The Senstational Alex Harvey Band - Framed / Next (1972-73 uk, magnificent hard boogie glam rock, 2002 remaster and 2014 japan SHM)

A handy two-fer coupling of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band's first two albums, nicely remastered but sadly accompanied by nothing that has not been reissued before, Framed/Next captures the band as they took their first steps towards a superstardom that was by no means taken for granted. Early live audiences hated the group, and the only consolation for Harvey was that he actively enjoyed the confrontation.

Framed was recorded in under five days, and still steams with the seething fury of its birth, a mixed bag of new creations, odd concoctions, and oldies that Harvey had been playing for up to a decade. Both the title track and "I Just Want To Make Love To You" were reprised from his Alex Harvey Soul Band debut album; "Hole In Her Stocking" had already appeared on his last LP, as a member of the Rock Workshop troupe; and "Midnight Moses" revisited a lost 1969 single. Elsewhere, however, the epic "Isabel Goudie" showcased his backing band with a lengthy recounting of a Scottish witch legend, while the decidedly unseasonal Yuletide single "There's No Lights On The Christmas Tree" told the tale of a gangster going to the electric chair. And "The Hammer Song" found an entire new generation of fans after Nick Cave covered it on 1990s The Good Son. At the time, though, they couldn't give this stuff away.

Fast forward a year and the band's fortunes had changed dramatically. Now regarded as one of the top live acts in the country, the criticism was that their vinyl didn't reflect their live performances. Next, dynamically produced by Phil Wainman (later better-known for his work with the Bay City Rollers), would change that forever.

Once again, the title song was a cover, a dramatic version of Jacques Brel's "Au Suivant" transformed into an apocalyptic tango. More important within Harvey's own subsequent iconography, however, was the pulsing "Faith Healer," a magnificent invocation that was soon to become the band's traditional set-opener (replacing a manic version of the Osmonds' "Crazy Horses") and has since, of course, ascended to the status of Rock Anthem.

The seethingly sexual "Swampsnake" and the lascivious "Gang Bang" cater delightedly to the band's reputation for taking no prisoners, but a rambunctious version of Freddie Bell's 1956 classic "Giddy Up A Ding Dong" gives ample vent to their lighter side, before Harvey unleashes the semi-autobiographical "Last Of The Teenage Idols," a song recounting his long ago triumph in a Scottish Tommy Steele competition. It's a great conclusion to the album, and a fitting finale, too, to this release's roundup of SAHB's first full year in action.

by Dave Thompson

Tracks

Disc 1 Frame

1. Framed (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) - 4:56

2. Hammer Song - 4:05

3. Midnight Moses - 4:25

4. Isobel Goudie (Part 1: My Lady Of The Night, Part 2: Coitus Interruptus, Part 3: Virgin And The Hunter) - 7:29

5. Buff's Bar Blues - 3:04

6. I Just Want To Make Love To You (Willie Dixon) - 6:39

7. Hole In Her Stocking - 4:39

8. There's No Lights On The Christmas Tree, Mother They're Burning Big Louie Tonight - 3:44

9. St. Anthony - 4:46

All tracks composed by Alex Harvey except where noted

Disc 2 Next 
1. Swampsnake - 4:54
2. Gang Bang - 4:42
3. The Faith Healer - 7:21
4. Giddy Up A Ding Dong (Freddie Bell, Joey Lattanzi) - 3:14
5. Next (Jacques Brel, Mort Shuman, Eric Blau) - 4:02
6. Vambo Marble Eye (Alex Harvey Band) - 4:25
7. The Last Of The Teenage Idols (Harvey, Hugh McKenna, Zal Cleminson) - 7:15
All tracks composed by Alex Harvey except where stated

The Senstational Alex Harvey Band
*Alex Harvey - Lead Vocals
*Zal Cleminson - Lead Guitar
*Hugh McKenna - Electric Piano
*Chris Glen - Bass Guitar
*Eddie McKenna - Drums
*Phil Kenzie - Tenor Saxophone
*Big Bud's Brass - Brass Section
*David Batchelor - Backing Vocals  (only on "Next")

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Monument - The First Monument (1971 uk, tough organ and guitar fuelled rockers, 2010 Relics remaster)

By 1971, when this album was first released, it had become somewhat trendy amongst the underground fraternity to actively participate in practises such as ritual magic, occult arts and various other esoteric customs. With music very much to the fore of this scene, a twilight culture unfurled linking mysticism to it in the form of groups inspired by their own self interest and beliefs.

While special imagery and gimmicks were an all important part of such groups presentation there were those, like Monument, whose fascination for the occult drove them away from seeking to glamourise their image. Vocalist and keyboards man Steven Lowe was a founder member of a witches coven in Essex and this keen interest in the ancient craft served to shape much of the lyrical content of their sole album, which is steeped in sorcery and mysticism. Monument was actually made by Zior under a pseudonym.

Of all the late ‘60s/ early '70s bands that professed a genuine interest in the occult Black Sabbath achieved the most success. Ironically, at the outset, they were largely inclined to distance themselves as figureheads of occultism in rock, preferring instead to rely on the strength of their music rather than upholding an image.

Audio-Archives

Tracks

1. Dog Man - 3:20

2. Stale Flesh - 3:51

3. Don't Run Me Down - 2:28

4. Give Me Life - 3:53

5. The Metamorphis Tango - 3:56

6. Boneyard Bumne - 4:28

7. First Taste Of Love - 3:25

8. And She Goes - 2:36

9. Overture For Limp Piano In C - 3:32

10.I'm Coming Back - 2:52

All songs by Steven Lowe

Monument

*Jake Brewster - Drums

*Marve Fletchley - Bass

*Steven Lowe - Vocals, Keyboards

*Wes Truvor - Guitar

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Argent - Nexus (1974 uk, fascinating art progressive rock, 2008 japan remaster)

"Nexus" is easily Argent's most progressive album. The three first tracks on the album are instrumental, keyboard-dominated progressive rock of a kind all of you will enjoy. Tons of Hammond, mellotron and moogs plays mighty and inspired themes. Very good. "Love" is a ballad that gets saved by a very pleasant mellotron arrangement. "Keeper of the Flame" is a nice symphonic track that for some unknown reason reminds me a little bit of Greenslade. "Thunder and Lightning" and "Gonna Meet My Maker" are more straightforward rock tracks. 

The El-piano dominated "Music from the Spheres" and "Man for All Reasons" is a little bit slick, but they're definitively not bad. The latter is kind of a progressive pop-track in the vein of Kayak. Argent's problem was that the two main songwriters in the band, Rod Argent and Russ Ballard, obviously had very different musical interests. Argent was the one who wrote the most progressive tunes while Ballard was much more hit-song oriented, resulting in a lack of musical profile. Anyway, most of their material is good and so is the performance too. 

