rep>>> The Climax Blues Band - Plays On (1969 uk, outstanding blues rock with experimental mood. 2013 remaster and expanded)

Britain's Climax Blues Band didn't waste any time following up their self-titled debut in 1969 (dropping the moniker The Climax Chicago Blues Band), as they once again entered EMI's Abbey Road studios and put together Plays On, a highly adventurous and varied affair that saw plenty of new elements starting to creep into their once straight Chicago styled blues sound. The band had then slimmed down to a five-piece, consisting of Colin Cooper (vocals, sax, harmonica, bamboo whistle), Peter Haycock (guitars, vocals), Arthur Wood (keyboards), Derek Holt (bass, Mellotron), and George Newsome (drums). It was at this juncture that the band started to experiment with rock and jazz, and mixed with their already formidable blues chops the results on Plays On are quite spectacular. Esoteric Recordings continues on with the CBB reissues, giving this one stellar, crystal clear sound and another info packed booklet.

The album opens up with the lengthy jazz-fusion instrumental "Flight", a scorching piece highlighted by tasty interplay between all the players, especially Cooper's collection of reeds and Haycock's guitar. It must have been quite puzzling for fans of their blues soaked debut to pop on Plays On and hear this blast of awesome jazz to kick off the record. "Hey Baby, Everything's Gonna Be Alright, Yeh Yeh Yeh" sees the band returning to gritty blues, complete with scalding guitar solos from Haycock, but they go right back to jazz with a Latin flavor on the engaging "Cubano Chant", featuring some tight grooves, nimble piano, and some wild bamboo whistle lines from Cooper (who needs a flute, right?). On "Little Girl" the band add in some meaty rock riffs & organ to their blues base, another killer instrumental that also sees Cooper deliver some great sax melodies. 

Wood tosses in the theme from '2001: A Space Odyssey" using organ, Moog, & Mellotron on the spooky, psychedelic piece ""Mum's the Word", a track for all the prog lovers to seek out, before the slide guitars from Haycock lead in the raunchy ragtime blues of "Twenty Past Two/Temptation Rag". Emotional, slow blues with yearning vocals can be heard on "So Many Roads", while the upbeat organ/guitar vehicle "City Ways" has plenty of swing and groove to it. The final tune on the album, "Crazy Bout My Baby" reminds of the material from the debut, and has a certain 'Peter Green era-Fleetwood Mac' feel to it.

Once again, Esoteric has unearthed some scorching bonus tracks here on this reissue; "Like Uncle Charlie" is a bluesy hard rocker complete with red-hot guitar licks from Haycock and an almost proggy middle section filled with sumptuous organ and layers of psychedelic vocals, and "Loving Machine" also sees the band rocking harder, driven by Haycock's stinging lead guitar."Dance of the Mountain King's Daughter" is another stab at jazz for the band, and has an almost Frank Zappa feel to it, but it's a shame the song isn't longer. There's also another mix of the Allman Brothers Band influenced "Flight" for good measure.

Though the band would go on to even greater heights with albums like Gold Plated, Flying the Flag, Sense of DIrection and others, Plays On is Climax Blues Band at their 'risk taking' best, as they basically said 'to hell with anything remotely commercial' and just went for it here. As such it's their most complex offering from a musical perspective, easily appealing to jazz-fusion, rock, prog rock, and blues fans alike. Incredible stuff! 

by Pete Pardo

Tracks
1. Flight - 7:52
2. Hey Baby, Everything's Gonna Be Alright, Yeh Yeh Yeh - 4:24
3. Cubano Chant (Ray Bryant) - 5:35
4. Little Girl (Graham Bond) - 3:00
5. Mum's The Word - 3:45
6. Twenty Past Two, Temptation Rag (Cooper, Haycock, Holt, Wood, Newsome, Henry Lodge) - 3:20
7. So Many Roads (Marshall Paul) - 6:34
8. City Ways - 3:21
9. Crazy 'Bout My Baby (Haycock, Cooper, Holt, Newsome, Wood, Richard Jones) - 6:13
10.Like Uncle Charlie - 4:14
11.Loving Machine - 2:26
12.Dance Of The Mountain King's Daughter - 2:35
13.Flight (First Mix) - 7:28
All songs by Peter Haycock, Colin Cooper, Derek Holt, George Newsome, Arthur Wood except where stated.

The Climax Blues Band
*Colin Cooper - Vocals, Saxes, Harmonica And Bamboo Whistle
*Peter Haycock - Vocals, Guitars
*Arthur Wood - Keyboards
*Derek Holt - Bass Guitar, Mellotron
*Richard Jones - Bass Guitar
*George Newsome - Drums

1969  The Climax Chicago Blues Band (2013 remaster and expanded)

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rep>>> The Climax Chicago Blues Band - The Climax Chicago Blues Band (1968-69 uk, spectacular blues rock, 2013 remaster and expanded)

Though the Climax Chicago Blues Band formed in Stafford, England, the band would likely have made any of the howling bluesmen from that storied Illinois city proud.  Part of the vanguard of the British blues boom that also included the original Fleetwood Mac, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and even Led Zeppelin, Cream and the Rolling Stones, the Climax Chicago Blues Band made its rip-roaring debut for Parlophone in 1969 and began a legacy which continues to this very day, albeit with a wholly different line-up than the one that founded the band all those many years ago.  Esoteric Recordings, an imprint of the Cherry Red Group, has recently reissued the first three albums by the band in new expanded editions.

