1 Got You (I Feel Good) (J. Brown) - 2.39
8. Dear Friend (P. McCartney) - 3:03
9. Yesterday and Today (John B. Ford, Jim Valice) - 4:09
10.I Met a Man (David Crosby) - 3:04
11.Morning Dew (B. Dobson) - 3:14
12.I Used to Be a King (G. Nash) - 2.53
13.431 Lakeshore Drive (John B. Ford, Jim Valice) - 2:47
14.Don't You Know (John B. Ford, Jim Valice) - 4:43
15.Sunny Skies (James Taylor) - 4:14
16.Kick It Out (John B. Ford, Jim Valice) - 2:58
17.Helplessly Hoping (S. Stills) 2:38

Index
*Jim Valice - Drums, Backing Vocals
*Gary Francis - Guitars. Bass, 12-String Guitar
*John B. Ford - Lead Guitar, Lead Vocals
*Tom Ballew - Bass   (only on the "Red" album)

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December's Children - December's Children (1968 us, essential psych harmonies with rootsy and rife bluesy funk tunes)

"The original lineup was Ron Papaleo on drums, Bill Petti on bass, Craig Balzer on guitar, and two female vocalists, Alice Popovich and Janet Belpulsi. Craig and Bill started the band. They brought me in next and shortly after we added the girls. All of this happened in the fall of 1965. We played our first gigs in December of that year (hence the name) while I was still a junior in high school, and by 1966 we were going pretty strong. Under this lineup, we were the first band to play at the E. 24th street Agora (in July of 1967), we came in third place in the battle of the bands the year Tiffany Shade won it, and we toured throughout the midwest, going on a 5 month road trip in early 1968 that included stops in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Michigan. 

As for clubs, we played at the Plato, The Agora,(both the one on Cornell and the one downtown) The Ramp, Socrates Cave, Otto's Grotto, Chesterland Hullaboo, Mentor Hullaboo, Cyrus Erie West, Admiral Bimbos, Pickle Bills in the Flats, The Inn Spot in Mayfield Hts., Nagles (a very popular neighborhood bar in Cleveland Hts.) 8 Miles High (the old Heidleburg Lounge on W. 25th Street), The Akron Agora, and a whole bunch neighborhood bars that are long closed and forgotten. I guess my favorite was Otto's Grotto. It was a happening place in the summer of 1967. Monday was reserved for local bands and we played our fair share that summer. I was just out of high school and it was all so new and exciting. Of course I also enjoyed playing at the Plato and the Agora, and we played so much at Nagle's for a while that it seemed like a second home to us.

The December's Children of this era was basically a Motown Band, with everyone but me handling vocals. Our 4 part harmony was really our signature back then. Janet left the group to pursue marriage and a career as a hairdresser in late 1968 or early 1969(I'm not exactly sure of when). She was replaced by Craig Balzer's brother, Bruce Balzer. Under this lineup, we achieved our greatest success. It was during this time that we became more of a hard rock band, playing songs by the Allman Brothers, King Crimson, The Rolling Stones, Neil Young, etc. etc. It was also during this time that we made the album for Mainstream Records. As you note, the album has been described as "west coast psychedelic", but we never thought of ourselves that way. We were a rock and roll band. The psychedelic stuff was invented by the record company. The album cover they created makes it obvious.

Bill D'Arango who hooked us up with Mainstream through his jazz connections. He was our manager then as well as Henry Tree's. I'm pretty sure he was Lacewing's manager as well, or at least he had some sort of arrangement with them, although I wouldn't know the exact terms. The week we were down there (at Criteria Studios in Miami), Eric Clapton and Duane Allman were recording in the studio across the hall. I believe they were working on Layla, since the timing was right for that and I am not aware of any other recordings those two did together. They usually recorded all night. We would see them coming out as we were coming in. We were so awestruck that we could barely speak to them. They were also constantly surrounded by amazingly beautiful women. We were all about 20 or 21 years old at this time. The drummer in Fleet, a band of 14 year olds that opened for us sometimes, accompanied us to Florida for the album. We called him "Mr. Traps" on the album. He played percussion on the cut "Afternoon"

Anyhow, December's Children broke up in 1971 after our Mainstream deal ended and we all went separate ways musically, although we have kept in touch socially. Craig, Bruce, and Bill formed the band Ambleside with Mike Amato on drums. After they broke up, Bill Petti and Mike Amato retired from music. Craig and Bruce joined Circus, and after that, formed their own band, 747. 747 became American Noise who had a lot of success in the area, and released a nationally distributed LP. Bill became a very successful business man, but he still sings for fun by sitting in with other bands occasionally. 

Mike moved to California and I lost track of him. Alice Popovich married Leroy Markesh, the guitar player from Henry Tree. Henry Tree was another Cleveland band managed by jazz guitar legend Bill D'Arango (as we were at that time too). Alice and Leroy formed a lounge band in the 70's called Second Time Around. They kept this band working steady for at least 10 years as far as I can remember. Alice and Leroy are still married and live near me in Mentor. Alice no longer sings, but Leroy still plays publicly. He is currently with the Tony Kousa Jr. band.

As for myself, I finished college and had a 31 year career as a high school band director. I also continued to play, doing everything from jazz gigs to theater orchestra work. I played in the original orchestra at the Front Row Theater, where I backed up such entertainers as Sammy Davis Jr., The Jackson 5, and more. I played with the Cleveland Orchestra as a substitute and am on one of their recordings. I also played with them as a drumset soloist at Blossom Music center in 1976. I am now retired from teaching but still active as a player. I am currently the drummer in the Burnt River Band (Cleveland's Premier Biker Blues Band), the Tom Bogus Band (another blues band) and an oldies band----the Jeff Gould Trio. Yes, it's the same Jeff Gould who used to be in the SenSations.

