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

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

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

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

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

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

by Stewart Moon

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Brilliant Colors - 4:22

2. Cowboy - 2:21

3. The New Life Out There - 5:36

4. Morning Girl - 2:14

5. Midsummer Night - 5:48

6. Little Sparrow - 3:20

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

8. Morning Girl, Later - 2:41

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

10.Forever Hold Your Peace - 2:26

11.You Lied - 3:29

12.Harry - 4:11

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

14.Long John the Pirate - 5:18

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

16.The Mordor National Anthem - 0:44

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

*Don Gant - Vocals

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

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

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

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

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

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

by Alec Palao

Tracks

Disc 1 The Stereo Album

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Argent - Encore Live in Concert (1974 uk, great prog rock, 2008 japan remaster)

This album, originally released as a double LP in early 1975, was supposed to buy a little time for Argent as the group worked two new members, John Verity and John Grimaldi, into its lineup in the wake of the departure of co-founder Russ Ballard. As a result, it showcased a band that had already evolved out of the sound represented here, which must have seemed a pity for the fans who bought it. 

The sound captured on this album combines equal measures of progressive rock and hard-driving pop/rock into a whole that never lost its sight on rock & roll, as on "Thunder and Lightning" and "Music of the Spheres," or the more traditional sound of "Keep on Rollin'." With Ballard's guitar and the rhythm section of Jim Rodford (bass) and Bob Henrit (drums), the band could only stray so far from rock, and they and keyboardist Rod Argent, pulling in those opposite directions, ended up creating a scintillating whole on much of this record. Even the extended jams are focused and always maintain some serious forward momentum, though the opener, "The Coming of Kohoutek," comes dangerously close to fatal digression -- one can only quote Berlioz so far before the piece it's in loses its purpose as rock & roll. 

The 11-minute jam of "Hold Your Head Up" seemed a little excessive at the time -- a reaction probably caused, in part, by the substandard pressings by which the vinyl version of this release was seemingly universally represented -- but it holds up well today. And the band encored with "Time of the Season," a selection with which no one could possibly take serious issue -- they dress it up in some heavily ornamented drumming and guitar, but it's the song everyone knows and loves, done about as well as anyone who was not Colin Blunstone could ever handle it. The Collectables CD reissue boasts about the best sound ever heard on this set, and there's some pretty good annotation by Mark Marymount. 

by Bruce Eder

Tracks
1. The Coming Of Kohoutek (Chris White, Rod Argent) – 10:34
2. It's Only Money, Pt. 1 (Russ Ballard) – 3:51
3. It's Only Money, Pt. 2 (Russ Ballard) – 5:04
4. God Gave Rock And Roll To You (Russ Ballard) – 7:03
5. Thunder And Lightning (Russ Ballard) – 6:21
6. Music From The Spheres (Chris White, Rod Argent) – 9:15
7. I Don't Believe In Miracles (Russ Ballard) – 3:27
8. I Am The Dance Of Ages (Chris White, Rod Argent) – 9:28
9. Keep On Rollin' (Chris White, Rod Argent) – 5:19
10.Hold Your Head Up (Chris White, Rod Argent) – 11:16
11.Time Of The Season (Russ Argent) – 6:38

Argent
*Rod Argent - Keyboards, Vocals
*Russ Ballard - Guitar, Vocals
*Jim Rodford - Bass
*Robert Henrit - Drums

1970  Argent - Argent (Japan remaster)
1971  Argent - Ring Of Hands (Japan remaster)
1972  Argent - All Together Now (Japan remaster)
1973  Argent - In Deep (Japan remaster)

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Jesse Colin Young - On The Road (1976 us, outstanding blend of jazzy folk rock, 2008 japan edition)

On a series of solo albums, Jesse Colin Young had developed a strong musical rapport with a group of players including drummer Jeff Myer, keyboard player Scott Lawrence, and especially horn man Jim Rothermel, whose flute and soprano sax lines duetted with Young's tenor vocals. 

Adding David Hayes (one of several bassists who had appeared on his studio releases) and his wife Suzi on harmonies, Young produced this excellent live album, on which he mixed Youngbloods favorites ("Sunlight") with some of his better solo material ("Peace Song," a 12½-minute version of "Ridgetop") and some well-chosen covers (a medley of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" and "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)," Randy Newman's "Have You Seen My Baby") for a varied program that emphasized his eclectic talents. 