The self-titled The Climax Chicago Blues Band introduced the world to Colin Cooper (vocals /saxophones/harmonica),  Pete Haycock (guitar/vocals), Arthur Wood (piano/organ/celeste/harmonium), Derek Holt (rhythm guitar/organ/bass), Richard Jones (bass) and George Newsome (drums).   The sextet recorded its first album at Abbey Road under the auspices of budding producer Chris Thomas for George Martin’s AIR production company.  Geoff Emerick was among its engineers.  CCBB was recorded in just two days and largely based on the group’s well-honed live stage routine, blending original songs with covers including “Don’t Start Me Talkin’” by Sonny Boy Williamson, “How Many More Years” by Howlin’ Wolf and “The Entertainer” by Scott Joplin.  Williamson and Wolf, a.k.a. Chester Burnett, were leading lights of the Chess Records-fuelled blues scene in (where else?) Chicago. 

 (“How Many More Years” would go onto inspire “How Many More Times” on Led Zeppelin’s debut, earning Wolf a songwriting credit decades later.)  And “The Entertainer” showed the versatile group’s prescience; just a few years later, Marvin Hamlisch would reinvent the ragtime tune for his Academy Award-winning score to The Sting.  The Climax Chicago Blues Band emphasizes the blues part of the blues-rock equation, though the heavier tracks like “And Lonely” certainly fit the bill for blues-rock.  Esoteric’s reissue premieres a full complement of seven bonus tracks including alternate takes of “Don’t Start Me Talkin’,” “You’ve Been Drinking” and “And Lonely” and outtakes of four other songs.  Another Sonny Boy Williamson staple, “Checking On My Baby,” and T-Bone Walker’s torrid “Stormy Monday” are among the tracks originally left in the vault and rescued by producer Mark Powell for this release.

by Joe Marchese

Tracks
1. Mean Old World (Big Bill Broonzy) - 3:52
2. Insurance (Waldense Hall, Charlie Singleton) - 3:49
3. Going Down This Road - 3:02
4. You’ve Been Drinking - 2:28
5. Don’t Start Me Talkin’ (Sonny Boy Williamson) - 3:18
6. Wee Baby Blues (Pete Johnson, Big Joe Turner) - 3:20
7. Twenty Past One - 3:08
8. A Stranger In Your Town (Colin Cooper, Lee Hazlewood) - 4:16
9. How Many More Years (Chester Burnett) - 2:58
10.Looking For My Baby - 2:50
11.And Lonely - 8:40
12.The Entertainer (Scott Joplin) - 2:44
13.Checking On My Baby (Sonny Boy Williamson) - 3:24
14.Arthur's Boogie (Arthur Wood) - 1:35
15.Stormy Monday (T-Bone Walker) - 5:36
16.Don't Start Me Talkin' (Take One) (Sonny Boy Williamson) - 2:54

17.Anybody's Boogie - 0:58
18.You've Been Drinking - 4:11
19.And Lonely - 5:33

All songs by Colin Cooper, Peter Haycock, Arthur Wood, Derek Holt, Richard Jones, George Newsome  except where stated.

Bonus Tracks 13-19

The Climax Chicago Blues Band
*Colin Cooper - Vocals, Harmonica
*Peter Haycock - Lead Guitar, Slide Guitar, Vocal
*Arthur Wood - Piano, Organ, Celeste, Harmonium
*Derek Holt - Rhythm Guitar, Organ, Bass Guitar
*Richard Jones - Bass Guitar
*George Newsome - Drums

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White Duck - White Duck (1971 us, awesome swamp country rock, 2014 korean remaster)

A whole herd of various ducks and ducklings nested on the rock scene of the seventies. This one is the debut album of the American band White Duck, which consisted of musicians who accompanied Jimmy Buffett's performances before starting their own band. Lanny Fiel also previously had experience with the Willie And The Red Rubber Band. The first self-titled album was recorded and mixed within two months at Creative Workshop under the direction of Buzz Cason ... A kind of lively psycho-folk-country rock.

Based on the fantasy album cover, to be honest, 'Billy Goat' was nothing like what I expected.  Built on a funky little riff and showcasing Kloetzke's rugged, blue-eyed soul vocals, the tune sounded like something a Memphis band like Big Star might have recorded.  Icing on the cake came in the form of Lanny Fiel's slide guitar.  'World (Keep On Turnin')' revealed itself as a sweet acoustic ballad.  The tune showcased Kloetzke's glistening twelve string guitar and the band's impressive hamronies, with Tabet's percussion adding a subtle Celtic edge.

Opening up with some lovely piano, 'Lonely' caught me totally off guard.  In fact, for a second I wondered if I'd mistakenly slapped on a Beatles album.  Penned by Kloetzke, the song was a beautiful keyboard powered ballad with vocals that bore an uncanny resemblance to McCartney.  It wasn't just the vocals - the entire song seemed to project a Fab Four vibe.  Always loved Friedel's melodic bass work on this one.  Possibly one of the best Beatles songs they never wrote. What started out as an attractive, but pedestrian pop tune turned out to be one of the album highlights.  Of course you had to wait until "Black-Eyed Susan" was half over which is when Lanny and Rick kicked in with their lysergic tinged  backwards guitar solos.

