One of the most unjustly-neglected bands of their time, Green got together at North Texas State University in the late '60s, and released a stunning psych-pop debut in 1969. Their largely-overlooked second LP first appeared in September 1971. In the interim between albums, multi instrumentalist James Neel had been replaced by pianist / trumpeter Jay Pruit.
"To Help Somebody" was self produced, and recorded at 2545 North Fitzhugh, Dalla Texas. It's still largely unknown, perhaps because it doesn't sound much like its predecessor, a punchy pop rock record, tightly performed and well recorded.
A classy combination of rock and roll and ballads, with acid-tinged guitar and tasteful horns, it comes across as an idiosyncratic amalgam of The Beatles, The Zombies and Buffalo Springfield, making it a must-have for fans of classic '60s psychedelia and early 1970s rural rock.
Tracks
1. All My Bells - 3:24
2. To Help Somebody - 1:53
3. She Dont' Love Me - 2:58
4. Mary Magdalena - 2:04
5. Can You See Me (Wilson Fisher) - 2:52
6. Teenage Woman (Gary Casebeer) - 2:34
7. Lady, Oh Lady - 1:49
8. Big Dipper (John Martin, Wilson Fisher) - 3:48
9. High Time (Jay Pruitt, John Martin) - 3:02
10.Suzy - 2:49
11.Funny Faces - 3:11
12.San Fernando Valley Girls - 3:11
13.Forest Lawn - 1:35
All compositions by John Martin except where indicated
An obscured English singer songwriter Bob Hughes, was thirty-two years old at the time he recorded his first album (My Old Man) at Spaceward Studios in 1976. This was followed in the same Cambridge studios by In For a Penny with the group Hooknorton in 1977 and The Kids Are Ok! 1978, which was recorded in two sessions only!!
The Kids Are Ok! is a step in a new world. Firstly, it's the work of a band, The Bob Hughes Band which comprised of Bob Hughes (12 string guitar, 6 string guitar and vocals) and 5 talented musicians: John Kaliski (lead guitar, bass guitar, vocals), Alan Buxton (same as John), Gary Moore (drums), Adrian Nash (keyboards and vocals) and Ron Turner (lead guitar). Secondly, this album is much more folk rock than My Old Man, with plenty of electric guitar. Melodies are so catchy they will stay in your head for days.
A loud hardrock /heavy psych U.S. group from Arizona with lots of fuzz guitar and gritty vocals. Local mountain air rocker with psychy west coast flashes on the excellent titles track ‘One More Day’ and else where, more melodic numbers rural rock vibe, with a couple of extended jams showing good playing and a nice atmosphere all around. ‘Crotch Crickets, has a really catchy heavy riff, other song that really stands out is ‘Crossroader’, which has some really memorable up-tempo and wah-heavy guitar playing. It’s a real rock burner. Mount is also a great instrumental track. The rest of the album is also a high standard bluesy hard psychedelic rock.
Tracks
1. One More Day - 2:47
2. Crotch Crickets - 4:08
3. Somethin' to Say - 5:28
4. Aspen Jam (Cam Empens, Bill Richardson, Frank Ford) - 5:24
5. Bagdad Boogie (Bill Richardson, Bill Keisler) - 2:26
6. Crossroader (Bill Richardson, Cam Empens) - 3:53
7. Mount (Bill Richardson, Frank Ford, Cam Empens) - 4:48
8. Fallin' (Bill Richardson, Cam Empens) - 3:50
9. Tihsllub (aka Irondoors) - 2:24
All songs by Bill Richardson except where indicated
Bear Mountain Band
*Bill Richardson - Guitar
*Bill Keisler - Bass
*Cam Empens - Organ
*Frank Ford - Drums
Tasty rural boogie blues rock with Crazy Horse influences, this lone album from Illinois’ sextet Farm is an air-guitarist’s delight. Intricate, dual guitar interplay is the order of the day, with lots of meandering solos full of those West Coast druggy vibes. If you’ve worn out all your bootleg outtakes of David Crosby and The Pure Earth Rock and Roll Orchestra’s Wally Heider sessions, then this is the next logical step for your musical mind expansion.
Side one opens with the lengthy headnodder “Jungle Song” and the more traditional, Canned Heat style blues courtesy the self-explanatory “Let That Boy Boogie”. Flip the album over and the band flash their Allman Brothers’ influences on more structured and accessible tracks like “Sunshine In My Window” and “Cottonfield Woman”, which are both full of dueling fuzz guitars and emotional, bluesy vocals. Their faithful interpretation of “Statesboro Blues” reiterates their influential nod towards the Allmans, and is just another highlight on this fun album. Put on your boogie shoes, darling, break out the Jack Daniels and party the night away. Yee hah!
