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Plain and Fancy

Music gives soul to universe, wings to mind, flight to imagination, charm to sadness, and life to everything.

Plato

Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Baxter - Baxter (1973 us, delicate art soft prog rock, 2025 remaster)



Baxter were one of those early-'70s US bands who can only really be described as 'rock': not heavy enough to be 'heavy', prog enough to be 'prog' or soft enough to be 'West Coast'. Their sole, eponymous album from '73 displays a mixture of styles, from the twin-guitar hard rock of '51 through the near-country balladry of Gentle Arms to the almost-prog of Renaissance Woman and Moonfire II, the two main tracks that save this album from mediocrity and gain it an extra half star. There are other progressive moments, not least in Doctor Doctor and 197Three, but too much of this album is mid-paced third-division material, which explains why you've probably never heard of them before.

Mellotron from both Doug Arioli and Steve Kirshenbaum, though I've no idea who played what and where. Renaissance Woman marks the first entrance of the Mellotron, with a cello part that couldn't be anything else, with a more 'normal' string part on Gentle Arms, leaving the album's major Mellotron interjection to side two's Moonfire II, with some very upfront strings and less of the same on closer 197Three. So; Baxter is a game of two halves, the band's proggier material being dragged down by their more straightforward stuff. However, I'm quite sure that the latter went down better on stage and, since I'm sure they relied on live work to pay the bills, who can blame them for recording some of it? Anyway, not bad, not great, with a surprising amount of Mellotron work.
Planet-Mellotron


Tracks
1. By The Gates (Steven Kirshenbaum) - 3:55
2. Give It All (John Linde, Peter Antell) - 2:56
3. Renaissance Woman (Steven Kirshenbaum) - 7:36
4. "51" (Steven Kirshenbaum, Lawrence Di Natale, Steve Belgrade, Edwin Damus Perry) - 4:32
5. Gentle Arms (Doug Arioli) - 3:02
6. Moonfire II (Lawrence Di Natale, Steven Kirshenbaum) - 7:32
7. Can't Find The Time (Doug Arioli) - 4:07
8. Doctor, Doctor (Steven Kirshenbaum) - 5:29
9. 197three (Lawrence Di Natale) - 4:16

Baxter
*Steven Kirshenbaum - Keyboards, Synthesizer
*Lawrence Di Natale - Drums, Percussion
*Edwin Damus Perry - Bass, Vocals
*Steve Belgrade - Electric Guitar, Vocals
*Doug Arioli - Electric Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals

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Friday, May 9, 2025

John Martyn - Sweet Little Mysteries • The Island Anthology (1971-87 uk, adventurous jazzier folk, combined with chilled-out moodscapes and slick, adult-oriented pop rock ballads, double disc issue)



John Martyn debuted as a fresh-faced teenage folky with 1967's London Conversation, he soon embarked on a restless musical odyssey. Built on a foundation of folk, blues, and jazz, Martyn's music has ranged from effects-laden experimentation, through rock, to fusion-influenced pop. This overview of Martyn's Island recordings ignores his first two albums and two releases with then-wife- Beverley, picking up with Bless the Weather (1971). Although ornate love songs from that record like "Head and Heart" remain close to Martyn's traditionalist roots, the instrumental "Glistening Glyndebourne" shows he was keen to distance himself from the Donovan-Cat Stevens orbit of twee folk-pop. 

Solid Air, 1973's sublime follow-up, is well represented here. On it, Martyn moved effortlessly among light acoustic tunes ("Over the Hill"), darker numbers ("Solid Air," his ode to friend Nick Drake), and gizmo-enhanced excursions (his rendering of Skip James' "I'd Rather Be the Devil"). Martyn pursued his experimental inclinations further with the jazz-folkadelic Inside Out (1973). By the gently droning "Eibhli Ghail Chiuin Ni Chearbhaill," which reworks a 19th century Celtic folk tune with such late 20th century rock tools as a fuzzbox and phase-shifter. Sunday's Child (1974) returned to a more focused song format, as demonstrated by mournful "Spencer the Rover." Martyn's next studio venture, One World (1977), combined chilled-out ("Small Hours"), ("Dancing"), the latter tendency even more prominent on Grace & Danger (1980) and exemplified by the delicate "Sweet Little Mystery." While Martyn's later Island releases were less memorable, those mid-'80s numbers collected here hold up well.
by Wilson Neate

