Question Mark And The Mysterians - The Best Of (1966-67 us, magnificent garage psych rhythm 'n' beat, 2005 remaster)

Like so many rock 'n' roll classics -"Satisfaction," "Layla," "Whole Lotta Love," "Purple Haze," "Johnny B. Goode"- ? and the Mysterians' 1966 smasheroo "96 Tears" begins with a riff that drills into your cranium and, once implanted, never, ever leaves. And why would you want it to? It's the perfect riff for the perfect three-minute, badass lock 'n' roll song.

But "96 Tears" isn't like those other riff-o-matics. For starters, the guitar sits this one out; this tadically radiant riff is dispensed via that most soulful of seemingly long-lost instruments, the venerable organ. And that opening burst of austere insanity- a staccato sputter of eighth notes, all two of them tepeated ad infinitum- is only the beginning. No sooner has it stunned you into instantaneous acceptance of its immortality than it morphs into another unbearably mind-numbing riff of equal enormity. The song could end right there and you'd die happier for having heard it.

Then comes that voice:

"Too many teardrops for one heart to be cryin'/Too many teardrops for one heart to catry on." Whoa. This guy sounds desperate, vulnerable. He's hurting like hell since she left him; she's even laughing at him! You feel his pain and you're hooked. You've got to stay tuned to see if he's gonna crack.

Nope, he's tough, defiant; he's got himself together now—he's not so much singing as sneering He may be down but soon things will be different: "And when the sun comes up/I'll be on top/You'll be way down there/Lookin' up." Is that a threat or a mere prediction? No matter; she's gonna be the one bawling before this is all over, you just watch and see: "Ninety-six tears, c'mon and lemme hear you cry, now/Ninety-six rears (whoo!)/I wanna hear you cry/Night and day, yeah, all night long."

What is this? Who is this? "96 Tears"? What an odd name for a song, you're thinking. And the gtoup singing it is called—huh?—? and the Mysterians ? The singer is a punctuation mark ? You've gotta be kidding me. Is he a strange visitor from another planet or somethin' ? Well, since you asked...  The man who calls himself?, you see, was born on Mars. He's been around since the dinosaurs and regularly has conversations with The People From The Future. He's been famous for several lifetimes and his band, he once said, "came together out of the clear blue sky."

Not buying it? Try this earthly version then: He may or may not have been born Rudy Martinez circa 1945, in Texas. And he probably did his growing up in the Saginaw, Michigan area where the band -most of them transplanted Chicano Texans- really formed.

There are two sides to every story, after all. But ? -and yes, that's his legal name- ain't giving anything away. That's part of the mystique, like the perma-shades that blot out the King of Attitude's eyes. If he told you more about himself, he wouldn't be much of a question mark, now, would he?

So we'll be the designated bean-spillers. The nucleus of the original band –bassist Larry Borjas, drummer Robert Martinez and guitarist Bobby Balderrama- took up rockin' circa 1962. Keyboard player Frank Rodriguez was soon added and before long the band was cranking out tunes by the Ventures and the like.

They named themselves after a 1957 Japanese sci-fi movie in which alien Mysterians from the planet Mysteroid land on Earth looking to mate with our women. That's where ? comes in. Around '64, he just appeared, a dancing, snarling enigma, declaring himself the Mysterians' new vocalist and suggesting that the others take names like X, Y and Z to maintain their inscrutability (they passed on the offer). By then Robert (spies swear he's ?'s brother) and Larry had found new lives in the military, replaced by Eddie Serrato (?'s brother-in-law) on drums and Frank Lugo on bass.

The now-solid lineup cut a couple of records that went nowhere. Then came "96 Tears," which began its ascension to garage band eminence one day when Rodriguez began noodling on his keyboard. (And get this, trivia fans: Contrary to long-standing assumptions, Frank played the omnipotent riff on a Thomas organ, not a Farfisa, as is so often assumed.) ? once told this writer how the song materialized from the depths of his subconscious: "As soon as Frank hit the first chord, I said, 'We can't use that because I've heard it before.' We were all trying to figure out where we'd heard it. Then I realized that I wrote the song a long time ago." ? had called his composition, which he'd penned as much as four years earlier, "Too Many Teardrops."

Guitarist Bobby Balderrama picks up the story: "? started singing it, and then Eddie said, 'We should give it a number, like how many teardrops?' He said, 'Let's call it "69 Tears.'" I was only 15 at the time, but I knew what that meant. So he said, 'Let's turn the numbers around.' And so we went with that." In March of 1966, ? and the Mysterians shuffled into a makeshift studio in Bay City, Michigan, and cut "96 Tears" and its B-side, "Midnight Hour." The band's manager, Lilly Gonzales, issued approximately 750 copies on her own Pa-Go-Go Records label, and ? himself began promoting it, calling radio stations and visiting record shops all over Michigan.

After several months the single had stirred enough local buzz that Cameo-Parkway Records, a label that had logged dozens of hits by the likes of Bobby Rydell, Dee Dee Sharp and Chubby Checker earlier in the '60s, picked up the distribution, re-releasing the single on its Cameo imprint. (? claims he went with Cameo because the label was orange, his favorite color. More probably, Neil Bogart, then vice president of the company, cut a deal with Gonzales.)

Long story short: By the end of October, the quintet had laid claim to the number one single in America. Not to mention a bona fide rock 'n' roll anthem that forever raised the bar for rock 'n' roll anthems. "96 Tears" marked the last major hit for Cameo Parkway, certainly its last chart topper. It's also the only song that most people associate with ? and the Mysterians.

But that wasn't all, folks, and now, finally, all of the group's amazing slabs of pure teenage Tex-Mex bliss can be found in one place. What you've got here are 27 pristine examples of unadorned, unadulterated dementia: the entire contents of the two albums ? and the Mysterians spewed out for Cameo, 96 Tears and Action, the non-LP single "Do Something To Me'V'Love Me Baby (Cherry July)," and two previously unreleased tracks, an early, slower and bluesier take of "96 Tears" and an outtake of "Midnight Hour"—both in glamorous stereo!

? and the Mysterians did manage to place another three singles on the charts in '66-'67. "I Need Somebody," which led off that debut album and now christens our collection, made it to number 22 in Billboard. It's another cocky garageland masterwork, inexplicably inserted "Mary Had A Little Lamb" funky organ lick and all. "We weren't too far from Motown," says Balderrama of the song, "and I think we were trying to get that funky style."

Following the opener, the group immediately struts its versatility, rolling through a set of incessantly hyper tunes like the boss "8 Teen" (no relation to the later Alice Cooper hit), "You're Telling Me Lies" and "Why Me" (with Tony Orlando singing background!). We're talking classic lusty, R&B-driven snot-nosed punk all the way here, yet there's an undetlying tenderness in ?'s vocals, belying his crusty demeanor.  He's that kinda guy.

By the time the Mysterians recorded their second album, rock had grown fuzzier - heavier, as they said back then. ? was in the vanguard, as amply demonstrated in "Girl (You Captivate Me)," the early '67 single that hinted at a proto-Detroit rock sound that would shortly be taken to extremes by the likes of the Stooges and the MC5. There's more upfront bass; louder, more depraved guitar;  ?'s vocal is chewier- things are getting more mind-blowing by the minute. "Can't Get Enough Of You, Baby," which preceded "Girl" by a few months, was virtually a "96 Tears" clone, although  ?'s vocals swim in a sea of reverb. 

