Robin Lent is a Cuban born US citizen who moved to Netherlands where he recorded and relesead this solo effort in 1971, Robin later joined bands like "Robinson Cruiser" and Max'n Specs accompanied by dutch musicians. He also was part of the Dutch cast of the musical Hair.
The one and only solo album from Robin Lent – a hell of a great singer who really knocks it out of the park with a great blend of acoustic roots and jazzy elements in the music! Recorded on the very short lived UK nepentha record label, and it's an excellent super-rare psych-folk-prog album.
Future Focus band members Thijs Van Leer and Jan Akkerman (also Brainbox member) play on this excellent rare album, which has become highly sought-after in collector’s circles and the music within is highly regarded by critics and fans alike.
Tracks
1. Scarecrow's Journey - 3:10
2. My Father Was A Sailor - 3:55
3. Pushboat (Traditional) - 3:32
4. Leaving Since You Came - 2:46
5. Almitra (The Love That Became Us) - 4:41
6. The Sky Has Called Us Out To Dance - 2:46
7. Waiting For The Morning - 3:35
8. Ocean Liner Woman - 2:54
9. Sea Spray - 3:22
10.Speak Softly Now (Lyrics Edwin Shaw) - 1:45
All compositions by Robin Lent except where stated
There's truth to the old adage that everything old is new again but you don’t have to take my word for it. Google will happily give you almost half a million hits to prove it: everything from fashion to books to politics to music, music and more music. It seems especially apropos to music because good music never goes out of style. It may fade away for a bit, but will always find a way to be heard again, and again.
Such is the case with a regional rock 'n' roll, or garage, band from the 1960's in West Virginia. Living between Charleston and Morgantown, the Mind Garage was inventive, talented and not afraid to go to new places. The most prominent new place they went was off to church. The Mind Garage invented the concept of Electric Liturgy, the forerunner of today’s popular Christian Rock. That isn’t necessarily what they intended, but like the best of such things, it just happened that way.
They started out as The Glass Menagerie (not to confused with the UK band by the same name), and for the most part, all of them were students at West Virginia University in Morgantown. They covered songs of the Stones, the Beatles, the Animals and Jefferson Airplane, but more and more, they wrote their own material. They toured the Midwest, playing Wisconsin and Minnesota. Touring isn’t all that wonderful, and they just sort of disbanded.
A couple of personnel changes and suddenly, together they were better than any of them had ever been when all alone. It was lead guitarist John Vaughan who led the band to the young minister who supported their music: the Reverend Michael Paine. It was Mrs. Paine who came up the band’s new name, as they became the Mind Garage and their collaboration put the Catholic church’s new Liturgy (then first delivered in English rather than the traditional Latin) to rock music, known as "the Electric Liturgy" (appearing as side two of Mind Garage Again, their second RCA album). Actually, it was more Lutheran or Episcopal, harking back to the music of Bach. It almost didn’t happen, either, because a photograph of the minister with the band caused a major ruckus among the townsfolk, and the band ended up moving the music to a Methodist church. Once the music had been performed, however, the criticism melted away like snow in the sunshine.
A lot of folks called it the Electric Mass, but it was never Catholic, in that sense of the word. The only performances were in churches, mostly in the Midwest or along the Eastern seaboard, and the band never charged a fee for their performance. It was a major success, resulting in invitations to return for more.
After several starts and stops, and name changes, the band had ended up with five guys, all of whom liked classical music but played rock. They played hard, they wrote their own songs for the most part, toured a bit, made a record or two and then one day, for no reason, they just walked away in 1970.
In 1983, they found themselves all in the same place at the same time, at the anniversary of a friend’s marriage. Someone asked them to play and they did, on borrowed instruments. A few weeks later, they did it again in a recording studio, which resulted in the Carolina Session. And then, nothing for another twenty years.
Fast forward to 2005 or so. Larry McClurg, the front man for the band, who sang and addressed the audiences between songs (and still does) decided to see if he could find the other guys, with whom he’d had only that one contact since 1970. “It was surprisingly easy,” he says. He’s now in Florida, not quite retired, but busily planning for the band’s reunion next year. He quickly found Jack Bond, keyboards, also mostly in Florida, with occasional forays back home again in WVa. Jack’s been busy for the last few years on Caribbean cruise ships, as a singer/pianist/entertainer in Japan and Mexico, as well as many parts of the US and Canada.
Norris Lytton is also still in West Virginia, having spent the last 35 years in the chemical industry. He was singing bass and also played sax. John Vaughan was the lead guitarist and had been in a country and western band in the Stanford, California area, where he also worked in environmental situations. Michigan resident Ted Smith was (and still is) a percussionist, having spent a bunch of years as the tour drummer with the Spinners and other big bands, while holding down a job with the post office. He’s considered by Ziljian Cymbals to be one of the best drummers in the world.
It was surprising easy to find all the guys, but what really knocked Larry and the others for a loop was the band’s continuing popularity in far-flung areas of the world, even after all these years! It seems that their records were pressed where ever RCA had a plant, so while the band thought they were history, they were really becoming quite well-known to a new generation of fans throughout Europe, Japan, Russia, South America, Australia and Canada. The guys hadn’t even known about the foreign pressings, believing they were released only in the US. They were even included on a compilation disc made by the armed forces in company with Bob Segar, Percy Faith and the other big names of 1969. Their featured song was “What’s Behind Those Eyes."
by Kelly Ferjutz, December 2006
Tracks
1. Ruby Rose - 3:18
2. Life - 3:57
3. Back Down Home - 3:09
4. Further Back Down Home - 1:56
5. There Was A Time - 3:18
6. Sweet Potato - 4:00
7. Doctor John - 6:11
8. Never Leave Me - 1:47
9. Angel Asks - 5:14
10.What's Behind Those Eyes - 2:41
11.Tobacco Road (John D. Loudermilk) - 2:06
12.Lucille (Albert Collins, Richard Penniman) - 2:51
13.Circus Farm - 1:28
14.Emotions - 2:08
15.Isle Of Ely - 4:37
16.Jailhouse Rock (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) - 1:23
17.Paint It Black (Keith Richards, Mick Jagger) - 3:35
18.Processional / Kyrie / Gloria - 5:05
19.Offeratory (Sunday Christian) - 2:20
20.The Lord's Prayer - 2:14
21.Communion (Water) - 4:12
22.Recessional - 2:28
All songs by Larry McClurg, John Vaughan, Ted Smith, Jack Bonasso, Norris Lytton except where stated
Co-founder of Welsh wizards Man and lifelong rock’n’roll raconteur, Deke Leonard was in and out of that legendary band more times than Harold Wilson collected and handed in the keys to 10 Downing Street. After being sacked by Man in early 1972 Deke recorded his first solo album Iceberg, starting in May of that year, with the album eventually being released in 1973.