This album provides a great introduction to John Martyn; its only weakness is the omission of his earliest efforts, a sampling of which would give a fuller sense of his work's evolution. There's no doubt what so ever that Martyn himself must have suffered his fair share of hangovers. You can hear it in his voice when those crooning, slurring tones eventually degenerated into something like a wino's rasp- Before his untimely death at the age of 60 in 2009, a few weeks after he was awarded an OBE.
by Greg Freeman


Tracks
Disc 1
1. Bless The Weather - 4:32
2. Head And Heart - 4:55
3. Glistening Glyndebourne - 6:34
4. Solid Air - 5:46
5. Over The Hill - 2:52
6. Don't Want To Know - 3:01
7. I'd Rather- Be The Devil (Skip James) - 6:21
8. May You Never - 3:44
9. Fine Lines - 3:50
10.Eibhli Ghail Chiuin Ni Chearbhaill (Traditional) - 3:09
11.Make No Mistake - 5:58
12.One Day Without You - 3:00
13.Lay It All Down - 1:52
14.Root Love - 4:36
15.Sunday's Child - 3:17
16.Spencer The Rover (Traditional) - 4:13
17.You Can Discover - 3:44
18.Call Me Crazy - 7:30
Lyrics and Music by John Martyn except where indicated


Disc 2
1. Couldn't Love You More - 3:07
2. Certain Surprise - 3:51
3. Dancing - 3:56
4. Small Hours - 8:44
5. Dealer - 4:56
6. One World - 4:02
7. Some People Are Crazy - 4:19
8. Lookin' On - 5:13
9. Johnny Too Bad (Derrick Crooks, Roy Beckford, Trevor Wilson, Winston Bailey, John Martyn) - 3:57
10.Sweet Little Mystery - 5:27
11.Hurt In Your Heart - 4:59
12.Baby Please Come Home - 3:54
13.Sapphire (Alan Thompson, John Martyn) - 5:16
14.Fisherman's Dream - 4:18
15.Angeline - 4:45
16.Send Me One Line - 4:45
Words and Music by John Martyn unless as else written

Musicians
*John Martyn - Guitar, Electronic Drums, Vocals, Synthesizer, Clavinet
*Alan Thompson - Bass, Keyboards, Electronic Drums
*Danny Thompson - Double Bass, Vocals
*Al Anderson - Bass
*Andy Lyden - Drums
*Andy Newmark - Drums
*Arran Abmun - Drums
*Barry Reynolds - Guitar
*Bruce Rowlands - Drums
*Colin Tully - Saxophone
*Danny Cummings - Percussion
*Dave Lawson - Synthesizer
*Dave Mattacks - Drums
*Dave Pegg - Bass
*David Ball - Bass
*Foster Paterson - Keyboards, Vocals 
*Hansford Rowe- Bass
*Harry Robinson Strings
*Jack Waldman - Keyboards
*James Hooker - Keyboards
*James Prime - Keyboards
*Jeff Castle - Keyboards
*John "Rabbit" Bundrick - Piano, Organ, Clavinet
*John Giblin - Bass
*Jon Field - Flute
*Kesh Sathie - Tabla
*Morris Pert - Percussion
*Neemoi Acquaye - Congas
*Phil Collins - Drums, Vocals 
*Richard Thompson - Mandolin
*Rico - Trombone
*Robin Rankin - Keyboards
*Simon Nicol - Autoharp
*Steve Winwood - Multi Instruments
*Steven Stanley - Drums
*Sue Draheim - Violin
*Terry Nelson - Harmonica
*Tommy Eyre - Keyboards, Synthesizer
*Tony Coe - Saxophone
*Tristan Frye - Vibraphone
*Uziah "Sticky" Thompson - Percussion


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Monday, May 5, 2025

McGuinness Flint - C'est La Vie (1974 uk, nice bluesy country rock, 2020 korean remaster)



Dropped by Capitol, the band were enticed back by Gerry Bron who had managed the Manfreds in the years before their demise. They recorded two albums for Bron's label, Bronze, 'C'est La Vie' and 'Rainbow' and in spite of recapturing their former sound (with new members Jim Evans on guitar and Lou Stonebridge, ex Palladin, on keyboards and vocals) they finally called it a day in 1975 after Hughie Flint suffered a collapsed lung and it was clear he would be convalescing for some time.