There are nods to the soul and pop sounds of the day. "Got To" borrows a page from the Otis Redding soul book, while the band's cover of the Isley Brothers' "Shout" rivals any of the hundreds of other versions recorded back then. "Do Something To Me" borders on bubblegum and preceded Tommy James' hit version by a year. ? and the Mysterians didn't hold on for long. Cameo-Parkway soon scaled back operations and although the band recorded for other labels in various guises, by 1968 they were through. Some of the musicians stayed active through the years but it wasn't until the late 1990s that the original members of? and the Mysterians returned to conquer the world for a second time, making new recordings and performing killer live shows. 

The lucky ones who witnessed them reported that the band was every bit as nutso as it was in '66. It was, they said, enough to make a believer cry -cry, cry, cry. Whoo!- 96 tears.

by Jeff Tamarkin, 2005

Tracks
1. I Need Somebody - 2:15
2. Stormy Monday (Billy Eckstine, Earl Hines, Robert Crowder) - 2:27
3. You're Telling Me Lies (Bobby Balderrama, Eddie Serrato, Frank Lugo, Frank Rodriguez, Rudy Martinez) - 2:31
4. Ten O'Clock (Bobby Balderrama, Eddie Serrato, Frank Lugo, Frank Rodriguez, Rudy Martinez) - 2:13
5. Set Aside (Bobby Balderrama, Eddie Serrato, Frank Lugo, Frank Rodriguez, Rudy Martinez) - 3:03
6. Up Side (Bobby Balderrama, Eddie Serrato, Frank Lugo, Frank Rodriguez, Rudy Martinez) - 2:53
7. '8' Teen (Bobby Balderrama, Eddie Serrato, Frank Lugo, Frank Rodriguez, Rudy Martinez) - 2:48
8. Don't Tease Me (Bobby Balderrama, Eddie Serrato, Frank Lugo, Frank Rodriguez, Rudy Martinez) - 1:41
9. Don't Break This Heart Of Mine (Bobby Balderrama, Eddie Serrato, Frank Lugo, Frank Rodriguez, Rudy Martinez) - 1:55
10.Why Me (Bobby Balderrama, Eddie Serrato, Frank Lugo, Frank Rodriguez, Rudy Martinez) - 1:38
11.Midnight Hour - 2:38
12.96 Tears - 2:58
13.Girl (You Captivate Me) (Alan Dischel, Joey Di Francesca) - 2:17
14.Can't Get Enough Of You, Baby (Denny Randell, Sandy Linzer) - 1:57
15.Got To - 2:22
16.I'll Be Back - 2:02
17.Shout (Part 1 and 2) (Isley Brothers) - 5:31
18.Hangin' On A String (Gloria Shane, Jason Darrow) - 2:15
19.Smokes - 1:52
20.It's Not Easy - 2:43
21.Don't Hold It Against Me (Bernard Ross, Lor Crane) - 1:57
22.Just Like A Rose (Jason Darrow) - 2:10
23.Do You Feel It - 2:25
24.Do Something To Me (Jimmy Calvert, Norman Marzano, Paul Naumann) - 2:37
25.Love Me Baby (Cherry July) (Bobby Balderrama, Frank Lugo, Frank Rodriguez, Rudy Martinez, Peter Woodman) - 3:03
26.Midnight Hour (Unreleased Version) - 2:30
27.96 Tears (Unreleased Version) - 3:03
All songs by Rudy Martinez except where stated.

? And The Mysterians
*Question Mark - Lead Vocal
*Bobby Balderrama - Guitar
*Frank Lugo - Bass (except Tracks 11,12,26,27)
*Frank Rodriguez - Organ
*Eddie Serrato – Drums
With
*Tony Orlando On Harmony Vocal (Track 10)
*Fernando Aguilar - Bass (Tracks 11,12)

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Chad And Jeremy - Three In The Attic (1968 uk, delightful sunny psych folk, 2013 edition)

Of the many British Invasion acts that stormed the charts in the wake of the Beatles, Chad & Jeremy possessed a subtlety and sophistication unmatched among their contemporaries, essentially creating the template for the kind of lush, sensitive folk-pop embraced by followers from Nick Drake to Belle & Sebastian. Chad Stuart (born in Windemere, England, on December 10, 1941) and Jeremy Clyde (born March 22, 1941, in Buckinghamshire, England) met while attending London's Central School of Speech and Drama. The two became fast friends, and after Stuart taught Clyde to play guitar, they formed a folk duo as well as a rock & roll group, the Jerks. Because he graduated a year ahead of his bandmates, Clyde relocated to Scotland and performed with the Dundee Repertory Theatre.

When the Jerks dissolved, Stuart dropped out of school, studied arranging, and wrote songs with composer Russell Franks. Clyde returned to London soon after, but in the face of an actors' strike, he resumed his music career, reunited with Stuart, and the duo landed a residency at the local coffeehouse, Tina's. Chad & Jeremy quickly earned a fan following, and in mid-1963 composer and producer John Berry signed the duo to the small independent label Ember Records. They released their debut single, "Yesterday's Gone," that autumn and it entered the U.K. Top 40. Remarkably, it would prove their only British hit of any real substance. 

by Jason Ankeny

Around 1967, the duo had almost completely split up, save for recording dates. Jeremy featured in Black Comedy, as well as doing an episode of "My Three Sons" during this period. Unfortunately, he occasionally missed concerts because of acting conflicts and tensions between the two began to mount.

     

During this period, Chad was approached to write the score for an American International Picture, entitled Three In The Attic. Bob Irwin once described it as "a very sixties movie", and today Chad squirms at the very mention of the film, the only explanation for his involvement being that, "I was so hungry to score a picture, that I deliberately clouded my judgement, and ignored that little voice inside me". Certainly thirty years later, the soundtrack is still wonderful.

Chad-Jeremy official

Tracks
1. Good Morning Sunrise (Wayne Irvin) - 3:28
2. Paxton Quigley's Had the Course (Chad Stewart, Jeremy Clyde) - 3:14
3. Tobey's Song (Chad Stewart, Jane Dansie) - 3:46
4. Paxton's Song (Smoke) (Chad Stewart, Daniel Dalton, Lois Dalton) - 3:04
5. Know Yourself (Wayne Irvin) - 4:17
6. Background Music (Chad Stewart, Donna Dijon) - 13:22

Musicians
*Jeremy Clyde - Vocals
*Chad Stewart - Vocals, Guitar, Bass
*Dennis Faust, Kim Capli - Drums
*Michael Rubini, Lincoln Mayorga - Keyboards
*Wayne Irvin - Guitar
*Teressa Adams - Cello
*Allan Lasky, Bill Fritz - Woodwinds
*Laroon Holt, Bill Mattison - Flugel Horns
*Dave Roberts, Dick Shearer - Trombones

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The Tormentors - Hangin' Round (1967 us, groovy garage beat sunny psych, 2009 Gear Fab release)

The Tormentors were another great yet undiscovered band from the 1960's. All we know is that they were based out of the Los Angeles area and had several singles out on the Royal and Kenwood labels. Of those 45s, the track "Motate" was the only one not included on this LP.