by Jeff Penczack, October 18, 2013
Tracks
1. Jungle Song - 7:50
2. Let That Boy Boogie - 8:15
3. Sunshine In My Window - 4:00
4. Cottonfield Woman - 4:04
5. Statesboro Blues (Blind Willie McTell) - 4:25
All songs by Del Herbert, Gary Gordon, Jim Elwyn, Roger Greenwalt, Steve Evanchik, Mike Young except track #5
Farm
*Del Herbert - Lead Guitar, 12-String Acoustic Guitar
*Gary Gordon - 2nd Guitar, Bottleneck Guitar, Vocals
*Jim Elwyn - Bass, Vocals
*Steve Evanchik - Congas, Timbales, Cymbals, Mouth Harp
Recorded in 1973 by guitarist/vocalists, Dennis Cheplick and Jack Sarvis, aided by Cheplick’s brother, Greg, on drums and Sarvis’ future brother-in-law, Ken Turcic on bass, Backbone Of The Nation was originally released on the RPC label in a limited pressing of 25 copies. The album was recorded “live” by the quartet at a local Pennsylvania studio, Marjon Records, with the LPs ten tracks being recorded in 3 hours with no overdubs or editing, at a total cost of $100. In this Gear Fab Records reissue the album’s ten tracks are supplemented by two bonus tracks, for a total run time of slightly over 41 minutes.
The original album opens with the four and a half minute title track, which features nice fuzz guitar by Sarvis, and is the heaviest number on the LP. Turcic and Greg Cheplick supply a driving beat, supplemented by solid rhythm guitar from Dennis Cheplick, and a very tasty lead line by Sarvis, who also delivers a fuzz filled solo. The band also features a more mid-tempo side, as evidenced by “If Only I Had Told You” with its jangling 12-string acoustic guitar by Cheplick. The tune includes gorgeous vocal harmonies by Cheplick and Sarvis. “I Don’t Love You Anymore” is a mid-tempo number, with a country rock feel, more vocal harmonies and a restrained lead guitar line courtesy of Sarvis. “Too Much Of Nothing” is another mid-tempo number showcasing the jangling 12-string guitar of Cheplick and a gentle lead line by Sarvis. Side one of the LP closed with “Airplane Rider” a return to more up-tempo material fueled by Sarvis’ fuzz guitar and Cheplick’s jangling rhythm guitar.
Side two opens with a straight ahead rocker, “Untitled Love.” Dennis Cheplick’s gorgeous lead line is joined by Turcic’s bass, which booms over top of Sarvis’ husky vocals. “The Stones You Throw” another mid-tempo rocker features more booming bass from Turcic and a nicely textured lead line by Sarvis. “Hooky Player” showcases jangling rhythm guitar by Cheplick and more restrained lead from Sarvis, who also supplies a tasteful solo. “Sweet And Free” is a mid-tempo ballad with jangling 12-string guitar by Cheplick and a gentle, nicely picked solo from Sarvis. The original Backbone Of The Nation closes with another mid-tempo number “How Many More Years.” The tune is a return to the band’s more country rock side with ballad style vocals and a withheld lead line by Cheplick, supported by Sarvis’ rhythm guitar and gorgeous harmony vocals. The original LP is supplemented by two bonus tracks, “Like A Vine” and “Deception.” Both tunes feature gentle acoustic guitar and restrained lead lines as well as showcasing the band’s vocal harmonies.
Gear Fab’s reissue Of Backbone Of The Nation features a foreword by label owner Roger Maglio and an informative essay by Jack Sarvis and Dennis Cheplick. The digipak package is rounded out by complete song annotations and gorgeous photos of the band members. A wonderful example of home-made garage/psych music, original copies of the album have gone for as much as $1000. Thankfully, Gear Fab has made it available at a much more realistic cost. This release will appeal to fans of garage and psychedelic rock and be a welcome addition to fans of these genres.
by Kevin Rathert, August 30, 2017
Tracks
1. Backbone To The Nation (Jack Sarvis, Dennis Cheplick) - 4:24
2. If Only I Would Have Told You (Jack Sarvis, Dennis Cheplick) - 2:54
3. I Don't Love Her Anymore (Jack Sarvis) - 2:41
4. Too Much Of Nothing - 3:44
5. Airplane Rider (Jack Sarvis, Dennis Cheplick) - 3:27
6. Untitled Love (Jack Sarvis) - 3:57
7. The Stones You Throw - 4:11
8. Hooky Player (Jack Sarvis, Dennis Cheplick) - 2:51
9. Sweet And Free - 2:36
10.How Many More Years - 3:07
11.Like A Vine (Dennis Cheplick, E. Webber) - 3:41
The never-released 1969 live effort from Fever Tree! Gulf Coast punk phenoms the Bostwick Vines see Cream and Hendrix and bring their tough interpretation of that combination to Hollywood, California. With three unique studio albums to their name, Fever Tree splinters after this live gig in Texas, but not before laying down one final testament to their evermore worth as swooning psychedelic rockers.
