Various Artists - The IKON Records Story (1964-66 us, cool cryptic garage pearls, double disc set)

Sacramento-based Ikon Records is one of those labels that makes obsessive garage collectors squirm and sweat, stammering phrases to each other like "only three known copies, dude" or that most dreaded, tear-choked revelation: "there's only one known copy!" Because of their scarcity, even by local indie garage label standards, Ikon 45s have largely eluded the garage compilation-makers, so the label's output has been something of a secret shared by just a few elite high rollers and clued-in Sacramento locals. 

No hype, my friends: YES! This is hands-down the best '60s garage reissue of the year, filling the requirements of both historical significance and, more importantly, musical excitement. The Madd, Inc provide the immediate standout with the jaw-dropping "I'll Be the One." It's got an assertive lead vocal, two cool, locked-in guitar parts, a tight, rhythmic groove, and a dangerously tense mood snapped apart by a killer fast-fingered Drake Levinesque guitar break. No two ways about it: it's a frickin' MONSTER. While not in the same league as "I'll Be the One," the same band's secret agent themed "Sooperspy" and the wiry instrumental "Batman A Go Go" are also rather good.

More fantastic garage band thrills are drummed up by the Mergers ("Love, You Funny Thing"), the Kee-Notes (a great arrangement of "St James Infirmary"), the Styx ("My Girl"; not the Temptations song), the Knightsmen ("Daddy Was A Rolling Stone"; not the Temptations song either), the Denny & Kenny Duo (the ultra rockin' "Meet My Little Sweety"), the Sons of Sound ("I'm Coming Home"), and the Prophets (the up-tempo but oddly plaintive "You Wonder Why"). Bluesier fare is dished out by the Parish Hall Blues Quintet ("Smokestack Lightning" and a decent cover of the Pretty Things' "I Can Never Say") while solid surf/instro sounds are provided by the Nervous Kats, the Cautions, the Avanti's and the Marauders.

Those looking for minor key magic will be well-pleased too when they get a load of jewels like the Yo Yoz' exceptional, Zombies-flavored "Leave Me Alone," the Bristols' "She's Gone Away," the Shondells "It's True" and the Mergers' "I'll Be On My Way." This two-disc set come with a 28-page booklet jammed with full-color photos, label shots and abundant liner notes by Alec, Joey and others.

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Artists - Tracks

Disc 1

1.Ikon - Intro - 0:47

2.Madd Inc. - I'll Be The One - 2:38

3.Shondells - Something's Got A Hold Of Me - 2:39

4.Eirik Wangberg - Every Night I Dream A Little - 2:25

5.Nervous Kats - Surf Express - 2:05

6.Bristols - She's Gone Away - 2:14

7.Mergers - Love, You Funny Thing - 2:44

8.Avanti's - Countdown - 1:48

9.Bobbies - Truck - 2:19

10.Yo Yoz - Leave Me Alone - 3:11

11.The Knightsmen - Fever - 2:55

12.Styx, The - My Girl - 2:32

13.Kee-Notes - St. James Infirmary - 2:53

14.R.C. And The Tambourines - Quirk - 2:23

15.Shondells - I Cried Last Night - 1:54

16.Cautions - Surfer's Beach - 2:18

17.John Rosasco Quartet - Come Running To Me - 2:15

18.Townsmen - High Heel Sneakers - 2:36

19.Moss And The Rocks - There She Goes - 4:46

20.Nervous Kats - Simba - 2:05

21.Prophets - It's All Over Now - 3:28

22.Parish Hall Blues - Smokestack Lightning - 4:09

23.Versatiles - Pretty Girls - 3:01

24.Unknown Artist - Gloria - 2:40

25.Russ Olson - Sorry About That - 2:09

26.Denny And Kenny Duo - I Love You So - 2:49

27.Madd, Inc. - Batman - 2:49

28.Avanti's - Too Much - 2:37

29.Marauders - Intro-Surf Jam - 2:24

30.Marauders - Carol - 2:56

Disc 2
1.The Knightsmen - Daddy Was A Rolling Stone - 2:51
2.Denny And Kenny Duo - Meet My Little Sweety - 2:53
3.Prophets - You Wonder Why - 2:58
4.Madd, Inc. - Sooperspy - 2:59
5.Unknown Artist - Searching - 2:32
6.Nervous Kats - Chong - 2:16
7.Parish Hall Blues Quintet - I Can Never Say - 2:58
8.Shondells - It's True - 2:51
9.Eirik Wangberg - You Woman - 2:33
10.Townsmen - Leaving Me - 2:30
11.John Rosasco Quartet - The Shift - 1:47
12.Sons Of Sound - I'm Coming Home - 3:16
13.Cautions - Groovin' - 2:26
14.Yo Yoz - Stay With Me - 2:36
15.Avanti's - What's Wrong With Me - 2:12
16.Sel-Sync - The Fire Is Gone - 2:13
17.Beau Jesse - Tell Her That You Love Her - 1:55
18.Kee-Notes - Please Don't Tell Me No - 2:31
19.Eirik And The Secret Agents - Sorry About That - 2:33
20.Townsmen - What Have I Done - 3:23
21.Fabulous Futuras - When You Ask About Love - 1:47
22.Dirk Hamilton - Happiness - 3:24
23.Bobbies - Orangutang - 2:04
24.Mergers - I'll Be On My Way - 2:32
25.Mymes - You Lose Girl - 2:20
26.Moss And The Rocks - Please Come Back - 3:23
27.Styx, The - Stay Away - 2:56
28.Madd, Inc. - Batman A Go Go - 2:42
29.Checkmates Ltd. - Do It To Deff - 4:06
30.Ikon - Outro -  0:39

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Various Artists - With The Sun In My Eyes: 20 Psychedelic Spins (1966-72 europe, uncomped psychedelic rarites)

Recently I read a letter in a prominent music magazine from a reader who was getting rather steamed about what passes for psychedelia in these ordered times. The gist was that tons of prog, POP, folk, soul and Jazz is now labelled psych, and that in reality, when placed in it's historical context, very little of it actually is psychedelic at all. 

Chronologically, psych, in the true sense of the word, was all but over by 1970, but of course, there is no marked line where one day it all iust stopped. I think, with hindsight, it is possible to label things ‘Psych' out of its traditional timeline if the sound is there, but I do take the point. So much of the material pushed as 'mind-frying Psych' is nothing of the sort. 

When one considers what a short period the first flush of psychedelia enjoyed, it is easy to see why anything vaguely trippy has been lumped in with the real stuff. There Just isn't enough to go round. 'With The Sun In My Eyes4 is Psychic Circle's first compilation of UK & European straight psychedelia. It's taken 'til our 12th issue because tracking down 20 proper, uncomped psvch tracks from the UK is now no easy task. However, I feel sure that our listeners will not experience that feeling of disappointment when the new 'acid-drenched' comp contains two or three corkers, ten tracks you've heard before and half a dozen weedy POP outings. 