Fantastic garage psyche and rollicking, with sweeter moments, too – getting off a number of modes this one album, which would make a lesser group sound aimless – but they manage to pull it all off! Some tunes have a raw, no frills garage sound, others have sweeter, but still kinda gritty melodic vibe with some organ in the mix, and still others steer towards moody psychedelia.

Tracks
1. Didn't It Rain (Tim Daley, Dan Davis, Mark Davis, Lee Harper) - 2:30
2. Capricious Lolita (Lee Harper) - 2:39
3. Blue Blooded Lady (Lee Harper) - 2:52
4. Childhood Memories (Tome Daley, Dennis Daley) - 2:23
5 Still In Love With You Baby (Ron Elliott) - 1:50
6. What's Goin' On (Lee Harper) - 2:14
7. Black Coffee (Lee Harper) - 2:41
8. She's Gone (Lee Harper) - 2:33
9. 'Cause You Don't Love Me (Lee Harper) - 2:06
10.Hey, Hey, Little Girl (Lee Harper) - 2:36
11.It's Not Over (Lee Harper) - 2:54
12.Sounds Of Summer (Mark Davis, Dan Davis) - 2:22

The Tormentors
*Tim Daley - Drums, Lead Vocals
*Lee Harper - Rhythm Guitar, Lead Vocals
*Mark Davis - Lead Guitar
*Dan Davis - Bass, Organ

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Sunnyboys - This Is Real (1980-84 aussie, outstanding guitar rock, garage psych revival, double disc edition with ureleased material)

One of Australia's finest bands, the Sunnyboys performing at any number of pubs, clubs or festivals in their home country during the early eighties was to experience great live acts. From their debut in Sydney on August 15th 1980, supporting inner-city faves The Lipstick Killers, right through to their final headline performance on December 24th 1984, they oozed passion, energy, charisma and sweat. Lots of sweat. 'Hi-energy' and 'dance' were the expressions typically used to describe their shows, long before those terms were hijacked and applied to completely different musical genres. Night after night, venue after venue, the band left a writhing mass of sweat-soaked, deliriously happy bodies.

In frontman and guitarist Jeremy Oxley, they had a songsmith to equal the Easybeats' Vanda & Young before him and silverchair's Daniel Johns after him. Backed by a stellar band that included his brother Peter Oxley on bass, Peter's school friend Bil Bilson on drums and Richard Burgman on guitar, Jeremy delivered passionate, concise pop-rock songs that perfectly captured the feelings and thoughts of youth and young adults all over the country. They were Jeremy's songs all right, but the band was very much the sum of its considerable parts, ruling the roost in inner city Sydney as well as throughout much of greater regional Australia.

Along the way, the Sunnyboys produced a tidy sum of classic singles, including the top forty hits Happy Man, Alone With You, You Need A Friend and the controversial Show Me Some Discipline. What was more astonishing perhaps was the quality of the b-sides. Culled for the most part from their first album sessions, songs like Guts of Iron and Stop & Think were A-sides in anyone else's language, but for Jeremy, whose gift was in full flood, they were just more seemingly effortless 'dance' tracks that didn't make the cut.

This Is Real is the definitive Sunnyboys release. A 2CD set that for the first time brings together all those classic single A&B sides plus a selection of rare and previously unreleased studio tracks plus a full live CD drawn from three radio broadcasts in the band's peak years of 1981 - 1982 plus a full 36 page full colour booklet.

Disc-1 Singles A'n'B, Rare and Unreleased
Includes all four tracks issued on their debut self-titled EP in December 1980,  Every single they ever issued from Happy Man to Comes As No Surprise. All original single versions. No album versions. All the single B-sides, many taken from the classic first album recording sessions. All these are on CD for the very first time and include live favourites Stop & Think, Guts Of Iron and Pain The ultra rare Tell Me What You Say taken from the limited edition vinyl version of their debut album plus an alternate mix of first album favourite My Only Friend

Disc-2Live 1981 - 1982
A full 21 song, 70 minute set drawn from three high quality radio broadcasts. Live at Bombay Rock, Melbourne for EON FM in January 1981. Live at the Governors Pleasures Tavern, Sydney for Triple J FM in February 1981. Live at the Family Inn, Sydney for Triple J FM in February 1982. Plus a cover of the Beatles' Birthday taken from the Mushroom Evolution Concert at the Myer Music Bowl in January 1982.
Only four of the twenty ones songs have been released before and only one of those on CD.

Extras
As with the previous Feel Presents release Tales From the Australian Underground, This is Real will be accompanied by a 36 page full colour booklet including rare photos, poster and handbill art as well as a 10,000+ word biography. This biography outlines in full detail the band's rapid rise from their first show on August 15th 1980, their signing to Mushroom Records in February 1981, the platinum success of their debut album and the consequent struggle and pressures faced by the band as the demands for more and more hits and success brought them to a close of business in December 1984. For the very time also, the full story of singer, songwriter, guitarist, Jeremy Oxley's tragic struggle with schizophrenia is disclosed. A read worthy of a book in its own right.

Tracks
Studio
1. Love to Rule - 4:13
2. Stop & Think - 2:21
3. To the Bone - 2:14
4. The Seeker - 3:44
5. What You Need - 3:32
6. Tomorrow Will Be Fine - 2:12
7. Happy Man - 3:00
8. Alone With You - 4:00
9. Guts of Iron - 3:51
10. Physical Jerk - 2:51
11. My Only Friend - 3:27
12. Tell Me What You Say - 3:43
13. You Need A Friend - 4:18
14. No Love Around - 3:24
15. This Is Real - 3:39
16. Pain - 3:00
17. Show Me Some Discipline - 3:10
18. Love in A Box - 3:16
19. Comes As No Surprise - 3:55
20. Bottom Of My Heart - 3:21
21. You Need A Friend - 1:33

Live
1. Why Do I Cry (B Tashian) - 3:07
2. Guts Of Iron - 3:37
3. Love to Rule - 3:59
4. Strategy Idol - 2:43
5. Tomorrow Will Be Fine - 2:20
6. My Only Friend - 3:20
7. Alone With You - 3:39
8. What You Need - 3:24
9. I'm Shakin' - 4:25
10. Tunnel Of Love - 3:03
11. I Don't Want You - 2:38
12. Happy Man - 2:56
13. I Can't Talk to You - 2:37
14. The Seeker - 3:36
15. I Want to Be Alone - 2:55
16. Let You Go - 4:59
17. Thrill (J Oxley, P Oxley) - 3:22
18. I'm No Satisfied (J Oxley, P Oxley) - 3:48
19. Trouble in My Brain - 4:11
20. You Need A Friend - 3:42
21. Birthday (Lennon, McCartney) - 2:15
All songs by Jeremy Oxley except otherwise.

The Sunnyboys
*Jeremy Oxley - Guitar, Vocals
*Peter Oxley - Bass
*Richard Burgman - Guitar
*Bill Bilson - Drums

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Ariel - The Jellabad Mutant (1974-75 aussie, incredible guitar rock with prog shades)

Ariel's second album was to have been a John Whyndham-ish science fiction concept piece, The Jellabad Mutant; you can read more about this long-lost project in Paul Culnane's feature article. But before the project had even been conceived, there was a major disruption, with the band abruptly splitting in two. Mills, Macara and Gaze quit amidst some rancour in April 1974, after a trip to Perth and Mike retreated to the Mornington Peninsula with his family. He began writing fragments of new songs on his "trusty Canora guitar and a crappy tape recorder" which began to form themselves into "some sort of order ... the beginnings of a Grand Idea that might eventually become what every songwriter had dreamt of since Townshend dropped Tommy on an unsuspecting public -- a Rock Opera".