Sharpening their chops on the Gulf Coast circuit, followed by a high-profile opening night gig at Hollywood’s legendary Kaleidoscope, Fever Tree developed a keen sense of musical drama and dynamics. This versatility is in sharp display on the concert’s rendition of their underground radio hit “San Francisco Girls (Return of the Native).” For the rest, Live 1969 focuses on groovers, a perfect set-up for the gliding fuzztones of lead guitarist Michael Knust, the sonic organ of Rob Landes, the thick rhythms provided by E.E. “Bud” Wolfe III on bass and John Tuttle on drumsand the dynamic, driving lead vocals of Dennis Keller.
“Don’t Come Crying to Me Girl,” a song originally found on the band’s second album, levitates the band beyond any earthly confines. Elsewhere, the set moves between a soaring cover of Donovan’s “Hey Gyp,” their own power pop “Grand Candy Young Sweet” and a whirlng psych take on Wilson Pickett’s “Ninety-Nine and One Half (Won’t Do).” Playing as if their lives depended on it, Live 1969 captures a band at the height of its powers, forever preserved on this final audio testament.
Sundazed
Tracks
1. Grand Candy Young Sweet (F. Davis) - 8:37
2. Ninety-Nine and One Half (Won’t Do) (E. Floyd, S. Cropper, W. Pickett) - 11:06
1. Don’t Come Crying to Me Girl ( R. Landes, S. Holzman, V. Holzman) - 8:15
4. Hey Gyp (D. Leitch) - 8:19
5. San Francisco Girls (Return of the Native) (Michael Knust, S. Holzman, V. Holzman) - 4:14
Curious the case of Ben Atkins . And it is that if he has gone down to posterity for something, it is for being the first non Afro-American artist signed by Stax (through its subsidiary Enterprise), and not for his magnificent debut « Patchouli » (1971). Curious and unfair, because despite the modest success of the album, his "melting pot" of southern music deserved to climb higher and provide him with a solid career, which he never achieved (he only released another album in 1982, "Reachin' for the feeling ", under the name of Big Ben Atkins).
The cover already gives us an idea of its content: southern soul, swamp rock and touches of gospel and folk. An authentic sound delicatessen that sails through all the possible styles of the southern United States, and that was recorded between two of the great temples of American black music, Muscle Shoals and Stax Studios.
He is accompanied on this journey by legendary musicians such as David Hood, Donald »Duck» Dunn, Jimmy Johnson and Barry Beckett among many others, allowing the powerful voice of the singer from Vernon (Alabama) to be the main axis of the LP.
A sublime and sweaty instrumentation, the genuine feminine gospel choirs and a borrowed repertoire (which he makes his own) of jewels from people like Dan Penn, Bobby Manuel (who also acts as producer of the whole group) or Howlin' Wolf gives the album a halo of timelessness still in force today. An authentic and natural trip that Ben Atkins proposes to us: bordering the Mississippi without leaving home. Good times are coming…!!!
by Albert Barrios, April 25, 2023
Tracks
1. I Love This Song (Dan Penn, Jimmy M. Johnson, Len Renfro) - 2:29
2. Cross My Mind (Dennis Lambert, Brian Potter) - 4:39
3. Shine On (Carson Whitsett, Eric Mercury) - 2:35
4. Holding On To Friends (Bob McRee, Cliff Thomas, Ed Thomas) - 3:24
5. Smokestack Lightnin'/Brighter Side Of It All (Howlin' Wolf/Charles Feldman, J. Wiker, Steve Smith, Tim Smith) - 4:12
Tony Kelly’s “Bring Me Back” Is an album that has been secretly known among people who like this kind of music for a long time, but for some reason it's extremely less exposed compared to other artists from the same genre.
His voice is similar to Ernie Graham in a slightly nasal area. Sound creation is also a feeling that made Ernie Graham a little more swamp-oriented. Produced by Grease Band's Bruce Rowland this 1972 album, released by polydor, has something in common with Gerry Lockran's "Wun".
Terry Stannard (drums) is also familiar with albums by Roger Morris, Gerry Lockran, Bryn Haworth. A melancholy British swamp masterpiece album. The photo of the jacket that looks cold matches well with the content and is the best. Increasingly popular in recent years. It continues to be difficult to obtain.
Tracks
1. Not Knowin` What`s Goin` On - 5:00
2. Makin` The Same Mistakes - 3:14
3. The Way It Is - 4:16
4. Blue Bird - 3:56
5. Bring Me Back - 3:12
6. The Elements - 3:13
7. Blues Run The Game (Jackson C. Frank) - 2:10
8. One Love - 5:19
9. Further Down The Road - 5:03
Lyrics and Music by Tony Kelly except track #7
Personnel
*Tony Kelly - Vocals, 6, 12 String Acoustic Guitars
Yet another album from way back that has been rereleased! LESSONS FOR BEGINNERS by SHAGGY was originally from the era of the 70s’ and has been released once again for the general public to be able to feast their ears on. This album has a different sound and a different feel throughout, and that’s not only due to the time period that the album is from. SHAGGY certainly has a unique sound that is their own and here that flaunt that well, you’ll just have to listen to it for yourself to see what it’s all about, but until then I guess you could read my words if you are into that sort of thing.
