Cosmic Travelers - Live! At the Spring Crater Celebration Diamond Head, Oahu, Hawaii (1972 us, superb jam psych rock, 2013 remaster)

"We are travelers on a cosmic journey, Stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share. This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity." Paulo Coetho, The Alchemist The Cosmic Travelers is a rare, original live album with 1,000 copies released on the Volcano label. This live jam was recorded at the Spring Crater Celebration in the Diamond Head Volcano in Oahu, Hawaii on April 1, 1972. The event was organized by businessmen and friends Tom Moffat, Ken Rosene and Herb Brentlinger.

The artists were a Los Angeles based combo of psychedelic blues studio musicians; Jimmy McGhee, Dale "Mule" Loyola, Joel Christie and Drake Levin. Jimmy had backed up Gene Redding and Etta James. Dale had recorded with the band Hook, and Joel and Drake had recorded with Lee Michaels. Prior to this. Drake had been the lead guitarist for Paul Revere and the Raiders, from their early dance hall days in the Pacific Northwest, to their national success with Dick Clark's Where The Action Is, and he had played on most of their biggest hit records. After leaving the Raiders, Drake had also been a member of the group The Brotherhood, which featured two of his Raider band mates, Phillip Volk and Michael "Smitty" Smith.

This festival in Hawaii was the first time that these four musicians had played together as a group, and they took the main stage and were recorded for this album after only two days of rehearsals. The rocking, hard driven guitar riffs from Jimmy and Drake were mesmerizing, and the vocals from Joel, Jimmy and Dale were a near-perfect harmony. The Cosmic Travelers was a good description of these four souls. They were musicians traveling to the Sunshine Festival, and the name seemed quite fitting since they were all indeed spiritual men.

The live Crater Festival album was recorded the same year that Drake and I met. It was later that year, the day before Thanksgiving, and when I met him he had this album in his hand. Both of our lives were forever changed and forever tied together from that point on. The next few months after we met were holidays spent traveling to Miami and Hermosa Beach. Drake and I went on to make beautiful music together as husband and wife until he passed away on the Fourth of July in 2009.

If you knew Drake, then you know that he was always a  leader, the idea maker and vision seeker, the music man. Drake was born in Chicago and moved to Idaho with his family when he was young. Although his years in Chicago were few, rhythm and blues seemed to be as much a part of him as others who spent their whole lives making music in that city. Drake joined the Raiders at 16 years old, and by the time that he had barely turned 18, he had already recorded a live set of music with the group, featuring covers of many R’n’B standards, and some original music. His talent was obvious in his guitar solos and steady rhythm. In later years, besides playing with Lee Michaels. Drake also played with Emmit Rhodes and Ananda Shankar, and produced other artists as well.

As Drake and I got to know each other, I got to know his friends in the Cosmic Travelers also. Drake had described Jimmy McGhee as a soul brother from Los Angeles. He and Jimmy had toured in Canada and the mid-west with Gene Redding and Etta James. Jimmy moved in with us while the guys prepared to go back to Hawaii and cut another album. He lived with us in Los Angeles for the next couple of years. Something that was so impressive to me was that he played his guitar all the time! He seemed to live and breathe music; if he was awake he was playing. He was so incredibly jazzy and funky! No matter who came to the house, Jimmy would have them playing some instrument or singing.

The fabulous and solid Peruvian drummer, Dale Loyola, had just come off the road with Lee Michaels. Dale also moved in with us, and along with Drake and Jimmy formed the new group. The Travelers. They toured the west coast from Santa Barbara to San Diego for the next 5 years. The soulful and amazingly talented lead singer and bass player, Joel Christie, had his own group happening in Los Angeles. Joel was writing very heavily back then. He sang lead in the musical Jesus Christ Superstar, and wrote spiritual and new age beginnings material. Eventually Joel came to live with us as well, after the other guys had moved out, and he played gigs with Drake in Tahoe with Curtis Lawson and Billy Dunn.

This gig in Hawaii brought these gentlemen together as musicians and life long friends, and as you listen to this album, you are listening to some of their best work. This was but a brief moment in eternity, but a very rare and special moment!

by Sandra Levin, San Francisco, California October, 2012

Tracks

1. Farther Up The Road (Joe Veasey. Don Robey) - 9:16

2. Move Your Hands (Lonnie Smith) - 10:24

3. Jungle Juice (Granville McGhee) - 6:46

4. Look at You Look At Me (Dave Mason, Jim Capaldi) - 3:52,

5. Soul (Jimmy McGhee, Gene Redding) - 7:00

6. Soul Reprise (Jimmy McGhee, Drake Levin, Joel Christie, Dale Loyola) - 2:13

The Cosmic Travelers
*Drake Levin - Guitar
*Jimmy McGhee - Guitar, Vocals
*Joel Christie - Bass, Vocals
*Dale Loyola - Drums, Vocals

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Central Nervous System - I Could Have Danced All Night (1968 canada, exceptional funky r 'n' b' jazzy psych rock, 2008 remaster issue)

Band was originally known as "Five Sounds" and included keyboardist Joe Sealy. They released two singles in 1965 and 1966 on Epic which charted on Halifax radio station CHNS. In 1968 the "Five Sounds" were the house band on CBC television's "Where It's At" (the local segment of the national series) which was hosted by Frank Cameron and produced in Halifax.

In 1968 the band went to New York to record "I Could Have Danced All Night" album and changed name to "Central Nervous System" at the suggestion of Mark Joseph who worked at the Record Plant where the album was recorded. Album consisted of Billard and Jollimore penned originals and cover of Lonnie Mack's "Why" which was not listed on the album cover. Album was produced by Tom Wilson (Zappa, Dylan) and Eddie Kramer (Hendrix, Stones) was one of the engineers.

Band split up in 1969 just before the album had a chance to try itself in the marketplace and dates were lined up to tour in the United States. Billard and White both went on to play in "Pepper Tree" at different times. Oakley switched to lead guitar and was a founding member of "Soma". Jollimore and Cassidy both went to Lighthouse.

by Ritchie Oakley, Jim Rice and Richard Bonner

Tracks
1. Comin' To Get Ya - 2:15
2. Undecided - 3:00
3. She's Everything Good To Me - 2:22
4. I'm My Own Keeper - 2:44
5. Sweet Hot Lucy - 2:20
6. Silence In My Room - 2:27
7. Why (Lonnie Mack) - 4:18
8. It's So Hard - 2:31
9. Welcome Back Girl - 2:52
10.A Heart That's Cold - 2:28
11.Mystery Lady - 2:56
All songs by Doug Billard, Keith Jollimore except where stated

Central Nervous System
*Keith Jollimore - Saxophone
*Bruce Cassidy - Trumpet
*Ritchie Oakley - Bass
*Jim White - Guitar
*Jack S. Lilly - Drums
*Doug Billard - Vocals

Related Act
1971  Lighthouse - One Fine Morning 

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Bob McAllen - McAllen (1971 us, spectacular acid tinged folk rock, 2014 korean remaster)

Amazing 12-string slinging folk singer-songwriter from East Lansing, Michigan. He’s got a bit of a Tim Buckley sound, and he’s a really interesting lyricist.

