Agnes Strange - Strange Flavour (1976 uk, fantastic hard rockin' boogie, 2007 Rev Ola remaster edition)

Sometimes, albums become far more interesting because of their back story. Case in point: Agnes Strange. This heavy trio from Southampton, England, led by singer-guitarist John Westwood, somehow didn't make a splash on the early '70s boogie circuit despite their obvious similarities to beloved acts like the Groundhogs, Budgie and Status Quo. 

Despite some heavy names in their corner, including management company DJM (led by Dick James, who had made a mint off the Beatles' publishing) and A&R folks at Pye Records, some bad luck and inexplicable business decisions led them off course. Foremost among these was a fundamental misunderstanding of the term "pub rock," which led Pye to release Strange Flavour on a one-off label called Birdsnest, which was affiliated with a chain of theme pubs of the same name, owned by the beer manufacturer Watney's. 

The existing heavy rock audience at the time reacted much as straight-edge punks would if McDonald's and Sony BMG joined forced to release a hardcore album available only at fast food restaurants, and Strange Flavour disappeared without trace, as did Agnes Strange.Funny thing, though: it turns out that Strange Flavour is actually pretty good. Produced by Dave Travis, whose remarkably cheesy country albums from the '60s are much beloved by Anglo-kitsch collectors, and engineered by Colin Thurston, who was about a half decade away from his heyday as a name post-punk and new romantic producer, Strange Flavour is comfortably pitched between the old and the new, or at least the new iterations of the old.

 "Clever Fool" is a basic bluesy shuffle that would sound right at home on one of Dave Edmunds' Rockpile-era albums, while "Motorway Rebel" is tailor-made for the Foghat crowd, with its faux bluesy riffage and a hackneyed opening line "Well, I been to New York City/You know I been to L.A." delivered in a voice that screams that its owner has never been further west than Liverpool. On side two, things get a lot spacier, culminating in the epic freak-out "Children of the Absurd," complete with Pink Floyd-style sonar guitar pings and rampant wah-wah abuse. 

Westwood and his compatriots, bassist Alan Green and drummer Dave Rodwell, may not have been able to solidify a trademark Agnes Strange sound, but the "see if it works" variety and generally tasteful playing makes Strange Flavour an interesting listen for rock obscurantists and old boogie fans alike. This reissue features remastered sound, full liner notes of the whole odd story and four bonus tracks including the punchier 45 single mix of the anthemic opening track "Give Yourself a Chance." 

by Stewart Mason

Tracks
1. Give Yourself A Chance (J. Westwood, A. Green) - 3:30
2. Clever Fool (J. Westwood) - 3:23
3. Travelling (J. Westwood) - 2:53
4. Alberta (D. Travis) - 5:44
5. Loved One (A. Green) - 6:00
6. Failure (D. Rodwell) - 5:19
7. Children Of The Absurd (D. Rodwell, A. Green, D. Barber) - 7:47
8. Odd Man Out (J. Westwood) - 3:53
9. Highway Blues (J. Westwood) - 5:31
10.Granny Don't Like Rock 'N' Roll (J. Westwood) - 5:21
11.Interference (D. Travis) - 1:44
12.Give Yourself A Chance (J. Westwood, A. Green) - 3:28
13.Motorway Rebel (J. Westwood) - 4:04
14.Strange Flavour (J. Westwood, A. Green, D. Rodwell) - 3:56
Track 12 Single Version
Tracks 13-14 Album Outtakes
 
Agnes Strange
*Dave Rodwell - Vocals, Drums
*Alan Green - Vocals, Bass
*John Westwood - Vocals, Guitar

1972-74  Agnes Strange ‎– Theme For A Dream (2000 release) 

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Barry McGuire - The World's Last Privat Citizen / Barry And The Doctor (1968/70 us, astonishing protest folk psych rock with blues tinges)

Along with Bob Dylan's emergence came countless other folk-based "protest singers" in the early to mid-'60s, including Barry McGuire. Born in Oklahoma City during 1937, McGuire had relocated to New York City and joined up with folk revivalists the New Christy Minstrels by the early '60s.

He was anointed the band's lead singer and appeared on several albums and their first hit single, "Green, Green" (which was co-penned by McGuire). Soon after, however, McGuire caught the attention of both record producer Lou Adler and singer/songwriter P.F. Sloan, resulting in the guitarist/singer leaving the New Christy Minstrels and launching a solo career, signing on with Adler's Dunhill Records.

McGuire's solo debut, The Barry McGuire Album, was released in 1963, but it wasn't until two years later that McGuire scored a massive hit with the Sloan-penned track "Eve of Destruction," which topped the U.S. charts (peaking at number three in the U.K.) and was taken from his sophomore full-length, Barry McGuire Featuring Eve of Destruction.

McGuire became good friends with another Adler-guided outfit, the Mamas & the Papas (who mentioned him in some of their song lyrics), while further solo albums were issued, including This Precious Time and The World's Last Private Citizen, but none spawned any singles as successful as "Eve."

By the early '70s, McGuire had turned his back on folk music and he re-appeared as a Christian/gospel artist, signing on with the Myrrh label and issuing such standout albums as 1973's Seeds, 1975's Lighten Up, and a live recording, 1982's To the Bride, among countless others.

McGuire put his music career on hold and moved to New Zealand in the mid-'80s with his wife, where they remained until 1990, working with the poverty organization World Vision.

Upon his return, McGuire began issuing albums once more, including such titles as El Dorado, Let's Tend God's Earth, Adventures on Son Mountain, and Journey to Bible Times, before teaming up with another gospel singer/guitarist, Terry Talbot, to form an outfit called Talbot McGuire. 

by Greg Prato

"The World's Last Private Citizen" album is Barry's 1967 release, and his final on the Dunhill label. The album contains many good tracks. The production is no longer the potentially annoying voice on one channel, music on the other. The songs are from a variety of songwriters, from Barry and an ex-New Christy minstrel, to members of Paul Revere and the Raiders. Highlights include, "Top of the Hill," "Cloudy Summer Afternoon" and the ultra cool "Grasshopper Song." Included is a song from the movie The President's Analyst, "Inner Manipulations." Barry's career is slowing down here. There are a few repeats from earlier albums, such as "This Precious Time," and "Hang on Sloopy."

"Barry McGuire and the Doctor"  is Barry's final secular album, on the Ode label. For this album Barry teamed up with Eric Hord ("The Doctor"), as well as members of the Byrds (Chris Hillman, Michael Clarke), Flying Burrito Bros (Sneaky Pete Kleinow), Dillard and Clark (Byron Berline), and the Eagles (Bernie Leadon). The album has a very different feel to it than his earlier Dunhill material. The songs are longer and have a more bluegrass feel to them at times, which means they are quite good. This is perhaps his most critically acclaimed album he has ever made, although sales were weak. Highlights include "Too Much City" and "South of the Border" where drug references abound. Barry noted that he doesn't remember much about the album, except the mounds of cocaine he and others consumed while recording it. Barry would soon undergo a powerful change in his life.