Leonard was always an old-fashioned rock’n’roller at heart, and during his spells in Man his presence kept a check on their looser jamband instincts, as you can see in the 20-minute version of Spunk Rock on the fabulous Greasy Truckers compilation album recorded earlier in 1972 with Deke in the band. This track remains my favourite ever jamming track, as there is not an ounce of fat on it. Contrast that with the following year’s similarly lengthy Deke-less C’mon, a different kettle of spacerockin’ hippy rambling entirely…I still love it all the same.
Deke tells a great story as his three “life on the road” autobiographies to date attest, and the cover booklet tale regarding his trademark humbug Telecaster is a fine example. If you look closely you will see that the Telecaster has a Stratocaster neck. This is because he had to replace the original after nearly getting electrocuted, which apparently “screwed the neck up”, requiring the temporary replacement for the photo. One wonders what it did to the guitarist, never mind the neck of his instrument!
A few of the tunes on this back-to-basics R&B knees-up of an album found their way into Man’s set when he rejoined in 1974. One of these is the belting 7171-551, and the tale behind that is a good one. Originally the tune had a working title that was actually Mike Nesmith’s phone number. Quite rightly Deke decided he couldn’t use that for the title on the record, so the track listing for the release was changed. Unfortunately the record label printed the first batch of the LP with Nesmith’s actual 10 digit phone number!
Mixing rock’n’roll stompers with souped up psychedelicised country rock, Leonard is joined by a fine cast of the Manband family past, present and future, and by members of the closely related band Help Yourself. Dave Edmunds lends production assistance on future Man track A Hard Way To Live, a song released as a single. Deke had to deconstruct Edmunds’ layered production, lest it sounded “exactly like a Dave Edmunds record”. Deke ponders in his wryly humorous way that had he left it alone he might have had a hit with it.
All in all this album is a fine representation of Leonard’s good time vibe, and the informative booklet plus six bonus tracks taken from non-album singles, b-sides and outtakes.
by Roger Trenwith, 6th May 2015
Born Roger Leonard in Llanelli, South Wales in December 1944, Deke played in various bands throughout the sixties and took his stage name from Deke Rivers, Elvis’ character in the 1957 movie ‘Loving You’.
In 1968 he joined harmony group The Bystanders, however, the band soon embraced a West Coast psychedelia, progressive rock and blues dynamic and changed their name to Man.
Deke Leonard died on 31 January 2017, aged 72. According to his obituary in the April 2017 edition of the magazine Classic Rock, the cause of death was heart failure.
Tracks
1. Razorblade And Rattlesnake - 6:03
2. I Just Can't Win - 2:43
3. Lisa - 3:55
4. Nothing Is Happening (Deke Leonard, Martin Ace) - 4:34
5. Looking For A Man - 3:50
6. A Hard Way To Live - 3:28
7. Broken Ovation - 5:28
8. Jesse - 4:08
9. Ten Thousand Takers - 3:06
10.The Ghost Of Musket Flat (Deke Leonard, Martin Ace) - 2:48
11.Crosby (Second Class Citizen Blues) (Deke Leonard, Martin Ace, Micky Jones, Terry Williamas, Dave Phillips) - 1:54
12.7171 551 - 5:29
13.Diamond Road - 3:49
14.Turning In Circles - 3:35
15.The Aching Is So Sweet - 4:51
16.Nothing Is Happening (Deke Leonard, Martin Ace) - 3:50
17.The Four Corners Of Hell - 6:02
18.Afterburner Boogie - 3:52
All compositions by Deke Leonard except where noted
Musicians
*Deke Leonard - Guitar, Slide guitar, Keyboards, Harmonium, Vocals
On their 1974 studio album, Sense of Direction, Pete Haycock (guitars, vocals), Colin Cooper (sax, flute, clarinet, vocals, rhythm guitar), Derek Holt (bass, vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards), and John Cuffley (drums) wrote a bunch of songs that seemed to distance themselves from the more Chicago blues flavored material they had come up with previously, a trend that actually started on 1972's Rich Man album and continued more and more with each successive record.
Opener "Amerita/Sense of Direction" combined not only some fiery blues, but also hard rock & jazz fusion, as Haycock's guitar and Cooper's sax blast off into a complex, unison burst of energy over tricky rhythms, then settle into an dreamy atmospheric section that segues into the slide guitar blues of "Losin' the Humbles". Cooper's laid back vocal drives the alluring blues/pop of "Shopping Bag People", another piece filled with Haycock's tasty slide guitar solos, while "Nogales" is catchy rock 'n' roll, not unlike what the Steve Miller Band was creating right around the same time. Haycock's shimmering lead guitar lines introduce "Reaching Out", a funky, jazzy rocker with great vocals, tight rhythms, smoky sax, and crisp guitar work. "Right Now" is a smoldering blues number, led by Haycock's stinging guitar lines and Cooper's lazy vocals & smoky horns. The album reaches its climax with the groove laden hard rocker "Before You Reach the Grave" and the rootsy, bluesy, almost Grateful Dead sounding " Milwaukee Truckin' Blues (Chipper's Song)".