"Lady Today" also features the "Woolies" including Jeff Baldori on lead guitar. "By Candlelight", subtitled "Love Song to a Cat" is just that but it's quite a nice piece of folk psych with flugel horn low in the mix providing texture. You can't beat the honesty of such self-produced music. His vocals and 12-string are both great. "It Depends" has a fast tempo and a dreamy texture with echoed vocals in the 60's mode. 

Original sound with lyrics like "I used to walk the fields with a gun - just for fun but now I walk with empty hands again. I do not care for hunting any more - since the war. I will not hunt for animals or men." More dreaminess on "Guess We'll Never Be That Way Again" and "Nights Like This".

Tracks
1. You've Heard This Song Before - 2:54
2. Furry Little Friend - 3:17
3. Rollen Home - 2:40
4. By Candlelight - 3:44
5. Happiness All The Time - 2:17
6. Wish I Were A Whippoorwill - 2:23
7. It Depends - 3:39
8. Guess We'll Never Be That Way Again - 3:13
9. Night Like This - 4:01
10.Lady Today - 3:45
11.Didn't You - 4:53
All songs by Bob McAllen

Personnel
*Bob McAllen - Vocals, Guitar, 12 String Guitar
*Mike Grace - Bass
*Dave Koether - Drums
*Mike O'Sullivan - Glugel Horn
*Bob Baldori - Shakers
*Jeff Baldori - Lead Guitar
*Bee Metros - Drums
*Zocko Groendal - Bass

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Johnny Kidd And The Pirates - The Best Of (1956-66 uk, pioneer beat roots 'n' roll, 2008 two disc set)

It may surprise you to know that The Beatles were not the first British rock act to top the chart with one of their own compositions – that honour goes to Johnny Kidd & The Pirates, whose No. 1 hit, 'Shakin' All Over", is also the earliest British penned rock song to ever reach the US Top 20. Born Frederick Allbert Heath in WillesdenWillesden, North London on November 23 1935, Johnny was the youngest of Margaret and Ernest Heath's three children. He attended Wesley Road Secondary Modern School before going on to Willesden Technical College, and first became interested in music when an uncle gave him a banjo for his birthday. 

In 1956, together with some friends, he formed a skiffle group, who at various times were known as Bats Heath & The Vampires, The Frantic- Four, and The Five Nutters Skiffle Group. The group fared well in a handful of talent shows, which led to an appearance on the BBC radio show Skiffle Club and performances at the No.l skiffle venue. The '2 I's coffee bar in Soho.

When the skiffle train ran out of steam, the group had a few name changes before settling on Freddie Heath & The Nutters. Unlike many contemporary British rockers, Johnny also wrote songs. In 1959, George Martin produced the duo The Bachelors (Steve Keen & Rikki Gabin - no connection to the later Irish trio) singing 'Please Don't Touch', which Kidd composed with his manager Guy Robinson. Simultaneously Johnny was ottered a contract with another EMI label, HMV, and on April 18, 1959, the group recorded their version of that song with upand- coming producer Peter Sullivan, later famous for his work with acts like Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck. It was while recording this track (it took 28 takes), and its equally exciting, written-inthe- studio, b-side 'Growl' , that the group learned that they would now be known as Johnny Kidd & The Pirates - a decision they presumed had been taken by either Sullivan or Robinson.

'Please Don't Touch' had more of a raw rock'n'roll sound than any other British record at the time, and their performance of it on BBC" radio's Saturday Club helped push it into the Top 20. Most unusually for a UK rock song it was covered in the USA by Chico Holliday (on RCA), and 22 years later revisited the UK charts by heavy metal heroes Motorhead and Girlschool. Johnny, who wore an eye patch and calf length cowboy boots on stage to enhance his pirate image, followed this hit with a beat rendition of the First World War favourite 'If You Were The Only Girl In The World' - recorded just days after the death of its composer George Meyer. The group then returned to the chart with a cover version of 'You Got What It Takes' penned by future Motown owner Berry Gordy Jr.

At this time the Pirates had reduced to a trio consisting of Alan Caddy (lead guitar) Brian Gregg (bass), and Clem Cattini (drums). It was this line-up, with the addition of noted session guitarist Joe Moretti, that recorded their next single. The A-side was intended to be their rockin' revival of the 1925 favorite 'Yes Sir, That's My Baby', hut it was the "throwaway" b-side that went down in rock'n'roll history. They penned 'Shakin' All Over' in just six minutes at Chas McDevitt's Freight Train coftee bar in Soho the day before going into the studio on Friday the 13th May I960. Legend has it that the track, which features Moretti's playing the chilling guitar figure and classic solo, was recorded in just two takes. Johnny recalled "When we saw a girl who was a real sizzler we used to say that she gave us 'quivers down the membranes'. It was this that inspired me to write the song".

EMI instantly realised the track's potential and made it the a-side. The group launched it on Jack Good's TV show Wham!. It charted immediately and seven weeks later in August 1960 replaced Cliff Richard's 'Please Don't Tease' at No. 1. Incidentally, Cliff later recorded the song as did The Who, The Swinging Blue Jeans, Normie Rowe (who took it to the top in Australia) and Canada's Guess Who (who took it into the US Top 2O). Johnny's final I960 release was the haunting 'Restless' which narrowly missed the Top 2O. He returned to the Hit Parade the following year with the R&B song 'Linda Lu' but the next release 'Please Don't Bring Me Down', which owed more than a little to 'Shakin' All Over', failed to chart. It was soon after this that Brian, Alan and Clem thought thev were leaving a sinking ship and quit the Pirates - they would soon all be part of the Tornados, who had a transatlantic No. 1 with "Telstar' in 1962. Johnny's final release of 1961 was the 'Fever' flavoured 'Hurry On Back To Love', on which the Pirates were replaced by the Mike Sanimes Singers. It also sold relatively few copies.

By 1962 there was a new line-up of Pirates; Johnny Spence (bass), Frank Farley (drums) and Johnny Patto (guitar), who as the Redcaps had previously hacked Oh Boy! regular Cuddly Duddly. The group spent most of that year gigging around the UK and in Hamburg, where they starred at the prestigious Star Club. The cutlass wielding buccaneer and his band were particularly popular in Liverpool, where they often played the Cavern Club, where future Merseybeat stars watched and learned from their idols, and also topped the bill over The Beatles on a Mersey riverboat shuffle.

In January 1963 the group scored with their verson of A Shot Of Rhythm ‘n’ Blues' coupled with the equally popular 'I Can Tell', the first track to feature guitarist Mick Green who replaced Patto. That summer their new manager  Gordon Mills convinced them to record “Never Get Over You”, a catchy song he had written, and previously recorded with his group The Viscounts, which had a Merseybeat feel. Initially the group were not too keen as it was a little too commercial for them. However, it rocketed into the Top 5 and the similarly styled Mills-penned follow up 'Hungry For Love' also gave them a Top '20 entry, and a year later was used by The Searchers as the lead track on a Top 5 EP. The group's last chart entry came in 1964 with Always And Ever', which was based on the 19th century Neapolitan song 'Santa Lucia".  Later singles, including Kidd's versions of Jewel Akins hit The Birds & The Bees', The Miracles' million seller 'Shop Around', Marvin Rainwater's 1958 No.l ' Whole Lotta Woman' and an updated 'Shakin' All Over '65' sold only moderately well but this did not really affect Johnny's amazing capacity for pulling big crowds wherever he played.