Vintage-prog

Tracks
1. The Coming Of Kohoutek (Rod Argent, Chris White) - 3:10
2. Once Around The Sun (Rod Argent, Chris White) - 2:20
3. Infinite Wanderer (Rod Argent, Chris White) - 3:02
4. Love (Russ Ballard) - 3:51
5. Music From The Spheres (Rod Argent, Chris White) - 8:10
6. Thunder And Lightning (Russ Ballard) - 5:05
7. Keeper Of The Flame (Rod Argent, Chris White) - 6:02
8. Man For All Reasons (Russ Ballard) - 4:44
9. Gonna Meet My Maker (Russ Ballard) - 4:35

Argent
*Rod Argent – Organ, Electric Piano, Vocals
*Russ Ballard – Guitar, Vocals
*Jim Rodford - Bass Guitar, Guitar, Vocals
*Robert Henrit - Drums, Percussion

1970  Argent - Argent (Japan remaster)
1971  Argent - Ring Of Hands (Japan remaster)
1972  Argent - All Together Now (Japan remaster)
1973  Argent - In Deep (Japan remaster)
1974  Argent - Encore Live in Concert  (Japan remaster)

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The Neon Philharmonic - Brilliant Colors The Complete Recordings (1969-70 us, delicate orchestrated sunny psych opera, two disc set)

This double-CD set, Brilliant Colors: The Complete W. B. Recordings, should be a no-brainer of a purchase for anyone who is an admirer of Van Dyke Parks' Song Cycle, Richard Harris' two Jimmy Webb collaborations (A Tramp Shining and The Yard Went on Forever), the Free Design's classic '60s albums, the extant fragments of Brian Wilson's previously lost SMiLE album, or any of the other classic examples of ornate late '60s psychedelic pop -- not that what's here is exactly psychedelic, so much as baroque pop, with lots of elaborate, occasionally "out-there" orchestral arrangements that luxuriate in their own ornate weirdness, sort of like Parks' "The All Golden" or "Palm Desert." 

The Neon Philharmonic's two albums The Moth Confesses and The Neon Philharmonic are both represented (in superb sound) on the first CD, but the real treat is the 58-minute long second disc, which encompasses the group's singles -- once one gets past the four cuts lifted off of The Moth Confesses, most of the rest is comprised of some very pretty and nicely produced non-LP single sides that are some of the most enjoyable unknown sunshine pop of the period, and, as Andy Zax, the annotator of this set observes, virtually a third LP in breadth and content. "Flowers for Your Pillow" and "To Be Continued" sound like lost Jimmy Webb productions circa 1967, and "A Little Love" is such a radiantly upbeat piece of pop-rock that it's amazing it didn't do more for the act as a single; the disc finishes with a string of radio promotion spots for the group. 

Not all of singles are as inventive or impressive as those tracks -- a lot of it would make one think of what might've happened had Richard Carpenter been given a budget and the job of generating upbeat sunshine pop music without the services of his sister around, say, 1970 -- and some of what's here shows signs of marking time, but the overall vibe of this music is still seductive thirty-some years later, if not quite as compelling as the very best work in this genre. Additionally, the annotation is so extensive and fascinating as to seriously enhance the value of the set -- what it tells us about the music business and the era in which this music was generated makes it essential reading, almost more than some of the Neon Philharmonic's music is essential listening. ~ by Bruce Eder

The Neon Philharmonic's 1969 debut, The Moth Confesses, is rightfully considered one of the stranger exponents of the sunshine pop scene. However, its less-celebrated 1970 follow-up, The Neon Philharmonic, is, if anything, even weirder. Composer/conductor Tupper Saussy's lyrics are even more obtuse and pretentious this time out, opening with the utterly bizarre "Are You Old Enough to Remember Dresden?" and closing with "F. Scott Fitzgerald and William Shakespeare," a rather drippy tale of college buddies who drift apart after graduation. 

As the lyrics become more overwrought, so too does the increasingly pseudo-classical music. Several songs are sung (by Don Gant, returning from the debut) to strictly orchestral arrangements. Unfortunately, Saussy's not an interesting enough melodicist to give these arrangements the same zip that lifts The Moth Confesses over its more ponderous patches; it's not surprising that the album's best song by far, "Forever Hold Your Peace," is the one that sounds the most like that album. Although the Neon Philharmonic released occasional singles for various labels over the next half-decade, this was their final full-length release.

by Stewart Moon

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Brilliant Colors - 4:22

2. Cowboy - 2:21

3. The New Life Out There - 5:36

4. Morning Girl - 2:14

5. Midsummer Night - 5:48

6. Little Sparrow - 3:20

7. The Last Time I Saw Jacqueline - 3:46

8. Morning Girl, Later - 2:41

9. Are You Old Enough to Remeber Dresden? - 5:23

10.Forever Hold Your Peace - 2:26

11.You Lied - 3:29

12.Harry - 4:11

13.No One Is Going to Hurt You - 3:58

14.Long John the Pirate - 5:18

15 F. Scott Fitzgerald And William Shakespeare - 5:16

16.The Mordor National Anthem - 0:44

Disc 2
1. Morning Girl (Mono Single Version) - 2:15
2. Brillant Colors (Mono Single Version) - 4:21
3. No One Is Going to Hurt You (Mono Single Version) - 3:57
4. You Lied (Mono Single Version) - 3:30
5. Clouds - 2:40
6. Snow - 3:23
7. Heighdy-Ho Princess - 3:25
8. Don't Know My Way Around My Soul - 2:59
9. Flowers for Your Pillow - 2:19
10.To Be Continued - 2:29
11.Something to Believe In - 3:19
12.A Little Love - 2:59
13.Got a Feelin' in My Bones - 3:01
14.Keep the Faith in Me - 3:09
15.Better Times - 2:22
16.Jody - 3:10
17.Letters Crossing - 3:05
18.Radio Spot 1 (Promo) - 0:54
19.Radio Spot 2 (Promo) - 0:55
20.Radio Spot 3 (Promo) - 0:56
21.Radio Spot 4 (Promo) - 0:54
22.Radio Spot 5 (Promo) - 2:09
All songs composed and arranged by Tupper Saussy

*Don Gant - Vocals

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The Seeds - Future (1967 us, superb classic garage psych pioneers, 2013 double disc digipack edition)

The original personnel listing for the Seeds’ third long-player, “Future”, included a credit to “your imagination”. It was lead singer Sky Saxon’s invitation for the listener to travel “back into your dreams”, to conjure up for themselves the fantasy landscape of castles, forests and clouds that he had envisaged for the record. “Future” embodied one of many tangents Sky had spun off upon, which led him from a knowing hipness to a wide-eyed, childlike naïveté. Behind, the Seeds packed as solid a musical punch as they ever had, but it was increasingly difficult for his fellow travellers to relate to the paths Sky was pointing the band down.