Returning to Melbourne, Rudd "did what I always did -- I called Bill". They worked on the new material over a period of weeks, and by May they the piece sufficintly ready that they approached drummer John Lee to rehearse with them. John, a fine drummer who had previously played in Sayla, Blackfeather and Gulliver Smith & The Dead End Kids, had just left The Dingoes, after recording their first album and their debut single "Way Out West". The three began rehearsing together, and in June or July, as the material took shape, John suggested bringing in his former bandmate from Sayla, lead guitarist Harvey James. Mike later discovered that John and Harvey had also known each other in school, a connection which, he later realised, would sow the seeds of "another 'them and us' scenario" in the band's internal politics.

Harvey, who was already gaining a reputation as a player to watch, had recently left Mississippi and returned home after that band's disastrous trip to England. Rehearsals continued and before long it became apparent that this arrangement had taked on a life of its own. More by accident than by design, the quartet became the new lineup of Ariel. The new lineup cut a terrific single, "Yeah Tonight" which was released in August -- presumably to keep EMI at bay while they beavered away on the new album.

Thus far things had fallen into place rather nicely, but it all began to turn pear-shaped over the next couple of months. With writing more or less complete, Ariel demoed their new album at EMI Studios in Sydney, wit the sessions produced by Peter Dawkns and engineered (probably) by Martin Benge. However, to the band's dismay, EMI rejected it outright. Mike sardonically comments that they were told that it had been rejected because EMI England had "a basement crammed full of rejected rock operas". It would be nearly thirty years before The Jellabad Mutant saw the light of day on record, when it was reissued by Mike and Bill's RareVision label. 

In the liner notes, Mike ponders wistfully about what could have been: "It's interesting to speculate what might have happened had we been allowed to proceed with the Mutant with an intact budget (EMI slashed the budget for Rock'n'Roll Scars adding to the pressure) and with the time to to reflect and be creative with the raw material you hear in the demos. I regret not going in to bat for it at the time. We had a fabulous opportunity with the best technical assistance any band could have wanted. But I didn't sell the dream, even to myself." 

Milesago

Tracks
1. Introduction And Overture - 3:52
2. The Capsule / The Farm - 6:17
3. The Train / The Hospital - 6:17
4. The Funeral - 3:41
5. Cinematic Sandwiches - 3:34
6. Neo-Existentialist Greens / Medicine Man / The Letter - 7:40
7. I'll Take You High - 3:14
8. I Can't Say What I Mean (Rudd, G. Mason) - 4:35
9. Mutant Medley - 10:12
All Songs By Mike Rudd Except Where Noted

Ariel
*Mike Rudd - Guitar Vocals
*Bill Putt - Bass
*Glyn Mason - Guitar, Vocals
*John Lee - Drums
*Harvey James - Guitar

1975  Ariel - Rock And Roll Scars

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Mike Bloomfield - Prescription For The Blues (1977 us, awesome electric acoustic blues, 2005 issue)

During the late 1970s, Mike Bloomfield recorded for several smaller labels, including Takoma.  Through Guitar Player magazine he also put out an instructional album with a vast array of blues guitar styles, titled If You Love These Blues, Play 'Em As You Please.  Bloomfield also performed with John Cale on Cale's soundtrack to the film Caged Heat in 1975.

Through the 1970s, Bloomfield seemed satisfied to play in local San Francisco Bay Area clubs, either sitting in with other bands or using his own Michael Bloomfield and Friends, a group which usually included Mark Naftalin and Nick Gravenites.  But his best performing days were behind him and most of the decade was spent battling drugs and his own deep insecurities.

In 1974 Mike Bloomfield hooked up with a failed supergroup called KGB, from the initials of Ray Kennedy (co-writer of "Sail On, Sailor"), Barry Goldberg on keyboards and Bloomfield on guitar.  The band had a rhythm section of Rick Grech on bass & Carmine Appice on drums.  Grech and Bloomfield immediately quit after the album's release, stating they never had faith in the project.  The album was not well received, but it did contain the standout track "Sail On, Sailor."  Its authorship was credited only to "Wilson-Kennedy," and had a bluesy, darker feel, along with Ray Kennedy's original cocaine related lyrics.

Bloomfield continued his collaborations with other musicians, including Dave Shorey and Jonathan Cramer, and in the summer of 1980 he toured Italy with classical guitarist Woody Harris and cellist Maggie Edmondson.  On November 15, 1980, Bloomfield joined Bob Dylan on stage at the Warfield Theater in San Francisco and jammed on "Like A Rolling Stone," the song they had recorded together 15 years earlier.

Mike Bloomfield was apparently suffering from arthritis in his hands in his last few years, a telling factor in both the decline of his playing and his mental attitude towards performing.

On February 15, 1981 Mike Bloomfield was found dead in San Francisco in his parked car.  According to his friends, the size of the heroin dose that killed him meant that he probably did not drive to this spot and overdose, rather that the lethal dose had been administered somewhere else and he had been driven to this spot to avoid complications for his drug-ingesting cohorts.  The official cause of death was ruled an accidental drug overdose.

Blues-Nexus

This recording contains material from Bloomfield's McCabe's performances at McCabe’s Guitar Shop, Santa Monica, CA January 1, 1977, it's exactly the same recording track list with "Junko Partner" which was released through Akarma label.

Tracks
1. Hully Gully (Goldsmith, Smith) - 4:02
2. The Prisoners Song (Dalhart) - 3:58
3. Walkin' the Floor Over You (Tubb) - 4:25
4. Don't You Lie to Me (Bartholomew, Domino) - 4:10
5. Junko Partner (Shad) - 4:46
6. Knockin' Myself Out (Bloomfield) - 5:57
7. Women Lovin' Each Other (Bloomfield) - 4:44
8. Cherry Red (Johnson, Turner) - 3:45
9. Prescription for the Blues (Bloomfield) - 2:22
10.You Must Have Jesus (Bloomfield) - 5:32

Musicians
*Mike Bloomfield - Guitar, Vocals
*Mark Naftalin - Piano
*Buddy Helm - Drums
*Buell Neidlinger - Bass

Mike Bloomfield's tapestry
1966-68  The Paul Butterfield Blues Band - Strawberry Jam
1967  Electric Flag - The Trip
1968-69  Electric Flag - An American Music Band / A Long Time Comin'  
196?-7?  The Electric Flag - Live
1968  Al Kooper, Mike Bloomfield - The Lost Concert Tapes, Filmore East
1969  Mike Bloomfield And Al Kooper - The Live Adventures
1969  Michael Bloomfield with Nick Gravenites & Friends - Live At Bill Graham's Fillmore West
1969  Nick Gravenites - My Labors
1973  Bloomfield, Hammond, Dr.John - Triumvirate (Japan remaster)
1976  KGB - KGB
1976-77  Michael Bloomfield - Live at the Old Waldorf

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Country Joe And The Fish - Electric Music For The Mind And Body (1967 us, super classic west coast psych, 2013 double disc remaster)

For many, 1967’s “Electric Music For The Mind And Body” is the premier, defining moment when the attitude and philosophies of the emergent 1960s counter-culture were actually matched by what was in the grooves. The rabble-rousing element of much of Country Joe & the Fish’s subsequent career – the Fish Cheer, Woodstock and their sarcastic musical stance – obscured the fact that the group was responsible for some of the most evocative and striking sounds associated not just with their native San Francisco Bay Area, but the entire late 60s rock movement. 