Janet Belpulsi was murdered by her brother who was upset that she would not give him any money for drugs. He strangled her with a telephone chord and stuffed her body into a closet in her apartment. The body was not discovered for a few days, until after she did not show up for work. As I recall, this happened in 1990 or 1991. Her case was re-enacted on America's Most Wanted which resulted in the capture of the brother.

by Ron Papaleo 

Tracks
1. Trilogy: 2.30 Casino, In Between A Dream, Lady Of The Garden- 4:50
2. Sweet Talkin' Woman - 2:55
3. Jane's Song (The Slow One) - 2:12
4. Hide The Water - 2:25
5. Afternoon - 3:00
6. Slow It Down - 2:24
7. Too Early To Be Late - 4:15
8. Last Monday Night - 2:40
9. Black Road River - 2:30
10. Livin' (Way Too Fast) - 3:40

December's Children
*Craig Balzer - Guitar, Keyboard, Vocals
*Bill Petti - Bass, Vocals
*Alice Popovic - Vocals
*Ron Papaleo - Drums, Percussion
*Bruce Balzer - Guitar

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T.P. Smoke - T.P. Smoke (1971 denmark, exciting organ drivin' heavy prog psych, 2009 remaster)

T.P. Smoke consist of three personalities of the Danish Beat Scene, three young gifted artists who improved their talents in various groups in Denmark throughout the past years.

The leader and the star is the twenty-three-year old Tommy Petersen, During the last 10 years he was able to conquer a top-position in the Danish Beat World. Already years ago his excellent and most popular compositions made him the Lennon/McCartney of the North. 

This album shows two different but equally good Tommy Petersons: First as writer of both lyrics and music and second on his organ. Together with companions Kay Rose on bass and Rene Sejr on drums he made an album which proves that T.P. Smoke belongs to the top groups of the North.

by Flemming Antony

Tracks
1. The Bad, Bad Junker - 6:20
2. Take A Trip - 4:52
3. You' re Right Place - 6:48
4. I'm A Stone - 4:10
5. The Girl I Met Today - 7:07
6. Dreams - 4:01
7. Hammerschmitts Garden - 10:00
8. Smoke - 5:05

T.P. Smoke
*Tommy Petersen - Organ
*Kay Rose - Bass
*Rene Sejr - Drums

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Paul Revere And The Raiders feat. Mark Lindsay - Goin' To Memphis (1968 us, fine soulful R 'n' B vibes, Sundazed remaster)

Sure, I liked the Detroit Sound, the Philly Sound, the LA Sound, the New Orleans Sound, and the Nashville (Owen Bradley) Sound.

But just 200 miles west, where the Mississippi River splits Tennessee and Arkansas, sits a sleepy city blinking in the sun, the home of the Memphis Sound -- Beale Street, B.B. King, Albert King, The King, Otis Redding, that wicked Wilson Pickett, David Porter, Isaac Hayes, Sam and Dave, "Play it Steve" Cropper. And the Memphis Horns and Stax and American Recording Studios and Sun Records, where Sam Phillips first cut Elvis and Jerry Lee and Carl Perkins. And more. So when I got the chance, I had to go to Memphis.

American's producer "Chips" Moman had put together a studio that had a very distinct sound. And some memorable recordings came out of that room -- "The Letter," "Angel of the Morning," "Burnin' Love," "Happening '68."

What? Our road manager at the time was one Jerry Williams, a Memphis native and a real promoter. He suggested we do an album in Memphis with "Chips." But "Chips" would only do it if he used his house band. This would be Gene Crispian on drums, Mike Leech on bass, Tommy Cogbill and Reggie Young on guitars, and "Spooner" Oldham on accoustic piano, Wurlitzer electric piano, and a Vox Jaguar organ.

"Chips" was very rigid about certain things in the studio. Gene used a set of drums that were set up in the center of the room on a four-foot platform. They were permanently miked, and God help anyone who moved a single drum or mic a fraction of an inch.

The board was a custom affair, mostly tubes and straight wire, as I recall. There was minimum EQ (highs and lows), and a couple of LA-2A tube limiters that were rarely plugged in. "Chips" didn't believe in processing the sound; the sound should come from the live musicians in the studio. He had two multi-track recorders: an Ampex 4-track and an old Ampex 3-track (our first Downbeats' demos were cut on a similar machine.) Moman used the 3-track most of the time, only bouncing to 4-track if he needed to overdub strings, horns, etc. He had a tiny live echo chamber and used it sparingly. And that was American Recording studio - very basic, but it had a sound.

When it was almost time to start the tracking sessions (three days away), I checked into a suite (just vacated by James Brown) on the top floor of the brand new riverfront Holiday Inn. Luckily for me there was a seven-foot grand piano in the main room, overlooking the river traffic on the Mississippi River below. There in that room on that piano, I wrote seven songs in three days. I worked out the arrangements with "Spooner" before the sessions each day, and when the musicians arrived we would teach them the tune and then do several takes live with me singing live until we got it right.

(On the intro to the title cut "Goin' to Memphis" you can hear me say to the band, "This is sho'nuff the right one -- 'cause I feel it!" And it was.)

After the basics were cut, a horn section did their thing, mostly "head arrangements" on the spot. And a couple of days later, members of the Memphis Symphony added strings to a few cuts, with Mike Leech writing their charts. I then fixed some vocals, and we mixed it in two days.

On the back of the album, the liner notes mention Joe Jr., Freddy, Charlie, and of course Paul. However, The Raiders didn't come; "Chips" kind of let it be known that if his guys were doing the sessions, he didn't want any spectators. Paul, who was co-owner with me of the band at that time, was reluctantly invited by "Chips" to watch the project (at Jerry's and my insistence), but he declined to come.