In 1966, Johnny married long time girl friend Jean Complin and among his wedding guests were Tom Jones, Georgie Fame, and members of The Hollies and Pretty Things. In April that year The Pirates set sail without Johnny in search of more fame and fortune, and after that mutiny he put together The New Pirates (who evolved from Liverpool band The Avengers). He was very happy with the group and their live shows were very well received. As a Norfolk newspaper reported "Always a very visual performer, Johnny's voice sounded more powerful today than when this legend of British rock'n'roll was in the charts! ". However, tragically, soon afterwards, when driving back from a gig in Nelson, Lancashire, Kidd was killed in a crash near Bury.

'Send For That Girl', which Johnny had hoped would return him to the top, was released shortly after his funeral. Despite the fact that he had played such a pivotal role in British rock music, the single received little support from the British music media and, ironically, even the recently launched Pirate Radio ships turned a blind eye to the record. It seemed that Johnny's image and sound no longer fitted. Perhaps the reason was in his genes, he was too Gene Vincent and not enough Gene Pitney for the .swinging sixties set. Apart from all the A and B sides of all the group's singles, this top notch collection includes many noteworthy recordings that were not made available until after Johnny's death. Among the lesser known jewels are the group's distinctive interpretations of rock favourites The Fool', 'Let's Talk About Us', Dr. Feelgood' and 'Some Other Guy'. In addition, they offer unique treatments of 'Your Cheating Heart', 'Right String But The Wrong Yo Yo', 'You Can Have Her' and 'I Just Want To Make Love To You' (recorded three years before the Rolling Stones version!).

Although they never had a hit of their own in the USA, they are held in high esteem there. Rolling Stone magazine summed up Kidd's group by saying "They were a prototype for the heavy metal guitar trios that they predated by nearly a decade", while other American critics pointed out that they were recording R’n’B songs long before the Beat Boom and British Invasion bands. This set plunders Johnny Kidd & The Pirates' vault and oilers you the very best of their recordings - and, if you'll excuse the pun, it's an album to treasure.

by Dave McAleer  (with thanks to Adrian Barrett)

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Please Don't Touch (Frederick Heath, Guy Robinson) - 1:53 

2. Growl (Frederick Heath, Guy Robinson) - 2:23 

3. Steady Date (Peter DeAngelis, Robert Marcucci) - 2:38 

4. Feelin' (Frederick Heath) - 1:59 

5. If You Were the Only Girl in the World and I Were the Only Boy (Clifford Grey) - 2:38 

6. You Got What It Takes (B. Gordy Jr, G. Gordy, R. Davies) - 2:02 

7. Longin' Lips (Frederick Heath, Guy Robinson) - 1:47 

8. Shakin' All Over (Johnny Kidd) - 2:21 

9. Yes Sir That's My Baby (Walter Donaldson, Gus Kahn) - 1:42 

10.Restless (T. Wadmore, Johnny Kidd, S. Dale) - 2:12 

11.Magic of Love (Johnny Kidd) - 2:08 

12.Linda Lu (Ray Sharpe) - 2:35 

13.Let's Talk About Us (Otis Blackwell) - 3:22 

14.Big Blon' Baby (Kenny Jacobson, Rhoda Roberts) - 2:05 

15.Weep No More My Baby (Arnette, Murphy, O'Dell, Paterno) - 3:14 

16.More of the Same (Peter DeAngelis) - 1:53 

17.I Just Want to Make Love to You (Willie Dixon) - 3:01 

18.Please Don't Bring Me Down (Johnny Kidd) - 2:14 

19.So What (Crompton, Jones) - 2:27 

20.Hurry on Back to Love (Westlake) - 2:30 

21.I Want That (Edna Lewis, Ben Weisman) - 2:26 

22.I Can Tell (Samuel F. Smith) - 2:31 

23.A Shot of Rhythm and Blues (Terry Thompson) - 2:00 

24.Some Other Day (Richard Barrett, Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) - 2:28 

25.Popeye (M. Green, J. Spence, F. Farley) - 2:14 

26.Spanish Armada (M. Green) - 2:35 

27.Then I Got Everything (Johnny Kidd, Mike Green) - 2:02 

28.I'll Never Get Over You (Gordon Mills) - 2:09 

Disc 2
1. Hungry for Love (Gordon Mills) - 2:16
2. Ecstasy (Doc Pomus, Phil Spector) - 2:31
3. Casting My Spell (Alvin Johnson, Edwin Johnson) - 2:24
4. My Babe (Willie Dixon) - 2:46
5. Doctor Feelgood (C. Smith) - 2:11
6. Always and Ever (David J. Ruvin) - 2:56
7. A Little Bit of Soap (B. Russell) - 2:27
8. Oh Boy (Norman Petty, Bill Tilghman, Sonny West) - 1:40
9. Send Me Some Lovin' (John Marascalco) - 3:08
10.Whole Lotta Woman (Marvin Rainwater) - 3:12
11.Your Cheatin' Heart (Hank Williams) - 3:19
12.Right String But the Wrong Yo-Yo (W. Perryman) - 2:34
13.Shop Around (B. Gordy Jr, W. Smokey Robinson) - 3:06
14.I Know (Barbara George) - 2:25
15.Jealous Girl (Mills, Weske) - 2:38
16.Where Are You (Swanson, Roberts) - 2:21
17.Don't Make the Same Mistake as I Did (Lynch, Schuman, Westlake) - 2:28
18.The Birds and the Bees (Herb Newman) - 2:04
19.Can't Turn You Loose (Otis Redding) - 2:18
20.Gotta Travel On (Traditional) - 3:01
21.Shakin' All Over '65 (Johnny Kidd) - 2:24
22.Bad Case of Love (Sonny Curtis) - 2:02
23.You Can Have Her (Bill Cook) - 2:52
24.This Golden Ring (R. Greenaway, R. Cook) - 2:48
25.It's Got to Be You (Birch) - 2:26
26.I Hate Getting Up in the Morning (Mitch Murray) - 2:06
27.Send for That Girl (Barter) - 2:45
28.The Fool (N. Ford, Lee Hazelwood) - 4:11

The Pirates
*Johnny Kidd - Vocals, Guitar
*Alan Caddy - Lead Guitar
*Brian Gregg - Bass
*Clem Cattini - Drums
*Joe Moretti - Guitar
*Johnny Spence - Bass
*Frank Farley - Drums
*Johnny Patto - Guitar
*Mike Green - Guitar

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McGuinn • Clark And Hillman - McGuinn • Clark And Hillman (1979 us, elegant folk country smooth rock, 2014 japan SHM remaster)

Although Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, and Chris Hillman were founding members of the Byrds, when they reunited as a trio at the end of the 1970s they seemed determined to create a sound that did not remind listeners of the earlier group. Though their music was still mainstream pop/rock with folk antecedents, it sounded like contemporary '70s studio rock, even to the point of including a song with a disco arrangement, "Release Me Girl." More important, the trio's vocal blend, heavily augmented by the voices of John Sambataro and Rhodes, Chalmers & Rhodes, did not remind listeners of the Byrds. The major reason for this was the back seat that McGuinn, the virtual leader of the Byrds, took in the new group. He had only two compositions, to Hillman's three and Clark's four, on the record, and they were his only lead vocals. Otherwise, his reedy tenor faded into the background, with Clark and Hillman singing lead most of the time. 