More importantly, over the years, “Electric Music” has transcended the era of its creation and remains a truly bold and powerful musical statement. Our new 2CD reissue celebrates the fact with the kind of presentation this cornerstone album has long deserved.

Country Joe & the Fish had only really been an electrified unit since early 1966, having emerged from the insular, politicised Berkeley folk scene. Out of the initial chaos, a distinct style evolved: a combination of “Country Joe” McDonald’s strong songwriting and a wilful desire of the musicians to reach out to the extremes of their capabilities. The first evidence of the band’s unique sound came with their second self-released Rag Baby disc (available on “The Berkeley EPs” CDWIKD 153). 

The latter half of 1966 saw the band make inroads into the burgeoning adult rock scene of San Francisco. Original members Paul Armstrong and John Francis Gunning were jettisoned, David Cohen’s organ began to take a larger role in the sound and each player developed their own adroit musical personality, lead guitarist Barry Melton in particular taking to his role with gusto. Bassist Bruce Barthol and new addition Chicken Hirsh on drums made equally distinctive musical contributions, but the centre of the Country Joe sound was the distinctively structured material, by turns angular and romantic, that McDonald brought to the table.

By the time they entered the studio in February 1967 to make their debut for venerable NY folk label Vanguard, Country Joe & the Fish were in the ascendant. They were now one of the hippest and hottest groups in the Bay Area, known for eclecticism and musical unorthodoxy.  The ensuing sessions reflected this with a programme of cutting-edge, frequently original excursions into frontiers unknown, such as the wide-eyed waltz time in ‘The Masked Marauder’ or the elegiac mood music of ‘Section 43’. ‘Bass Strings’ and ‘Superbird’ were knowing and ultra-hip, with a psychedelic nod and a wink, and a sideways glimpse of the biting political satire the group employed on stage. 

The band was no longer folk-rock – they were not even rock, by 1967 standards. The erotic acid trip detailed in ‘Porpoise Mouth’ or the obtuse yet evocative ‘Grace’ had rarely been encountered in popular music up to this point. The strangled guitar, smoky organ lines and poetic whimsy of “Electric Music” would quickly prove to be influential upon a whole generation of musicians. There are very few ensembles of any genre that have equalled the psychedelic magic this album has in spades.

This deluxe edition is the first time producer Sam Charters’ original stereo mixdown of “Electric Music For The Mind And Body” has been reissued on compact disc. In the decade after the album was first released, the 2-track master suffered irreparable tape damage and oxide loss. In the early 1980s, a decision was made by Vanguard to remix the record, and that is how it has appeared in subsequent repackages. 

The mono mix, which has notable disparities to the stereo, has also not been available since the late 1960s. All the members of the group as well as Charters and manager ED Denson contribute to a lengthy and illuminating note, accompanied in the booklet by many eye-catching examples of the iconic art that was associated with Country Joe & The Fish in their early years. As McDonald proudly but quite accurately puts it, “If you want to understand psychedelic music, and you haven’t heard “Electric Music For The Mind And Body”, then you probably don’t know what you’re talking about.”

by Alec Palao 

Tracks

Disc 1 Mono

1. Flying High - 2:48

2. Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine - 4:27

3. Death Sound Blues - 4:27

4. Happiness Is A Porpoise Mouth - 2:52

5. Section 43 - 7:25

6. Superbird - 2:09

7. Sad And Lonely Times - 2:23

8. Love (Joe McDonald, Bruce Bartol, David Cohen, Gary Hirsh, John Francis Gunning, Barry Melton) - 2:27

9. Bass Strings - 5:10

10.The Masked Marauder - 3:12

11.Grace - 7:03

Disc 2 Stereo
1. Flying High - 2:43
2. Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine - 4:24
3. Death Sound Blues - 4:26
4. Happiness Is A Porpoise Mouth - 2:53
5. Section 43 - 7:36
6. Superbird - 2:08
7. Sad And Lonely Times - 2:25
8. Love (Joe McDonald, Bruce Bartol, David Cohen, Gary Hirsh, John Francis Gunning, Barry Melton) - 2:25
9. Bass Strings - 5:05
10.The Masked Marauder - 3:14
11.Grace - 7:08
All songs by Counrty Joe McDonald except where indicated

Country Joe And The Fish
*Country Joe McDonald - Vocals, Guitar, Bells, Tambourine
*Barry Melton - Vocals, Guitar
*David Cohen - Guitar, Organ
*Bruce Barthol - Bass, Harmonica
*Gary Chicken Hirsh - Drums

Country Joe discography
1965-71  The First Three E.P's
1967  I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die
1968  Together
1969  Live! Fillmore West
1969  Here We Are Again
1970  CJ Fish
1970  Tonight I'm Singing Just For You
1971  Hold On It's Coming
1971  War War War
1973  Paris Sessions 

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Barbara Keith - Barbara Keith (1973 us, marvelous folk country rock, japan remaster)

A singer/guitarist and folk-influenced songwriter, Barbara Keith's curious career began when she was discovered at Greenwich Village's famous Café Wha?. Her first appearance on record was in 1968, with her background vocals and one of her songs appearing on the self-titled debut from Kangaroo. 

Verve Records released the first of two self-titled albums in 1969. Some critics fell in love with the album but as far as sales the album went nowhere. Her second self-titled album -- released by Reprise in 1972 -- coupled Keith with producer Doug Tibbles. Keith and Tibbles married and soon became unhappy with the music industry. Deciding to focus on family and develop their art with a major-label influence, Keith and Tibbles gave back their Reprise advance, a move that caused the label to under-promote her album. 

Once again, the album didn't achieve much as far as sales, but Keith's songwriting skills were being noticed throughout the record industry. Barbra Streisand, Lowell George, Tanya Tucker, Delaney & Bonnie, the Dillards, and many others covered songs from the album, "The Bramble and the Rose" and "Detroit or Buffalo" being the favorites.

Keith reappeared in the '90s with her "AC/DC meets Patsy Cline" band the Stone Coyotes with her husband, and son John Tibbles, rounding out the band. The band found a cult following of which writer Elmore Leonard was a member. Leonard included the band in his sequel to Get Shorty, Be Cool, and included five Keith songs in the text. 

by David Jeffries

Barbara Keith dropped out of the music scene before anyone really had a chance to appreciate her work. Originally recorded for Warner Bros. in 1971, Barbara Keith was withdrawn when Keith, not completely happy with the results, gave the advance money back and walked away from the music business. 

With the re-release of the album 30 years later by Water, all of this will seem a bit odd, because Barbara Keith is a fine effort highlighted by great writing and solid production. Only one cover, Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower," is included, which is surprising in that the original material -- by a fairly unknown artist -- is both strong and familiar. Delaney & Bonnie covered "Free the People" (so did Barbra Streisand), and singer/songwriter Mary McCaslin sang "The Bramble and the Rose." Keith's own versions, highlighted by country-rock and classic rock treatments, respectively, are equally fine. 