As with all the other Esoteric/Cherry Red reissues, Sense of Direction features remastered sound (well done as always), and a selection of bonus tracks, of which the BBC Radio One tracks are the highlights. The booklet here is filled with photos and a nice long essay from Malcolm Dome, who talks about the bands history and the album itself. With the death of Colin Cooper a few years ago and Pete Haycock just days ago, all these Climax Blues Band reissues couldn't have come at a better time. If your only memory of this band is "Couldn't Get it Right", trust me, you need to explore them further.
by Pete Pardo
Tracks
1. Amerita / Sense Of Direction - 6:07
2. Losin' The Humbles - 2:38
3. Shopping Bag People - 4:02
4. Nogales - 4:10
5. Reaching Out - 5:17
6. Right Now - 6:33
7. Before You Reach The Grave - 3:13
8. Milwaukee Truckin' Blues (Chipper's Song) - 1:43
9. A Sense Of Direction - 3:32
10.Shopping Bag People - 3:58
11.Amerita / Sense Of Direction - 6:23
12.Right Now - 6:13
13.Milwaukee Truck Song Blues - 2:46
14.Losin' The Humbles - 4:32
All songs written by Climax Blues Band
Bonus Tracks 9-14
The Climax Blues Band
*Colin Cooper - Vocals, Alto, Tenor Saxes, Rhythm Guitra, Clarinet
*Pete Haycock - Vocals, Lead Guitar. Slide, Acoustic Guitars
*Derek Holt - Vocals, Bass Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Electric Piano
*John Cuffley - Drums, Percussion
Guitarist Rich Dangel had been a member of The Wailers, as well as the lesser known The Rooks and a late incarnation of The Time Machine. Following The Time Machine's collapse in 1967 Dangel and bass player Joe Johnson decided to form their own band. Recruiting guitarist Joe Johansen and drummer Michael Marinelli the result was The Unknown Factor. Serving as a for-hire backing band, the quartet worked with local acts such as Patti Allen and Ron Holden.
In 1968 they added former Punch singer Pat Gossan to the lineup. They quickly scored a deal becoming the house band at Seattle's Eagle Auditorium and attracted considerable attention as one of the acts performing at the 1968 Sky River Rock Festival. The resulting publicity saw them sign a contract with the L.A. based Vault Records. The group subsequently debuted with a dandy 1968 single 'Brought Up Wrong' b/w 'Watch Your Step' (Vault catalog number V-947).
While the single did little commercially, it attracted enough attention for Vault to finance a follow-on album. Released in 1969 the cleverly titled "Floating Bridge" teamed the band with producer Jackie Mills. Musically the set offered up a standard mix of originals and popular covers, but the results were killer throughout. With Dangel, Johnson and Gossan responsible for most of the original material, tracks like 'Brought Up Wrong', the earlier single 'Watch Your Step', and 'Three Minute & Ten Second Blues' sported a distinctively heavy, Hendrix-inspired sound.
Propelled by Gossan's likeable voice and Dangel and Johansen's twin leads extended guitar rave-ups like 'Crackpot' and their Byrds/Stones instrumental medley should strike a chord with the two hard rock fans out there reading this. Elsewhere another 'Hey Jude' cover wouldn't have sounded like the year's most imaginative move, but these guys managed to pull it off.
Envision the song redone as an instrumental with a heavy edge that would have sounded good on an early Allman Brothers album ... one of the most impressive Beatles covers I've ever heard. In fact the only real disappointment is the routine bluesy closer 'Gonna' Lay Down 'n Die'. Much better than the standard references would have you think (and surprisingly hard to find in decent shape).
by Scott Blackerby
Tracks
1. Crackshot (Rich Dangel, Joe Johnson, Pat Gossan) - 7:00
2. Hey Jude (Instrumental) (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 6:12
3. Watch Your Step (Rich Dangel, Joe Johnson , Pat Gossan) - 4:00
4. Three Minute & Ten Second Blues (Pat Gossan) - 3:10
5. Brought Up Wrong (Rich Dangel, Pat Gossan) - 3:47
6. Medley: - 5:35
....a. Eight Miles High (Instrumental) (Gene Clark, Roger McGuinn)
....b. Paint It Black (Instrumental) (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards)
7. You've Got the Power (Rich Dangel, Pat Gossan) - 3:40
8. Gonna' Lay Down 'n Die (Rich Dangel, Joe Johnson, Pat Gossan, Joe Johansen, Michael Marinelli) - 7:26
9. Don't Mean A Thing (Pat Gossan) - 2:11
10.Mr. Jaybird (Joe Johnson, Pat Gossan) - 2:34
Bonus Tracks 9,10
Floating Bridge
*Rich Dangel - Lead Guitar
*Pat Gossan - Vocals
*Joe Johansen - Lead Guitar
*Joe Johnson - Bass
*Michael Marinelli -- Drums, Percussion
In the Spring of 1968, the Mary Butterworth band was formed. They enjoyed playing a variety of engagements around the Southern California area and in 1969, they recorded their one and only album entitled Mary Butterworth. This original, vinyl album was pre-sold to fans and friends only - it was never available to the general public.
Shortly thereafter, the group split up and never performed together again. Years passed and rumors spread that Mary Butterworth had made it big. Of course, that was not the case. What did happen was that one of those original vinyl albums made it into the hands of "bootleggers" in another country. They thought enough of the music to reissue the album, and they began a sales campaign of their own. It didn't stop there. The Butterworth album has been bootlegged at least three other times in two different countries.
This bootlegging has created a Mary Butterworth following and pushed the price of the original vinyl album to over $300.00 per used record. The Psychedelic Rock Music of the '60's is still regarded, even today as some of the greatest live music ever created - and Mary Butterworth will now be a lasting part of that history. This has prompted the re-release of this album, which is mastered from the original studio recording onto Compact Disc.
This CD contains photos of the group, as well as the signature of the original lead singer and bass player Michael Ayling.
