In The Land Of FREE we still Keep on Rockin'

It's Not Dark Yet

Plain and Fancy

Music gives soul to universe, wings to mind, flight to imagination, charm to sadness, and life to everything.

Plato

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Keef Hartley - Lancashire Hustler (1972 uk, blues rock with jazz and funky vibes, 2009 esoteric remaster)


R.I.P. Keith "Keef" Hartley (8 April 1944 – 26 November 2011)



If the last Keef Hartley Band album, 1972's Seventy Second Brave, had seen some changes in musical direction, then the following year's Lancashire Hustler saw a greater shift away from the blues rock origins of the band. After the last KHB album, Hartley had rejoined John Mayall for a European tour and when he returned to the UK, became involved in a number of different musical projects, including playing on a few tracks by Vinegar Joe.

Not having the time to run and organise the band, the group had drifted apart with main musical foil, bassist Gary Thain, heading off into new musical territories by joining heavy rockers Uriah Heep. Decca, Hartley's label, were hustling for a new album which was owed to the label under the drummer's contract so the only option was to get together a studio band comprised of friends and colleagues purely to record the album. Hence, the sole attribute to Keef Hartley. And what a combination of friends and colleagues Hartley was able to call on! Junior Kerr (guitar, vocal) and Mick Weaver (organ, Moog) were recalled from the last incarnation of the KHB and a suitable replacement for Thain was found in Philip Chen, who John Burns, the album's producer, had come across at a Rod Stewart session. Jim Mullen, the jazz-rock guitarist, was also enticed along through some mutual contacts. However, it was in the vocal department that Hartley really hit big time.

Having long admired Jess Roden, who Hartley had known since the time he was a member of The Artwoods (one of the earliest bands to feature Deep Purple's Jon Lord) and Roden had sang with The Alan Bown Set, a quick phone call and an initial get together to run through some ideas, secured Roden's commitment to the album. Then, in return for playing on the Vinegar Joe albums, both Robert Palmer and Elkie Brooks agreed to provide backing vocals and brought with them pianist Jean Rouselle.

The Vinegar Joe connection didn't end with having Brooks and Palmer adding their magnificent voices to the album, but went further with the opening track, Circles, being a fine cover of the Palmer-penned song from the debut VJ album. Jess Roden steals the show on this fabulous, gospel tinged version that is a real 'feel good' track. Throughout the whole album Brook and Palmer make a significant contribution adding tremendous power to tracks like Circles and You & Me.

Shovel A Minor was based on a jam with Mullen providing some tasty guitar licks before a terrifically funky brass middle section takes over which Hartley rightly opines "could be from an American cop show"! Australian Lady, as with the two previous tracks, were composed by Hartley, although John Mayall gets a co-credit on the antipodean female song as Hartley had stolen the main riff from Mayall during a tour of Australia where the titular female was encountered (so maybe Mayall should also be credited for putting Hartley in a position where he could meet the lady that became the muse!). The song is quite beautiful but is raised to something a bit special by the trombone playing of Don Lusher and Derek Wadsworth.

Action and Know Something were both written by John Burns, presumably the producer and engineer of the album, but that is not confirmed in the reissue. Both tracks fit in well with the rest of the album with fine band performances. Chen proves that he was an apt replacement for Thain providing a fine rhythm section along with Hartley, particularly on the instrumental section of Action, and Kerr gets to flex his fingers throughout Know Something.

Jennie's Father is rather unique for Hartley as it is the only song that he decided to add a string accompaniment to. Arranged by Pete Gage, husband of Elkie Brooks and guitarist in Vinegar Joe, the string section is not overpowering but simply adds a lot of colour to the track, particularly the use of pizzicato. Again, it is a lovely song, exceedingly well played and sung.

The big surprise is the cover of the Sly And The Family Stone's big hit Dance To The Music. It's a real tour de force, with Weaver having a field day on organ and Moog, Miller Anderson making a welcome return to the fold, Brooks providing the perfect vocal foil to Roden's lead, some over the top brass and Mullen enjoying himself so much wailing away on his six string that at the end of the song you can hear him say "Got any tape left? I'll carry on"!

I was pleasantly surprised by this album as it is completely different from any of the albums that were released by the Keef Hartley Band. There is an immense feeling of the musicians having great fun and really enjoying the sessions and playing music for music's sake. I suppose as the album was a contractual obligation and there were no plans, or need, to go out and tour to promote the release that took a lot of pressure off.

What is ironic is that a further album was recorded with essentially the same players pretty soon after Lancashire Hustler. However, Hartley went off on another tour with Mayall shortly after recording was complete and by the time he returned the album had been forgotten about.

What is a great pity, and symptomatic of the attitude of some record companies, is that despite intensive searching, the album has been completely lost with the master tapes in all probability having been erased. Easily the most enjoyable of the Hartley albums and a great re-release, recommended album for when you want to dance to the music!!
by Mark Hughes


Tracks
1. Circles (Robert Palmer) - 5:21
2. You and Me (K. Hartley) - 3:57
3. Shovel a Minor (K. Hartley) - 4:22
4. Australian Lady (K. Hartley, John Mayall) - 4:36
5. Action (John Burns) - 5:52
6. Something About You (John Burns) - 3:58
7. Jennie's Father (Ken Cumberbatch) - 3:12
8. Dance to the Music (Sylvester Stewart) - 6:19

Musicians
*Jess Roden - Vocal
*Junior Kerr - Vocal, Guitar
*Jean Rouselle - Keyboards
*Mick Weaver - Organ, Moog
*Philip Chen - Bass
*Keef Hartley - Drums
*Elkie Brooks - Backing vocals
*Robert Palmer - Backing vocals

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

The Spencer Davis Group - Their First LP (1965 uk, fine swinging rhythm and blues, soul beats, 2006 japan bonus tracks release)



One of the most exciting and influential groups to come out of Birmingham in the early 60s, the Spencer Davis Group is most recognized for some classic singles as well as launching the career of Steve Winwood. Spencer Davis was born on July 17, 1941 in Swansea, South Wales and later moved to London where he played in skiffle bands and became heavily influenced by imported American blues music. 

He moved to Birmingham in 1960 to study at Birmingham University where he later became a teacher. In the evenings, he would play his 12 string guitar and sing blues at various venues in the city and for a short time formed a duo with future Fleetwood Mac member Christine McVie. (at the time, she was known as Christine Perfect).

While playing solo guitar spots at the Golden Eagle pub on Hill Street in Birmingham, he met the Winwood brothers, Steve and Muff (Mervyn) while they were performing as the Muff-Woody Jazz Band in early 1963. Steve was just 15 at the time but he possessed a vocal style that was way beyond his years and was also talented as an instrumentalist and alternated on stage between guitar and piano. Finding common musical ground, Davis joined them and brought in drummer Pete York, a Birmingham University student, to form the "Rhythm and Blues Quartette."

A young London music promoter, Chris Blackwell had just founded the Island Record Company while running a record import business specializing in ska and reggae music from the West Indies. His first signing was 15 year old Jamaican singer Millie Small and after having huge success with her hit single "My Boy Lollipop", Blackwell decided to travel north of London in search of new talent. Upon arriving in Birmingham, he was advised to go and see the Rhythm and Blues Quartette which he did and was immediately impressed.

The Quartette had also attracted the attention of Decca Records, who offered them a contract, but Blackwell promised them a better deal with Island Records. The partnership was an informal one and was based on little more than a handshake. This indiscretion would come back to haunt them years later. It was Muff Winwood who came up with the name Spencer Davis Group on the pretext that Davis could do the interviews while the others could stay in bed. 

Their first single release in April 1964 was a cover of the John Lee Hooker song "Dimples", as it was considered the strongest number that they performed in their set at the time. Unfortunately, the original John Lee Hooker version was released in Britain at about the same time and became a hit, thus overshadowing the Spencer Davis Group's rendition.