Tracks
1. Catfish (Tom McGuinness) - 3:32
2. C'est La Vie (Tom McGuinness) - 3:07
3. Ride That Horse (Tom McGuinness) - 5:05
4. (I Don't Like Your) Country Music (Dixie Dean, Mike McGann) - 3:46
5. Please Give Me (Dixie Dean) - 3:39
6. Fast Eddie (Tom McGuinness) - 4:28
7. Siren Sadie (Dixie Dean) - 5:12
8. Union Hall (Lou Stonebridge) - 3:03
9. Rabbitt Isle (Lou Stonebridge) - 7:24

McGuinness Flint
*Dixie Dean - Vocals, Bass Guitar, Guitar, Horns, Harmonica
*Tom McGuinness - Vocals, Guitar, Resonator Guitar, Mandolin
*Hughie Flint - Drums, Percussion
*Lou Stonebridge - Vocals, Keyboards, Guitar, Harmonica, Accordion
*Jim Evans - Vocals, Guitar, Steel Guitar, Fiddle 
With
*Keith Nelson - Banjo 
*Big Jim - Mandolin 
*John Weider - Violin 

Related Acts

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Thursday, May 1, 2025

Unicorn - Shed No Tear The Early Late Unicorn (1967-78 uk, splendid country soft rock, 2024 remaster)



The Early Late Unicorn" kicks off with Unicorn's swan song – the legendary Shed Sessions of '77-'78. Picture this: a garden shed transformed into a recording studio, where musical magic happened even as punk was busy pogoing all over the charts. It's like the band said, "If we're going out, we're going out in style... and in a shed."

Ken Baker, Unicorn's songwriting wizard, proves he could pen a catchy tune faster than you can say "missed opportunity." From the heartstring-tugging "Open Books" to the reggae-tinged "Can't Stop Thinking About You," it's a masterclass in what-could-have-been pop perfection.

But wait! Just when you think it's all over, we hit the rewind button. Suddenly, you're transported back to 1967-69, grooving with The Late (Unicorn's previous incarnation, because why be on time when you can be awesome?). It's raw, it's fresh, it's Unicorn before they even knew they were magical.

And for the grand finale? A cherry on top of this time-warped sundae – a live version of "Weekend" from 1975, catching Unicorn at their peak. It's the perfect bridge between their early days and shed-bound swan song.

"The Early Late Unicorn" is both a perfect introduction for newcomers and a treasure trove for long-time fans, proving that Unicorn's magic never fades – it just gets better in reverse.
TLAK


Tracks
1. Open Sea - 3:08
2. Don't Want To Go Home Alone - 3:19
3. Canada's A Long Way - 3:37
4. Singing You Praise - 4:39
5. Social Shirker - 3:44
6. You Can Have A Dream - 3:45
7. Get It Back - 3:56
8. Rainy Season - 4:50
9. Open Books - 3:32
10.Restless - 3:10
11.Is That A Shame? - 5:10
12.Stay Out Of My Dreams - 3:19
13.Can't Stop Thinking About You - 4:07
14.You Tell Too Many Lies - 4:49
15.Family Tree - 2:32
16.Train Coming My Way - 2:48
17.Queen Of Hearts - 2:37
18.Working Man - 3:36
19.Doris - 2:09
20.Going Back Home - 3:18
21.Faint Is The Song - 3:17
22.Weekend - 3:12
All songs by Ken Baker except track #15 by Pat Martin
Tracks 1-14 from the 1977-78 Shed No Tear Sessions
Tracks 15-21 as The Late recorded 1967-69
Track 22 recorded Live 1975

