In 1967 when this album was recorded I had been playing guitar for three years and writing songs for two years. I was heavily influenced by Bert Jansch, the Scottish contemporary folk singer/songwriter and co-founder of the band Pentangle, best known for his song "Needle of Death" and his brilliant version of Davy Graham's "Angie" guitar instrumental.
Many musicians have said that Jansch was a huge influence, Jimmy Page and Neil Young among them. Jansch was such an inspiration to me in that I followed his path of contemporary folk rather than mainstream pop music. Although I listened to the Beatles, Peter Paul and Mary, Bob Dylan and James Taylor and the fabulous folk trio of women Joan Baez, Judy Collins and Odetta, it was the English sensibility that I tried to capture in my songs.
This meant one thing... I was never going to be big in terms of Australia wide success. In fact as long as I felt free to do my own thing I was happy. It wasn't until later when Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne and the whole American West Coast sound became popular that I followed those trends and left my folkie days behind...and started to make headway both in studio work as a session singer and in live performance.
So here I am in 1967, 19 years old and virtually never sung in public except for the odd live gig at my high school and the thought came that I would like to do what my heroes had done and make a record. How I got on to Nationwide I don't remember but I booked some time and took the train into town with my song book and guitar and for the first time walked into a recording studio.
I knew nothing but Graham didn't know that! I had heard that when making an album the guitar part was recorded first then the vocals after that. I started at track one and recorded all the guitar parts in one take. I didn't listen to any of them back then went straight into recording the vocals. All the vocals I did in one take also! In less than two hours I had recorded a whole album of original material. At the end of the session Graham said "I've never seen that done before." I had no idea what he meant. It didn't occur to me to listen back to each song and do it again if it wasn't right... besides, I was used to singing songs live so I rarely made a mistake.
My best friend at the time Peter Ryan arranged the covers of the 50 albums I had pressed -also by Graham in his own pressing plant in the Nationwide building- and it was Peter that wrote (AT LAST) on the cover by hand. There were only ever those 50 pressed Copies... if you can get them... now sell for hundreds of dollars.
The guitar I used, which I still have, is a Hagstrom Bonita. Hagstrom acoustics have not been made in their original Swedish factory since the early 70s but have a cult following of die hard collectors. The list of famous players is amazing, Cat Stevens being the foremost. Whether I sold any copies or whether I just gave them away I have no recollection. I simply had always wanted to make an album and AT LAST I had.
by Andy Armstrong, June 2011
Tracks
1. Intro - 0:45
2. Had A Little Girl - 2:04
3. My Little Bird - 2:22
4. Once Upon A Time - 1:44
5. The Way You Talk - 3:03
6. A Ray Of Hope - 2:44
7. If Someone Is Following You - 4:08
8. Call It On Your Own - 3:50
9. Baby Said To Me - 2:17
10.Did I hear You Right - 2:11
11.How's Your Baby - 3:09
12.Slidin' Blues - 2:23
13.Plead Is All I Can Do - 4:31
14.Bonnie George Campbell (Traditional) - 3:28
15.Goin' Home - 1:28
Words and Music by Andy Armstrong except song #14
Canadians have long had a love affair for the blues. In the 1970s, artists from Vancouver’s Powder Blues and Halifax’s Dutch Mason to Montreal’s Offenbach and Winnipeg’s Big Dave McLean thrilled audiences with their interpretations of the 12-bar form. The blues feeling has always been especially strong in Toronto, where a close proximity to Chicago and Detroit and regular appearances by major U.S. blues artists fostered a deep connection with the music. Three of Canada’s earliest and most successful blues groups hailed from Toronto and nearby Hamilton, including Downchild Blues Band, McKenna Mendelson Mainline and Crowbar with King Biscuit Boy. Into this blues-loving milieu came Whiskey Howl.
Formed in 1969, Whiskey Howl emerged from Toronto’s suburbs to become one of the premier acts of the CanCon era of the early ’70s. Led initially by harmonica player John Bjarnason, the group landed some highly prestigious gigs, opening for Led Zeppelin, performing with American blues legends and appearing with John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band and many others at the historic Toronto Rock & Roll Revival show. During its incarnation fronted by Bjarnason’s replacement, Michael Pickett, Whiskey Howl scored an enviable major-label deal with Warner Bros. and recorded an acclaimed self-titled album in 1972, issued here for the first time on CD. A quarter of a century after its release, the recording still packs a formidable punch.
Bjarnason was one of Toronto’s earliest blues aficionados, studying the styles of Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf whenever they performed at the Colonial Tavern on Yonge Street. Two local musicians provided him with further education. “I got my background in the blues from Chris Whiteley, who I went to school with at Don Mills Collegiate,” Bjarnason recalls. “The first band I play in was actually called the Don Mils Blues Band, which was just a neighborhood group.” Before long, the aspiring musician was down in Yorkville’s hippie haven, taking guitar lessons from Joe Mendelson. Bjarnason’s next band, The Back Door, went further afield, playing larger venues like the Broom & Stone with the likes of Shawne and Jay Jackson & the Majestics.
Whiskey Howl grew out of the ashes of yet another Bjarnason outfit, the popular Yorkville band Sherman & Peabody. Joining Bjarnason and guitarist Peter Boyko was a robust singer named John Witmer, who brought along bassist Gary Penner and drummer Ron Sullivan, with whom he played in a Downsview group called Harry’s Blues Band. With the initial lineup intact, Whiskey Howl debuted at Yorkville’s Night Owl coffeehouse on July 28, 1969. Before the band was even a month old, it was opening for Led Zeppelin when the British band appeared at Toronto’s Rock Pile, before a sold-out audience of 1,200 frenzied fans. One month after that, Whiskey Howl joined Lennon’s Revival show at Varsity Stadium, which infamously featured Alice Cooper, who allegedly bit the head off a chicken. The Toronto band, with new drummer Wayne Wilson replacing Sullivan, appeared twice on the bill, playing its own set and backing the eccentric British singer Screaming Lord Sutch.
