Highway - Highway (1974 uk, remarkable country folk swamp rock, 2012 korean remaster)

"Highway" recorded and released in 1974 was the first album of the band. Much similar to other British swamp rockers like Ro Ro, Brian Short, Tennent Morrison and Black Cat Bones. Featuring Ray Minhinnet an exquisite guitarist, not only a marvellous player, but also an expert in guitar history.

Tracks

1. Silver City (Jon Elstar, Will Killeen) - 5:57

2. Song For A Friend (Ray Minhinnet, John Gordon) - 6:44

3. Cajun Queen (John Gordon, Ian Byron, Ray Minhinnet) - 6:08

4. Blinds Me (Jon Elstar) - 4:44

5. Ready! (John Gordon, Jim Hall) - 3:20

6. Down By The Wishing Well (Jon Elstar, Will Killeen) - 5:24

7. Wee Wee Baby (Willie Dixon, Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters) - 5:46

8. Same Old Dream (Jim Hall, John Gordon, Ian Byron) - 6:06

Highway

*Ray Minhinnett - Electric, Slide, 12-String Acoustic Guitars, Vocals

*Jim Hall - Piano, Keyboards, Synthesizer, Vocals

*Ian Byron - Drums, Percussion, Vocals

*John Gordon - Bass, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals

*Jon Elstar - Acoustic Guitar, Lead Vocals, Harmonica

With

*Mick Gradham - Guitar

*B.J. Cole - Pedal Steel Guitar

*Tony Carr - Congas

1974  Highway - Smoking At The Edges (2012 korean remaster)  

Related Act

1971  Heaven - Brass Rock One (2019 japan blu spec bouble disc)  

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Headstone - Headstone (1975 uk, nice prog rock with funky and folk tinges, 2021 korean remaster)

After leaving Rare Bird Mark, Ashton formed a new band, Headstone, together with a great guitarist called Steve Bolton. Steve used to play with Atomic Rooster. They signed a contract with Trident Productions who had already signed a new band called Queen. A great bass player Philip Chen joined who later went on to play with Rod Stewart. We recorded with the same producer of Rare Bird’s first album, John Antony. Headstone made two albums for Trident EMI. 

Irish violinist Joe O'Donnell joint also Headstone circa 1975, while in and out of East Of Eden. Joe was a member of  The Woods Band. This band folded and Gay & Terry Woods signed to Polydor as a duo. Joe appears on their debut LP "Backwoods", released in 1972. He then joined the fourth, unrecorded lineup of UK folkrock legends the Trees. This was reputedly the most rockin' version of the band. In 1973, Joe replaced Dave Arbus in East Of Eden. 

Tracks

1. Eastern Wind - 3:45

2. Warm Sunny Days - 4:52

3. Turn Your Head - 3:53

4. Gyrosame (Steve Bolton) - 3:09

5. Karma (Jerome Rimson) - 3:42

6. Hard Road - 4:21

7. Large Weather We're Having, Lucy (Steve Bolton) - 3:01

8. Searching Light (Steve Bolton) - 3:21

9. Get Through To You - 4:23

10.All I Ask - 3:54

11.Someone's Gotta Give - 6:09

All compositions by Mark Ashton except where indicated

Headstone

*Mark Ashton - Lead Vocals, Acoustic, Electric Guitars

*Steve Bolton - Lead, Acoustic Guitars, Steel Guitar, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals

*Joe O'Donell - Electric, Acoustic Violins, Piano Accordion, Mandolin, Backing Vocals

*Jerome Rimson - Bass, Lead Vocals

*Peter Van Hooke - Drums,Percussion

Guest Musicians

*Max Middleton - Piano

*Chas Jankel - Rhythm Guitar

*Juanita Franklin - Vocals 

1974  Headstone - Bad Habits (2021 korean remaster) 

Related Acts  

1969-78  Rare Bird - Beautiful Scarlet The Recordings (2021 six disc box set) 