Recorded live at "Paramount Northwest" Seattle, "Paramount Theatre" Portland, "Marin Veterann's Memorial Auditorium" San Rafael, "Pioneer Theatre" Reno and originally released in March 1976.

by William Ruhlmann

Tracks
1. Sunlight - 3:59
2. Walkin' Off the Blues - 4:37
3. Peace Song - 3:35
4. Miss Hesitation - 7:12
5. What's Going On/Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) (Renaldo Benson, Al Cleveland, Marvin Gaye) - 5:33
6. Corinna (Traditional) - 3:30
7. Have You Seen My Baby? (Randy Newman) - 3:44
8. Ridgetop - 12:55
9. T-Bone Shuffle (T-Bone Walker) - 6:21
Words and Music by Jesse Colin Young unless otherwise stated.

Musicians
*Jesse Colin Young - Guitar, Vocals
*Suzi Young - Vocal Harmony, Vocals
*Jim Rothermel - ARP Synthesizer, Horn, Wind
*Jeff Myer - Drums
*David Hayes - Bass, Vocal Harmony, Vocals
*Scott Lawrence - Keyboards, Vocal Harmony

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

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The National Gallery - Performing Musical Interpretations Of The Paintings Of Paul Klee (1968 us, beautiful art baroque sunny psych)

This superbly melodic and strange distillation of pop, folk, psych and jazz was inspired by the paintings of Paul Klee, and first appeared in 1968. Despite being credited to a proper band, it was in fact a studio recording overseen by the Cleveland-based team of jazz composer Chuck Mangione and local producer-arranger Roger Karshner, who called the songs ‘electronic paintings’. The album is presented here, complete with two rare bonus tracks from a pre-LP 45 credited to Bhagavad-Gita.

This mysterious album emanated from Cleveland, where producer Roger Karshner (who’d been involved with local hit-makers the Outsiders) and jazz musician Charles ‘Chuck’ Mangione decided to collaborate on a selection of so-called ‘electronic paintings’ based on the work of German-Swiss abstract painter Paul Klee (1879-1940). The first fruits of their labours emerged in 1967 – a single credited to Bhagavad-Gita (the Vedic Bible, translating as ‘song of the most holy’), featuring two takes on Long Hair Soulful, one vocal and one instrumental. Though it was no hit (making the original picture sleeve issues - Philips 40485 - highly sought-after today), they proceeded with an album the following year. 

The Bhagavad-Gita promotional material made the lofty claim that Karshner had ‘reached a completely new plateau in the realm of pop contemporary music by putting the works of Klee to music,’ and the album is indeed highly unusual. Though credited to a band (who are pictured on the back cover), it is thought to have been a studio project overseen by the two men, and was issued with a glossy leaflet including lyrics and reproductions of various Klee pictures. 

It must have been an expensive enterprise, and was not a successful one. Shortly afterwards, four of its tracks also appeared Diana In The Autumn Wind (GRC 9001), an instrumental jazz-pop LP recorded by Mangione’s brother Gap in August 1968, but conducted by him - Diana In The Autumn Wind, Boy With Toys, Pond With Swans and Long Hair Soulful. This fared even less well commercially, condemning the project to underserved obscurity, and putting a premature end to a nascent pop sub-genre. 

CD Liner-notes

Tracks
1. Barbaric, Classical, Solemn - 2:58
2. Diana In The Autumn Wind - 2:38
3. Boy With Toys - 2:30
4. Self Portrait - 2:35
5. Fear Of Becoming Double - 2:40
6. Pond With Swans - 3:08
7. A Child’s Game - 2:15
8. A Little Child Does Not Understand The Snow - 2:26
9. Fear Behind The Curtain - 1:46
10.Long Hair Soulfu - 3:31
11.Long Hair Soulful (non-LP 45a) - 3:33
12.Long Hair Soulful - instrumental (non-LP 45b) - 2:34
All music by Roger Karshner, Chuck Mangione, except track 8 by Roger Karshner, all lyrics by Roger Karshner

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Argent - In Deep (1973 uk, enjoyable soft prog rock, 2018 japan remaster)

In Deep, the band's fourth album, was originally released on Epic Records in 1973. While not as strong as its predecessors, it did produce the excellent single (and one of the best tracks on the album), "God Gave Rock and Roll to You," which made the Top 20 in England and charted well in North America. 

The original album contained eight songs, with half written by Ballard and the other half by Argent and White. The eccentric Be Glad and the prog epic Candles On The River redress the balance slightly. 