Bringing us into the album we have “Destination Nowhere”. We are brought into this track with a nice mellow guitar intro playing off some soft drums in the background. Once we get to the lyrics we are welcomed with the sounds of an era distinct voice that surely sounds like it is from the time period that it is. The lyrics are powerful, but the music is peaceful. Two things that I feel are getting harder and harder to find in today's music and this band does it all so well. In the next song “Vengeance” there is an upkick in pace and all around tone of the song, driving a sense of urgency and power throughout the rendition.
Further along we get to the rocking sounds of the title song “Lessons for Beginners” which is a well placed instrumental about halfway through the album. Riveting and intriguing guitar blaring around the sounds of a band you can tell puts a lot of work and emotion into their music. I am not typically one for instrumentals but this one here is done very well. Once past this instrumental you will eventually find yourself at the song “Nobody Cares” which has a highly nostalgic sound, almost as if it was pulled from a conglamoration of older music, but given a twist that makes it very personal and unique to the sounds of SHAGGY.
Closing out with a bang with have the song “Sunshine”. This song is fast and frantic! Guitar all over the place, drums all over the place and vocals all over the place. Giving you a song of chaos to take you away from a rather peaceful and chill album otherwise. If melody and nostalgia is what you are in for, then you should most certainly give this album a try!
by Jordan Rogers, 23 February 2021
Tracks
1. Destination Nowhere - 4:41
2. Vengeance - 3:11
3. Bitch - 4:14
4. No Strings - 3:50
5. Lessons For Beginners - 2:54
6. On The Road (Janne Gustavsson, Thomas J. Ryan) - 4:33
7. Nobody Cares - 3:50
8. I Can Feel - 3:05
9. Brink Of Nowhere (Janne Gustavsson, Thomas J. Ryan) - 7:40
10.I Don't Know - 4:36
11.Sea Queen - 3:48
12.Sunshine - 2:42
13.Lessons For Beginners (Craig, Johannes Brahms) - 2:44
All songs by Jan Rognas, Thomas J. Ryan except where indicated
Best remembered for his 1973 smash "My Maria," singer/songwriter B.W. Stevenson (the "B.W." reportedly stood for "Buckwheat" -- his real first name was Lewis) was born October 5, 1949, in Dallas, TX. As a teen he played in a variety of local rock bands before attending college, eventually joining the U.S. Air Force; upon returning from duty Stevenson settled in the Austin area, where he became a frequent attraction on the city's thriving club circuit. Upon signing to RCA he was marketed primarily to country listeners, enjoying little success with either his 1972 self-titled debut or its follow-up, Lead Free.
by Jason Ankeny
This two-fer CD combines B.W. Stevenson's self-titled 1971 debut album with Lead Free, released the following year. Originally these LPs were released separately on RCA, and had been out of print until they were reissued in 2004 on Collectables. This pleasant and lite country-pop set highlights many original Stevenson compositions, including "Early Morning Memphis," "Highway One," "Save a Little Time for Love," and "Lonesome Song."
by Al Campbell
Tracks
1. Like What You Do - 2:38
2. Early Morning Memphis - 2:31
3. My Feet Are So Weary - 3:51
4. Waitin' For Spring - 4:33
5. Gypsies - 3:25
6. Don't Go To Mexico (Dan McCrimmon) - 2:38
7. August Evening Lady - 3:21
8. Peaceful Easy Feeling (Jack Tempchin) - 3:23
9. A Touch Of Pennsylvania (Dave Loggins) - 3:42
10.Minuet For My Lady - 2:54
11.Maybe Mexico (Jerry Jeff Walker) - 2:46
12.Jackson - 2:12
13.Save A Little Time For Love - 2:18
14.Lonesome Song - 3:11
15.Wasted Too Much Time - 4:06
16.Long Way To Go (Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil) - 2:20
17.Highway One - 3:37
18.Two Track Road (B.W. Stevenson, Brian T. Atkinson) - 0:39
19.Say What I Feel (Mike Murphey) - 2:10
20.Texas Morning (Boomer Castleman, Mike Murphey) - 3:26
21.Home Again (Carole King) - 2:28
22.On My Own - 4:52
Words and Music by B.W. Stevenson except where indicated
Born in September 1947, Buddy Miles is most renowned for his role as drummer in Jimi Hendrix's Band Of Gypsys. His playing career began in his father's jazz band, but by the mid 60s he was playing in the backing bands of soul vocal groups such as Ruby and the Romantics. In 1966 he joined the band of Wilson Pickett, and it was here that Mike Bloomfield spotted him and asked Buddy to join the band that he was forming after leaving the Butterfield Blues Band. This band became the Electric Flag , who were planning to create an eclectic blend of blues, psychedelia, rock and jazz. The debut album cooked, but the band disintegrated after that - with Miles remaining for a second album without Butterfield.