1969  Rare Bird - Rare Bird (2007 Bonus Tracks)  

1970  Rare Bird - As Your Mind Flies By (2007 Bonus Tracks)  

1972  Rare Bird - Epic Forest (Bonus Tracks)

1970-72/80  Atomic Rooster - Devil's Answer / Rare Live Recordings  

1972  Tranquility - Tranquility (2004 remaster)  

1972  Tranquility - Silver (2018 korean remaster) 

1975  East Of Eden - Another Eden (2012 Flawed Gems remaster)

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Poor Boys - Ain't Nothin' In Our Pocket But Love (1970 us, pleasant groovy pop psych bubbles, 2016 korean remaster)

American trio the Poor Boys--Robert Fazio (lead vocals), Thomas Corio (organ, piano, vocals), and Edwin Corliss (percussion, vocals)--released their only album on the Motown-owned Rare Earth label in 1970. ) -- released their only album on the Motown-affiliated Rare Earth label in 1970. Produced by Michael Valvano, who had worked with Stoney and Meat Loaf on Rare Earth and Frijid Pink. This album has all the delicious elements of bubblegum pop, including catchy tunes, cheap organs, fuzz guitar, happy and simple lyrics, falsetto background vocals, etc. It is a pleasant highly complete album.

Tracks

1. Beg Me (Edwin Corlis, Robert Fazio, Thomas Corio) - 3:28

2. Do What You Wanna Do (Michael Valvano) - 2:49

3. Can't Get Back In (Buck Griffin, Michael Valvano, William Ellis) - 3:20

4. Wooden Horse (Buck Griffin, Michael Valvano, William Ellis) - 3:21

5. A Place Called Love (Michael Valvano, Robert Fazio) - 3:09

6. Little Boy Blue (Robert Fazio, Thomas Corio) - 3:00

7. Mary Mary (Edwin Corlis, Robert Fazio, Thomas Corio) - 2:38

8. Rhyme Or Reason (Robert Fazio) - 2:54

9. You Made Your Bed (Now You Lie In It) (Robert Fazio, Thomas Corio) - 3:04

10.I Won't Take No For An Answer (Robert Fazio) - 2:56

11.Let's Do More About Love (Michael Valvano) - 3:19

12.Just Like A Clock (Robert Fazio, Thomas Corio) - 2:24

Poor Boys

*Edwin Corlis - Percussion, Vocals 

*Robert Fazio - Lead Vocals, Guitar 

*Thomas Corio - Organ, Piano, Vocals

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The Stillroven - Cast Thy Burden Upon (1966-68 us, spectacular garage beat psych)

The Stillroven may be an unknown quantity to most listeners -- even those specializing in '60s music -- but these 18 songs are all well worth hearing for anyone who enjoys not just garage punk music of the era, but also solid mid-'60s pop/rock. Based on what's here, the Stillroven should have had a shot at national exposure and a major-label contract -- an opinion likely shared by anyone favorably inclined toward the type of American band that would cover the music of the early (i.e., pre-psychedelic) Moody Blues. 

(Add to that the fact that the Stillroven's rendition of "And My Baby's Gone" -- which was a potential follow-up to their single "Hey Joe" and gives some indication of their range -- is, if anything, more energetic than the Moodies' original.) And their ventures into psychedelia, such as "Cast Thy Burden Upon the Stone," are filled with strange little touches -- the latter melds sitar flourishes and garage punk textures successfully into a compelling whole, with some influences of early Pink Floyd showing up in the second half, totally out of left field. And they do a version of the Small Faces' "Tell Me Have You Ever Seen Me" that is worth the price of admission, coming from a Minnesota-spawned band. They were also able to cover the Yardbirds' psych-pop single "Little Games" with greater enthusiasm than the Yardbirds themselves, and their version has an edge that the original lacked in the verses, even if the break isn't quite as technically bold as what Jimmy Page and company did.