Church-year

Tracks
1. Top O' The Hill (M. Smith) - 2:22
2. Cloudy Summer Afternoon (T. Edmonson) - 2:55
3. Secret Saucer Man (P. Potash, B. McGuire) - 2:43
4. There's Nothin' Else On My Mind (E. Pistilli, P. Cashman) - 2:52
5. Walkin' My Cat Named Dog (N. Tanega) - 2:07
6. Hang On Sloopy (B. Russell, W. Farrell) - 4:02
7. Masters Of War (Bob Dylan) - 2:33
8. Inner-Manipulations (P. Potash, B. McGuire) - 3:40
9. The Grasshopper Song (D. Levin) - 3:18
10.This Precious Time (S. Barri, P.F. Sloan) - 2:48
11.Why Not Stop And Dig It While You Can (B. McGuire) - 2:16
12.Eve Of Destruction (P.F. Sloan) - 3:35
13.South Of The Border (B. McGuire, Riley Wildflower) - 5:45
14.Old Farm (Dr. Eric Hord, B. McGuire) - 5:33
15.Too Much City (Dr. Eric Hord, B. McGuire) - 8:50
16.Train (Dr. Eric Hord, B. McGuire) - 6:40
17.Electric Train (Dr. Eric Hord, B. McGuire) - 6:50
18.Meet Me At The Bottom (B. McGuire, Howlin' Wolf) - 6:06
19.Lollipop Train (Single Version) (S. Barri, P.F. Sloan) - 2:47

Musicians
*Barry McGuire - Vocals, Harp, Bells, Wind
*Dr. Eric Hord - Twelve String Guitar, Vocals
*Chris Hillman, Riley Wildflower - Bass
*Bill Mundi, Merle Boatman, Michael Clarke - Drums
*Bernie Leadon, Rocky Hilton - Electric Guitar
*Byron Berline - Fiddle
*Sneaky Pete - Pedal Steel Guitar
*Nicky Woods - Percussion

1963  Barry McGuire & The New Christy Minstrels - Star Folk (2007 RPM remaster)

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Toni Vescoli - Information (1971 swiss, fascinating prog folk psych rock, 2012 korean remaster)

Toni Vescoli is a pioneering Swiss singer/songwriter/guitarist of the classic rock era who over the course of his long career performed a variety of styles, from English-language pop/rock to Dylanesque folk music. Born on July 18, 1942, in Zürich, Switzerland, Vescoli formed the trailblazing rock band Les Sauterelles in 1962. Comprised of Vescoli (rhythm guitar, lead vocals), Rolf Antener (lead guitar, vocals), Heinz Ernst (bass guitar, vocals), and Düde Dürst (drums, vocals), Les Sauterelles were sometimes referred to as the "Swiss Beatles" and recorded on Columbia Records during the mid-'60s. 

The band's first hit was "Hong Kong" (1965), written by Vescoli; also in 1965, the band was featured on the compilation album Swiss Beat Live! alongside fellow Swiss bands the Counte and the Dynamite. Les Sauterelles released several singles during the latter half of the '60s, including the number one hit "Heavenly Club," and they released a couple albums, too. Vescoli broke up the band in 1970.

by Jason Birchmeier

When Les Sauterelles split, Toni Vescoli, decided to start a solo career. At first, inspired by Dylan, he thought of going strictly acoustic, but he soon changed his mind and started incorporating psychedelic and electric elements to his sound, such as feedback, primitive drum machines, guitars and vocals filtered through Leslie speakers etc., as he was also influenced by bands like Pink Floyd and King Crimson. He also incorporated to his repertoire some of the songs he had written for the never recorded Sauterelles concept album, “Seven Deadly Sins”.

In 1971, Toni released his debut solo album, “Information”. A folk-rock / psychedelic gem which reflected his influences at the time: folk, rock, psychedelia, progressive-rock, from fragile acoustic numbers to dark, wigged-out psychedelic tracks.

Tracks
1. Dying Land - 3:22
2. Idleness - 2:50
3. Happy Family - 1:13
4. Hatred And Love - 5:21
5. Information - 4:43
6. Beautiful Morning - 4:35
7. There's A Bird - 3:36
8. Hypocrites - 3:17
9. Intermezzo - 0:28
10.Do Hurry - 5:37
Words and Music by Toni Vescoli

*Toni Vescoli - Vocals, Guitars, Various Instruments

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The Sensational Alex Harvey Band - Live / The Penthouse Tapes (1975-76 uk, solid glam rock melted with varied tunes, 2002 double disc set and 2014 japan SHM remaster)

Although the Sensational Alex Harvey Band showed off plenty of sonic firepower on studio outings like Next and Tomorrow Belongs To Me, they were always at their most ferocious in the concert arena. As a result, Live is an especially rousing and engaging addition to the group's catalog. Since the set list is almost entirely composed of time-tested favorites, it also one of their most consistent albums. The album's contents are taken from a single night's performance at the Hammersmith Odeon, and this gives it a sonic coherence that other live albums rarely capture. 

A totally committed performance from the band seals the album's appeal with its thrilling combination of heavy metal bombast and tight arrangements that carefully deploy keyboard shadings to flesh out the guitar-heavy sound. The proceedings start powerfully with "Faith Healer," an ominous rocker whose thunderous riffs take on a new level of muscle in the live arena. Other highlights include "Give My Compliments to the Chef," a sci-fi-influenced tale of societal breakdown that slowly but surely builds into a hard-rocking frenzy, and the group's cover of "Framed," which transforms the classic Leiber-Stoller tune into a twisted psychodrama where Harvey debates with the audience over his innocence. 

However, the finest track on the album is a cover: the group's surprisingly subtle version of the Tom Jones hit "Delilah" tones down the original's fevered psychodrama to create a waltz-like tune with a tongue in cheek circus atmosphere. This track is also notable because it was released as a single and became one of the group's biggest hit singles in Europe. To sum up, Live is a double-triumph for the Sensational Alex Harvey Band because it functions both as a strong live souvenir for the group's fans and also as a solid introduction to the group's highlights for the novice. 

Their 1976 "Penthouse Tapes" allowed the group to give full vent to this obsession: three of the tracks are band originals, but the rest are a series of covers that hit everything from Irving Berlin to the Osmonds to Alice Cooper.  The highlight of the band originals is"Jungle Jenny," a gender-switched Tarzan tale that sets lyrics about a lusty white goddess who drives the apes mad over a tune that mixes glam rock guitar with tribal drums. 