Another song that opened up with some attractive Kloetzke piano, 'Really' may have been the album's most original and commercial track.  The song had a wonderful melody (with a great bass line) and some gorgeous harmony vocals. The title and the opening sound collage left me thinking this was going to be a throwaway.  Instead, this was another slice of McCartney-the-rocker influenced hard rock.  Built on a tasty little guitar riff, this one would have made George Harrison proud. 

With driving lead guitar and a strong Kloetzke vocal 'No Time' got an A+ in the folk-rock awards.  Their backing vocals were truly impressive, making you wish this one had stretched on longer. The rocker 'I Never Wanna Go' found the band returning to a Memphis garage-rock feel.  With an insidiously catchy riff, this one as simply awesome and another track that faded out too early.

Until his death in 2009, Lanny Field remain active in music. Friedel returned to Wisconsin.  At least for a time he appears to have been the Director of the non-profit Wisconsin School Music Association Inc.  The Association focuses on supporting Wisconsin music teachers. Kloetzke had actually started his career as an artist and returned to art after the band called it quits.  He's known for portraits of wildlife, Green Bay Packer fans, and World War II aircraft. Tabet relocated to Las Vegas where he played in various Casino house bands for the next 40 years,  He died of heart failure in June, 2015.

After the release of the first White Duck album front men/brothers Lanny and Rick Fiel left White Duck.  Bassist Mario Friedel, keyboard player Don Kloetzke and drummer Paul Tabet elected to continue the nameplate recruiting a young John Hiatt (then working as a Nashville-based songwriter).

by Scott Blackerby

Tracks

1. Billy Goat (Don Kloetzke, Rick Fiel, Lanny Fiel) - 4:10

2. World (Keep On Turning) (Don Kloetzke, Lanny Fiel) - 2:43

3. No (Don Kloetzke, Mario Friedel) - 2:47

4. Lonely (Don Kloetzke) - 3:03

5. Black-Eyed Susan (Rick Fiel) - 2:24

6. Really (Lanny Fiel, Paul Tabet, Don Kloetzke, Mario Friedel, Rick Fiel) - 3:53

7. Don`t Mix With Politics (Don Kloetzke, Rick Fiel, Lanny Fiel) - 3:02

8. Anna Belle (Mario Friedel, Paul Wittenburger) - 2:33

9. No Time (Paul Tabet, Lanny Fiel) - 2:36

10.I Never Wanna Go (Lanny Fiel, Don Kloetzke) - 2:21

White Duck

*Lanny Fiel – Guitar, Horn, Vocals

*Rick Fiel – Guitars, Keyboards, Vocals

*Mario Friedel – Bass, Keyboards, Vocals

*Don Kloetzke – Keyboards, Vocals

*Skip Rogers – Vocals

*Paul Tabet – Drums, Vocals 

1972  White Duck - In Season (2014 korean remaster)   

Related Act

1969  Willie And The Red Rubber Band - We're Comin' Up

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rep>>> Pacific Ocean - Pacific Ocean (1968 us, groovy garage psych rock, 2018 reissue)

Pacific Ocean was an American West-Coast Psychedelic band. They released one and only album in 1968 by the VMC label, known for releasing great Psychedelic albums. 

There isn't much information about them, but actor Edward James Olmos (Miami Vice, Battlestar Galactica, Mayans M.C., TV series, and movies like Blade Runner among others) plays/sings lead on the album. Most of the songs are covers except for two of them. This 1968 album smashes in like a hot stone with that soulful drive. 

The beginning of the sound is great. "I Can't Stand It"   best part are the vocals, principally the Back-Vocals, the growling Lead-Vocals is really cool too. "  99 1/2"   has an intensive use of the Organ. "Road To Hell"   and "My Shrink"  are the only original songs, in "  Road To Hell"   the vocals sound just like Iggy Pop and the accelerated pace of " My Shrink"   is really nice, and it has a great Guitar solo in the middle.

"16 Tons" originally by Merle Travis. Pacific Ocean gives a power to the song that it originally missed, that was the objective of this album probably, to give the power of rock music to old country tracks.  unlike the previous songs where they sped up everything "Subterranean Homesick Blues",  it's much slower than the original, it has a much groovier sound. The Miracles where the first recorders of the hit-song "Tracks Of My Tears"   by the big label Motown. 