1967 was a turning point for Sky Saxon, Daryl Hooper, Jan Savage and Rick Andridge, a moment where the hard work of the previous two years was finally paying off. The first six months likely represented the zenith of the Seeds’ career, as the ascendant quartet seemed completely in the vanguard, with a major national hit under their belt, fan pandemonium wherever they went, and a public profile inflated by a new manager, the voluble “Lord Tim” Hudson. The eponymous debut album and its sequel, “A Web Of Sound”, had solidified the attitude implied by the hits, and saw the group made defiantly outrageous gestures, both musically and visually. What would their next move be?

The ensuing album, “Future”, seemed at once both calculated and confused. For some, it represents the Seeds’ grand psychedelic statement, a mind-blowing articulation of the flower power movement of which they had been proclaimed torchbearers. To others, “Future” is Sky Saxon’s folly: an over-egged, acid-damaged pudding that submerged the true power of the band with meaningless grandeur. The truth lies somewhere between. A narcissistic over-confidence made Sky feel the need to now augment Daryl, Jan and Rick in the studio with numerous overdubs – strings, harp, tuba – on hastily cobbled material that brimmed with bizarre lyrical concepts. On certain tracks the combination worked fine, on others it seemed almost like a parody of psychedelia. Nevertheless, “Future” contains many fan favourites such as ‘Painted Doll’, ‘Flower Lady’, ‘Two Fingers’ and ‘A Thousand Shadows’.

From this point on, Sky’s grip on the qualities that made him distinctive would only loosen further, but on “Future” he was attentive enough to pull things together, and the album has enough fine moments and flashes of the old Sky Saxon laser-like focus to ensure its reputation today as something of a flawed gem. Our deluxe 2CD edition thus seeks to reappraise the Seeds’ psychedelic experiment, and presents it in the very best sound quality. Disc One features the remastered stereo album mix, along with a selection of period mono mixes, including several that are previously unissued. 

A second disc, “Contact High: The Future Sessions”, is a fascinating eavesdrop upon the album’s creation at Hollywood’s famed Gold Star studio, utilising outtakes, alternate mixes and previously unheard versions to demonstrate that, beneath all the overdubs and florid platitudes, on “Future” the Seeds’ electricity crackled as strongly as ever. A 48-page booklet crammed with rarely-seen images tells the story behind this unusual but nevertheless compelling episode in the career of these garage kings.

by Alec Palao

Tracks

Disc 1 The Stereo Album

1. Intro/March Of The Flower Children (Sky Saxon, Daryl Hooper) - 2:52

2. Travel With Your Mind (Sky Saxon, Daryl Hooper, Jan Savage) - 3:10

3. Out Of The Question (Sky Saxon, Russ Serpent) - 2:16

4. Painted Doll (Sky Saxon) - 3:24

5. Flower Lady And Her Assistant (Sky Saxon) - 3:29

6. Now A Man (Sky Saxon, Daryl Hooper, Jan Savage) - 3:21

7. A Thousand Shadows (Sky Saxon, Daryl Hooper, Jan Savage) - 2:30

8. Two Fingers Pointing On You (Sky Saxon) - 3:13

9. Where Is The Entrance Way To Play (Sky Saxon) - 2:52

10.Six Dreams (Sky Saxon) - 3:11

11.Fallin' (Sky Saxon, Daryl Hooper) - 7:45

12.Chocolate River (Mono) (Sky Saxon, Daryl Hooper) - 3:09

13.Sad And Alone (Mono) (Sky Saxon, Daryl Hooper) - 2:22

14.The Wind Blows Your Hair (Mono, Version 2) (S. Saxon, Buddy Biglow) - 3:09

15.Travel With Your Mind (Mono) (S. Saxon, D. Hooper, J. Savage) - 3:06

16.Painted Doll (Mono) (Sky Saxon) - 3:23

17.Flower Lady And Her Assistant (Mono) (Sky Saxon) - 3:17

18.Now A Man (Mono) (Sky Saxon, Daryl Hooper, Jan Savage) - 3:20

19.Two Fingers Pointing On You (Mono) (Sky Saxon) - 3:11

20.Where Is The Entrance Way To Play (Mono) (Sky Saxon) - 2:52

21.Six Dreams (Mono) (Sky Saxon) - 3:01

22.Fallin' (Mono) (Sky Saxon, Daryl Hooper) - 7:42

23.The Navy Swings (Mono) (R. Andridge, S. Saxon, D. Hooper, J. Savage) - 1:03

Disc 2 Contact High The "Future" Sessions
1. Rides Too Long (Sky Saxon, Daryl Hooper, Jan Savage) - 2:58
2. Chocolate River (Sky Saxon, Daryl Hooper) - 3:10
3. Flower Lady And Her Assistant (Take 1) (Sky Saxon) - 4:11
4. Where Is The Entranceway To Play (Alt Mix) (Sky Saxon) - 2:55
5. Sad And Alone (Sky Saxon, Daryl Hooper) - 2:45
6. Contact High (Take 1) (Sky Saxon, Daryl Hooper, Jan Savage) - 3:35
7. Travel With Your Mind (Alt Mix) (S. Saxon, D. Hooper, J. Savage) - 3:12
8. Six Dreams (Take 4) (Sky Saxon) - 3:00
9. Two Fingers Pointing On You (Take 1) (Sky Saxon) - 3:03
10.The Wind Blows Your Hair (Version 2) (Sky Saxon, Buddy Biglow) - 3:08
11.March Of The Flower Children (Alt Mix) (Sky Saxon, Daryl Hooper) - 1:49
12.A Thousand Shadows (Take 7) (S. Saxon, D. Hooper, J. Savage) - 2:27
13.Gypsy Plays His Drums (Version 1) (Sky Saxon, Daryl Hooper) - 5:33
14.Satisfy You (Version 1) (Sky Saxon, Jan Savage) - 2:32
15.900 Million People Daily Making Love (Full Length Version) (S. Saxon) - 9:44