The idea behind these comps has always been to share great music and recognise that our market is mainly made UP of People with a deep knowledge and love of this kind of music. I feel confident that this will be appreciated when you give 'With The Sun In My Eyes' an airing. If this pre-amble has a somewhat dour tone, please don't be misled, we're really proud of this comp. 

I personally think it's one of our strongest. I could tell you it's going to warp your synapses or crystallize your cerebral corteces, but I can almost hear the stifled laughter, so I'll leave that to someone else. I'll just say that in my opinion this is a really nice comp and I hope you'll find some new Pleasures on it, and rest assured, we're out there tracking down material for the next one.

by Nick Saloman

Tracks - Artists
1. Give Me Money - Plastic Penny - 3:03
2. Mary Jane - Peter Sarstedt - 2:18
3. Yellow Brick Road - Mindbenders - 3:04
4. No One Knows What Happens Round The Corner - Ola And The Janglers - 2:27
5. Ten Thousand Paces - Omega Group - 6:07
6. Me - Zion De Gallier - 3:16
7. Hang On Baby - Gnomes Of Zurich - 2:16
8. Lady Love - Rattles - 2:27
9. She's Far Away - Foggy - 3:37
10. Get Back Home - Majority One - 2:47
11. With The Sun In My Eyes - Schadel - 2:32
12. Watching - Sound Network - 2:12
13. Don't Leave Me In The Dark - Youngblood - 2:36
14. Balloon - Ramases - 4:29
15. She Said - Grand Union - 3:10
16. Bye Bye Baby - Winston G - 2:18
17. Woman On My Mind - Peter And The Wolves - 3:27
18. In The Corners - Don Curtis - 3:15
19. Stop - Giorgio - 3:32
20. Seen Through A Light - Mooche - 4:41

More Psychic Circle compilations
1968-72  White Lace And Strange
1968-72  The Room Of Loud Sounds
1964-69  Realistic Patterns Orchestrated Psychedelia
1965-69  Wednesday Morning Dew 
1965-70  The Electric Coffee House 
1965-70  The Golden Road The Electric Coffee House Vol.2
1969-74 Blow Your Cool: 20 Prog Psych Assaults

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Rod Demick And Herbie Armstrong - Little Willie Ramble (1970-71 ireland, fascinating psych folk rock, 2012 reissue)

These two session heads had worn a number of notable caps before teaming up to form The Wheels, recording three tracks for Columbia and almost enticing fellow countryman and former bandmate in Them, Van Morrison, to join. Songwriting for other artists followed; and then this fine album, in 1971, which eschewed both blues and rock for an orchestral/acoustic tip to a good reception.

Their 1971 "Little Wille Ramble" is a scintillating piece of low-wattage, highly lyrical bluesy pop/rock. The album's overall sound is strongly reminiscent of Van Morrison's work during the same period -- not entirely surprising as Armstrong is a Morrison alumnus -- though Demick and Armstrong may push the lyricism a little harder, they never lose their bluesy edge or jump wholly into the pop side of things. 

The lean sound also recalls the music of Ernie Graham, but the presence of unobtrusive strings on certain tracks -- which somehow don't compromise the underlying tracks -- puts this album and the duo behind it into a sub-category that they occupy virtually unto themselves; the only other similar artist that comes to mind, on repeated listening, is Duncan Browne or, at his most inventive moments, Donovan.

by Bruce Eder  

Tracks
1. Little Willie Ramble - 4:10
2. Over the Valley - 2:25
3. You're My Island - 2:42
4. Waiting for the Train - 2:44
5. Morning - 3:40
6. We Are Free - 3:22
7. I've Got Time - 2:34
8. We're On the Right Track - 3:13
9. I Don't Care - 2:32
10.Open Road - 2:11
11.That's What Friends Are For - 2:58
12.If I Ever Get to You - 2:13
13.Girl - 4:59
14.Dreaming - 2:40
Music and words by Rod Demick And Herbie Armstrong.

Musicians
*Herbie Armstrong - Guitar, Vocals
*Rod Demick - Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals
*Tony Knight - Drums
*Gordon Smith - Guitar, Vocals
*David Watkins - Piano

Related Acts
1965-66  The Wheels - Road Block

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Various Artists - Pebbles, Vol. 12: The World (1964-71 multi national garage beats rough diamonds)

This collection features 27 mid-'60s beat/punk singles from bands outside North America and the U.K., although a few of these bands were actually British outfits that moved abroad (the Rokes to Italy, and the Shamrocks and the Scorpions to Germany). Most of these singles have not been previously reissued. To their credit, the compilers have cast their net far and wide, encompassing not just continental Europe, but also New Zealand, Australia, Japan, and even Lebanon. 

The chief flaw of the volume is one that afflicts many such '60s anthologies: there are too many covers of songs (often R&B classics, like "Roadrunner" and "I Can Tell") that were done better by much more famous British bands. Nonetheless, there are some class selections here, particularly when the bands go out of the routine R&B rave-up orbit into poppier or more psychedelic territory. Among the more satisfying entries are the Four Rockets' (from Belgium) "The Place Where She Lives," with its mod chords; the Shamrocks' hot R&B single "Midnight Train" (which is not on their cult-favorite album); and Noel Deschamps' fine French cover of John Mayall's "I'm Your Witchdoctor" (retitled "Curieux Docteur"). 

Los Salvages' (from Spain) "Las Overjitas" is as raw a bash as continental bands managed; Japan's Bunnys merge British Invasion guitar with the Shadows on "Moanin'"; and Sir Henry & His Butlers' (from Denmark) "Pretty Style" is trance-inducing pop psychedelia with sitar. 

by Richie Unterberger

Artists - Tracks
1. Bunnys - Moanin' - 2:36
2. Four Rockets - The Place Where She Lives - 2:41
3. Shamrocks - Midnight Train - 2:48
4. Shake Spears - I Can't Tell - 2:20
5. Henchmen - Baby What's Wrong - 2:19
6. Phantoms - Roadrunners - 3:03
7. Klan - Already Mine - 2:10
8. Merrymen - Walking Down Lonesome Road - 2:01
9. Nicols - She Had a Name to Find Out - 2:46
10.Noel Deschamps - I'm Your Witchdoctor - 2:09
11.Odd Persons - I'm Cryin' - 2:40
12.Scorpions - Baby Back Now - 3:19
13.Honestmen - I've Been Wrong - 1:53
14.Rokes - She Asks of You - 2:09
15.John Wooley and Just Born - Look and You Will Find - 3:30
16.John Wooley & Just Born - You're Lying - 2:43
17.Shirrows - Not for Me - 2:47
18.Cedars - Hide If You Want to Hide - 2:36
19.Evariste - Connais-Tu l'Animal Que Inventa le Calcul Integral? - 2:39
20.Sir Henry and His Butlers - Pretty Style - 2:49
21.Los Salvages - Las Ovejias - 2:34
22.Tonics - Daddy - 3:06
23.Five Gentlemen - Dis-Nous Dylan - 3:52
24.Pleazers - Bald Headed Woman - 2:47
25.Entertainers - Searching - 2:45
26.Satins - Too Much Monkey Business - 3:37
27.Brothers Grimm - Beautiful Delilah - 2:19