Tracks

1. I Can't Stand It (Lester Chambers) - 2:32

2. 99 1/2 (Wilson Pickett) - 3:08

3. The Road To Hell (Tony Harris) - 4:09

4. I Wanna Testify (Daron Taylor, George Clinton) - 4:14

5. Mickey's Monkey (Brian Holland, Edward Holland, Jr., Lamont Dozier) - 3:20

6. 16 Tons (Merle Travis) - 2:52

7. My Shrink (Anthony Carrubba, Edward James Olmos, Tony Harris) - 2:07

8. Subterranean Homesick Blues (Bob Dylan) - 2:46

9. Track Of My Tears (Marvin Tarplin, Warren Moore, William Robinson, Jr.) - 3:17

Pacific Ocean 

*Kent Henry - Lead Guitar 

*Fred Riviera - Bass

*Eddie James (Edward James Olmos) - Vocals, Keyboards 

*Steve Rusty - Drums

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rep>>> Ilmo Smokehouse - Ilmo Smokehouse...Plus (1970-71 us, amazing heavy rock with blues, psych and jazz influences, akarma edition)

While it's not unusual for a new band to form from the ashes of other collapsing, simpatico groups, it's rare for one to emerge from the funeral pyres of two distinctly different musical units, but thus was begotten Ilmo Smokehouse. Freddie Tieken and the Rockers was the more established of Ilmo's parents, a smoking R'n'B band that had been burning up Midwestern stages since the late '50s.

With an obvious penchant for bluesy rock and soul, the band boasted one of the best horn sections in the region. In contrast, Gonn came on the scene in 1966, dragging behind them their British beat influences, following the herd into psychedelia and even space rock a few years later. Smokehouse had a ferocious live reputation, but this set did that little justice, with only "Johnny B. Good" and "Pine Needle Bed" hinting at their stage potential.

What the record does do, however, is showcase precisely why this band was born to die. The nearly seven-minute long "Have You Ever Had the Blues" is a flawless example of talking blues, a sound Freddie Tieken had perfected years before. Elsewhere, jazz and prog rock collide on "Are You Happy," while jazz, soul, and rock smack straight into each other on "Movement 1 and 13," while "Pine Needle Bed" pulls in so many directions, you expect the whole tree to splinter apart. And splinter the band quickly did, in the end, becoming three different bands. There was just too much experience and quality musicianship in the ranks, all pushing too hard for their own preferred style. For some bands, eclecticism is a badge of honor, for Ilmo it sounds more like a bone of contention.

by Jo-Ann Greene

Tracks

1. Devil Take My Grandma (Keith Rand, Roger Weghoff) - 3:30 

2. Are You Happy (Charlie Parker, Freddie Tieken, Keith Rand) - 5:40

3. Movement 1 And 13 (Russ Philips, Craig Moore, Keith Rand, Freddie Tieken) - 9:50

4. Johnny B. Good (Chuck Berry) - 3:31

5. Meyer Gold (Keith Rand, Freddie Tieken) - 4:55

6. Have You Ever Had The Blues (Freddie Tieken) - 6:59

7. Pine Needle Bed (Craig Moore, Keith Rand, Freddie Tieken) - 2:53

8. Watch Jimmy Crash (Craig Moore, Keith Rand, Freddie Tieken, Gerry Gabel, Dennis Tieken) - 2:36

9. Key To The Highway (Big Bill Bronzy) - 2:45

10.Pine Needle Bed (Craig Moore, Keith Rand, Freddie Tieken) - 3:33

11.Ozone (Gerry Gabel) - 3:24

12.Outskirts Of Town (Andy Razxaf, Fats Waller) - 2:58

13.Calm Myself Down (Craig Moore) - 4:32

14.Every Day (Memphis Slim) - 5:01

15.Columbia Jam (Craig Moore, Keith Rand, Freddie Tieken, Gerry Gabel, Dennis Tieken) - 5:37

Bonus Tracks 9-15

Musicians
*Keith "Slink" Rand - Lead Guitar, Percussions
*Freddie Tieken - Vocals, Rap Vocals, Tenor Saxophone
*Gerry Gabel - Vocals, Flute, Harmonica, Piano
*Dennis Tieken - Vocals, Drums
*Craig Moore - Bass, Vocals

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rep>>> Robin Scott - Woman From The Warm Grass (1969 uk, marvellous acid psych folk rock with Mighty Baby members, 2006 Sunbeam expanded issue)

I was born in Croydon, South London on April 1st 1947. The musical tradition in my family went hack two generations: my mother was a ballerina, my grandfather an opera singer and my grandmother a violinist, so there was a connection with the performing arts all my life. 

Though the American folk movement had made 'troubadours' such as Tom Paxton, Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan part of the mainstream, my first love was painting and I enrolled at Croydon Art College in 1967, where I met my contemporaries Malcolm McLaren, Jamie Reid and Vivienne westwood. Art colleges were also a breeding ground for musicians, and 1 was listening to the Incredible String Band, Tyrannosaurus Rex and others, as well as Stravinsky and avant-garde classical composers like Cage and Stockhausen. 

After leaving art school 1 carried on painting and songwriting at a cottage in Kent which 1 shared with a Canadian writer/lyricist called Ian Carruthers. He sadly took his own life a few years later, and this reissue is dedicated to his memory. At the same time I also began to make contacts in radio and TV, and made my debut on Top Gear and Night Ride, as well as performing topical songs on magazine and children's programmes. 

One evening in July 1969 I performed on John Peel's BBC radio show, then headed for the TV studios to make an appearance on BBC2's arts show Late Night Line-Dp, hosted by Joan Bakewell. The following day I was contacted by Sandy Roberton, an underground folk impresario representing a number of artists including Al Jones, Synanthesia, Keith Christmas and Shelagh McDonald. He was very switched-on and charming, living a glamorous lifestyle in Chelsea, and said he wanted to manage and produce me. 