In terms of covers, the standout tracks include a moody mid-tempo take on Jethro Tull's "Love Story" and "Crazy Horses," which utilizes Harvey's larynx-shredding wail to bring out the apocalyptic overtones in this surprisingly hard-rocking Osmonds tune.The band also takes some surprisingly effective stabs at country rock with their boozy sing-along cover of "Gamblin' Bar Room Blues" and "Say You're Mine (Every Cowboy Song)," a Harvey original.

by Donald A. Guarisco

Tracks
Disc 1 Live 1975
1. Fanfare (Justly, Skillfully, Magnanimously) (Derek Wadsworth) - 1:24
2. Faith Healer (Alex  Harvey, Hugh McKenna) - 6:50
3. Tomahawk Kid (Alex  Harvey, Hugh McKenna, David Batchelor) - 5:50
4. Vambo (Alex  Harvey, Hugh McKenna) - 9:29
5. Give My Compliments To The Chef (Alex Harvey, Hugh McKenna, Alistair Cleminson) - 6:37
6. Delilah (Les Reed, Barry Mason) - 5:17
7. Framed (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) - 11:08

Disc 2 The Penthouse Tapes 1976
1. I Wanna Have You Back (Alex Harvey, Zal Cleminson, Chris Glen, Hugh McKenna, Ted McKenna) - 2:39
2. Jungle Jenny (Alex Harvey, Zal Cleminson, Chris Glen, Hugh McKenna, Ted McKenna, David Batchelor) - 3:59
3. Runaway (Del Shannon, Max Crook) - 2:44
4. Love Story (Ian Anderson) - 5:03
5. School's Out (Alice Cooper, Michael Bruce, Glen Buxton, Dennis Dunaway, Neal Smith) - 4:55
6. Goodnight Irene (Leadbelly, John A. Lomax) - 4:32
7. Say You're Mine (Every Cowboy Song)  (Alex Harvey) - 3:21
8. Gamblin' Bar Room Blues (Jimmie Rodgers, Shelly Lee Alley) - 4:06
9. Crazy Horses (Alan Osmond, Wayne Osmond, Merrill Osmond) - 2:50
10.Cheek To Cheek (Irving Berlin) - 3:32

The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
*Alex Harvey - Lead Vocals
*Zal Cleminson - Guitars
*Chris Glen - Bass Guitar
*Hugh McKenna - Keyboards, Synthesizer
*Ted McKenna - Drums, Percussion
*B.J. Cole - Pedal Steel Guitar

The Senstational Alex Harvey Band
1972-73  Framed / Next 
1974-75  The Impossible Dream / Tomorrow Belongs to Me
Related Act
1970  Tear Gas - Piggy Go Getter (Vinyl edition)
1971  Tear Gas - Tear Gas
     
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Brian Auger's Oblivion Express ‎– Brian Auger's Oblivion Express (1970 uk, amazing jazz progressive rock, 2013 japan SHM edition)

Having learnt his craft on London's jazz scene at Lichfield Street's Cottage Club and later at (he Flamingo, Auger first scored hits in France but it wasn't until he teamed with Julie Driscoll in Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger and the Trinity that he made his name in the UK with two albums -1967's Open and 1969's Streetnoise - plus a Top 5 single, a lysergic rock reading of Bob Dylan's 'This Wheels On Fire'.

Having parted company with Driscoll after a disastrous US tour and feeling straitjacketed by the his trio. The Trinity, who had just seen 1970s Sefouralbum commercially flop, Auger decided to disband in the summer and take a break, "I went on holiday with my wife and our son Karma. When I came back there were calls waiting at the agency, musicians asking to work with me. Wanting to fry out tor the new band- Guitarist Jim Mullen was one of those guys. He was hired. Then we auditioned a few bassists and found Barry Dean and finally discovered Robbie Mclniosh playing in a casino in Nice in a band called the Piranhas. Later when Robbie left the Express to join the Average White Band, we went straight back to the casino and nabbed his replacement in the Piranhas' Steve Ferrone I don't think I was very welcome in the casino after that."

Their 1970 eponymous debut set their manifesto. "I wanted to wipe the slate clean but continue developing the idea of jazz rock. I heard 'In A Silent Way' by Miles Davis, he'd recorded it while we were doing Streetnoise (with Julie Driscolland the Trinity) and it gave me hope and direction. Here was my idol taking basslines from rock and combining them with /azz. I knew I was on the right path musically. I looked on the Oblivion Express as a school, a place where we could learn and experiment but because we were going against the musical tide I thought it was the quickest way to oblivion hence the name."

Recorded in London's Advision Studios over a twoweek period the album revealed a group keen to find  their own identity. "I realised the key to this was writing my own material. I was listening to Eddie Ham's and Les McCann but my writing took me in a more rock direction There weren't that many musicians doing what we wanted to do so we basically/list explored. I also see myself primarily as a live player so I wanted to get in the studio and get it down in a couple of takes and get the best feel to it. I hoped to preserve some live-ness' about the album."

One artist who Auger did turn to for inspiration, however, was John Mclaughlin, whose 'Dragon Song' provides the album's opening cut. "John was an old friend of mine. When I was in New York in 1970 he asked me to drop by the studio and listen to the mix of his new LP. Devotion. I heard 'Dragon Song' and thought, wow! I'd like to try a version of that and that was one of the first things we went into the studio to cut ourselves."

A tumultuous onrush of progressive rock it introduced the Express at their heaviest with an exhilarating fusillade of melodramatic, gothic organ stabs, fills and runs, revealing Auger at his most accomplished to date.  Self penned cuts: 'The Sword', 'The Light' and the title cut meanwhile looked more to Miles Davis for their spirit.

"I was aware that Miles' LPs were incredibly diverse, he went from one thing to something totally different each time out. you can see the progression of the artist growing in his work. As I had a free reign and my artistic development in my own hands I decided this was the time to explore. The debut really shows this, with me being the main writer. By its follow up A Better Land I was taking a more soft approach. I began to write a lot with Jim Mullen."

'The Light', propelled by Barry Dean's driving bassline provided a platform for Auger's vocal and Hammond organ prowess, mixing pulsating rhythms with euphoric, uplifting lyricism, while 'On The Road' delivers a note perfect blueprint for fusion. 'The Sword', as its title suggests is a vitriolic slice of heavy Hammond rock and the blazing title cut is piloted by raging guitars and Auger's gravelthroated vocal.  While Auger was immensely pleased with his statement, the music press weren't.

Sadly both Oblivion Express and its follow up. 1971's A Better Land while securing the group a strong fanbase both in the UK and the US, were slated. "We took a real shellacking by the press. They hated me. If you weren't making prog rock like ELP. Yes and Genesis at the time you were seen as a has been."