And "Happening '68"? At the end of the last day, we finished a few hours early, and I showed the guys the new tune. We quickly cut it and each musician took one last solo. And now you know the rest of the story.

by Mark Lindsay

Tracks
1. Boogaloo Down Broadway (J. James) - 2:31
2. Every Man Needs A Woman - 3:12
3. My Way - 2:31
4. One Night Stand - 2:31
5. Soul Man (I. Hayes, D. Porter) - 2:31
6. Love You So - 3:29
7. I Don't Want Nobody (To Lead Me On) (H. Thomas, L. Jones) - 2:25
8. I'm A Loser Too - 2:30
9. No Sad Songs (D. Carter) - 2:04
10.Cry On My Shoulder (F. Weller) - 2:19
11.Peace Of Mind (M. Lindsay, T. Melcher) - 2:02
12.Goin' To Memphis - 2:42
13.Go Get It (Previously Unissued) - 2:25
14.How Can I Help You (Previously Unissued) - 2:05
15.Peace Of Mind (Mono Single Version) (M. Lindsay, T. Melcher) - 2:27
All songs by Mark Lindsay except where indicated

Personnel
*Mike Leech - Bass, Strings
*Gene Crispian - Drums
*Mark Lindsay - Vocals
*Reggie Young - Guitar
*Bobby Wood - Keyboards
*Dewey Lindon "Spooner" Oldham Jr - Keyboards
*Tommy Cogbill - Guitar

Paul Revere And The Raiders
1963-65  Mojo Work Out (Sundazed issue)
1967  A Christmas Present... And Past
1969  Alias Pink Puzz (Sundazed remaster)
1969  Hard 'N' Heavy With Marshmallow (Sundazed issue)
Related Act
1970  Mark Lindsay - Arizona / Silverbird

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Paul Revere And The Raiders ‎– Hard 'N' Heavy With Marshmallow (1969 us, excellent classic rock beat psych, Sundazed extra tracks issue)

By the time of Paul Revere & the Raiders recorded Hard 'N' Heavy late in 1968, Mark Lindsay and Paul Revere were the only remaining original members of the band -- yet, surprisingly, this album consisted entirely of band originals, which is a pretty daring move for the first long-player featuring a new lineup of any band; even more amazing is that it's all good music. 

Bassist/guitarist Keith Allison, in particular, proved himself a special asset to the group throughout this album, not only with some very ballsy playing but three killer hard-rocking songs (co-written with Mark Lindsay) -- the Stones-like "Time After Time" and "Out on That Road," and "Without You." These alternate with Lindsay's smoother, generally more pop-oriented solo originals, and some competent, even catchy songs written by guitarist Freddy Weller and drummer Joe Correro. Lindsay's "Cinderella Sunshine" is the highlight of the album, appearing on the 2000 Sundazed Records reissue in both its album incarnation and its shorter, punchier single version.  There's also an uncredited 16th track, "Everybody Loves Swingy," written for a Mattel doll, that's one of the most infectious rock & roll numbers ever cut by the band. 

Its presence also spotlights a conundrum that the Raiders faced in 1969 - it was a sign of just how much this band liked to make music that people could hum and dance to, and didn't care for the "counterculture",  the soon-to-be Woodstock Nation, and other touchstones of late-'60s credibility; it might have been a sign that this band was never going to get with it, as far as rock credibility in the late '60s, but heard today, the "Swingy" jingle seems poignantly innocent and honest, as well as being a catchy little song. The sound is, as usual for Sundazed, impeccable. 

by Bruce Eder

Tracks
1. Mr Sun, Mr Moon - 2:48
2. Money, You Can't Buy Me - 3:37
3. Time After Time (Keith Allison, Mark Lindsay) - 4:19
4. Ride On My Shoulder - 2:52
5. Without You (Keith Allison, Mark Lindsay) - 4:51
6. Trishalana - 2:47
7. Out On That Road (Keith Allison, Mark Lindsay) - 3:40
8. Hard And Heavy 5 String Soul Band (Freddy Weller) - 3:19
9. Where You Goin' Girl (Freddy Weller) - 2:43
10.Cinderella Sunshine - 4:19
11.Call On Me (Joe Correro, Mark Lindsay) - 3:11
12.Do Unto Others (Single Version) (Terry Melcher, Mark Lindsay) - 2:13
13.Cinderella Sunshine (Single Version) - 2:00
14.Theme From It's Happening (Vocal Version) - 2:42
15.Judge GTO Breakaway (Original Version) (K. Allison, M. Lindsay) - 2:46
Allsongs by Mark Lindsay unless as else stated

The Raiders
*Keith Allison - Acoustic, Electric and 12 String Guitar, Piano, Bass, Keyboards, Vocals, Vox Organ
*Joe Correro - Drums, Maracas, Tambourine, Triangle, Vocals, Background Vocals, Whistle (Instrument), Cowbell, African Drums
*Mark Lindsay - Trumpet, Arranger, Clavichord, Harpsichord, Keyboards, Alto, Baritone and Tenor Saxophone, Vocals, Tack Piano
*Paul Revere - Hammond Organ, Electric Piano, Celeste, Background Vocals, Vox Organ, Tack Piano
*Freddy Weller - Acoustic, Electric, 12 String and Bottleneck Guitar, Bass, Vocals

Paul Revere And The Raiders
1963-65  Mojo Work Out (Sundazed issue)
1967  A Christmas Present... And Past
1969  Alias Pink Puzz (Sundazed remaster)
Related Act
1970  Mark Lindsay - Arizona / Silverbird

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Arthur Lee And Love ‎– Five String Serenade (1992 us, stellar breezy garage psych)

I've always got a song in my back pocket," Arthur Lee told me when I interviewed him in the early '70s, somewhere about the time his RSO album, Reel to Real, was about to be released. Indeed, for a legendry cult artist whose mood swings and erratic behaviors seemed to work at cross-purposes with the delicate arrangements and melodies of his best work (though his forays into Hendrix-influenced hard rock shouldn't be discounted), his discography is extensive and intriguing in its twistings and turn-turn-turnings.

Influenced by the Byrds (whose former road manager, Bryan Maclean, became his most important sidekick in Love), Lee had been an organ player in the Booker T. mold with his first instrumental band, the L.A.G.'s; but when long-haired musicians started infiltrating the Sunset Strip, he donned a pair of weirdly-shaped sunglasses, stepped out front vocally, and landed a deal with Elektra Records — one of their first non-folk signings. 

Love's first three albums with the label are classic examples of going-for-baroque: reinterpreting Burt Bacharach ("My Little Red Book") and Billy Roberts ("Hey Joe") in the guise of jingle-jangle folk-rock, taking on the Stones with an 18-minute track in "Da Capo," and practically templating garage-rock's drag-strip acceleration with "7 & 7 Is." Their third album, Forever Changes, orchestrated and flamenco'ed and filled with rhyme-of-consciousness lyricism, is one of rock's most star-crossed accomplishments; the last sight I had of Arthur Lee, on a stage in Williamsburg a year or so before his untimely passing, was performing that work with all its tremulous quaver intact. Love hardly ventured forth from LA during their glory era, and so it was doubly gratifying to hear Arthur sing himself across the years.