A week later I found myself cutting an album with him at Sound Techniques, just off the King's Road. He put me together with Mighty Baby, formerly known as R’n’B band The Action. Working with them was quick and easy, as they were either very intuitive or very high - probably both! I particularly remember Martin Stone, with his Mexican moustache and woolly hat. He was an innovative blues guitarist with a fragile, considerate manner. 

The drummer, Roger Powell laid down solid, lazy grooves from so far back on the stool that I kept thinking he was going to fall off, while Mike Evans on bass and Ian Whiteman on keyboards enhanced my basic structures with melody and rhythmic counterpoint. The sessions were also distinguished by a meeting with Jimmy Page and Roy Harper, who were recording in the next door studio The songs are an eclectic, oddball mixture of poetic allegories, moments of truth and sparks of originality. Some were written with Ian Carruthers, and much was inspired by my then-girlfriend, Penny Lamb. 

The Sailor was the most obvious tune to extract as a single, and received a surprising amount of airplay on daytime radio. Song of the Sun had been crafted by my school friend John West as a piece of prose. I set it to music in the bedsit mindset of a Leonard Cohen devotee. The Sound of Rain was a little lament that was obviously influenced by Paul Simon's early work. 

All I can say about Penelope is how great it is to be in love and find a way to declare it in a song for posterity! The Day Begins is dark and discordant - tortured youthful anxiety laid bare. 1 have no idea where Woman From The Warm Grass came from, but it had more to do with sex than drugs, as I had not yet been initiated into the latter. Richie Havens was also making a serious impression, and lyrical free association had its appeal too. I Am Your Suitcase Lover concerns the fantasy of an encounter with a prostitute. Maybe I had Johnny Cash and Nashville Skyline in mind. It's complemented by classic Gordon Huntley steel guitar (fresh from Woodstock), with Roger Powell's bar-room-brawl drum fills at their best. 

Mara's Supper was inspired by a dinner I innocently provided the musical accompaniment for, little knowing that Ian was doing mushrooms and herbs with William Blake! Point of Leaving was a kitchen sink drama, written with Brief Encounter in mind - bleak black and white TV imagery and teenage sexual anxiety from the shadowy side. The Purple Cadger ended proceedings by marrying a masterful set of lyrics from Ian to some Dylanesque rock n roll. 

I enjoyed recording the album, but it was cut in a single day without a band rehearsal, and the songs hadn't been significantly worked or performed live. It was an opportunity not to be missed, however, and though I wasn't remotely in control Sanely delivered a result under the circumstances. He then shopped around and cut a deal with a small independent label called Head Records, run by a hippy named John Curd. None of this had anything much to do with me, and other than £125 to buy an electric guitar, I never saw any money. But it was my first record, I had no expectations, and 1 was pleased to start somewhere.

 It appeared in November 1969, and the reviews were quite good - Rolling Stone called it 'soothing, sweet and occasionally really hot,' and said the songs were 'tender mood pieces, vast open land, beach and seascapes with all their inherent imagery of desolation and sad loneliness.' My only real disappointment was with the artwork — as a painter I had a clear idea of how I wanted it to look, but was given no artistic control. At the time of its release I shared the stage with the likes of John Martyn, Shelagh McDonald and Forest at gigs promoted by Sandy. 

I'd have loved to have played live with Mighty Baby, but they had their own album to promote and it never happened. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to me, John Curd had been busted and banged up. Mead Records was consequently dissolved and the album barely made the shops. Despite that, I continued to play radio sessions and the bonus track, Tattooed Lady, comes from a Peel session recorded shortly after the LP was cut. 

The lyrical narrative was penned by Ian with Penny (the Woman From The Warm Grass herself) taking the lead vocal alongside John Lewis, who was to feature in 'M' ten years later. I added guitar and vocal harmonies. Hearing the material today, I'm struck by its eccentricity, and how dark some of the songs are. Though it reflects the underground folk of that era, I hope it also , remains relevant as an early indication of my eclectic musical taste.

by Robin Scott, January 2006

Tracks
1. The Sailor - 4:00
2. Song of the Sun (Robin Scott, John West) - 3:42
3. The Sound of Rain - 4:30
4. Penelope - 7:01
5. The Day Begins - 4:55
6. Woman From The Warm Grass - 3:39
7. I Am Your Suitcase Lover - 4:22
8. Mara's Supper (Robin Scott, Ian Carruthers) - 4:24
9. Point Of Leaving - 3:17
10. The Purple Cadger (Robin Scott, Ian Carruthers) - 3:14
11. Tattooed Lady (Bonus Track) (Robin Scott, Ian Carruthers) - 4:53
All songs composed by Robin Scott unless as else written.