Unicorn
*Peter Perrier - Drums, Congas, Percussion, Vocals
*Pat Martin - Bass Guitar, Vocals
*Ken Baker - Electric Guitar, Acoustic 6, 12 String Guitar, Organ, Piano, Harmonium, Electric Piano, Vocals
*Kevin Smith - Lead guitar, Slide Guitar (Tracks 1-14, 22)
*Trevor Mee - Guitars, Vocals (Tracks 15-21)
*Robert Jacob - Guitar (Track 13)


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Monday, April 28, 2025

John Martyn - Solid Air (1973 uk, a magnum opus, true balance of dark and light, 2009 double disc remaster and 2000 remasters)



There’s an old video floating around online of John Martyn performing in Germany that neatly encapsulates the brilliance of his 1973 album with only a rendition of its title track. In it, he swigs a beer, boisterously breaks a string and riffs with the crowd: “Couldn’t ask for something nice and simple, could ya?” A couple of minutes and a few jokes at B.B. King’s expense go by, and the quips suddenly stop. He slips effortlessly into ‘Solid Air’, and it’s devastating. His voice is gruff but pleading: “I know you, I love you. I will be your friend.” Written as an ode to his friend Nick Drake, who committed suicide just 18 months after the project’s release, it’s haunting and resigned to the inevitable.

That video specifically speaks to the emotional whiplash of Solid Air. You can bounce between pure folk, flashes of rock and blues, and be bathed in Echoplex tape delay effect only a few songs in. The husk of Martyn’s voice and his unrestrained approach to writing about love and loss *“You know I love you like I should / You hold no blade to stab me in my back / You know that there’s some of them that would” *make it one of the most profound offerings of British folk.

But it always seemed like Martyn couldn’t bear the seriousness of it all. When pressed on its themes, he only said: “It has got a very simple message, but you’ll have to work that one out for yourself.” There was synth and sax and moments of silence, but never simplicity. Every song on Solid Air is textured and laced with Martyn’s evocative writing, barring a rogue Skip James cover. Martyn took ‘Devil Got My Woman’ and injected it with warped delay until it arrived as as the spaced out ‘I’d Rather Be the Devil’.

Recorded live, the album sessions wrapped up in only eight days. Tony Coe, who provided saxophone on ‘Dreams by the Sea’ and ‘Solid Air’ once admitted in an interview he didn’t even remember being there. Although it was the defining project of Martyn’s career, you get the sense he probably felt the same. If his warning that fans needed to figure out its core message were anything to go by, he wanted to excise his worries about Drake and leave them in the studio in one blacked-out haze.

The album also featured Martyn’s longtime collaborator, Danny Thompson, whose double bass waves in and out of focus as an unmistakable presence. In the liner notes to the Solid Air CD, it’s noted that Thompson and Martyn used to call the heavy title track ‘Sausages’, in yet another example of Martyn’s compulsive need to find light relief on what was a viscerally gutting work.

Thompson so casually moulded his bass around the timbre of Martyn’s voice; those same liner notes have to reiterate how seismic his contribution actually was. Every musician that appeared on the album, from John ‘Rabbit’ Bundrick to Sue Draheim, played with such clarity and focus that it sounded like second nature to all of them, and it’s almost easy to overlook quite how miraculous their collective sound is.

While Solid Air and its dedication to Drake later became a prelude to tragedy, it could be as uplifting as it was emotionally ruinous. “I don’t want to know ’bout evil,” he sings on ‘Don’t Want to Know’. “Only want to know ’bout love”. In essence, the entire album is a love letter. While it’s often deeply introspective, you feel the depth of his love for his folk roots, Drake, distortion, and dreams, which are translated with the same emotive force. You couldn’t place it to a specific year or genre if you tried. It is a totally timeless record, and as the years go on, hitting timely annual anniversaries of Drake and Martyn’s deaths, you realise just how ahead of his time Martyn was. 
by Poppy Burton, Mon 12 February 2024 