The group took on a heavy schedule of bookings across the country and because of this exposure, their next three single releases, "I Can't Stand It", "Every Little Bit Hurts" and "Strong Love" managed to make the upper end of the British charts. It was Steve Winwood who handled the lead vocal on the group's singles with only a few songs such as She Put The Hurt On Me having Spencer Davis in the vocal spotlight. There was little doubt that Winwood was the focal point of the band.


Tracks
1. My Babe (Bill Medley, Bobby Hatfield) - 2:41
2. Dimples (James Bracken, John Lee Hooker) - 2:22
3. Searchin' (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) - 2:42
4. Every Little Bit Hurts (Ed Cobb) - 3:29
5. I'm Blue (Gong Gong Song) (Ike Turner) -  2:45
6. Sittin' and Thinkin' (Steve Winwood, Muff Winwood, Pete York, Spencer Davis) - 3:00
7. I Can't Stand It (Smokey McAllister) - 2:11
8. Here Right Now (Steve Winwood) - 3:15
9. Jump Back (Rufus Thomas) - 1:47
10.It's Gonna Work Out Fine (Joe Seneca, J. Micheal Lee) - 3:06
11.Midnight Train (Alvin Roy, Gerry Hicks) - 2:43
12.It Hurts Me So (Steve Winwood) - 2:58
13.She Put the Hurt On Me (Lawrence Nelson) - 2:41
14.I'm Getting Better (Ed Bruce) - 2:12
15.I'll Drown in My Own Tears (Henry Glover) - 4:28
16.Goodbye Stevie (Steve Winwood, Muff Winwood, Pete York, Spencer Davis) - 2:24
17.My Babe (Bill Medley, Bobby Hatfield) - 2:39
18.Searchin' (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) - 2:36
19.Every Little Bit Hurts (Ed Cobb) - 3:29
20.Midnight Train (Alvin Roy, Gerry Hicks) - 2:45
21.Incense (as The Anglos) (Jimmy Miller, Larry Fallon) - 2:25
Bonus Tracks 13-21

The Spencer Davis Group
*Spencer Davis - Guitar, Vocal
*Steve Winwood - Lead Vocal, Piano, Organ, Guitar
*Muff Winwood - Bass Guitar, Vocal
*Pete York - Drums

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

The Fredric - Phases And Faces The Complete Recordings (1967-69 us, garage psych masterpiece)



Phases and Faces, the only album by Grand Rapids Michigan quintet The Fredric, was released in 1968 on Forte Records. Long considered a masterpiece by fans throughout the world, this once-in-a-lifetime merging of diverse elements is one of the most magical and extraordinary musical offerings in all of sixties music. 

Any longtime fan will tell you, there is nothing like The Fredric in the history of recorded music. Nothing! Lead vocalist Joe McCargar and Guitarist Bob Geis were high school mates in the mid-sixties, playing in a band. One of their first shows was a booking on historic Mackinac Island, playing the Grand Hotel in the summer of 1966. Several days before the show the band lost their guitarist and drummer, but quickly found guitar-vocalist Steve Thrall as a replacement through the musicians grapevine. 

This move proved to be the genesis of what was to become the legendary Fredric sound. This revamped trio, minus a drummer, managed to play the show successfully and decided to enhance the group with additional musicians. Drummer vocalist David Idema was the son of a family friend of McCargar's parents. Ron Bera was added on keyboards, making use of his excellent skills. 

Extensive rehearsals were held throughout 1967. A unique and inviting sound began to take shape. At this point, the band approached a booking agent. Greatly impressed with the diversity of the original material, he encouraged them to develop and record. Soon afterwards he secured the band a position backing Harper and Rowe, a British vocal duo on a promotional tour. However, the duo's label did not want a locally recognized band backing their act. 

In need of a new moniker, the group changed their name from Yesterday's Children to The Fredric, on the way to their first show in Fredric, Michigan Mackinac Island, located in the northern part of the state, became the paradisiac setting for early songwriting efforts, including "The Girl I Love," "Morning Sunshine" and "All About Judy." In the summer of 1967 Steve's parents, in a vote of encouragement, let the band occupy their summer cottage on Lake Michigan as a retreat to perfect their sound. "Red Pier," and "Cousin Mary Knows" were written there. Constant playing and  exchanging of ideas  had tightened and fine tuned a most unique sound. The Fredric was on their way.

The Fredric shared concert bills with The Boxtops, Tommy James and the Shondells, The Yellow Balloon and other artists of the time. The Fredric played extensively throughout the Midwest and enjoyed an extensive fan base in West Michigan. In 1967 they formed their own label, Forte Records. In reality this was nothing more than means of copywriting their original material for presentations to major labels. 

In June of 1970, The Fredric signed with Capitol Records and was promptly rechristened The Rock Garden by label executives. Capitol saw the group as a pop hit unit, which caused great frustration among the members who wanted nothing to do with this commercialization of their music. They had scheduled for several releases when the decision was made to dissolve the band. 

After the demise of the band, both Thrall and Idema pursued recording careers and continued to write together, Idema performing under the pseudonym, David Geddes, scored a mega-hit with "Run, Joey, Run," and an album by the same name.  Thrall and Idema found careers in media. McCargar became a teacher and recording engineer. Geis entered the accounting profession and Bera furthered his formal musical training as a choral and band director. 

Thrall confides, Take chances on your journey, or you will never discover the unwritten music. I'd like to thank everyone involved in this labor of love project. We are sure that you, the fans, will love this reissue package. Enjoy The Fredric, truly an American treasure!
Ben Maxwell, August 1996


Tracks
1. Federal Reserve Bank Blues - 2:11
2. The Girl I Love - 2:31
3. All About Judi - 2:13
4. Henry Adams - 1:51
5. Morning Sunshine - 2:29
6. Taggin' - 3:07
7. Cousin Mary Knows - 2:11
8. My Yellow Tree - 1:58
9. Red Pier - 2:55
10.Old Fashioned Guy - 2:11
11.Born in Fire - 2:38
12.Saturday Morning With Rain - 1:59
13.Five O'Clock Traffic - 2:10
14.Postmarks - 2:08
15.Bob's Songs - 3:28
16.Lori Lee Loveland - 3:59

The Fredric
*Joe McCarger - Vocals
*Steve Thrall - Guitar, Vocals
*Dave Idema - Drums, Vocals
*Bob Geis - Guitar
*Ron Bera - Keyboards

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Gerry Rafferty - City To City / Night Owl (1978-79 uk, soft rock with country folk touches, double disc set)



Gerry Rafferty was a huge talent, but a reluctant star. Management struggles and sundry other hindrances limited his output, but couldn't avert the Scot from releasing two legendary singles -- the Tarantino-ized "Stuck in the Middle With You" and the unforgettable "Baker Street," the latter included on this record. 

Just a glimpse of John Patrick Byrne's cool cover art lets the listener know City to City houses Rafferty's day in the sun as he conquers the world one metropolis at a time, his guitar and amp in tow. Setting out in his apocalyptic "Ark," each song radiates the confidence of a master craftsman cruising in his prime, constructing brilliant pop confections with top-flight support while awaiting the crunch of civilization. 

The dreamy reality check "Baker Street" rightfully remains one of the greatest cuts in pop history. Forever-lost B-side "Big Change in Weather" further demonstrates Rafferty was on a rare roll. Domestic valentine "Right Down the Line" snugly followed to the height of the charts, and third release, "Home and Dry," while not of an immortal status, stands as a quality song. He even stomps out a smooth hoedown on the title track. Rafferty's turns of phrase and tight composition skills create a fresh sound and perspective all his own. 