In the spring of 1970, Whiskey Howl entered the Toronto Sound recording studio to lay down four songs, including two blues standards and a pair of original songs by Witmer. Financed by the band itself, these recordings were strictly demos and never released. However, the group, a big favorite of Globe and Mail rock critic Ritchie Yorke, came close that summer to landing a record deal. Whiskey Howl’s record deal didn’t come for another year. In the meantime, Bjarnason left the group, opting to pursue a career as a chiropractor. Michael Pickett, a talented blues harmonica player who’d played with Witmer in Harry’s Blues Band, stepped in to fill the void. More lineup changes were to follow. A new chapter in the group’s blues odyssey was about to begin.
The group had undergone more personnel changes. Boyko and Penner departed, with guitarist Dave Morrison and bassist Rick Fruchtman coming in as their replacements. The new quintet entered Eastern Sound studios with Sandlin and a collection of blues covers and original tunes. Warner gave the band plenty of artistic freedom. “Pozer told us, ‘We don’t want to get in your way and stifle your creativity,’” recalled Morrison. “He basically said to us, ‘As long as you’re not stark raving maniacs in the studio, we’re happy to let you do your thing.’” Sandlin, meanwhile, was the epitome of a laid-back southern gentleman. “Johnny had worked in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, where they make real records,” says Pickett. “The main thing that he did with us was he kept telling us to lay back. He’d say, ‘Don’t push it, don’t rush the groove.’ That helped to define our sound on the album.”
Sandlin brought in a young hotshot pianist named Chuck Leavell, who later became a keyboard session player for Eric Clapton and The Rolling Stones. The producer also added a horn section, made up of local players Keith Jollymore, Dave Woodward and Phil Alperson, to help round out the Howl sound on Louis Jordan jump-blues standards like “Caldonia,” “Early in the Morning” and “Let the Good Times Roll” and a down-tempo blues number by Memphis Slim called “Mother Earth.” Witmer-penned originals like “Down the Line” and “Jessie’s Song,” about his first-born son, feature Witmer’s bluesy howl and Morrison’s rootsy guitar picking respectively, while Pickett shines on harmonica and vocals on his own “One Hot Lady.”
Two of the album’s highlights are the band’s composition “Pullin’ the Midnight,” featuring dazzling solos from Pickett and Leavell, and the group’s rendition of “Rock Island Line.” It was a brave move for an electric blues band to sing the Leadbelly standard in acapella four-part harmony. “We didn’t think of ourselves strictly as a blues band,” insists Pickett. “None of us were purists. We loved all kinds of music, from folk and blues to jazz and r&b. We were very roots-oriented and that always showed in our sound.”
When Whiskey Howl’s self-titled album came out in the summer of ’72, with a cover shot of the group standing on Spadina Avenue outside of Grossman’s, it quickly garnered rave reviews and airplay on FM stations across the country. The band gigged extensively following its release, with many trips to Sudbury and other parts of northern Ontario and a national tour with Dr. Music, performing at autumn fairs like Toronto’s CNE, Vancouver’s PNE and Edmonton’s Pioneer Days. In particular, Morrison fondly recalls shows in Banff and a week-long gig in Vancouver that turned into a month-long residency at the Pharaoh’s Retreat club in Gastown. “The thing about our band was that we dug each other and loved working together,” says Morrison. “It was real ensemble playing.”
Sadly, the band had a short life, breaking up in 1974 and reforming briefly in ’76 and again in ’81 before finally calling it quits. Glinert had parted ways with the group before the album release, leaving Whiskey Howl without experienced management to take it to the next level. Momentum was lost and another promising Canadian band group with potential to become major stars on the U.S. circuit fell by the wayside. “We were young and stupid,” admits Morrison, “and had no idea of the business. But we had a good time while it lasted.”
Whiskey Howl remains one of the great success stories of the early CanCon era, a blues band that enjoyed a large, loyal following, appeared on legendary concert bills and left one memorable studio album. So sit back and relax, ’cause Whiskey Howl is back in town. Let the good times roll.
Tracks
1. Caldonia (Fleecie Moore) - 2:15
2. Early In The Morning (Hickman, Jordan, Bartley) - 3:59
3. Mother Earth (Peter Chatman, Lewis Simpkin) - 5:39
4. Rock Island Line (Huddie Ledbetter, Alan Lomax) - 1:44
5. Down The Line (John Witmer) - 2:30
6. Let The Good Times Roll (Theard, Moore) - 3:08
7. One Hot Lady (Michael Pickett) - 3:07
8. Pullin' The Midnight (Fruchtman, Morrison, Pickett, Wilson, Witmer) - 5:35
9. I'm Not Talking (Mose Allison) - 2:47
10.Jessie's Song (John Witmer) - 2:46
The 2009 Julien Temple cinema documentary ‘Oil City Confidential’ did much to resurrect the career of Canvey Island 70’s R and B act and punk pioneers Dr Feelgood, and in particular that of their eccentric guitarist Wilko Johnson who became the undoubted star of the film.
What is sometimes forgotten is that after Johnson, the then songwriter of the group, was fired from Dr Feelgood in 1977 after recording three studio albums – ‘Down by the Jetty’ (1975), ‘Malpractice’ (1975) and ‘Sneakin’ Suspicion’ (1977) – and a live record ‘Stupidity’ (1976), Lee Brilleaux, their fireball vocalist and harmonica, decided to carry on the group, initially with Gypie Mayo taking over on guitar.
Lee Brilleaux died of cancer a month before his 43rd birthday in April 1994, having recorded another eleven studio albums with Dr Feelgood, including the Nick Lowe-produced ‘Be Seeing You’ (1977) and ‘A Case of the Shakes’ (1980); ‘Private Practice’ (1978), which featured their only Top 10 hit ‘Milk and Alcohol’, and Brilleaux’s underrated final album with the band, ‘The Feelgood Factor’ (1993).
by John Clarkson
Having fallen apart just as punk rock and the new wave were taking the world by storm, the Feelgoods turned to Nick Lowe to produce the record and he keeps everything admirably bare: Brilleaux's voice remains pleasingly grubby, the back line solid as a brick shithouse, and Mayo dipping in an out with no little style, technique and sensitivity. If that was impressive given the short amount of time the band had to regroup and prepare for the record, October 1978's Private Practice was even more of an eye-opener.