Tracks
Disc 1
1. Solid Air - 5:45
2. Over The Hill - 2:54
3. Don't Want To Know - 3:02
4. I'd Rather Be The Devil - 6:19
5. Go Down Easy - 3:36
6. Dreams By The Sea - 3:17
7. May You Never - 3:41
8. The Man In The Station - 2:53
9. The Easy Blues / Gentle Blues - 3:20
Lyrics and Music by John Martyn except track #4 written by Skip James


Disc 2
1. Solid Air - 5:49
2. Over The Hill - 3:30
3. Don't Want To Know - 3:28
4. I'd Rather Be The Devil - 7:41
5. Go Down Easy - 4:57
6. Dreams By The Sea - 3:24
7. May You Never - 3:35
8. The Man In The Station - 5:34
9. The Easy Blues / Gentle Blues - 4:51
10.Keep On - 4:59
11.Never Say Never - 8:39
12.In The Evening - 4:06
13.May You Never - 2:45
14.The Easy Blues - 4:23
15.May You Never - 4:07
16.I'd Rather Be The Devil - 8:33
Words and Music by John Martyn except tracks 4 & 16 written by Skip James


2000 Island Remaster
1. Solid Air - 5:46
2. Over The Hill - 2:55
3. Don't Want To Know - 3:04
4. I'd Rather Be The Devil - 6:20
5. Go Down Easy - 3:37
6. Dreams By The Sea - 3:19
7. May You Never - 3:43
8. The Man In The Station - 2:54
9. The Easy Blues (Jelly Roll Blues/Gentle Blues) - 3:24
10.I'd Rather Be The Devil - Live - 6:11
All compositions by John Martyn except track 4 & 10 by Skip James

Personnel
*John Martyn - Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Vocals, Synthesizer
*Dave Pegg - Bass 
*Speedy (Neemoi Acquaye) - Congas 
*Danny Thompson - Double Bass 
*Dave Mattacks - Drums 
*Rabbit (John Bundrick) - Piano, Electric Piano, Organ, Clavinet 
*Tony Coe - Saxophone 
*Tristan Fry - Vibraphone Vibes 
*Simon Nicol - Autoharp 
*Richard Thompson - Mandolin 
*Sue Draheim - Violin 

Related Act

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Tuesday, April 22, 2025

Nick Jameson - Already Free (1977 strong funky blues classic rock, from Foghat fame, 2022 korean remaster)



When I got Nick Jameson's “Already Free” I was surprised to find that he plays all the instruments except Eric Parker's drums and the legendary Paul Butterfield's harmonica, which was the key to my decision to buy the vinyl. I put it on the turntable at home, and I was immediately hooked: country rock, folk, soft rock and 70's RnR twinned in a natural way, without stridency, with great melodies and harmonicas of extreme quality by Butterfield. The surprise comes when I start to investigate Jameson: fasten your seatbelts!!!!

He debuts in 1970 with the band “The American Dream” (whose eponymous debut will be the first production of the legendary Todd Rundgren), in the middle of the decade he establishes himself as a solo artist (“A Crowd of One” from 1986 is his second and last work) and also produces a couple of records to Tim Moore, his colleague Paul Butterfield, and Foghat: the three most popular records of the band (“Rock and Roll Outlaws”, “Fool for the City” and “Live”) bear his signature !!!! But apart from his musical facet Jameson has developed a career as an actor, dubbing specialist (animation and video games) and stand-up comedian... !!!!!

But possibly what fascinated me most of all the interactions, coincidences and twists was his participation in my favorite series of all time, “Lost”. Chance and fate played in my favor so that I could enjoy an album without great pretensions, but super entertaining, well thought out and well played. Lie down in your favorite armchair, listen to “I Ain't Searching” and enjoy. Everything happens for a reason...
by Albert Barrios, 29 April 2024
Tracks
1. Sweet Heat - 6:11
2. Already Free - 4:44
3. In The Blue - 7:00
4. I Ain't Searching - 4:16
5. When The Blues Come Calling - 5:40
6. I Know What It Is - 5:26
7. The Long Way Round - 2:51
All songs by Nick Jameson

Musicians
*Nick Jameson - Bass, Drums, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
*Eric Parker - Drums
*Paul Butterfield - Harmonica

with Foghat

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Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Raisin Kane - It's About Time (1978 us, spectacular southern rock with dual guitars and harmonies, 2015 remaster)



Raisin Kane was from Martin, Tennessee and recorded their LP "It's About Time" at Sound Farm Studios in Puryear, Tennessee, circa 1978.  An excellent mix of 70s Country Rock / Southern Rock with fantastic guitar sessions. Rare private press in the vein of The Outlaws, Allman Brothers and Marshall Tucker. 