Some of those years were spent in prison, stretches seemingly self-destructed by Lee's short temper and paranoia. Judging from Five String Serenade, they were creatively lost to us as well. This was the last major album Arthur made before taking a called third strike and finishing out the century behind bars for waving a gun about in public. Recorded in Los Angeles in 1992, released on the French New Rose label the following year, it contains some of Lee's most affecting work, from the minuet stateliness and melancholy of the title track — which has been covered by Mazzy Star and the White Stripes — to such full-out rockers as "Seventeen," which attempts to overtake "7 & 7 Is" on the straightaways ("7" can't be beat, fueled as it is by nuclear power).

 "Somebody's Watching You" frames Lee's look over his shoulder in a setting that's two steps down the Strip from the Seeds; "Pass By" is blues in the Jimi 12-barroom mode, reminding of Lee and Hendrix crossing paths as black men in a white psychedelic garage scene. "You're the Prettiest Song" is the prettiest song, without the barbed hook Arthur usually planted in the second verse. His voice, like a lithe Sam Cooke or Johnny Mathis, slides from the back of his throat in slight vibrato.

Finally released from jail after seven years, reunited with Baby Lemonade, he returned to the fore and gave rapturously-received renditions of his body of work before he passed on in August of 2006. He was no stranger to comebacks. "I never went away," he told me when we met. And still hasn't.

by Lenny Kaye

Tracks
1. Five String Serenade - 5:26
2. Somebody's Watchin' You - 3:05
3. Twenty On My Way - 2:15
4. You're The Prettiest Song - 3:20
5. I Believe In You - 5:24
6. Ninety Miles Away - 4:43
7. Seventeen - 2:52
8. Love Saga - 4:48
9. The Watcher (Keith Parrish) - 3:13
10.Passing By - 3:01
All songs by Arthur Lee except wnere stated

Personnel
*Robert Rozelle - Bass
*Gary Stern - Drums
*Arthur Lee - Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards, Harmonica
*Melvan Whittington - Lead Guitar
*Tony Mikessell - Keyboards
   
1966  Love - Love (remaster and expanded)
1967  Love - Da Capo (remaster and expanded)
1967  Love - Forever Changes (2008 digi pack double disc set)

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Beau Brummels - Introducing The Beau Brummels (1965 us, beautiful folk beat psych, Sundazed edition)

A much stronger debut than the norm for the era. Ten of the 12 cuts are Ron Elliott originals, including the hits "Laugh Laugh," "Still in Love with You Baby," and "Just a Little." The hard-rocking numbers are the weakest, but "Stick Like Glue" and "I Would Be Happy" are fine Beatlesque numbers, and "They'll Make You Cry" is a first-rate moody folk-rocker. The CD reissue adds two bonus tracks, a demo of "Just a Little" and the single "Good Time Music." 

by Richie Unterberger

Tracks
1. Laugh Laugh - 2:54
2. Still In Love With You Baby - 2:32
3. Just A Little (Durand, Elliott) - 2:23
4. Just Wait & See - 2:22
5. Oh Lonesome Me (D. Gibson) - 2:22
6. Ain't That Loving Baby (D. Malone) - 2:22
7. Stick Like Glue - 1:58
8. They'll Make You Cry - 3:05
9. That's, If You Want Me To - 2:35
10.I Want More Loving - 2:23
11.I Would Be Happy - 2:40
12.Not Too Long Ago - 3:06
13.Just A Little (Unissued Demo Version) (Durand, Elliott) - 2:23
14.Good Time Music (Autumn Single) (J. Sebastian) - 3:04
All songs by  Ron Elliott except where noted

The Beau Brummels
*Sal Valentino - Vocals
*Ron Elliott - Lead Guitar
*Ron Meagher - Guitar
*Declan Mulligan - Bass
*John Petersen - Drums

1966  Beau Brummels' 66 (Japan issue) 
Related Act
1970  Ron Elliott - The Candlestickmaker

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Stalk-Forrest Group - St. Cecilia, The Elektra Recordings (1970 us, outstanding hard psych, pre Blue Oyster, remaster with bonus tracks)

For a band that issued only one single, and that only pressed in a quantity of a few hundred, the Stalk-Forrest Group have a very confusing history, and are very well-known by collectors. Much of this notoriety stems from the fact that the group evolved into Blue Öyster Cult shortly after the one Stalk-Forrest Group 45 was issued by Elektra. The Stalk-Forrest Group did manage to record an entire unreleased album for Elektra in 1970, in a much lighter and more psychedelic style than that for which Blue Öyster Cult became known. In the late '60s, the nucleus of the Long Island band that would become Blue Öyster Cult was playing under the name of Soft White Underbelly. 

With Les Braunstein as lead singer, they were signed by Elektra; Buck Dharma has recalled that Elektra exec Jac Holzman may have been looking for an East Coast Doors. An album was attempted, but eventually abandoned, in early 1969, and Braunstein was replaced by the band's equipment manager and soundman, Eric Bloom. Soft White Underbelly had been signed in large part because of Braunstein, and it took them a while to convince Elektra that they would be viable with the higher-voiced Bloom as lead singer.

In early 1970, however, the band, now renamed the Stalk-Forrest Group, was able to record an album for Elektra in Los Angeles. Co-produced by Sandy Pearlman and Jay Lee, the group was under the impression that it would get released, but it never was. Material from the album circulated among collectors for a long time, and shows a band considerably different than Blue Öyster Cult. The songs were psychedelic and tuneful, somewhat in the manner of two other Elektra acts, Love and the Doors, although poppier than either of those two groups. 

The arrangements were full of high harmonies and fluid, accomplished, psychedelic guitar interplay, and the songs were dominated by rather fanciful and oblique trippy imagery, as was evident from titles like "Ragamuffin's Dumplin," "Bonomo's Turkish Tuffy," "Arthur Comics," and "A Fact About Sneakers." Though perhaps in need of fine tuning or embellishment, it was certainly up to release quality.