Keith's an expressive, soulful singer who sounds like she would've fit into Delaney & Bonnie's band, or passed for an American version of Sandy Denny. Other standout songs include the country-folk of "Detroit or Buffalo" and the rocking closer, "A Stone's Throw Away." The album is fairly short -- 35 minutes -- but it's not weighted down by filler or subpar cuts. Barbara Keith is an excellent album, and one hopes that its author is more inclined to appreciate it in 2004. 

by Ronnie D. Lankford Jr.

Tracks
1. All Along The Watchtower (B. Dylan) - 3:14
2. Rolling Water - 3:12
3. The Bramble And The Bush - 2:55
4. Burn The Midnight Oil No More - 3:09
5. Free The People - 3:48
6. Detroit Or Buffalo - 4:32
7. The Road I Took To You - 3:20
8. Shining All Along - 3:11
9. Rainy Nights Are All The Same - 3:27
10.A Stone's Throw Away (B. Keith, Doug Tibbles) - 4:47
All songs by Barbara Keith except where noted

Musicians
*Barbara Keith - Guitar, Piano, Vocals
*Max Bennett - Bass
*Richard Bennett - Bass, Pedal Steel
*John Brennan - Guitar
*David Bennett Cohen - Guitar
*Nick Decaro - String Arrangements
*Craig Doerge - Piano
*Lowell George - Electric, Slide Guitar
*Jim Gordon - Drums
*Emory Gordy - Bass
*Milt Holland - Percussion
*Jim Keltner - Drums
*Sneaky Pete Kleinow - Pedal Steel Guitar
*Danny Kootch - Electric Guitar
*Danny Kortchmar - Guitar
*Russ Kunkel - Drums
*Clarence Mcdonald - Piano
*Spooner Oldham - Piano
*Tony Peluso - Guitar
*Leland Sklar - Bass
*Ron Tutt - Drums
*Mike Utley - Organ

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Cartoone - Cartoone (1969 uk, wonderful folk psych rock, 2009 deluxe edition)

In the late sixties, a typical Atlantic Records album cover used to include these very cool inner sleeves with scores of their many album covers to gawk at for hours. You would see bands of the day like Iron Butterfly, Cream, The Rascals, and then the very cooj album cover for Cartoons.

As hip as their cover looked, the music inside was the real treasure to be explored. Filled with twelve rock and pop gems, the Cartoons story is one to be re-told. 

The four piece band from Scotland, which developed from The Chevlons, consisted of Derek Creigan (Vocals/Bass), Mike Allison (Guitar/Vocals), Mo Trowers (Rhythm Guitar/Vocals) and Charlie Coffils (Drums/Vocals). After relocating to the U.K. and through the help of their friends Lulu and Maurice Gibb of The Bee Gees, they soon got the attention of producer Mark London, who brought them to Atlantic's Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler for a record contract.

In early 1969, the album was released and featured the guitar wizardry of Jimmy Page of the newly formed Led Zeppelin. Their hook driven hit single "Knick Knack Man" immediately caught the attention of radio programmers across the globe, as did the rest of the album with its solid musicianship throughout and the stellar choice of material like the follow-up single "A Penny For The Sun"and the rocking "Let Me Reassure You". Fan support worldwide ignited album sales for the better part of the year as well as helping them land an opening slot on the Led Zeppelin tour.

Drummer Charlie Coffils recently discussed the close friendship Cartoone had with Jimmy Page, "While we were recording the Cartoone album in 1968, Jimmy was putting together Led Zeppelin. I managed to have a long chat with Jimmy as we were listening to the recordings we had just made, ft sounded great with his Gibson acoustic guitar on "Withering Wood" and all the other orchestral tracks, and Jimmy's paisley pattern Fender Telecaster on the other band only tracks, especially "Let Me Reassure You" with the lovely country guitar licks on the fadeout."

Coffils continues, "He told me that he had found an amazing drummer called John Bonham, who was the loudest drummer he had ever played with, but he still had amazing technique on the drums. Jimmy said the whole band just gelled straight away, and the hairs on everyone's neck rose on that very first rehearsal, as they knew they had found something special. Jimmy told me he couldn't wait to get out there and play "live" with this new and exciting band Led Zeppelin, as all the band members were strong talents who he thought everyone would love. Jimmy had great faith in the band to do well, but he never knew then just how massive they would become... no one did at that time."

Even though the Cartoone album achieved a good amount of press and retail sales, the chance at a second album was shelved, and their deal with Atlantic was over as was the band by 1970. In retrospect, these four gentlemen left the music world with one very fine album and nothing but great songs and memories to look back on forever.

But the story continues thanks to Charlie Coffils. Upon doing research for this release, he located his very rare metal acetate of eight unreleased songs that made up the bulk of the second album. Although it is a bit scratchy and weather torn, forty years later, it is the only known missing link from this sorely missed band and shows a more progressive rock edge to the band, as they were moving into more lengthy jams and compositions.  A true treasure trove for the fans indeed!

On a sad note, both Derek Creigan and Mo Trowers have both passed away, but their contributions to the band and to these tracks will live on. Derek's son John Creigan had this to pass onto the fans about his dad "His writing ability came so naturally to him. He made it look so easy. That along with his voice which was so unique was a perfect partnership in all the songs he did. I really hope this release gets to everyone who missed out the first time and I'm sure they would all agree with me. Cartoone shouldn't be forgotten, their music suits the 60's as much as it does now... timeless."

Both Charles Coffils and Mike Allison continue to be involved in the music industry as both successful producers, writers and musicians. We concur— Cartoone shouldn't be forgotten. With this newly remastered versipn of the classic album, plus the bonus, B side, and eight acetate unreleased tracks, we feel this is indeed the definitive version of Cartoone to enjoy and remember them by. Rock On! 

by Joe Reagoso

Tracks
1. Knick Knack Man – 3:50
2. Withering Wood – 2:24
3. The Sadness Of Toby Jugg – 2:39
4. Penny For The Sun – 3:06
5. I'll Stay (Mike Allison) – 2:07
6. Girl Of Yesterday – 3:10
7. Can't Walk Back – 2:52
8. Let Me Reassure You – 2:20
9. Mr. Poor Man – 3:43
10.Ice Cream Dreams – 2:47
11.Doing What Mamma Said – 2:39
12.See Me – 2:05
13.Reflections - 2:42
14.Sunday Morning - 2:55
15.Deep In My Heart - 3:53
16.Going My Way - 3:15
17.Give Me Something New - 3:26
18.Reflections - 2:37
19.Don't Look Down Your Nose - 4:12
20.Only I Can Do It - 3:55
21.Come And Sit By Me - 6:40
Bonus Tracks 13-21

Cartoone
*Derek Creigan - Bass, Lead Vocals
*Mike Allison - Lead Guitar
*Mo Trowers - Rhythm Guitar
*Charlie (Chick E.) Coffils - Drums
With
*Jimmy Page - Guitar
*Leslie Harvey - Guitar
*John Cameron - Orchestral Arrangements

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Chilliwack - Chilliwack II (1971 canada, sensational 2nd album, psych prog experimental rock)

A few words about the Music. Our objective in the studio was to create as much life into the music as we could. Side one contains songs we hope are suitable for AM play. "Changing Reels" on side two is a long sectional composition. The lead vocals in the last section are improvations, and the song was written around them afterwards.