The Seeds
*Sky Saxon - Vocals, Percussion
*Daryl Hooper - Guitar, Sitar, Piano, Organ, Vibraphone, Xylophone, Background Vocals
*Jan Savage - Guitar, Gong, Background Vocals
*Rick Andridge - Drums, Percussion
Guest Musicians
*Harvey Sharpe - Bass
*Oliver Mitchell - Trumpet
*Roy Caton - Trumpet
*Hal Blaine - Drums
*George Callender - Tuba
*Tjay Cantrelli - Flute, Clarinet, Harmonica
*Sidney Sharp - Violin
*Leonard Malarsky- Flute
*Harry Hyams - Viola
*Jesse Ehrlich - Cello
*Peter Christ - Oboe
*Gayle Levant - Harp
*Evangeline Carmichael - Vocal
*Gwen Johnson - Vocal
*Jean King - Vocal
*Bob Atkins - Bass

Sky Saxon and The Seeds trip..
1965-93  The Seeds - Pushin' Too Hard
1967  The Seeds - Future (Vinyl edition)
1986  Sky "Sunlight" Saxon And Firewall - Destiny's Children

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Jesse Colin Young - On The Road (1976 us, outstanding blend of jazzy folk rock, 2008 japan edition)

On a series of solo albums, Jesse Colin Young had developed a strong musical rapport with a group of players including drummer Jeff Myer, keyboard player Scott Lawrence, and especially horn man Jim Rothermel, whose flute and soprano sax lines duetted with Young's tenor vocals. 

Adding David Hayes (one of several bassists who had appeared on his studio releases) and his wife Suzi on harmonies, Young produced this excellent live album, on which he mixed Youngbloods favorites ("Sunlight") with some of his better solo material ("Peace Song," a 12½-minute version of "Ridgetop") and some well-chosen covers (a medley of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" and "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)," Randy Newman's "Have You Seen My Baby") for a varied program that emphasized his eclectic talents. 

Recorded live at "Paramount Northwest" Seattle, "Paramount Theatre" Portland, "Marin Veterann's Memorial Auditorium" San Rafael, "Pioneer Theatre" Reno and originally released in March 1976.

by William Ruhlmann

Tracks
1. Sunlight - 3:59
2. Walkin' Off the Blues - 4:37
3. Peace Song - 3:35
4. Miss Hesitation - 7:12
5. What's Going On/Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) (Renaldo Benson, Al Cleveland, Marvin Gaye) - 5:33
6. Corinna (Traditional) - 3:30
7. Have You Seen My Baby? (Randy Newman) - 3:44
8. Ridgetop - 12:55
9. T-Bone Shuffle (T-Bone Walker) - 6:21
Words and Music by Jesse Colin Young unless otherwise stated.

Musicians
*Jesse Colin Young - Guitar, Vocals
*Suzi Young - Vocal Harmony, Vocals
*Jim Rothermel - ARP Synthesizer, Horn, Wind
*Jeff Myer - Drums
*David Hayes - Bass, Vocal Harmony, Vocals
*Scott Lawrence - Keyboards, Vocal Harmony

Jesse Colin Young releases
1973  Song For Juli (2009 remaster)
with The Youngbloods
1967/69  The Youngbloods / Earth Music / Elephant Mountain 
1969  Elephant Mountain (Sundazed expanded)
1971  Beautiful! Live In San Francisco (Sundazed edition)
1972  High On A Ridge Top (Sundazed remaster)

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Argent - Encore Live in Concert (1974 uk, great prog rock, 2018 japan remaster)

This album, originally released as a double LP in early 1975, was supposed to buy a little time for Argent as the group worked two new members, John Verity and John Grimaldi, into its lineup in the wake of the departure of co-founder Russ Ballard. As a result, it showcased a band that had already evolved out of the sound represented here, which must have seemed a pity for the fans who bought it. 

The sound captured on this album combines equal measures of progressive rock and hard-driving pop/rock into a whole that never lost its sight on rock & roll, as on "Thunder and Lightning" and "Music of the Spheres," or the more traditional sound of "Keep on Rollin'." With Ballard's guitar and the rhythm section of Jim Rodford (bass) and Bob Henrit (drums), the band could only stray so far from rock, and they and keyboardist Rod Argent, pulling in those opposite directions, ended up creating a scintillating whole on much of this record. Even the extended jams are focused and always maintain some serious forward momentum, though the opener, "The Coming of Kohoutek," comes dangerously close to fatal digression -- one can only quote Berlioz so far before the piece it's in loses its purpose as rock & roll. 

The 11-minute jam of "Hold Your Head Up" seemed a little excessive at the time -- a reaction probably caused, in part, by the substandard pressings by which the vinyl version of this release was seemingly universally represented -- but it holds up well today. And the band encored with "Time of the Season," a selection with which no one could possibly take serious issue -- they dress it up in some heavily ornamented drumming and guitar, but it's the song everyone knows and loves, done about as well as anyone who was not Colin Blunstone could ever handle it. The Collectables CD reissue boasts about the best sound ever heard on this set, and there's some pretty good annotation by Mark Marymount. 

by Bruce Eder

Tracks
1. The Coming Of Kohoutek (Chris White, Rod Argent) – 10:34
2. It's Only Money, Pt. 1 (Russ Ballard) – 3:51
3. It's Only Money, Pt. 2 (Russ Ballard) – 5:04
4. God Gave Rock And Roll To You (Russ Ballard) – 7:03
5. Thunder And Lightning (Russ Ballard) – 6:21
6. Music From The Spheres (Chris White, Rod Argent) – 9:15
7. I Don't Believe In Miracles (Russ Ballard) – 3:27
8. I Am The Dance Of Ages (Chris White, Rod Argent) – 9:28
9. Keep On Rollin' (Chris White, Rod Argent) – 5:19
10.Hold Your Head Up (Chris White, Rod Argent) – 11:16
11.Time Of The Season (Russ Argent) – 6:38

Argent
*Rod Argent - Keyboards, Vocals
*Russ Ballard - Guitar, Vocals
*Jim Rodford - Bass
*Robert Henrit - Drums

1970  Argent - Argent (Japan remaster)
1971  Argent - Ring Of Hands (Japan remaster)
1972  Argent - All Together Now (Japan remaster)
1973  Argent - In Deep (Japan remaster)

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The National Gallery - Performing Musical Interpretations Of The Paintings Of Paul Klee (1968 us, beautiful art baroque sunny psych)

This superbly melodic and strange distillation of pop, folk, psych and jazz was inspired by the paintings of Paul Klee, and first appeared in 1968. Despite being credited to a proper band, it was in fact a studio recording overseen by the Cleveland-based team of jazz composer Chuck Mangione and local producer-arranger Roger Karshner, who called the songs ‘electronic paintings’. The album is presented here, complete with two rare bonus tracks from a pre-LP 45 credited to Bhagavad-Gita.