Any diverse style (and he attempts many) filters through his unique mindset, resulting in a classic platter buoyed by many moments of sheer genius. "Whatever's written in your heart, that's all that matters." 
by Doug Stone

On his second release for United Artists, Gerry Rafferty focuses an equal amount of attention on his lyrics and on the sincerity of the song's moods to create one his strongest and most heartfelt albums. Delicate, touching, and extremely poignant, Rafferty blankets all of Night Owl's tracks with a late-night/early-morning earnestness that is highly effective throughout. 

Although he managed to do just that with 1978's City to City, Night Owl generates a stronger intimacy and a genuine romantic feel through Rafferty's guitar playing and the way in which his lyrics are sung. The sentimental softness of "Days Gone Down," the controlled exuberance in "Get It Right Next Time," and the pathos which is instilled for the lonely wanderer in "Night Owl" all add to the album's solemn yet moving atmosphere. 

Rafferty continues this mood with tracks such as "Why Won't You Talk to Me," "Family Tree," and "It's Gonna Be a Long Night," giving the traditional singer/songwriter style some enchantment and allure through his vocal subtlety. In the U.K. the album broke into the Top Ten, and in the United States it sold 500,000 copies, earning Rafferty a gold disc. "Night Owl," "Days Gone Down," and "Get It Right Next Time" all cracked the Top 30, but unfortunately Rafferty failed to match the success of Night Owl with any of his albums that followed. 
by Mike DeGagne


1978 City To City
1. The Ark - 5:39
2. Baker Street - 6:08
3. Right Down the Line - 4:28
4. City to City - 5:04
5. Stealin' Time - 5:58
6. Mattie's Rag - 3:25
7. Whatever's Written in Your Heart - 6:37
8. Home and Dry - 4:57
9. Island - 5:16
10. Waiting for the Day - 5:43


1979 Night Owl
1. Days Gone Down (Still Got theLight in Your Eyes) - 6:31
2. Night Owl - 6:11
3. The Way That You Do It - 5:08
4. Why Won't You Talk to Me? - 4:00
5. Get It Right Next Time - 4:42
6. Take the Money and Run - 5:50
7. Family Tree - 5:58
8. Already Gone - 4:55
9. The Tourist - 4:14
10. It's Gonna Be a Long Night - 4:23
All titles by Gerry Rafferty.

Musicians
*Roger Brown - Vocals
*Richard Brunton - Acoustic, Electric,  Slide Guitar, Soloist
*Hugh Burns - Acoustic, Electric,  Rhythm Guitar
*Joanna Carlin - Vocals
*Brian Cole - Dobro, Pedal Steel
*Betsy Cook - Vocals
*Barbara Dickson - Vocals
*Jerry Donahue - Electric, Guitar
*Robert Ellis - Photography
*Tommy Eyre - Brass Arrangement, Keyboards, Moog Synthesizer, Organ, Piano, Synthesizer
*Mo Foster - Bass
*Liam Genockey - Drums
*Richard Harvey - Penny Whistle, Pipe Organ, Recorder, Synthesizer
*Nigel Jenkins - Rhythm Guitar
*Paul Jones - Harmonica
*John Kirkpatrick - Accordion
*Glen LeFleur - Drums, Percussion, Tambourine
*Low - Drums
*Vivian McAuliff - Vocals
*John McBurnie - Vocals
*Micky Moody - Acoustic Treatments
*Hugh Murphy - Tambourine
*Rab Noakes - Vocals
*Graham Preskett - Brass, Fiddle, Keyboards, Mandolin, Piano, String Arrangements, String Machine
*Gerry Rafferty - Lead, Acoustic Guitar, Piano, Polymoog, String Arrangements, Vocals
*Raphael Ravenscroft - Saxophone, Soloist
*Willy Ray - Accordion
*Frank Ricotti - Percussion, Tambourine
*Henry Spinetti - Drums
*Gary Taylor - Bass, Vocals
*Linda Thompson - Vocals
*Richard Thompson - Electric Guitar, Mandolin
*Pete Wingfield - Organ
*Gavyn Wright - String Conductor

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Monday, April 30, 2012

The Beethoven Soul - The Beethoven Soul (1967 us, wonderful beat psych, baroque sunshine pop, Vinyl edition)



Six piece brass band, who came from L.A. (according to Fuzz Acid and Flower), despite the Al Kooper’s   composition “New York's My Home”. 

The band formed round 1966 and release their sole –self titled- album in 1967, sounding close to psychedelic sunshine, baroque pop, sometimes flirting with more garage beats.

After their disbanded in 1970, Lambert, Lewis and Hale all went on to play together in Pollution, a late '60s L.A.-based rock band with jazz undertones. 

A Really pleasant and much of the late sixties era feeling, this vinyl edition,  I’m not aware if there’s or going to be a CD reissue, until then, sit back, relax and make your self comfortable to enjoy the Beethoven Soul.


Tracks
1. The Walls Are High (Saher, Ahari) - 2:19
2. Walkin' Through the Streets of My Mind (Millrose, Hess) - 2:58
3. A Violent Crime (Griffin, Farthingsworth XIV) - 2:27
4. The Price Is High (Roger Tillison) - 2:35
5. All Those Little Things (Roy Powell) - 2:05
6. She Won't See the Light (Wolfson, Carter) - 2:00
7. New York's My Home (Al Kooper) - 2:27
8. Dreams (Griffin, Gordon) - 2:28
9. Good Time Gal (Roger Tillison) - 2:19
10.Hey George (Roy Powell) - 1:59
11.Beggin' Your Pardon Lady (Griffin, Gordon) - 2:10

The Beethoven Soul
*Otis Hale - Woodwind 
*Andrea Kouratou - Strings 
*John Lambert - Bass  
*Dick Lewis - Keyboards , Brass
*Bill Powell - Guitar 
*Terry Nu - Percussions

Sky "Sunlight" Saxon And Firewall - Destiny's Children (1986 us, great neo garage psych, original Vinyl issue)



Saxon, who had not produced any new albums since 1978, returned on the U.K. Psycho label in 1984 with "Starry Ride", which featured support from Steppenwolf's Mars Bonfire (composer of "Born to Be Wild"), as well as former members of Iron Butterfly and Fraternity of Man. The Saxon/Bonfire collaboration reached full fruition in the group Firewall, who debuted with the album " Destiny's Children " in 1986 ( “A Groovy Thing”  features the same songs in a different order).

Together with (producer also) Frank Beeson and the Great Mars Bonfire, Sky co-penned all the songs, he had always the convenience easily to create songs, he did that here too, with one eye in the 60's, he tried to fit to the neo garage psych sound that was established in the 80's, demonstrating Saxon's enduring influence and appeal, particularly among that set of musicians, such as Rich Coffee by Thee Fourgiven, Steve Wynn from Dream Syndicate, Ric  Albin  and Dave Provost by the Droogs,  Ray McDonald from The Things,  Lee Joseph  by Yard Trauma, members from Plimsouls,  Dream 6 and others.  

A great set of playlist, with “Starving For Your Love” as a head line and titles like “The Spirit Of The Sixties”  preparing what comes up next.  I will be delightful to post  other records from musicians and bands, mentioned above,  if anyone is kind to ask for.  

Thank you all, for your love and support to Rockasteria.


Tracks
1. Starving for Your Love - 3:36
2. Burning Down the Walls of the City - 3:24
3. Spirit of the Sixties (Return to the Sixties) - 4:40
4. Love Dog - 3:32
5. House of Mine - 3:32
6. Sha La La La It's a Groovy Thing - 3:07
7. Medley: Over-Reaction/Hollywood Blvd (Saxon, Bonfire, Beeson, Coffee, Joseph, Ganz, McDonald) - 7:21
All songs, by Sky Saxon, Mars Bonfire and Frank Beeson umless otherwise written.