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The Dictators - Go Girl Crazy (1975 us, raw proto punk)

In 1975, when punk rock and heavy metal were two opposing camps who barely who acknowledged each other's existence,  The Dictators' first album, Go Girl Crazy!, found New York's finest trying to bring both sides together in a brave,  prescient, and (at least at the time) futile gesture. 

The band's "smart guys who like dumb stuff" humor,  junk-culture reference points, and '60s cheeze rock covers ("California Sun" and "I Got You Babe" on one album)  would seem tailor made for the crowd at CBGB digging the Ramones and the Dead Boys,  but their sludgy and stripped down hard rock (and Ross "The Boss" Funichello's neo-metal guitar solos)  were something else altogether. And at a time when the arena rock audience had not yet embraced the less-than-subtle humor  and theatrics of Sparks or Cheap Trick, the Dictators' ahead-of-their-time enthusiasm for wrestling,  

White Castle hamburgers, and television confused more kids than it converted. Heard today, the album is a hoot and a half;  if the tempos could often stand to be a bit livelier, Adny Shernoff's songs are still great  (especially the absurdly anthemic "Two Tub Man," "I Live for Cars and Girls," and "Weekend"),  the jokes still register (while the contemporary Political Correctness brigade might blanch at "Back to Africa"  or "Master Race Rock," they're merely absurd in the Mad Magazine tradition),  and "secret weapon" Handsome Dick Manitoba was truly a find. 

Dozens of groups borrowed wholesale from Go Girl Crazy!  later on down the line, but the original is still the greatest ... and the funniest

by Mark Deming

Tracks
1. The Next Big Thing - 4:20
2. I Got You Babe (Sonny Bono) - 4:08
3. Back To Africa - 3:35
4. Master Race Rock - 4:13
5. Teengenerate - 3:24
6. California Sun (Henry Glover, Morris Levy) - 3:04
7. Two Tub Man - 4:08
8. Weekend - 4:00
9. (I Live For) Cars And Girls - 3:56
Except where otherwise noted, all tracks composed by Andy Shernoff.

The Dictators
*Ross "The Boss" Funicello – Lead Guitar, Background Vocals
*Scott Kempner – Rhythm Guitar
*Stu Boy King – Percussion, Drums
*Handsome Dick Manitoba – Occassional Lead Vocals, Secret Weapon
*Andy Shernoff – Lead Vocals, Bass, Keyboards

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The Wheels - Road Block (1965-66 ireland, superb mod beat, 2012 release)

Rave ups don’t come any wilder than ‘Road Block’ by the Wheels, who keep the party going on this CD of their complete output, 1965-1966. Tough, shouting R&B vocals and crunching riffs from Belfast’s other great combo.

‘Road Block’ and ‘Bad Little Woman’ are garage-beat classics of which anyone raised on American “Pebbles” albums will be very familiar. The Wheels, however, were not American; they were from Northern Ireland. Yet their band original ‘Bad Little Woman’ was picked up by Chicago garage deities the Shadows Of Knight, and in contrast they covered Paul Revere & the Raiders’ ‘Kicks’. Don’t even get me started on the feral intensity of their beat-punk opus ‘Road Block’.

Big Beat’s new Wheels collection comprises the A and B-sides of their three singles, released across 1965 and 1966, plus the remaining sessions they cut at Regent Sound; this is their album, its great period design making up for the fact that these talented young men didn’t get to release one first time round.

Like many who have bought Big Beat releases over the past 20 years, I came to the label knowing I would find great garage, beat and psych. Now the Wheels are in the company of the Beau Brummels, the Chocolate Watchband, the Zombies and Thor’s Hammer. And by heck, they deserve it. Anyone who has bought releases by those artists will adore the Wheels. Steaming out of Belfast’s Maritime Hotel (an R&B hotbed on par with the Crawdaddy in Richmond and Newcastle’s Club A’GoGo), where they graced the stage with friend Van Morrison and his similarly clued-up Them, before moving on to an obsessive following in the glamorous environs of Blackpool.

The Wheels lived their lives to the full, playing wild shows, popping pills and adapting R&B to their own means. Under the tutelage of industry bigwig Phil Solomon and producer Tommy Scott, they issued singles on Parlophone and turned heads with their long hair (or, in Brian Rossi’s case, bald head). It looked as if the charts would be theirs. Unfortunately, their sound and songbook may have shared too much with Them’s; Van and his gang stole the Wheels’ thunder and fashions changed fast.

In hindsight, the magnificent punk/R&B attack of ‘Road Block’ rivals anything the toughest US garage bands recorded, ‘Bad Little Woman’ was a really decent song, their choice of covers was inspired and there’s no denying their musicality or Rod Demick’s wild-but-soulful vocals. Okay, the Wheels were a beat band versed in R&B and they didn’t make an album like “Revolver” or sell many records, but by Jove they were exciting. The 12 tracks here are testament to that.

by Jon “Mojo” Mills 

Tracks
1. Road Block (H. Armstrong, V. Catting, R. Demick, B. Rosbotham, W. Tinsley) - 3:31
2. I'm Leaving (John Lee Hooker) - 2:44
3. Bad Little Woman (H. Armstrong, V. Catling, R. Demick, B. Rosbotham, W. Tinsley) - 2:49
4. Send Me Your Pillow (John Lee Hooker) - 2:48
5. Don't You Know (Tommy Scott) - 2:51
6. Call My Name (Tommy Scott) - 2:12
7. Kicks (Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil) 2:32
8. Tell Me (I'm Gonna Love Again) (Graham Bond) 2:12
9. You Got Me Dizzy (Jimmy Reed, Ewart Abner) 2:24
10.Gloria (Van Morrison) - 2:43
11.Mona (Ellis McDaniel) - 2:43
12. Bad Little Woman (Us Version) (H. Armstrong, V. Catling, R. Demick, B. Rosbotham, W. Tinsley) - 2:34

The Wheels
*Herbie Armstrong - Guitar
*Rod Demick - Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals
*Brian Rossi - Keyboards, Vocals
*Victor Catling - Drums
*Tito Tinsley - Bass

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The Poets - Wooden Spoon / The Singles Anthology (1964-67 uk, fabulous mod freakbeat, 2011 release)

A five piece, R&B band from Glasgow, they adopted their clothes image of high-necked jackets and ruffled fronted shirts (see pic above. Can't recall who sent us this shot but thanks and we'll namecheck you if we find it in the e-mail attachment archieve eventually) from a portrait of the eighteenth century Scots poet Rabbie Burns. Hence, also, the name. 