But if the group didn't sound like the Byrds, they often did sound like the Eagles, the group that had inherited the Byrds' mantle in the '70s. Hillman's "Sad Boy," for example, could have passed for a Glenn Frey-led Eagles song. Ironically, and perhaps deliberately, given record company machinations, the single released from the album was McGuinn's "Don't You Write Her Off," which rose into the Top 40, taking the album with it. But what probably helped the group and the album most was that in 1979 more than two years had passed since the last Eagles album, leaving fans hungry for a soundalike. If the trio had an appealing sound, however, they lacked substance.

by William Ruhlmann

Tracks
1. Long Long Time (Chris Hillman, Ramsey, Rick Roberts) - 3:11
2. Little Mama (Gene Clark) - 4:17
3. Don't You Write Her Off (Bob Hippard, Roger McGuinn) - 3:19
4. Surrender To Me (Rick Vito) - 3:37
5. Backstage Pass (Gene Clark) - 4:28
6. Stopping Traffic (Chris Hillman, Peter Knobler) - 3:20
7. Feelin' Higher (Gene Clark, Jim Messina) - 5:22
8. Sad Boy (Chris Hillman) - 4:05
9. Release Me Girl (Gene Clark, Thomas Jefferson Kaye) - 3:55
10.Bye, Bye Baby (Bob Hippard, Roger McGuinn) - 3:58

Musicians
*Chris Hillman - Bass, Guitar, Vocals
*Gene Clark - Vocals, Guitar
*Roger McGuinn - Guitars, Vocals
*Paul Harris - Keyboards
*Joe Lala - Percussion
*Donna Rhodes - Vocals
*John Sambataro - Guitar, Vocals
*George Terry - Guitars, Piano
*Greg Thomas - Drums
*Charles Chalmers - Vocals
*Sandra Chalmers - Vocals
*Mike Lewis - Horn Arrangements, String Arrangements

1964  The Byrds - Preflyte (2012 Edition)
1968  The Byrds - Sweetheart Of The Rodeo  (Double Disc Set)
1969  The Byrds - Live At Fillmore
1971  The Byrds - Live At Royal Albert Hall
1973  Byrds - Byrds

1973  Roger McGuinn - Roger McGuinn (2013 Edition) 

1967  Gene Clark - Echoes
1968-69  Dillard And Clark - Fantastic Expedition / Through The Morning, Through The Night (MFSL remaster)
1971  Gene Clark - White Light
1972  Gene Clark - Roadmaster (2011 Remaster)

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Beau Brummels - Live (1974 us, marvelous folk psych country rock)

In 1965, American rock and roll music was swept up in the British Invasion. But, in Northern California, fans had there own "British" band. The Beau Brummels, like the Byrds and others, were a vital part of a new music explosion. All jangly guitars and tight harmonies, they had the sound. They also had the look. And, the name? Well, it sounded like a bunch of English dandies! The Beau Brummels took America by storm in 1965, leaping onto the charts with "Laugh Laugh", following in May with "Just A Little/ Still In Love With You Baby", and ending the summer with "You Tell Me Why". While the hits were breaking nationwide, the band's managers and record label owners, DJ's "Big Daddy" Tom Donahue and Bobby Mitchell, kept the group hidden in San Francisco area clubs until "the time was right for touring".

Finally let loose to play their first concert, the Beau Brummels were headliners at the Memorial Auditorium in nearby Sacramento. With Gary Lewis And The Playboys as support, they played in front of 4000 screaming fans! From 1965 through 1968, the Beau Brummels created a string of memorable Top-40 hits. They released a half-dozen albums, including one recognized classic, "Triangle" in 1967. The band are considered folk-rock pioneers and are credited with helping to introduce country-Rock with "Bradley's Barn" in 1968.  The Beau Brummels earned the respect and support of fans worldwide who remember something special when they hear the heartfelt soul in Sal Valentino's voice-the reverberation of Ron Elliott's and Dec Mulligan's guitars and Dec's wailing harmonica-all carried along by Ron Meagher's bass and John Peterson's drums. Ultimately, the band ceased to exist.  

In 1974, Elliott sparked a reunion of the Beau Brummels. He showed up at Sal's house with new material, a record deal in the works, and a desire to recapture the magic. But, it had to be with all the original guys! Sal Valentino explained it this way to DIG records: "Ron Elliott had a bunch of songs that sounded like he had been a staff writer trying to write stuff that would fit different artists. Ron Meagher had a couple songs. Declan wrote a song or two. One thing decided early on by Elliott was that I was going to do (all) the singing...not like before.

The group came to Sacramento to woodshed, to work on the songs. They returned to the city that had always received them warmly. Before recording any new material, they would test the waters with a week-long engagement at the intimate Shire Road Pub in nearby Fair Oaks Village. The Beau Brummels would play music for old friends and for the curious over a four night stand, two shows each night. With Sal's opening acoustic set, and Stoneground lady Lydia Moreno's offering, the shows ran nearly 3 hours. Crowds were lined up around the block—the Beau Brummels were back! The band performed the chart hits with a fresh infusion of joy and celebration. But, there was something else. From the bossa nova beat of "City Girl", to the funk-driven "Man And Woman Kind" and the rocking "Lisa", new musical territory was being staked out. 

1975 saw the Warner Brothers album "Beau Brummels" released to critical acclaim but poor sales. The band had not remained intact. Ron Meagher left before the LP was finished. Some live label-sponsored showcases were scheduled, but it just wasn't the same. 

People have said that the magic that justified the reunion was left on that tiny stage in Fair Oaks. What survived was this recording. It's the only stage performance of the original Beau Brummels. And, the song list features 10 compositions that have never been released.  

DIG records asked Sal Valentino to comment on some of the songs that Beau Brummels fans have not heard before. We share his thoughts and impressions with you: "Lonely People" ...That was a Ron Meagher song. "Music Speaks Louder Than Words" ...is a strange song. It was one of those songs Elliott wrote when he was some kind of staff writer.

"Lisa" ...is a Declan Mulligan song. It's got that kind of driving beat that Declan liked. With Elliott, everything we were doing was meticulous and plotted out. Whereas "Lisa" is just "let's get it on". We all seemed to like doing it. "Man And Woman Kind" ...We had fun doing this one because it's the kind of thing we (normally) wouldn't do. 

