MU - The Band From The Lost Continent (1971-72/74 us, fascinating psychedelic rock with experimental blues 'n' folk mood, Sundazed double disc set)

Recognize those licks? Fans of Antenna Jimmy (Jeff Cotton’s) unmistakable slide guitar work will hear it off the bat. And this may be the record to clue the skills behind the Magic Band to those who ever thought Captain Beefheart’s troupe were overrated hacks. But Mu is really a Merrell Fankhauser project, the man behind a string of awesome albums including Fapardokly and HMS Bounty’s Things.

The band happened across a copy of James Churchward’s The Lost Continent of Mu, a book about the mythical “Hawaiian Atlantis.” This provided the band name and a set of ideals (the bands’ matching those of the lost civilization) for inspiration. The fascination grew to a point that the group moved to Maui to try and find the lost city themselves.

The sound of Mu is a wholly unique mix of psychedelic rock and rhythm and blues. The interlocking rhythms and primal pulse of the Captain’s music shows its influence, but Mu is a more radio-friendly affair, think the Magic Band Lite. The tunes are largely instrumental and mildly progressive suites, with just enough structure and restraint to entice more conventional listeners. Mu benefits from this, the rare even blend of experimental with consonant songcraft. Cotton turns in some excellent slide, but also bass clarinet, and contributes a good deal of the songwriting. The rhythms are undeniably good, the songs sound better and better, and the drum break on the 9 minute Eternal Thirst (the longest track by a while) nudges the album into the realm of the hypnotic.

After an unissued follow up record recorded in Maui (included on the Sundazed 2CD set). Jeff Cotton, along with Randy Wimmer, left Mu in 1975 to study the Christian Ministry. Merrell grew increasingly fascinated with the lost continent of Mu, recording more albums based on the Mu theme and continuing to play music in the Hawaiian islands. The record they created in 1971 is remarkably fresh, out-there, and absolutely one-of-a-kind. 

by Brendan (The Rising Storm)

Tracks

Disc One, California 1971-72

1. Ain't No Blues (J. Cotton) - 4:03

2. Ballad Of Brother Lew (M. Fankhauser) - 4:30

3. Blue Form (M. Fankhauser, J. Cotton) - 4:03

4. Interlude (J. Cotton) - 1:56

5. Nobody Wants To Shine (M. Fankhauser, J. Cotton) - 4:08

6. Eternal Thirst (M. Fankhauser, J. Cotton) - 9:34

7. Too Naked For Demetrius (J. Cotton) - 2:32

8. Mumbella Baye Tu La (M. Fankhauser, J. Cotton) - 3:19

9. The Clouds Went That Way (M. Fankhauser) - 3:16

10. One More Day (M. Fankhauser) - 2:29

11. You've Been Here Here Before (M. Fankhauser) - 2:55

12. On Our Way To Hana (M. Fankhauser) - 2:15

Disc Two, Hawaii 1974
1. The Land Of Mu (M. Fankhauser) - 2:03
2. Make A Joyful Noise (M. Fankhauser) - 2:42
3. Haleakala (J. Cotton) - 2:29
4. Blue Jay Blue (M. Fankhauser) - 3:19
5. Showering Rain (J. Cotton) - 3:33
6. I Saw Your Photograph (M. Fankhauser) - 3:40
7. It's Love That Sings The Song (M. Fankhauser) - 3:26
8. You And I (M. Fankhauser, J. Cotton) - 2:46
9. Calling From A Star (M. Fankhauser) - 2:06
10. Waiting For The Sun (J. Cotton) - 2:40
11. Children Of The Rainbow (M. Fankhauser) - 1:07
12. Who Will Write This Song (M. Fankhauser) - 3:21
13. Daybreak Sunshine (M. Fankhauser, J. Cotton) - 3:49
14. Drink From The Fountain (M. Fankhauser, J. Cotton) - 4:41
15. The Love We Bare (M. Fankhauser, J. Cotton) - 2:33
16. In Mu (M. Fankhauser) - 3:04
17. You're Not The Only One (J. Cotton) - 2:59
18. End Of An Era (M. Fankhauser) - 3:07
19. Earth News Interview - 3:45
20. The Awakening  (J. Cotton)- 2:59

MU
*Merrell Fankhauser - Vocals, Guitar
*Jeff Cotton - Vocals, Guitar, Saxophone
*Larry Willey - Bass, Vocals
*Randy Wimer - Percussion

Related Acts
1964-67  Fapardokly 
1968   HMS Bounty - Things

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Renia - First Offenders (1973 uk, exceptional classic rock with prog tinges, 2012 remaster)

Four days after making the acquaintance of five rather withdrawn young men, I went to see them perform at the Greyhound, Fulham Palace Road. Gone were their shy, bashful, diffident exteriors, and in their place were five extrovert performers playing their music as though nothing else in the world mattered. But perhaps nothing else did. I don't believe Renia are just another band - they're something a little bit special. The reason for this? 

They are one of the very few bands who play 1973 music which produces the kind of nostalgia and excitement we have come to associate with the mid-sixties R&B bands. For me the whole indispensable quality of Renia's album was summed up by a leading music journalist who turned to me, after hearing an advance copy and said: "this is one of the very few albums that I would actually go out and buy." I hope once you have heard it you will feel the same way.

by Laurence Marks May, 1973.

This quite rare and totally forgotten album was released in 1973 by Transatlantic Records - the label known mainly from Folk Progressive rock releases but it certainly wasn't a good place for the heavy music. 

The sole Renia LP should be described as a solid, energetic and rather straightforward hard rock album with strong vocals, fine melodies and some progressive influences (almost omnipresent Hammond organ and the mighty mellotron on amazing & truly beautiful 'Shelter' track) similar to Stray, Strider and early Nutz. Unfortunately, this badly promoted tide went completely unnoticed and the band broke up. 

In 1975  vocalist Kenny Stewart formed Dirty Tricks which released three fine hard rock records.