Tracks
1. Phase II - 6:10
2. Optional Blues - 4:03
3. It's A Hard Road - 5:51
4. Make You Want Me - 2:40
5. Feeling I Get - 3:58
6. Week In Eight Days - 8:50
All Music and Lyrics by Michael Ayling Brewer, Jim Giordano, Michael Eachus, Michael Hunt
Chicago-based group called the MOB, a seven-piece “show band” that had been playing around the Windy City for years. Jimmy Jimmy Holvay and Gary Beisbier, go all the way back to 1964 with the Chicago chart instrumental “Beatle Time” as the Livers on Constellation. The MOB was formed in the mid-1960s and was one of the early rock bands that featured brass in the lineup. They were still charting records in the mid-1970s, and were quite influencial on the Chicago scene. For Colossus, they charted “I Dig Everything About You” [Colossus 130, #83] and “Give It to Me” [Colossus 134, #71] in early 1971, the last chart hits for Colossus. Their album charted at #204. Jimmy Holvay and Beisbier were accomplished songwriters, having penned most of the hits of fellow-Chicago band the Buckinghams. Other members of the Mob were Al Herrera (lead vocals), Tony Nedza, Bobby Ruffino, James Franz, and Michael Sistak.
Tracks
1. All The Dudes Are Dancing (Jimmy Holvay, David Balteaux) - 4:35
2. Get It Up For Love (Ned Dohney) - 3:46
3. S.Y.A. (Jimmy Holvay, Gary Beisbier) - 3:55
4. Hot Music (Michael Randall, Jimmy Holvay) - 3:38
5. Rock And Roller (Chris Bond) - 3:17
6. Can't Stop This Love Song (Michael Randall) - 3:36
7. When You Get Right Down To It (Barry Mann) - 3:35
8. Magical Lady (Jimmy Holvay, Gary Beisbier) - 3:48
9. Just One Good Woman (Don Dunn, Tony McCashen) - 3:15
10.Who's Foolin' Who? (Steve Barri, Michael Omartian, Michael Price, Dan Walsh) - 4:58
11.Don't Let It Get You Down (Lee Garrett, Robert Taylor) - 3:03
12.Skysurf (Theme For The Hanggliders) (Gary Beisbier) - 3:47
The Count Bishops had formed in June of 1975 from the remnants of a group called Chrome. Rhythm guitarist Zenon de Fleur (aka Hierowski) and New York emigrant and vocalist Mike Spenser, via an advert in Melody Maker, brought in Australian drummer Paul Balbi, and, all the way from Hatfield on bass, Steve Lewins. Paul had not long arrived from the Antipodes, where he had been playing in several bands, and Steve had come directly from the acoustic Spaniel Mountain - now there's a name to conjure with.
Before leaving his native New York, Mike had been in a band called the Kingbees with Johnny Guitar (guitar). In July he had been persuaded to come to London on the promise of a record deal, with an, as yet, non-existent label, and a full date book in the pubs of London: faith is a wonderful thing. The band were named after a New York street gang by Mike.
Up until now the "Speedball" EP has been the only material available from these sessions, and indeed the only Count Bishops record with Mike Spenser as vocalist. In early 1976 Mike departed after a contretemps with a plate glass window, the last in a series of confrontations with inanimate objects that led to the band requesting his departure. He went on to form London's premier garage band, The Cannibals.
The band continued through one album and single for a Dutch label, Dynamite Records, without replacing Mike, before cutting their first Chiswick album with Australian chanter Dave Tice. Shortly after this Steve Lewins moved on to the Wilko Johnson band. With the addition of Pat McMullen on bass the band went on to release a further two albums for Chiswick. They finally disbanded after the tragic death of Zenon in 1979 from injuries received in a car wreck.
This CD consists of the original EP, released on 28th November 1975, exactly 20 years ago, plus the rest of the material recorded at the Pathway sessions, and two cuts from a previous session at [future Stiff Records' bossman] Dave Robinson's studio above the Hope & Anchor pub, with a slightly different line up.
As mentioned in the sleeve note to the Chiswick Story, 'Walking The Dog' and 'I'm A Man' were cut at these sessions, with the former's bass line registering it unuseable (note that Steve Lewins was not on this session). Since then the multi-track tape has surfaced, confirming my fragile remembrance of the 'Walking The Dog' story, and featuring two cuts of Tm A Man', as well as two cuts of 'I Want Candy' and several attempts at Otis Redding's 'I've Got Dreams To Remember', with seriously fractured lead vocal.
Original mix downs of Tm A Man' and 'I Want Candy' have also surfaced, and close this CD. The version of 'I Want Candy' is interesting since it pre-dates by 3 years the Bishops single (NS 37/CHIS 101). The version of Tm A Man' is via Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters' 'Mannish Boy' and incongruously David Bowie's The Jean Genie'. In hindsight The Count Bishops "Speedball" EP is a link between the pub rock of the early 70s and the punk rock that arrived snarling and kicking a year later.
Though based on the early Rolling Stones recordings, the Count Bishops revved up their punky R&B approach and whizzed through the songs at breakneck speed. In fact at a Count Bishops gig Upstairs At Ronnie's, Malcolm McLaren once bent my ear for a good deal of the evening as to whether Mike Spenser was the man he had been looking for to front the new group he was putting together. Cheeky bugger - trying to nick the lead singer of our only act.
by Roger Armstrong, 1995
Tracks
1. Route 66 (Bobby Troup) - 2:57
2. I Ain't Got You (Calvin Carter) - 1:50
3. Beautiful Delilah (Chuck Berry) - 2:08
4. Teenage Letter (Big Joe Turner, Renald Richard) - 2:25
5. Cry to Me (Bert Russell) - 3:40
6. Buzz Me Babe (James Moore, Jerry West) - 2:55
7. Sweet Little Sixteen (Chuck Berry) - 2:47
8. Honey I Need (Dick Taylor, Peter Leslie Smith, John Warburton) - 2:11
9. Carol (Chuck Berry) - 2:37
10.Don't Start Crying Now (James Moore, Jerry West) - 2:02
11.Mercy Mercy (Don Covay, Ronald Miller) - 3:00
12.Reelin' and Rockin' (Chuck Berry) - 3:14
13.Down The Road A Piece (Don Raye) - 2:49
14.I'm a Man (Bo Diddley) - 3:42
15.I Want Candy (Bert Berns, Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein, Richard Gottehrer) - 3:13
With the exception of "Secret Agent Man", nearly all of P.F. Sloan's best-known songs appear on his mid-'60s Dunhill records. While Songs Of Our Times and Twelve More Times endure as classic folk-rock albums, and "Take Me For What I'm Worth" as first-rate songwriting, Measure Of Pleasure sounds far more modern as a piece of recording than the Dunhill LPs. Produced in 1968 by Tom Dowd and recorded in Muscle Shoals with a band that included Steve Cropper, Measure was overlooked upon its release. Still, Sloan's rich tenor and controlled falsetto mark him as a completely credible pop-soul singer. "New Design" stands with his best work, and on "Country Woman" he sings, "Everything I could hope for/Is waiting for me down in Tennessee," and sounds convincing. The idiomatic backing tracks are superb, and Sloan sings as though he needs nothing more than a hot meal and a warm Tennessee woman.