With Mayo contributing to six tracks and Brilleaux three, this was more of a band effort than its predecessor and spawned two terrific singles, 'Down At The Doctors' reaching No.48 and the marvellous 'Milk And Alcohol', written by Mayo and Lowe, becoming the band's first top ten hit. Throughout there is an intoxicating edge to Brilleaux's vocals which sound even more sinister than usual, the songs are full of blockbuster riffs and everywhere Mayo displays his virtuosity - just listen to 'Every Kind Of Vice' or 'Night Time': it is as if Johnson had never been away.
Tracks
1. Down At The Doctors (Mickey Jupp) - 3:19
2. Every Kind Of Vice (Lee Brilleaux, John Mayo) - 3:27
3. Things Get Better (A. Jackson jr, E. Floyd, S. Cropper) - 2:51
4. Milk And Alcohol (Nick Lowe, John Mayo) - 2:55
5. Night Time (B. Feldman, G. Goldstein, R. Gottehrer) - 5:26
6. Let's Have A Party (Baxter, Clifford, Haymes) - 2:42
7. Take A Trip (Lee Brilleaux, John Mayo) - 4:25
8. It Wasn't Me (Nick Lowe, John Mayo) - 3:06
9. Greaseball (John Mayo) - 3:55
10.Sugar Shaker (Lee Brilleaux, John Mayo, John Sparks) - 4:45
11.Down At The (Other) Doctors (Mickey Jupp) - 3:53
12.Cheque Book (Mickey Jupp) - 3:51
13.Back In The Night (Wilko Johnson) - 3:12
14.Lucky Seven (Lew Lewis) - 2:34
15.Lights Out (David, Robbenack) - 3:32
16.Sneackin’ Suspicion (Wilko Johnson) - 3:12
17.Great Ball Of Fire (Hammer, Blackwell) - 2:14
18.It Don’t Take But A Few Minutes (Berry) - 3:28
19.Blues Jam (Brilleaux, Mayo, Sparks, Figure, Holland, Squirrel, Lewis) - 5:51
20.Milk And Alcohol (New Recipe) (Nick Lowe, John Mayo) - 3:07
21.She’s Got Her Eyes On You (Brilleaux, Russell, Mitchell, Morris) - 3:11
Tracks 18-19 performed by The Oil City Sheiks
Dr Feelgood
*Lee Brilleaux - Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica
*John B. Sparks - Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals
*Gypie Mayo - Guitar
*The Big Figure (John Martin) - Drums
A brand new compilation that charts the period when the Climax Blues band accelerated from club act to US Top 40 regularsand, finally, Top 3 hit makers with ‘Couldn’t Get it Right’.Accompanying frontman Colin Cooper (vocals, sax) and Pete Haycock (guitar, vocals), both now sadly deceased, were JohnCuffley (drums) and Derek Holt (bass, vocals).
The return of original member Richard Jones on keyboards midway throughthis gig sequence completed the classic Climax Blues Band line up.Material covers band-penned classics from ‘Sense Of Direction’ (1974), ‘Stamp Album’ (1975), ‘Gold Plated’ (1976), plus songsfrom then current album ‘Real To Reel’ (1979). Also included are blues standards like ‘The Seventh Son’, a long-time staple oftheir ‘live’ set and Wilbert Harrison’s ‘Let’s Work Together’.The Beatles ‘Get Back’ was introduced by Pete Haycock one night to lengthen a short set. “Towards the end of ‘All The TimeIn The World’ I started jamming the Beatles guitar solos and the other guys picked up on it. We started playing to please thecrowd after that!”
The three concerts, from Marquee Club London (1973), New Jersey (1974), Guildford (1976) are previously unreleased. Only1979’s Miami show had a limited US release on Warner Bros.This an essential new set for blues aficionados and band fans alike.Booklet with authoritative and extensive liner notes includes quotes from Climax Blues Band’s Derek Holt and the late PeteHaycock. -
6. Shake Your Love /That's All (George Newsome, Anton Farmer, Richard Gottehrer, Colin Cooper, Pete Haycock, Derek Holt, John Cuffley) - 7:03
7. All The Time In The World - 7:22
8. Seventh Son (Willie Dixon) - 5:02
All songs written by Colin Cooper, Pete Haycock, Derek Holt, John Cuffley except where noted
Tracks 1-6 Live at the Marquee Club London 1973
Tracks 7-8 Live In New Jersey 1974
Disc 2
1. Flight - 15:50
2. So Many Roads (Paul Marshall) - 13:45
3. Country Hat (George Newsome, Anton Farmer, Colin Cooper, Pete Haycock, Derek Holt) - 9:06
4. Shake Your Love (Richard Gottehrer, John Cuffley, Colin Cooper, Pete Haycock, Derek Holt) - 4:03
5. Going To New York (Jimmy Reed) - 10:45
6. Let's Work Together (Wilbert Harrison) - 7:45
7. One More Time/Stormy Monday (Jaymes Young, T. Bone Walker) - 7:02
8. Together And Free - 3:02
9. Amerita Sense Of Direction - 6:22
All songs written by Colin Cooper, Pete Haycock, Derek Holt, John Cuffley except where indicated
Tracks 1-7 Live In New Jersey 1974
Tracks 8-9 Live In Guildford 1976
Disc 3
1. Chasing Change (Colin Cooper, Pete Haycock, Derek Holt, John Cuffley, Richard Jones) - 4:58
2. Using The Power (Colin Cooper, Pete Haycock, Derek Holt, John Cuffley, Richard Jones) - 4:22
3. Couldn't Get It Right (Colin Cooper, Pete Haycock, Derek Holt, John Cuffley, Richard Jones) - 3:16
4. Going To New York (Jimmy Reed) -7:48
5. All The Time In The World - 2:29
6. Get Back (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 2:44
7. Money In Your Pocket - 4:39
8. Summer Rain - 5:44
9. Amerita Sense Of Direction - 7:40
10.Evil (Willie Dixon) - 5:09
11.Fallen In Love (For The Very Last Time) - 4:45
12.Seventh Son/Got My Mojo Workin' (Willie Dixon, McKinley Morganfield) - 9:22
13.Whatcha Feel - 9:42
14.All The Time In The World-Get Back (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 6:01
All songs written by Colin Cooper, Pete Haycock, Derek Holt, John Cuffley except where stated
Tracks 1-6 Live In Guildford 1976
Tracks 7-14 Live From Miami 1979
Climax Blues Band
*Colin Cooper - Vocals, Alto, Tenor Saxes, Guitar, Harmonica
*Pete Haycock - Vocals, Lead Guitar
*Derek Holt - Vocals, Bass Guitar, Electric Piano
*John Cuffley - Drums, Percussion
*Richard Jones - Keyboards (Disc 3)
Originally pressed on the Kama Sutra label in 1971, One Kiss Leads To Another was an anomaly of its era. But to hear the album today, as resurrected by Real Gone Records, a timeless quality persists.