After this, with the help of the Electric Flag horn section he formed his own outfit The Buddy Miles Express. The debut album was produced by Jimi Hendrix and was called 'Expressway To Your Skull'. Released on Mercury this was the first of a number of collaborations with the legendary guitar man. Hendrix also produced the 2nd Buddy Miles Express album 'Electric Church' and appeared on Hendrix's 'Electric Ladyland' LRWhen the guitarist disbanded his original group the Experience, Miles along with Buddy Cox were recruited to his new outfit The Band of Gypsy's'.This funkier rock group did not last long releasing only one live album before Miles was replaced.
The drummer's next move was to record this album Them Changes' which remained on the chart for over a year making the drummer a star. On the back of this Miles hit the road with Carlos Santana and the pair recorded the top 10 live album 'Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles! Live!' for CBS. After this Miles continued to record for CBS and even took part in a 1974 Electric Flag re-union. He then switched labels to Casablanca for two albums. However after this he kept a reasonably low profile for the next decade, releasing only one album for Atlantic in 1981.
He suddenly found himself on the charts once more in 1986 when he voiced a version of “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” for a dried raisin commercial, that when released as by the California Raisins became a worldwide hit. The last few years have seen Miles in demand with a reformed Buddy Miles Express. Them Changes' the album was Buddy Miles signature tune, and the album was his most successful. It contained both the funky and the sublime. There are two fantastic cover versions of Neil Young's 'Down By The River' and Greg AlIman's "Dreams". But the music conveyed within the tracks swings with the power of rock and the nuance of soul. Them Changes' the track is furiously funky and this and other originals show a more than capable songwriter. What's more to fans of Miles work with Hendrix and the Electric Flag it is a pleasure to hear his voice. A classic slice of funky rock.
Rehearsals for Retirement might have been a prophetic title for an album by a major singer-songwriter who, after the 1969 release of this LP, would write and record barely any first-rate compositions, and would soon cease writing songs altogether. Despite the tombstone on the cover, though, it was only in hindsight that some critics viewed the effort as that of an artist who knew his creative muse was in danger of expiration. Phil Ochs’ writing, singing, and verve remained sharp and vital on his third A&M album, the last to be produced by Larry Marks. It was his optimism and drive that were wilting, in the wake of a year that had seen the counterculture take the brunt of Establishment repression at the 1968 Democratic Convention (at which Ochs performed and demonstrated), the escalation of the Vietnam War, and tumult in both campuses and inner-city ghettoes.
In comparison to his previous pair of A&M albums (1967’s Pleasures of the Harbor and 1968’s Tape from California, both reissued on CD by Collectors’ Choice Music), the production on Rehearsals for Retirement was relatively straightforward. It largely eschewed the baroque orchestration that had colored much of those pair of Marks-produced efforts. The decrease of risk-taking with the arrangements might have meant that there were no peaks to match "Outside of a Small Circle of Friends," "The Party," and "The War Is Over." Yet it also guaranteed a consistency of tone that each of those earlier LPs lacked. Although Lincoln Mayorga contributed classical-flavored piano (as he had on Pleasures of the Harbor and Tapes from California), he and Phil were also joined by guitarist-bassist Bob Rafkin, who had a more conventional rock orientation than either of his colleagues.
Much of Rehearsals for Retirement was inspired by Ochs’ experiences in Chicago. His disillusionment with idealistic activism and sense of despondency about American society could have hardly been reflected more bitterly than it was in the opening cut, "Pretty Smart on My Part." A peppy melody and characteristically exuberant vocal disguised a lyric about as disturbing as any in pop music, Ochs taking on the persona of a paranoid American who perceives anyone different from him as a threat, whether a hitchhiker that he beats up or a pretty woman he ties and whips. For all its bold and even violent imagery, note how similar the rhythms, melody, and execution are to those of Buddy Holly, an influence that would assert itself quite visibly on Ochs’ subsequent Gunfight at Carnegie Hall album.
"The Doll House," decorated by Mayorga’s stately piano runs, was the oldest song on Rehearsals for Retirement. It was also, along with such late-‘60s Ochs compositions as "When in Rome" and "The Floods of Florence," one of his most surreal, containing a little-noticed blatant homage to/parody of Bob Dylan’s vocal style for a few lines. "I Kill Therefore I Am" was a return to the frightening realism of "Pretty Smart on My Part," another sketch (this time in the third person) of a macho man determined to keep America safe from longhairs, African-Americans, students, and others at odds with his narrow-minded view of the United States. Any doubt that Ochs’ angst had been largely triggered by events in Chicago was put to rest by "William Butler Yeats Visits Lincoln Park and Escapes Unscathed." The melancholy tale of chaos in the city’s Lincoln Park was backed by grand Mayorga piano and accordion, in one instance where Ochs and Marks managed to use quasi-classical backing in an understated fashion.