Tracks
1. You'd Best Believe It - 3:48
2. Friend Out On The Road - 4:42
3. Breakneck - 5:05
4. Shelter - 4:45
5. Cowboy's Dream - 3:45
6. Slow Down - 3:47
7. Drive Me Wild - 4:38
8. I Suppose It's For The Best - 3:23
9. Mighty Queen - 5:32

Renia
*Malcolm Sutherland - Bass, Mellotron, Vocals
*Dave Mathew - Drums, Percussion
*John Robinson - Guitars, Vocals
*Peter Sutherland - Keyboards, Vocals
*Kenny Stewart - Lead Vocals

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Arthur Lee Harper - Dream And Images / Love Is The Revolution (1968-69 us, dreamy psych folk rock with unreleased material)

In a move guaranteed to cause perpetual confusion among discographers and '60s collectors, singer/songwriter Arthur Lee Harper billed himself simply as Arthur (no last name) on his first album, 1968's Dreams and Images, and then as Arthur Lee Harper on his second and last, 1969's Love Is the Revolution.

It's the same guy who did both records, and he most assuredly has no connection with the famous Arthur Lee who led the group Love. Arthur, or Arthur Lee Harper, was as mild-mannered a folk-rock singer/songwriter as there was in the late '60s, singing sad songs that emanated fearful uncertainty, as well as slight airs of self-pity and disengagement.

His thin voice was so high it almost moved into a range associated with woman singers rather than male ones; if you're looking for a reference point from the period who's almost as obscure, there's Bert Sommer, who had a similarly nearly girlish voice. In some respects the records were much lower-volume, folkier variants of the orchestrated Baroque pop of the early Bee Gees, though of not nearly the same quality, with a reticence that made the late-'60s Bee Gees sound gutsy and forceful.

Dreams and Images got at least a little distribution, as it was on Lee Hazlewood's LHI label, but Love Is the Revolution got even less of a hearing, as it was privately pressed. The albums weren't very good, but they were combined on a single-CD reissue in 2002 on the Papa's Choice label. 

by Richie Unterberger

2002 reissue of the 2 albums released by Arthur Lee Harper: Dreams And Images from 1968 and Love Is The Revolution from 1969.

Hazelwood contributed liner notes to the first album, referring to Arthur's baroque, ultra-soft pop as "a tear looking for a thirsty eye"! Pretty cool, if in an extremely wilted-way. This CD includes his complete early recordings; in 2003 the RD label issued an LP-only collection of later recordings.

Tracks
Dreams And Images 1968 
1. Blue Museum - 2:30
2. Children Once Were You - 2:16
3. Sunshine Soldier - 2:22
4. A Friend Of Mine - 2:10
5. Open Up The Door - 1:50
6. Dreams And Images - 2:32
7. Pandora - 2:11
8. Wintertime - 2:47
9. Living Circa 1920 - 2:17
10.Valentine Gray - 2:50
Love Is The Revolution 1969 
11.New Day - 3:47
12.Light Up Your Man - 3:30
13.Flowers After Childhood - 3:43
14.Strange Song - 3:37
15.Hymn - 2:13
16.Annie Moore (Harper, Watson) - 3:00
17.I / Soldier / Time Love - 4:00
18.Songwriter Crusader (Harper, Bruno) - 2:19
19.Eleanor - 2:30
20.My Woman - 0:42
Previously Unreleased
21.1860 - 2:11
22.Coming Home - 1:44
23.Excursion 13 - 2:07
All Words and Music written by Arthur Lee Harper unless as else stated

*Arthur Lee Harper - Vocals, Guitar

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Sunday - Sunday (1971 uk, remarkable psych prog rock, 2011 remaster)

Although recorded in London, this album of very atmospheric and melodic progressive rock by what seems to be a Scottish crew was only released in Germany. The music is generally very thoughtful and in quite a few places bluesy. Still there is your usual share of guitar solos and organ riffs, at times provoking Beggars Opera at their least arty. The album is undoubtedly as good as most in this class and it is hard to understand why they couldn't secure a UK release. The cover depicts a miraculous painting by Lyonel Feininger, a sure sign of good taste.

 The opener, “Love Is Life”, is a rambunctious rocker with a relentless drum beat, great dynamic breaks and an underlying organ riff, kicking the doors open in style. “I Couldn’t Face You” is a ballad with an interesting bluesy melody and a piano-organ arrangement reminiscent of Procol Harum. Following the slow melancholy of “Blues Song”, there’s the odd “Man In A Boat”, a cod-psychedelic trip featuring once again Gary Brooker-like Hammond sound – slow-paced and majestic and set to an almost marching beat.

Mid-song it resolves into an energetic mid-paced rocker. “Ain’t It A Pity” captures and preserves for posterity the freewheeling spirit of the times perfectly – complete with free-flowing organ, piano and guitar parts and uninhibited, commanding and attention-grabbing vocals. “Tree Of Life” takes the pace down a notch but continues on in much the same style; and tells a story.

The most meandering track on this otherwise near-perfect album is “Sad Man Reaching Utopia” – clocking up at 10:51. Almost great, and a shame they didn’t go beyond this debut. The CD was “mastered” from a vinyl copy, as the original master tapes were most likely lost.
by Marcel Koopman and Alex Gitlin

Tracks
1. Love Is Life - 6:10
2. I Couldn't Face You - 8:03
3. Blues Song - 4:17
4. Man In A Boat - 4:52
5. Ain't It A Pity - 3:52
6. Tree Of Life - 3:55
7. Sad Man Reaching Utopia - 10:50
8. Fussin And Fighting - 6:51

All compositions by Davy Patterson, Jimmy Forest

Sunday
*John Barclay - Guitar, Vocals
*Jimmy Forest - Keyboards, Vocals
*Davy Patterson - Vocals, Bass
*Pete Gavin - Percussion

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Various Artists - Piccadilly Sunshine Part 10 (1966-69 uk, pop psych and lots of treasures, 2012 Particles release)

Volume 10 is the last piece from Piccadilly Sunshine puzzle, came out in October 2012 through Particles label and continues the high level as the previous releases. Including many great stuff from artists such as Peter Frampton's early incarnation The Herd, Kippington Lodge, Wayne Fontana, Shawn Phillips among the others. A 16page booklet with detailed informations completes the package.