Coming to be at an hour rock music was seriously polarized, with heavy bands like Led Zeppelin, Mountain and Grand Funk Railroad perched on one side of the dial, while the soft and creamy sentiments of the Carpenters and Bread characterized the commercial climate, Hackamore Brick belonged in neither category. Although One Kiss Leads To Another drew fantastic reviews when it was released, which unfortunately did not generate fame or sales, it wasn’t until a couple of decades later that the Brooklyn, New York band was recognized as founding fathers of alternative rock.
Substance over style and passion over professionalism propel the performances on One Kiss Leads To Another, making for a loose, casual and homegrown feel. Prodded by the light tinkle of a piano, followed by a flickering hive of clangy guitars and a pretty melody, “Reachin'” projects a sense of delirious detachment, and “Oh! Those Sweet Bananas” features similar elements but delivered at a brisker clip.
Charmingly jagged vocals laced with a bit of a nasally twang, complemented by sparse arrangements dictate a hefty portion of material on One Kiss Leads To Another, resulting in kind of an edgy folk pop sound. Assembled of giddy rhythms and a touch of good old fashioned rock and roll romp and bomp, “Radio” and the gentle proceedings of “Got A Gal Named Wilma” rate as further praiseworthy tracks included on the disc. The odd man in the bunch is “And I Wonder,” which captures Hackamore Brick on a progressive rock bender with its whirly keyboard noodling, jazzy movements and chaotic jamming in general.
Remnants of psychedelic garage rock also frequently appear throughout One Kiss Leads To Another, while some of this stuff bears a passing resemblance to Big Star before Big Star even actually existed. Additional comparisons would be the Lovin’ Spoonful, Buffalo Springfield and the Velvet Underground, but all told it’s difficult to classify the album, which is why it is so interesting and intriguing.
Haunting, raw and played straight from the heart and gut, One Kiss Leads To Another has a lot going on despite its rather low-fi and economic approach. An accidental masterpiece it is!
by Beverly Paterson
Tracks
1. Reachin' (Chick Newman) - 4:45
2. Oh! Those Sweet Bananas (Tommy Moonlight) - 2:27
3. I Watched You Rhumba (Tommy Moonlight) - 2:57
4. Radio (Tommy Moonlight) - 3:38
5. Peace Has Come (Bob Roman, Tommy Moonlight) - 3:05
6. Got A Gal Named Wilma (Tommy Moonlight) - 3:23
7. I Won't Be Around (Chick Newman) - 1:35
8. And I Wonder (Chick Newman) - 7:26
9. Someone You Know (Chick Newman) - 4:23
10.Zip Gun Woman (Chick Newman, Tommy Moonlight) - 2:54
11.Searchin' (Single version) (Chick Newman) - 3:13
It's been pretty well established that The Byrds had long gone past their expiration date. Roger McGuinn had already peaked as a songwriter, and none of the other band members he brought in were particularly notable songsmiths. Really, if you listen to this album, you'll likely find it to be inconsequential and without any original ideas to speak of. Well, despite that, Farther Along is an incredibly pleasing album. They learned from their mistakes well, and they started to actually sound like they were enjoying themselves! As it goes, the audience has a better chance of enjoying an album if the artists seem like they enjoyed creating it.
“Tiffany Queen” is a good start, and the only song of the album that could be construed as rock 'n' roll (and that includes the song called “Born to Rock 'n' Roll” in the bonus tracks). It's actually a somewhat convincing riff-rock song, and that's surprising considering I didn't think these guys knew what rock 'n' roll was! Yeah, it's still a tad flat, and they shouldn't have relied on a generic '50s R&B melody, but it's a sort of crunchy song that's fun to listen to. “Get Down Your Line” marks the moment when I suspected these guys were actually enjoying themselves. Musically the song isn't any great shakes, but all the band members join in for the chorus with incredibly unrehearsed, unpolished vocals and sound like they're having a blast. That's all that matters, I guess.
Nothing on here can really top “Bugler,” which probably deserves a place as a classic on these McGuinn-era Byrds albums, though not a major one. Once again, it's nothing spell bounding, but that light breezy melody is rather fun for me to hear. They also favor some rich, organic guitars, which makes it sound even better! What's more, that slide guitar is gorgeous!!
“B. B. Class Roadie” is a typical piano-boogie, but that comically guttural vocal performance keeps it lively and even comedic. It's as generic as it gets, and the musicianship isn't amazing or anything, but it's admittedly fun to hear it. “America's Great National Pastime” is even funnier, though. It sounds like a theatrical Dixieland parody (with some skiffle guitars and a music hall piano), and the lyrics are very silly. A lot of people think that song is dorky, and it is, but that's the point! ... I'm just glad they're not boring me to death with another zero-calorie gospel-folk number.
The last five songs of the album are generally the weakest, though many of them are still quite nice. “Antique Sandy” is a pleasant, atmospheric ballad with an interesting use of a vocal echo effect. That was close to being another one of their dull ballads, but with that effect and those pretty, well-mixed guitars, it had a chance to show its colors a bit. “Precious Kate” is a little dull, though... It's not a bad listen, but they don't come up with too many great ideas for it. “So Fine” and “Lazy Waters” also don't impress me much, but they're still tuneful enough for me to gather interest in it. The album ends with a finger pickin' bluegrass instrumental that sounds like royalty-free stock music. I know I already said the other songs don't have an ounce of originality, but that fact didn't seem to overwhelmingly bother me until that point. Ah well... It's the last track, and it doesn't do any harm.