"Her Dream Alley" ...A little country, a little jug band-ish. "City Girl" ...This song I love. I really do. It's about his (Elliott's) wife, I think. You have to remember, this is the kind of singer I am. Basically, this is what I could do. Almost folky. Maybe a little jazzy. You know, not quite. But, that FM kind of song. Sal also commented on two songs from the Warner Brothers album: "Singing Cowboy" ...was inspired by Gene Autry

"Tennessee Walker" ...When Elliott came to me and played this song, I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe I knew someone who wrote this song. It made me think of Hoagy Carmichael and Johnny Mercer. I knew Elliott was capable of that. That was part of his musical background. When I met him, he was around 14 or 15 and he was writing musicals. It was impressive. Upon hearing Beau Brummels Live all the way through, DIG asked Sal what he thought: "That sounds pretty good!" Come, join us for a set at the Pub.

by Jeff Hughson, January, 1999

Tracks
1. Nine Pound Hammer (Merle Travis) - 3:52
2. You Tell Me Why (Ron Elliott) - 3:34
3. Turn Around/Singing Cowboy (Ron Elliott, Ruth Durand) - 8:01
4. Gate of Hearts (Ron Elliott) - 3:18
5. Lonely People (Ron Meagher) - 4:19
6. Music Speaks Louder (Ron Elliott) - 2:49
7. Lisa (Declan Mulligan) - 3:01
8. Tennessee Walker (Ron Elliott) - 4:34
9. Don't Talk to Strangers (Ron Elliott, Ruth Durand) - 2:21
10.Laugh, Laugh (Ron Elliott) - 3:15
11.Lonesome Town (Ron Elliott) - 3:09
12.Free (Ron Elliott, Brian Engle) - 3:45
13.Man And Woman Kind (Ron Elliott, Brian Engle) - 4:50
14.Restless Soul (Ron Elliott) - 3:29
15.Her Dream Alley (Ron Elliott) - 2:34
16.City Girl (Ron Elliott, Brian Engle) - 3:29
17.Paper Plane (Ron Elliott) - 2:59
18.Just a Little (Ron Elliott, Ruth Durand) - 2:51
19.Love Can Fall (Ron Elliott, Ruth Durand) - 4:47

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

1964-66  Beau Brummels - Autumn Of Their Years
1965  Introducing The Beau Brummels (Sundazed edition)
1966  Beau Brummels' 66 (Japan edition)
1967  Triangle
1969  Bradley's Barn
1975  Beau Brummels
Related Act
1970  Ron Elliott - The Candlestickmaker

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Tobias Wood Henderson - Blue Stone (1968 us, superb funky soul blues rock, 2009 korean remaster)

I was actually born in New Iberia, Louisiana. To be exact, I was born on Avery Island in the middle of the Bayou Teche in a lying in hospital which was part of the WL Mclllhenny plantation. Momma had taken the train to Florida to meet daddy when his ship arrived in Charleston harbor. They started back to Texas so the child (me) could be born in Texas and only got so far due to the interference of a hurricane. So it was that I was born at 12:01 AM on the 26th day of August, 1945 dead in the middle of a hurricane. For the next three days I had no name because I was going to be a Texan. Finally, on the 29th of August my mom and dad arrived in Victoria, Texas and my birth certificate says I was born in Victoria Hospital, Victoria, Texas (same date, August 26'th, just different venue.

I was a sickly child and suffered terribly from asthma and was not expected to live. To occupy the endless hours spent in an oxygen tent, my dad built me a crystal radio and one night (when I was about 4 years old) I discovered WLAC in Nashville, Tennessee and I heard the blues. As I recall, the first thing I heard was a serious sermon by the Reverend CL Franklin (Aretha Franklin's dad) from his church in Chicago, Illinois. The next thing I heard was Sonny Boy Williamson and then I heard Robert Johnson playing "Hellhounds On My Trail" I already had a violin but now I was torn between the harmonica and the guitar.

Lucky for me, one of my uncles went to Hawaii on vacation and brought back a slack-key guitar and made me a gift of it. The harmonicas had the approval of my doctor because I had to breathe deeply to play them. About this time I discovered singing. When I reached the age of 10, my father had my disabilities of minority removed. Except for the purchase of liquor, this made me a legal adult and I took my guitar and left home shortly thereafter. I went to New Orleans and played in the lobby of a whore house. I made tips from the music and worked as a towel boy in that house until I went back to Texas when I was 14. 

Shortly after returning, I founded "Tobias and The Sounds" and this band, which grew from 4 members up to 14 players over the next few years was one of the most successful Blues and Rhythm ‘n’ Blues bands around the state of Texas. Unfortunately, my success was not I welcomed in the White community as I played  I with an all-Black band and very often played for a large and devoted Black audience.

My parents were insulted in the street and I was often shot at by the local "whites only" folks. In 1961 I had a hit record and received an award from the Negro Disk Jockeys of America (of which BB King was a member from Memphis). When I arrived to pick up my award, they refused to give it to me because I was white. They were afraid of racist backlash. I wish I could say that today the world has changed but it has not changed all that much. In 1962, I entered the US Army which was which was the occasion of my first trip to Korea. I was deeply impressed by the culture, the people, and the food. 

When I was released, I ventured from Texas to Hollywood end met my old friend Dr. John The Night Tripper and his partner Harold Battiste, Jr. and that association led to the album called "Tobias Wood Henderson-Blue Stone". Unfortunately, Pulsar Records was a division of Mercury Records and at that time, the record business including distribution was very much under the aegis of organised crime. The album got great reviews and (4) singles were pulled from it and at the end. Mercury owed me something in the neighbourhood of $800,000.00 in royalties and publishing. I never got a dime of that money. We sued, we won and then getting any payment was like nailing jelly to a tree. Finally gave up and went back to Texas and worked in the oil field and played music on the week ends.

It was nearly 30 years until I recorded again. Meanwhile, I have been (and lived) all over the world playing and singing the Blues and I still can play and sing them.

by Tobias Wood Henderson 5/23/2009

Tracks
1. Color Blind Man - 4:08
2. Turn Me Loose - 2:42
3. Be A Fool - 2:47
4. The Price Of Love - 2:45
5. Gypsy Boy I - 2:48
6. Child Of Darkness - 3:02
7. Woman Of The World - 3:18
8. Big Brothers Message - 2:42
9. Why Can't You Do Right - 2:43
10. Gypsy Boy II - 3:44
All compositions by Tobias Wood Henderson

*Tobias Wood Henderson - Vocals, Guitar

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Chris Spedding - Chris Spedding (1975-77 uk, splendid guitar pub rock, audiophile 2013 issue)

Though this eponymous masterpiece was not Chris Spedding's first solo album, it was the first to impact on the record buying public at large. Spiralling out of his so-memorable hit "Motorbiking," it established the leather-clad, quiff-topped Spedding as the first guitar-hero pin-up of the punk era, a full year before even punk's progenitors had heard of the term. Certainly great swathes of what eventually emerged amid the British new wave was bodily borrowed from Spedding, both visually and, with a few fashionable refinements, visually. 