Musicians
*Robin Scott - Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
*Martin Stone - Lead Guitar
*Gordon Huntley - Steel Guitar
*Mike Hvans - Bass Guitar
*Ian Whiteman - Piano
*Roger Powell - Drums

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rep>>> Troyka - Troyka (1970 canada, astonishing psych rock with experimental mood, 2014 bonus track remaster)

This Edmonton power trio combine some frenetic post-Cream guitar thrills with gruff, hyper-macho vocals on their one and only LP. The lads - Edmontonians Robert Edwards, Michael Richards, and Ron Lukawitski - actually trekked as a quartet to Montreal in 1966 but, after losing their drummer to personal family issues, regrouped back in Alberta. There, in a rather deft homage to their shared Eastern European heritage, they dubbed themselves Troyka though whether their namesake was a powerful triumvirate or an antiquated three-horse cliche has certainly blurred with the passage of time.

Troyka even comes speckled with Slavic elements two tack-on instrumentals, the lilting 'Introduction' and the closer 'Troyka Finale', bookend the record, but for the most part it relies on crotch-heavy amplification to counter the relative paucity of ideas here. 'Natural', for instance, sports some prime virtuosic guitar work, though the constipated vocals reek of facile sexism - as if an axe and some fine chops weren't enough to get you laid without pubescent posturing like, "Hey mama, won't you come down by the river, and give me some". 'Rolling Down the Road', with its nearly proto-speed metal, fares much better, channelling frantic hyper blues into an almost MC5-like abandon. Other tracks hint at a more delicate side, especially the wistful soft-psych instrumental 'Dear Margaret Malagosia', with its Spanish tinges and flecks of John Williams-ish guitar.

Troyka's flaws aside, the guys were often hailed for their legendary live sets - one particularly raucous set at New York's Fillmore East saw them flagged back for a triple encore. By 1970 they seemed to be hitting their stride, scoring a coveted support slot in Toronto for the mother of all troikas, Leslie West's Mountain. But alas, while poised to secure a page in history alongside the Band, the Grateful Dead and Janis Joplin aboard the infamous bourbon-and-barbiturate-laced Festival Express cross-Canada train tour in the summer of 1970, guitarist Rob Edwards left to tend to family concerns and, thus, fame turned to footnote for Troyka.

by Michael Panontin

Tracks
1. Introduction - 0:34
2. Natural - 2:48
3. Early Morning - 3:54
4. Life's O.K. - 4:01
5. Burning Of The Witch - 3:03
6. Rub-A-Dub-Dub Troyka In A Tub - 2:20
7. Troyka Lament - 0:33
8. Troyka Solo - 0:37
9. Rolling Down The Back Road - 4:05
10.Berry Picking - 2:41
11.Dear Margaret Malgosia - 2:31
12.Go East Young Man Beautiful Eyes - 6:17
13.Troyka Finale - 0:31
14.The Wedding Song - 4:55
All Words and Music by Mike Richards, Robert Edwards, Ron Lukawitski

Troyka
*Mike Richards - Lead Vocals, Drums, Percussion
*Robert Edwards - Guitar, Mandolin, Vocals
*Ron "Rumor" Lukawietsky - 8 String Bass, Bass, Bongos, Vocals

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rep>>> Badger - One Live Badger (1973 uk, remarkable prog rock, 2016 digi pak remaster)

After Tony Kaye left Yes he formed Badger and in an unprecedented move of great confidence the band supported Yes at The Rainbow in London and recorded their show, playing completely unknown material to the audience and then released it as their first album. Brave on many levels and although they were surely well received with ex-Yes man Tony Kaye in the line-up, the audience reaction sounds rather too good to be true.

The band plays that kind of seventies music that no one remembers. A great band, with Roy Dyke on drums from Ashton Gardner and Dyke, (Dyke played On George Harrison’s Wonderwall) and I presume David Foster on bass, who shares lead vocals with guitarist Adrian Parrish. But what are they – not Progressive, not Pop, not Blues or anything you can put your finger on – not that it should matter. But produced by Geoffrey Haslam and Jon Anderson (whatever that means in this live setting) they were really good at a nameless style. I’m not sure if it’s the songs or the singing but the more I hear it I equally admire and dismiss it. It’s the strangest feeling to be both impressed and unmoved simultaneously. Maybe you have to get to know the songs but really, why did they not release a studio record? The answer to that is probably that they were good enough to not have to, and maybe the record is better than it would have been with studio polish. I’ve never felt as ambivalent towards a record as I am towards this one.

It obviously wasn’t working for the singers in the band either with Foster and Parrish both leaving. They hired Kim Gardner, from Ashton Gardner and Dyke on bass and then established singer Jackie Lomax (whose debut solo album was released on Apple and produced by George Harrison). Lomax took over the band and wrote most of the materal in a Soul/Blues direction releasing White Lady – a studio album in 1974, produced by New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint.

That was it, and it would be unfair to remember them just for the Roger Dean cover art and the pop-up badger in the gatefold of the debut album, that novelty item notwithstanding, their claim to fame is lost in the cruel mists of time.

by Marty Willson-Pipe

The early '70s marked the heyday of progressive rock -- it seemed like every time you turned around and everywhere you looked, there were top-flight bands like Yes, King Crimson, ELP, Pink Floyd, the Moody Blues, et al., all around, and their emulators and lesser rivals spreading out as far as the eye could see. Badger was part of that whole scene, a Yes offshoot group that managed to get signed by the same label. Officially, the group's origins go back to 1972 and Tony Kaye's departure from Flash, the group he'd co-founded with his fellow ex-Yes alumni, guitarist Peter Banks. Kaye was a virtuoso who favored more traditional instruments such as the Hammond organ over the more modern Moog synthesizer (not that he didn't play the latter, but he used the organ more prominently), and who had the bad fortune to have been succeeded in Yes by the much flashier Rick Wakeman. This time out, he was going to put together his own progressive rock supergroup, on a firmer footing than Flash (whose work had sometimes strayed too close to that of Yes).