Artists - Tracks
1. Warm Sensation - The Clown - 2:16
2. Disciple - Caucasoid Junkie - 3:38
3. Copperfield - Far Away Love - 2:13
4. Free Ferry - Mary What Have You Become - 2:45
5. Kippington Lodge - Tomorrow Today - 2:36
6. Almond Lettuce - Magic Circle - 2:41
7. The Sleepy - Is It Really The Same - 3:32
8. Slender Plenty  -  I've Lost A Friend And Found A Lover - 3:01
9. Wayne Fontana - Charlie Cass - 2:40
10.The Herd - Beauty Queen - 1:55
11.Glass Menagerie - Let's All Run To The Sun - 1:54
12.Happy Magazine - Beautiful Land - 2:06
13.Almond Lettuce - Twenty Weary Miles - 2:36
14.Vigrass - Flying -3:35
15.Kippington Lodge - Turn Out The Light - 3:01
16.The Sleepy - Rosie Can't Fly - 4:13
17.Shawn Phillips - Stargazer - 2:57
18.New York Public Library - Got To Get Away - 2:48
19.Barry Fantoni - Little Man In A Little Box - 3:02
20.Lomax Alliance - Try As You May - 2:28

The Piccadilly Sunshine flavours 
1968-70  Piccadilly Sunshine Part 1
1966-71  Piccadilly Sunshine Part 2
1967-70  Piccadilly Sunshine Part 3
1967-69  Piccadilly Sunshine Part 4
1966-69  Piccadilly Sunshine Part 5
1967-70  Piccadilly Sunshine Part 6
1966-70  Piccadilly Sunshine Part 7
1966-71  Piccadilly Sunshine Part 8
1964-71  Piccadilly Sunshine Part 9

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Various Artists - Piccadilly Sunshine Part 9 (1964-71 uk, pop psych and other treasures, 2012 Particles release)

Back again in the height of London’s swingin’ 60s, Piccadilly Square was definitely the place to be and be seen, so is this part 9 from the wonderful series, a deep dive to sunny psych with some heavy names like Graham Bond Organisation and Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera. Our gleanings travel even back to 1964 to find Ian McCullogh's hidden gem "Down By The River".

Artists - Tracks
1. Mike Lennox - Images Of You  - 3:04
2. Mike Wallace - Daffodil  - 3:10
3. Spencer's Washboard Kings - Ordinary People - 3:14
4. Lee Harmers Popcorn - Love Is Coming  - 2:22
5. Weather - Running Forwards  - 2:21
6. Deuce Coup - A Clown In One Town - 3:03
7. Gary James - You're Cone  - 2:26
8. Villiers And Gold - This East  - 2:04
9. William E - Lazy Life - 2:22
10.Ian McCulloch - Down By The River  - 2:38
11.Mike Lennox - Words I Like - 2:47
12.Lee Harmers Popcorn - Hello Sunshine - 2:34
13.Montanas - Hey Diddle Diddle - 2:27
14.Cartoone - Ice Cream Dream - 2:48
15.Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera - Dreamy - 2:32
16.David McNeil - Don't Let Your Chance Go By - 2:35
17.Caloogie - Bleecker Street - 2:46
18.Graham Bond Organisation - You've Gotta Have Love Babe - 2:31
19.Nocturnes - A New Man - 2:47
20.Smokey Circles - Love Me While You Can - 2:00

The Piccadilly Sunshine flavours 
1968-70  Piccadilly Sunshine Part 1
1966-71  Piccadilly Sunshine Part 2
1967-70  Piccadilly Sunshine Part 3
1967-69  Piccadilly Sunshine Part 4
1966-69  Piccadilly Sunshine Part 5
1967-70  Piccadilly Sunshine Part 6
1966-70  Piccadilly Sunshine Part 7
1966-71  Piccadilly Sunshine Part 8

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Various Artists - Piccadilly Sunshine Part 8 (1966-71 uk, pop psych and more flavours, 2012 Particles release)

The Piccadilly Sunshine part 8 sets foot into the deep and wondrous valleys of British pop music culture from 1966 to 1971. Daring to bring forth the once-overlooked and sadly-neglected songs that were laid to waste in a saturated wonderland of suburban teenage pop. A tip-toe barefoot trip lightly through the late 1960s and early '70s in Great Britain's vast and glorious cultural dustbin. 

Includes a 16-page color booklet with comprehensive liner notes and rare color photographs. Digitally remastered. Stepping amongst the 20 flower-powered trippers presented here, together we shall lovingly restore them to their former glory.

Artists - Tracks
1 Cardboard Orchestra - Zebed Zak - 2:41
2 Cats Eyes - Circus - 2:30
3 The Nerve - Piece By Piece - 2:48
4 The Unit - Would You Belive What I Say - 2:14
5 Rifkin - We're Not Those People Anymore - 2:00
6 Mud - The Latter Days - 2:17
7 Peter Sully And The Orchard - Evil Woman - 2:43
8 The Factotums - Driftwood - 2:47
9 Granny's Intentions - Hilda The Bilda - 2:05
10 House Of Lords - Ain't Gonna Wait No More - 2:42
11 Confucius - The Message - 2:34
12 Cats Eyes - The Loser - 3:05
13 Juice - Not Enough Words - 2:41
14 Paul Layton - Sing Sadman Sing - 2:49
15 Mud - Up The Airy Mountain - 2:32
16 Persimon's Peculiar Shades - Coplington - 2:34
17 Merseys - Love Will Continue - 3:06
18 Situation - Situation-Now - 3:01
19 The Truth - Fly Away Bird - 2:24
20 Persimmon's Peculiar Shades - Watchmaker - 2:17

The Piccadilly Sunshine flavours 
1968-70  Piccadilly Sunshine Part 1
1966-71  Piccadilly Sunshine Part 2
1967-70  Piccadilly Sunshine Part 3
1967-69  Piccadilly Sunshine Part 4
1966-69  Piccadilly Sunshine Part 5
1967-70  Piccadilly Sunshine Part 6
1966-70  Piccadilly Sunshine Part 7

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Orient Express - Orient Express (1969 iran / belgium / france, sensational oriental folk psych)

Guy Duris was born on the Left Bank, raised in heady French sunshine, and matured in the halls of European culture. A modern minstrel, he wandered and sang his songs, and began a romance with the ancient Arabic guitar, the oud. Journeying eastward, his music turned to the East. In Iran, he met Farshid Golesorkhi, the scion of a respected Persian family. Farshid, decorated by the Shah of Iran for his drumming, felt that Eastern rhythms could be applied to Western music. He found an eager co-experimenter in Guy.