Auger, however, was anything but. His third LP, Second Wind (which featured singer Alex Ligertwood) charted in the US and by 1973 the Oblivion Express1 future was cemented. Their fourth album, Closer Jo It appeared simultaneously on the US Billboard rock, jazz and R'n'B charts.

by Lois Wilson, MOJO magazine 

(Thanks to Jon Harrington and Brian Auger)

Tracks
1. Dragon Song (McLaughlin) - 4:27
2. Total Eclipse (Ball) - 11:35
3. The Light (Auger) - 4:24
4. On The Road (Mullen, Auger) - 5:26
5. The Sword (Auger) - 6:35
6. Oblivion Express (Auger) - 7:51
7. Dragon Song (Live, Reutling, Germany, Feb 1972) (McLaughlin) - 5:32

The Oblivion Express
*Brian Auger- Lead Vocals, Keyboards
*Jim Mullen - Guitar, Vocals
*Barry Dean - Bass, Vocals
*Robbie McIntosh - Drums

Brian Auger's Oblivion Express
1971  A Better Land (2006 japan remaster)
1972  Second Wind (2006 japan remaster)
1973  Closer To It (2006 japan remaster) 

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Frankie Miller - Once In A Blue Moon (1972 uk, superb groovy classic rock, 2013 japan remaster)

Frankie Miller made his name on the English pub rock circuit of the early '70s, and spent around a decade and a half cutting albums of traditional R'n'B, rock 'n' roll, and country-rock. In addition to his recorded legacy as an avatar of American roots music, his original material was covered by artists from the worlds of rock, blues, and country, from Bob Seger and Bonnie Tyler to Lou Ann Barton and the Bellamy Brothers. And Miller himself scored a surprise U.K. Top Ten smash in 1978 with "Darlin'," giving his likable, soulful style the popular airing many fans felt it deserved all along. 

Frankie Miller was born November 2, 1949, in Glasgow, Scotland; he began singing with local bands beginning in 1967, in a style influenced by American soul singers like Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, and Otis Redding. After a few years, he moved to the more fertile music scene in London, where he soon met ex-Procol Harum guitarist Robin Trower in the summer of 1971. Impressed with Miller's talents as a raw soul belter in the vein of a Rod Stewart or Joe Cocker, Trower offered him a job as lead vocalist of his new band Jude. It wasn't to be Miller's big break, though; internal conflicts split the group apart by the following year, and Miller returned to the London pub rock circuit.

During 1972, he made frequent appearances at the Tally Ho in Kentish Town, often sitting in with Brinsley Schwarz, and signed a solo record deal with Chrysalis. Using the Brinsleys as a backing band, Miller recorded his debut album, "Once in a Blue Moon". That alone is reason enough to own this record. Add to that a nice batch of songs (mostly originals) and you have an enjoyable album. 

by Steve Huey

Tracks
1. You Dont Need To Laugh (To Be Happy) - 3:32
2. I Can't Change It - 3:11
3. Candlelight Sonata In F Major - 2:35
4. Ann Eliza Jane - 3:05
5. It's All Over - 2:39
6. In No Resistance - 3:02
7. After All (I Live My Life) (J.Doris, Frankie Miller) - 3:43
8. Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues (Bob Dylan) - 4:04
9. Mail Box - 3:15
10.I'm Ready (Willie Dixon) - 3:10
All compositions by Frankie Miller except where stated

Musicians
*Frankie Miller - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Harmonica
*Bob Andrews - Grand Piano, Junk Piano, Accordion, Backing Vocals
*Brinsley Schwarz - Lead, Acoustic Guitars
*Ian Gomm - Lead, Acoustic Guitars
*Nick Lowe - Electric Bass, Double Bass, Backing Vocals
*Billy Rankin - Drums
*Bridgit, Joy,  Janice - Backing Vocals

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The Sensational Alex Harvey Band - The Impossible Dream / Tomorrow Belongs to Me (1974-75 uk, tight glam rock, 2002 two disc set and 2014 japan SHM remaster)

Combining the Sensational Alex Harvey Band's third and fourth albums, The Impossible Dream and Tomorrow Belongs To Me, offers perhaps the archetypal vision of Alex Harvey, as his long-nurtured alter-ego, the comic book hero Vambo, finally burst out of imagination to take on a life of his own on stages across the world. Yet what would become the group's most successful albums also stand as their patchiest.

From The Impossible Dream, "River Of Love," "Long Hair Music," and "Weights Made Of Lead" seem particularly throwaway; casualties, perhaps, of the sheer volume of live work which the band was putting in. Certainly there was nothing to rival its predecessors' "Faith Healer," "Next," or "Isabel Goudie," although when the album was good, it was great. The sparkling "Sergeant Fury" and "Tomahawk Kid," a dramatic (if slightly off-kilter) tribute to Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island were already live staples, while the impossibly moving, and so aptly-titled "Anthem" would allow Harvey to live out all his Scottish pride -- when SAHB toured the US in early 1975, he even arranged for a couple of bagpipers to join them on stage for the closing minutes of the song.

Tomorrow Belongs To Me is weaker still, despite the uniform excellence of its contents onstage. Indeed, like Impossible Dream's "Hot City Symphony," the epic "Give My Compliments To The Chef" and "Tale Of The Giant Stone-Eater" were surely designed with live, as opposed to studio, dynamics in mind, while the bulk of the shorter pieces once more tend to be throwaways. Again, however, there are exceptions -- one can readily imagine "Sgt. Fury" swaggering carelessly down through menacing shadows of "Action Strasse," while the almost religious intensity with which Harvey emotes the title track (from the stage show Cabaret) is virtually worth the price of admission alone.

One can also safely say that, linked on one CD, the two albums work better as a whole than they ever did alone -- again, testament to the sheer dynamic of SAHB-period live shows. That the best of that show is preserved only on the criminally short album Live on the Test only adds to this set's vitality. Live on the Test showcases the best, but you should hear the rest.

by Dave Thompson

Tracks

Disc 1 The Impossible Dream 1974

1. Hot City Symphony Part 1: Vambo (A. Harvey, H. McKenna, Z. Cleminson) - 5:03

2. Hot City Symphony Part 2: Man In The Jar (A. Harvey, H. McKenna, D.Batchelor) - 8:17

3. River Of Love (A. Harvey, H. McKenna, Z. Cleminson) - 3:11

4. Long Hair Music (A. Harvey, H. McKenna, Z. Cleminson) - 4:36

5. Hey (A. Harvey, H. McKenna, D.Batchelor) - 0:38

6. Sergeant Fury (A. Harvey, H. McKenna, D.Batchelor) - 3:28

7. Weights Made Of Lead (A. Harvey) - 2:40

8. Money Honey/The Impossible Dream (Jesse Stone, Mitch Leigh, Joe Darion)  - 2:09

9. Tomahawk Kid (A. Harvey, H. McKenna, D.Batchelor) - 4:34

10.Anthem (A. Harvey, H. McKenna, D.Batchelor) - 7:45

Disc 2  Tomorrow Belongs to Me 1975
1. Action Strasse (A. Harvey, H. McKenna, Z. Cleminson) - 3:16
2. Snake Bite (A. Harvey) - 3:55
3. Soul In Chains (A. Harvey, H. McKenna, Z. Cleminson, D.Batchelor) - 3:54
4. The Tale Of The Giant Stoneater (A. Harvey, H. McKenna) - 7:20
5. Ribs And Balls (A. Harvey, G. Glen) - 1:53
6. Give My Compliments To The Chef (A. Harvey, H. McKenna, Z. Cleminson) - 5:32
7. Shark's Teeth (A. Harvey, Z. Cleminson) - 4:54
8. Shake That Thing (A. Harvey) - 4:05
9. Tomorrow Belongs To Me (Fred Ebb, John Kander) - 3:47
10.To Be Continued...(Hail Vibrania!) (A. Harvey, Z. Cleminson) - 0:56