Elektra tried to get Don Gallucci (from the band Don & the Goodtimes) in to produce them, but after an exploratory meeting he left for California without informing the group. Around the time Joe Bouchard replaced Andy Winters on bass, they were dropped from Elektra, although the label did press about 200 copies of a single with two of the songs from the unreleased album sessions, "What Is Quicksand?"/"Arthur Comics." After running through some more band names, the musicians finally got their recording career off the ground as Blue Öyster Cult in the early '70s, playing in a harder rock style than they had as the Stalk-Forrest Group. An extremely limited-edition LP of ten songs from the unreleased Stalk-Forrest Group album sessions came out in Germany in 1998.

by Richie Unterberger

Tracks
1. What Is Quicksand? (Allen Lanier, Richard Meltzer) - 3:20
2. I'm On The Lamb (E. Bloom, A. Bouchard, S. Pearlman) - 3:00
3. Gil Blanco County (Lanier, Pearlman) - 3:36
4. Donovan's Monkey (Bouchard, Meltzer) - 3:44
5. Ragamuffin Dumplin' (Bouchard, Meltzer) - 5:12
6. Curse Of The Hidden Mirrors (Bouchard, Meltzer) - 3:17
7. Arthur Comics (Bouchard, Meltzer) - 3:10
8. A Fact About Sneakers (Bouchard, Meltzer) - 7:53
9. St. Cecila (Bouchard, Pearlman, Andrew Winters) - 6:44
10.Ragamuffin Dumplin' (Alternate Mix) (Bouchard, Meltzer) - 5:19
11.I'm On The Lamb (Alternate Version) (E. Bloom, A. Bouchard, S. Pearlman) - 2:52
12.Curse Of The Hidden Mirrors (Alternate Mix) (Bouchard, Meltzer) - 3:16
13.Bonomo's Turkish Taffy (Bouchard, Meltzer) - 2:13
14.Gil Blanco County (Alternate Mix) (Lanier, Pearlman) - 6:47
15.St. Cecilia (Alternate Mix) (Bouchard, Pearlman, Andrew Winters) - 6:45
16.A Fact About Sneakers (Alternate Version) (Bouchard, Meltzer) - 3:07
17.What Is Quicksand? (Mono Single Version) (A. Lanier, R. Meltzer) - 3:19
18.Arthur Comics (Mono Single Version) (Bouchard, Meltzer) - 3:10
Tracks 1-9 from the unreleased and untitled Elektra album EKS-74046
Tracks 10-16 previously unreleased
Tracks 17 and 18 are from the Elektra single EKM-45693

Stalk-Forrest Group
*Eric Bloom Aka "Jesse Python" - Lead Vocals, Guitars
*Donald Roeser Aka "Buck Dharma" - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Andrew Winters - Bass, Acoustic Guitar On His Composition "St. Cecilia"
*Allen Lanier Aka "La Verne" - Keyboards, Guitar
*Albert Bouchard Aka "Prince Omega" - Drums, Vocals

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The Youngbloods - Beautiful! Live In San Francisco (1971 us, amazing west coast psych, Sundazed edition)

Recorded live at Pacific High Recorders in December 1971 for radio broadcast on KSAN in San Francisco, this is a fine-sounding document of the Youngbloods playing live shortly before their breakup. It does catch them a little past their prime -- most of the songs are from their later career, not their better, first half -- and the energy's a little lower than it was during their best folk-rocking days in the late '60s. There's also a greater tilt toward rootsy country and blues sounds than there is toward the folk-rock-pop that distinguished some of their finest earliest work. 

Still, the band does play well here, and Jesse Colin Young's distinctive tenor voice and Banana Levinger's equally distinctive jazzy electric piano are both in fine shape. There's also the bonus of a few songs that didn't make it onto the Youngbloods' albums, including a cover of Dave Dudley's country trucking classic "Six Days on the Road," the folk song "Old Dan Tucker," and the Young original "Country Home," which he'd record on an early solo album. The highlights are still the original pieces in which they combine folk-rock and laid-back jazzy psychedelia, including the hit "Get Together," a version of which closes the set. 

by  Richie Unterberger

By the time the Youngbloods, always crowd faves at the west coast ballrooms, performed live for San Francisco’s free-form radio pioneer KSAN in 1971, they’d honed their set to a fine gloss. Featuring the smooth as apple-butter voice of Jesse Colin Young and the guitar/keyboard wizardry of Banana, backed by the rock-solid bass-and-drum tandem of Michael Kane and Joe Bauer, the Youngbloods positively sparkle here. We’re elated to present a lengthy, previously unissued 13-song set that’s equal parts rocking R&B, dreamy jazzers and honky tonk flag-wavers, with just a little bit of psychedelic weirdness—topped off, of course, by a knockout version of their generational anthem, “Get Together.” The Youngbloods: at the top of their game, making it all look so easy—and so damn beautiful. - See more at: 

Sundazed

Tracks
1. Six Days on the Road (Earl Green, Carl Montgomery) - 3:45
2. Country Home (Jesse Colin Young) - 3:56
3. On Sir Francis Drake (Lowell Levinger) - 2:46
4. Dreamboat (Jesse Colin Young) - 3:24
5. Drifting and Drifting (Jesse Colin Young) - 6:23
6. Interlude (Lowell Levinger) - 2:23
7. Old Dan Tucker (Traditional) - 1:59
8. You Can't Catch Me (Chuck Berry) - 4:15
9. On Beautiful Lake Spenard (Lowell Levinger) - 4:52
10.Josianne (Jesse Colin Young) - 7:13
11.Explosion (Lowell Levinger) - 0:29
12.Beautiful (Jesse Colin Young) - 5:52
13.Get Together song review (Chester Powers) - 4:07

The Youngbloods 
*Joe Bauer - Drums
*Banana - Guitar, Keyboards
*Jesse Colin Young - Guitar, Vocals
*Michael Kane - Bass

1967/69  The Youngbloods / Earth Music / Elephant Mountain (2 disc set)
1972  High On A Ridge Top 
Related Act
1973  Jesse Colin Young - Song For Juli (2009 edition)

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Paul Revere And The Raiders - Alias Pink Puzz (1969 us, exceptional psychedelic, country and folk amalgam, Sundazed remaster with extra tracks)

The seismic changes in the musical landscape of the late 1960s influenced the sound of nearly every major pop and rock act, and Paul Revere and the Raiders were no exception. As bassist Keith Allison explains in his new liner notes, the title of Alias Pink Puzz refers to the fact that the Raiders submitted an advance pressing of a new song to a Los Angeles FM rock station under the pseudonym "Pink Puzz" in an effort to sidestep the band's Top 40 pop image. 