Together they travelled - Guy with his guitar and oud, Farshid with his dumbeck drums. Working their way Westward, they returned to Paris, where they met Bruno Giet, a Belgian pilot and guitarist. Radio Luxembourg's progressive pop sound had shaped Bruno's musical ideas, and he moved Guy and Farshid into rock. 

Soon the three members of The Orient Express undertook another voyage - to the United States. In New York's East Village they solidified their music into the many-faceted sound you hear on this album. The marriage between Eastern and Western musical forms could easily become a self-conscious hybrid, but The Orient Express has smoothly and honestly achieved the merger individually and as a group. 

Instead of mixing cliches of each form, they have deeply explored each music, and exposed the profound similarities between their cultures... at once creating a highly original music and a timeless one.

Like the train whose name they bear, The Orient Express travels easily from West to East and back again, maintaining their individuality and integrity all the way.

Tracks
1. Fruit of the Desert (Duris) - 2:54
2. Dance for Me (Duris) - 2:47
3. Layla (Duris, Golesorkhi) - 3:41
4. Birds Of India (Duris, Giet) - 3:49
5. Train To Bombay (Duris, Giet) - 2:50
6. Caravan Of Silk (Golesorkhi) - 2:45
7. Azaar (Golesorkhi) - 4:30
8. For A Moment (Giet) - 2:06
9. Impulse (Forty-Two Drums) (Golesorkhi) - 4:48
10. A Little Star (Duris, Giet) - 2:25
11.Cobra Fever (Golesorkhi, Giet) - 2:29

The Orient Express
* Guy Duris - Electric Oud, Electric Sitar, Vocals
* Bruni Giet - Electric Minitar, Vocals
* Farshid Golesorkhi - Electric Melodica, Dumbek, Tympany, Vocals

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Magic Carpet - Magic Carpet (1971 uk, brilliant oriental psych folk rock)

The legendary UK band, Magic Carpet, was formed in 1971 by Alisha Sufit (singer-songwriter and acoustic guitarist), Clem Alford (sitar, esraj), Jim Moyes (guitar), and Keshav Sathe (Indian tabla / percussion). Magic Carpet created a unique and unusual sound in a true meld of musical styles and influences.

The sitar player, Clem Alford, was classically trained in the Indian tradition, as was tabla player, Keshav Sathe. Alisha Sufit, who first met Jim Moyes when they were both students at Chelsea School of Art in the sixties, writes original songs reflecting diverse influences - including traditional, contemporary and . The band recorded one eponymous album first released in 1972. The original vinyl version has since become a sought-after collectable, now reissued on CD by Magic Carpet Records label. Visit the MySpace page or their web site for more information.

Quote: 'Based around the classically trained sitar virtuoso Clem Alford and the breathtaking ethereal vocalist Alisha Sufit, Magic Carpet delivered perhaps one of the finest Indian-influenced psychedelic folk albums of the 1970's. Unfortunately this supremely talented collective split before the album was released. Alisha Sufit's astonishing vocal talents are included in nine of the twelve tracks, the remaining three being instrumental. Alisha Sufit and Jim Moyes play guitar, with the brilliant Keshav Sathe on tabla percussion. This album has been described as 'a psych folk gem - a unique and extraordinary fusion of east and west, Magic Carpet being one of the very first bands to truly combine Indian and western instrumentation'.

For the listener who craves the deep, warm, dark green and forest brown, fog-drenched Indian influenced psychedelia that chartered its way out of San Francisco in the late sixties / early seventies, this reissue of the Magic Carpet's debut record will ring a true chord. True, the band hailed from the UKA  nowhere near the flower children of the Haight, but their brand of "Eastern Psych Folk" is close kin to After Bathing At Baxter's era Jefferson Airplane (a seriously underrated record) and calls to mind the Bay Area folk revival scene going on today. 

In a time of Devendra Banhart's elfin freakiness, Joanna Newsom's evil-angel resurrections, and the resurgence of interest in Vashti Bunyan, the Magic Carpet's 1972 lost classic could not sound fresher. Alisha Sufit is a resurrecting chanteuse whose dark voice is crystal clear and mesmerizing; Clem Alford's sitar playing is top notch and truly psychedelic. The songs come as old friends (our favorite: "Father Time") and hang in the air as mysteries, leading to the sweet 20+ minute instrumental raga not found on the original release. Top notch rainy day music, and for those so inclined, a perfect bong stuffer for the holidays. 

by David Katznelson

Tracks
1. The Magic Carpet (Alford, Moyes, Sathe) - 2:28
2. The Phoenix - 3:22
3. Black Cat - 4:05
4. Alans Christmas Card (Alford, Moyes, Sathe) - 3:21
5. Harvest Song - 3:41
6. Do You Hear The Words (Alford, Moyes, Sathe) - 3:00
7. Father Time (Sufit, Alford, Moyes, Sathe) - 4:22
8. La La (Alford, Moyes, Sathe) - 2:42
9. Peace Song - 3:49
10. Take Away kesh (Alford, Moyes, Sathe) - 2:35
11. High Street - 3:37
12. The Dream - 3:56
13. Raga (Traditional arranged by Clem Alford) - 20:27
Words and Music by Alisha Sufit except where noted

Magic Carpet
*Clem Alford - Sitar, Esraj, Tamboura
*Alisha Sufit - Vocals, Guitars
*Jim Moyes - Guitars
*Keshav Sathe - Indian Tabla, Percussion

identical artists
1970  Oriental Sunshine - Dedicated To The Bird We Love
1971  The Rainbow Band

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Mayfly - Mayfly (1973 holland, marvelous progressive folk rock, rare korean remaster)

It takes a Korean label to reissue one of the best Dutch albums ever! Mayfly was a progressive folkrock unit from the town of Bergen. In the period '72-'74 they released a couple of singles and this utterly tasteful (and now highly collectable) LP through Ariola Records. 