Chris Spedding sounds like its maker looked: tight, mean, and taking no trash from no-one. The future anthem "Guitar Jamboree" could easily have been replayed with switchblades, while his take on Chuck Berry's "School Days" has a lot more in mind than class work and gym. Electrifying, too, are "Jump in My Car" and "Bedsit Girl." Economically riff-driven guitar pop was nothing new, of course, but rarely had it been executed with such a glowering swagger. Short, sharp and never less than brittle, Chris Spedding has few of the frills that Spedding so adeptly draped over other people's records, few of the twists and turns that distinguished his work with Sharks or later, alone. But, if ever anyone figures out how to fit a CD player into a motorcycle helmet, this should be the first album anybody buys to play on it. 

by Dave Thompson

Tracks
1. New Girl In The Neighbourhood - 2:31
2. School Days (Chuck Berry) - 2:27
3. Sweet Disposition - 2:17
4. Bedsit Girl - 2:04
5. Guitar Jamboree - 4:20
6. Jump In My Car (Ted Mulry) - 3:24
7. Hungry Man - 3:18
8. Motorbikin' - 2:40
9. Catch That Train - 2:41
10.Nervous - 2:14
11.Boogie City - 2:38
12.Working For The Union - 2:53
13.Running Round - 2:38
14.Truck Drivin' Man - 3:13
All songs by Chris Spedding except where indicated

Personnel
*Chris Spedding - Guitar, Vocals
*Brian Bennett - Drums
*Tony Burrows - Vocals
*Tony Carr - Drums
*Dave Cochran - Bass
*Sue Glover - Vocals
*Les Hurdle - Bass
*Neil Lancaster - Vocals
*Sunny Leslie - Vocals
*Charles Mills - Vocals
*Barry Morgan - Drums

1972  Chris Spedding - The Only Lick I Know
1977  Chris Spedding - Hurt

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The Black Hippies - The Black Hippies (1977 nigeria, terrific hard fuzzy funk psych afro rock, 2014 digipak edition)

Black Hippies were a Nigerian rock band in the mid-'70s led by songwriter Joseph Etinagbedia (aka Pazy). In their earliest incarnations, the band played a distinct style of harder rock, one that bore many of the trademarks of Nigerian music, from the raw, visceral vocal style to the psychedelic funk that touches every corner of the songs. This first, self-titled album was recorded in 1976 by producer Odion Iruoje and features five of the band's tunes from their earliest days, finding funky pre-disco rhythms playfully co-existing with light-headed fuzz guitar in Pazy's celebratory, somewhat psychedelic tunes. The band would shift gears with subsequent releases, going more in the direction of reggae than hard rock, but these five songs represent the band at an inspired beginning point where their take on hard rock was something truly unique. 

by Fred Thomas

Tracks
1. Doing It In The Street - 5:12
2. I Have The Love On You - 5:44
3. Love (Sonny Orovie) - 4:11
4. The World Is Great - 9:05
5. You Are My Witness – 8:40
All songs by Edire Etinagbedia except where noted

*Joseph Etinagbedia - Vocals, Guitar

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Ken Lauber - Contemplation View (1970 us, awesome folk country, classic rock, 2009 korean remaster)

At 13, I received a dozen or so lessons as a surprise birthday gift and a few weeks later, found myself on West 54th Street between 7th and 8th Avenue, New York City. I was about to take my first drum lesson with two of the greatest drummers in American Syncopated Music history: Gene Krupa and Cozy Cole Walking through the door for the first lesson Cozy Cole said: "The more you study the more you find out what you don't know: but the more you study, the closer you come". Early piano lessons proved to be the catalyst for improvisation at the keyboard, and the drums added an exciting perspective to the music I most loved.

The earliest musically memories came from my Mother and Father When the music of Benny Goodman. Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra and the Dorsey's. Chick Webb. Duke Ellington and many other popular big bands of their era, came over the radio and into our home my parents would often, spontaneously, begin to dance. Their laughter filled our home with joy, as they moved to the quick, fluid tempos, and rhythms bouncing out of the radio. Watching them, a nervous, unconscious fingertapping twitch developed into a habit, whenever I heard their music. Transferring the tapping, to a beat up set of drums and playing along with Benny Goodman's, 'Sing, Sing, Sing', I learned Gene Krupa's famous drum solo and that kicked me into a fantasy of having my own band and hitting the road at ten years of age.

The lessons with Krupa and Cole took place in a room filled with cigarette smoke so thick you could not see out the window that looked down on 54th street from the second floor. A floating smell of Four Roses Whiskey, added a relaxed atmospheric dimension. There were three brand new Slingerland drum sets lined up next to each other. "Come sit down at the set in the middle..." Cozy said smiling his famous smile. I sat down, sticks in hand, and everything disappeared except for the rhythm being past between us First Gene would play something, on his hi-hat cymbal that was easy for me to follow and Cozy would do the same. This would go on, back and forth, for an hour. Often I dropped my sticks to the floor, while Cozy and Gene kept playing. They always enjoyed themselves and I learned quickly. They suggested to keep an extra pair of sticks wedged into one of the many chrome, tuning keys around the bass drum. That way, when I dropped a stick, I could grab a needed stick without losing a beat. "It happens to all of us," Gene laughed, puffing away on a Chesterfield.

After more than a dozen lessons. I played and read drum music with a reasonable degree of accuracy for a novice. Songwriting was still a few years away. Drums were my obsession. I organized a local big band comprising of musicians between the ages of thirteen to eighteen. We played in school programs and at special events making ourselves a few bucks My drum set was set up right square in the middle of the band and up on a riser, just like Gene Krupa's set up when he played with Benny Goodman. The arrangements were the same tunes I had heard coming over the radio in our living room a few years before and those lessons, added a new rhythm to my body. That rhythmical energy continues to run through my musical self-expression to this day.

A few years latter, at 16, I became the musical director of the great Frank Loesser show. 'Guys and Dolls', presented by a small community theater A woman in the chorus said she knew Stanley Mills of the well known. Mills Music Publishing family Mills was located in the famous Brill building at 50th and Broadway, where Elvis Presley and Irving Berlin had offices. She asked me to write some music to one of her lyrics and if came out okay, she would get us an appointment to play it for Mills. In the same living room where my folks enjoyed dancing. I sat at our small piano, and we wrote the song. Mr Mills liked it enough and gave us an advance.

I began writing more and more songs and started studying percussion and mallet instruments at the extension division of the Juilliard School of Music. My teachers were Saul Goodman, the New York Philharmonic famed timpanist, and another New York Philharmonic member of the percussion section and master teacher, Morris Goldenberg. Latter. I entered The Juilliard School as a full time student and studied both percussion and music composition. To this day, I have not been as musically challenged as I was at The Juilliard School.

By the time I turned, 21, I found a job at United Artists Music Company. They needed someone to produce demo recordings of film theme music At U.A., the head of the a’n’r department was Don Costa and he took a liking to me and tutored me in arranging, orchestration and record production While working for U.A., I wrote songs and produced instrumental film theme single records as artist under my own name.

While still working for U.A., I met Alex Matter, a 22-year-old film director who was shooting his first film, an independent effort entitled, "The Drifter." Matter listened to some of my music and commissioned me to compose and orchestrate the score to his feature film, "The Drifter". Prior to that, my film composition experience added up to one credit. I had composed orchestrated and conducted a 'Piano Concerto' for the "World of Henri Orient," staring Peter Sellers and performed on screen by many members of the New York

Philharmonic Orchestra.