The bonus tracks are surprisingly nice for bonus tracks! Many of the songs would later appear on McGuinn's solo career... which means that I know what his solo career sounds like now! Exactly like these late-career Byrds albums! “Lost My Drivin' Wheel” is very light and very nice. It's a cool sort of country-rock tune. “Born to Rock 'n' Roll” goes back and forth between a rather beautiful ballad and a more rockin' chorus. The ballad part is *much* better. Roger McGuinn was *not* born to rock 'n' roll! “Bag Full of Money” is likable, but clearly the lesser of the bonus tracks.
While this album isn't even close to measuring up to the classic Byrds albums, it's an incredibly even album and possibly the best of the McGuinn-era works. I guess the major problem with it is that it's without a single, really compelling song that's an equal to beautiful numbers like “Ballad of Easy Rider” and “Lover of the Bayou.” The closest thing this album has is “Buglar,” and there's next to no chance that you'll get that one stuck in your head... So, this is a solid album, but there's not much that will inspire you to listen to this too frequently.
by Michael Lawrence
Tracks
1. Tiffany Queen (Roger McGuinn) - 2:40
2. Get Down Your Line (Gene Parsons) - 3:26
3. Farther Along (Traditional, Arranged Clarence White) - 2:57
4. B.B. Class Road (Gene Parsons, Stuart Dawson) - 2:15
5. Bugler (Larry Murray) - 3:07
6. America's Great National Pastime (Skip Battin, Kim Fowley) - 2:57
7. Antique Sandy (Roger McGuinn, Skip Battin, Gene Parsons, Clarence White, Jimmi Seiter) - 2:12
8. Precious Kate (Skip Battin, Kim Fowley) - 2:59
9. So Fine (Johnny Otis) - 2:37
10.Lazy Waters (Bob Rafkin) - 3:33
11.Bristol Steam Convention Blues (Gene Parsons, Clarence White) - 2:42
12.America's Great National Pastime (Mono Single Version) (Skip Battin, Kim Fowley) - 2:54
13.Lost My Drivin' Wheel (David Wiffen) - 4:57
14.Born To Rock And Roll (Roger McGuinn) - 2:58
15.Bag Full Of Money (Roger McGuinn, Jacques Levy) - 3:19
16.He Was A Friend Of Mine (Traditional Arr. Roger McGuinn) - 2:27
17.Paths Of Victory (Bob Dylan) - 3:10
18.From A Distance (Julie Gold) - 3:14
19.Love That Never Dies (Roger McGuinn, Stan Lynch) - 3:57
Bonus Tracks 12-19
Tracks 18-19 recorded in 1990
The Byrds
*Roger McGuinn - Guitar, Vocals
*Clarence White - Guitar, Vocals
*Skip Battin - Electric Bass, Vocals
*Gene Parsons - Drums, Harmonica, Banjo, Vocals With
*Charles Lloyd - Saxophone
*John Guerin - Drums
*Buddy Emmons - Pedal Steel Guitar
This was the last record that Alan Wilson appeared on. It featured a slightly different Canned Heat, as Henry Vestine was absent for the sessions. Harvey Mandel, whose other credits included work with Charlie Musselwhite, Freddie Roulette, and John Mayall, filled in on lead guitar.
The tone was noticably heavier, and had a very clear and powerful recorded sound. Mandel's lead guitar actually didn't give the band any extra power, as both he and Vestine were equally powerful and electric in their styles, but the leads did have more rock punch. Making, "Work Together" for example, a very funky and loud rocker.
In fact, without Wilson, this record could have become a bit too samey. Yet keep in mind, without Hite's powerful and/or humorous stylings, this band could have ended up playing music as obscure as any John Fahey record... that mix is always what made Canned Heat the unique outfit it was.
The set opens with one of the most integrated numbers they ever did, "Sugar Bee", a strange, stomping number that has Alan Wilson all over it, yet, with a vocal that only Hite could have sung. It's a song no one could listen to and not recognize as being Canned Heat.
A fast, "Goin" Up The Country" type number follows called, "Shake It And Break It", which leads to an unusual cover of "That's All Right Mama", featuring a very slow, almost moody arrangement. It's unusual as it's generally done uptempo as Elvis did it, yet closer to how the composer, Arthur Cruddup would have performed it.
Two Wilson tunes follow, a prophetic "My Time Ain't Long", and the off the wall big band swing boogie, "Skat". Both show the dicotomy of the man; the odd, and often mysterious soul lost in a delta blues world, and a genius who often mixed disparate elements into a strange, yet coherent style. The latter was a very active swing number, with some of the best harp work he ever did, with some of the wierdest scat singing ever recorded.
The side ends with the number that got the most airplay (and still is heard now and then), the gloriously electric and funky rocker, "Let's Work Together". It was many steps removed from Wilbur Harrison, yet well within the spirit of the man.
Side two opens with Wilson's "London Blues", featuring Dr. John on piano. It opens like an old 50's Hooker blues, and as the band kicks in, becomes one very tough slow blues. A masterpiece.
A very hard and funky "So Sad" follows, with Hite leading the band through another tough, medium tempo rocking blues, leading to the entire band collaborating on "Future Blues", one of the best fast blues rockers ever written.
The band did continue to record after Wilson died, and certainly was as active as ever on the concert scene. A few years back, Bob Hite passed away, but the band still does perform, albeit in a very different way.
One problem with having had "hits", is that you can "go out of style" and seem washed up or something. That was never true with this band, and this last recording with Alan Wilson before he died earned the remark from critic Robert Cristgau, "I'm sorry that there won't be any more records like this one".
They had some real chart hits, which few blues bands since have achieved, and you can still hear "On the Road Again", "Goin' Up The Country", and "Get Together" on the radio still now and then. They were both a bridge from the early Delta era blues, and a band that trancended the label "blues band" in the 60's.