Ochs painted his loss of faith-in idealism and, more distressingly, his own purpose-in more personal terms in "My Life," which features some of his most moving vibrato singing. "The Scorpion Departs But Never Returns," inspired by a nuclear submarine accident, put the apocalyptic glumness that hovered over most of Rehearsals for Retirement in more symbolic terms: certainly it could just be taken as a tale of a ship lost at sea, but it also reflects directionlessness Ochs saw in both the course of America and within his own life. "The World Began in Eden But Ended in Los Angeles," an uncommonly straightahead barroom rocker for Ochs, portrayed Los Angeles not as paradise, but as a morally bankrupt, polluted, and overdeveloped city, a viewpoint much less prevalent in the 1960s than it is today. (Could it be that those tacky horns are a subtle dig at A&M Records co-founder Herb Alpert?) The country-rock-tinged "Doesn’t Lenny Live Here Anymore" fit in well with the album’s somber ambience, but steered clear of sociopolitical comment, illustrating that loneliness and alienation can be found in the lives of everyday people, as well as in battlegrounds for America’s future.
Ochs’ disenchantment with that future, however, roared back into play for "Another Age," with its infectious "Secret Agent Man" tempo and bold pledge of allegiance against the flag (and to vintage rebels such as Thomas Paine, Jesse James, and Robin Hood). The record ended on a suitably resigned note with the title track, again spotlighting Mayorga’s rolling, almost loungish piano accompaniment. Rehearsals for Retirement, for all its sad disappointment, was not a bummer to listen to: the melodies were graceful, and Ochs’ singing passionate and often uplifting, perhaps despite himself. It was a huge commercial disappointment, however, reaching only #167, and earning a deletion from A&M’s catalog just months after its release.
At least Rehearsals for Retirement was released in the United States, which is more than could be said for Gunfight at Carnegie Hall, recorded in 1970 but not issued until the mid-1970s (and then only in Canada). That album, often difficult to obtain since it first came out, has been added to Rehearsals for Retirement on this CD.
Gunfight was recorded at Carnegie Hall on March 27, 1970, during a most controversial phase of Ochs’ career. Exhausted by his struggles to embody the conscience of left-wing America during much of the 1960s, he began to wear Elvis Presley-style gold lamé suits onstage, and sprinkle his concerts with covers of vintage rock tunes, particularly those of Elvis and Buddy Holly. This was part of his effort to establish continuity with the socially aware material in which he specialized, and the roots music that he loved. In the event, however, it was accorded a mixed reception, much as Bob Dylan’s first electric concerts had sparked a divided reaction in the mid-1960s.
Backed by Rehearsals session men Mayorga and Rafkin, as well as drummer Kevin Kelly (who had been in the Gram Parsons-era Byrds) and bassist Kenny Kaufman, Ochs delivered a set of both rock-oriented interpretations of some of his most popular tunes, and medleys of Presley and Holly songs. On top of that were covers of "Mona Lisa" (probably modeled on Carl Mann’s hit rockabilly version) and Merle Haggard’s "Okie from Muskogee." The latter was likely a willfully provocative choice, Haggard’s hit embodying the most reactionary elements of America, and Ochs himself embodying the least reactionary elements of the United States.
The portion of the set preserved on Gunfight was actually an unbalanced representation of the show, which contained much original material that did not appear on the LP. (One of those songs, an acoustic version of "Crucifixion," did eventually get issued on the Chords of Fame anthology and the Farewells & Fantasies box set.) Because it leaned so heavily on the cover tunes (particularly the medleys), the record gave the not wholly accurate impression that Ochs was more interested in covering rock’n’roll oldies than performing his own songs at the concert. The audience’s response to those medleys was not quite vitriolic, but certainly muted and bewildered.
Ochs was not a match for Holly or Presley as a rock singer, nor were his interpretations so radical or imaginative as to stand among his more notable creative endeavors. Gunfight, nevertheless, was an interesting, at times fascinating glimpse at a most odd detour in Ochs’ checkered career. He energetically ran through long Holly and Presley medleys (which were not confined solely to hits), and bantered somewhat exasperatedly with an audience that would have likely been far more enamored of his own vintage compositions. There was also the bonus of hearing no-frills rock versions of "Pleasures of the Harbor" and "Tape from California," songs bestowed with far more heavily produced arrangements in their studio versions. And he couldn’t have gone over too badly; it was 3am in the morning when Ochs launched into his encore of Elvis’ "A Fool Such As I," the hardy audience having stuck with him even after Carnegie Hall cut the power for a few minutes due to the late hour.