I wrote, Contemplation (View), in my home up on Upper Byrdcliffe Mountain. In an unheated back room, a few dozen or so songs spilled out during the cold winter 1967. A subtle friendship began with Bob Dylan, who was also lived up on Byrdcliffe and was a neighbour. Bob was gracious enough, as often he is with other musicians, to invite me over to his home one day to listen to a test pressing of his new album, "Nashville Skyline." I loved it almost immediately We listened to all the tracks in silence. After, he asked me what I thought of it and I replied instantly, without thinking. "I like the spirit of it." Days later, I played him some of my new songs and he said I should go down to Nashville and record down there with some of the same musicians that played on "Nashville Skyline" and before that on the "John Wesley Harding," album.  He spoke with authority and enthusiasm about how the Nashville musicians picked things up quickly and how their respect for lyrics, allowed the personality of the song to emerge clearly. 

Good timing cannot be denied. At the same time, a friend, who liked my songs, introduced me to the head of the newly formed American record company, Polydor Records. I played him the new songs I had written and told him I wanted to record in Nashville. He liked the songs and the concept of recording them in Nashville and offered record contract. The record was recorded and mixed, at Wayne Moss's eight track garage studio, Cinderella Sound, in Madison Tennessee, with Gene Echelberger and Eliot Mazur as engineer and producer. Gene built Cinderella Sound with and for, the highly regarded and super talented guitarist and bass player supreme, Wayne Moss. The space was formerly a two car garage behind his Aunt Lucy's house. The line up of musicians was the following: the great Kenny Butrey on drums. The man of all instruments, Charlie McCoy on blues harp, bass and organ, the  brilliantly melodic Weldon Myric. on pedal steel; a strong lead guitar soloist, Mac Gaydon, on electric guitar and the versatile and easy going Pete Wade on all the acoustic guitars.

We recorded the album in a week My piano playing was enough to set the syncopated, 'feel' I wanted and I was so thrilled and overwhelmed with the musicianship of these pickers, I unconsciously allowed plenty of room for their spontaneous licks There was little talk, and much laughter. I don't remember what we were laughing at but  it kept things loose and most of all, great fun These musicians were the 'A' team, all right, and by the time I arrived in Nashville, to record Contemplation (View), they had amassed many credits, backing the great country and pop stars on classic country and pop hits. They were technically flawless and never failed to come up with strong melodic ideas for the intros, turnarounds and fade outs. The music magically unfolded as if it had been written in advance. They always knew what to do where and always just at the right time.

The most startling revelation as the sessions rolled on, was that the drummer, Kenny Butrey, actually created the arrangements on the spot, dictating who played the intro, who would take the solo and when I know this has not been duplicated in the studios very often, since Butrey's untimely passing and I don't believe it will be repeated by a drummer quite like that again. Returning to NYC with the new album mixed and presenting it to Polydor, I experienced a reaction that was completely unpredictable. When the last song  ended the president of the label. Gerry Shoenberg, started yelling: "What the hell did you go down to Nashville for?" You were supposed to make a 'jazz' album not a country album." What am I gonna do with this, now? Get outta here!" The style of music most definitely cannot be categorized in anyway as a 'jazz' album, and to this day it is for sure not a country album.

Polydor released the album reluctantly, and received positive reviews and many press comparisons to its sound as 'dylanesque.' which was and of course still is, just fine with me. The label executives were right. In retrospect, these songs were not typical pop or country songs and I think we were much 'jazzier' in our 'swing' feel. Call it what you want, I don't mind being referred to as a 'jazz-er' or 'Dylanesque' Either way that is just fine with me.

by Ken Lauber

Tracks
1. When I Awake - 2:55
2. Undertow - 4:13
3. An Understanding Survey - 3:05
4. Wander On - 2:15
5. Far I Will Travel - 3:18
6. Without Recollection -  3:06
7. Disabled Veteran - 3:49
8. Goodbye To You Sweet Sue - 3:21
9. Mama, It's Such A Long Ride Home - 3:42
10.Rainy Day Sunday - 2:42
All compositions by Ken Lauber

Personnel
*Ken Lauber - Vocals, Piano
*Wayne Moss - Guitars, Bass
*Kenny Butrey - Drums
*Charlie McCoy - Harp, Bass, Organ
*Weldon Myrick - Pedal Steel Guitar
*Mac Gaydon - Electric Guitar
*Pete Wade - Acoustic Guitar

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Genesis - In The Beginning (1968 us, sensational psych rock, 2012 edition)

In The Beginning is a decent enough acid rock album very clearly born from LA in the late '60s. Much more fascinating than the music on the album is the list of acts in which members of Genesis had previously performed. In The Beginning comes at the end of a garage-psych tradition, but is entirely in keeping with the latter-day sound of the '60s. The album doesn't quite hold up as well as some of its more raw and aggro antecedents.

Tracing the genesis of Genesis starts to feel like a stateside equivalent of trying to figure out the band genealogy of Hawkwind. That is to say, the deeper you, the more you wonder if there was a band on the West Coast which they weren't somehow connected with. Genesis frontman Jack Ttana played in Sons of Adam, another biblically named act, most famous for performing the Arthur Lee-written and oft' compiled nugget "Feathered Fish." "Feathered Fish" is a classic slice of garage-psych; cryptic, synaesthetic lyrics, hugely soaring vocal harmonies, and a Paul Revere-with-the-fuzz-cranked-way-up riff, this track would be considered "freakbeat" if it came from Europe (in fact, people probably call it freakbeat anyway). 

The other guitarist of Sons of Adam, Randy Holden, went on to play in The Other Half (of "Mr. Pharmacist" fame) before finally landing in the 1968 lineup of Blue Cheer. Post-Genesis, second guitarist Kent Henry went on play in Steppenwolf. There are doubtlessly plenty of other highly interesting ties to the LA garage and incipient hippie-metal scenes to be found in Genesis' past, too. Music-wise, In The Beginning hints at a proto-metallic bent with some heavier-edged riffs, but opts for melody rather than the sloppy ferocity of its heavier contemporaries.

In The Beginning opens with "Angeline," one of the album's heavier tracks, which features churning riffs and wailing solos as a backdrop for male-female harmonies. Less aggressive songs like "Suzanne" recall the softly sung, sometimes spooky and sentimental harmonies of The Mamas and The Papas, and the lyrics pretty much run the gamut of standard flower child imagery. 

The blues-tinged "What's It All About?" and the 16-minute "Girl Who Never Was" are where the album hits its stride, resembling Cream, or pretty much any band doing a heavy take on the blues. It wouldn't be out of place to draw a musical comparison to a more jam-centric Led Zeppelin at points. This makes perfect sense; if you doubt the influence of the West Coast psych scene on really early British metal, listen to Spirit's “Taurus,” then the intro to “Stairway to Heaven,” and watch your classic rockin', Jimmy Page-idolizin' world unravel.