I've seen the band on film, saw them a few times at Winterland in the post-Wilson era, and one thing I can say, no one ever did the boogie better than Canned Heat, except for the Hook, and even he liked these guys. What more could any band want?
by Al Handa
Tracks
1. Sugar Bee (Eddie Shuler) - 2:37
2. Shake It And Break It (Alan Wilson) - 2:34
3. That's All Right (Mama) (Arthur Big Boy Crudup) - 4:18
4. My Time Ain't Long (Alan Wilson) - 3:50
5. Skat (Alan Wilson) - 2:43
6. Let's Work Together (Wilbert Harrison) - 3:13
7. London Blues (Alan Wilson) - 5:28
8. So Sad (The World's In A Tangle) (Bob Hite, Alan Wilson, Harvey Mandel) - 7:55
9. Future Blues (Bob Hite, Alan Wilson, Harvey Mandel) - 3:00
10.Let's Work Together Single (Mono Version) (Wilbert Harrison) - 2:48
11.Skat Single (Mono Version) (Alan Wilson) - 2:41
12.Wooly Bully (Sam Samudio) - 2:32
13.Christmas Blues Canned Heat And The Chipmunks (Cook, Taylor, Vestine, Wilson, Hite Jr.) - 2:33
14.The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late) Canned Heat And The Chipmunks (Bagdasarian) - 2:46
The Canned Heat
*Bob Hite - Vocals
*Alan Wilson - Slide Guitar, Vocals, Harmonica
*Harvey Mandel - Lead Guitar
*Larry Taylor - Bass
*Adolfo De La Parra - Drums Additional Musicians
*Dr. John - Piano, Horn Arrangements
*Ernest Lane - Piano
The Mind Garage story begins in Morgantown, WV with the release of the classic “Asphalt Mother” single on their own label and includes turning down an opportunity to play Woodstock, walking away from RCA Records in 1970 at the height of their success (never to be heard from again) and the first and very controversial integration of rock music and religion that saw the band performing rock music during services in churches around the country and ending with a petition for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The story of the Mind Garage is much more than how a group of talented musicians worked their way out of the backwater to find success in the music business, it’s about how their efforts ultimately influenced and paved the way for an entirely new “Contemporary Christian” genre of rock music and how that music is incorporated into the worship services of Christian churches today and maybe, more importantly, why they disappeared at the height of their popularity. Their story begins with a band caled the Glass Menagerie.
The Glass Menagerie was formed in Morgantown in 1966, by a group of students attending West Virginia University, and included the core of what would become the Mind Garage. The band featured Larry McClurg (vocals), Tom Warfield (lead guitar), John Fisher (bass), Norris Lytton (sax) and Jim Straub (drums). Early on Jack Bond would show up wherever they would play and watch the band perform. Norris Lytton remembers “he was a dedicated fan.” When circumstances forced the Glass Menagerie to shuffle their lineup, Jack was invited to join as keyboardist. Jack played many instruments but didn’t have a keyboard so John offered to buy one for him and let him pay it back a little at a time. The band was highly regarded locally and their reputation for playing British Invasion and psychedelic cover songs of the day, along with a few originals, was such that they were often booked throughout the US Midwest playing on bills with more established national artists.
The importance of the Glass Menagerie to the success of the Mind Garage cannot be understated as it was on these tours where the future members of the Mind Garage gained an education in how to entertain a large live audience by watching the headliners perform for crowds of up to 10,000. When the tour ended in the spring of 1967 the band broke up when their guitarist John Fisher left the band to join the Shadows of Knight (they had enjoyed a big hit in the US with a cover of Them’s Gloria) and drummer Jim Straub left for parts unknown, never to be heard from again.
In 1967 the cultural revolution was exploding nationally and long haired rock and roll musicians were considered “hippies” and violently disliked and ridiculed especially in a town like Morgantown where conformity was the rule and conformity meant being like all the other students involved in fraternities, sports and dances, and wearing your hair short and dressing conservatively. Larry McClurg recalls the members of the band being threatened and harassed. “Those dirty beatnik hippies” is what they called us.” “We were spat upon as freaks, called communists, and were victims of discrimination, hatred, ridicule, lies, beatings, and sometimes called anti-Christ”. “The unfortunate longhair walking alone somewhere at night would now and then come across a group of rednecks, frats or jocks hanging out drinking. They would block the path to intimidate the ‘hippy’ and one of them might whip out scissors to cut the long hair. Having your person threatened over the length of your hair seems absurd now.
In some respects Morgantown, a mix of intellectuals and cowboys, seemed like the Wild West”. The cultural revolution was not limited to just secular circles but was also being fought in churches where young ministers and priests and members of the congregation were demanding changes be made to the services to make them more relevant to them and today’s world. Reverend Paine and the band were both on the front lines of this revolution and therefore could not only relate to one another but help support each other by working together to change the status quo and that’s what they ultimately accomplished.
The band began their recording career in 1968 with the “Asphalt Mother”/”Reach Out” single pressed on their own Morning Glori label. The A side “Asphalt Mother” is one of the all time greatest garage/psych records ever recorded and is a template many future punk and grunge records would follow without ever hearing it. The band’s sound was new and exciting less British invasion and more loud, hard and heavy with a lot of fuzz and very psychedelic. The record was pressed in a lot of 1,000 and placed in local record stores in Pittsburgh, Morgantown, Clarksburg and Fairmont WV and when they sold that was it. The single never appeared on a Mind Garage album and it was therefore undiscovered and forgotten and has remained, even today, very much undiscovered. Their live shows at that time were legend with Larry McClurg possessing enormous charisma and even some Jim Morrison like stage presence.
The music was said to mesmerize the audience and would capture their attention to the point that in between songs you could hear a pin drop. Their lighting and light shows were effective in creating an atmosphere where the audience felt they were being taken on a journey and according to those who attended they were. When they would play these “Electric Happenings” as many of the performances were billed they would include, in addition to the light shows, psychedelic fashion shows and all sorts of other music with opening acts playing jazz and even sitar sounds. The concerts were interactive with “Total Environment, Total Involvement” themes where the audience was as much a part of the show as the music.