Their version of "(I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone" is also well worth the listening time, familiar as the song is, for the abandon of their execution. And the Stillroven covers of the Rolling Stones and Love material are similarly impressive, showing off different attributes of their musicianship. All through this collection, it's clear that the Stillroven knew how to translate their best musical impulses as well as a lot of creative performance flourishes to their recordings without sacrificing energy or excitement. What the Stillroven lacked was an individual sound that was sufficiently memorable to make a lingering impression, and they might well not have fared too much better than they did, even with some national exposure. But as interpreters, and undoubtedly as a live band, they were first-rate, and this collection does distill that virtue down successfully from more than 50 years back.

by Bruce Eder

Tracks

1. (I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone (Bobby Hart, Tommy Boyce) - 2:29

2. She's My Woman (Dave Dean, John Howarth) - 2:45

3. Hey Joe (Billy Roberts) - 2:39

4. Sunny Day (Dave Dean, John Howarth) - 2:24

5. And My Baby's Gone (Denny Laine, Mike Pinder) - 2:13

6. Little Picture Playhouse (Eric Hine) - 2:05

7. Cast Thy Burden Upon The Stone (Dave Dean) - 2:46

8. Tell Me Have You Ever Seen Me (Ronnie Lane, Steve Marriott) - 2:27

9. Have You Got A Penny (David Stuart Sandler) - 2:38

10.Cheating (Dave Rowberry, Eric Burdon) - 2:51

11.Little Games (Phil Wainman) - 2:27

12.Love Is A Beautiful Thing (Felix Cavaliere, Gene Cornish) - 2:37

13.Under My Thumb (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards) - 2:53

14.Signed D.C (Arthur Lee) - 2:48

15.Come In The Morning (Bob Mosley) - 2:10

16.Necessary Person (Mike O'Gara) - 2:27

17.Tell Me Have You Ever Seen Me (Ronnie Lane, Steve Marriott) - 2:32

18.Freakout (Phil Berdahl, Dave Dean, John Howarth, Dave Berget, Jim Larkin) - 7:01

The Stillroven

*John Howarth - Lead Guitar, Vocals

*Phil Berdahl - Drums 

*Dave Dean - Keyboard 

*Dan Kane - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar (Tracks 1-5, 10-13)

*Rock Peterson - Bass (Tracks 1-5, 10-13)

*Mike O'Gara - Guitar, Vocals (Tracks 8, 14-18)

*Dave Berget - Bass, Vocals (Tracks 6,7,18)

*Jim Larkin - Rhythm Guitar (Tracks 6,7,18)

*Mike Flaherty - Bass (Tracks 14-16)

1968-69  The Stillroven - Too Many Spaces (2003 remaster)  

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Buddy Miles - A Message To The People (1971 us, remarkable funky blues rock, 2021 remaster)

In the league of funk-rock albums, A Message to the People is top-notch. Buddy Miles was easily one the better bandleaders of the early '70s, and his ability to unite a group of talented players around well-crafted songs definitely makes this one of his best albums. The gorgeous "The Way I Feel Tonight," the funky, horn-driven "Place Over There," and the lovely closing "That's the Way Life Is" all rank among Miles' best songs and performances. 

Add to that two superb Gregg Allman covers (especially "Midnight Rider," which is arguably even more definitive than the original), and the results are impressive. Miles even predates hip-hop by lifting the horn riff from Joe Tex's "You're Right, Ray Charles" and crafting it into a new instrumental cut called, fittingly, "Joe Tex." Only a dud cover of Percy Sledge's "Sudden Stop" is the album's lone clinker. In fact, the album is so good, it's mystifying why it barely clocks in at a meager half-hour. "That's the Way Life Is" and the clavinet-laden "The Segment" are both over just as they've barely begun.

Similarly, no sooner does the cover of "Don't Keep Me Wonderin'" settle into a powerful groove than it stops to segue into the next cut. Why Miles felt the need to edit the material so severely is bizarre, since the album could easily have been twice as long and still hit its mark. It's a testament to Buddy Miles' talent that, as first-rate as the album is, it will leave any listener wanting more. Still, A Message to the People is every bit a funk classic. 

by Victor W. Valdivia

A really fantastic album from drummer Buddy Miles – an artist that many folks know for his key rock work in the Band Of Gypsys group of Jimi Hendrix, but a musician with an equally great ear for soul and funk as well! Miles began in Electric Flag, and certainly has ties to the world of psych – and here, he mixes funkier currents with lots of strong trippy guitar from Marlo Henderson – a player we don't know that well, but who adds some great lines that are a lot like some of the Phil Upchurch contributions over at Chess/Cadet at the same time. Miles sings on most numbers, with that nicely honest vocal approach we love so much – but there's a few instrumental moments too, and the set's got some great use of horns throughout, which brings in some southern funky currents too. Titles include "Joe Tex", "Place Over There", "The Segment", "Don't Keep Me Wondering", "Sudden Stop", and "That's The Way Life Is". 