The ex-Yes keyboard player called on his longtime friend David Foster, who had managed to skirt the orbit of Yes several times without ever being asked into that lineup (in part because his instrument was the bass, and Yes was incredibly well covered in that department by Chris Squire). Foster had been a member of the Warriors, Yes lead singer Jon Anderson's mid-'60s group, and had co-authored songs with Anderson on Yes' second album, Time and a Word. Kaye had ended up working with Foster on what was ultimately to be an unreleased Foster album -- when Kaye quit Yes in 1971, he initially joined Banks in founding Flash, but after his exit from the latter, Kaye and Foster decided to finally take the plunge. They recruited drummer Roy Dyke, lately a member of Family and, before that, Ashton, Gardner & Dyke -- he was a Liverpool veteran whose career went back to the early '60s and the Remo 4 and Brian Epstein protégé Tommy Quickly, and had played on one hit single, Ashton, Gardner & Dyke's "Resurrection Shuffle"; he, in turn, steered the organizers to Brian Parrish, an ex-member of Medicine Head and Three Man Army, who had played with Paul Gurvitz and Mike Kellie in an outfit called Parrish & Gurvitz, who'd cut one LP for Regal Zonophone.

The quartet, christened Badger, fit together perfectly, and after some rehearsals began building a name for itself on a European tour opening for Black Sabbath. The band was signed by Atlantic Records, which already had Yes and saw Badger as potentially offering another group of the same caliber. When it came time to record an album, however, it was decided that nothing they tried in the studio was capturing the intensity and involvement they demonstrated on-stage, and that a live album was the best way to introduce Badger. A show at the Rainbow Theatre, opening for a now well-established Yes, was recorded, produced by Jon Anderson and Geoffrey Haslam. One Live Badger did rather better in Europe than it did in America, though it got strong reviews everywhere. Perhaps if it had come out at another time -- and not in the same season that the first wave of progressive rock albums from ELP's Manticore label was being released, with lots of publicity and advertising support -- it might've done better, and a single might've been a help (even Yes had needed "Roundabout" to find a mass audience).

by Bruce Eder

One Live Badger is the easier Badger album to find, and the one worth having anyway. As the album's title indicates, the band also took the unusual step of making their first album a live recording of original songs. It has aged very well -- with all the energy of live performance, there's none of the usual studio excesses or noodling of the era. The Yes connection via Tony Kaye is abundantly evident; the album was co-produced by Yes singer Jon Anderson, uses long instrumental breaks and prominent Hammond organ solos, and features the obligatory Roger Dean cover art. Nonetheless, the brooding lyrics and soulful harmonies make comparisons to Traffic and Blind Faith a much closer musical match. The first half of the album is excellent, kicking off with the pleasingly hoarse vocals of David Foster on the full-tilt rocker "Wheel of Fortune" and the pensive "Fountain." There's an especially tight rhythm section underlying the restrained guitar work of "Wind of Change," combining to produce the album's best song.

by Paul Collins

Tracks
1. Wheel Of Fortune - 7:56
2. Fountain - 7:24
3. Wind Of Change - 7:15
4. River - 6:53
5. The Preacher (Brian Parrish) - 4:00
6. On The Way Home - 7:40
All compositions by Brian Parrish, Tony Kaye, Dave Foster, Roy Dyke, except track #5
Recorded live at The Rainbow Theatre 15th/16th December, 1972

Badger
*Dave Foster - Bass Guitar
*Roy Dyke - Drums
*Brian Parrish - Guitar
*Tony Kaye - Keyboards

1975  Badger - White Lady (2015 remaster) 

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rep>>> Ray Materick - Sidestreets (1972 canada, stunning sharp folk rock, 2009 korean remaster)

Ray Materick is a Canadian singer-songwriter, particularly popular in the 1970s, who continues to perform and create music.

Ray Materick is the son of an evangelical preacher, who had previously played saxophone, trumpet and clarinet in his own dance band, during the 1940s and 1950s. 

Originally from Brantford, Ontario, Ray Materick came from a musical household, where his father played in a dance band prior to becoming an ordained preacher in the early '60s. But although the trumpet was pushed on him as a child, he found his brother's love of Elvis, Buddy, and Chuck Berry, more appealing. As a teen he turned to the guitar (which he'd tried around age 8, but found it 'too difficult.') and became interested in the songwriters, like Gordon Lightfoot, Kris Kristofferson, and Bob Dylan.

His first group was while still a teen, in The Chevron Sextet, which only lasted doing high school dances until he moved to Toronto in 1970. Two years later, after gaining some experience on-stage on coffee house circuit, he signed a deal with Kanata Records (argued as one of Canada's first truly indie labels).