Musicians
*Sky "Sunlight" Saxon - Lead Vocals
*Mars Bonfire - "Cheeesey" Keyboards
*Rich Coffee - Guitar
*Roy McDonald - Drums
*Eddie Munoz - Guitar
*Dan West - Guitar
*Shelley Ganz - Guitar
*Leee Joseph - Bass
*Greg Stewart - Bass
*Toby Keil - Bass
*Steve Wynn - Vocals, Guitar
*David Provost - Vocals
*Ric Albin - Vocals
*Marc Platt - Vocals
*Alan Berman - Vocals
*Frank Beeson - Vocals
*Julie M. - Vocals
*Johnette - Vocals
*Tracy Ziegler - Vocals
*Julie Walker - Vocals

Othe Sky's releases:
1965-93  Pushin' Too Hard

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Sunday, April 29, 2012

New Age - All Around (1967 us, outstanding acid oriental psych folk, 2007 release)



After Pat Kilroy’s LP in 1966, which was already half song music and half folk-psychedelia with an eastern influence, Pat after some time had formed the trio called The New Age (a suiting name long before a genre was intended with that name), with mainly flute improviser Susan Graubard (now known as Susan Archuletta) and conga player Jeffrey Stewart.

There has been a serious 10-page article in Ugly Things (issue 25), written by David Biasotti, revealing the whole background story of Pat Kilroy and The New Age, with visions of others who surrounded him revealing also some series of events that led to more Indian associated ways of playing. Bob Amacker, for instance, who played on Pat’s first album, 'The Light of Day', on Elektra (1966) (and later, on Peter Walker’s raga guitar pieces album from ’67, besides more interesting music with many others, among them Tuvan musicians later on) tells how after his drums had been stolen, he could only afford tabla’s, immediately when he bought them he was introduced to an Indian teacher, and thus rolled into this different way of playing. 

He started to play them everywhere, even on bluegrass, along with Stefan Grossman. Through Stefan, Bob and Pat Kilroy came into contact with one another for Pat’s first album. After the sessions, Pat and Susan went on a long trip as if on a gypsy-like mission, and went to places like the UK (meeting Jansch/Renbourne), Spain and Morocco. 

When returned, Bob no longer wished to continue with Pat. Luckily, they also knew Jeffrey Stewart, from Big Sure (a wonderful place pressed between mountains, where they could not receive radio or TV transmissons, and therefore people very much enjoyed live music, the place where all their early developments had started). Jeffrey played voodoo drums, and so replaced Bob to form a new Trio called The New Age. Jeffrey was a cousin of John Francis Gunning, drummer for Country Joe and The Fish, and jammed together more often with them. 

Both bands got befriended and CJ&F even became fans of The New Age for they were the only exotic and acoustic band around. They joined stages regularly playing at Jaberwocky. Pat already since his solo album had been a serious student of Eastern mysticism, and took all musical and spiritual influences that taught him more seriously, was one of those people stimulating that influence everywhere. 

In Berkeley, the trio now took lessons at the American Society for Eastern Arts, the place where Ali Akhbar Khan was teaching. Pat studied sarod, Jeffry tabla and Susan learned koto, shamisen (sort of lute) and shakuhashi (flute, with Kodo Araki), and later Indian music on viola (with V.G. Jog, and then continued with Ali Akbar Khan, when V.G. Jog returned to India). The article states how early 1967 in that area Timothy Leary was encouraging people to “turn on, tune in, drop out”, Alan Ginsberg chanted, Grateful Dead and Quicksilver Messenger Service were gathering and huge crowds attending, and LSD was brought into the mix. 

Before the New Age recording, Susan once was unexpectedly invited to jam along with Dizzy Gillespie. She also had occasionally played with The Floating Lotus Magic Opera. Also revealed in the article that the free-form viola on “Dance around the sun” was slightly influenced by Sun Ra. Unfortunately the album was never released because Pat became seriously ill with cancer and died rather quickly. It took until 2006 for a first LP reissue. This first CD reissue completes the sessions with 6 bonus tracks which give very much an idea how the sessions were developed. The extra tracks sound a bit more like first ideas of improvisations, and a song, but they are equally charming and enjoyable.

The nature of the recording sounds for a part logical to our ears, like improvised psychedelic acoustic music, with a very raga-alike feeling, taking the time for instrumental (flute / guitar / conga) improvisations, but although the time was right for this to happen rarely such sessions were recorded or even published at the time (like Seventh Son’s "Raga" from 1966). 

More than this I can also notice a secular celebrative influence (the article said Pat used to sing in a choir at Sunday masses), revealing unusual but still rather intuitive vocal techniques which hold the middle between Sufi chanting like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, a less in rhythm structured and more intuitive Indian vocal-less improvisation and jazz mood improvisation, probably a self invented compromise reflecting ideas from Arab / Middle Eastern and Indian origins. Another fantasy, like “Alone in Wonderland” recalls the theatrical idea of a flute player with snake in a basket. 

The flute improvisations are always brilliant, but also the guitar performs raga-like evolutions, while the conga replaces the tabla, but also with a different character to Indian styled tabla. Here and there viola, bass, and droning tamboura can be heard, and song inspirations are also paired with the importance of the improvisational freedom. The absolutely rewarding album of 7 tracks reveals a perfect, psychedelic folk mood and can indeed be regarded as being ahead of it’s time, even when there were more comparable albums hidden with similar ideas around the same period.

The bonus tracks were recorded live in a radio show on KPFA-FM in Berkeley, months before they recorded the album. Included on some of these tracks is the acoustic bass playing of Mark Levinson, who also recorded on the album. On the bonus track “Bamboo mood” the percussion is more African in nature.

Susan continued with her approach towards music. She worked with electronic composer Don Buchla and Christopher Tree. In 1972 she recorded the Habibiyya album, together with ex-Mighty Baby members. 

This album, at the best moments, to a degree continues something of The New Age approach, be it with a few more instruments, like koto, and with more instrumental music. She also recorded (on flute) "Tassajara" with Robbie Basho on The Falconer's Arm, Part I. (Robbie also asked her to collaborate with him on a Sufi Opera that he told her he was writing in the 80s. He died unexpectedly before that happened). Other later groups she was involved with are Cloud Chamber and the Now Ensemble.
Psych-Folk

*please note that all copies of this CD have brief digital glitches on tracks 12 & 13 -- these are not going to be corrected or repressed      


Tracks
1. When I Walk In The Trees (La La La) - 3:48
2. Sun Song Ridge - 8:04
3. Dance Around The Sun - 7:59
4. Bhairavi - 9:26
5. Highr Than A Kite - 8:56
6. Alone In The Wonderland - 3:07
7. All Around (Adagio) - 5:08
8. Bamboo Mood - 2:18
9. Light Of Aquarius - 1:29
10.Ode To Satie - 5:10
11.Ocean Song - 6:33
12.When I Walk In The Trees (La La La) (Different Vesion) - 3:31
13.The River - 3:43
All songs by Susan Graubard and Pat Kilroy
Bonus Tracks from 8 - 13.

New Age
*Pat Kilroy - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Spanish Cowbells, Bell Tree
*Susan Graubard - Silver Flute, Bamboo Flutes, Viola, Tamboura
*Jeffrey Stewart - Conga, Drums, Tabla
*Mark Levinson - Acoustic, Electric Bass
*Bruce Langhorne - Tambourine (Without Metal Jingles)

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Saturday, April 28, 2012

Northwind - Sister, Brother, Lover... (1971 uk, splendid progressive jazz rock with scattered latin shades, bonus tracks issue)



Northwind were a 1970/71 band from Glasgow formerly known as Power of Music.  Rock music was changing then and this lot were well into the melodic rock that was coming into vogue at that time.  Main feature was the twin Les Paul gold tops used by their guitar players.

We saw them three or four times. At the Caledonian Hotel in Ayr  - at least twice and an open air concert on the Low Green supported by local band Snids among others.   Northwind being hugely popular in the town though to start with under their former name they could only pull 50 or so into the Queen's Hall in 1969.   Their then set  included extraordinarily good versions of Pink Floyd's "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" and Traffic's "40,000 Headmen" but the highlight of the night was their own "Castanettes".