Mean, moody and utterly magnificent, in 1964 the Poets were the best thing to come out of Scotland since Denis Law. Managed and produced by Rolling Stones svengali Andrew Loog Oldham, the group released a quintet of classic singles - including the minor hit 'Now We're Thru"- that encompassed Zombies-esque minor chord melancholia and aggressive mod R&B/pop with equal aplomb.

The group fragmented in early 1966 after the departure of lead singer and chief songwriter George Gallacher, but a revised lineup bounced back in fine style the following year with 'Wooden Spoon' b/w 'In Your Tower', now widely acknowledged as a seminal British freakbeat/psychedelic record. This first-ever official Poets anthology features the group's entire released output during their 1964-67 glory days.

Tracks
1. Now We're Thru'(Gallacher, Paton, Myles) - 2:20
2. There Are Some (Gallacher, Paton, Myles) - 2:14
3. That's The Way It's Got To Be (Gallacher, Paton, Myles) - 2:35
4. I'll Cry With The Moon (Gallacher, Paton, Myles) - 2:53
5. I Am So Blue (Gallacher, Paton, Myles) - 2:42
6. I Love Her Still (Gallacher, Paton, Myles) - 1:45
7. Call Again (Paton, Gallacher) - 2:24
8. Some Things I Can't Forget (Paton, Gallacher) - 1:51
9. Baby Don't You Do It (Holland, Dozier) - 2:28
10.I'll Come Home (Gallacher, Paton) - 2:07
11.Wooden Spoon (Moeller, Woolfson) - 2:29
12.In Your Tower (Mulvey, Watson) - 2:30

The Poets
*George Gallacher - Vocals
*Hume Paton - Lead Guitar
*Tony Myles - Rhythm Guitar
*John Dawson - Bass Guitar
*Alan Weir - Drums
*Hughie Nicholson - Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
*Fraser Watson - Guitar
*Jim Breakey - Drums

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Various Artists - The Mod Scene (1962-68 uk, superb mod freakbeat)

This 25-song CD is much more than just an excursion into the farther reaches of English Decca Records' vaults -- it's also a de facto tour of the playlists of some of England's hottest mod clubs of the mid-/late '60s; hardly a sound on this collection ever made it anywhere near a chart listing, anywhere in the U.K. (much less the U.S.A.), but a lot of what is here did get picked up locally in London among the mods that made up the audiences of most of these bands. 

Considering how badly England's Decca Records fared in the middle-late 1960's (apart from the Rolling Stones, the Small Faces, and the Moody Blues) in signing really solid acts, this is an astonishingly good collection of soul-influenced, mod-oriented singles from the company's vaults. A few of the acts included, such as the Small Faces, Tom Jones, St. Louis Union, Chris Farlowe, and the Amen Corner, made some kind of splash on the charts, but most of the musicians here got their chance on these single sides, failed to find success, and disappeared into the mist of musical history. 

The CD jumps headfirst into the kind of hard-rocking, intense soul numbers that were played to death in London' mod clubs, even if they never scraped even the lower reaches of the charts. The sound on these singles tells you right away why most of these groups were never going to make it as world-class recording acts, being too raw and direct -- without the distinctive hooks to get more than a listen from any radio deejays. By themselves, the Ronnie Jones track, coupled with those by Tom Jones, Steve Aldo, Graham Gouldman, Poets, the Eyes of Blue, and the Quik, justify the cost of this $20 import. 

The sound is excellent throughout, and it's also reassuring on some level to learn from the notes that Decca is digging so deeply into its vaults that these acts are nearly as obscure to the people producing this compilation as they are to us. 

by Bruce Eder

Artists - Tracks
1. The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble - 2:14
2. Hipster Image - Make Her Mine - 2:19
3. The Poets - That's The Way It's Gotta Be - 2:36
4. The Wards Of Court - How Could You Say One Thing - 1:56
5. Graham Gouldman - Stop! Stop! Stop! - 2:59
6. Pete Kelly's Soulution - If You Love Don't Swing - 2:26
7. Timebox - Girl Don't Let Me Wait - 2:34
8. The Mockingbirds - Lovingly Yours - 2:15
9. Amen Corner - Expressway To Your Heart - 2:42
10.The Attack - We Don't Know - 2:41
11.Chris Farlowe - Air Travel - 2:12
12.The Graham Bond Organisation - Little Girl - 2:40
13.The Outer Limits - Just One More Chance - 3:03
14.Ronnie Jones With The Nightimers - I Need Your Loving - 2:46
15.Small Faces - Grow Your Own - 2:19
16.Zoot Money - Walking The Dog - 2:27
17.Steve Aldo - Baby What You Want Me To Do - 3:46
18.Tom Jones - Dr. Love - 1:53
19.Jimmy Winston And His Reflections - It's Not What You Do - 3:01
20.The Habits - Elbow Baby - 2:35
21.The Score - Beg Me - 2:46
22.The Loose Ends - That's It - 2:11
23.St. Louis Union - East Side Story - 2:25
24.Paul And Barry Ryan - There You Go - 2:14
25.Eyes Of Blue - Supermarket Full Of Cans - 2:41

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The Sonics - Here Are The Sonics (1965 us, pioneer garage punk, New Rose rare Vinyl issue)

The Sonics were the hottest, rawest and most legendary garage band of the 60's. The Sonics, of Tacoma and Bremerton, Washington, helped forge the Northwest sound—merging garage rock and rhythm and blues. But the Sonics transcend the Pacific Northwest. Keith Richard, Pete Townshend, George Harrison, Bruce Springsteen, Joey Ramone and Johnny Rotten (Lydon), have all cited the Sonics as an early influence on their music, according to D.J.'s and other knowledgeable sources. 

The Sonics were innovative and wild at a time when most bands were playing the fox trot at high school chaperoned dances. The Sonics 1st single "The Witch," which ultimately became the Northwest's top selling single, (save for "Louie, Louie",) had trouble getting airplay because programmers thought it would alienate homemakers. Teenage demand forced stations to start playing "The Witch". Parents were alarmed by the band's loud and frenetic antics and wild reputations. Engineers were dismayed by the band's lack of respect for staid studio techniques. They were not used to the Sonics full energy attack. On guitar, was Larry Parypa. Larry was always fooling around with the amps, sticking ice picks, and such, in. 