When the band split in 1976, Argent went on to pursue a solo career. Henrit opened a drum shop in London's West End and played in a band called Phoenix with Rodford, before they both joined the Kinks. 

by Keith Pettipas

Tracks
1. God Gave Rock And Roll To You  (Russ Ballard) - 6:44
2. It's Only Money, Part 1  (Russ Ballard) - 4:03
3. It's Only Money, Part 2  (Russ Ballard) - 5:08
4. Losing Hold  (Rod Argent, Chris White) - 5:30
5. Be Glad  (Rod Argent, Chris White) - 8:38
6. Christmas For The Free  (Rod Argent, Chris White) - 4:15
7. Candles On The River  (Rod Argent, Chris White) - 7:01
8. Rosie  (Russ Ballard) - 3:44

Argent
*Rod Argent - Keyboards, Vocals
*Russ Ballard - Lead Vocals, Guitar
*Bob Henrit - Drums
*Jim Rodford - Bass

1970  Argent - Argent (Japan remaster)
1971  Argent - Ring Of Hands (Japan remaster)
1972  Argent - All Together Now (Japan remaster)

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Tongue And Groove - Tongue And Groove (1969 us, amazing west coast psych blues rock, 2009 remaster)

Tongue and Groove were something of an offshoot of the legendary but little-recorded, early San Francisco hippie group the Charlatans. Singer Lynne Hughes had occasionally sung with the Charlatans on-stage in the mid-'60s (although she was never an official member), and even appears on vocals and guitar on a few cuts they recorded for Kama Sutra in 1966 (eventually seeing release on the CD compilation The Amazing Charlatans). 

Pianist Mike Ferguson, who occasionally sang lead with Tongue and Groove as well, was a bona fide original Charlatan, although he left by the time their one proper '60s album was issued. Richard Olsen, another Charlatan, played bass on Tongue and Groove's one LP; Hughes and Ferguson wrote much of the material, and yet another ex-Charlatan, Dan Hicks, contributed one composition as well. Tongue and Groove's self-titled album, released in the late '60s on Fontana, was produced by Abe "Voco" Kesh, who also worked with several other second-tier '60s Bay Area acts, such as Blue Cheer and Harvey Mandel; top session musicians James Burton (on dobro) and Earl Palmer (on drums) also contributed to the recording. 

As could be expected given their ancestry, the record had much in common with the Charlatans' fusion of old-timey saloon music, vaudevillian blues, and rock. The key differences were that a woman (Hughes) took most of the lead vocals, and that the lysergic tinge of much of the Charlatans' material was virtually absent. The numbers featuring Hughes' saucy vibrato vocals, which mine the territory between Janis Joplin and Mae West, are certainly the highlights of the album, a fitfully engaging footnote to late-'60s San Francisco rock. 

by Richie Unterberger

Tracks
1. Devil (Lynne Hughes) – 4:02
2. Come In My Kitchen (Lynne Hughes) – 3:45
3. Mailman’s Back (Michael Ferguson) – 6:25
4. Cherry Ball (Shake Shake Mama) (M. Lipscomb) – 3:44
5. The Shadow Knows  (Lieber, Stoller) – 2:35
6. Sidetrack (Lynne Hughes) – 6:05
7. Motorhead Baby (J. Watson, M. Delagarde) – 3:10
8. Duncan And Brady (Lynne Hughes) – 2:37
9. Rocks for My Pillow (Livin’ with the Blues) (B. McGhee) – 5:21
10.Fallin’ Apart (Dan Hicks) – 3:24

Tongue And Groove
*Michael Ferguson - Vocals, Keyboards, Percussion
*Lynne Hughes - Vocals
*Randy Lewis - Lead Guitar
With
*Eddie Adams - Bass
*James Burton - Dobro
*Therutius Deeps - Vocals
*Roger Dowd - Drums
*Fast Eddie Hoh - Drums
*Bob Lifton - Bass
*Jay Magliori - Horn
*Richard Olsen - Bass
*Tary Owens - Vocals
*Earl Palmer - Drums

Related Acts
1965-68  The Charlatans - The Amazing Charlatans
1969  The Charlatans - San Francisco
1970  Lynne Hughes - Freeway Gypsy (Vinyl edition)
1971  Stoneground - Stoneground
1971-72  Stoneground - Family Album

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Argent - All Together Now (1972 uk, splendid prog rock, japan remaster)

Since this only a shortie record review, there is no need to pad a basic positive or negative response with a two page synopsis on the band’s history. Thus, for all you know, Rod Argent, keyboardsman and vocalist for Argent, could have walked off the streets and into the studio.