So popular did Northwind become in Dunoon that they even got booked to play the Grammar School's 6th Year dance at Christmas 1970 and put on a terrific show.  Dave thinks the band also supported the Keef Hartley Band on a British tour around that time and also recalls seeing them after Brian Young had left. He had been replaced by a singer who didn't fit in - and this bloke's vocal performance on "Castanettes" is one of Dave's few unhappy memories of the group.

Their 1971 “Brothers, Sisters, Love” is a highly rated rural progressive-rock. Since its first reissue back in 1994 it has been one of the favourites of collectors of the label. Now re-mastered, it includes 2 rare bonus tracks. The band's sound has been likened to that of the twin lead guitar style of early Wishbone Ash with refined vocals. The songs are spiced with tasteful organ/piano and additional percussion throughout. Of the many stand-out tracks Quill, a loose-chugging, exquisite Osibisa-style rocker, is a minor classic.


Tracks
1. Home For Frozen Roses - 3:53
2. Acimon And Noiram - 6:23
3. Castanettes (Young, Barr) - 4:59
4. Sweet Dope - 3:30
5. Bystandin' (Barr) - 3:05
6. Guten Abend - 5:52
7. Peaceful (Young, Barr) - 5:06
8. Many Tribesmen - 5:58
9. Quill (Brannan) - 4:05
10.Here I Lie Watching - 4:03
11.If The Sune Were But A Candle - 4:23
All songs by Brian Young unless else stated

Northwind
*Dave Scott - Drums, Percussion
*Hugh Barr - Electric Guitar
*Colin Somerville - Organ, Piano
*Tam Brannan - Vocals, Electric Bass
*Brian Young - Vocals, Electric, Acoustic Guitar

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The Yankee Dollar - The Yankee Dollar (1968 us, excellent west coast psychedelia, 2002 edition)



According to the liner notes on their album, drummer Nick Alexander, singers Liza Gonzales and Dave Riordan, guitarist Greg Likens, keyboard player Bill Masuda and bassist Bill Reynolds met while students at San Luis Obispo's Cal Poly.

Signed by Dot, their 1968 debut teamed the band with producer Frank Slay. Musically "The Yankee Dollar" was nothing less than wonderful. Gonzales and Riordan were both gifted with nice voices and on tracks such as "Sanctuary" and "City Sidewalks" effortlessly trading lead vocals. Backed by Likens' fuzz guitar (check out the great solo on "Live and Let Live"), Masuda's stabbing organ chords and occasional sound effects, the collection sported a sound that successfully blended folk-rock with Jefferson Airplane-styled psychedelic.

Musically the set offered up a standard mix of popular covers (Donovan's "Catch the Wind", Dylan's "The Times, They Are A-Changin'" and Chet Power's "Let's Get Together") and original material. While the covers were all nicely done, group penned originals such as "Follow Your Dream's Way" and "Johann Sebastian Cheetah" were even better. Inexplicably the set failed to sell. The band apparently subsequently called it quits.
Bad-Cat 


Tracks
1.  Sanctuary (Carter, Gilbert) - 2:16
2.  Good Old Friends (Carter, Gilbert) - 2:36
3.  Catch The Wind (Donovan) - 2:55
4.  If In Swimming (David Riordan) - 3:53
5.  Follow Your Dream's Way (Greg Likens) - 6:36
6.  Live And Let Live (Carter,Gilbert) - 2:18
7.  City Sidewalks (Carter,Gilbert) - 2:56
8.  Let's Get Together (Chet Powers) - 4:30
9.  Winter Boy (Buffy St. Marie) - 2:22
10.The Times, They Are A-Changin' (Bob Dylan) - 3:06
11. Johann Sebastian Cheetah (David Riordan, Greg Likens, Freeman) - 3:04

The Yankee Dollar
*Nick Alexander - Drums, Percussion
*Liza Gonzales - Vocals
*Greg Likens - Guitar
*Bill Masuda - Organ
*Bill Reynolds - Bass
*Dave Riordan - Vocals

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Thursday, April 26, 2012

The Seeds - Pushin' Too Hard (1965-93 us, superb garage heavy psych, 2007 double CD compilation)



"We were pretty seedy, so we thought The Seeds would be a good name," explained singer Sky Saxon of the legendary garage rock group he formed in LA in 1965. "We were seeds, too, like seeds that grow. We must have launched 10,000 bands." 

One of the great West Coast groups of the mid-to-late '60s, The Seeds only had one hit - Pushin' Too Hard - but their impact on music has been immeasurable.Tough, driving and primitive, they were 'punk' long before anyone knew what punk was. Something about their music always seemed dark and deeply unsettling, though the songs themselves - Can't Seem To Make You Mine, Pushin' Too Hard, Mr Farmer - were as catchy as hell. Little wonder later punk giants The Stooges, Johnny Thunders and The Ramones would cite them as an important influence. 

Raised as a Mormon in Salt Lake City, Utah, Sky Saxon had been making records under the name Richie Marsh (or variations thereon) since the early '60s, but by early 1965 he'd caught the garage-rock bug and formed a Stones-inspired group called The Seeds. Singer/bassist Saxon and guitarist Jan Savage were joined by Michigan emigres Daryl Hooper and Rick Aldridge, on keyboards and drums, respectively. 

With LA's garage-rock scene exploding around them, they took to wearing stylish, Sunset Strip clothes, and wore their hair in long, girlish bowl-cuts. Saxon - famous for having the longest hair around - proved to be the perfect frontman, tall, charismatic and good-looking - if a little mystical and crazed. "Sky was the most far-out, and the poet of the group," recalled Daryl Hooper. "Jan had a greatly admired guitar style. Rick was the foundation of the beat... I had classical training, played jazz, rock, blues, etc. I wrote a lot of melodies and did a lot of arranging. We had a good sound together right away."

 In early summer 1965, a residency at Bido Lidos on Sunset Strip led to a deal with local label GNP which released The Seeds' debut single, the Stonesy Can't Seem To Make You Mine, that July. Moody and tense, it flopped - as indeed did its stripped-down, growling follow-up, Pushin' Too Hard. That was, until the summer of 1966, when a Los Angeles DJ called Huggie Boy belatedly started to play Pushin' regularly on his show. 

The Seeds suddenly found themselves enjoying the same cult success as groups like Love, The Count Five and The Leaves, while riotously upstaging bigger names like Jefferson Airplane when they opened for them that autumn. "Pushin' Too Hard was a sign of the times, but it's turned into an anthem," remembered Saxon in the '80s. The song's don't-push-me attitude was inspired, he explained, by the closing down of a Sunset Strip club called Pandora's Box. "People used to hang out there, brothers and sisters, then they tore it down and turned it into a car park. 

The song's about that - and arguing with some girl." Two stylistically similar albums, The Seeds and A Web Of Sound, cemented The Seeds' musical character as a sort of rawer, meaner, punkier, bluesier version of Love and The Doors. To capitalise on their success, in 1967 the group acquired a new manager, lord' Tim Hudson, a Brit working as a DJ in LA, whose claim to fame would be providing the voice of Dizzy the vulture in that year's Walt Disney film adaptation of The Jungle Book.

Under his aegis, the group cut an overwrought, ambitious flower-power concept album called Future, kicked off by the suitably trippy March Of The Flower Children; however, the response to this strange psychedelic adventure, even in their West Coast stronghold, was muted at best, and the group figured it was time to move on. It was while browsing the racks in a local record shop that Saxon got the idea for their next album. 