The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
*Alex Harvey - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
*Zal Cleminson - Guitar
*Chris Glen - Bass Guitar
*Hugh McKenna - Keyboards, Synthesizer
*Ted McKenna - Drums
With
*Vicky Silva - Vocals
*Barry St. John, Liza Strike, Vicki Brown – Backing Vocals

The Senstational Alex Harvey Band
1972-73  Framed / Next 
Related Act
1970  Tear Gas - Piggy Go Getter (Vinyl edition)
1971  Tear Gas - Tear Gas

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Jesse Colin Young ‎– Light Shine (1974 us, gorgeous folk soft rock)

Whether it was creative fervor or contractual obligation, Jesse Colin Young was back with a new album only six months after his commercial and artistic breakthrough with Song for Juli, and though the album featured more original songs, Young seemed to be stretching for material, turning the three tunes on side one into a "California Suite" with lots of jazzy instrumental work. Many of Young's backup musicians -- notably drummer Jeffrey Myer, keyboardist Scott Lawrence and reed player Jim Rothermel -- had been with him for a while now and were playing like a tight band. 

Some of the songs were little more than weather reports ("Grey Day") or travelogues ("Barbados"), and when Young did have a message to convey, as in the title song (repeated from the Youngbloods' Good and Dusty album), he could come off as preachy, but the music was so delightful that none of that mattered much. Fans made it Young's highest-charting album yet, and it ranks with Song for Juli as his biggest seller. 

by William Ruhlmann

Tracks
1. California Child  - 2:23
2. Grey Day  - 11:19
3. Light Shine  - 5:25
4. Pretty And The Fair  - 2:37
5. Barbardos  - 2:58
6. Motorcycle Blues  - 2:40
7. The Cuckoo (Traditional)  6:53
8. Susan  - 4:21
All songs by Jesse Colin Young except where indicated

Musicians
*Jesse Colin Young - Vocals Guitar                
*Jeffrey Myer - Drums, Congas, Percussion              
*Scott Lawrence - Piano, Keyboards, Harmonies                                      
*Kelly Bryan, Bass
*Jim Rothermel - Alto, Soprano Sax, Flute, Clarinet, Recorder, Harmonica
*Ozzie Ahlers - Electric Piano                                  
*Marty David - Bass                    
*Jerry Corbitt, Suzi Young - Harmonies

Jesse Colin Young releases
1973  Song For Juli (2009 remaster)
1976  On The Road (Japan remaster)
with The Youngbloods
1967/69  The Youngbloods / Earth Music / Elephant Mountain 
1969  Elephant Mountain (Sundazed expanded)
1971  Beautiful! Live In San Francisco (Sundazed edition)
1972  High On A Ridge Top (Sundazed remaster)

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Homestead And Wolfe - Our Times, The Gold Star Tapes (1973-75 us, extraordinary spiritual folk psych harmonies)

Originally released in 1975, Homestead & Wolfe's lone and unknown privately pressed LP is an artifact so lost to time, it has never appeared in any discography, list of rare records, or catalog, anywhere. However, exist it does, and now their story can be told.

This has been re-released by Anopheles Records has sat tight lipped on this discovery for the last year while researching and preparing this reissue from the original master tapes and with full cooperation of the group. Homestead & Wolfe was a folk-harmony group based around the United Methodist Good Samaritan Church in Cupertino, CA (near San Jose). Comprised of two female lead vocalists, one male lead vocalist, and buttressed with superb male and female harmonies throughout, H&W performed original material in a rich, melodic folk-rock-country style that is well executed, as well as earnest and personal. 

The patriarch, producer and lyricist of the group, Ernie Bringas, had dabbled in the record biz as one of two founding members of the "surf hot rod" early 1960s vocal duo, the Rip Chords, before leaving the music business to attend seminary school. As a Minister of Youth and master planner and motivator at Good Sam from 1969-75, Bringas assembled and encouraged this ensemble of counselors and students, eventually offering them an opportunity to record an album and have a shot at "making it" as artists. He gave them the ultimate "leg up" in the business, producing this finely crafted recording using his old Hollywood connections.

These 15 tracks were recorded at the legendary Gold Star Studios in Hollywood between 1973-75. Engineered by Stan Ross, these recordings feature top flight studio musicianship from legendary "wrecking crew" drummer Hal Blaine, guitarist Ben Benay (Goldenrod, Darius), acoustic guitarist Al Casey, monster bass player Ray Pohlman, not to mention one of the world's most renowned and respected pedal steel guitar players, Jay Dee Maness (Buck Owens, the Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo LP). The harmonies and arrangements of H&W recall both the Mamas and the Papas and the Carpenters at times, but much of the music deals with darker themes: the story of Wounded Knee told in "See The Children Die", the organ fueled psychedelia of "Your Freedom's In Question", aimed at the Nixon administration at the time, remains apropos today, and recalls the work of Growing Concern, Birmingham Sunday, and Art of Lovin'.

There are plenty of surprises here, as we located 6 unreleased tracks to augment the 9 tracks on the original album, including the startlingly great and dynamic cut, "Beat of the Drum", which sounds as if the Bangles were hired to front Goldenrod for a one off single. The full color 16 page booklet tells the story in their own words, features images of the touring group and recording sessions at Gold Star, and maintains the high standard of archival work Anopheles Records is known for. Homestead & Wolfe represents a highly unusual and strikingly original blend of unproven but talented young vocalists, top quality session players and engineering, and a truly rare chemistry that makes this one of the great folk-rock discoveries of the last 10 years. 

Rip-chords

Tracks
1. Slow Down (Sheryl Johnson, Ernie Bringas) - 3:35
2. Love Comes Through My Door (Joanne Avery) - 3:26
3. King Of The Mountain (Joanne Avery, Ernie Bringas, Brian Gundy) - 2:13
4. If I Never Show (Joanne Avery, Ernie Bringas, Brian Gundy) - 2:32
5. See The Children Die (Joanne Avery, Ernie Bringas) - 3:27
6. Do I Love You? (Joanne Avery, Ernie Bringas) - 2:47
7. Your Freeson's In Question (Joanne Avery, Ernie Bringas, Ted Larson) - 3:33
8. I Am Cain (Joanne Avery, Ernie Bringas, Brian Gundy) - 2:22
9. Roll On, Tumbleweed (Ernie Bringas, Brian Gundy, Ed Gundy) - 2:20
10.Beat Of The Drum (Ernie Bringas, Brian Gundy) - 3:42
11.Rhythm Of The Wind (Joanne Avery, Ernie Bringas, Brian Gundy) - 3:41
12.You're All That I See (Joanne Avery) - 2:53
13.Mary Jane (Ernie Bringas, Brian Gundy) - 3:10
14.See The Children Die (Alternative Mix) (Joanne Avery, Ernie Bringas) - 3:21
15.Beat Of The Drum (Instrumental) (Ernie Bringas, Brian Gundy) - 3:54

Homestead And Wolfe
*Joanne Avery - Vocals
*Janice Gundy - Vocals
*Dave Rupel - Vocals
*B.J. Avery - Vocals
*Ernie Bringas - Vocals
*Brian Gundy - Vocals
With
*Ben Benay - Guitar
*Hal Blaine - Drums, Percussion
*JayDee Mannes - Pedal Steel Guitar
*Ray Pohlman - Bass
*George Poole - Flute
*Don Ralke - Piano

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The Senstational Alex Harvey Band - Framed / Next (1972-73 uk, magnificent hard boogie glam rock, 2002 remaster and 2014 japan SHM)

A handy two-fer coupling of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band's first two albums, nicely remastered but sadly accompanied by nothing that has not been reissued before, Framed/Next captures the band as they took their first steps towards a superstardom that was by no means taken for granted. Early live audiences hated the group, and the only consolation for Harvey was that he actively enjoyed the confrontation.