by Edd Hurt
The brilliant first Atlantic album by PF Sloan blend of New York folk and rougher roots, all recorded at the Sun Studios in Memphis, with some great help from a backing group that includes Steve Cropper on guitar! Sloan's folkie tendencies are nicely undercut by the harder Memphis groove here – one that's got some slightly soulful undercurrents, and which works beautifully with the poetry of his original compositions. The blend is one that helps keep the record from sounding too much like any of Sloan's contemporaries – although at one level, it's also a conduit for so a huge amount of different musical ideas and options that were opening up to American singers at the end of the big folk boom of the 60s. Elements of Tim Hardin, Tim Buckley, and Fred Neill certainly surface here – but there's a sense of self that's all Sloan's own, and which makes us wish he'd followed up with work as strong as this!
P.F. Sloan, the songwriting great behind classic singles like Barry McGuire's "Eve of Destruction" and Johnny Rivers' "Secret Agent Man," passed away Monday night (Nov. 15/2015) after a short bout with pancreatic cancer, the musician's representative confirmed to Rolling Stone. Sloan, who was born Philip Schlein, was 70.
Tracks
1. One Of A Kind - 3:02
2. New Design - 3:58
3. (What Did She Mean When She Said) Good Luck - 2:59
4. How Can I Be Sure - 4:45
5. Star Gazin' - 3:10
6. Miss Charlotte - 3:53
7. Champagne - 3:36
8. And The Boundaries Inbetween - 3:15
9. Above And Beyond The Call Of Duty - 3:40
10.Country Woman (Can You Dig It All Night) - 4:15
Words and Music by P.F. Sloan
Fort Mudge Memorial Dump was a band from Walpole, Massachusetts, that started playing by 1969, gathering a good number of fans. They got filed into the “Boston Sound”, among the Ultimate Spinach, the Beacon Street Union, Orpheus, Tangerine Zoo, ecc.
With good technique and better ideas, they recorded a very sought-after LP in which the powerful voice of Caroline Stratton stands out to some Jefferson Airplane affinity. Guitarist Dan Keady, with his jazzy effects, leads the band.
Tracks
1. Mr. Man (Caroline Stratton, Dan Keady) - 2:39
2. Crystal Forms (Caroline Stratton, Dan Keady, James Deptula, Dave Amaral) - 5:45
3. Actions Of A Man (Richard Clerici) - 3:21
4. Blue's Tune (Dan Keady) - 3:15
5. The Seventh Is Death (Richard Clerici) - 5:29
6. What Good Is Spring (Caroline Stratton) - 4:02
7. Tomorrow (Richard Clerici) - 3:07
8. Know Today (Caroline Stratton, Dan Keady) - 2:08
9. Questionable Answer (Caroline Stratton) - 3:23
10. The Singer (Richard Clerici, Dan Keady) - 7:41
The Fort Mudge Memorial Dump
*Caroline Stratton - Vocals
*Dan Keady - Guitar
*James Deptula - Drums
*Dave Amaral - Bass
*Richard Clerici - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Neil Diamond transitioned from professional songwriter to performer when he signed with Bang Records in 1966. There, he cut two albums -- his 1966 debut The Feel of Neil Diamond and its 1967 sequel Just for You -- that contained his greatest songs: “Solitary Man,” “Cherry, Cherry,” “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon,” “Kentucky Woman,” “Thank the Lord for the Night Time,” “I’m a Believer,” “Red, Red Wine,” “The Boat That I Row,” “You Got to Me,” and “Shilo.”
All these, along with the rest of the two Bang albums all presented out of LP order, are on Columbia/Legacy’s 2011 The Bang Years: 1966-1968, by far the best overview ever assembled of this crucial era for Diamond. It’s not just that these are Diamond’s best songs but these are his best records: crisp, lively, colorful pop tunes balanced by luxurious moody brooding ballads.
Once he turned into a superstar Diamond tended to rely on his innate showmanship, but here at the beginning of his career he sounded hungry and knew how to have fun, giving these records a snap that still stings decades later. And Diamond knows just how good these recordings are, as indicated by the terrific autobiographical liner notes he’s penned for this collection, notes that give this music context, but they’re not necessary to appreciate The Bang Years: this is pop music that’s so pure it needs no explanation.
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracks
1. Solitary Man - 2:34
2. Cherry, Cherry - 2:47
3. Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon - 3:00
4. Kentucky Woman - 2:26
5. Thank the Lord For the Night Time - 3:03
6. You Got to Me - 2:52
7. I’m a Believer - 2:44
8. Red, Red Wine - 2:41
9. Boat That I Row - 2:39
10.Do It - 1:55
11.New Orleans (Frank Guida, Joseph Royster) - 2:26
12.Monday, Monday (John Phillips) - 3:01
13.Red Rubber Ball (Paul Simon) - 2:23
14.I’ll Come Running - 3:02
15.La Bamba (Ritchie Valens) - 2:09
16.Long Way Home - 2:31
17.I’ve Got the Feeling (Oh No No) - 2:20
18.You’ll Forget - 2:49
19.Love To Love - 2:22
20.Someday Baby - 2:18
21.Hanky Panky (Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich) - 2:49
22.Time Is Now - 3:06
23.Shilo - 3:25
All songs by Neil Diamond except where noted.