Standing beside him was blues legend Muddy Waters, whom he asked for a new song that The Seeds could record. Muddy declined the request, but was generous enough to agree to write the sleevenote to the heavily blues-inspired album the group decided to cut: A Full Spoon Of Seedy Blues, credited to The Sky Saxon Blues Band. By this time, however, interest in The Seeds had waned, and their last recording for GNP, Wild Blood/Fallin' Of The Edge Of My Mind (produced by out-there West Coast industry guru Kim Fowley), trickled out in late 1967. 

A coruscating live album, Raw & Alive At Merlin's Music Box, subsequently fulfilled the GNP contract, before Saxon took a new version of The Seeds to MGM for an ill-fated, two-single spell there at the turn of the new decade. By the early 70s, around the time Pushin' Too Hard became a highlight of Nuggets - Lenny Kaye's influential compilation of '60s US garage rock - Saxon had fallen in with the followers of mystical West Coast swami Father Yod, who cut nine albums in the 70s as the band Ya Ho Wa 13. 

Over the last three decades, Saxon has occasionally re-surfaced from the bosom of this religious cult, resurrecting The Seeds for tours in 1989 and again (with Savage, who had been working in real estate) in 2003. The group currently still performs, though Sky is now the only original member and is prone to sermonising at length about Father Yod's divinity, the evils of Bush's warplanes and giving away his future royalties to dogs. But while Saxon's musical output and behaviour has long been a little eccentric. 

The Seeds' early recordings for GNP remain as a testament to the singer and his group's genius at taking three chords, a neat hook-line, a keyboard riff and a fistful of attitude, and turning it into the kind of gritty rock'n'roll that. 40 years after it was made, still won't be welcome in polite society. 
by Pat Gilbert


Tracks 
Disc 1 
1.Pushin' Too Hard - 2:36
2.No Escape (Lawrence, Savage, Saxon) - 2:15
3.Can't Seem to Make You Mine - 3:02
4.Try to Understand - 2:51
5.Nobody Spoil My Fun - 3:52
6.Lose Your Mind - 2:18
7.It's a Hard Life - 2:39
8.The Other Place - 2:25
9.Mumble Bumble - 2:30
10.You Can't Be Trusted - 2:10
11.Excuse, Excuse - 2:20
12.Daisy Mae - 1:57
13.Night Time Girl - 2:37
14.Evil Hoodoo (Hooper, Saxon) - 5:14
15.Mr. Farmer - 2:51
16.Satisfy You (Savage, Saxon) - 2:05
17.Pictures and Designs (Hooper, Saxon) - 2:43
18.Tripmaker (Hooper, Tybalt) - 2:47
19.I Tell Myself (Tybalt) - 2:30
20.A Faded Picture (Hooper, Saxon) - 5:20
21.Rollin' Machine (Saxon, Tybalt) - 2:32
22.Just Let Go (Hooper, Savage, Saxon) - 4:20
23.Up in Her Room - 9:58
24.900 Million People Daily (AllMaking Love) - 5:03


Disc 2 
1.A Thousand Shadows (Hooper, Savage, Saxon) - 2:33
2.March of the Flower Children (HooperHooper, Saxon) - 2:54
3.Travel with Your Mind (Hooper, Savage, Saxon) - 3:11
4.Flower Lady and Her Assistant - 3:32
5.Now a Man (Hooper, Savage, Saxon) - 3:22
6.Two Fingers Pointing on You - 3:17
7.Where Is the Entrance Way toPlay? - 2:55
8.The Wind Blows Your Hair (Bigelow, Saxon) - 2:32
9.Six Dreams - 3:15
10.Fallin' (Hooper, Saxon) - 7:50
11.Pretty Girl (Johnson) - 2:05
12.Moth and the Flame - 3:51
13.I'll Help You (Carry Your Money to the Bank) - 3:31
14.Plain Spoken - 2:54
15.One More Time Blues (Johnson) - 2:28
16.Creepin' About - 2:47
17.Fallin' Off the Edge (Of My Mind) (Cerf, Fowley) - 2:55
18.Wild Blood (Cerf, Fowley) - 2:25
19.She's Wrong - 2:15
20.Chocolate River (Hooper, Saxon) - 3:12
21.Sad and Alone (Hooper, Saxon) - 2:50
22.Mr. Farmer - 3:48
23.Satisfy You (Savage, Saxon) - 2:09
24.Can't Seem to Make You Mine - 2:40
25.Pushin' Too Hard - 2:59
All titles by Sky Saxon except where indicated.

 The Seeds
*Rick Andridge - Drums
*Daryl Hooper - Keyboards
*Jan Savage - Guitar
*Sky Saxon - Vocals, Bass

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Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Various Artists - Psych Bites, Vol. 2 (1968-74 multinational, colorful fuzzy guitar, organ psychedelic explorations)



A melting pot of twisted mantras and wide-eyed rockers that are almost religiously defined by the volume of their fuzz boxes. This global garden of unearthly delights hosts a variety of rare species including the last ever mod boogaloo from 1970, presented by the honorary Spencer Mac and the pure psychosis of Deccas African warriors Ofo and the Black Company with their distorted take on strumming the guitar taking on new levels of hysteria for lovers of acid, fuzz and punk.

The Psychomaniac offers a complete course in horticultural hallucajenics for the headcase with Indian chants, psychos and neurotic reactions. Its all here in its most frenzied form of enlightenment for your spiritual consumption.


Artists - Tracks
1. Zappataa Schmidt - Someone in the Crowd - 3:30
2. Chartbusters - Tomorrow Night - 2:45
3. Spencer Mac - Blues Up in Down Town - 3:36
4. Messengers - In the Jungle - 3:09
5. Anvil Chorus - Rhythm Is the Way - 2:45
6. Frumpy - Morning - 3:24
7. The Revells - Indian Ropeman - 3:01
8. Blackbirds 2000 - Let's Do It Together - 2:49
9. Kannibal Komix - Neurotic Reaction - 2:40
10.Krokodil - Blue Flashing Circle - 3:28
11.Rote Gitarren - Anfang - 2:07
12.Chartrand - Ani-Kuni - 3:29
13.Athanor - Urizen (Your Reason) - 4:37
14.Rattles - Where Is the Friend - 2:23
15.Danta - Mau Mau - 3:32
16.Dave Dean - Jamaica - 1:59
17.Ofo The Black Company - Beautiful Daddy - 3:40
18.Ofo The Black Company - Allah Wakbarr - 3:31
19.Janie - Psycho - 2:11
20.Orange Peel - I Got No Time - 2:51

Psych Bites Vol. 1

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Tuesday, April 24, 2012

The Corporation - Get On Our Swing / Hassels In My Mind (1970 us, brilliant fuzz psych rock, 2008 remaster)



In late 1967, Kenny Berdoll and Gerry Smith of the Brehmen Caste got a gig at the Galaxy in Cudahy, a South Side Milwaukee suburb. They named the band Eastern Mean Time and Pat McCarthy joined. EMT went through several musicians until the Kondos brothers came aboard in early 1968. It was apparently a joint meeting of the minds, as Nick Kondos' version is that he and John were looking for musicians with which to form their new band.

It was John who suggested the new name, and Danny Peil was the last to join. "He was working in Las Vegas," said Nick, "but we convinced him to come back to Milwaukee. We showed him what we had and he said, This is what I've been looking for. I've had enough of the night clubs.' He had the voice, the range and the strength.

Then we felt we had the right combination." Initially the majority of their repertoire covered Vanilla Fudge, Cream, Hendrix and other psych flavoured material, but they had an agreement with the club owner to rehearse there in the afternoons and work on their originals, gradually introducing more of them into the gig. In a 1975 interview for the Milwaukee Bugle American, Berdoll said, "We built lighting systems and made the Galaxy into a psychedelic club. We'd sit down in my basement and invent new ways to do lighting and stuff, and that all carried over into the Corporation.