Tracks
1. Raisin´ Kane (Larry Bedwell, Russ Hall) - 2:31
2. Tennessee Foxy Lady (Gary Wadley, Larry Bedwell) - 3:26
3. Autumn - 3:25
4. Rock 'n' Roll Song - 3:08
5. We´ll Find A Way (Riley, Larry Brewer) - 3:56
6. I Don´t Want To Take It (Elmore, Larry Bedwell) - 2:31
7. You Don´t Listen To What I Say - 3:30
8. All I Can Do - 2:49
9. Neon Lights (Gary Wadley, Larry Bedwell, Larry Brewer) - 7:32
10.I Want To Know - 1:01
All songs by Larry Brewer except where noted

Raisin Kane
*Paul David Lindsey : Lead, Background Vocals
*Larry Brewer : Guitars, Lead, Background Vocals
*Larry Bedwell : Guitars, Background Vocals
*Gary Wadley : Drums
*Mike Jenkins : Bass
With
*Bert Dyer - Hammond, Arp Synthesizer

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Wednesday, April 9, 2025

Procol Harum - A Salty Dog (1969 uk, exceptional baroque psych prog rock, 2009, 2012 japan and 2015 double disc remasters)



The most exciting facet of this tremendous album is not so much that it contains the Procols' best recorded works to date, but that their potential is still nowhere near being fully spent. 

If this is an example of what their experiments can lead them to, long may they continue to push out past the accepted frontiers of pop. 

It would be hard to pick a stand-out but the title-track, also their current single, must rank as their most potently commercial offering since Whiter Shade of Pale. The poetic quality of Keith Reid's lyrics delivered by Gary Brooker against music that rises and crashes like the waves adds up to a positively stunning track. 

Brooker takes five other writing credits; Milk of Human Kindness is a personal favourite, mainly for its gorgeous razzy guitar. Too much Between Us, which he co-wrote with Robin Trower, is wispy and dreamy with shades of Incredible String Band in the harmonies. The Devil Came from Kansas has a distinct country feel with Barrie Wilson's powerful drumming behind a piano running rife. All This and More is nearer the old Procols. 

Boredom, by Brooker and Matthew Fisher, has the latter featured strongly on marimba with a pretty calypso lilt making it one of the most appealing songs. 

Fisher on his own has two entries, stand out being Wreck of the Hesperus with a complex arrangement for piano and strings that spins like whirlpools of water and has a charm and prettiness little found in today's pop. 

The album also marks the emergence of Trower as a writing force. His two songs include Juicy John Pink, a strident rock blues with shades of John Lee Hooker. Other titles: Crucifiction Lane, Pilgrim's Progress
by Nick Logan in New Musical Express, 5 July 1969


Tracks
1. A Salty Dog - 4:39
2. The Milk Of Human Kindness - 3:44
3. Too Much Between Us - 3:40
4. The Devil Came From Kansas - 4:33
5. Boredom - 4:37
6. Juicy John Pink - 2:04
7. Wreck Of The Hesperus - 3:44
8. All This And More - 3:47
9. Crucifiction Lane - 4:56
10.Pilgrim's Progress - 4:33
11.Long Gone Geek - 3:18
12.Goin' Down Slow - 7:48
13.Juicy John Pink - 2:39
14.Crucification Lane - 4:35
15.Skip Softly My Moonbeams / Also Sprach Zarathustra - 5:29
16.The Milk Of Human Kindness - 3:47
All Lyrics by Keith Reid except track #12
Tracks 1-5,8,11,15,16 Music by Gary Brooker
Tracks 3,6,9,13,14 Music by Robin Trower
Tracks 5,7,10,11 Music by Matthew Fisher
Track 12 written by James B. Oden
Tracks 12-15 recorded in USA April 1969
Track 16 Take 1 / Raw Backing Track