In The Beginning is an unearthed gem, but it's an unearthed gem of baroque classic rock, subject to some of the trappings that era. Genesis doesn't quite live up to some of its more idiosyncratic contemporaries (the blaring Blue Cheer, the jazz and pop tinged Spirit,) nor does it touch the mind-boggling moddish psych of its forbears Sons of Adam. That said, there's something to the pretty female leads (especially on the cover of original suicide rock anthem "Gloomy Sunday”) and dueling vocals in the context of the music. Not to mention, it's hard to deny the twinge of entertainment derived from the band having such a prominent nominative doppelganger. Imagine the smug satisfaction you’ll feel as someone poses you the question,

by Matthew A. Stern

Tracks
1. Angeline (Bob 'Crusher' Metke, Jack Ttanna) - 2:54
2. Suzanne (Leonard Cohen) - 3:01
3. Gloomy Sunday (Rezső Seress, Samuel M. Lewis) - 4:07
4. What's It All About? - 2:48
5. Mary, Mary (Bennett) - 2:42
6. Ten Second Song (Kent Henry) - 2:58
7. Girl Who Never Was - 4:02
8. World Without You - 16:16
9. The Long Road - 4:54
All songs by Jack Ttanna except where stated

Genesis
*Kent Henry - Lead Guitar
*Bob "Crusher" Metke - Drums, Percussion
*Fred "Foxey" Rivera - Bass (Replaced Mike Port)
*Jack Ttanna (Aka Joe Koohen) - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
*Sue Richman - Vocals

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Blue Cheer - Oh! Pleasant Hope (1971 us, impressive classic rock with folk and blues traces, japan 2007 and 2017 SHM remasters)

It's hard to imagine what would prompt someone to suggest the band that recorded Vincebus Eruptum should get in touch with their pastoral side, but for their sixth album in only four years, Blue Cheer decided to explore something close to folk-rock and they sounded a lot more comfortable with the stuff than anyone had a right to expect. 1971's Oh! Pleasant Hope featured the same lineup as the previous year's The Original Human Being (the first time since Outsideinside that the band had the same musicians for two albums in a row), and while the previous album found Blue Cheer trying to buff off some of their rough edges, this one is loose, laid-back, and playful; if it doesn't hit very hard, it's one of the most organic and natural-sounding recordings to carry the group's name. 

The album opens with "Hiway Man," an updated variant on old folk ballads with acoustic guitars and a magisterial organ dominating the arrangement; Oh! Pleasant Hope upends traditional expectations about this most heavy band, and while their tough, blues-centered rock is still present on songs like "Believer" and "Heart Full of Soul" (not the Yardbirds hit but a Dickie Peterson original), most of the time the music is simpler and quieter, and "Traveling Man," "Money Troubles," and "Ecological Blues" come off like jams cut live in the studio rather than stuff the group labored over for days. And the band flies their freak flag high on the tale of a mythic, mean-spirited cop "Lester the Arrester" and the title track, a likably goofy singalong in which a guy looking for reefer in the midst of a cannabis drought imagines a day when "grass will flow like wine." 

Oh! Pleasant Hope was recorded at a time when Blue Cheer's fortunes were at a low ebb, and it was the last album they would cut before breaking up for several years; it's hard to imagine anyone thought this was a shrewd commercial move, and at heart, this is an album Blue Cheer made because they felt like doing this, and the relaxed attitude and sense of fun is what makes this album work. 

by Mark Deming

Tracks
1. Hiway Man (G.R. Grelecki, G.L. Yoder, N. Mayell) - 4:21
2. Believer (G.R. Grelecki, G.L. Yoder) - 3:42
3. Money Troubles (Dr. Richard Peddicord) - 4:08
4. Traveling Man (G.R. Grelecki, G.L. Yoder) - 3:09
5. Oh! Pleasant Hope (Dr. Richard Peddicord) - 2:39
6. I'm The Light (K. Housman, N. Mayell) - 5:45
7. Ecological Blues (Norman Mayell) - 2:26
8. Lester The Arrester (Ralph Burns Kellogg) - 3:09
9. Heart Full Of Soul (Dickie Peterson) - 4:35

Blue Cheer
*Dickie Peterson - Bass Guitar, Vocals
*Norman Mayell - Guitar, Sitar, Drums
*Gary Yoder - Acoustic And Electric Guitars, Harp, Lead Vocals (Tracks 1-6)
*Ralph Burns Kellogg - Organ, Piano, Synthesizer, Bass Guitar

1968   Blue Cheer - Vincebus Eruptum (2007 Japan remaster)
1968  Blue Cheer - OutsideInside (2012 edition)
1969  Blue Cheer - Blue Cheer (Japan 2007 remaster and expanded)
1969  Blue Cheer - New Improved! (2007 japan remaster)
Related Act
1967  Mint Tatoo - Mint Tatoo

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The Butterfield Blues Band - East-West (1966 us, classic influential blues psych rock, 2014 audio fidelity hybrid SACD limited edition)

The legendary Butterfield Blues Band, led by vocalist/harmonica player Paul Butterfield, was a launching pad for many aspiring electric blues musicians back in the mid/late 1960s. East-West has long been considered one of their classic albums, originally released in 1966, and contains some stellar performances from two of the bands breakout stars, guitarists Mike Bloomfield and Elvin Bishop. 

Along with keyboard player Mark Naftalin, bassist Billy Davenport, and drummer Jerome Arnold, The Butterfield Blues Band at this point were really peaking, this set containing 9 songs of blistering electric blues and a smattering of pop and jazz for good measure. Reissued here by Audio-Fidelity on the Hybrid SACD/CD format, you get sparkling clarity of this classic album that can be enjoyed on your SACD or standard CD player.

Comprised of shorter, upbeat blues/pop numbers as well as more extended, jammy tracks, East-West has something for everyone. "Work Song" is a blistering display of instrumental virtuosity, as Naftalin's smoky, Jimmy Smith inspired organ passages drift alongside some sizzling licks from Bloomfield and Bishop, with Butterfield's husky harmonica punctuating things quite nicely. The slow blues of "I Got a Mind to Give Up Living" displays the power and emotion of this band, while the heavier "Mary, Mary" sees them taking on some of the rock 'n' roll influences that were popping up all around them at the time. 

Upbeat, shuffling blues can be heard on "Walkin' Blues", "Get Out of My Life Woman", and the rousing "Two Trains Running" (stinging guitar work on this one), while the 13-minute title track combines blues, jazz, Middle Eastern themes and Latin rhythms for an exciting adventure that again shows the talents of the band as soloists. Some truly remarkable guitar solos from Bloomfield and Bishop on this one. 

East West is an album that influenced a whole generation of bands and musicians who came after it. Amazing audio clarity to go along with some sensational guitar playing makes for an impressive combination! 

by Pete Pardo

Tracks
1. Walkin' Blues (Robert Johnson) - 3:21
2. Get Out Of My Life, Woman (Allen Toussaint) - 3:16
3. I Got A Mind To Give Up Living  (Traditional) - 5:01
4. All These Blues (Traditional) - 2:25
5. Work Song (Nat Adderley, Oscar Brown) - 7:56
6. Mary, Mary (Michael Nesmith) - 2:53
7. Two Trains Running (Muddy Waters) - 3:57
8. Never Say No (Traditional) - 3:01
9. East-West (Mike Bloomfield, Nick Gravenites) - 13:15

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

Paul Butterfield's mosaic
1964  The Original Lost Elektra Sessions
1965  The Paul Butterfield Blues Band
1966  East West
1966-68  Strawberry Jam
1967  The Resurrection Of The Pigboy Crabshaw
1968  In My Own Dream
1969  Keep On Moving
1970  Live 
1971  Sometimes I Just Feel Like Smilin'
1973  Paul Butterfield's Better Days
1973  It All Comes Back (Japan Edition)
1976  Put It In Your Ear

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

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

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