This mysterious album emanated from Cleveland, where producer Roger Karshner (who’d been involved with local hit-makers the Outsiders) and jazz musician Charles ‘Chuck’ Mangione decided to collaborate on a selection of so-called ‘electronic paintings’ based on the work of German-Swiss abstract painter Paul Klee (1879-1940). The first fruits of their labours emerged in 1967 – a single credited to Bhagavad-Gita (the Vedic Bible, translating as ‘song of the most holy’), featuring two takes on Long Hair Soulful, one vocal and one instrumental. Though it was no hit (making the original picture sleeve issues - Philips 40485 - highly sought-after today), they proceeded with an album the following year. 

The Bhagavad-Gita promotional material made the lofty claim that Karshner had ‘reached a completely new plateau in the realm of pop contemporary music by putting the works of Klee to music,’ and the album is indeed highly unusual. Though credited to a band (who are pictured on the back cover), it is thought to have been a studio project overseen by the two men, and was issued with a glossy leaflet including lyrics and reproductions of various Klee pictures. 

It must have been an expensive enterprise, and was not a successful one. Shortly afterwards, four of its tracks also appeared Diana In The Autumn Wind (GRC 9001), an instrumental jazz-pop LP recorded by Mangione’s brother Gap in August 1968, but conducted by him - Diana In The Autumn Wind, Boy With Toys, Pond With Swans and Long Hair Soulful. This fared even less well commercially, condemning the project to underserved obscurity, and putting a premature end to a nascent pop sub-genre. 

CD Liner-notes

Tracks
1. Barbaric, Classical, Solemn - 2:58
2. Diana In The Autumn Wind - 2:38
3. Boy With Toys - 2:30
4. Self Portrait - 2:35
5. Fear Of Becoming Double - 2:40
6. Pond With Swans - 3:08
7. A Child’s Game - 2:15
8. A Little Child Does Not Understand The Snow - 2:26
9. Fear Behind The Curtain - 1:46
10.Long Hair Soulfu - 3:31
11.Long Hair Soulful (non-LP 45a) - 3:33
12.Long Hair Soulful - instrumental (non-LP 45b) - 2:34
All music by Roger Karshner, Chuck Mangione, except track 8 by Roger Karshner, all lyrics by Roger Karshner

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Argent - In Deep (1973 uk, enjoyable soft prog rock, 2018 japan remaster)

In Deep, the band's fourth album, was originally released on Epic Records in 1973. While not as strong as its predecessors, it did produce the excellent single (and one of the best tracks on the album), "God Gave Rock and Roll to You," which made the Top 20 in England and charted well in North America. 

The original album contained eight songs, with half written by Ballard and the other half by Argent and White. The eccentric Be Glad and the prog epic Candles On The River redress the balance slightly. 

When the band split in 1976, Argent went on to pursue a solo career. Henrit opened a drum shop in London's West End and played in a band called Phoenix with Rodford, before they both joined the Kinks. 

by Keith Pettipas

Tracks
1. God Gave Rock And Roll To You  (Russ Ballard) - 6:44
2. It's Only Money, Part 1  (Russ Ballard) - 4:03
3. It's Only Money, Part 2  (Russ Ballard) - 5:08
4. Losing Hold  (Rod Argent, Chris White) - 5:30
5. Be Glad  (Rod Argent, Chris White) - 8:38
6. Christmas For The Free  (Rod Argent, Chris White) - 4:15
7. Candles On The River  (Rod Argent, Chris White) - 7:01
8. Rosie  (Russ Ballard) - 3:44

Argent
*Rod Argent - Keyboards, Vocals
*Russ Ballard - Lead Vocals, Guitar
*Bob Henrit - Drums
*Jim Rodford - Bass

1970  Argent - Argent (Japan remaster)
1971  Argent - Ring Of Hands (Japan remaster)
1972  Argent - All Together Now (Japan remaster)

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Tongue And Groove - Tongue And Groove (1969 us, amazing west coast psych blues rock, 2009 remaster)

Tongue and Groove were something of an offshoot of the legendary but little-recorded, early San Francisco hippie group the Charlatans. Singer Lynne Hughes had occasionally sung with the Charlatans on-stage in the mid-'60s (although she was never an official member), and even appears on vocals and guitar on a few cuts they recorded for Kama Sutra in 1966 (eventually seeing release on the CD compilation The Amazing Charlatans). 

Pianist Mike Ferguson, who occasionally sang lead with Tongue and Groove as well, was a bona fide original Charlatan, although he left by the time their one proper '60s album was issued. Richard Olsen, another Charlatan, played bass on Tongue and Groove's one LP; Hughes and Ferguson wrote much of the material, and yet another ex-Charlatan, Dan Hicks, contributed one composition as well. Tongue and Groove's self-titled album, released in the late '60s on Fontana, was produced by Abe "Voco" Kesh, who also worked with several other second-tier '60s Bay Area acts, such as Blue Cheer and Harvey Mandel; top session musicians James Burton (on dobro) and Earl Palmer (on drums) also contributed to the recording. 

As could be expected given their ancestry, the record had much in common with the Charlatans' fusion of old-timey saloon music, vaudevillian blues, and rock. The key differences were that a woman (Hughes) took most of the lead vocals, and that the lysergic tinge of much of the Charlatans' material was virtually absent. The numbers featuring Hughes' saucy vibrato vocals, which mine the territory between Janis Joplin and Mae West, are certainly the highlights of the album, a fitfully engaging footnote to late-'60s San Francisco rock. 

by Richie Unterberger

Tracks
1. Devil (Lynne Hughes) – 4:02
2. Come In My Kitchen (Lynne Hughes) – 3:45
3. Mailman’s Back (Michael Ferguson) – 6:25
4. Cherry Ball (Shake Shake Mama) (M. Lipscomb) – 3:44
5. The Shadow Knows  (Lieber, Stoller) – 2:35
6. Sidetrack (Lynne Hughes) – 6:05
7. Motorhead Baby (J. Watson, M. Delagarde) – 3:10
8. Duncan And Brady (Lynne Hughes) – 2:37
9. Rocks for My Pillow (Livin’ with the Blues) (B. McGhee) – 5:21
10.Fallin’ Apart (Dan Hicks) – 3:24

Tongue And Groove
*Michael Ferguson - Vocals, Keyboards, Percussion
*Lynne Hughes - Vocals
*Randy Lewis - Lead Guitar
With
*Eddie Adams - Bass
*James Burton - Dobro
*Therutius Deeps - Vocals
*Roger Dowd - Drums
*Fast Eddie Hoh - Drums
*Bob Lifton - Bass
*Jay Magliori - Horn
*Richard Olsen - Bass
*Tary Owens - Vocals
*Earl Palmer - Drums

Related Acts
1965-68  The Charlatans - The Amazing Charlatans
1969  The Charlatans - San Francisco
1970  Lynne Hughes - Freeway Gypsy (Vinyl edition)
1971  Stoneground - Stoneground
1971-72  Stoneground - Family Album

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Argent - All Together Now (1972 uk, splendid prog rock, japan remaster)

Since this only a shortie record review, there is no need to pad a basic positive or negative response with a two page synopsis on the band’s history. Thus, for all you know, Rod Argent, keyboardsman and vocalist for Argent, could have walked off the streets and into the studio.

