rep>>> The Pandamonium - The Unreleased Album (1969 uk, outstanding psych folk rock, 2004 release)

Singers/guitarists Martin Curtis and Bob Poton started their professional musical careers in 1963 as members of the beat band The Pandas.  By 1966 they'd expanded their line up to include Kent Mick Glass and drummer Steve Chapman.  They'd also opted for a name change, dropping The Pandas for the hipper Pandamonium.

Produced by Shel Talmy and Hugh Murphy, the collection found the duo supported by members of Fairport Convention/Fotheringay (Jerry Donahue, Gerry Conway and Tim Donaldson) and Heads, Hands and Feet (Albert Lee and Chas Hodges).  Musically the album was quite different from the earlier "Thoughts & Words" release.  Whereas the former sported a distinctive reflective folk feel, material like 'I Know You', the Badfinger-ish 'Sunrise' and 'Sit and Watch the Sunshine' showcased a far more commercial and up-tempo pop feel.  

Showcasing all original material, the pair had a clear knack for crafting the kind of melodies that crawled into your head and wouldn't let go - I dare you to shake 'I Believe In You' out of your memory.  Curiously, as lead singers neither Curtis nor Ponton had great voices, but when they were paired together they somehow managed to turn in some truly stunning harmony work (the country-tinged 'If I Could Be With You').   

Even more interesting were a couple of psych-influenced numbers.  'I Am What I Am' sported another mesmerizing melody, couple with one of the best fuzz and backward guitar solo sections I've ever heard.  Yeah, there were a couple of duds - 'Baby I'll Be Yours' was a forgettable country-influenced number, 'Who Knows What We May Find' was a fey ballad, and 'Waiting for Summer' was a strange Latin-flavored piece that wouldn't have sounded out of place on an Everything But the Girl album.  Still, one of my favorite recent discoveries the big mystery being why Liberty would have shelved an album with so much commercial potential 

by Scott Blackerby

Tracks
1. I Know You - 3:18
2. It´s A Long Time - 3:14
3. I Am What I Am - 3:54
4. Sunrise - 4:10
5. If I Could Be With You - 2:15
6. Sit And Watch The Sunshine - 3:11
7. Baby I´ll Be Yours - 3:52
8. Send Out A Smile - 3:04
9. Who Knows What We May Find - 3:15
10.Waiting For The Summer - 2:30
11.I Believe In You - 3:57
All songs by Bob Ponton, Martin Curtis

Personnel
*Bob Ponton - Lead, Acoustic Guitars, Vocals (Tracks 1-11)
*Martin Curtis - Rhythm Guitar (Tracks 1-11)
*Albert Lee - Lead, Rhythm Guitars (Tracks 3-5, 8, 10, 11)
*Pete Gavin - Drums (Tracks 3, 8)
*Chas Hodges - Bass (Tracks 3, 8)
*Clem Cattini - Drums (Tracks 4, 5, 10, 11)
*Gerry Conway - Drums (Tracks 1, 2, 7, 9)
*Jerry Donahue - Lead, Rhythm Guitars, Vocals (Tracks 1, 2, 7, 9)
*Pat Donaldson - Bass (Tracks 1, 2, 7, 9)
*Tom Parker - Piano (Tracks 1, 2, 4. 5, 7, 9-11)
*Val Cope - Baking Vocals (Tracks 1, 2, 4. 5, 7, 9, 11)

1969  Thoughts And Words - Thoughts And Words (2005 reissue)  

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rep>>> Bert Sommer - The Road To Travel (1968 us, beautiful folk psychedelic baroque tinged rock, 2006 remaster)

Major labels were taking all kinds of chances on untested talent in the late '60s, but although his name may have been unfamiliar to most in the industry, Bert Sommer was hardly untested. By the release of The Road to Travel, his 1968 debut, he had already written five songs for the Vagrants (founded by a pre-Mountain Leslie West, Sommer's schoolmate) and sung lead vocals on the Left Banke's single "Ivy, Ivy" through a friendship with that band's Michael Brown. 

The Road to Travel shows that his well of inspiration had not yet run dry. With help from a conglomeration of friends and studio professionals, Sommer proved he was facile in a variety of styles -- orchestral pop, acoustic folk, and some of the most sensitive singer/songwriter material heard before the style had fully flowered (with apologies to Tim Buckley). All of this was delivered in Sommer's plaintive voice, although he was more convincing when he really let go than when he tried to rein it in. Anachronistically, he began the LP with the words "And when it's over" (the title of the opener), moving quickly on the song from eerie Baroque pop to bombastic, brass-led art rock. 

That was a mere taste of what was to come, encompassing the hippie-dippie end of folk on "Jennifer" (the song Sommer gained raves for at Woodstock), straightforward sunshine pop for "Things Are Goin' My Way," and a curiously aggressive falsetto take on art rock for "Tonight Together." Sommer's power as a songwriter and performer was clear, but he was incredibly difficult to pin down. That may be what doomed The Road to Travel, but it has an undeniable flair. 

by John Bush

Tracks
1. And When It's Over - 3:13
2. Jennifer - 2:35
3. Things Are Coin' My Way - 2:29
4. She's Just A Girl - 3:44
5. Tonight Together - 2:28
6. The Road To Travel - 3:55
7. She's Gone - 3:01
8. Hold The Light - 2:53
9. A Simple Man - 2:45
10.Brink Of Death - 3:20
11.A Note That Read - 3:27
All selections written by Bert Sommer

Musicians
*Hugh McCraken - Guitars
*Danny Cooch. - Guitars
*David Cohen - Guitars
*Sam Brown - Guitars
*Al Giorgoni - Guitars
*Bert Sommer - Guitars Vocals
*Joe Mack - Bass
*Renie Press - Bass
*Al Rogers - Drums
*Ron Frangipane - Piano
*Paul Griffin - Piano
*Artie Kaplan - Flute
*Specs Powell - Vibes

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