The album includes beautiful tracks, with equally fine arrangements (Left Banke- and Montage-fans, check out the exquisite cello and violin parts!), s.a. the superb single 'Topless Bertha' and the wonderful 'Symptons Of Summer', which is also featured on the compilation 'Dutch Rare Folk'. A fascinating reissue!

Tracks
1. From Now On - 4:46
2. Symptoms Of Summer - 3:50
3. Dawn Of An Old Man's Life - 3:12
4. The Smell Of It - 3:09
5. Lemoncake - 4:15
6. The Stable - 3:08
7. Intermezzo (Onno Verburg, Arie De Geus) - 1:07
8. Secondhand Dream - 3:36
9. Blue Sofa - 3:01
10.She Leaveth Me - 3:09
11.Topless Bertha - 3:32
All Music written by Gustaaf Verburg, all Lyrics by Ide Min except where noted.

Mayfly
*Maarten Min - Vocals
*Gustaaf Verburg - 6-String Acoustic, Electric Guitars, Electric 12-String, All Lead, Slide Guitar, Piano, Vocals
*Onno Verburg - 6-String Acoustic, Electric Guitars, Acoustic 12-String, Spanish Guitar
*Arie De Geus - Electric, Acoustic Violin, Electric Piano
*Rinus Groeneveld - Flute, Sax
*Huub Nijhuis - Cello, Bass Guitar
*Ide Min - Demo Recordings

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Them - Them (1970 us/uk, rude acid garage 'n' beat)

The complicated life of this legendary R 'n' B outfit was almost over when this, their penultimate album, appeared in 1970. Astonishingly, by then they were reduced to a duo consisting of original bassist Alan Henderson and US vocalist / percussionist Jerry Cole, with studio support said to have come from Ry Cooder and Jack Nitzsche. 

The music ranges from pounding psychedelia (‘I Keep Singing’) and snotty garage punk (‘Lonely Weekends’, a shameless rewrite of ‘Gloria’) to furious rock and roll (‘Jo Ann’) and even a country ballad (‘Take A Little Time’). As the original sleevenotes declared: “The THEM sound combines the typical British style with an air of mystery and an atmosphere of excitement… mythical, mystical, Oriental, African, electronic and computer rhythms included.”

Tracks
1. I Keep Singing (Jerry Cole) - 4:26
2. Lonely Weekends (Charlie Rich) - 2:32
3. Take a Little Time (Ron Joelson) - 2:13
4. You Got Me Good (Shawn Rudd) - 2:42
5. Jo Ann (Buddy Knox, Vance Smith) - 2:55
6. Memphis Lady (Jerry Cole) - 3:00
7. In The Midnight Hour (Wlison Pickett, Steve Cropper) - 2:39
8. Nobody Cares (Robert Duncan, Chad Garrett) - 2:47
9. I Am Waiting (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards) - 3:23
10. Just a Little (Ron Elliott) - 1:51

Them
Jerry Cole - Lead Vocals, Guitar, Drums
Alan Henderson – Bass

Themology
1965-66  The Wheels - Road Block
1967  Them - Now And Them
1967  Belfast Gypsies
1968-69  Them - Time Out Time In
1969-70  Truth - Of Them And Other Tales
1970-71  Rod Demick And Herbie Armstrong - Little Willie Ramble

Jerry Cole acts
1967  The Id - Inner Sounds Of The Id
1967-68  The Animated Egg

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Spreadeagle - The Piece Of Paper (1972 uk, remarkable multi blended progressive rock, 2012 Flawed Gems issue)

It may hard to believe, but this is the debut album of this little-known comb. Released by Charisma records In 1972 the only album of this still highly underrated, British progressive band should appeal to fans of classic, heavy and quite melodic rock based on catchy but intense guitars, ever-changing moods rhythms and complex vocal parts. 

Spreadeagle offered a varied, imaginative, cheerful and well-arranged songs (very often in elaborate forms) in the vein of early Camel. Whisbone Ash, Public for Roman, Home and with a hint of early Santana. It has been remastered from the original analogue sounds, gives a high quality sound.

Tracks
1. How Can We Be Lost - 2:57
2. Brothers In The Sunshine (Sam Llewellyn) - 7:10
3. Nightingale Lane - 2:37
4. Piece Of Paper - 6:31
5. Nightmare (Andy Blackford) - 2:53
6. Eagles - 7:20
7. Scipio - 4:26
8. Talking To A Sailor - 2:30
All compositions by Tim Phillips except where indicated

Spreadeagle
*Andy Blackford - Vocals, Guitars
*Tim Phillips - Vocals, Guitars, Banjo, Piano
*Sam Llewellyn - Vocals, Bass, Percussion
*Jim Copley - Drums
With
*Jon Field, Nick & Shel - Additional Percussion

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Truth - Of Them And Other Tales (1969/70 us/uk, superb psychedelic rock from Them members)

Truth is one of the more obscure twigs on the amazingly vast tree that grew out of a 1964 Belfast hoodlum r'n'b act first (and last) known as Them. You've heard the great Van-era recordings, the even greater Belfast Gypsies recordings, the inconsistent but occasionally brilliant Texas-era recordings -- but prior to this CD you're unlikely to have heard this Chicago-based franchise, featuring guitarist Jim Armstrong and vocalist Kenny McDowell from the Belfast/Texas incarnations of the band, lured back to the US by a music biz impresario circa 1969. The ex-Themers teamed up with two local musicians and Truth was born, rehearsing like crazy and playing local Windy City gigs with some success. I'll refer to John Berg's very detailed liner notes for the full story and move on to the music.

The bulk of the 14 songs contained on the CD are 1969 recordings made for a movie titled "College For Fun And Profit" in which the band can actually be spotted in one scene. The remaining tunes come from a 3-track acetate recorded for a prospective Epic LP that never happened. According to Jim Armstrong "Truth was the best band I ever played in. There was no pulling in different directions". It's not hard to believe him, because that's what Truth sounds like -- skillful musicians delivering music that radiates warmth, harmony and synchronization. 