They were always overdriven. His experiments with distortion and feedback predated any of the people we now know for it, and became part of the trademark Sonics sound. Driving the band on bass guitar, and as group leader, was Andy Parypa, Larry's brother. Rob Lind played the sax that added a dirty, full sound. Bob Bennett's unique machine-gun style of drumming hit rimshots everytime. On top of all this was Gerry Roslie, the monumental screamer-cum-singer, whose Jerry Lee Lewis style stage antics gained the Sonics much of their reputation. Gerry was all out in his singing and his writing, composing most of the band's tunes. These tunes are now available in their original form thanks to Etiquette Records re-issues. 

You don't have to live in Washington state to easily place your hands on them! "Their magical blend of raw garage music can be heard in everyone from the Beatles to Bruce Springsteen, but why go to any other source than the original?" 

by Charles R. Cross, Seattle "Rocket", June, 1984.

Tracks
1. The Witch - 2:41
2. Do You Love Me (Berry Gordy, Jr.) - 2:19
3. Roll Over Beethoven (Chuck Berry) - 2:49
4. Boss Hoss - 2:24
5. Dirty Robber (John Greek, Kent Morrill, Rick Dangel) - 2:03
6. Have Love, Will Travel (Richard Berry) - 2:04
7. Psycho - 2:18
8. Money (That's What I Want) (Gordy, Jr., Janie Bradford) - 2:01
9. Walkin' The Dog (Rufus Thomas) - 2:46
10. Night Time Is The Right Time (Lew Herman) - 2:58
11. Strychnine - 2:13
12. Good Golly Miss Molly  (Robert Blackwell) - 2:09
Songs written by Gerry Roslie unless otherwise noted.

The Sonics
*Gerry Roslie - Organ, Piano, Lead Vocals
*Andy Parypa - Bass Guitar
*Larry Parypa - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Rob Lind - Saxophone, Vocals, Harmonica
*Bob Bennett - Drums

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Inner Sanctum / Sunset Love - Psychedelic Moods, Pt. 2: Journey Thru Inner Space (1967-68 us, impressive garage psych)

After releasing the “Psychedelic Moods” album, in October of 1966, Mark Barkan envisioned another psychedelic album for his next release.  It was to be performed by a Greenwich Village band called “Inner Sanctum”.   The theme of the album was to be a psychedelic journey into the various psyches of the mind.  

The trip started with a journey into the past (The House Of Yesterday) then covered the inner workings of the mind (ID) then the descent into madness (Hydro Pyro) hallucination (Purple Floating) and finally culminating in nirvana (Snow Petals).  Unfortunately, Barkan was unable to find a record company willing to lease the masters and so they languished for decades unreleased. Now, at long last the masters for this aborted album are mixed from the original four track tapes and forty plus years later the psychedelic sounds of “Inner Sanctum” are now ready, willing, and able to blow your mind.

“Sunset Love” was comprised of band members from New Mexico and Texas.  In the fall of 1968, thirteen original songs and two covers were recorded for a potential album, but nothing was ever released.  “Sunset Love’s” lush harmonies, soaring vocals, superior song writing, and flower power consciousness pervaded their songs with a depth and quality unheard of from most 60s’ bands.  While their sound can be compared to such bands as “The Mamas and The Papas”, “The Peanut Butter Conspiracy”, “Spanky and Our Gang”, and “The Love Exchange”,  “Sunset Love” had their own inimitable style that transcended a generic stereo-type.  

Had Sunset Love released their album in the 60’s, there is no doubt it would have been an instant rarity of excellence. The “Sunset Love” tapes are sourced from the original stereo versions and reveal the great harmonies and surrealistic lyrics of an undeservedly overlooked and forgotten band from the late 60’s.  

Cicadelic

Artists - Tracks - Composer
1. Sunset Love - Change - 2:04
2. Sunset Love - Tribute to Kay - 2:39
3. Sunset Love - Run to the Sun - 2:38
4. Sunset Love - Reach Out - 2:39
5. Sunset Love - Little Children - 3:08
6. Sunset Love - Winters Day - 3:58
7. Sunset Love - Sunset Love - 3:47
8. Sunset Love - Green Hippie - 2:44
9. Sunset Love - World of Pain - 2:38
10.Sunset Love - A Man in the Park - 3:29
11.Sunset Love - Father Paul - 3:35
12.Sunset Love - I Will - 1:43
13.Sunset Love - Wheels - 2:07
14.Sunset Love - Push - 2:26
15.Sunset Love - Innocence Dies Young on Our Street - 3:00
16.Inner Sanctum - The House of Yesterday (Mark Barkan, David Blackhurst) - 1:56
17.Inner Sanctum - ID - 2:02
18.Inner Sanctum - Hydro-Pyro - 2:06
19.Inner Sanctum - Purple Floating (Mark Barkan, David Blackhurst) - 1:53
20.Inner Sanctum - Snow Petals (Mark Barkan, David Blackhurst) - 2:11
21.Inner Sanctum - Little Tin Soldier - 2:32
22.Inner Sanctum - The Man Who Shot Your Mother - 1:49
Tracks 1-15 written by William J. Stone II, Victor Kay Lindsay

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The Deep - Psychedelic Moods (1966 us, great fuzz garage psych, bonus tracks edition)

Recorded in a darkened Philadelphia studio in August 1966, this amazing album was the first to have the word ‘psychedelic’ in its title, and is well-established as an pioneering acid classic. Presented here in both its mono and stereo mixes (which have fascinating differences), it still sounds truly unique and is a must for all fans of true American psychedelia.

Despite having long enjoyed a high reputation amongst psych afficionados, to this day remarkably little is known of the Deep. The project was the brainchild of Rusty Evans (b. Marcus Uzilevsky), a New Yorker who’d already made a number of rockabilly singles and at least three unremarkable solo folk LPs (1962’s Showdown, 1963’s Songs Of Our Land and 1964’s Railroad Songs), as well as a 1964 LP for Reprise as part of the All Night Singers, before tiring of the Greenwich Village scene.

In 1965 he visited LA and made a rare 45 for the Musicor label 1983 / The Life Game (as Ry Cooper), before joining the New Christy Minstrels for a few months and then heading for Philadelphia. There he fell in with a group of musicians including David Bromberg, Mark Barkan and the enigmatically named D Blackhurst.

Together they recorded Psychedelic Moods over a couple of days in August 1966. An eccentric collection of brief pop and garage rock tunes, sound effects and studio trickery, it was released by the local Cameo-Parkway label, perhaps in a bid to crack the burgeoning hippy market. The label was also home to garage chart-toppers ? and the Mysterians, but did little to promote the Deep’s LP when it appeared in October 1966.