Tracks
1. B-52 (Norris Lytton, Jack Bond, Ted Smith, John Vauhghan) - 0:53
2. Sale Of A Deathman (John Vaughan) - 3:56
3. What Shall We Do Till Norris Comes (Larry McClurg) - 6:26
4. Water (Larry McClurg) - 4:55
5. Star Goddess (John Vaughan) - 3:11
6. Circus Farm (Larry McClurg) - 2:47
7. This Town (Larry McClurg) - 4:08
8. Reach Out (Holland, Dozier, Holland) - 4:50
9. Asphalt Mother (Larry McClurg) - 5:05
The Mind Garage
*Larry McClurg - Lead Vocals, Vocals
*John Vaughan - Lead Guitar
*Ted Smith - Drums, Vocals
*Jack Bond - Keyboard, Vocals
*Norris Lytton - Bass Guitar, Vocals
In 1969 Lighthouse played the Atlantic City Jazz Festival and after a technical glitch with the PA system the band had an impromptu conversation with many of the 20,000 people in attendance who were anxious to hear this new band from Canada. They also discussed politics and when the show continued the band won over the mostly American audience – and the press declared Lighthouse “The Peace Band”.
The band took the term to heart and named their next release ‘Peacing It All Together’which allowed them to continue touring and building a larger audience. While the jazz-rock-classical blend they had pioneered was still prominent, the record included more pop-friendly tunes than their first two albums had featured, as well as some unexpected detours into folk-rock and country-rock. Comprised entirely of original compositions, the LP also included 'The Chant,' a hit single in Japan.
Peacing It All Together was the most commercially successful of Lighthouse's three RCA albums, reaching #133 in the Billboard charts, though it would take the title track of their next album, One Fine Morning, to give the band an international hit single. RCA would release the band from its deal in 1971.
Tracks
1. Nam Myoho Renge' Kyo / Let The Happines Begin (Paul Hoffert, Skip Prokop, Ralph Cole) - 3:52
2. Every Day I Am Reminded (L. V. Beethoven, Paul Hoffert, Skip Prokop) - 4:54
3. The Country Song - 2:29
4. Sausalito - 3:05
5. The Fiction Of Twenty Six Million - 2:32
6. The Chant (Nam Myoho Renge' Kyo) - 2:47
7. Mr. Candleman - 3:15
8. On My Way To L.A. - 4:28
9. Daughters And Sons (Grant Fullerton) - 2:57
10.Just A Little More Time - 2:19
11.Little People / Nam Myoho Renge' Kyo - 4:04
All songs by Paul Hoffert, Skip Prokop except where stated
A couple of summers ago, when “Blind Owl” Wilson overdosed; well, it looked like curtains for Canned Heat. The band added Harvey Mandel as lead guitarist and dropped a live album onto the market. After that LP whisked into oblivion, so did Canned Heat.
But wait, just released is Historical Figures and Ancient Heads complete with new member Joel Scott Hill at vocals and guitars, Harvey Mandel, who since left the band, is back for guitar work, and Little Richard himself.
What’s a critic to do? The band has retired the “boogie” theme for a more ballsy rock ‘n blues format. Gone are Bob “The Bear” Hite’s embarrassing growls. Gone are the inane lyrics. In their place stand a new band gleaming and ready to be accepted.
Side One is the stomping side – sizzling with good new rock ‘n roll. The side is, I might add, completely swiped by Little Richard on “Rockin’ with the King” where the Georgia Peach plays honky-tonk piano and shares the arrogant lyrics with Hite. I guess that’s the way it should be, but “Long Way From L.A.” gives it a good run-for-the-money which epitomizes all the “gotta-get-my-ass-back-home” theme songs.
Well, if you’re gonna change the tune of a band, you might as well go all out. The group has added a Mexican rhythm section with Adolfo de la Parra and Antonio del la Barreda on drums and bass respectively. The two jam away, weaving in and out between all the verses with their tasty subdued Latin-flavored style.
Side Two is the setting for the extended jam tunes “That’s All Right” and “Utah,” the former being Harvey Mandel’s homecoming cut. These two tracks seem to best describe the new and refreshed state of the band. They have not lost their snotty sense of raw humor, or their snotty sense of raw instrumentation. For once, I feel the group has tried their utmost to produce a great album… and succeeded.
by Cameron Crowe – Courtesy of the Door (aka San Diego Door) March 30, 1972 – April 13, 1972
Tracks
1. Sneakin' Around (Jessie Mae Robinson) - 4:53
2. Hill's Stomp (Joel Scott Hill) - 3:03
3. Rockin' With The King (Skip Taylor, Richard Wayne Penniman) - 3:17
4. I Don't Care What You Tell Me (Charles Lloyd) - 3:58
5. Long Way From L.A. (Jud Baker) - 3:05
6. Cherokee Dance (Robert Landers) - 4:25
7. That's All Right (Jimmy Rogers) - 5:30
8. Utah (Canned Heat) - 8:25
9. Long Way From L.A. (Single Version) (Jud Baker) - 2:53
Canned Heat
*Bob Hite - Vocals
*Henry Vestine - Lead Guitar
*Joel Scott Hill - Rhythm, Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Adolfo De La Parra - Drums, Piano
*Antonio De La Barreda - Bass Additional Personnel
*Little Richard - Piano, Vocals
*Clifford Solomon - Saxophone
*Charles Lloyd - Flute
*Harvey Mandel - Guitar
*Ernest Lane - Piano
*Kevin Burton - Organ
*Ray Bushbaum - Piano
The Unicorn’s first album, Uphill All the Way, sounds like a band simply ecstatic at the possibilities of this new brand of folk-rock; they cover all the greats of the genre: Neil Young, Jimmy Webb, John Stewart, James Taylor, Joe Cocker, and Gerry Rafferty. But the originals by Ken Baker show that he was just as good at evoking the sun drenched canyons of the beaches of Southern California as his influences; which is all the more impressive considering he was writing and singing from the famously overcast and rainy London.