Framed was recorded in under five days, and still steams with the seething fury of its birth, a mixed bag of new creations, odd concoctions, and oldies that Harvey had been playing for up to a decade. Both the title track and "I Just Want To Make Love To You" were reprised from his Alex Harvey Soul Band debut album; "Hole In Her Stocking" had already appeared on his last LP, as a member of the Rock Workshop troupe; and "Midnight Moses" revisited a lost 1969 single. Elsewhere, however, the epic "Isabel Goudie" showcased his backing band with a lengthy recounting of a Scottish witch legend, while the decidedly unseasonal Yuletide single "There's No Lights On The Christmas Tree" told the tale of a gangster going to the electric chair. And "The Hammer Song" found an entire new generation of fans after Nick Cave covered it on 1990s The Good Son. At the time, though, they couldn't give this stuff away.

Fast forward a year and the band's fortunes had changed dramatically. Now regarded as one of the top live acts in the country, the criticism was that their vinyl didn't reflect their live performances. Next, dynamically produced by Phil Wainman (later better-known for his work with the Bay City Rollers), would change that forever.

Once again, the title song was a cover, a dramatic version of Jacques Brel's "Au Suivant" transformed into an apocalyptic tango. More important within Harvey's own subsequent iconography, however, was the pulsing "Faith Healer," a magnificent invocation that was soon to become the band's traditional set-opener (replacing a manic version of the Osmonds' "Crazy Horses") and has since, of course, ascended to the status of Rock Anthem.

The seethingly sexual "Swampsnake" and the lascivious "Gang Bang" cater delightedly to the band's reputation for taking no prisoners, but a rambunctious version of Freddie Bell's 1956 classic "Giddy Up A Ding Dong" gives ample vent to their lighter side, before Harvey unleashes the semi-autobiographical "Last Of The Teenage Idols," a song recounting his long ago triumph in a Scottish Tommy Steele competition. It's a great conclusion to the album, and a fitting finale, too, to this release's roundup of SAHB's first full year in action.

by Dave Thompson

Tracks

Disc 1 Frame

1. Framed (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) - 4:56

2. Hammer Song - 4:05

3. Midnight Moses - 4:25

4. Isobel Goudie (Part 1: My Lady Of The Night, Part 2: Coitus Interruptus, Part 3: Virgin And The Hunter) - 7:29

5. Buff's Bar Blues - 3:04

6. I Just Want To Make Love To You (Willie Dixon) - 6:39

7. Hole In Her Stocking - 4:39

8. There's No Lights On The Christmas Tree, Mother They're Burning Big Louie Tonight - 3:44

9. St. Anthony - 4:46

All tracks composed by Alex Harvey except where noted

Disc 2 Next 
1. Swampsnake - 4:54
2. Gang Bang - 4:42
3. The Faith Healer - 7:21
4. Giddy Up A Ding Dong (Freddie Bell, Joey Lattanzi) - 3:14
5. Next (Jacques Brel, Mort Shuman, Eric Blau) - 4:02
6. Vambo Marble Eye (Alex Harvey Band) - 4:25
7. The Last Of The Teenage Idols (Harvey, Hugh McKenna, Zal Cleminson) - 7:15
All tracks composed by Alex Harvey except where stated

The Senstational Alex Harvey Band
*Alex Harvey - Lead Vocals
*Zal Cleminson - Lead Guitar
*Hugh McKenna - Electric Piano
*Chris Glen - Bass Guitar
*Eddie McKenna - Drums
*Phil Kenzie - Tenor Saxophone
*Big Bud's Brass - Brass Section
*David Batchelor - Backing Vocals  (only on "Next")

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Monument - The First Monument (1971 uk, tough organ and guitar fuelled rockers, 2010 Relics remaster)

By 1971, when this album was first released, it had become somewhat trendy amongst the underground fraternity to actively participate in practises such as ritual magic, occult arts and various other esoteric customs. With music very much to the fore of this scene, a twilight culture unfurled linking mysticism to it in the form of groups inspired by their own self interest and beliefs.

While special imagery and gimmicks were an all important part of such groups presentation there were those, like Monument, whose fascination for the occult drove them away from seeking to glamourise their image. Vocalist and keyboards man Steven Lowe was a founder member of a witches coven in Essex and this keen interest in the ancient craft served to shape much of the lyrical content of their sole album, which is steeped in sorcery and mysticism. Monument was actually made by Zior under a pseudonym.

Of all the late ‘60s/ early '70s bands that professed a genuine interest in the occult Black Sabbath achieved the most success. Ironically, at the outset, they were largely inclined to distance themselves as figureheads of occultism in rock, preferring instead to rely on the strength of their music rather than upholding an image.

Audio-Archives

Tracks

1. Dog Man - 3:20

2. Stale Flesh - 3:51

3. Don't Run Me Down - 2:28

4. Give Me Life - 3:53

5. The Metamorphis Tango - 3:56

6. Boneyard Bumne - 4:28

7. First Taste Of Love - 3:25

8. And She Goes - 2:36

9. Overture For Limp Piano In C - 3:32

10.I'm Coming Back - 2:52

All songs by Steven Lowe

Monument

*Jake Brewster - Drums

*Marve Fletchley - Bass

*Steven Lowe - Vocals, Keyboards

*Wes Truvor - Guitar

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Argent - Nexus (1974 uk, fascinating art progressive rock, 2008 japan remaster)

"Nexus" is easily Argent's most progressive album. The three first tracks on the album are instrumental, keyboard-dominated progressive rock of a kind all of you will enjoy. Tons of Hammond, mellotron and moogs plays mighty and inspired themes. Very good. "Love" is a ballad that gets saved by a very pleasant mellotron arrangement. "Keeper of the Flame" is a nice symphonic track that for some unknown reason reminds me a little bit of Greenslade. "Thunder and Lightning" and "Gonna Meet My Maker" are more straightforward rock tracks. 

The El-piano dominated "Music from the Spheres" and "Man for All Reasons" is a little bit slick, but they're definitively not bad. The latter is kind of a progressive pop-track in the vein of Kayak. Argent's problem was that the two main songwriters in the band, Rod Argent and Russ Ballard, obviously had very different musical interests. Argent was the one who wrote the most progressive tunes while Ballard was much more hit-song oriented, resulting in a lack of musical profile. Anyway, most of their material is good and so is the performance too. 