Perhaps they suspected it was too forward-looking to sell: for a start, it was the first album to include the word ‘psychedelic’ in its title (just ahead of the Blues Magoos' Psychedelic Lollipop and the 13th Floor Elevators' Psychedelic Sounds, both released in November). The anonymous group did not tour to support the LP, and soon after its release Barkan and Blackhurst relocated to Greenwich Village, where they produced a number of unreleased psych-pop cuts for teenage LSD nuts Hydro Pyro on April 24th 1967 (included here as bonus tracks).

Evans, meanwhile, had signed a deal with Columbia. Credited to the Freak Scene, his next effort, 1967’s Psychedelic Psoul, was very similar in mood and sound to the Deep. When it too missed the charts, he formed Eastern Productions with songwriter and producer Teddy Randazzo, and signed the Third Bardo and the Facts of Life. With the former he produced the all-time classic psych 45 I'm Five Years Ahead of My Time (Roulette, 1967) before moving back to LA and finding work with the Take Six label (including another garage 45, the Nervous Breakdown's I Dig Your Mind).

He also worked with the much-loved Matthew Katz for a while, participating in some It’s A Beautiful Day sessions. By 1969 he’d reverted to his original name, and released an album as Marcus for Epic subsidiary Kinetic. A syrupy blend of folk and pop, it sold no better than his previous efforts, and he chose to focus on painting thereafter, though he released a further album on Folkways a decade later, Life's Railway Heaven. He’s now a widely-respected and collected artist, and has also released ambient world music as Uzca, as well as working with his son in the popular Johnny Cash-inspired rockabilly band Ring Of Fire. It’s all a long way from a darkened studio in Philadelphia, forty five years ago.

 Tracks
1. Color Dream (Evans) - 2:36
2. Pink Ether (Blackhurst, Evans) - 2:21
3. When Rain Is Black (Blue, Evans) - 2:11
4. It's All A Part Of Me (Evans) - 2:55
5. Turned On (Blackhurst, Evans) - 2:26
6. Psychedelic Moon (Blackhurst, Evans) - 2:42
7. Shadows On The Wall (Evans) - 3:13
8. Crystal Nite (Blackhurst, Barkan) - 1:41
9. Trip #76 (Barkan, Pogan, Evans) - 2:37
10. Wake Up And Find Me (Evans) - 2:20
11. Your Choice To Choose (Geller, Evans) - 1:53
12. On Off - Off On (Evans) - 2:22
13. Color Dream (Evans) - 2:36
14. Pink Ether (Blackhurst, Evans) - 1:57
15. When Rain Is Black (Blue, Evans) - 2:12
16. It's All A Part Of Me (Evans) - 2:56
17. Turned On (Blackhurst, Evans) - 2:27
18. Psychedelic Moon (Blackhurst, Evans) - 2:42
19. Shadows On The Wall (Evans) - 3:12
20. Crystal Nite (Blackhurst, Barkan) - 1:39
21. Trip #76 (Barkan, Pogan, Evans) - 2:16
22. Wake Up And Find Me (Evans) - 2:20
23. Your Choice To Choose (Geller, Evans) - 1:54
24. On Off - Off On (Evans) - 2:11
25. 1983 - 2:59
26. The Life Game - 2:20
Tracks from 1-12 Stereo.
Tracks from 13-24 Mono
Bonus tracks  25-26

*Rusty Evans - Guitars, Vocals

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Various Artists - The Essential Pebbles Collection, Vol. 1: The Best of American Garage (60's us, diamonds are forever)

The Essential Pebbles Collection, Vol. 1 serves two functions. The first, fulfilled by disc one, is to distill the first ten volumes of the Pebbles '60s garage rock singles compilation series. The second is a bonus disc full of even more insanely rare material that has never appeared on Pebbles albums or myriad other '60s compilations. 

Considering the staggering amount of material reissued by Archive International, in addition to myriad '60s compilations released by other companies worldwide, casual observers of this phenomenon might wonder what the fuss is all about. The singles compiled by these releases are from an era where local bands' records shared airplay with the major hitmakers. The Pebbles series' most important accomplishment has been to provide a glimpse of the musical life beyond the hits in constant rotation on many oldies radio stations.

Pebbles compiles the best independent-label '60s singles that weren't national hits, but their local reputations have insured that the records trade for high prices on the collectors' markets. Lack of significant sales outside of its geographical region doesn't mean that the records lack polish; tracks like the Motifs' "Someday" demonstrate a mix of Motown and Atlantic soul influences with some of the harder-edged British Invasion group sounds, while the bands from Chicago have a bluesy sound but incorporate other influences as well, like the jagged Zombies-esque organ solo on the Omens' "Searching." 

There was even a Pebbles volume called Ear-Piercing Punk, showcasing the hardest-rocking songs, packaged to appeal to fans of the then-current wave of late-'70s punk. With this look back at its legacy, The Essential Pebbles Collection, Vol. 1 looks backward and forward at the same time, providing listeners with something old and new -- the true essence of garage rock compilations. 