London picked up the distribution, and working with producer David Bird, he released his debut solo album, SIDESTREETS later that year. Roots-based folk with a fresh approach, it produced a pair of singles that both made the Canadian top 40 - "Season Of Plenty" b/w "Goodbye," and "Hard Life Alone." Hailed by the critics.

Ray Materick's first album was released on Kanata Records, the first indepdent label of Canada in 1972. Sidestreets received appraisal by many critics and regarded as a masterpiece. With his gritty, gravelly voiced and brilliant lyrics, it is truly deserved so. Includes 4 bonus tracks.

Tracks
1. Home From Parade - 4:48
2. Season Of Plenty - 4:02
3. One Thing I'll Never Ask Is Why - 5:06
4. Final Fire - 3:44
5. Goodbye - 3:12
6. Dear Christine - 2:38
7. Hard Life Alone - 3:58
8. Morning Song - 4:46
9. Cherylee Rose - 2:52
10.Sidestreets - 3:41
11.Sidestreets (Demo) - 3:44
12.Cherylee Rose (Demo) - 2:38
13.I Think I'll Try Tomorrow (Unreleased) - 2:36
14.It Ain't That Easy (Unreleased) - 3:14
Words and Music by Ray Materick

Musicians
*Ray Materick - Vocals
*Paul Mills - Guitar
*Michael Renzi - Bass
*Guido Basso - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
*Don Thompson - Piano
*Terry Clarke - Drums

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rep>>> Stone Angel - Stone Angel (1975 uk, ethereal traditional acid folk psych, 2014 edition)

The Stone Angel story begins in December 1972. Guitarists Ken Saul and Paul Corrick were rehearsing for a spot at the Great Yarmouth Folk Club Christmas party, but all they could come up with was a guitar duet version of 'God rest ye Merry Gentlemen'. They invited singer Jill Child to join them, and worked on a couple of recently composed songs based on local legends, 'Sanctuary Stone' and 'The Skater'. That first performance was so well received that the trio decided to continue, the following two years seeing them perform at clubs, concerts and festivals throughout East Anglia and occasionally further afield, while still doing the resident slot at their local club.

During the summer of 1973 a demo recording of some of their songs was made, on which Midwinter were joined by Dik Cadbury (of 'Decameron' and 'Steve Hackett Band' fame) on bass, and Mick Burroughes on percussion. This was never released at the time, and in fact the master tapes remained in a box in Ken Saul's attic until they finally were issued by Kissing Spell in 1993 as the CD 'The Waters of Sweet Sorrow'.

Midwinter came to an end with Jill's departure to college, their farewell concert taking place back at the Yarmouth Folk Club on September 11th 1974. Some of their songs lived on, however, as a few months later Paul and Ken formed a new band, again including fellow musicians from the Yarmouth club. This new band had something of a rockier, more gothic, edge and a decidedly experimental approach to folk music: Stone Angel was born!

Stone Angel's first public performance, again at the Yarmouth Folk Club, was on December 20th 1974. The line-up consisted of Joan Bartle on vocals, flute, recorders and crumhorn; Mick Burroughes on bass and percussion; Paul Corrick on electric guitars and harpsichord; Dave Lambert on fiddle and mandolin; Ken Saul on vocals, guitars and dulcimer. Building on the reputation of Midwinter, they began to appear at numerous clubs and festivals around the area.

For a variety of reasons a decision was made to produce a self-financed recording, and this took place in February 1975. The band was assisted in this project by Eddy Green, who from time to time had deputised for various personnel in the live performances. Only three hundred and fifty of the projected five hundred albums were ever produced, and unfortunately these suffered from rather poor sound quality. A busy schedule followed, with the album being hawked around the live gigs, until the end of the summer when both Paul and Mick departed for university and art college respectively.

The resulting trio continued, but became entirely acoustic and more traditional in their choice of material, although still including 'The Skater' and 'Black-sailed Traders' in their set. The only recording from this period was a basic tape recording of a live concert in the village church at Filby, Norfolk, where Ken and Joan now lived. This too was to later be released on CD by Kissing Spell under the title 'The Holy Rood of Bromholm'. After spells working in Botswana and Southampton, Dave Lambert emigrated to Australia, where he continues to play as a member of Adelaide-based band 'The Legends'.

Stone-Angel

Tracks
1. The Bells Of Dunwich - 6:04
2. The Skater - 3:13
3. Pastime With A Good Company - 1:12
4. Traveller's Tale - 5:41
5. Black Sailed Traders - 5:04
6. Stone Angel - 3:38
7. Galliard Merrie England's Musicke Box - 2:02
8. The Gay Goshawk (Traditional) - 7:08  
9. The Black Dog (Paul Corrick, Ken Saul) - 5:42
10.The Holy Rood Of Bromholm (Ken Saul) - 4:01
All compositions by Stone Angel except where indicated

Stone Angel
*Ken Saul - Vocals, Guitars, Dulcimer, Treble Recorder
*Joan Bartle - Vocals, Flute, Recorder, Crumhorn
*Mick Burroughs - Percussion, Bass, Jews Harp
*Dave Lambert - Violin, Mandolin, Rebec
*Paul Corrick - Electric Guitar, Bass

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