If this sounds a bit like vintage Grateful Dead then all the better, because there is a distinct similarity between the Dead of, say, "China cat sunflower", and the airy, good-natured guitarpsych of Truth. Not much is said about the band's influences in the liner notes but if I were to define them in terms of a pin placed on a wall-map of the USA, the spot would be Highway 1 halfway between LA and the Bay Area. There is already a pin there, marked Stalk-Forrest Group, and apart from the Dead that's one band that Truth remind me of.

Impressive credentials for sure, but Truth needn't be embarrassed in this company, because their music is faultless and at its best outright stunning. So very few bands manage to play music that allows space for the members full range of versatility without degrading into prog or fusion; Truth manage to do so and still deliver melodic, open-ended music. The opening "Music is life" is a program declaration as good as any; complex rhythms and bold chord shifts, yet as inviting as a Byrds 45 with McDowell's joyful vocals setting the tone for all that follows. "6 O'Clock Alarm" is your standard white-collar grind lament except with a 5-minute Garcia/Lesh-style jam in the middle, before the vocals pull you back to planet Earth.

I have to refrain myself from describing every track in detail but all of it progresses along the superb '69 Dead/Stalk-Forrest axis described above; an exquisite sitar track adds a foreign flavor, while the 10-minute revisit to the Texan Them's "Square room" shows just how good raga rock can be if done with serious intentions -- like a sequel to "East-West" by the Butterfields 3 years earlier. 

There is another great track called simply "HIGH!" which is how you feel when hearing it, and a take on "Circle round the sun" that suits the band very well. The CD closes with the 3 tracks off the aforementioned acetate, and they're just as swell, bringing in organ and flute and a slight British influence (think Traffic) to produce one of the very best tracks on the entire CD, the powerful "Castles in the sand" that is likely to blow anyone's head off. There is some very minor surface noise on the acetate tracks while the earlier recordings are crystal clear and can be played loud as fuck! 

Most of the unreleased 1960s-70s stuff that appears is disappointing and shows mainly why it wasn't released in the first place, but this Truth CD is the perfect antithesis of that cynicism -- just like Stalk-Forrest Group it's better than almost anything that WAS released at the time.

by Patrick The Lama

Tracks
1. Music Is Life - 4:13
2. 6 O:Clock Alarm - 9:14
3. Mysterios - 1:21
4. Music From Big Puce - 4:27
5. Country Funk - 0:39
6. Blackboard Words - 2:47
7. Sonic Sitar - 3:18
8. High! - 6:35
9. Archimed:s Pad - Square Room - 11:4
10.Getting Better - 5:27
11.Circle 'Round The Sun - 5:19
12.Ride The Wind - 6:37
13.Castles In The Sand - 7:18
14.October ΄68 - The Tears That You Cry - 5:23
All songs written by The Truth, except 11.Circle 'Round The Sun, which is Traditional.

Truth
*Jimmy Armstrong - Guitars, Piano, Sitar
*Curtis Bachman - Bass, Vocals
*Ray Elliot - Flute, Piano (tracks 12-14)
*Kenny McDowell - Lead Vocals, Harmonica
*Reno Smith - Drums

Themology
1965-66  The Wheels - Road Block
1967  Them - Now And Them
1967  Belfast Gypsies
1968-69  Them - Time Out Time In
1970-71  Rod Demick And Herbie Armstrong - Little Willie Ramble

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Diamondhead - Diamondhead (1972-73 us, hard funky rock with southern flashes, Gear Fab 2004 issue)

Bob Yeazel grew up in Denver, Colorado. At age  14 he decided to take up the guitar. After playing in a couple of local groups he ended up in the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band for a brief time. This is how he came to know Ron Morgan and Jim Greenspoon (later of Three Dog Night). His time in this band was brief Hut lead to the three of them forming Superband with Roger Bryant and Myron Pollack. This was also a short lived group that recorded one rare single. 

After this, Bob formed a band called Beast,  The group went over well, They toured the U.S. and Canada  and recorded two albums at Norman Petty Studios in Clovis NM with Roger Bryant playing Bass on the second. After Beast disbanded Jerry Corbetta asked Bob if he would like to join Sugaloaf. They had just recorded their first album and were about to embark on a tour. Bob accepted the offer and the result was some heavy touring  and the follow up LP “Spaceship Earth” which is finally receiving it’s due respect. 

When Bob Yeazel left Sugarloaf  he formed a band called Diamondhead. This group consisted of Peter Johnson on Piano, Dave Williams on Sax and Flute, Roger Bryant on Bass, and Galen Pew on Drums. Bob had previously been in Superband and Beast with Roger and Peter and Roger had just beem in the band Fat Emma. 

Diamondhead played a few gigs but concentrated mainly on the recordings contained herein. In early 1973, Diamondhead evolved into Brother Son after Roger and Galen left. Bob Mac Vittie, who had played with Bob in Sugarloaf replaced Galen on Drums, and Jerry Krenzer took over for Roger on bass. This release is a combination of nine tracks by Diamondhead and four by Brother Son.

Tracks
1. When the Blues Come Walking - 3:08
2. In the City - 3:11
3. Crazy Man - 4:28
4. Let's Have Some Fun - 3:00
5. Love in the Morning - 3:51
6. Strange Lady - 4:23
7. Lady of the Night - 6:28
8. No Name Singer - 3:59
9. Poor Man - 3:43
10.My Ship Is Coming In - 5:08
11.This Laid Back Life - 5:02
12.The One That Got Away - 3:52
13.This Is a Love Song - 3:46

Diamondhead
*Bob Yeazel - Guitar
*Peter Johnson - Piano
*Roger Bryant - Bass
*Galen Pew - Drums
*David Williams - Sax, Flute
*Jerry Krenzer - Bass (Brother Son)
*Bob MacVittie - Drums (Brother Son)
Additional Musicians
*Debbie ? - Vocals
*Jerry Corbetta - B-3
*Blind Blues Man - Harp

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Brave Belt - Brave Belt I / II (1970/72 canada, great classic smooth rock with country and blues shades)

Vocalist, keyboardist, and guitarist Chad Allen and guitarist Randy Bachman first worked together in bands like the Reflections and Chad Allen and the Expressions. In 1963, they decided to form another little rock group -- they became the famed Guess Who. By 1970, though the Guess Who were still alive and kicking, Bachman and Allen turned their attention to a new rock outlet, Brave Belt. Other members were bassist and vocalist Fred Turner and drummer Robin Bachman. After the completion of one album, and only a little work on a second, Allen left, and was replaced by guitarist Tim Bachman. Before a third offering was ready, Brave Belt folded into a new mortality, Bachman Turner Overdrive. 