Perhaps you’ve heard “Hold Your Head Up,” their single. If so, then you have an idea of the tremendous class and style the band has.

In England, the song and the album are at the top of the charts. But then, England was onto the Rolling Stones a full year before America was.

by Cameron Crowe,  July 7, 1972 

Thanks to the hit single "Hold Your Head Up," All Together Now was Argent's most successful album, and in many ways, it's also their most consistent. Although it isn't quite as interesting as the debut, the band has perfected an anthemic rock that owes as much to hard rock and progressive rock, and cuts like "Be My Lover, Be My Friend," "I Am the Dance of Ages," and "Keep on Rollin'" will appeal to fans of "Hold Your Head Up," even if they lack the wild spark of Argent. 

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Tracks
1. Hold Your Head Up  - 6:18
2. Keep On Rollin'  - 4:28
3. Tragedy (Russ Ballard) - 4:49
4. I Am The Dance Of Ages - 3:45
5. Be My Lover, Be My Friend - 5:20
6. He's A Dynamo (Russ Ballard) - 3:47
7. Pure Love  - 13:06
.I...Fantasia
.II..Prelude
.III.Pure Love
.IV..Finale
All songs by Rod Argent, Chris White except where noted

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

1970  Argent - Argent (Japan remaster)
1971  Argent - Ring Of Hands (Japan remaster)

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The Artwoods - Art Gallery (1966 uk, superb mod rhythm 'n' beat psych, 2009 remaster and expanded)

In contrast to the commercially-successful but artistically-bankrupt pop sensations of the UK’s 1960s beat era there was a small hardcore of bands in the UK who couldn’t get arrested record-sales-wise but whom other musicians would cross continents to catch playing live. Frequenting the trendy London club scene and playing funky tunes that oozed git-up-and-dance, they usually centred round a deft practitioner of the Hammond organ, and comprised the said keyboard god plus fellow musicians who refused to compromise their musical integrity and their blues and jazz influences. Alongside the likes of Graham Bond’s Organization, Georgie Fame’s Blue Flames and the Peddlers could be found the Artwoods, who despite their undeniable talent would have a brief career and only some of whom would find wider success in later combinations.

Vocalist and leader Arthur “Art” Wood was the elder brother of Ronnie, then guitarist with the Birds and later star sideman to Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart and the Glimmer Twins. Having served his on-stage apprenticeship with Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated, Art set about putting together his own band in 1963, finally settling with Derek Griffiths (gtr), Malcolm Pool (bs), Jon Lord (org) and Keef Hartley (drs). (A couple of familiar names there, then, but not till a few years later.) 

Eschewing the straight R’n’B of the Yardbirds, the Stones and the Animals, the Artwoods stuck out for the jazz-inflected soul mix that would soon be in vogue on the Soho club circuit, covering material by Jimmy Smith, Lieber & Stoller, Eddie Floyd, Allen Toussaint, Isaac Hayes and David Porter, and Solomon Burke. For four years they rocked the live club circuit until the trend towards psychedelia began to edge them out; unlike many of their contemporaries they declined to make that shift, electing instead to split in ’67.

The Artwoods did make records; over their four years they issued six singles plus – despite its cheesy title and homespun cover design – this splendid studio album. Predictably, none of these sold worth a damn: perhaps because the band’s oeuvre consisted almost completely of covers, albeit superb ones; perhaps because the recorded product lacked the visceral excitement of their live performances. The singles are indeed a little humdrum, given their attempts to polish their raw sound for commercial purposes, but the album is a gem of ensemble musicianship with flashes of individual brilliance. 

Recorded in a tiny basement studio in London’s Denmark Street under the tutelage of master Decca producer Mike Vernon, it clearly features the live set and gets as close as one could ask to the live vibe, only limited by the need to trim the tracks down to radio-friendly length. There’s a lot of variety available; the standout tracks include Burke’s “Down In The Valley” done in impeccable Stax style, Floyd’s “Things Get Better” as a superb garage soul opus with Merseybeat harmonies and raw-nerve fuzz guitar, and a scintillating cover of the Jimmy Smith instrumental “Walk On The Wild Side” in the middle of which the band lapse into a pure swing jazz groove and Lord produces an orgasmic solo that presages what he’d do with Deep Purple. Apart from a pedestrian reading of “If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody” there’s not a dull moment amongst the twelve original tracks. Art’s rough-as-a-badger’s-arse vocal is a guilty pleasure and Messrs Lord and Hartley shine throughout.