by Richie Unterberger
Tracks
Disc 1 Rehearsals For Retirement 1969
1. Pretty Smart On My Part - 3:18
2. The Doll House - 4:41
3. I Kill Therefore I Am - 2:55
4. William Butler Yeats Visits Lincoln Park And Escapes Unscathed - 3:30
5. My Life - 3:13
6. The Scorpion Departs And Never Returns - 4:16
7. The World Began In Eden And Ended In Los Angeles - 3:07
8. Doesn't Lenny Live Here Anymore - 6:12
9. Another Age - 3:43
10.Rehearsals For Retirement - 4:10
Music and Lyrics by Phil Ochs
Disc 2 Gunfight At Carnegie Hall 1970
1. Mona Lisa (Jay Livingston, Ray Evans) - 3:49
2. I Ain't Marchin' Anymore (Phil Ochs) - 4:25
3. Oakie From Muskogee (Merle Haggard, Roy Edward Burris) - 2:49
4. Chords Of Fame (Phil Ochs) - 4:41
5. Buddy Holly Medley (Charles Hardin, Norman Petty, Joe Mauldin, Niki Sullivan, Jerry Allison, Sonny West, Bill Tilghman) - 7:18
6. Pleasures Of The Harbor (Phil Ochs) - 6:00
7. Tape From California (Phil Ochs) - 5:10
8. Elvis Medley (Arthur Crudup, Pearl King, Ruth Durand, Joe Robichaux, Tommy Durden, Elvis Presley, Otis Blackwell, Roy Turk, Lou Handman, William Trader) - 10:13
A guitarist/singer who led his own guitar/vocals group Ross and The Alan Ross Band. In the early 1970s, he was a technical guitarist who was sometimes called along with Eric Clapton , partly because he belonged to the same label as RSO.
1971, after working in Love Affair's predecessor bands Soul Survivors and Tangerine Peel, formed Ro Ro with bassist Warwick Rose, and released "Meet Me On The Water", a hidden folk-rock masterpiece and the only highly rated album for Regal Zonophone.
Later the same year, he participated in The Who 's bassist John Entwistle 's solo album "Whistle Rhymes" and acted as a member of the touring band Rigor Mortis . He also participated in Entwistle's next solo album, Rigor Mortis Sets In.
1973, he formed his own leader group Ross with former Indian Summer keyboardist Bob Jackson , who had worked with Rigor Mortis and Pete Brown on sessions , and obtained a contract with RSO. Released two albums, "Ross" and "The Pit And The Pendulum", which mixed elements, but disbanded without achieving great success.
1976, he formed Stars with former Octopus and Slack Alice keyboardist John Cook and former Atomic Rooster drummer Ric Parnell , releasing one album, but it was short-lived. In the second half of the same year, he was also enrolled with Babe Ruth.
Tracks
1. That Was Yesterday (Peter Matthews, Ric Parnell, Lance Dixon, Simon Lait, Alan Ross, Mike Finesilver) - 4:54
2. Nothing Ever Comes That Easy (Peter Matthews, Ric Parnell, Lance Dixon, Simon Lait, Alan Ross, Mike Finesilver) - 5:33
3. Going Down (For The Third Time) (Peter Matthews, Ric Parnell, Lance Dixon, Simon Lait, Alan Ross) - 4:17
4. Heart Of Stone (Peter Matthews, Ric Parnell, Lance Dixon, Simon Lait, Alan Ross, Zoe Kronberger) - 5:17
5. Platform Soul (Peter Matthews, Ric Parnell, Lance Dixon, Simon Lait, Alan Ross, Phoebe Weatherfield) - 4:38
6. Mr Push-Me-Pull-Ya (Peter Matthews, Ric Parnell, Lance Dixon, Simon Lait, Alan Ross) - 4:40
7. Punishment Park (Peter Matthews, Ric Parnell, Lance Dixon, Simon Lait, Alan Ross, Mike Finesilver) - 6:24
8. Not Fade Away (Charles Hardin, Norman Petty) - 4:00
US underground heavy rock sensations Poobah released this very fine sophomore effort U.S. Rock back in 1976, and the folks at Ripple Music are making it available once again, remastered and with 4 bonus tracks, lyrics, and photos. If you haven't heard of this band or discovered their kick ass proto-metal sound, this is as good a place to start as any.
Featuring the stellar guitar skills & vocals of Jim Gustafson, Poobah on this album also included Ken Smetzer (vocals, keyboards), Gene Procopio (drums), and Phil Jones (vocals, bass). Imagine a mix of Mk III & IV Deep Purple, James Gang, Led Zeppelin, Foghat, Cactus, Aerosmith, Trapeze, and Grand Funk Railroad, and you have an idea of the style of this energetic American band. "Flesh Fantasies" and "Pullin' Me Down" are muscular funk metal tracks that wouldn't have sounded out of place on Purple's Stormbringer or Come Taste the Band albums, while "Watch Me" and "Coast to Coast" also find metallic riffing, tasty Hammond organ, and funky grooves forming a whirlwind of sound not unlike classic Trapeze, Deep Purple, James Gang, and the Edgar Winter Group, with a little bluesy boogie ala Cactus. "Let's Rock" is squarely in that Cactus/Foghat boogie zone, and Gustafson's Jimmy Page-meets-Jim McCarty styled licks are absolutely blistering on the hard rocking "Thru These Eyes".