Vintage-prog

Tracks
1. The Coming Of Kohoutek (Rod Argent, Chris White) - 3:10
2. Once Around The Sun (Rod Argent, Chris White) - 2:20
3. Infinite Wanderer (Rod Argent, Chris White) - 3:02
4. Love (Russ Ballard) - 3:51
5. Music From The Spheres (Rod Argent, Chris White) - 8:10
6. Thunder And Lightning (Russ Ballard) - 5:05
7. Keeper Of The Flame (Rod Argent, Chris White) - 6:02
8. Man For All Reasons (Russ Ballard) - 4:44
9. Gonna Meet My Maker (Russ Ballard) - 4:35

Argent
*Rod Argent – Organ, Electric Piano, Vocals
*Russ Ballard – Guitar, Vocals
*Jim Rodford - Bass Guitar, Guitar, Vocals
*Robert Henrit - Drums, Percussion

1970  Argent - Argent (Japan remaster)
1971  Argent - Ring Of Hands (Japan remaster)
1972  Argent - All Together Now (Japan remaster)
1973  Argent - In Deep (Japan remaster)
1974  Argent - Encore Live in Concert  (Japan remaster)

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The Neon Philharmonic - Brilliant Colors The Complete Recordings (1969-70 us, delicate orchestrated sunny psych opera, two disc set)

This double-CD set, Brilliant Colors: The Complete W. B. Recordings, should be a no-brainer of a purchase for anyone who is an admirer of Van Dyke Parks' Song Cycle, Richard Harris' two Jimmy Webb collaborations (A Tramp Shining and The Yard Went on Forever), the Free Design's classic '60s albums, the extant fragments of Brian Wilson's previously lost SMiLE album, or any of the other classic examples of ornate late '60s psychedelic pop -- not that what's here is exactly psychedelic, so much as baroque pop, with lots of elaborate, occasionally "out-there" orchestral arrangements that luxuriate in their own ornate weirdness, sort of like Parks' "The All Golden" or "Palm Desert." 

The Neon Philharmonic's two albums The Moth Confesses and The Neon Philharmonic are both represented (in superb sound) on the first CD, but the real treat is the 58-minute long second disc, which encompasses the group's singles -- once one gets past the four cuts lifted off of The Moth Confesses, most of the rest is comprised of some very pretty and nicely produced non-LP single sides that are some of the most enjoyable unknown sunshine pop of the period, and, as Andy Zax, the annotator of this set observes, virtually a third LP in breadth and content. "Flowers for Your Pillow" and "To Be Continued" sound like lost Jimmy Webb productions circa 1967, and "A Little Love" is such a radiantly upbeat piece of pop-rock that it's amazing it didn't do more for the act as a single; the disc finishes with a string of radio promotion spots for the group. 

Not all of singles are as inventive or impressive as those tracks -- a lot of it would make one think of what might've happened had Richard Carpenter been given a budget and the job of generating upbeat sunshine pop music without the services of his sister around, say, 1970 -- and some of what's here shows signs of marking time, but the overall vibe of this music is still seductive thirty-some years later, if not quite as compelling as the very best work in this genre. Additionally, the annotation is so extensive and fascinating as to seriously enhance the value of the set -- what it tells us about the music business and the era in which this music was generated makes it essential reading, almost more than some of the Neon Philharmonic's music is essential listening. ~ by Bruce Eder

The Neon Philharmonic's 1969 debut, The Moth Confesses, is rightfully considered one of the stranger exponents of the sunshine pop scene. However, its less-celebrated 1970 follow-up, The Neon Philharmonic, is, if anything, even weirder. Composer/conductor Tupper Saussy's lyrics are even more obtuse and pretentious this time out, opening with the utterly bizarre "Are You Old Enough to Remember Dresden?" and closing with "F. Scott Fitzgerald and William Shakespeare," a rather drippy tale of college buddies who drift apart after graduation. 

As the lyrics become more overwrought, so too does the increasingly pseudo-classical music. Several songs are sung (by Don Gant, returning from the debut) to strictly orchestral arrangements. Unfortunately, Saussy's not an interesting enough melodicist to give these arrangements the same zip that lifts The Moth Confesses over its more ponderous patches; it's not surprising that the album's best song by far, "Forever Hold Your Peace," is the one that sounds the most like that album. Although the Neon Philharmonic released occasional singles for various labels over the next half-decade, this was their final full-length release.

by Stewart Moon

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Brilliant Colors - 4:22

2. Cowboy - 2:21

3. The New Life Out There - 5:36

4. Morning Girl - 2:14

5. Midsummer Night - 5:48

6. Little Sparrow - 3:20

7. The Last Time I Saw Jacqueline - 3:46

8. Morning Girl, Later - 2:41

9. Are You Old Enough to Remeber Dresden? - 5:23

10.Forever Hold Your Peace - 2:26

11.You Lied - 3:29

12.Harry - 4:11

13.No One Is Going to Hurt You - 3:58

14.Long John the Pirate - 5:18

15 F. Scott Fitzgerald And William Shakespeare - 5:16

16.The Mordor National Anthem - 0:44

Disc 2
1. Morning Girl (Mono Single Version) - 2:15
2. Brillant Colors (Mono Single Version) - 4:21
3. No One Is Going to Hurt You (Mono Single Version) - 3:57
4. You Lied (Mono Single Version) - 3:30
5. Clouds - 2:40
6. Snow - 3:23
7. Heighdy-Ho Princess - 3:25
8. Don't Know My Way Around My Soul - 2:59
9. Flowers for Your Pillow - 2:19
10.To Be Continued - 2:29
11.Something to Believe In - 3:19
12.A Little Love - 2:59
13.Got a Feelin' in My Bones - 3:01
14.Keep the Faith in Me - 3:09
15.Better Times - 2:22
16.Jody - 3:10
17.Letters Crossing - 3:05
18.Radio Spot 1 (Promo) - 0:54
19.Radio Spot 2 (Promo) - 0:55
20.Radio Spot 3 (Promo) - 0:56
21.Radio Spot 4 (Promo) - 0:54
22.Radio Spot 5 (Promo) - 2:09
All songs composed and arranged by Tupper Saussy

*Don Gant - Vocals

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The Seeds - Future (1967 us, superb classic garage psych pioneers, 2013 double disc digipack edition)

The original personnel listing for the Seeds’ third long-player, “Future”, included a credit to “your imagination”. It was lead singer Sky Saxon’s invitation for the listener to travel “back into your dreams”, to conjure up for themselves the fantasy landscape of castles, forests and clouds that he had envisaged for the record. “Future” embodied one of many tangents Sky had spun off upon, which led him from a knowing hipness to a wide-eyed, childlike naïveté. Behind, the Seeds packed as solid a musical punch as they ever had, but it was increasingly difficult for his fellow travellers to relate to the paths Sky was pointing the band down.