The subsequent careers of Lord and Hartley are well documented, but Art himself enjoyed far less success. He briefly formed a new outfit in ’69 with the musicians who would become the Faces; perhaps predictably for an outfit called Quiet Melon, it sank without trace. Art moved into a new career in graphic design with his other brother Ted and Malcolm Pool, singing only occasionally thereafter as a hobby musician till his premature death from cancer in 2006. His recorded legacy is available on the current 2009 CD from Repertoire which also includes no fewer than fourteen bonus tracks taken from the singles and the mega-rare Europe-only instrumental EP Jazz In Jeans.

by Len Liechti

Tracks
1. Can You Hear Me (Toussaint) - 2:54
2. Down In The Valley (Berns, Burke) - 2:57
3. Things Get Better (Jackson, Floyd, Cropper) - 2:24
4. Walk On The Wild Side (Bernstein, Mack David) - 5:32
5. I Keep Forgettin' (Leiber,Stoller) - 2:26
6. Keep Lookin' (D. Burke, M. Burke, S. Burke) - 3:03
7. One More Heartache (Tarplin, Rogers, White, Robinson, Moore) - 3:09
8. Work, Work, Work (Neville) - 3:30
9. Be My Lady (Jackson, Jones, Dunn, Cropper) - 3:02
10.If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody (Clark) - 2:01
11.Stop And Think It Over (Jones) - 2:57
12.Don't Cry No More (Malone) - 3:52
13.Sweet Mary (Ledbetter) - 2:53
14.If I Ever Get My Hands On You (Carter, Lewis) - 2:01
15.Goodbye Sisters (Lloyd) - 2:53
16.She Knows What To Do (Hill, Rebena) - 2:28
17.I Take What I Want (Hayes, Porter, Hodges) - 2:54
18.I Feel Good (Neville) - 2:42
19.What Shall I Do (Jenkins) - 2:50
20.In The Deep End (Gump) - 3:02
21.These Boots Are Made For Walkin' (Hazelwood) - 2:48
22.A Taste Of Honey (Scott, Marlow) - 3:13
23.Our Man Flint (Goldsmith) - 2:59
24.Routine (Lord) - 3:10
25.The St. Valentine's Day Massacre – Brother Can You Spare A Dime (Harburg, Gorney) - 2:52
26.The St. Valentine's Day Massacre – Al's Party (Martin, Gump) - 2:41
Bonus Tracks 13-26

The Artwoods
*Art Wood - Lead Vocals
*Derek Griffiths - Lead Guitar
*Jon Lord – Organ
*Malcolm Pool – Bass
*Keef Hartley - Drums
*Reg Dunnage - Drums

1964-67  Tha Artwoods - Singles A's & B's
Related Act
Keef Hartley's brands
1968-72  Not Foolish Not Wise
1969  Halfbreed (2008 Esoteric)
1969  The Battle Of North West Six  (2008 Esoteric)
1970  The Time Is Near (2008 Esoteric remaster)
1970  Overdog (2005 Eclectic)
1971  Little Big Band
1972  Seventy Second Brave (2009 Esoteric)
1972  Lancashire Hustler (2008 Esoteric)

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Focus - Ship of Memories (1976 dutch, elegant prog rock, 2006 japan remaster)

Ship of Memories, a collection of rarities from Focus' catalog, is somewhat more diverse than most of the band's other releases. Starting off with "P's March," a track rooted in the style of Focus' debut album In and Out of Focus, Ship of Memories gradually works its way through the band's many phases to the Mother Focus styled "Crackers." 

The album ends on a superb song, the U.S. version of "Hocus Pocus." For Europeans, this addition to Ship of Memories ("Hocus Pocus" U.S. was never on the LP version, but was later added to the CD release) comes as an absolute delight. Not only is the song a verified rarity on the continent, but it is also vastly different from the U.K. recording. Akkermans' guitar work, Van Leer's yodeling, and Pierre Van Der Linden's drumming are all given a new lease of life by the inclusion of this track. Collectors will be well-gratified by Ship of Memories, while casual listeners will find enough enjoyable material

by Ben Davies

Tracks
1. P's March (Thijs Van Leer) – 4:43
2. Can't Believe My Eyes (Jan Akkerman) – 5:17
3. Focus V (Thijs Van Leer) – 3:02
4. Out Of Vesuvius (Jan Akkerman, Bert Ruiter, Pierre Van Der Linden, Thijs Van Leer) – 5:5
5. Glider (Jan Akkerman) – 4:38
6. Red Sky At Night (Jan Akkerman, Thijs Van Leer) – 5:50