Fans of Uriah Heep will love the crunchy guitar riffs and insistent Hammond organ on the heavy "Crazy", with Gustafson's vocals hitting those high notes like a cross between David Byron and Ian Gillan. "Keep on Rollin' " is a straight forward rocker with catchy hooks and more of these delicious Purple/Heep styled guitar/organ riffs, while "Right Out of the Night" is the albums longest and most prog-rock styled piece, with atmospheric keyboards from Smetzer, emotional vocals, and floating arrangements, bringing to mind Styx or Kansas. Jones takes the lead vocal on the raunchy riff rock of Out of You", the closing track on the album proper that features plenty of wicked guitar work, thick grooves, and tasty Hammond.
The bonus tracks are a lot of fun as well; "Your Way, My Way" is a dreamy prog number with lush string synth washes and a great vocal from Gustafson, "Cold Blooded Lover" a catchy little hard rock tune, the atmospheric "Enjoy What You Have", and a ripping live version of "Steamroller", the semi-legendary title track from Poobah's third album.
Honestly, there were so many great heavy rock/proto-metal bands on the scene back in the '70s who never quite made the big time, many of them nearly as good as the heavyweights who became superstars, and Poobah sit up there very high on that list. This is a fantastic album for any lover of heavy music from the 1970s, so if you didn't discover this one back in 1976, now's your chance to do so.
"Highway" recorded and released in 1974 was the first album of the band. Much similar to other British swamp rockers like Ro Ro, Brian Short, Tennent Morrison and Black Cat Bones. Featuring Ray Minhinnet an exquisite guitarist, not only a marvellous player, but also an expert in guitar history.
Tracks
1. Silver City (Jon Elstar, Will Killeen) - 5:57
2. Song For A Friend (Ray Minhinnet, John Gordon) - 6:44
3. Cajun Queen (John Gordon, Ian Byron, Ray Minhinnet) - 6:08
4. Blinds Me (Jon Elstar) - 4:44
5. Ready! (John Gordon, Jim Hall) - 3:20
6. Down By The Wishing Well (Jon Elstar, Will Killeen) - 5:24
After leaving Rare Bird Mark, Ashton formed a new band, Headstone, together with a great guitarist called Steve Bolton. Steve used to play with Atomic Rooster. They signed a contract with Trident Productions who had already signed a new band called Queen. A great bass player Philip Chen joined who later went on to play with Rod Stewart. We recorded with the same producer of Rare Bird’s first album, John Antony. Headstone made two albums for Trident EMI.
Irish violinist Joe O'Donnell joint also Headstone circa 1975, while in and out of East Of Eden. Joe was a member of The Woods Band. This band folded and Gay & Terry Woods signed to Polydor as a duo. Joe appears on their debut LP "Backwoods", released in 1972. He then joined the fourth, unrecorded lineup of UK folkrock legends the Trees. This was reputedly the most rockin' version of the band. In 1973, Joe replaced Dave Arbus in East Of Eden.
Tracks
1. Eastern Wind - 3:45
2. Warm Sunny Days - 4:52
3. Turn Your Head - 3:53
4. Gyrosame (Steve Bolton) - 3:09
5. Karma (Jerome Rimson) - 3:42
6. Hard Road - 4:21
7. Large Weather We're Having, Lucy (Steve Bolton) - 3:01
8. Searching Light (Steve Bolton) - 3:21
9. Get Through To You - 4:23
10.All I Ask - 3:54
11.Someone's Gotta Give - 6:09
All compositions by Mark Ashton except where indicated
Headstone
*Mark Ashton - Lead Vocals, Acoustic, Electric Guitars
American trio the Poor Boys--Robert Fazio (lead vocals), Thomas Corio (organ, piano, vocals), and Edwin Corliss (percussion, vocals)--released their only album on the Motown-owned Rare Earth label in 1970. ) -- released their only album on the Motown-affiliated Rare Earth label in 1970. Produced by Michael Valvano, who had worked with Stoney and Meat Loaf on Rare Earth and Frijid Pink. This album has all the delicious elements of bubblegum pop, including catchy tunes, cheap organs, fuzz guitar, happy and simple lyrics, falsetto background vocals, etc. It is a pleasant highly complete album.
Tracks
1. Beg Me (Edwin Corlis, Robert Fazio, Thomas Corio) - 3:28
2. Do What You Wanna Do (Michael Valvano) - 2:49
3. Can't Get Back In (Buck Griffin, Michael Valvano, William Ellis) - 3:20
4. Wooden Horse (Buck Griffin, Michael Valvano, William Ellis) - 3:21
5. A Place Called Love (Michael Valvano, Robert Fazio) - 3:09
6. Little Boy Blue (Robert Fazio, Thomas Corio) - 3:00
7. Mary Mary (Edwin Corlis, Robert Fazio, Thomas Corio) - 2:38
8. Rhyme Or Reason (Robert Fazio) - 2:54
9. You Made Your Bed (Now You Lie In It) (Robert Fazio, Thomas Corio) - 3:04
10.I Won't Take No For An Answer (Robert Fazio) - 2:56
11.Let's Do More About Love (Michael Valvano) - 3:19
12.Just Like A Clock (Robert Fazio, Thomas Corio) - 2:24