Musicians
*Neil Diamond - Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
*Hugh McCrackin - Guitar, Harmonica
*Al Gorgoni, Sal DiTroia, Charlie Macy, Bill Suyker - Guitar
*Eric Gayle - Electric Guitar
*Artie Kaplan - Saxophone
*Eddie Bert, Nicky Gravine, Benny Powell - Trombone
*Artie Butler - Piano, Organ
*Herb Lavelle, Gary Chester , Buddy Saltzman - Drums
*Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry - Tambourine, Hand Claps, Background Vocals
*George Devens - Percussion
Released in 1975 as the second work of British singer-songwriter Tony Kelly, who released a total of three albums. What is similar to his debut work is that it shows high-quality musicality with the participation of many guest musicians other than the main character, and all songs are filled with his own compositions, clearly showing his high songwriting skills.
On the other hand, the difference between his two albums is that the American swamp atmosphere is stronger than the previous release, and a sophisticated AOR atmosphere is felt, depending on the song. It is a work that is not well-known compared to his debut, but it is an effort that can appeal to both British and American singer-songwriter music lovers.
Tracks
1. Can't Help Thinking (About The Good Times) - 3:59
2. Mr Medicine Man - 3:36
3. See What I Can Find - 3:30
4. Misunderstanding - 6:06
5. Count Me On Your Side - 3:42
6. Changing Your Style - 3:30
7. Coming Near Your Time - 3:42
8. I Never Got - 4:40
9. Find Your Own Way - 3:53
10.I Tried - Yes I Did - 3:00
Lyrics and Music by Tony Kelly
Personnel
*Tony Kelly - Lead Vocals, 6 and 12 string Acoustic, Electric Guitars
*Mick Cox - Electric Guitar
*Micky Moody - Electric Guitar
*Neil Hubbard - Electric Guitar
*Mick Weaver - Keyboards
*Nick Judd - Keyboards
*Bruce Rowland - Drums
*Terry Stannard - Drums
*Chrissie Stewart - Bass
*Marty Lewis - Bass
*Dave Brooks - Tenor Saxophone
*Jo Ann Kelly, Viola Wills, Frank Collins, Dyan Birch - Vocals
*Paddie McHugh and The Ever Present Chorus - Vocals
*Frankie Blackwell, Millie, Marty, Tony and the Two Nicks - Vocals
Cream was a band born to the stage, a fact that the band and their record label realized the public fully understood by the number one U.S. chart placement for Wheels of Fire, with its entire live disc, and the number two chart peak for Goodbye, the posthumous release that was dominated by concert recordings. And in response to those success, we got Live Cream, Vol. 1 (originally known simply as Live Cream) in the spring of 1970, nearly 18 months after the trio's breakup. This could well be their most consistently brilliant album for sheer musicianship, though it is also a peculiar one on a couple of counts, some of which probably prevented it from reaching quite as wide an audience as it might have otherwise.
Released in April 1970 and derived from tapes made at three May 1968 California shows, all of the live tracks here consist of songs originally featured on the group's least ambitious and most rudimentary album, Fresh Cream, dating from 1966 -- and as it happens, there's not a hit represented among the five songs, a fact that probably made this release seem more appealing to hardcore fans than to casual and curious listeners (who didn't know what they were missing).
The performances here show how far the group had come in the nearly two years since laying down the studio originals -- take side one of the original LP, where they stretch out their playing, as well as boost it to new levels of intensity, on "N.S.U." and "Sleepy Time Time," so that the renditions here are the definitive ones, and by themselves should have made this album an essential acquisition back in 1970. But that brings us to the original side two and the 15-minute rendition of "Sweet Wine," an excursion by all three players that is worth the quarter-hour time commitment of the listener.
The live portion of the album ends with their searing, rollicking high energy rendition of Muddy Waters' "Rollin' and Tumblin'." And then, for reasons not clear -- except perhaps simply that it was there, in the vaults, and seemed like a valuable piece of property, which it was (and what else were they going to do with it?) -- the producers close Live Cream with a studio cut, "Lawdy Mama," an Eric Clapton-inspired take on a traditional tune that subsequently evolved into the hit "Strange Brew" during what became the Disraeli Gears sessions. It's not a match for everything we've heard, but in the spring of 1970 no one was exactly complaining over being handed a previously unissued studio track by the Cream, as a bonus to the concert performances here.
As it turned out, there were more live tracks from some of these same shows to draw on in future releases and reissues, which would include a couple of the group's hits; but Live Cream offers the overall highest quality, both in terms of clarity and fidelity, and the performances, which, in addition to the essential great playing (better in some ways than what was heard on some of the much-vaunted live tracks from Wheels of Fire), include excellent vocalizing by Clapton and Jack Bruce.
Not that vocalizing looms that large here -- the live tracks are all given extended jazz-based treatment, and the dialog among the three musicians as the jams develop is fascinating. Foreground and background seem to dissolve as all three musicians take charge, using the full range of their instruments. And where Bruce goes with his bass, especially on "Sweet Wine," is every bit as rewarding as the places that Clapton's guitar takes us; and Ginger Baker's playing is a trip all its own. Performances like this single-handedly raised the stakes of musicianship in rock.
by Bruce Eder
Tracks
1. N.S.U. (Jack Bruce) - 10:15
2. Sleepy Time Time (Jack Bruce, Janet Godfrey) - 6:49
3. Sweet Wine (Ginger Baker, Janet Godfrey) - 15:16
4. Rollin' And Tumblin' (Muddy Waters) - 6:42
5. Hey Lawdy Mama (Traditional) - 2:48
Recorded May 1967 at Atlantic Studios, New York City, 7 March 1968 at The Fillmore, San Francisco, 9 and 10 March 1968, Winterland, San Francisco
An oft-overlooked curio, Live Cream, Vol. 2 appeared at a very odd time, with very little warning, almost two years after its predecessor -- and at virtually the same time as the related (though not overlapping) History of Eric Clapton. And both showed up, not coincidentally, at a point when Clapton, unbeknownst to most of the public, was sidelined with a crippling heroin addiction -- this album helped keep him in the public eye, as a singer as well as a guitarist.