"Music For A Quiet Time" was performed by Bi;ll and Claire  sitting in an echo chamber for a couple of hours. "Night Morning" is the rewsult os a studio full of intruments and microphones set up to record any gree-form music we might want to play.

Ross sat at the organ and started to play sounds with hands, head and elbows. Bill and Claire joined in with piano, flute and vocals, and the piece grew from there. We hope there is something here for  you.

Chilliwack 1971

Tracks
1. Lonesome Mary (Bill Henderson) - 2:59
2. Eat (Bill Henderson) - 3:13
3. Rosie (Claire Lawrence, Bill Henderson) - 5:00
4. Ridin'  (Claire Lawrence, Bill Henderson) - 3:00
5. Ride-Out (Bill Henderson) - 4:51
6. Always (Bill Henderson) - 2:22
7. Changing Reels (Claire Lawrence, Bill Henderson) - 13:38
8. Music for a Quiet Time / Shine (Claire Lawrence, Bill Henderson) - 5:30
9. Claps, Chants (Claire Lawrence, Bill Henderson) - 2:37
10.Whistle, Flute Pads (Claire Lawrence, Bill Henderson) - 2:09
11.Antiphony (Claire Lawrence, Bill Henderson) - 5:29
12.Traveling Music (Claire Lawrence, Bill Henderson) - 0:53
13.Sleep Music (Claire Lawrence, Bill Henderson) - 2:08
14.Night Morning (Claire Lawrence, Bill Henderson, Ross Turney) - 14:47

Chilliwack
*Bill Henderson - Guitar, Piano, Vocals
*Claire Lawrence - Flute, Bass, Organ, Saxophone, Vocals
*Ross Turney - Drums, Organ On "Night-Morning"

1970  Chilliwack
Related Act
1967-68  The Collectors - The Collectors / Grass And Wild Strawberries

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Don Cooper - Bless The Children (1970 us, fantastic jazzy folk country psych rock, 2008 reissue)

Don Cooper was a promising folk-style singer/songwriter who enjoyed some modest success -- mostly on-stage -- during the early '70s. Coming up as he did amid the singer/songwriter boom of the era -- dominated by the likes of James Taylor, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, and Loudon Wainwright III -- he got lost in the shuffle, perhaps because he was signed to a label (Roulette) that was positioned badly, in terms of image and distribution, to break an artist working in his particular genre. 

Born in the mid-'40s, he grew up in various locales, his father's work taking the family to numerous towns across the country throughout his childhood. Cooper began playing the ukulele (which was a big instrument among kids in the 1950s) in elementary school and was drawn to country music as he grew older. In high school during the early '60s, he played in various bands, with a repertory heavy on the work of James Brown, Buddy Holly, and the Beach Boys, all done country-style.

The transforming moment of his life came when he first heard The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, the 1963 album that established Dylan as a major songwriter and artist. By that time, Cooper was playing a regular gig at a local coffeehouse and began mixing his music and Dylan's songs. By the end of the '60s, at just about the same time that James Taylor and Joni Mitchell were poised to emerge as major artists, Cooper found interest in his work from three different labels, and ended up going with Roulette Records, a company that was primarily associated with jazz (Count Basie, et al.) and pop/rock (Tommy James & the Shondells, et al.), founded and run by a totally disreputable figure named Morris Levy. 

In early 1970, just weeks after signing a contract, his self-titled debut album was released. Cooper proved himself strong singer, with a rich and powerful voice, and also a serious and dauntingly talented songwriter on this and on his subsequent three Roulette albums, which he produced himself. He was good enough to rate support spots on-stage with the likes of Blood, Sweat & Tears (in their peak years) and Chicago at major venues, including Carnegie Hall. He was, thus, able to reach thousands of people at a time at some of his bigger support gigs.

What he wasn't getting, however, were major record sales -- not that Roulette was putting much into marketing his albums, either. Put simply, he was probably the right artist at the wrong label. Apart from its unique jazz roster of the late '50s and early '60s (a point when Levy, with deep pockets and personally being a big jazz enthusiast, was able to pick up a lot of artists being dropped or overlooked by the major labels), Roulette's big strength had always been at breaking big singles, mostly by virtue of Levy's mob connections and his "unique" access to the jukebox business. 

But the music industry was different by the 1970s, and on top of that, Don Cooper wasn't aiming at listeners who did much with jukeboxes -- he was recording songs that were going to get placed in or played on a lot of them (at least, not outside of a few college-town pizzarias). In short, he wasn't Tommy James and wasn't writing "Mony Mony," much less recording it. On Reprise or Columbia, he'd have had a good shot, but Roulette wasn't really the place for an artist like him, anymore than it would have been for Leonard Cohen or Livingston Taylor.

At some point both parties took a look at the contract that linked them together and recognized a losing proposition for both sides. Cooper was obligated to deliver ten LPs to Roulette, a daunting number for any artist, and Roulette could see little profit in continuing to record him much past 1972 and his fourth album. The two parties went their separate ways in the mid-'70s, and Cooper's four LPs were consigned by the thousands to the cut-out bins. 

For his part, Cooper eventually gave up the life of a touring and performing artist, in favor of making records of children's songs, a goal that came to fruition in that peculiar niche market -- which drew upon his folk and popular music backgrounds equally -- during the 1990s, with help from Random House. In 2005, Europe's Delay Records released a 15-song compilation CD of Cooper's work under license from EMI (which owns the Roulette library for Europe), entitled Howlin' at the Moon. The singing is great and even the production is worth hearing.

by Bruce Eder

Tracks
1. Mad George - 2:40
2. Sad-Eyed Queen Of The Mountains - 3:37
3. Tell Me About Her (J. Slezinger) - 3:36
4. Willy Jean - 3:48
5. Bless The Children - 4:05
6. Something In The Way She Moves (James Taylor) - 3:21
7. Tin Cans And Alleyways (Ken Shephard) - 2:46
8. Only A Dream - 3:26  
9. Rapid Rainbow Times - 2:26
10.A New Gun - 2:24
11.Brotherlove - 3:04
All Songs by Don Cooper except where noted

Musicians
*Don Cooper - Vocals, Guitar
*Elliott Randall - Guitar
*Terry Plumeri - Bass
*Bobby Notkoff - Fiddle

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Gordon Jackson - Thinking Back (1969 uk, gorgeous psych folk rock, bonus tracks edition)

Originally released on Marmalade in 1969, Jackson 's lone solo album is the initial salvo from the new UK reissue label, Sunbeam, the brainchild of Steve Carr and rock scribe Richard Morton Jack. Marketed (somewhat correctly) as a long lost Traffic album, the release was produced by Jackson's Worcester neighbour, Dave Mason and features various Traffic permutations (Mason, Chris Wood, Jim Capaldi, and Steve Winwood) throughout, with the entire quartet backing Jackson on the first single, "Me and My Dog" c/w "A Day at The Cottage," whose non-LP B-side, which is included among several bonus tracks, is a reference to Traffic's cottage in Berkshire, where blueprints for many of the album's tracks originated from all night jam sessions). 