Same Tracklist as above


Disc 1
1. A Salty Dog - 4:39
2. The Milk Of Human Kindness - 3:45
3. Too Much Between Us - 3:43
4. The Devil Came From Kansas - 4:36
5. Boredom - 4:34
6. Juicy John Pink - 2:06
7. Wreck Of The Hesperus - 3:48
8. All This And More - 3:51
9. Crucifiction Lane - 5:00
10.Pilgrims Progress - 4:31
All Lyrics by Keith Reid
Tracks 1-5,8,11 Music by Gary Brooker
Tracks 3,6,9 Music by Robin Trower
Tracks 5,7,10 Music by Matthew Fisher


Disc 2
1. Skip Softly (My Moonbeams) - 3:47
2. Wish Me Well - 3:41
3. Long Gone Geek - 2:42
4. Goin' Down Slow - 7:48
5. Juicy John Pink - 2:38
6. Crucifiction Lane - 4:46
7. Skip Softly My Moonbeams / Also Sprach Zarathustra - 5:25
8. The Milk Of Human Kindness - 3:39
9. Juicy John Pink - 2:15
10.A Salty Dog - 4:36
11.Long Gone Geek - 3:10
12.The Milk Of Human Kindness - 3:57
All Lyrics by Keith Reid except track #4
Tracks 1-3,8,10-12 Music by Gary Brooker
Tracks 5,6,9 Music by Robin Trower
Tracks 3,11 Music by Matthew Fisher
Track 4 written by James B. Oden
Tracks 1,2,3,9 recorded at 'Top Gear' BBC Radio One Session
Tracks 4-7 recorded in USA April 1969
Track 8 recorded at 'Symonds On Sunday' BBC Radio One Session
Tracks 10,11 Mono Single Mix
Track 12 Take 1 / Raw Backing Track

Procol Harum
*Gary Brooker - Vocals, Piano, Celeste, 3-Stringed Guitar, Bells, Harmonica, Recorder, Woods,  Orchestral Arrangements 
*Keith Reid - Words  
*Matthew Fisher - Organ, Vocals, Marimba, Acoustic Guitar, Piano, Recorder, Rhythm Guitar,  Orchestral Arrangements 
*David Knights - Bass  
*B.J.Wilson - Drums, Conga Drums, Tabla  
*Robin Trower - Lead Guitar, Vocal, Acoustic Guitar, Sleigh Tambourine  
*John Juian Kalinowski "Kellogs" - Bosun's Whistle  


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Friday, April 4, 2025

Grinderswitch - Right On Time (1980 us, great southern rock, 2009 edition)



Having issues with their label, as their commercial success was declining dramatically, and the changes in music with disco and punk taking the lion's share of the sales,  the times were difficult but they stayed together and in 1980 they recorded and released “Right On Time”, on Auric Records, a Florida based label. The bulk of the compositions of course goes to Dru Lombar, who signed half of the album's 10 songs.

There's another version of our favourite “Lady Luck”, of the three that have appeared on three different albums in total. Τhe music follows the familiar sound fields, with the guitars dominating, the vocals and the rest of the instruments all in high standards. A year later, “Have Band Will Travel” released on the independent Robox Records and soon after, -they realized that as a band they had hit a dead end- broke up.  We love Grinderswitch, we love Southern Rock, we don't expect innovations, we are not disappointed by this album.