On its face, Live Cream, Vol. 2 is a more ambitious album that its predecessor, offering more songs and including concert versions of two of the group's AM radio hits (as opposed to the album tracks that comprised the repertory on Live Cream, Vol. 1). And it is just about essential listening for anyone who wants to understand what Cream was about, which was live performance. Utilizing -- for the time -- state of the art mobile recording equipment, it was a significant achievement at the time in capturing the genuine sound of a high-wattage power trio on-stage, playing away at full volume; and the overall sonic excellence here must surely be credited to engineers Tom Dowd and Bill Halverson.
The feeling that you are in the front row is very much in evidence, and this is largely due to their ability to capture the band's live fury with clarity and intimacy, down to every nuance of Ginger Baker's playing. As for the performances, this record does capture the band at their peak, though perhaps not at the very best moments of that peak -- the group made their reputation as a live act with epic, lengthy jams that verged on jazz, but the repertory represented here (as opposed to that on Live Cream, Vol. 1) is more focused on their pop/rock efforts, such as "White Room," "Sunshine of Your Love," "Tales of Brave Ulysses," etc., which don't lend themselves as easily (or at all) to opening out in extended jams, in the manner of, say, "N.S.U." or "Sweet Wine," or the legendary "Spoonful"; additionally, numbers such as "Sunshine of Your Love" and, in particular, "White Room," require more vocal dexterity than Clapton and bassist/singer Jack Bruce could muster in this kind of concert setting -- their singing, especially on "White Room" comes close to breaking down ("Sunshine of Your Love" fares better), whereas their playing holds together, almost better than perfect at times.
"Deserted Cities of the Heart" -- which opens the album -- comes off exceptionally well as a concert piece, the bass and guitar actually combining to overcome the absences of swooping cellos, acoustic guitars, and other accompanying instruments from the studio rendition. And there is one priceless example of Cream in a full-tilt jam, on the 13-plus-minute closing cut, "Steppin' Out" -- the band's sheer energy overcomes what minor deficiencies there are in the overall sound quality. And coupled with the compact, four- to five-minute versions of "Deserted Cities of the Heart" and "Tales of Brave Ulysses," among others, the album is a vital, intense, and enjoyable listen that is ultimately rewarding. The original LP had its sonic limitations, but this remastered version offers the best sound ever heard for this album.
by Bruce Eder
Tracks
1. Deserted Cities Of The Heart (Jack Bruce, Pete Brown) - 4:32
2. White Room (Jack Bruce, Pete Brown) - 5:38
3. Politician (Jack Bruce, Pete Brown) - 5:06
4. Tales Of Brave Ulysses (Eric Clapton, Martin Sharp) - 4:45
5. Sunshine Of Your Love (Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Pete Brown) - 7:20
6. Steppin' Out (James Bracken) - 13:38 (Mistitled As Hideaway)
Track 5 recorded 9 March 1968 at the Winterland, San Francisco
Tracks 4, 6 recorded 10 March 1968 at the Winterland, San Francisco
Tracks 1 - 3 recorded 4 October 1968 at the Oakland Coliseum Arena, Oakland
If you were looking for a band with substantial blues roots, technically excellent playing both individually and collectively, and a live excitement that grabs and never lets go, you couldn't do much better than the Climax Blues Band. This English quartet has been around in roughly the same form ever since Rod Stewart and Long John Baldry were obscure blues singers; and FM Live is a fine sampler of their live act, using uptempo blues-rockers to establish a primal intensity sustained throughout a spirited set.
Colin Cooper's booming baritone vocals and inventive sax blowing (he plays lines like pre-Thirties Chicago blues guitarists) are spectacularly well-blended with Pete Haycock's tastefully flashy guitar, all of which is intertwined around the urgent poundings of a highly sympathetic rhythm section. The result is a lengthy but not excessive show that's highly enjoyable -- the product of a tight, talented professional unit.
by Gordon Fletcher, Rolling Stone, 4/11/74
Tracks
1. All The Time In The World - 5:48
2. I Am Constant - 3:35
3. Flight - 11:14
4. Seventh Son (Willie Dixon) - 4:44
5. Standing By A River - 5:20
6. So Many Roads (Paul Marshall) - 11:06
7. Mesopopmania - 7:04
8. Country Hat - 6:22
9. You Make Me Sick - 3:35
10. Shake Your Love (Richard Gottehrer, Climax Blues Band) - 3:00
11. Goin' To New York (Full Version) (Jimmy Reed) - 10:25
12. Let's Work Together (Wilbert Harrison) - 6:54
All songs by Climax Blues Band except where indicated.
Climax Blues Band
*Colin Cooper - Vocals, Alto, Tenor Saxes, Guitar
*Pete Haycock - Vocals, Lead Guitar
*Derek Holt - Vocals, Bass Guitar, Electric Piano
*John Cuffley - Drums, Percussion
This 25-song compilation includes the entire contents of his two 1966 LPs, as well as a 1967 single and two previously unreleased tracks. This period piece is highlighted by "Elusive Butterfly," the original versions of "Counting" and "Cheryl's Goin' Home," "Mr. Zero" (covered by Yardbird lead singer Keith Relf on a flop single), and the previously unreleased, gorgeous baroque rock song "English Afternoon."
by Richie Unterberger
Tracks
1. Elusive Butterfly - 2:46
2. Mister Zero - 3:43
3. You Should Have Seen It - 2:55
4. Counting - 2:54
5. Drifter's Sunrise - 3:26
6. Unlock The Door - 4:06
7. Truly Julie's Blues (I'll Be There) - 2:51
8. Dale Anne - 3:01
9. The World Is Just A “B” Movie - 3:57
10.Cheryl's Goin' Home - 2:06
11.It Wasn't Just The Morning - 2:50 -
12.I Can't Walk Roads Of Anger (Unedited Version) - 4:28
13.San Francisco Woman - 2:54
14.A Nameless Request - 2:15
15.West Virginia Summer Child - 2:12
16.Go Ask Your Man - 2:30
17.Remember The Rain - 2:47
18.I Just Let It Take Me - 2:35
19.The World Is Just A “B” Movie Meets Reno, Funtown, U.S.A. - 2:48
20.We've Never Spoken - 2:09
21.Oh Babe Take Me Home - 3:34
22.Eleanor - 3:33
23.It's Just My Love - 2:44
24.I Fall To You - 2:02
25.English Afternoon - 2:37
All songs by Bob Lind
The roots of the original Motherlode can be traced back to some of Toronto's hottest club acts in the late '60s. Despite the rave reviews and loyal following, The Soul Searchers were spinning their wheels. Steve Kennedy (sax & harmonica) and William Smith (keyboards), who's resume also included some time with David Clayton Thomas's bands prior to BST, decided to go out on their own, and joined another hot commodity on Yonge Street, Grant Smith & The Power.