Tracks

1. Joe Tex - 4:58

2. The Way I Feel Tonight - 5:06

3. Place Over There - 5:43

4. The Segment (Buddy Miles, Hank Redd) - 2:40

5. Don't Keep Me Wondering (Gregg Allman) - 2:01

6. Midnight Rider (Gregg Allman) - 3:38

7. Sudden Stop (Bobby Russell) - 4:21

8. Wholesale Love (Otis Redding) - 2:40

9. That's The Way Life Is - 2:06

All songs by Buddy Miles except where stated

Musicians

*Buddy Miles - Bass, Drums, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals

*Hank Redd - Saxophone 

*Frederick "Flintstone" Allen - Percussion

*Michael Fugate - Horn, Trumpet

*Tom T. Hall - Horn

*Marlo Henderson - Lead Guitar, Vocals

*David Hull - Bass, Vocals

*Stemsy Hunter - Saxophone, Vocals

*Charlie Karp - Rhythm, Lead, Acoustic Guitars, Vocals

*Andre Lewis - Organ, Clavinet, Piano, Vocals 

Related Acts
1967  Electric Flag - The Trip (2011 remaster)
1968-69  Electric Flag - An American Music Band / A Long Time Comin
1968-74  The Electric Flag - Live 

1974  The Electric Flag - The Band Kept Playing (2002 edition)  

1972  Carlos Santana And Buddy Miles - Live! (2005 japan remaster)  

 

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Wilderness Road - Sold For The Prevention Of Disease Only (1973 us, elegant roots rural rock, smart lyrics with satirical mood, 2013 remaster)

A rootsy group from the Chicago scene, but one with a fair amount of wit, too – a subtle political agenda that's buried a bit beneath more rocking modes, and which really helps set these guys apart from the pack! The songwriting is often pretty smart, at least from a social perspective – couched amidst riffs and rhythms that are more mainstream overall, yet which know how to underscore the right punch of the group's intentions. A key illustration of this fact is the longer "Gospel" track – kind of a mini-suite aimed at Christian radio.

Back in 1973, naming an album after a slogan found on condom dispenser wasn’t exactly a smart commercial move—but what do you expect from a band whose members met at the Second City club in Chicago? Wilderness Road’s Warren Leming and Nate Herman were satirists and fixtures on the local bluegrass scene when they started the group to raise funds for the Chicago Consipiracy Trial in the aftermath of the 1968 DNC convention; after making self-titled concept album for Columbia, they signed to Warner-Reprise and made this cult classic record in 1973. 

Though the front cover displayed them as futuristic glam-rockers, Wilderness Road actually played a mutant hybrid of mountain music, psychedelia, rock, country and avant political satire, sort of Chicago’s answer to Country Joe & the Fish and the Fugs…except they might have been funnier. For example, Sold… includes “The Gospel,” a suite of songs, fake commercial and spoken word interludes pointedly parodying religious radio, while “The Authentic British Blues” is a devastating takedown of the white boy blues genre.

Tracks

1. Pot Of Gold (A. Harvey) - 3:05

2. Rock Garden (Nate Herman) - 4:00

3. A.M.A. (Warren Leming) - 3:31

4. The Gospel/What Key Does The Gold Lord Sing In?/Sunday, Sunday/Mouth Jive/H (Nate Herman, Warren Leming) - 7:54

5. Reno (Nate Herman, Andy Haban, Warren Leming) - 3:57

6. Bored (Nate Herman) - 5:09

7. Long Winter (Nate Herman) - 4:01

8. The Authentic British Blues (Nate Herman, Warren Leming) - 4:17

Wilderness Road

*Warren Leming - Electric, Acoustic Guitars, Banjo, Vocals, Moon Lute 

*Nate Herman - Lead Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards, Runa 

*Andy Haban - Bass, Vocals 

*Tom Haban - Drums, Vocals

With

*Venetta Fields - Vocals 

*Jim Horn - Alto, Tenor, Baritone Saxophones

*Clydie King - Vocals 

*Rick Mann - Pedal Steel

*Don Menza - Tenor Saxophone

*Shirlie Matthews - Vocals 

1972  Wilderness Road - Wilderness Road  

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Alan Ross - Are You Free On Saturday? (1977 uk, good groovy guitar rock with prog tinges, 2021 korean remaster)

"Are You Free On Saturday? " is the 1977 solo-album by British guitarist, songwriter and vocalist Alan Ross, this time for a small British label, Ebony Records. 