Still Baker’s songwriting wasn’t yet up to snuff, the best song here is their beautiful interpretation of Webb’s P.F. Sloan, a tribute to the American songwriter. The amazing harmonies on this track reveal Unicorn was more than just a CSN rip-off like so many bands of this breed; these guys are the real deal.
by Stephen Belden
Tracks
1. P.F. Sloan (Jimmy Webb) - 4:30
2. 115 Bar Joy (Ken Baker) - 3:51
3. I've Loved Her So Long (Neil Young) - 2:42
4. Don't Ever Give Up Trying (Ken Baker) - 5:08
5. Country Road (James Taylor) - 4:16
6. Something To Say (Joe Cocker) - 4:43
7. Ain't Got A Lot Of Future (Ken Baker) - 6:49
8. Never Going Back (John Stewart) - 3:21
9. You, You, Hate Me (Ken Baker) - 5:38
10.Please Sing A Song For Us (Gerry Rafferty) - 3:13
11.Going Back Home (Ken Baker) - 3:36
12.Cosmic Kid (Ken Baker) - 2:57
13.All We Really Want To Do (Bonnie Bramlett, Delaney Bramlett) - 3:17
14.P.F. Sloan (2006 Remix) (Jimmy Webb) - 4:40
Bonus Tracks 11-14
Unicorn
*Peter Perrier - Drums, Congas, Percussion, Vocals
*Pat Martin - Bass Guitar, Vocals
*Ken Baker - Electric Guitar, Acoustic 6, 12 String Guitar, Organ, Piano, Harmonium, Electric Piano, Vocals
*Trevor Mee - 6, 12 String Electric Acoustic Guitars, Flute, Vocals With
*Kevin Smith - Guitar, Mandolin
*Hugh Murphy - Tambourine
Brian Auger and his band outdo themselves on this extraordinary album, which boasts playing that is both passionate and of virtuoso caliber, and encompasses just the right repertory. From the opening of the soaring rendition of "I Wanna Take You Higher" through the jazzy interpretation of Gabriel Faure's Pavane, the Albinoni-based Adagio per Archi e Organo, the impassioned rendition of Traffic's "No Time to Live" (sung by lead guitarist Gary Boyle), and the smooth interpretation of Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage" (featuring some elegant lead playing by Boyle before Auger's organ moves into the foreground), Befour delivers superb musicianship, crossing the lines between jazz and rock with touches of soul and even some lingering traces of psychedelia.
The one fully experimental track, "Listen Here," which was cut in a single take of nine-minutes-and-22-seconds, is a hard, pounding piece driven by Boyle's jagged lead guitar and showing off the band augmented by three additional drummers (Mickey Waller, Barry Reeves, and Colin Allen) and an extra bassist (Roger Sutton) -- it reminds one somewhat of the kinds of experiments that the Nice sometimes attempted a lot less successfully. "Just You and Me" is a worthy finale to the original album, a hard-rocking showcase for each of the players.
by Bruce Eder
Tracks
1. I Want To Take You Higher (Sylvester Stewart) - 5:08
2. Pavane (Gabriel Fauré) - 3:49
3. No Time To Live (Jim Capaldi, Steve Winwood) - 5:27
4. Maiden Voyage (Herbie Hancock) - 5:03
5. Listen Here (Eddie Harris) - 9:26
6. Adagio Per Archi E Organo (Brian Auger) - 3:30
7. Just You Just Me (Brian Auger) - 6:31
8. Rain Forest Talking (Live) (Brian Auger) - 4:07
9. Pavane (Demo Version) (Gabriel Fauré) - 3:44
10.Fire In The Mind (Previously Unreleased) (Brian Auger) - 4:47
11.Pavene (Live) (Gabriel Fauré) - 4:49
12.I Got Some (Live) (Brian Auger) - 5:02
Brian Auger And The Trinity
*Brian Auger - Keyboards, Electric Piano, Organ, Vocals
*Gary Boyle - Guitar, Vocals, Harmony Vocals
*Dave Ambrose - Bass, Harmony Vocals
*Clive Thacker - Drums, Harmony Vocals
*Colin Allen - Bass, Drum Rhythms, Bells,
*Roger Sutton - Bottom Bass Line
*Barry Reeves - Snare Drum, Cowbell
*Mickey Waller - Cymbals
The South African heavy prog act the Third Eye recorded three albums over the course of as many weekends in 1969. This second release is slightly more aggressive than the group's debut, and the horn section that sometimes caused Awakening... to become a little too ersatz-soulful is absent.
The opening title track, driven by Dawn Selby's churning organ, almost has the impact of some of the Doors' heaviest, least jazzy material. Vocalist Maurice Saul is still a little too clean, in a weirdly middle-of-the-road way; he's neither a hoarse blues shouter nor a high-pitched frontman like Yes' Jon Anderson, and he winds up sounding like the frontman for a show band specializing in covers, not a unique and interesting band making compelling, original music. Which is too bad, because at their best (which is anytime guitarist Ronnie Selby gets to really cut loose; on this album, it's "Listen to the Bells"), they muster up a roar that Deep Purple would pack concert halls with only a couple of years later.
This album's other high point is its final track, an eight-minute suite that includes poetry and a grinding, amped-up version of the Crazy World of Arthur Brown's "Fire" -- the only cover on this album, by the way, as contrasted with the trio of adaptations on the debut. Brother roars to its conclusion, Saul shrieking with all the power he can muster as the band explodes around him.
by Phil Freeman
Tracks
1. Brother - 4:02
2. Once Upon A Time Part 1 - 3:46
3. Once Upon A Time Part 2 - 4:01
4. Listen To The Bells - 5:40
5. Sister - 4:04
6. Young Folk And Old Folk - 3:32
7. Fire A) Prelude B) Poem C) Fire (Arthur Brown, Vincent Crane) - 8:00
All songs by Maurice Saul and Third Eye except where indicated
The Third Eye
*Ronnie Selby - Lead Guitar
*Maurice Saul - Vocals, Lead Guitar
*Dawn Selby - Piano, Hammond Organ
*Robbie Pavid - Drums
*Mike Sauer - Six String Bass