Perhaps you’ve heard “Hold Your Head Up,” their single. If so, then you have an idea of the tremendous class and style the band has.

In England, the song and the album are at the top of the charts. But then, England was onto the Rolling Stones a full year before America was.

by Cameron Crowe,  July 7, 1972 

Thanks to the hit single "Hold Your Head Up," All Together Now was Argent's most successful album, and in many ways, it's also their most consistent. Although it isn't quite as interesting as the debut, the band has perfected an anthemic rock that owes as much to hard rock and progressive rock, and cuts like "Be My Lover, Be My Friend," "I Am the Dance of Ages," and "Keep on Rollin'" will appeal to fans of "Hold Your Head Up," even if they lack the wild spark of Argent. 

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Tracks
1. Hold Your Head Up  - 6:18
2. Keep On Rollin'  - 4:28
3. Tragedy (Russ Ballard) - 4:49
4. I Am The Dance Of Ages - 3:45
5. Be My Lover, Be My Friend - 5:20
6. He's A Dynamo (Russ Ballard) - 3:47
7. Pure Love  - 13:06
.I...Fantasia
.II..Prelude
.III.Pure Love
.IV..Finale
All songs by Rod Argent, Chris White except where noted

Argent
*Rod Argent - Organ, Electric Piano, Vocals
*Russ Ballard - Guitar, Piano, Vocals
*Jim Rodford - Bass Guitar, Guitar, Vocals
*Robert Henrit - Drums, Percussion

1970  Argent - Argent (Japan remaster)
1971  Argent - Ring Of Hands (Japan remaster)

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The Artwoods - Art Gallery (1966 uk, superb mod rhythm 'n' beat psych, 2009 remaster and expanded)

In contrast to the commercially-successful but artistically-bankrupt pop sensations of the UK’s 1960s beat era there was a small hardcore of bands in the UK who couldn’t get arrested record-sales-wise but whom other musicians would cross continents to catch playing live. Frequenting the trendy London club scene and playing funky tunes that oozed git-up-and-dance, they usually centred round a deft practitioner of the Hammond organ, and comprised the said keyboard god plus fellow musicians who refused to compromise their musical integrity and their blues and jazz influences. Alongside the likes of Graham Bond’s Organization, Georgie Fame’s Blue Flames and the Peddlers could be found the Artwoods, who despite their undeniable talent would have a brief career and only some of whom would find wider success in later combinations.

Vocalist and leader Arthur “Art” Wood was the elder brother of Ronnie, then guitarist with the Birds and later star sideman to Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart and the Glimmer Twins. Having served his on-stage apprenticeship with Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated, Art set about putting together his own band in 1963, finally settling with Derek Griffiths (gtr), Malcolm Pool (bs), Jon Lord (org) and Keef Hartley (drs). (A couple of familiar names there, then, but not till a few years later.) 

Eschewing the straight R’n’B of the Yardbirds, the Stones and the Animals, the Artwoods stuck out for the jazz-inflected soul mix that would soon be in vogue on the Soho club circuit, covering material by Jimmy Smith, Lieber & Stoller, Eddie Floyd, Allen Toussaint, Isaac Hayes and David Porter, and Solomon Burke. For four years they rocked the live club circuit until the trend towards psychedelia began to edge them out; unlike many of their contemporaries they declined to make that shift, electing instead to split in ’67.

The Artwoods did make records; over their four years they issued six singles plus – despite its cheesy title and homespun cover design – this splendid studio album. Predictably, none of these sold worth a damn: perhaps because the band’s oeuvre consisted almost completely of covers, albeit superb ones; perhaps because the recorded product lacked the visceral excitement of their live performances. The singles are indeed a little humdrum, given their attempts to polish their raw sound for commercial purposes, but the album is a gem of ensemble musicianship with flashes of individual brilliance. 

Recorded in a tiny basement studio in London’s Denmark Street under the tutelage of master Decca producer Mike Vernon, it clearly features the live set and gets as close as one could ask to the live vibe, only limited by the need to trim the tracks down to radio-friendly length. There’s a lot of variety available; the standout tracks include Burke’s “Down In The Valley” done in impeccable Stax style, Floyd’s “Things Get Better” as a superb garage soul opus with Merseybeat harmonies and raw-nerve fuzz guitar, and a scintillating cover of the Jimmy Smith instrumental “Walk On The Wild Side” in the middle of which the band lapse into a pure swing jazz groove and Lord produces an orgasmic solo that presages what he’d do with Deep Purple. Apart from a pedestrian reading of “If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody” there’s not a dull moment amongst the twelve original tracks. Art’s rough-as-a-badger’s-arse vocal is a guilty pleasure and Messrs Lord and Hartley shine throughout.

The subsequent careers of Lord and Hartley are well documented, but Art himself enjoyed far less success. He briefly formed a new outfit in ’69 with the musicians who would become the Faces; perhaps predictably for an outfit called Quiet Melon, it sank without trace. Art moved into a new career in graphic design with his other brother Ted and Malcolm Pool, singing only occasionally thereafter as a hobby musician till his premature death from cancer in 2006. His recorded legacy is available on the current 2009 CD from Repertoire which also includes no fewer than fourteen bonus tracks taken from the singles and the mega-rare Europe-only instrumental EP Jazz In Jeans.