7. Spoke The Lord Creator (Thijs Van Leer) – 2:32

8. Crackers (Jan Akkerman) – 2:42
9. Ship Of Memories (Pierre Van Der Linden) – 1:48
10.Hocus Pocus (US Single Version) (Jan Akkerman, Thijs Van Leer) – 3:24

Focus
*Thijs Van Leer - Keyboards, Flute, Vocals
*Jan Akkerman - Guitar
*Bert Ruiter - Bass Guitar
*Martin Dresden - Bass Guitar
*Pierre Van Der Linden - Drums
*Hans Cleuver - Drums
*David Kemper - Drums

1970  Focus - In And Out Of Focus (Japan remaster)
1971  Focus - Moving Waves (Japan remaster)
1972  Focus III  (Japan mini lp release)
1974  Focus - Hamburger Concerto  (Japan remaster)
1975  Focus - Mother Focus (Japan remaster)
Related Act
1969-70  Brainbox - Brainbox (2011 Esoteric expanded)

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Heavy Cruiser - Heavy Cruiser (1972 canada, powerful heavy psych, 2002 remaster)

Canadian rock luminary Neil Merryweather took members from Californian blues rock band Mama Lion into the studio and, somewhat accidentally, recorded two great albums as Heavy Cruiser. The band’s Heavy Cruiser and Lucky Dog albums were gatherings of ideas more than albums of firm intent, but the session engineers and the band were impressed with the eight-track demos and improvised tunes (and management got a sniff of success) so the songs were duly bound in jacket covers. 

The band’s eponymous 1972 debut was a heavy, psyched-out guitar and organ duel—with in-studio jams and distortion-soaked covers making up an exuberant and buoyant LP. While contractual obligations caused the band members’ names to go unlisted on both Lucky Dog and Heavy Cruiser, word soon got out about both LPs’ commitment to fuzzing things up, and rolling with the result—and thus, Heavy Cruiser finds itself in the pantheon of obscure collectable rockers.

Pop-matters

Tracks

1. C'mon Everybody (Eddie Cochran, Jerry Capehart) - 2:14

2. My Little Firefly (Neil Merryweather) - 3:19

3. Don't Stop Now (James Newton Howard, Neil Merryweather) - 3:53

4. Wonder Wheel - 1:24

5. Outlaw - 2:34

6. Let Your Rider Run (James Newton Howard, Neil Merryweather) - 3:22

7. Louie Louie (Richard Berry) - 3:26

8. As Long as We Believe - 3:17

9. 'Lectric Lady (Neil Merryweather) - 2:16

10.Miracles of Pure Device (James Newton Howard, Lynn Carey, Neil Merryweather) - 6:44 

Songs 4,5,8 written by Lynn Carey , Neil Merryweather

Heavy Cruiser
*Neil Merryweather - Vocals, Bass, Acoustic Guitar
*James Newton Howard - Organ, Piano
*Coffi Hall - Drums, Percussion
*Rick Gaxoila - Guitar

1973  Heavy Cruiser - Lucky Dog
Related Act
1969  Merryweather
1970  Neil Merryweather, John Richardson And Robin Boers
1971  Neil Merryweather And Lynn Carey - Vaccum Cleaner

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The Artwoods - Singles A's & B's (1964-67 uk, sensational mod rhythm 'n' beat psych)

The Artwoods were formed in 1963, and over the next two years became an extremely popular live attraction, rivaling groups such as the Animals, although, despite releasing a clutch of singles and an album, their record sales never reflected this popularity. Singer Arthur Wood, from whom the band took their name, was the elder brother of The Rolling Stones' Ronnie Wood. He had been a vocalist with Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated for a short period during 1962, simultaneously fronting his own group, the Art Wood Combo.

When keyboardist Jon Lord and guitarist Derek Griffiths joined from Red Bludd's Bluesicians they re-christened themselves the Artwoods. Keef Hartley, formerly with Rory Storm & The Hurricanes, joined on drums in '64 and the band turned professional, secured a residency at London's 100 Club and gained a recording contract with Decca Records.

The intended debut single, a cover of Muddy Waters' "Hoochie Coochie Man" was shelved in favour of a version of an old Leadbelly song, Sweet Mary". Although it didn't reach the Charts it got sufficient airplay to bring them a lot of live work, including an appearance on the first live edition of 'Ready, Steady, Go!' The second record, "Oh My Love", was another blues cover. Like it's predecessor, and subsequent releases, it failed to chart. 