The album's personnel reads like a Family tree of late 60's UK rockedelica, including future Traffic bassist, Ric Gretch, along with his then-current partners in Family, Jim King and Poli Palmer (who also played with Blossom Toes, who appear on backing vocals), Luther Grosvenor (future Spooky Tooth guitarist who later changed his name to Ariel Bender and enjoyed much fame with Mott The Hoople), Julie Driscoll, and Reg King from The Action. In fact, Jackson originally played alongside Capaldi and Mason in the primordial Traffic lineups, The Hellions and Deep Feeling, the latter also featuring Palmer and Grosvenor.

Rock history aside, the album itself is a wonderful amalgamation of jazz, psychedelia, and folk influences, with the opening track "The Journey" driven by Rob Blunt's electric sitar and Mason's throbbing basslines and "My Ship, My Star" softly drifting along the open seas like an early, acoustic version of Jethro Tull. The tearfully reflective "When You Are Small," featuring Jackson on sitar and Winwood on bass, provides the lyrical inspiration for the album's title and cover photo, a snapshot of Jackson 's pouting daughter Cherie shedding a tear. 

Despite some warbly playback in the transfer from the original ?" analog master tapes, the song perfectly captures the lost yearning for youthful innocence, occasionally reminding me of the later solo work of the Moody Blues' Ray Thomas (cf., 1975's "From Mighty Oaks"). "Sing To Me Woman" features some tastefully blistering guitar solos from Mason and is included here in both album and single mixes, as is "Song For Freedom," while the extended jam version of "Me and My Dog" finds Traffic firing on all cylinders and is practically worth the price of admission alone, despite its annoying, midflight dropoff, as if the tape (or musicians) ran out of steam! Nevertheless, this is an essential purchase for Traffic and Family completists, as well as anyone interested in late 60's UK rockedelica.

by Jeff Penczak

Tracks

1. The Journey - 4:52

2. My Ship, My Star - 6:13

3. Me And My Dog - 4:12

4. Song For Freedom - 4:52

5. Sing To Me Woman - 5:27

6. When You Are Small - 7:16

7. Snakes And Ladders - 5:57

8. A Day At The Cottage - 3:34

9. My Ship, My Star - 4:29

10. Song For Freedom - 3:56

11. Sing To Me Woman - 4:30

12. Me And My Dog - 7:09

All songs by Gordon Jackson
Bonus Tracks 8-12

Musicians
*Gordon Jackson - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
*Rob Blunt - Electric sitar, Acoustic Fingerstyle Guitar
*Dave Mason - Electric Guitar, Slide Guitar, Bass
*Remic Abacca - Tabla
*Jim Capaldi - Drums, Backing Vocals
*Jim King - Soprano Sax
*Poli Palmer - Piano, Organ, Backing Vocals
*Rocky Dzidzorni - Conga
*Cnris Wood - Flute, Tenor Sax
*Steve Winwood - Bass, Piano
*Reg King, Julie Driscoll - Backing Vocals
*Luther Grosvenor, Meic Stevens, Blossom Toes - Backing Vocals
*Nicole, Karen, Cynthia and Annie - Backing Vocals

Related Act
1966-68  Deep Feeling - Pretty Colours

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Stephen Stills - Stephen Stills (1970 us, amazing debut album, 2008 japan SHM remaster)

Talk about understatement -- there's Stephen Stills on the cover, acoustic guitar in hand, promising a personal singer/songwriter-type statement. And there is some of that -- even a lot of that personal music-making -- on Stephen Stills, but it's all couched in astonishingly bold musical terms. Stephen Stills is top-heavy with 1970 sensibilities, to be sure, from the dedication to the memory of Jimi Hendrix to the now piggish-seeming message of "Love the One You're With." Yet, listening to this album three decades on, it's still a jaw-dropping experience, the musical equal to Crosby, Stills & Nash or Deja Vu, and only a shade less important than either of them. 

The mix of folk, blues (acoustic and electric), hard rock, and gospel is seamless, and the musicianship and the singing are all so there, in your face, that it just burns your brain (in the nicest, most benevolent possible way) even decades later. Recorded amid the breakup of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Stills' first solo album was his effort to put together his own sound and, not surprisingly, it's similar to a lot of stuff on the group's two albums. But it's also infinitely more personal, as well as harder and bluesier in many key spots; yet, it's every bit as soft and as lyrical as the group in other spots, and all laced with a degree of yearning and urgency that far outstrips virtually anything he did with the group.

 "Love the One You're With," which started life as a phrase that Stills borrowed from Billy Preston at a party, is the song from this album that everybody knows, but it's actually one of the lesser cuts here -- not much more than a riff and an upbeat lyric and mood, albeit all of it infectious. "Do for the Others," by contrast, is one of the prettiest and most moving pieces of music that Stills has ever been associated with, and "Church (Part of Someone)" showed him moving toward gospel and R'n'B (and good at it, too); and then there's "Old Times Good Times," musically as good a rock song as Stills has ever recorded (even if it borrows a bit from "Pre-Road Downs"), and featuring Jimi Hendrix on lead guitar. 

"Go Back Home" (which has Eric Clapton on guitar) is fine a piece of bluesy hard rock, while "Sit Yourself Down" features superb singing by Stills and a six-person backing chorus (that includes Cass Elliot, Graham Nash, and David Crosby) around a great tune. "To a Flame" is downright ethereal, while the live "Black Queen" is a superb piece of acoustic blues.

All of this is presented by Stills in the best singing voice of his career up to that point, bolder, more outgoing, and more powerful (a result of his contact with Doris Troy) than anything in his previous output. He also plays lots of instruments (a la Crosby, Stills & Nash, which is another reason it sounds so similar to the group in certain ways), though a bit more organ than guitar, thanks to the presence of Hendrix and Clapton on two cuts. If the album has a flaw, it's the finale, "We Are Not Helpless," which slightly overstays its welcome. But hey, this was still the late '60s, and excess was the rule, not the exception, and it's such modest excess. 

by Bruce Eder

Tracks
1. Love the One You're With - 3:04
2. Do for the Others - 2:52
3. Church (Part of Someone) - 4:05
4. Old Times Good Times - 3:39
5. Go Back Home - 5:54
6. Sit Yourself Down - 3:05
7. To a Flame - 3:08
8. Black Queen - 5:26
9. Cherokee - 3:23
10.We Are Not Helpless" - 4:20
All songs written by Stephen Stills

Musicians
*Stephen Stills - Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Piano, Organ, Steel Drum, Percussion
*Calvin "Fuzzy" Samuel - Bass
*Dallas Taylor - Drums
*Conrad Isedor - Drums
*Ringo Starr (listed as "Richie" on track listing, tracks 7 and 10) - Drums
*Johnny Barbata - Drums
*Jeff Whittaker - Congas
*Jimi Hendrix - Guitar (Track 4)
*Eric Clapton - Guitar (Track 5)
*Booker T. Jones - Organ, Vocal
*Sidney George - Flute, Alto Saxophone
*David Crosby - Vocals
*Graham Nash - Vocals
*John Sebastian - Vocals
*Rita Coolidge - Vocals
*Priscilla Jones - Vocals
*Claudia Lanier - Vocals
*Cass Elliott - Vocals
*Henry Diltz - Vocal
*Liza Strike - Vocal
*Judith Powell - Vocal
*Larry Steele - Vocal
*Tony Wilson - Vocal
*Sherlie Matthews - Chorus, Vocals
Horns arranged by Stephen Stills
Strings arranged by Stephen Stills and Arif Mardin

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