Ross is no mean guitarist and had previously knocked out two albums with his cryptically named band Ross along with a couple of others namely Ro-Ro and Stars. Like Duncan Browne he re-emerged after a quiet spell with two albums that caused little stir at the time but to my mind merit a listen. This is the first and is again one found quite cheaply still. 

On offer is melodic rock with fine guitar work and good instrumentation from a well oiled band including Ed Spevock on drums. I particularly like Ross’s work on the slower Mystified but there is much to be enjoyed with the title track and a version of Peter Gabriel’s Get The Guns also noteable. It’s a harder edged rock album again demonstrating Ross’s guitar prowess and again worthy of a listen. 

In 1980, he appeared on an album by Wilson-Gale called "Gift Wrapped Set". In 1983, he played on Alexis Korner's album "Juvenile Delinquent". 

Tracks

1. Are You Free On Saturday ? - 5:27

2. What You Gonna Do About It ? - 3:56

3. Man With The White Glove - 6:29

4. Mystified - 4:49

5. Get The Guns (Martin Hall, Peter Gabriel) - 3:28

6. Nothing Gets In My Way - 4:29

7. Baby Please (Dave Mason) - 2:56

8. Punishment Park (Mike Finesilver, Peter Ker) - 4:42

9. Love Is Love - 6:25

All songs by Alan Ross except where stated

Personnel

*Alan Ross - Guitar, Vocals

*John Cooke - Clavinet, Mini Moog, Moog Synthesizer, Percussion, Piano, Vocals

*Frank Wilson - Keyboards, Vocals, 

*Pete Dennis - Bass, Vocals

*Chris Fletcher - Percussion, Vocals

*Ed Spevock - Drums, Percussion

*Tom Compton - Drums

1972  Ro Ro - Meet At The Water (2009 korean remaster) 
1974  Ross - The Pit And The Pendulum (2019 remaster)

1974  Ross - Ross (2019 korean remaster) 

1978  The Alan Ross Band - Restless Nights (2021 korean remaster)  

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Headstone - Bad Habits (1974 uk, amazing prog rock, 2021 korean remaster)

Mark Ashton, a remarkably resilient rock figure who first joined Rare Bird as a 19-year-old drummer. After two albums with the band, Ashton left and re-invented himself as a singer/guitarist in a new band, Headstone. Steve Bolton ex-Atomic Rooster. Bassist Phil Chen an Arrival veteran whilst keyboard player Tony Lukyn was previously with Tranquility.

They released two albums, both produced by John Anthony, with the second featuring cameos from Rare Bird-mates Steve Gould and Dave Kaffinetti. 

On "Bad Habits" The style here is very different than Rare Bird – a bit singer/songwriter, but still with a full band approach overall – recorded in modes that mix British and Cali mid 70s styles in the best way possible, and coming across with a lean sort of style that really lets Ashton shine in the spotlight.

Tracks

1. Don't Turn Your Back - 4:25

2. Take Me Down - 4:15

3. High On You - 3:08

4. Love You Too - 2:24

5. O3B - 4:04

6. Open Your Eyes - 0:29

7. Live For Each Other - 3:47

8. You've Heard It All Before - 3:35

9. Bad Habits - 3:55

10.Take A Plane - 4:36

11.DMT - 4:32

All compositions by Mark Ashton except Track #5 by Steve Bolton

Headstone

*Mark Ashton - Guitar, Vocals

*Steve Bolton - Guitar

*Chilli Charles - Drums

*Phil Chen - Bass

*Tony Lukyn - Moog Synthesizer, Synthesizer

With

*Joe O'Donnell - Guitar, Violin

*Dave Kaffinetti - Keyboards, Electric Piano

*Carl Douglas - Vocals

*Juanita "Honey" Franklin - Vocals

*Steve Gould - Vocals

*Sparkie - Vocals 

Related Acts

1969-78  Rare Bird - Beautiful Scarlet The Recordings (2021 six disc box set) 