The billing that we had was like The Biggest Light Show in Town with the Largest Projections' - a lot of visuals. We started doing college dates and a few other bars, also trips to Chicago, where we played the Aragon Ballroom, and a few as far as Minneapolis." In 1969, with the help of the senior Kondos, the band bought half interest in the Bastille, a club near Lincoln & Howell.

"The Bastille was a psychedelic thing because we put all our ideas into that place," said Berdoll. "It was an old movie theatre with all the seats removed." By this time the Corporation was doing all original material, most of it written by John Kondos, and some written by Nick. "We had already written 90 per cent of those songs when we had the Eastmen Blues Band," said Nick. "We probably could have recorded eight or nine albums." With the Bastille as a home base, the band also gigged occasionally at O'Brad's on the East Side, and they opened for Cream and other names at the Scenem downtown.

While in Detroit for the initial recordings, they appeared at a college festival in Ann Arbor along with Procol Harum, SRC and the MC5. "We went over really big there," said Kondos. "Next thing, we were doing love-ins and things at Washington Park and Grant Park with the Messengers and some others. It was all hippies and we were the ones that drew the people in." For Berdoll, the high point in the Corporation's existence was right after the album came out. "We played a really big 'be-in' at a park on the South Side. About 10,000 people showed up; it was really electric; the adrenalin was flowing.

Towards the end we had to do several encores and the thing was almost erupting into a riot. Everything was political back then, like the draft card burnings and such." Perhaps more extensive touring might have propelled that first album to greater heights, but except for Chicago and St Paul, the band remained local. There were no television appearances, and nothing else to build a greater audience. Kondos said that a European tour was in the planning stages, but it fell apart when disagreements with Capitol Records surfaced.

The Corporation travelled to Los Angeles to meet with the label, the Kondos brothers and their uncle handled the negotiations. "They treat you like kings," said Nick. "They set you up with the hottest girls; we went to a jam featuring Jimi Hendrix, and then they get the drugs out. But we found out that the album was selling and we didn't get a penny. We had an argument with Capitol and that's how the contract ended. Maybe we were a little impatient.

You give it everything you've got and, if you want to be a star, you have to let them use you and abuse you for a while, and THEN worry about the money." By July 1969, only about 18 months after the band had jelled, and only five months after dropping off Billboard's LP chart, the Corporation was no more. Besides the break with Capitol, drugs were a contributing factor, and perhaps egos got in the way. "No single person was an angel," said Kondos. "It was everybody's fault; everybody screwed up." Gerry Smith was the first to leave the band, relocating to Florida.

The remaining members played a couple of gigs and then decided to split up. Alexander Kondos, along with his brother, attorney Michael, and his two sons travelled to Los Angeles to meet with record companies. "We wanted someone to hear us live," said Nick. "We were prepared." With no demo tape, they aroused enough interest for Capitol to send producer John Rhys (pronounced Reese) to hear them. "I was one of their only guys outside of Hollywood," said Rhys, who spent about a week in Milwaukee and saw the band at several places. "I liked them, I liked their concept. I liked the Kondos brothers; John was a great talent." Nick added that Rhys was "excited as hell" after hearing just two songs on the first night and, by the last set, he was practically ready to record.

The Capitol LP was cut at Ralph Terrana's Terra Shirma Studio in Detroit, where Rhys lived at the time. "There were no problems at all," he said. Berdoll explained the evolution of 'India', the John Coltrane piece that fills an entire side of the LP: "It started off as a break song. We'd do it for three minutes one time, then five, then ten, and soon it was a 20-minute song." "Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels were setting up in another studio," recalled Kondos. "We blew their minds. Ryder came down and said, 'You guys are ahead of your time – more ahead than the people are ready for.'

" The subsequent material was recorded at Dave Kennedy Studios in Milwaukee. "They were just flying too high," said Rhys. "One song had a 16-bar flute intro and John couldn't get past eight bars. Then one day he came out of the men's room and said, "We can't go on with this - you're a Cancer and I'm a Sagittarius. This just ain't gonna work." But according to Nick, it all worked out in the end. "The second album is a lot better than the first," he said.

To listen to this CD, get ready for a trip - in the 60s- 70s sense of the word. Overall, the Corporation employed liberal use of instrumental colours, a dynamic range of vocals - from gentle to scream, solo to group - experimental and thoughtful arrangements (with many twists and turns combining elements of pop, garage rock, blues, hard rock and psychedelic), dissonance and high energy (with lots of busy drums). Expect sudden changes in direction. And a brief whistle call thrown into a few cuts is fun.
by Gary Myers


Tracks
1. You Make Me Feel Good (J. Kondos, Peil) - 2:32
2. Sitting by the Sea (J. Kondos) - 2:59
3. Heard the News (N. Kondos) - 4:56
4. I Do Love Her (Berdoll, J. Kondos) - 2:48
5. Yes I Know (J. Kondos, N. Kondos) - 2:31
6. Get on My Swing (J. Kondos, N. Kondos) - 2:55
7. Walking Along (J. Kondos, N. Kondos) - 3:22
8. Hassels in My Mind (J. Kondos, Peil) - 5:28
9. My Child, He Walks Alone (J. Kondos, Peil) - 9:58
10.Sky Faces (J. Kondos, Peil) - 6:30
11.Changes (J. Kondos, Peil) - 4:07
12.Book on a Shelf (J. Kondos) - 4:36

The Corporation
*John (Alexander) Kondos - Flute, Guitar, Keyboards, Harmonica
*Nicholas Kondos - Drums
*Patrick McCarthy - B3 Organ
*Daniel Peil - Vocals
*Gerard Smith - Guitar
*Kenny Berdoll - Bass

Other Corporations:
1969  The Corporation

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Monday, April 23, 2012

Brainbox - Brainbox (1969-70 holland, brilliant psychedelic progressive blues rock, 2011 esoteric bonus tracks remaster)



Being an avid Focus fan during the 70’s (Focus At The Rainbow is for me one of the best live albums ever) I was familiar with Dutch band Brainbox, albeit in name only. They figure in the Focus family tree due to the presence of the great Jan Akkerman on guitar and the equally fine Pierre van der Linden on drums who both feature on this 1969 self titled debut release along with singer Kazimierz (Kaz) Lux and bassist Andre Reijnen.

Expecting to hear traces of the sound that would define Focus, I was a little surprised by much of the musical style by this Dutch quartet. They produce a variant of British blues rock as popularised by exponents like Rory Gallagher and The Groundhogs with a touch of earthy American blues thrown in for good measure.

After the band began rehearsing in early 1969 much of the songs including Dark Rose and Woman's Gone seem to have originated from jam sessions, and it shows.

For example the lengthy Sea Of Delight (which took up most of side 2 on the original vinyl release) seems to be one long bout of spontaneous improvisation sandwiched between Lux’s brief opening and closing vocals. Akkerman’s playing here is not too dissimilar to Peter Banks’ style of soloing with Yes which is not surprising given that Banks was an early admirer of Akkerman’s technique. The bass and drum solos are also impressively performed; in fact these guys could hold their own with most any other rhythm partnership from the same era.

The only other song from the original album that isn’t a cover version is the opening Dark Rose. In addition to some fast and frantic playing from Akkerman and inspirational drumming from van der Linden, guest Tom Barlage adds some spirited flute soloing of his own. Probably the most striking aspect however is Lux’s raunchy, expressive voice which sits somewhere between Robert Plant and Rod Stewart.

The album’s cover versions include three well known and two not so well known tunes. In the latter category are two authentic American blues numbers in the shape of Jimmy Reed’s Baby, What You Want Me To Do and Lowell Fulson’s Sinner's Prayer. The style here perfectly suits Lux’s convincingly raw delivery. Of the others, Tim Hardin’s poignant Reason To Believe is given a jaunty rhythm and is nicely performed (two years before Rod Stewart made it famous) whilst a reverential version of the George Gershwin standard Summertime features Akkerman on Hammond organ in addition to guitar.