The station's management liked the song, but was livid when they learned the truth. Such trickery wasn't necessary for the Raiders to score one of their most memorable hits with the insistent rocker "Let Me!" and one of their most-covered tunes with "Freeborn Man." Despite the psychedelic-sounding pseudonym, Alias Pink Puzz largely features a rootsy, laid-back sound boasting a variety of blues, country and swamp-rock influences, with such titles as "Frankfort Side Street" and "Down in Amsterdam" reflecting the band's overseas touring experiences. The Sundazed edition of Alias Pink Puzz features four alternate/demo versions as bonus tracks.

Sundazed

Tracks
1. Let Me! - 3:58
2. Thank You - 3:01
3. Frankfort Side Street - 3:00
4. Hey Babro - 2:30
5. Louisiana Redbone (Keith Allison, Mark Lindsay) - 2:06
6. Here Comes The Pain (Keith Allison, Mark Lindsay) - 3:10
7. The Original Handy Man - 2:28
8. I Need You (Keith Allison, Mark Lindsay) - 2:13
9. Down In Amsterdam (Keith Allison, Mark Lindsay) - 2:59
10.I Don't Know - 5:29
11.Freeborn Man (Keith Allison, Mark Lindsay) - 3:33
12.Let Me! (Single Version) - 2:30
13.Too Much Talk (Demo Version) - 2:25
14.Get Out Of My Mind (Demo Version) - 2:52
15.I Don't Know (Alternate Version) - 6:24
All songs by Mark Lindsay except where indicated.

Paul Revere And The Raiders
*Mark Lindsay - Vocals
*Freddy Weller - Lead Guitar
*Joe Correro, Jr. - Drums
*Keith Allison - Bass
*Paul Revere - Organ

Paul Revere And The Raiders
1963-65  Mojo Work Out (Sundazed issue)
1967  A Christmas Present... And Past
Related Act
1970  Mark Lindsay - Arizona / Silverbird

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Brian Auger's Oblivion Express - Closer To It (1973 uk, magnificent jazz progressive rock, japan remaster)

British keyboard maestro Brian Auger achieved something virtually unheard of with this classic album upon its 1973 release. Closer To It, Brian's heady mix of jazz, soul, funk and rock entered the US Billboard Jazz, R 'n' B and Rock charts simultaneously! He had done such a great job blending and blurring musical boundaries.

Brian had been forging this very single minded path for nearly ten years previously in various groups The Steampacket and then The Trinity (with Julie Driscoll) his avowed aim to overlay funk, pop and soul rhythms with jazz harmony and solos. It was on Closer To It that Brian finally felt he had got as near as he could to the sound in his head and what a gloriously contemporary sound it still is. With Brian's vocals, his highly individual Hammond organ sound and funky electric piano stylings leading the way backed by a wonderfully smokey, deep dish rhythm section, this album joined the ranks of other undoubted jazz fusion 'must have' records.

Tracks like 'Whenever You're Ready', 'Voices of Other Times' and the oft sampled, Auger-fied version of Marvin Gaye's 'Inner City Blues' have since become club classics and broke new ground for the Rare Groove, Acid jazz and Neo Funk scenes that were to follow in Brian's experimental footsteps.

Almost certainly his finest recorded moment when first released this CD edition boasts 2 previously unreleased tracks including another take of 'Happiness Is Just Around The Bend' which was covered and made into a hit by The Main Ingredient the US soul outfit incidentally fronted by one Cuba Gooding Snr!

In 2005 it may be harder to appreciate just how ground-breaking this particular recording was but when you know that this release is a well-loved underground classic it is easier to understand why everybody, from Herbie Hancock to The Beastie Boys, puts Brian Auger's Oblivion Express' Closer to It somewhere near the very top of their all-time great recordings. The greatest musical entity to emerge from Shepherds Bush bar none!

by  Greg Boraman, 2005 

Tracks
1. Whenever You're Ready (Brian Auger, Barry Dean) - 6:22
2. Happiness Is Just Around the Bend (Brian Auger) - 6:34
3. Light On The Path (B. Auger, B. Dean, L. Laington, G. McLean, J. Mills) - 4:56
4. Compared To What (Gene McDaniels) - 7:55
5. Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) (Marvin Gaye) - 4:34
6. Voices Of Other Times (Brian Auger, Barry Dean) - 5:58
7. Happiness Is Just Around The Bend (Alternative take) (Brian Auger) - 7:26
8. Inner City Blues (7" Version) (Marvin Gaye) - 3:28

The Oblivion Express
*Brian Auger - Mellotron, Moog, Organ, Percussion, Piano, Vocals
*Barry Dean - Bass
*Lennox Laington - Congas, Drums
*Godfrey McLean - Bells, Cowbell, Drums
*Jack Mills - Guitar

Brian Auger's Oblivion Express
1971 A Better Land (2006 japan remaster)
1972 Second Wind (2006 japan remaster)

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The Paul Butterfield Blues Band - The Paul Butterfield Blues Band (1965 us, superb prime blues rock)

Even after his death, Paul Butterfield's music didn't receive the accolades that were so deserved. Outputting styles adopted from Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters among other blues greats, Butterfield became one of the first white singers to rekindle blues music through the course of the mid-'60s. 

His debut album, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, saw him teaming up with guitarists Elvin Bishop and Mike Bloomfield, with Jerome Arnold on bass, Sam Lay on drums, and Mark Naftalin playing organ. The result was a wonderfully messy and boisterous display of American-styled blues, with intensity and pure passion derived from every bent note. In front of all these instruments is Butterfield's harmonica, beautifully dictating a mood and a genuine feel that is no longer existent, even in today's blues music. 