Within a year's time of their formation, Brave Belt had released two excellent singles, "Rock and Roll Band" and "Crazy Arms, Crazy Eyes." The band, working under the Reprise Records label, also finished a self-titled debut album filled with hard rock that managed to be flavored with touches of country and pop. In 1972 there were two double-sided singles, and a second album, Brave Belt II. Some of the music from this second outing is much bolder and heavier. By 1973, Brave Belt melted away and left a new group behind named Bachman Turner Overdrive. 

by Charlotte Dillon

Brave Belt is an amazing band; the missing link between early Guess Who and Bachman Turner Overdrive. Chad Allan contributes two very British-sounding compositions on side one, "I Am the Man" and French Kiss; the latter with country flavors, and the former as poppy as Kaleidoscope U.K. C.F. Turner slips in two appearances, and by the second Brave Belt disc he would become the vocalist. 

Chad Allan's contributions, not as dominant as they are here, was quickly evolving the band into BTO, Bachman Turner Overdrive. When Randy Bachman sings without the help of Chad Allan or C.F. Turner, specifically on "Waitin' There for Me," "It's Over," and "Anyday Means Tomorrow," it is that neo-falsetto voice he made so famous on "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" from the album Not Fragile. But it is Chad Allan who is the vocal star here with "Scarecrow," a fine example of psychedelia, superb production, and downright eerie guitar by Bachman. 

The cover photo, with two of the Bachman brothers and Chad Allan in the snow wearing fur coats, is misleading. This looks like a country-rock group. In actuality it's an amalgam of sounds from pre-Guess Who, validating Chad Allan & the Expressions (maligned by so many inferior albums flooding the market with the initial Guess Who hit, "Shaking All Over," and additional tracks culled from who knows where) and post-Guess Who B.T.O. "Wandering Fantasy Girl" is definite British rock again, while "I Wouldn't Trade My Guitar for a Woman" is the country music the front and back covers promise. "Holy Train" is more valuable music from Chad Allan, proof that his contributions are as essential as those of Randy Bachman. 

While the Guess Who were hitting with Share the Land, their former bandmates were being very creative. It's too bad this album did not get more attention, and it's even more tragic that Chad Allan didn't stay onboard for Bachman Turner Overdrive. 

by Joe Viglione

Tracks
Disc One - 1970 Brave Belt 
1. Crazy Arms, Crazy Eyes (Randy Bachman) - 2:44
2. Lifetime (Randy Bachman) - 1:53
3. Waitin' There for Me (Randy Bachman) - 3:17
4. I Am the Man (Chad Allan) - 4:03
5. French Kiss (Chad Allan) - 3:46
6. It's Over (Randy Bachman) - 3:05
7. Rock and Roll Band (Chad Allan) - 3:52
8. Wandering Fantasy Girl (Chad Allan) - 2:50
9. I Wouldn't Trade My Guitar for a Woman (Chad Allan) - 1:47
10. Holy Train (Chad Allan) - 3:05
11. Anyday Means Tomorrow (Randy Bachman) - 3:02
12. Scarecrow (C. Allan, R. Matheson) - 5:38

Disc Two - 1972 Brave Belt II
1. Too Far Away (Randy Bachman) - 3:38
2. Dunrobin's Gone (C. Allan, B. Ericson) - 3:10
3. Can You Feel It (C.F. Turner) - 2:36
4. Put It in a Song (Tim Bachman, C.F. Turner) - 3:34
5. Summer Soldier (R. Bachman, C. Allan, Rob Bachman) - 3:23
6. Goodbye, Soul Shy (C.F. Turner) - 3:45
7. Never Comin' Home (Randy Bachman) - 3:40
8. Be a Good Man (C.F. Turner) - 2:51
9. Long Way Round (C.F. Turner) - 2:15
10.Another Way Out (Randy Bachman) - 3:30
11.Waterloo Country (C. Allan) - 5:10
12.Hands And Faces (Bonus Track) (C. Allan, R. Matheson) - 4:14
13.Shakin' All Over (Bonus Track) (Johnny Kid) - 2:53

Brave Belt
*Chad Allan - Accordion, Guitar, Keyboards, Mandolin, Piano, Vocals
*Randy Bachman  - Guitar, Bass, Vocals
*Robbie Bachman - Drums, Vocals
*Fred Turner - Bass, Vocals
Additional Musicians
*Wally Didduck - Fiddle
*Ronnie Halldorson - Pedal Steel
*Billy Mac - Drums

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Vagrants - I Can't Make a Friend (1965-68 us, awesome garage r 'n' b psych with young Leslie West pre-Mountain, 2011 remaster edition)

The Vagrants weren't the only band to come out of Forest Hills High School, later there was another Queens-based combo you might have heard of... The Ramones. Johnny and Tommy Ramone attended Forest Hills High School at the same time as most of the Vagrants. (Joey, who was a few years younger, was there shortly afterwards.) 

In 1965 Johnny and Tommy were playing together in a short-lived band called the Tangerine Puppets. "I try not to talk about it 'cause it was bad!" Johnny told me when I interviewed him in 1995. He was much more interested in talking about the Vagrants. "First I knew Roger Mansour, who was the drummer, and me and him used to be friends. He used to call for me in the morning and we used to go to school together. He was a great drummer, and I'd hear from him how he was going to get into the Vagrants. 

Larry West-whose real name was Larry Weinstein, who was Leslie's brother-he was the bass player. He'd be sitting there in the study hall 'cause he'd be on permanent suspension for having his hair too long. He'd be saying he was starting a band with his brother and how his brother's a great guitar player. And I'd ask other kids in the school about if they knew the good guitar player, and they'd go, 'No, he's just a fat kid. He's no good.' But Larry would always be saying how great his brother was. 