For Paul Simon’s wistful Scarborough Fair the guitarist switches to acoustic for some rootsy folk picking. He’s assisted here by Barlage’s flute which in addition to Ian Anderson ironically evokes Thijs van Leer’s playing in Focus.

The remainder of this re-mastered reissue is made up of no less than eleven bonus tracks almost doubling the length of the original album. These songs come courtesy of the string of Dutch single releases the band enjoyed between 1969 and 1970 bringing together the complete output of this line-up. Several of these songs enjoyed commercial success and it’s not too difficult to see why. They are mostly fairly catchy, mid-tempo affairs with lead voice to the fore and noticeably less ambitious guitar work as the tracks progress.

The two songs that probably comes the closest to the sound on the album are Woman's Gone and Down Man. In the former Akkerman’s bluesy licks echo Eric Clapton (albeit with a harder edge) as well as featuring some fine piano playing from guest Rob Hoeke whilst Kazimierz’s husky delivery during the latter this time evokes Steve Marriot.

Of the rest, the memorable ode to the band’s home town Amsterdam - The First Days includes some surprisingly funky guitar work whilst the boogie riff driving So Helpless recalls Humble Pie. The mid-tempo rocker Doomsday Train is reminiscent of The Who with a touch of AC/DC in contrast with the laidback country rock feel of The Smile [Old Friends Have A Right To] with a vocal style that pre-empts The Eagles and America. In fact the majority of these latter songs sees the band evolving from there earlier bluesy style into a more laidback soft rock sound.

Jan Akkerman left Brainbox soon after the album’s original release although he didn’t so much jump as was pushed. By all accounts the band’s dictatorial manager wasn’t happy with the fact that the guitarist was occasionally moonlighting with other musicians including an organist/flautist by the name of Thijs van Leer. This of course opened the door for the formation of Focus and a year or so later Pierre van der Linden would also jump the Brainbox ship and join them.

In the meantime Brainbox continued with no less than three guitarists appearing in Akkerman’s wake as well as a replacing the bassist, drummer and even the vocalist at various points before the band disbanded around 1972. The subsequent years has seen several Brainbox reunions and gatherings for one-off concerts and currently a line-up that includes Kaz Lux and Pierre van der Linden (but no Jan Akkerman) regularly performs in the Netherlands and is also putting together a new album.

To the end, this release does demonstrate another dimension to their playing and overall the musicianship is superb throughout. Lux’s singing is also a revelation, possessing one of the best rock voices I’ve heard for some time. If you remember the band from first time around with affection the wealth of material here makes it highly recommended.
by Geoff Feakes


Tracks
1. Dark Rose (Kazimierz Lux, Jan Akkerman) - 5:20
2. Reason To Believe (Tim Hardin) - 2:23
3. Baby, What You Want Me To Do (Jimmy Reed) - 2:36
4. Scarborough Fair (Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel) - 6:26
5. Summertime (George Gershwin) - 4:22
6. Sinner's Prayer (Lowell Fulsom) - 2:31
7. Sea Of Delight (K. Lux, J. Akkerman, A. Reijnen , P. Van Der Linden) - 16:58
8. Woman's Gone (Kazimierz Lux) - 4:14
9. Down Man (Kazimierz Lux, Jan Akkerman) - 2:38
10.Amsterdam, The First Days (K. Lux, J. Akkerman, A. Reijnen, P. Van Der Linden) - 3:11
11.So Helpless (Herman Meyer) - 2:28
12.To You (Kazimierz Lux) - 3:11
13.Cruel Train (Rudy De Queljoe, Kazimierz Lux) - 2:21
14.Between Alpha And Omega (Rudy De Queljoe, Kazimierz Lux) - 2:19
15.Doomsday Train (Herman Meyer) - 3:00
16.Good Morning Day (Kazimierz Lux) - 2:40
17.The Smile (Old Friends Have A Right To) (Kazimierz Lux ) - 2:55
18.The Flight (John Schuursma) - 3:13

Brainbox
*Jan Akkerman - Guitars, Organ, Vibes, Bass Guitar
*Pierre Van Der Linden - Drums
*Andre Reynen - Bass Guitar
*Kaz Lux - Vocals, Percussion
With
*Tom Barlage - Flutes
*Rob Hoeke - Piano

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Sunday, April 22, 2012

Fusion - Border Town (1969 us, fascinating blues rock with jazz and folk drops, Wounded Bird edition)



This one's largely unknown to folks, though the fact renown guitarist Ry Cooder provided extensive support throughout their sole LP makes that lack of recognition somewhat surprising.

Bassist Gary Marker had been a member of The Rising Songs (along with  Cooder and Taj Mahal), worked extensively with Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band, and together with guitarist Bill Wolff had been a member of The Sound Machine.  Wolff had also been a late inning member of The Peanut Butter Conspiracy.  Together with guitarist Cooder, brass and woodwind player Harvey Lane, singer/multi-instrumentalist Rick Luther, bassist Gary Marker, and drummer Richard Matzkin they had all been in a short-lived L.A.-based outfit called The Jazz Folk.

With the outfit quickly collapsing Lane, Luther, and Marker recruiting guitarist Randy California, drummer Ed Cassidy, and bassist John Locke for The New World Jazz Company.  California, Cassidy, and Locke quickly went off on their own forming Spirit.  Lane, Luther, and Marker then formed Fusion, recruiting guitarist Bill Wolff and drummer Kevin Kelly.  Kelly quickly left to join The Byrds.  Matzkin was then brought back in as drummer.

Produced by Merker (who also co-wrote nine of the ten racks with Luther), 1969's "Fusion" powered by Luther's gravelly voice and Cooder's distinctive slide (he played on seven tracks), material like 'Goin' Up To Clarksdale', 'Somebody's Callin' My Name' and 'Another Man' found the band pushing a unique mixture of blues and early Americana roots rock.  Due in large measure to Cooder's slide (check out the opener 'Struttin' Down Main Street'), the results were immensely appealing to my ears, though difficult to describe.

About the closest I can get is having you recall some of Cooder's earliest LPs (perhaps "Ry Cooder"), or try to picture a down and dirty version Little Feat with Lowell George coming off a month long bender while singing with a mouth full of marbles ...   The album also included a couple of numbers that were a clear nod to their earlier jazz roots.  'What Magic?' which segued into 'Time Of The Ostrich Head', and the closing instrumental 'Erebus' were jazz-rock fusion efforts that were interesting, but probably had limited appeal for rock fans.

In addition to the jazzy interludes, 'One More Hand' was little more than a sleep inducing jam and 'Cajun Two Step' was ... well a strange klezmer-cum-country-flavored number.  Still, the winners far outnumber the mistakes.  Rough and ragged, but in a good way, I bet these guys would have been a blast to have heard in a small, smoky blues club.
Bad-Cat


Tracks
1. Struttin' Down Main Street - 4:10
2. Goin' Up To Clarksdale - 3:30
3. Somebody's Callin' My Name - 2:43
4. One More Hand - 4:53
5. Another Man - 3:33
6. What Magic? - 2:34
7. Time Of The Ostrich Head (Gibson, Luther) - 3:56
8. Cajun Two-Step - 3:05
9. News Of Salena - 2:52
10. Erebus  (Harvey Lane) - 6:20
All songs by Rick Luther and Gary Marker unless as else written.

Fusion
*Harvey Lane - Clarinet, Flute, Soprano, Alto, Tenor Sax
*Ricky Luther - Clavinet, Drums, Piano, Vibraphone, Vocals
*Gary Marker - Rhythm Guitar, Bass
*Bill Wolff - Lead, Rhythm Guitar, Bass
*Richard Matzkin - Drums
With 
*Ry Cooder - Bottleneck Guitar, Rhythm Guitar
*Ed Carter - Lead, Rhythm Guitars
*Bernie "Black Pearl" Fieldings - Vocals

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