1967 was a turning point for Sky Saxon, Daryl Hooper, Jan Savage and Rick Andridge, a moment where the hard work of the previous two years was finally paying off. The first six months likely represented the zenith of the Seeds’ career, as the ascendant quartet seemed completely in the vanguard, with a major national hit under their belt, fan pandemonium wherever they went, and a public profile inflated by a new manager, the voluble “Lord Tim” Hudson. The eponymous debut album and its sequel, “A Web Of Sound”, had solidified the attitude implied by the hits, and saw the group made defiantly outrageous gestures, both musically and visually. What would their next move be?

The ensuing album, “Future”, seemed at once both calculated and confused. For some, it represents the Seeds’ grand psychedelic statement, a mind-blowing articulation of the flower power movement of which they had been proclaimed torchbearers. To others, “Future” is Sky Saxon’s folly: an over-egged, acid-damaged pudding that submerged the true power of the band with meaningless grandeur. The truth lies somewhere between. A narcissistic over-confidence made Sky feel the need to now augment Daryl, Jan and Rick in the studio with numerous overdubs – strings, harp, tuba – on hastily cobbled material that brimmed with bizarre lyrical concepts. On certain tracks the combination worked fine, on others it seemed almost like a parody of psychedelia. Nevertheless, “Future” contains many fan favourites such as ‘Painted Doll’, ‘Flower Lady’, ‘Two Fingers’ and ‘A Thousand Shadows’.

From this point on, Sky’s grip on the qualities that made him distinctive would only loosen further, but on “Future” he was attentive enough to pull things together, and the album has enough fine moments and flashes of the old Sky Saxon laser-like focus to ensure its reputation today as something of a flawed gem. Our deluxe 2CD edition thus seeks to reappraise the Seeds’ psychedelic experiment, and presents it in the very best sound quality. Disc One features the remastered stereo album mix, along with a selection of period mono mixes, including several that are previously unissued. 

A second disc, “Contact High: The Future Sessions”, is a fascinating eavesdrop upon the album’s creation at Hollywood’s famed Gold Star studio, utilising outtakes, alternate mixes and previously unheard versions to demonstrate that, beneath all the overdubs and florid platitudes, on “Future” the Seeds’ electricity crackled as strongly as ever. A 48-page booklet crammed with rarely-seen images tells the story behind this unusual but nevertheless compelling episode in the career of these garage kings.

by Alec Palao

Tracks

Disc 1 The Stereo Album

1. Intro/March Of The Flower Children (Sky Saxon, Daryl Hooper) - 2:52

2. Travel With Your Mind (Sky Saxon, Daryl Hooper, Jan Savage) - 3:10

3. Out Of The Question (Sky Saxon, Russ Serpent) - 2:16

4. Painted Doll (Sky Saxon) - 3:24

5. Flower Lady And Her Assistant (Sky Saxon) - 3:29

6. Now A Man (Sky Saxon, Daryl Hooper, Jan Savage) - 3:21

7. A Thousand Shadows (Sky Saxon, Daryl Hooper, Jan Savage) - 2:30

8. Two Fingers Pointing On You (Sky Saxon) - 3:13

9. Where Is The Entrance Way To Play (Sky Saxon) - 2:52

10.Six Dreams (Sky Saxon) - 3:11

11.Fallin' (Sky Saxon, Daryl Hooper) - 7:45

12.Chocolate River (Mono) (Sky Saxon, Daryl Hooper) - 3:09

13.Sad And Alone (Mono) (Sky Saxon, Daryl Hooper) - 2:22

14.The Wind Blows Your Hair (Mono, Version 2) (S. Saxon, Buddy Biglow) - 3:09

15.Travel With Your Mind (Mono) (S. Saxon, D. Hooper, J. Savage) - 3:06

16.Painted Doll (Mono) (Sky Saxon) - 3:23

17.Flower Lady And Her Assistant (Mono) (Sky Saxon) - 3:17

18.Now A Man (Mono) (Sky Saxon, Daryl Hooper, Jan Savage) - 3:20

19.Two Fingers Pointing On You (Mono) (Sky Saxon) - 3:11

20.Where Is The Entrance Way To Play (Mono) (Sky Saxon) - 2:52

21.Six Dreams (Mono) (Sky Saxon) - 3:01

22.Fallin' (Mono) (Sky Saxon, Daryl Hooper) - 7:42

23.The Navy Swings (Mono) (R. Andridge, S. Saxon, D. Hooper, J. Savage) - 1:03

Disc 2 Contact High The "Future" Sessions
1. Rides Too Long (Sky Saxon, Daryl Hooper, Jan Savage) - 2:58
2. Chocolate River (Sky Saxon, Daryl Hooper) - 3:10
3. Flower Lady And Her Assistant (Take 1) (Sky Saxon) - 4:11
4. Where Is The Entranceway To Play (Alt Mix) (Sky Saxon) - 2:55
5. Sad And Alone (Sky Saxon, Daryl Hooper) - 2:45
6. Contact High (Take 1) (Sky Saxon, Daryl Hooper, Jan Savage) - 3:35
7. Travel With Your Mind (Alt Mix) (S. Saxon, D. Hooper, J. Savage) - 3:12
8. Six Dreams (Take 4) (Sky Saxon) - 3:00
9. Two Fingers Pointing On You (Take 1) (Sky Saxon) - 3:03
10.The Wind Blows Your Hair (Version 2) (Sky Saxon, Buddy Biglow) - 3:08
11.March Of The Flower Children (Alt Mix) (Sky Saxon, Daryl Hooper) - 1:49
12.A Thousand Shadows (Take 7) (S. Saxon, D. Hooper, J. Savage) - 2:27
13.Gypsy Plays His Drums (Version 1) (Sky Saxon, Daryl Hooper) - 5:33
14.Satisfy You (Version 1) (Sky Saxon, Jan Savage) - 2:32
15.900 Million People Daily Making Love (Full Length Version) (S. Saxon) - 9:44

The Seeds
*Sky Saxon - Vocals, Percussion
*Daryl Hooper - Guitar, Sitar, Piano, Organ, Vibraphone, Xylophone, Background Vocals
*Jan Savage - Guitar, Gong, Background Vocals
*Rick Andridge - Drums, Percussion
Guest Musicians
*Harvey Sharpe - Bass
*Oliver Mitchell - Trumpet
*Roy Caton - Trumpet
*Hal Blaine - Drums
*George Callender - Tuba
*Tjay Cantrelli - Flute, Clarinet, Harmonica
*Sidney Sharp - Violin
*Leonard Malarsky- Flute
*Harry Hyams - Viola
*Jesse Ehrlich - Cello
*Peter Christ - Oboe
*Gayle Levant - Harp
*Evangeline Carmichael - Vocal
*Gwen Johnson - Vocal
*Jean King - Vocal
*Bob Atkins - Bass

Sky Saxon and The Seeds trip..
1965-93  The Seeds - Pushin' Too Hard
1967  The Seeds - Future (Vinyl edition)
1986  Sky "Sunlight" Saxon And Firewall - Destiny's Children

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