His brother was older, and he was just a dropout. Larry at this point was about 15,1 was about 16, and Leslie was about 18. Larry just sat there suspended the whole year 'cause all that mattered was the Vagrants and growing his hair-that was the important thing in his life. 

So they were starting, and as soon as I saw Leslie play I said, 'Wow, this guy's great!' He didn't play like he played later on, but he was able to play whatever cover he was doing and do it exact, from Beatles stuff to 'You Really Got Me.' Whatever he would figure out, he would play just like the record." "We were close with the Ramones," remembers Larry, "but I didn't even know what they were doing. I didn't even know they were starting a band." At that point, they weren't. After the Tangerine Puppets broke up it would be another nine years before Johnny picked up a guitar and formed the Ramones. "I would try and get into wherever I could [to see the Vagrants]," Johnny told me. "Sometimes you could get into certain clubs who wouldn't get so heavy with the [ID] proofing. There'd be a place in the city. 

I saw them at the Manhattan Center, Action House on Long Island, places like that. I must've seen them dozens of times "They went through so many different evolutions throughout the band ... Somewhere along the way they went away to Long Island to play some places, and that's when they came back and we started hearing more about the Rascals and Vanilla Fudge. The Vagrants came back and they were different. They were into more like the Rascals-type thing with the songs slowed down and doing sort of a soul type of thing, like 'Mustang Sally' type stuff. They were doing 'Good Lovin" stuff too. 

They kept doing covers of other people's songs, but they would be better than the Rascals and better than the Vanilla Fudge at doing the stuff. They just looked better, and Leslie's guitar playing was far superior to Gene Cornish of the Rascals or Vince Martell, the guitar player in the Vanilla Fudge." The band's image and presentation made a big impression on Johnny. "The band looked so good," he continued, "and Larry was becoming like a Jim Morrison ... just like permanently fucked-up with the leather pants and the long, wavy hair ... Leslie would become more and more flashy with the outfits he would be getting into. 

They'd just go through so many phases where everything would come in with the really loud colored clothes with these boas-these feathered things around him, y'know? Weird seeing some 350-pound guy looking like this!" "I only knew them then from the cafeteria in school," admits Peter Sabatino. "I saw them sitting there, y'know. They were new on the scene. I guess, because of the ego, I didn't pay a lot of attention to that, how upcoming they were. 

It's only through your interview that I realized they were emulating us and we were idols to them. Like Larry and I used to wear these motorcycle jackets back then, and I guess they picked up on that. Whatever they thought was cool with the Vagrants; they took for themselves."

 by Mike Stax

Tracks
1. Oh Those Eyes (Jerry Storch) - 2:36
2. You're Too Young (Richard Tyson, Alan Abrahams) - 2:05
3. I Can't Make A Friend (Jerry Storch, Trade Martin) - 2:34
4. Young Blues (Trade Martin, Ed Miller, B. Smith Jr.) - 2:16
5. The Final Hour (Bert Sommer) - 2:27
6. Your Hasty Heart (Bert Sommer) - 2:59
7. Respect (Otis Redding) - 2:15
8. I Love, Love You (Yes I Do) (Bennie Earl) - 2:38
9. Beside The Sea (Gail Collins, Felix Pappalardi, Bert Sommer) - 2:18
10.A Sunny Summer Ran (Felix Pappalardi, Bert Sommer) - 2:50
11.And When It's Over (Bert Sommer) - 2:19
12.I Don't Need Your Loving (Jerry Storch) - 2:53

Vagrants
*Roger Mansour - Drums
*Peter Sabatino - Vocals, Harmonica, Tambourine
*Jerry Storch - Organ, Vocals
*Larry West - Bass, Vocals
*Leslie West - Guitar, Vocals

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Country Joe And The Fish - CJ Fish (1970 us, beautiful psychedelic folk rock, ACE remaster)

The film of the Woodstock Festival was prepared for release in the spring of 1970, they also appeared in and performed music for underground cult film Zachariah where Joe is the leader of a band of outlaws in the old west, carrying amplifiers on their horses and calling themselves "The Crackers." When Woodstock, the movie hit the theaters, "Fixin' To Die Rag" was in the middle of the film, with its lyrics spelled out, highlighted with a bouncing ball, including the "Cheer" and copious remarks about how many people seemed to be in the audience. 

So what a recording, some airplay and countless performance could not do, the film did instantly. It brought the band's anti-war message and the "get stuffed," we-don't-like-what-you're-doing-ness of the "Cheer" into movie theaters all over the world. In short, all of a sudden 5 years after its debut at a demonstration in Oakland it became an anthem.

At the same time, they released their last LP for Vanguard C. J. Fish which with a new keyboard player and rhythm section was produced by Tom Wilson. They retained, however, their primary composers Barry Melton and Country Joe MacDonald, keeping the sound and style of the original band. Most of the lyrics are thoughtful and bright; many are in rhyme as many of that time were. 

The overall timbre is interesting, being both joyful and sobering at the same time. Some bright spots in the material are "Hey Bobby," "She's a Bird," and "Hang On," which are delightfully Country Joe. Overall it's not a bad album and no Country Joe and the Fish collection is complete without it.

Tracks
1. Sing Sing Sing - 3:01
2. She's a Bird - 4:33
3. Mara - 2:57
4. Hang on - 4:08
5. The Baby Song - 2:50
6. Hey Bobby - 2:06
7. Silver and Gold - 2:47
8. Rockin' Round the World - 4:54
9. The Love Machine - 5:48
10.The Return of Sweet Lorraine - 3:46
11.Hand of Man - 2:50
All tracks written by Joe McDonald except 1 & 7 written by Barry Melton

Country Joe And The Fish
*Joe McDonald - Vocals, Guitar
*Barry Melton - Vocals, Guitar
*Mark Kapner - Keyboards
*Doug Metzner - Bass
*Greg Dewey - Drums

1967  Electric Music For The Mind And Body
1968  Together
1969  Live! Fillmore West
1969  Here We Are Again

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