Each song captures the essence of Chicago blues in a different way, from the back-alley feel of "Born in Chicago" to the melting ease of Willie Dixon's "Mellow Down Easy" to the authentic devotion that emanates from Bishop and Butterfield's "Our Love Is Drifting." "Shake Your Money Maker," "Blues With a Feeling," and "I Got My Mojo Working" (with Lay on vocals) are all equally moving pieces performed with a raw adoration for blues music. 

Best of all, the music that pours from this album is unfiltered...blared, clamored, and let loose, like blues music is supposed to be released. A year later, 1966's East West carried on with the same type of brash blues sound partnered with a jazzier feel, giving greater to attention to Bishop's and Bloomfield's instrumental talents.

by Mike DeGagne

Tracks
1. Born in Chicago (Nick Gravenites) – 2:55
2. Shake Your Moneymaker (Elmore James) – 2:27
3. Blues With a Feeling  (Walter Jacobs) – 4:20
4. Thank You Mr. Poobah  (Mike Bloomfield, Paul Butterfield, Mark Naftalin) – 4:05
5. I Got My Mojo Working (Muddy Waters) – 3:30
6. Mellow Down Easy  (Willie Dixon) – 2:48
7. Screamin'  (Bloomfield) – 4:30
8. Our Love Is Drifting  (Bloomfield, Elvin Bishop) – 3:25
9. Mystery Train  (Junior Parker, Sam Phillips) – 2:45
10.Last Night  (Jacobs) – 4:15
11.Look Over Yonders Wall (James Clark) – 2:23

The Paul Butterfield Blues Band
*Paul Butterfield – Harmonica, Vocals
*Mike Bloomfield – Guitar
*Elvin Bishop – Guitar
*Mark Naftalin – Organ
*Jerome Arnold – Bass
*Sam Lay – Drums, Lead Vocal on "I Got My Mojo Working"

Paul Butterfield's mosaic
1966  East West
1966-68  Strawberry Jam
1967  The Resurrection Of The Pigboy Crabshaw
1968  In My Own Dream
1969  Keep On Moving
1970  Live 
1971  Sometimes I Just Feel Like Smilin'
1973  Paul Butterfield's Better Days
1973  It All Comes Back (Japan Edition)
1976  Put It In Your Ear

Elvin Bishop
1969-70/72  Party Till The Cows Come Home
1974  Elvin Bishop - Let It Flow
1977  Live! Raisin' Hell (2012 remaster)

Mike Bloomfield's tapestry
1967  Electric Flag - The Trip
1968-69  Electric Flag - An American Music Band / A Long Time Comin'  
196?-7?  The Electric Flag - Live
1968  Al Kooper, Mike Bloomfield - The Lost Concert Tapes, Filmore East
1969  Mike Bloomfield And Al Kooper - The Live Adventures
1969  Michael Bloomfield with Nick Gravenites & Friends - Live At Bill Graham's Fillmore West
1969  Nick Gravenites - My Labors
1973  Bloomfield, Hammond, Dr.John - Triumvirate (Japan remaster)
1976  KGB - KGB
1976-77  Michael Bloomfield - Live at the Old Waldorf
1977  Prescription For The Blues

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The Paul Butterfield Blues Band - East West (1966 us, pioneer influental blues psych rock)

In the fall of 1965, the blues guitar prodigy Michael Bloomfield dropped acid. He had a vision, a musical vision, that he said unlocked the secrets of Indian music.

After the all-night psychedelic experience, he began work on “the raga,” an improbable instrumental mash-up of Eastern drones and scales, and Western free jazz, rock and Chicago blues harmonica.

Bloomfield presented the improvisational concept to his fellow players in the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. Until that point, this was a fairly straightforward group out of Chicago — except for its white leader and its interracial mix of musicians.

“East-West” seemed to come out of nowhere, a full-blown shock of the new, but clues to its genesis could be found in the key players’ musical DNA:

Butterfield, a local harmonica player, had been schooled on blues by Muddy Waters (who called him “my son”). Butterfield’s harp playing was fluid and thoughtful. New to the group was Billy Davenport, a jazz drummer whose heroes included Charlie Parker, Gene Krupa and Max Roach. To pay the bills, he played the blues. A second white guitarist, Elvin Bishop, specialized in the often eerie sounds of seminal bluesman Robert Johnson. Keyboardist Mark Naftalin studied music theory and composition.

From this cauldron emerged one of the boldest experiments in the history of blues and rock. The group’s second album, “East-West,” hit the street a year later, its title song running 13-plus minutes. This, however, was not the full-blown “East-West,” which in performance could top an hour’s length.

“This song was based, like Indian music, on a drone,” Naftalin has said. “In Western musical terms it ’stayed on the one.’”

Bloomfield, Butterfield and Bishop take solo turns and come together just the song’s unforgettable climax. The stucture is that of a suite, with different modes (scales) ruling different sections. Bishop takes the first solo spot, with Bloomfield doing the heavy lifting throughout, running through his acid-flash collection of exotic modes while his partner drones along.

Davenport works furiously in the background, applying the (oxymoronic) disciplines of free jazz. He sometimes imitates the tabla and mridanga drummers of Indian sitar ensembles. At other times he plays what sounds like bossa nova/samba.

Butterfield provides ballast and encouragement throughout, before propelling “East-West” in its final minutes, his blues harp channeling Coltrane as the guitars go spinning-dervish around him. At one point, Butterfield responds to the creative chaos with dissonant honks, a brilliant and somehow logical move.

“East/West” influenced many of the California psychedelic bands, lighting the way to free-form improvisation, instrumental textures for their own sakes, dissonance and non-traditional scales. Few of these hippie acts had the musical chops to even approximate the Butterfield band’s achievement, but some did — such as Quicksilver Messenger Service, Santana and to some extent the Grateful Dead.