Tracks
1. Movin' On Back To You (Dru Lombar, Stephen Miller, Joe Dan Petty, Rick Burnett) - 3:42
2. Lady Luck (Dru Lombar) - 4:56
3. Confusion (Dru Lombar) - 6:57
4. 80 Miles To Memphis (Joe Dan Petty) - 3:08
5. Slow Movin' Dancer (Joe Dan Petty, Larry Howard) - 4:17
6. Brand New Feeling (Dru Lombar) - 3:56
7. When The Rain Comes Down (Dru Lombar, Chris Anderson) - 6:38
8. How Come It Is (Stephen Miller) - 3:41

Grinderswitch
*Dru Lombar - Vocals, Guitar, Slide Guitar
*Chris Anderson - Guitar, Vocals
*Stephen Miller - Keyboards, Vocals
*Joe Dan Petty - Bass
*Rick Burnett - Drums


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Sunday, March 30, 2025

Atlantis - Ooh Baby / Top Of The Bill (1974/76 germany, awesome groovy funky blues rock, 2012 remaster)



Despite further changes, album number 3 from Atlantis was not long in coming. “Ooh, Baby” was recorded in the summer of 1974 and produced by Dieter Dierks . One drastic change was certainly the departure of old comrade Jean-Jacques Kravetz , who only appears as a guest on piano. Adrian Askew has now taken over the keyboards and the guitar position has also been reassigned, this time with Alex Conti . The songs are short and concise and are a mix of rock, blues, soul, funk and gospel. The following year they achieved one major goal: an extensive tour of the USA. They opened for acts such as Lynyrd Skynyrd and Muddy Waters . But they also experienced the downside in the form of their American record company, who offered absolutely no support.

After the aforementioned US tour, Conti left the band again, and with returning guitarist Diez and newcomer Rainer Marz, they had two guitarists on board, producing "Get on Board" in 1975, their last album on Vertigo. Here, too, they start right away with the title track, a catchy number with good vocal arrangements, with all the musicians contributing background vocals. Overall, this album is a bit more rock-oriented, with the guitars clearly dominating.

Eventually, the band's spirits ran out, and in early 1976, the band's end was announced. An album called "Top of the Bill" was supposed to be released, but it contained material from '76, on which Inga Rumpf was not present (!), as well as songs from the '75 lineup. The live album recorded in 1975 will also be re-released soon.
by Juergen Meurer, January 26, 2025 


Tracks
1. Brother - 3:09
2. Son Of A Bitch's Son - 3:51
3. Waiting And Longing - 3:15
4. Mr. Bigshot - 5:31
5. The Way I Choose - 3:52
6. Ooh, Baby - 2:53
7. Smiling People (Inga Rumpf, Jean-Jacques Kravetz) - 3:31
8. New York City - 4:38
9. Godfather - 3:43
10.Leave It To The Devil - 3:12
11.Good Friends - 3:34
12.Mainline Florida (George Terry) - 2:55
13.He's Got A Gun In His Hand (Frank Diez) - 4:14
14.Hot Rocks (Mary S. Applegate, Rainer Marz, Robert A. Smith-Diesel) - 2:54
15.Out Of Tune - 3:23
16.Don't Put The Lady Down (Frank Diez, Richard Palmer-James) - 3:19
17.Northern Bounty (Mary S. Applegate, Rainer Marz, Robert A. Smith-Diesel) - 4:00
18.Haven't You Heard - 5:30
19.Just Blues (Adrian Askew, Inga Rumpf, Karl-Heinz Schott, Ringo Funk, Rainer Marz, Frank Diez) - 11:28
Tracks 1,3,6,11,15,18 written by Inga Rumpf
Tracks 2,4,5,8,9,10 written by Adrian Askew
Tracks 1-10 are taken from the LP "Ooh Baby".
Track 11 is taken from the single "Good Friends"
Track 12 is taken from the single "Mainline Florida".
Tracks 13-19 are taken from the LP 'Top of the Bill'.

Atlantis
*Inga Rumpf - Vocals, Guitar, Percussion
*Adrian Askew - Keyboards, Acoustic Guitar, Backing Vocals
*Karl Heinz Schott - Bass, Vocals
*Ringo Funk - Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals 
*Alex Conti - Guitar, Backing Vocals (Tracks 1-11)
*Jean-Jacques Kravetz - Grand Piano (Tracks 1-11)
*Frank Diez - Guitar (Tacks 12-19)
With
*Linda Fields - Backing Vocals (Tracks 1-11)
*Jasper van't Hoff - Soloist, Piano (Track 7)
*Gerald Hartwig - Bass (Track 13)
*Ingo Bischof - Keyboards (Tracks 13,14,17)


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