by Jim Powers

Artists - Tracks

Disc 1

1.Preachers - Who Do You Love? - 2:17

2.Grains of Sand - Going Away Baby - 2:10

3.Jujus - You Treated Me Bad - 1:54

4.Haunted - 1-2-5 - 2:26

5.Wilde Knights - Beaver Patrol - 2:20

6.Lyrics - So What!! - 2:50

7.Green Fuz - Green Fuz - 2:02

8.Teddy And His Patches - Suzy Creamcheese - 3:10

9.T.C. Atlantic - Faces - 2:45

10.William Penn Fyve - Swami - 2:56

11.Tree - No Good Woman - 2:38

12.Plague - Go Away - 1:55

13.Gentlemen - It's a Cryin' Shame - 2:32

14.Omens - Searching - 2:28

15.Foggy Notions - Need a Little Lovin' - 2:30

16.Dean Carter - Rebel Woman - 2:38

17.Lost Agency - One Girl Man - 3:03

18.Trolls - Every Day and Every Night - 2:30

19.Starfires - I Never Loved Her - 2:46

20.Beckett Quintet - No Correspondence - 2:31

21.Dovers - She's Not Just Anybody - 1:52

22.Hysterics - Everything's There - 2:07

23.Good Feelings - Shattered - 2:20

24.Breakers - I Ain't Dead Yet - 2:08

25.Uncalled For - Do Like Me - 2:46

26.Gonn - Doin' Me In - 2:47

27.Mile Ends - Bottle Up and Go - 2:11

28.Bohemian Vendetta - Enough - 2:44

29.Keith Kessler - Don't Crowd Me - 2:41

Disc 2
1.Motifs - Someday - 3:00
2.Shays - Brainwashed - 3:38
3.Sinners - Sinnerisme - 2:31
4.Missing Lynx - Hang Around - 2:21
5.Mixed Emotions - Can't You Stop It Now - 2:52
6.Thunderbolts - Heart So Cold - 2:12
7.Strangers - What a Life - 2:11
8.Roosters - You Gotta Run - 2:24
9.Peter And the Wolves - Hey Mama - 2:57
10.Peter And the Wolves - Only Everything - 2:43
11.Sound Apparatus - Travel Agent Man - 3:13
12.Shades - Down the Road a Piece - 2:38
13.Dynamic Nutones - Sick and Tired - 2:21
14.Dry Grins - You're Through - 2:58
15.Hustlers - Sky Is Black - 2:06
16.Other Half - Girl With the Long Black Hair - 3:01
17.Thorns - I'm in Love - 3:26
18.Malibus - I've Gotta Go - 2:23
19.Malibus - I Want You to Know - 2:33
20.Creations - I Want You - 2:40
21.unknown - I Just Don't Know - 2:21
22.unknown artist - Fed Up - 2:24
23.Banshees - I've Had It - 2:20
24.Roy And the Bristols - It's Your Fault - 2:08
25.Terry Dee And the Roadrunners - Some Other Guy - 2:03
26.Unknown Artist - Go Go Girl - 2:01

Essential Pebbles Vol. 2
Essential Pebbles Vol. 3

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Timothy Leary - You Can Be Anyone This Time Around (1970 us, acid psych superb speech jam)

Leary takes the philosophy of the revolution one step further; inward to go outward with mind-altering drugs that no one knew how or why or where it affected the neurotransmitters of the brain. No one knew the correct dosages, or even if there were correct Dosages, or knowing who was susceptible to bad trips, throwing the neurochemicals into a logjamming mode, blocking essential personality traits from ever surfacing again. 

Blow your mind, damn straight. but, as leary postulates, nicotine causes cancer, uquor destroys livers, guns can be bought with a permit; their dangers are known, posted for all to see, and yet they are legal why not LSD? it's one more freedom to fight for, the freedom to change your mind, the freedom to make up your own mind (starting from scratch), the freedom to blow it if you want to. Ultimate freedom, ultimate frivolity, a never-ending commute.

Tracks
1. Live And Let Live - 13:56
2. You Can Be Anyone This Time Around - 9:03
3. What Do You Turn On When You Turn On - 6:03

Musicians
*Timothy Leary - Rap
*Stephen Stills - Guitar
*John Sebastian - Guitar
*Jimi Hendrix - Bass
*Buddy Miles - Drums

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Renaissance - Turn Of The Cards (1974 uk, brilliant progressive art folk rock, Original Sire Vinyl issue and 2006 remaster edition)

The third album by this incarnation of Renaissance was a match for their previous success, Ashes Are Burning, with equally impressive performances and songwriting and a few new musical twists added. The songs here fit more easily into a rock vein, and the prior album's folk influences are gone. 

Turn of the Cards rocks a bit harder, albeit always in a progressive rock manner, and Jon Camp's bass and Terence Sullivan's drums are both harder and heavier here, the bass (the group's only amplified instrument) in particular much more forward in the mix. This change works in giving the band a harder sound that leaves room for Jimmy Horowitz's orchestral accompaniments, which are somewhat more prominent than those of Richard Hewson on the prior album, with the horns and strings, in particular, more exposed. 

Annie Haslam is in excellent voice throughout, and finds ideal accompaniment in Michael Dunford's acoustic guitar and John Tout's piano. The writing team of Dunford and Betty Thatcher also adds some new wrinkles to the group's range -- in addition to progressive rock ballads like "I Think of You," they delivered "Black Flame," a great dramatic canvas for Haslam and Tout, in particular; and "Mother Russia" is a surprising (and effective) move into topical songwriting, dealing with the plight of Alexander Solzhenitsyn and other victims of Soviet repression (you had to be there in the 1970s to realize what a burning issue this was). 

And then there were the soaring, pounding group virtuoso numbers like "Things I Don't Understand," which managed to hold audience interest across nine or ten minutes of running time. 

by Bruce Eder

Tracks
1.Running Hard - 9:35
2.I Think Of You - 3:07
3.Things I Don't Understand (Dunford, Jim McCarty) - 9:27
4.Black Flame - 6:25
5.Cold Is Being - 3:00
6.Mother Russia - 9:17
All Songs credited to Michael Dunford, Betty Thatcher except where noted.

Renaissance
*Annie Haslam - Lead, Backing Vocals
*Jon Camp - Bass, Backing Vocals
*John Tout - Keyboards, Backing Vocals
*Terence Sullivan - Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals
*Michael Dunford - Acoustic Guitar, Backing Vocals
Orchestral Arrangements: Jimmy Horowitz

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Robert Lester Folsom - Music And Dreams (1976 us, sparkling folk rock, 2010 korean remaster)

I was born at Moody Air Force Base in Lowndes County, Georgia January 3rd, 1955. I grew up in Adel, a small rural town in south central Georgia about 40 miles north of the GA/FL border. My parents were raised by poor sharecroppers and music played a large role in their hard day to day lives. Singing in church and listening to the Grand Ole Opry radio was a great source of musical entertainment. 

My mom's high soprano and my father's deep bass put me somewhere in the middle. They used to listen to the local AM radio station which featured gospel, country, pop, soul and Paul Harvey at noon. They also joined the Columbia Record Club and not only did I get to listen to Fat's Domino and Johnny Cash, they let me have a selection and that first choice was Rubber Soul by The Beatles. What a huge impact! Until then I thought The Beatles were just "yeah yeah yeah!" This was my favorite pop/rock band obviously inspired by Bob Dylan. So then there was Dylan. Now not only could I mimic The Beatles, but I could also write songs that expressed my every emotion. I started a band before I could even play the guitar. I traded my record player for my first guitar and the strings were so high off the neck that they could cut your fingers.

 My mother bought me a Mel Bay Chord Book and I went to town. I wrote song after song and formed band after band with my friends. Then a friend and I bought a Sears 4 track reel to reel and I started recording everything and everybody. Every reel of tape was an album. Eventually we would transfer a reel to 8 tracks and sell them to friends. We would pass around our lyric books to girls and we were rock stars in our own little world. We would play for 4-H Club events, church functions, and parties. This went on through high school.

I went on to South Georgia College where I met other musicians. I went there as a music major, but I was seriously looking into music in a much more major sort of way. I met Sparky Smith among many others and not only was he my bass player, but he became a forever trustworthy friend. Then there was Hans Van Brackle who I had already hooked up with in high school and Van Whiddon, Jimmy Whiddon and Sparky's buddy Don Anderson. There were others, like Don Fleming our amazing manager, but this was the nucleus of what would become my band Abacus. 