Bloomfield left the band after the “East-West” album, and formed Electric Flac before join forces with Al Kooper in some great collaborations, "Super Sessions", and later with Nick Gravenites, he found dead in his car on February 15, 1981 (he was 37). Butterfield, also died early, but not before the spirit of “East-West” infused a series of excellent albums by his growing band, notably 1968’s “In My Own Dream.” Bishop went on to a career in Southern rock and enjoyed some success.

Indian and Arabic sounds never left rock. The Beatles’ George Harrison, of course, became the highest-profile student of Eastern sounds, studying with the sitar master Ravi Shankar. In 1966, the brought the instruments to the Beatles recordings with “Norwegian Wood.” The Beatles continued with the instrument for several years.

by Abel "Psychedelic-sight"

Tracks
1. Walkin' Blues (Robert Johnson) - 3:15
2. Get Out Of My Life, Woman (Allen Toussaint) - 3:13
3. I Got A Mind To Give Up Living  (Traditional) - 4:57
4. All These Blues (Traditional) - 2:18
5. Work Song (Nat Adderley, Oscar Brown) - 7:53
6. Mary, Mary (Michael Nesmith) - 2:48
7. Two Trains Running (Muddy Waters) - 3:50
8. Never Say No (Traditional) - 2:57
9. East-West (Mike Bloomfield, Nick Gravenites) - 13:10

The Paul Butterfield Blues Band
*Paul Butterfield - Harmonica, Vocals
*Mike Bloomfield – Guitar
*Elvin Bishop – Guitar, Vocals
*Mark Naftalin – Keyboards
*Jerome Arnold – Bass
*Billy Davenport - Drums

Paul Butterfield's back pages
1966-68  Strawberry Jam
1967  The Resurrection Of The Pigboy Crabshaw
1968  In My Own Dream
1969  Keep On Moving
1970  Live 
1971  Sometimes I Just Feel Like Smilin'
1973  Paul Butterfield's Better Days
1973  It All Comes Back (Japan Edition)
1976  Put It In Your Ear

Elvin Bishop
1969-70/72  Party Till The Cows Come Home
1974  Elvin Bishop - Let It Flow
1977  Live! Raisin' Hell (2012 remaster)

Mike Bloomfield's tapestry
1967  Electric Flag - The Trip
1968-69  Electric Flag - An American Music Band / A Long Time Comin'  
196?-7?  The Electric Flag - Live
1968  Al Kooper, Mike Bloomfield - The Lost Concert Tapes, Filmore East
1969  Mike Bloomfield And Al Kooper - The Live Adventures
1969  Michael Bloomfield with Nick Gravenites & Friends - Live At Bill Graham's Fillmore West
1969  Nick Gravenites - My Labors
1973  Bloomfield, Hammond, Dr.John - Triumvirate (Japan remaster)
1976  KGB - KGB
1976-77  Michael Bloomfield - Live at the Old Waldorf
1977  Prescription For The Blues

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The Paul Butterfield Blues Band - The Resurrection Of The Pigboy Crabshaw (1967 us, sensational blues rock with jazzy mood)

The 1968 edition of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band featured a larger ensemble with a horn section, allowing for a jazzier feeling while retaining its Chicago blues core. They also adopted the psychedelic flower power stance of the era, as evidenced by a few selections, the rather oblique title, and the stunning pastiche art work on the cover. 

Butterfield himself was really coming into his own playing harmonica and singing, while his band of keyboardist Mark Naftalin, guitarist Elvin Bishop, drummer Phil Wilson, electric bassist Bugsy Maugh, and the horns featuring young alto saxophonist David Sanborn was as cohesive a unit as you'd find in this time period. Butterfield's most well known song "One More Heartache" kicks off the album, a definitive blues-rock radio favorite with great harmonica and an infectious beat urged on by the top-notch horns. 

The band covers "Born Under a Bad Sign" at a time when Cream  also did it -- which one was better? "Driftin' & Driftin'" is another well known tune, and over nine minutes is stretched out with the horns cryin' and sighin', including a definitive solo from Sanborn  over the choruses. There's the Otis Rush tune "Double Trouble," and "Drivin' Wheel" penned by Roosevelt Sykes; Butterfield wrote two tunes, including "Run Out of Time" and the somewhat psychedelic "Tollin' Bells" where Bishop's guitar and Naftalin's slow ringing, resonant keyboard evokes a haunting sound.

 Likely this is the single best Butterfield album of this time period, and though compilations or "best-of" discs are available (Golden Butter being the best), you'd be well served to pick this one first and go from there. 

by Michael G. Nastos

Tracks
1. One More Heartache (Smokey Robinson, The Miracles) – 3:20
2. Driftin' And Driftin' (Charles Brown, Johnny Moore, Eddie Williams) – 9:09
3. I Pity The Fool (Deadric Malone) – 6:00
4. Born Under A Bad Sign (William Bell, Booker T. Jones) – 4:10
5. Run Out Of Time (Paul Butterfield, Brother Gene Dinwiddie, Peterson) – 2:59
6. Double Trouble (Otis Rush) – 5:38
7. Drivin' Wheel (Roosevelt Sykes) – 5:34
8. Droppin' Out (Paul Butterfield, Tucker Zimmerman) – 2:16
9. Tollin' Bells (Traditional, Arr. Butterfield Blues Band) – 5:23

The Paul Butterfield Blues Band
*Paul Butterfield  - Harmonica, Vocals
*Elvin Bishop - Guitar, Vocals
*David Sanborn - Alto Saxophone
*Brother Gene Dinwiddie - Tenor Saxophone
*Bugsy Maugh - Bass, Vocals
*Mark Naftalin - Keyboards
*Phillip Wilson - Drums
*Keith Johnson - Trumpet

Paul Butterfield's back pages
1966-68  Strawberry Jam
1968  In My Own Dream
1969  Keep On Moving
1970  Live 
1971  Sometimes I Just Feel Like Smilin'
1973  Paul Butterfield's Better Days
1973  It All Comes Back (Japan Edition)
1976  Put It In Your Ear
Related Act
1969-70/72  Elvin Bishop - Party Till The Cows Come Home
1974  Elvin Bishop - Let It Flow
1977  Elvin Bishop - Live! Raisin' Hell

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