The Artwoods were dropped by Decca at the end of 1966 and signed a one record deal with Parlophone, but "What Shall I Do" also flopped. Later in 1967 a final "one-off" single appeared on Fontana under the name "St. Valentine's Day Massacre" but by the time of it's release the Artwoods had effectively ceased to exist.

The Artwoods' early records today stand up well against the work of more successful groups such as the Stones, the Yardbirds or ironically, the Birds, who included Art's younger brother Ron. But at the time they came out, despite appearances on programs like Ready, Steady, Go! their singles never seemed to connect with the record-buying public. In live performance, on the other hand, it was a different matter. 

They had a virtuoso lineup, Lord'spiano and organ sound was a great complement to Wood's singing, Griffith's guitar work was tastefully flashy, and Keef Hartley was animated as well as powerful, with a big sound on the drums. Club audiences always knew they were good for a great show and the band loved playing live. Ultimately, in fact, the group's success in touring and their love of playing live may have hurt them. 

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The 18 songs on this release, comprising the group's entire single and EP output, are some of the best British-spawned R&B of their time, and can stand alongside the best work of the Animals, Manfred Mann, or the Yardbirds in that vein. The Artwoods were a virtuoso outfit from the get-go, with a natural feel for the music as singers and players, whether they were working in the vein of Sam and Dave or Booker T. and the MG's, or just having fun in the studio as they do on several of the B-sides represented here. 

They were good at improvising in the studio and had a slightly more jazzy feel to their playing than a lot of their rivals -- their records are amazingly busy, between Jon Lord's piano and organ flourishes, Keef Hartley's very flashy drumming, and Malcolm Pool's extremely active bass work; what's more, on their B-sides, it's possible to hear the very beginnings of what became progressive rock in the hands of outfits like the Nice, at a point when the virtuosity was still focused on R&B and soul. Even their cover of "Brother Can You Spare a Dime" works within the context of British R&B. 

The Artwoods treaded a fine line between Manfred Mann and Georgie Fame & the Blue Flames, but they really sounded like no one else. There's not a bad cut here, even the trio of pop-rock covers ("A Taste of Honey," "Our Man Flint," etc.) that they hesitated to release at the time for fear of looking like they were selling out. The mastering is excellent, and if this were an LP, it's the sort of release purchasers would need more than one of because they'd wear out their first copies. 

by Bruce Eder

Tracks
1. Sweet Mary (Ledbetter) - 2:55
2. If I Ever Get My Hands On You (Carter, Lewis) - 2:03
3. Oh My Love (Smith, Fox) - 2:52  
4. Big City (Lord) - 2:09
5. Goodbye Sisters (Lloyd) - 2:53
6. She Knows What To Do (Hill, Rebennack) - 2:30
7. I Take What I Want (Hayes, Porter, Hodges) - 2:54
8. I'm Looking For A Saxophonist Doubling French Horn Wearing Size 37 Boots (Wood, Lord, Hartley, Pool) - 2:48
9. I Feel Good (Neville) - 2:46
10.Molly Anderson's Cookery Book (Lord) - 3:30
11.What Shall I Do (Jenkins) - 2:52
12.In The Deep End (Gump) - 3:07
13.Brother Can You Spare A Dime (Harburg, Gorney) - 2:57
14.Al's Party (Martin, Gump) - 2:44
15.These Boots Are Made For Walking (Hazlewood) - 2:47
16.A Taste Of Honey (Scott, Marlow) - 3:11
17.Our Man Flint (Goldsmith) - 3:00
18.Routine (Lord) - 3:05

The Artwoods
*Art Wood - Lead Vocals
*Derek Griffiths - Lead Guitar
*Jon Lord – Organ
*Malcolm Pool – Bass
*Keef Hartley - Drums

Related Act
Keef Hartley's brands
1968-72  Not Foolish Not Wise
1969  Halfbreed (2008 Esoteric)
1969  The Battle Of North West Six  (2008 Esoteric)
1970  The Time Is Near (2008 Esoteric remaster)
1970  Overdog (2005 Eclectic)
1971  Little Big Band
1972  Seventy Second Brave (2009 Esoteric)
1972  Lancashire Hustler (2008 Esoteric)

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Argent - Ring Of Hands (1971 uk, moody, mysterious and melodic with prog shades, 2018 japan remaster)

Argent's back catalog remains in a parlous state 20 years on from the group's peak, with great swathes of the repertoire unavailable on CD, and even some of the band's best-known and loved recordings are still chained up in a vault somewhere. The group's transformation from the logical successors to the Zombies into one of the finest prog bands of the early '70s, almost any song of which would be a shoo-in for some future "best-of" Argent compilation. 