We played proms, VFW dances and parties mixing covers with our original music. It worked for the most part but we felt there had to be more, at least I did. We had a good grouping of original songs and we went to Atlanta to find a studio to record a demo. I grew up listening to the LeFevre Gospel Family and knew they had a fine studio in Atlanta so we went there first. There we were introduced to their head engineer Stan Dacus. He seemed like a nice cool guy so we booked a session there. 

We often rehearsed at Sparky's parents' house in Broxton, GA and his mom liked us quite a bit so she said she would pay for us to record our first serious demo. The session went great, Dacus was impressed and I had the fever to do something serious. I had a wonderful band, but it was hard for us all to get on the same page about recording. This frustrated me a little and I couldn't wait to sort it all out and do something. I told Stan Dacus that I wanted to do a solo album and he said he would like to help. I let him listen to some of the old tapes of my music and he said let's get started ASAP. I took out a loan at my local bank and booked some time at LeFevre in Atlanta. I told my band what I was doing and asked them if they would like to participate. 

They were all on board to get the opportunity to record so we began rehearsing. We got real tight with the music I had selected and soon in the summer of 1976 we started recording. We would lay down the basic tracks with a guide vocal, then we would add overdubs with instruments and serious vocals. Stan was helpful in getting the time we needed. We would book 4 hours and get 6. We spent serious time mixing. 

I introduced some new effects, especially a flanger which enabled us to get a sound that stood out over other music of that time. I may have thought at some point we went overboard but in retrospect I think we were dead on as far as capturing the sounds I was hearing in my heart and mind. We had vinyl and 8 tracks made, Danny Dickens (a college art major friend) did the cover art, and Music and Dreams became a reality. 

There was Georgia success and maybe some north Florida, but not nearly enough airplay and not enough money to do gigs to do the album justice. Music and Dreams became a small town success with a big debt to pay. I later recorded two songs ("Blues Stay Away" and "Warm Horizons") for a 45 rpm single as a possible leader to a follow-up LP but that was not to be realized. 

by Robert Lester Folsom 

Tracks
1. Music and Dreams - 3:28
2. Ginger - 2:48
3. Biding My Time - 3:28
4. April Suzanne - 4:03
5. Weeping Willow Tree - 3:38
6. My Stove's On Fire - 2:48
7. Untitled - 1:19
8. Spanish Lady/Brown Eyed Lady With Blonde Hair - 5:52
9. A New Way - 2:39
10.Show Me To the Window - 3:25
11.Jericho (My Quiet Place) - 3:43
12.Please Don't Forget Me - 3:24
13.Blues Stay Away - 2:35
14.Warm Horizons - 5:08
All compositions by Robert Lester Folsom.

Musicians
*Robert Lester Folsom - Acoustic, Electric Guitar, Hammond B3, Piano, Vocals
*Stephen Clayton - Drums, Syndrum
*Stan "Quack" Dacus - Percussion
*Alva Dickerson - Guitar
*Fonda Feingold - Clavinet
*Roni Goss - Bass
*Mark Hammond - Drums
*Danny Heitzhausen - Bass
*Sparky Smith - Bass, Vocals
*Hans Vanbrackle - Electric, 12 String Acoustic, Slide Guitar, Bass, Vocals
*Jimmy Whiddon - Hammond B3, Vocals
*Van Whiddon - Fender Rhodes, Piano, Vocals

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The Buoys - Timothy "Golden Classics" (1971-73 us, fine classic rock with counrty folk influence)

"Timothy” really was about a mule, but a lot of people thought he was another trapped miner." Rupert Holmes, the man who wrote "Timothy", was still trying to explain his 1971 hit for The Buoys in a 1988 interview to promote his new Broadway musical, "The Mystery of Edwin Drood." Laughing, Holmes swore the anguished song about the two survivors in a trio of trapped miners was not an ode to cannibalism. 

It was easy to laugh then, but it wasn't so funny when Scepter Records issued the single by the Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania quintet. Even though the song would eventually go into Billboard's Top 20, many radio programmers were reluctant to play the song, especially when listeners called demanding to know why some band was singing about eating this poor miner. It also didn't help when there were media reports about college students holding 'Timothy For Lunch Bunch" gatherings. 

Whatever the song was about, the notoriety did help get a hit for the group made up of Fran Brozena - keyboards, Gerry Hludzik - bass, Chris Hanlon - guitar, Carl Siracuse - drums, and Billy Kelly - lead vocals. They were discovered by a Scepter engineer, who then approached Holmes about writing a song to help the quintet get some attention. He agreed, and the song ultimately became Holmes' first real hit as a writer. Holmes also wrote a number of songs and played keyboards on The Buoys' debut Scepter album. 

It featured 'Timothy" and two other minor chart successes that also told odd stories. "Bloodknot" was said to be about a reform-school ritual while "Give Up Your Guns" was about an old West shootout. Although Holmes would go on to chart success as a singer, going Top 10 with "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" and "Him", The Buoys soon sank out of sight. Scepter issued a few other singles, all featured here. 

The group then signed to Polydor, cutting two singles, "Don't Try To Run" and "Liza's Last Ride", also included on this album. In 1980, a couple of Buoys - Billy Kelly and Gerry Hludzik, who was also known as Joe Jerry - were back in music as a group called Dakota. Their self-titled album on Columbia failed to generate any attention.

by  Mark Marymont

Tracks
1. Timothy (Rupert Holmes) - 2:49
2. Give Up Your Guns (Rupert Holmes) - 4:16
3. Sunny Days/Memories - 5:02
4. Tell Me Heaven Is Here - 3:33
5. The Prince of Thieves (Rupert Holmes) - 4:17
6. Castles - 2:27
7. Bloodknot (Rupert Holmes) - 2:13
8. Tomorrow (Rupert Holmes) - 3:26
9.Streams Together - 2:48
10.Good Lovin' - 2:30
11.Pittsburgh Steel - 4:13
12.Absent Friend - 3:51
13.These Days - 2:47
14.Sunny Days - 1:25
15.Don't Try to Run (Brozena, Kelly, Hludzik) - 3:21
16.Dreams (Brozena, Kelly, Hludzik) - 3:26
17.Look Back America - 6:34
18.Liza's Last Ride - 2:55
All songs written by the Buoys except where noted

The Buoys
*Bill Kelly - Lead Vocals, Guitar
*Jerry G. Hludzik - Bass, Vocals
*Chris Hanlon - Guitar
*Fran Brozena - Keyboards
*Carl Siracuse - Drums
with
*Sally Rosoff - Cello

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