by Len Liechti

Tracks
1. Can You Hear Me (Toussaint) - 2:54
2. Down In The Valley (Berns, Burke) - 2:57
3. Things Get Better (Jackson, Floyd, Cropper) - 2:24
4. Walk On The Wild Side (Bernstein, Mack David) - 5:32
5. I Keep Forgettin' (Leiber,Stoller) - 2:26
6. Keep Lookin' (D. Burke, M. Burke, S. Burke) - 3:03
7. One More Heartache (Tarplin, Rogers, White, Robinson, Moore) - 3:09
8. Work, Work, Work (Neville) - 3:30
9. Be My Lady (Jackson, Jones, Dunn, Cropper) - 3:02
10.If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody (Clark) - 2:01
11.Stop And Think It Over (Jones) - 2:57
12.Don't Cry No More (Malone) - 3:52
13.Sweet Mary (Ledbetter) - 2:53
14.If I Ever Get My Hands On You (Carter, Lewis) - 2:01
15.Goodbye Sisters (Lloyd) - 2:53
16.She Knows What To Do (Hill, Rebena) - 2:28
17.I Take What I Want (Hayes, Porter, Hodges) - 2:54
18.I Feel Good (Neville) - 2:42
19.What Shall I Do (Jenkins) - 2:50
20.In The Deep End (Gump) - 3:02
21.These Boots Are Made For Walkin' (Hazelwood) - 2:48
22.A Taste Of Honey (Scott, Marlow) - 3:13
23.Our Man Flint (Goldsmith) - 2:59
24.Routine (Lord) - 3:10
25.The St. Valentine's Day Massacre – Brother Can You Spare A Dime (Harburg, Gorney) - 2:52
26.The St. Valentine's Day Massacre – Al's Party (Martin, Gump) - 2:41
Bonus Tracks 13-26

The Artwoods
*Art Wood - Lead Vocals
*Derek Griffiths - Lead Guitar
*Jon Lord – Organ
*Malcolm Pool – Bass
*Keef Hartley - Drums
*Reg Dunnage - Drums

1964-67  Tha Artwoods - Singles A's & B's
Related Act
Keef Hartley's brands
1968-72  Not Foolish Not Wise
1969  Halfbreed (2008 Esoteric)
1969  The Battle Of North West Six  (2008 Esoteric)
1970  The Time Is Near (2008 Esoteric remaster)
1970  Overdog (2005 Eclectic)
1971  Little Big Band
1972  Seventy Second Brave (2009 Esoteric)
1972  Lancashire Hustler (2008 Esoteric)

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Kath ‎- One (1974 us, brilliant trippy basement psychedelia, 2011 double disc edition)

As with many others of my generation, watching "The Beatles" on the Ed Sullivan Show in early 1964 completely changed my life's desire from pursuing a medical education to playing in a Rock 'n' Roll band. I still remember that sudden dramatic change of ife. At first I tried playing the guitar. While some friends and I were just playing around a girl said that I played guitar like I was playing drums. We needed a drummer so I got my first set and started playing the drums—it was definitely a better fit! We called ourselves The Serfs. Band members were: Jim Bensen (guitar), Frank Moultrie (guitar and voca s), Ronnie Gomez (bass and vocals), and Val Rogolino (drums and vocals). 

What a great feeling it was to hear the sound come together. We played mainly Rock 'n' Roll and Soul music. I still remember the first time we played before a live audience and the sensational feeling I had of realizing that the people were dancing to our music. We played during the era of "Sock Hops" and "Teen Clubs." Later, we became a trio and changed our name to The Group. In 1969, we changed our name again to Badge, with band members: James (Cheese) Sellers (guitar and vocals), Jim O'Dell (bass and vocals) and Val Rogolino (drums and vocals). We started playing in night clubs and writing original songs as Badge. The recording bug hit us. Cheese and I did all the recordings.

In the early to mid 1970's, we made three 45 rpm singles and one EP. The tape recorder we used was a Teac 2340. Through the 70's, the band continued performing, recording, and utilizing different techniques and sounds and enhanced productions. 3RI I wanted to expand the recordings so I decided to make an LP. This LP was not a Badge project. I named the album Kath, and recorded it during the summer of 1974.

Kath had a variety of songs, more complex production and greater overall depth than previous projects. The musicians performing on this project: Cheese Sellers, Brent Buckley, Bruce Lapier, Bob George, and Val Rogolino. Recording began on March 31, 1974 and ended September 5, 1974. Only 60 copies were made. Some of the equipment used in the production: Teac 2340 (4 track tape recorder), a Kustom PA amp (mixing board), two Kustom PA columns (mix down speakers), a Vox Echo Unit, a Vox Jaguar (organ), Ludwig drums, and Shure microphones. Most songs needed 12 to 14 tracks—a lot of over dubbing was necessary. 

Badge still performed through the 70's adding horns, and female vocalists to our live performances. But of course, Disco reared its ugly head. The nightclub gigs dried up and many bands were out or work. The days of teen clubs and the night clubs of my era were a memory— a thing of the past. I'll always remember waiting for the next 45 or LP to be released, listening to live groups, comparing and just communicating with fellow musicians.  Sadly, the sound and feel, and the way we experienced the music were gone. 

As with many others of my generation, in the early 1980's I had to get a "real job", but music and recording remain my first love. The world of music still fills my lire and burns deeply in my heart and soul. "I fell in love with this world of song—laughing—crying as the years go on." When I was contacted by Rockadelic (in May 2005) regarding the Kath LP I revisited a cherished time. I appreciate Rockadelic for caring and taking the time to re-release this album. Many thanks to Rich Haupt, Carl Weiss, and Patrick the Lama. Special thanks to David Haffner, Steve Lorber, and Vincent Tornatore for releasing the CD version of Kath. Wherever this paths leads I'll treasure the entire venture. 

There are those who understand the feeling of playing and performing Rock 'n' Roll—that feeling will never fade away. Dedicated to all my friends and family for their love and support, and many thanks to countless musicians who brought their love to music. A heartfelt remembrance to those who experienced this world of music with me—I simply thank you.

by Val Rogolino

Not many albums can get you in the mood to blow out your speakers quite like Kath, a band that evolved from local Maryland 1960’s band Badge. This is an authentic low-fi DIY effort, recorded in the home of the band’s leader (and, yes, actually dedicated to his pet monkey—and his girlfriend!), originally released in 1974 in a micro edition of 60 hand-made copies, and later reconfigured for a legendary Rockadelic label LP version. 

Truth to tell, the Kath album is full of well written melodic songs with loose, semi-ramshackle, low-fi/no-fi production values. Nothing gets down and dirty quite like 'Say What You Feel,' with its blown out bass, killer guitar and drums, echoed vocals and sound effects; well, actually, ‘Love Me Down' is equally potent. The band also had a fondness for tape experimentation ('Seagulls') and simply screwing around ('Toilet Theme'). As Patrick the Lama said in Acid Archives, “Obscure and impressive melodic basement garage/psych excursion with a lo-fi atmosphere that would have most purveyors flip out, hits the Ampex two-track echo & tinny drum sound dead on....

 At times the vibe is almost like Mystery Meat or Index, and that's not something you run across every day. A totally outside garage/psych/private LP that feels as personally projected as those Michael Yonkers sides. Nuts lo-fi recording quality and impossible-to-figure production values gives this a nicely zonked almost real-people vibe. Keyboards, fuzz, heap of amateur avant spirit and a cover of 'Norwegian Wood' that ranks up there as one of the few listenable Beatles covers ever cut by teens with brains." There's also included Badge's excellent 1978 five-track EP as bonus tracks. 