1969  Rare Bird - Rare Bird (2007 Bonus Tracks)  

1970  Rare Bird - As Your Mind Flies By (2007 Bonus Tracks)  

1972  Rare Bird - Epic Forest (Bonus Tracks)

1970-72/80  Atomic Rooster - Devil's Answer / Rare Live Recordings  

1972  Tranquility - Tranquility (2004 remaster)  

1972  Tranquility - Silver (2018 korean remaster) 

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Highway - Smoking At The Edges (1974 uk, awesome bluesy country swamp rock, 2012 korean remaster)

UK band from Sunderland, formed by ex-Cold Comfort drummer Ian Byron, guitarist Ray Minhinnit and former Heaven bassist John Gordon.  The band scored exposure in the UK by acting as support to Black Sabbath's December 1973 tour. Ray Minhinnit played with artists such as Alan Price and Georgie Fame. Highway also included John Elstar, and James Hall. They released "Highway" in 1974 and "Smoking At The Edges" later the same year on EMI Records.

After they split Minhinnett  joined Frankie Miller’s Full House in the mid-70s, he also played with Phoenix at the start of the 80s and was in John Coghlan’s Diesel Band. Minhinnett was soon concentrating on writing music, sometimes composing in collaboration with others, such as Andy Frazer and his long-term associate Bob Young. He was also musical director for a Sky Television music show. The 90's found Minhinnit working with ex-Whitesnake guitarist Micky Moody on the 1998 Minhinnit, Young and Moody project album. 

John Gordon wound up playing with Pink Floyd man Roger Waters on his 'When The Wind Blows' album.  Vocalist John Elstar played a small part in the history of Black Sabbath adding harmonica touches to their 1978 album 'Never Say Die'.  In the early eighties Elstar fronted a short-lived London outfit dubbed Informer, involving ex-Side Winder and Stallion guitarist Stuart Smith, Whitesnake bassist Neil Murray and a pre-Iron Maiden Nico McBrain. 

 

Tracks

1. No Need To Run (Ray Minhinnett) - 6:06

2. Better Times (Jim Hall, Ian Byron) - 3:04

3. Heaven`s End (Ray Minhinnett) - 2:25

4. Quantrill`s Men (Jon Elstar, Will Killeen) - 5:46

5. Anna Lee (Jon Elstar, Will Killeen) - 5:39

6. Cell Block 4 (Jon Elstar, Will Killeen) - 3:38

7. Don`t Turn Your Light On (John Gordo) - 3:55

8. Natural Born Gun (Ian Byron) - 2:20

9. One Sad Song (John Gordo) - 6:53

Highway

*Ray Minhinnett - Electric, Slide, 12-String Acoustic Guitars, Vocals

*Jim Hall - Piano, Keyboards, Synthesizer, Vocals

*Ian Byron - Drums, Percussion, Vocals

*John Gordon - Bass, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals

*Jon Elstar - Acoustic Guitar, Lead Vocals, Harmonica

Related Act

1971  Heaven - Brass Rock One (2019 japan blu spec bouble disc)

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The Count Bishops - The Count Bishops (1977 uk, tough boogie garage pub rock, 2005 remaster)

They were our first band way back in 1975, even before punk rock was invented and independent record labels were still few and far between. We released the “Speedball” extended play 7” vinyl 45 rpm record on Chiswick Records as by the Count Bishops. By the time of the first Chiswick album the vocalist had been ejected and Dave Tice added to the original band of Zenon De Fleur – rhythm guitar / Johnny Guitar – yes, you’ve guessed it, on lead guitar / Steve Lewins – bass (replaced by Pat McMullan on the second album) / Paul Balbi – drums. They were a total powerhouse of a band, with a tough R&B sound carrying more weight than Dr Feelgood and just this side of Motorhead, who they played with regularly. The young Julian (Jools) Holland tickled the ivories with great aplomb on both of the albums.