But that band was mostly playing everyone else's material, and the majority of the 9-piece ensemble was growing restless, and parted ways in 1968. Kennedy and Smith, along with guitarist Ken Marco and drummer Wayne Stone, decided to go out on their own. They packed up their gear and their bongs, and moved to London to escape the pressures and rat race of living in Toronto.
They began playing on the local circuit there while writing their own material, and barely scratching out a living, when they caught the attention of Mort Ross, president of Revolver Records. He signed them to a deal and the band spent the spring of '69 in the studios with producers Doug Riley (Dr Music) and Terry Brown, who would later be producer of Rush, among a million other credits.
With US distribution through Neil Bogart's (KISS, Donna Summer) Buddha Records, the debut album, WHEN I DIE, was released that summer. But amid a considerable amount of hype, the title track eventually climbed in the top 10 in Canada and went gold, and pleasantly surprising, peaked at #18 Stateside. The follow-up single "Memories Of A Broken Promise" stalled at #25, but with a heavy tour schedule to back the product, record execs were happy, and paid for some recording time that fall.
For some reason RPM Magazine, based out of Toronto coincidentally, decided to declare them Canada's first 'supergroup' ... perhaps a bit premature, as they split up only a couple of months later, in January 1970 with eveyone except Smith became Dr Music's revised backup band. But Mort Ross and Revolver Records owned the name 'Motherlode,' And since he hadn't yet recouped the vested financial investment he'd made in the group, Ross decided to produce and release a second album. TAPPED OUT was in the stores that spring, but only in the US, and unfortunately not many copies left those store shelves.
Although following the same basic funk/soul rock to it, the record was generally perceived as disjointed, sounding incomplete. Because there was minimal material to work with, the songs had to be extended as much as possible, and only seven made the album. With the songs too long for radio play and station PDs not all that interested, it went nowhere.
But ever the opitimist, Ross installed revolving doors in the dressing rooms and studio, and over the next year several incarnations of Motherlode came and went. He convinced Smith to come back on board for one version that played a few smaller dates together, and released a pair of singles, "Dear Old Daddy Bill" and "I'm So Glad You're You." Neither song lit up the charts, and since it was a makeshift marriage destined to fail anyway, everyone went their separate ways.
Another version of the group centred around singer Breen LeBoeuf (ex of Chimo, Soutchote, Studebaker Hawk) and guitarist Gord Waszek (ex of Leigh Ashford), which released the single "All That's Necessary." With no money to back the project, that too didn't fare well. Interestingly, the b-side to that song was "The Chant," a reworking of "Hiro Smothek" from the second album. That version split up, and LeBoeuf retreated to mostly studio work over the years, as well as working on some French projects, then later joining Offenbach and then April Wine.
Bassist Mike Levine (later of Triumph) was among the remnants when a third lineup was formed only months later, this time centering around singer Wayne St John (THP Orchestra, Domenic Troiano Band). The final lineup to bear the name 'Motherlode' came in the spring of '71, the shortest lived version yet, which featured George Olliver on vocals.
The original lineup reunited in '76 to record and tried to release the song "Happy People" under the Motherlode monikor. Mort Ross still owned the name, and therefore naturally vetoed the idea, and the song was released as a Kenny Marco solo project. The name stayed dead until a reunion was scheduled for Club Bluenote in Toronto in late 1989. This sparked a renewed interest in recording some new material, but those sessions have yet to be released.
Tracks
1. When I Die (Steve Kennedy, William Daniel Smith) - 3:18
2. Oh! See The White Light (Steve Kennedy, William Daniel Smith) - 2:38
3. You Ain't Lookin' In The Right Place Baby (Ken Marco, Steve Kennedy, William Daniel Smith) - 3:47
4. Help Me Find Peace Of Mind (Ken Marco) - 3:20
5. Hard Life (Steve Kennedy, William Daniel Smith) - 4:00
6. Child Without Mother (Ken Marco, Steve Kennedy, William Daniel Smith) - 3:50
7. Dear Old Daddy Bill (Ken Marco, Steve Kennedy, William Daniel Smith) - 2:51
8. Memories Of A Broken Promise (Dianne Brooks) - 2:26
9. Soft Shell (Steve Kennedy, William Daniel Smith) - 4:59
10.Living Life (Ken Marco) - 3:54
11.What Does It Take (To Win Your Love) (Harvey Fuqua, Johnny Bristol, Vernon Bullock) - 2:20
12.Can't You Find Love (Steve Kennedy) - 2:37
13.Quality Of Leadership (Steve Kennedy, William Daniel Smith) - 2:41
14.Righteous Land (Ken Marco) - 3:45
15.Been So Long (Steve Kennedy, William Daniel Smith) - 5:43
16.Robert E. Lee (Louis Muir, Wolf Gilbert) - 1:51
17.Black Cat (Steve Kennedy, William Daniel Smith) - 3:26
18.Hiro Smothek (Steve Kennedy, William Daniel Smith, Ken Marco, Wayne "Stoney" Stone) - 6:20
19.Lilac Wine (James H. Shelton) - 8:52
Motherlode
*Ken Marco - Electric Guitar, Vocals
*William Daniel Smith - Organ, Piano, Harpsichord, Vocals
*Wayne "Stoney" Stone - Drums
*Carol Kaye - Bass, Acoustic Guitar
*Steve Kennedy - Tenor Saxophone, Harmonica, Vocals
*Dave Young - Bass (Track #11)
*Paul "Mickey" MacCallum - Congas (Track #11)
*Andy Cree - Percussion (Track #7)