Lion

Tracks

Disc 1 Kath "One" (Original Album)

1. I Want To Love You - 3:16

2. Lonely Again - 2:44

3. Goodbye Sunshine - 3:36

4. Tell Laura I Love Her (Barry, Releigh) - 4:11

5. Seagulls - 1:54

6. Silly Willy - 3:36

7. It Doesn’t Mean - 5:25

8. Candleman - 4:46

9. Norwegian Wood (Lennon, McCartney) - 2:50

10.BLPSVC - 4:12

11.Typical Recording Session (With Breakdown Of Instrumental Version Of Mother Dear) - 3:50

12.Mother Dear - 3:16

13.Say What You Feel - 2:54

14.Toilet Theme (With Part Of Say What You Feel) - 3:58

15.She’s The Girl I Love - 3:32

16.Love Me Down - 2:56

17.I Hear Them Laughing - 3:47

18.As I Looked - 4:02

19.Just Like You - 2:19

20.She - 2:13

Bonus tracks 16-20 from "Badge EP"

Disc 2  Unreleased Material
1. It Doesn’t Mean (EP Version) - 4:29  
2. I’ve Got That Feeling - 3:53
3. Tearfall In The Rain - 5:42
4. Look To Your Window - 3:47
5. The Great Pretender - 6:43
6. Little Miss - 3:31
7. Keep Tryin’ - 2:23
8. Do You Wanna Dance - 3:45
9. I Need You - 2:28
10.Everything I Do - 2:38
11.Sitting All Alone - 2:57
12.When You Walk In The Room - 4:03
13.Just A Little Smile - 4:14
14.I Lie Awake - 5:06
15.Singing Out Thoughts To My Lady - 5:27
16.A Gentle Breeze - 3:57
17.Le Fini - 2:56
18.C - 1:43

Kath
*Cheese Sellers - Rhythm Guitars
*Brent Buckley - Lead Guitar, Organ, Sax
*Bruce Lapier - Bass
*Bob George - Trumpet
*Val Rogolino - Drums, Tambourine, Vocals, Organ

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Focus - Ship of Memories (1976 dutch, elegant prog rock, japan remaster)

Ship of Memories, a collection of rarities from Focus' catalog, is somewhat more diverse than most of the band's other releases. Starting off with "P's March," a track rooted in the style of Focus' debut album In and Out of Focus, Ship of Memories gradually works its way through the band's many phases to the Mother Focus styled "Crackers." 

The album ends on a superb song, the U.S. version of "Hocus Pocus." For Europeans, this addition to Ship of Memories ("Hocus Pocus" U.S. was never on the LP version, but was later added to the CD release) comes as an absolute delight. Not only is the song a verified rarity on the continent, but it is also vastly different from the U.K. recording. Akkermans' guitar work, Van Leer's yodeling, and Pierre Van Der Linden's drumming are all given a new lease of life by the inclusion of this track. Collectors will be well-gratified by Ship of Memories, while casual listeners will find enough enjoyable material

by Ben Davies

Tracks
1. P's March (Thijs Van Leer) – 4:43
2. Can't Believe My Eyes (Jan Akkerman) – 5:17
3. Focus V (T. Van Leer) – 3:02
4. Out Of Vesuvius (J. Akkerman, Bert Ruiter, Pierre Van Der Linden, T. Van Leer) – 5:5
5. Glider (J. Akkerman) – 4:38
6. Red Sky At Night (J. Akkerman, T. Van Leer) – 5:50
7. Spoke The Lord Creator (T. Van Leer) – 2:32
8. Crackers (J. Akkerman) – 2:42
9. Ship Of Memories (P. Van Der Linden) – 1:48
10.Hocus Pocus (US Single Version) (J. Akkerman, T. Van Leer) – 3:24

Focus
*Thijs Van Leer - Keyboards, Flute, Vocals
*Jan Akkerman - Guitar
*Bert Ruiter - Bass Guitar
*Martin Dresden - Bass Guitar
*Pierre Van Der Linden - Drums
*Hans Cleuver - Drums
*David Kemper - Drums

1970  Focus - In And Out Of Focus (Japan remaster)
1971  Focus - Moving Waves (Japan remaster)
1972  Focus III  (Japan mini lp release)
1974  Focus - Hamburger Concerto  (Japan remaster)
1975  Focus - Mother Focus (Japan remaster)
Related Act
1969-70  Brainbox - Brainbox (2011 Esoteric expanded)

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Heavy Cruiser - Heavy Cruiser (1972 canada, powerful heavy psych)

Canadian rock luminary Neil Merryweather took members from Californian blues rock band Mama Lion into the studio and, somewhat accidentally, recorded two great albums as Heavy Cruiser. The band’s Heavy Cruiser and Lucky Dog albums were gatherings of ideas more than albums of firm intent, but the session engineers and the band were impressed with the eight-track demos and improvised tunes (and management got a sniff of success) so the songs were duly bound in jacket covers. 

The band’s eponymous 1972 debut was a heavy, psyched-out guitar and organ duel—with in-studio jams and distortion-soaked covers making up an exuberant and buoyant LP. While contractual obligations caused the band members’ names to go unlisted on both Lucky Dog and Heavy Cruiser, word soon got out about both LPs’ commitment to fuzzing things up, and rolling with the result—and thus, Heavy Cruiser finds itself in the pantheon of obscure collectable rockers.

Pop-matters

Tracks
1 C'mon Everybody (E. Cochran, J. Capehart) - 2:14
2 My Little Firefly (Neil Merryweather) - 3:19
3 Don't Stop Now (J. N. Howard, N. Merryweather) - 3:53
4 Wonder Wheel - 1:24
5 Outlaw - 2:34
6 Let Your Rider Run (J. N. Howard, N. Merryweather) - 3:22
7 Louie Louie (Richard Berry) - 3:26
8 As Long as We Believe - 3:17
9 'Lectric Lady (Neil Merryweather) - 2:16
10 Miracles of Pure Device (J. N. Howard. L. Carey, N. Merryweather) - 6:44
All songs by Lynn Carey and Neil Merryweather except where indicated

Heavy Cruiser
*Neil Merryweather - Vocals, Bass, Acoustic Guitar
*James Newton Howard - Organ, Piano
*Coffi Hall - Drums, Percussion
*Rick Gaxoila - Guitar

1973  Heavy Cruiser - Lucky Dog
Related Act
1969  Merryweather
1970  Neil Merryweather, John Richardson And Robin Boers
1971  Neil Merryweather And Lynn Carey - Vaccum Cleaner

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