They delivered a mix of originals and astute cover versions, the latter drawn from blues, soul and beat sources as well as just plain good songs. Willie Dixon, Elmore James, Sonny Boy Williamson and Slim Harpo were all inspirations on these Long Players. Ray Davies, Van Morrison and Jeremy Spencer were all inspired by these same blues legends and so the tradition continued with covers from them too. The soul side is represented by a fine Hayes / Porter tune and one from Otis. But the single from the first album consisted of two sides written by Zenon who also wrote some great blues-based numbers with singer Dave Tice on the second album. The second single from that LP, which made it as far as Top Of The Pops, but unfortunately no further, was their storming rendition of the Strangeloves’ I Want Candy, which later charted in a somewhat more anaemic version for Bow Wow Wow. And we did try with releases in 6”, 7” and 10” formats.

The band maintained a healthy touring schedule and though they turned out great records, they were absolute dynamite live; very few bands at the time could stand up to them.

However the tragic death in a car accident of Zenon in March 1979 was a blow that the band never recovered from. It was not just that his driving rhythm guitar was sorely missed, but he was really the force behind the logistics of a band who toured a lot. He died suddenly and unexpectedly in hospital a few days after totalling his Aston Martin on the way from a gig. While in hospital he was overseeing the finishing touches to the second album’s release. The third single from the second Chiswick studio album was a great take on John D Loudermilk’s witty Mr Jones and it came out shortly after Zen’s death. The album followed a month later and the band went on the road with a substitute guitarist. They toured Australia later that year, but never played the UK again after that.

But they left a hell of a legacy in these two studio albums as well as a live album. For a long time bands like the Bishops were swamped in people’s minds by the onslaught of punk rock, but when it came to being tough, when it came to lifting an audience off their feet, the Bishops were a hard act to follow.

ACE-Recs

Tracks

1. I Need You (Ray Davies) - 2:25

2. Stay Free (Zenon De Fleur) - 3:09

3. Down In The Bottom (Willie Dixon) - 2:52

4. Talk To You (Steve Lewins) - 3:47

5. Shake Your Moneymaker (Elmore James) - 2:33

6. Down The Road A Piece (Don Raye) - 2:50

7. Baby You're Wrong (Zenon De Fleur) - 2:48

8. Don't Start Crying Now (James Moore, Jerry West) - 2:05

9. Someone's Got My Number (Steve Lewins) - 2:35

10.Good Guys Don't Wear White (Ed Cobb) - 2:46

11.You're In My Way (Steve Lewins) - 3:11

12.Taste And Try (Chris Youlden) - 2:31

The Count Bishops

*Johnny Guitar - Guitar, Vocals

*Paul Balbi - Drums

*Steve Lewins - Bass

*Zenon De Fleur - Guitar Vocals

*Dave Tice - Vocals 

With

*Julian Holland - Piano

1975  The Count Bishops - Speedball Plus 11  

1975-79  The Count Bishops - The Best Of  

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The Alan Ross Band - Restless Nights (1978 uk, nice funky guitar rock, 2021 korean remaster)

An obscure little record from the band of UK singer Alan Ross, a set that's very much got the 70s vibe of the messy hotel room on the cover -- kind of a shaggy blend of hard rock elements with a bit of tighter, more mainstream production! Alan's a strong singer who gets his vocals all compressed in a cool way in the setup of the sound, maybe a bit of an Eagles influence in the way the things come together, although the group are leaner and more focused on showcasing Ross, his lyrics, and his guitar work. Titles include "Angel", "Joe Henry", "Restless Nights", "Land Of The Snows", "Kamina", "I Will Be Alright", and "Don't Back Away".

Tracks

1. Restless Nights - 5:08

2. Ain't It A Shame - 4:00

3. Kamina - 4:03

4. I Will Be Alright (Jim Frank) - 4:06

5. Angel - 3:31

6. Joe Henry - 3:39

7. Land Of The Snows - 3:30

8. Salvation - 3:48

9. Don't Back Away - 4:59

All compositions by Alain Presencer, Alan Ross except where noted

Personnel

*Alan Ross - Guitar, Vocals

*Craig Anders - Guitar, Vocals

*John Cooke - Keyboards, Vocals

*Pete Dennis - Bass, Vocals

*Ed Spevock - Drums 

1974  Ross - The Pit And The Pendulum (2019 remaster)

1974  Ross - Ross (2019 korean remaster)  

1972  Ro Ro - Meet At The Water (2009 korean remaster) 

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James Gang - Thirds (1971 us, great blend of country, blues and classic rock, 2021 japan reissue)

The gang’s third album follows the same formula as their last: deliver a killer rock track out of the gate and then do your darnedest not to repeat that feat again. This time, the killer track is “Walk Away,” which I would tell you is even tighter than “Funk #49,” but that’s splitting heirs, as the two tracks are pretty much the sum and substance of James Gang’s legacy. If the band didn’t have any qualms about making the same album twice, they take pains on Thirds not to write the same song twice; I’d be hard-pressed to name another album that sounds so different from track to track.

What emerges on Thirds is a band with very different musical personalities. All three members contributed material on their last album, but this is the first time that members wrote and sang the material on their own. Dale Peters delivers a really sweet country song (“Dreamin’ in the Country”) and a blues song that builds into an impressive crescendo (“White Man/Black Man”), Jim Fox writes two tracks, including the ambitious and surprisingly philosophical album-ender, “Live My Life Again,” and Joe Walsh matches their contributions with four new songs. It turned out to be a good time to advance the personalities of Fox and Peters, as Walsh would leave the band the following year.

Although third albums are often where it all comes together, I would say that Rides Again is the tighter album because it rocks more consistently. On Thirds, the band brings in the sort of orchestral arrangements not normally associated with rock bands (unless they’re named The Beatles) and is guilty of meandering a bit on some of the more ambitious songs (e.g., “Again”). In fact, there are only three songs that technically rock on Thirds: “Walk Away,” “Midnight Man” (which is really more of a romantic pop song, though with tongue in cheek) and “Things I Could Be.” Given how good a rock drummer Jim Fox is (not my impression on the first album, btw), it’s a shame his talents are wasted on tracks like “Again” and “It’s All The Same.” As a kind of compensation, Fox does branch out into organ (“Things I Could Be”) and vibes on this album.

The band’s ambitions are (again) slightly misaligned with their abilities. It seems James Gang wanted to write a hit song, play with an orchestra and change the world all on the same album. They succeed on one of those fronts, but I feel like the orchestrated works here are a step back from what they already achieved on “The Bomber” and “Ashes the Rain and I.” By diffusing their energies in so many different directions, Thirds shows the band to be more than the sum of Joe Walsh’s songwriting abilities, but it’s not the first James Gang album you need to own.

by Dave Connolly, December 5, 2019

Tracks

1. Walk Away (Joe Walsh) - 3:33

2. Yadig (Dale Peters, Jim Fox, Joe Walsh) - 2:33

3. Things I Could Be (Jim Fox) - 4:19

4. Dreamin' In The Country (Dale Peters) - 2:59

5. It's All The Same (Joe Walsh) - 4:13

6. Midnight Man (Joe Walsh) - 3:29

7. Again (Joe Walsh) - 4:04

8. White Man, Black Man (Dale Peters) - 5:39

9. Live My Life Again (Jim Fox) - 5:26

The James Gang

*Joe Walsh  - Guitars, Vocals, Keyboards, Piano, Pedal Steel Guitar

*Dale Peters  - Bass Guitars, Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards, Vibraphone

*Jim Fox  - Drums, Vocals, Percussion, Keyboards, Organ, Piano

With 

*Tom Baker - Horn Arrangements

*Horn Freaks - Horns (Track 5), 

*Mary Sterpka - Vocals (Track 6) 

*The Sweet Inspirations - Background vocals (Track 8)  

*Bob Webb - Background vocals (Track 6) 

1969  James Gang - Yer' Album (Japan SHM remaster)
1970  James Gang - Rides Again (2010 SHM remaster)

1971  James Gang - Live in Concert (2010 SHM)

1972  James Gang - Straight Shooter / Passin' Thru (2004 remaster)

1973  James Gang - Bang

1974  James Gang - Miami

1975-76  James Gang - Newborn / Jesse Come Home (2004 edition)  

Related Act

1974  Joe Walsh - So What (2015 SACD)  

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