It is true, of course, that Argent was prone to excess on occasion - what is remarkable is just how naturally the band approached that state, as songs build on their own momentum toward peaks that even the best oiled of the group's peers audibly struggled to approach. The combination of Rod Argent's keys and Russ Ballard's words and vocals is, of course, key to this success. 

"Celebration" , “Chained”,  “Pleasure”, all have "classic" stamped across them, even this early into the group's career. And as "Where Are We Going Wrong" brings the CD to a halt, one is left wondering what on earth the bandmembers were talking about...they weren't going wrong anywhere.

by Dave Thompson

Tracks
1. Celebration - 2:55
2. Sweet Mary - 4:07
3. Cast Your Spell Uranus (Russ Ballard) - 4:32
4. Lothlorien - 7:52
5. Chained (Russ Ballard) - 5:20
6. Rejoice - 3:46
7. Pleasure - 4:53
8. Sleep Won't Help Me - 5:11
9. Where Are We Going Wrong (Russ Ballard) - 4:10
All songs written by Rod Argent and Chris White except as noted

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

1970  Argent - Argent (Japan remaster)

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Focus - Mother Focus (1975 dutch, pleasant smooth prog rock, japan remaster)

Focus here featured virtuoso guitarist Jan Akkerman for the last time, not to work with his long-term writing partner Thijs Van Leer for another ten years. Mother Focus also sees Focus' highly skilled bass player Bert Ruiter try his hand in songwriting. The outcome includes the one of the finest funk tracks on the album -- the hilarious "I Need a Bathroom." 

The album begins with quite possibly the finest track on the album -- and maybe the most typical Focus -- the titular "Mother Focus." The funky theme underlying the number sets the mood for the rest of the LP with aplomb. Indeed, Mother Focus is far from the usual instrumental material. For this reason, Mother Focus may not appeal to the usual fans of the Dutch proggers. 

by Ben Davies

Tracks
1. Mother Focus (Jan Akkerman, Bert Ruiter, Thijs Van Leer) - 3:04
2. I Need A Bathroom (Ruiter) - 3:03
3. Bennie Helder (Van Leer) - 3:31
4. Soft Vanilla (Ruiter) - 3:03
5. Hard Vanilla (Ruiter) - 2:34
6. Tropical Bird (Ruiter) - 2:42
7. Focus IV (Van Leer) - 3:56
8. Someone's Crying . . . What? (Akkerman) - 3:18
9. All Together . . . Oh, That! (Akkerman) - 3:41
10.No Hang Ups (Paul Stoppelman) - 2:55
11.My Sweetheart (Akkerman, Van Leer) - 3:36
12.Father Bach (Van Leer) - 1:34

Focus
*Thijs Van Leer - Keyboards, Flute
*Jan Akkerman - Guitar
*Bert Ruiter - Bass Guitar, Vocals On "I Need A Bathroom"
*David Kemper - Drums
*Colin Allen - Drums On "I Need A Bathroom"

1970  Focus - In And Out Of Focus (Japan remaster)
1971  Focus - Moving Waves (Japan remaster)
1972  Focus III  (Japan mini lp release)
1974  Focus - Hamburger Concerto  (Japan remaster)
Related Act
1969-70  Brainbox - Brainbox (2011 Esoteric expanded)

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Focus - Hamburger Concerto (1974 dutch, impressive art prog rock, japan remaster)

While Focus 3 did have some great stuff, I also thought the album got bogged down by excessive guitar and drum solos ("Anonymous II" was the guilty verdict). The band then recorded Live at the Rainbow in 1973, which was recorded at the Rainbow Theatre in London during the peak of their success. They were to record a followup to Focus 3, but the band was starting to have one of their bad times, Jan Akkerman not wanting to talk to anyone and Pierre van der Linden having enough of it and leaving. 

Some of the material for this never-released album ended up on the outtakes album Ship of Memories. Pierre simply teamed up with ex-Exseption keyboardist Rick van der Linden (no relation) and ex-Cuby & the Blizzards bassis Jaap van Eik to form a band called Ace, but since a British band was already calling themselves Ace (the group with a pre-Squeeze/pre-Mike & the Mechanics Paul Carrack, who had that hit with "How Long"), this Dutch supergroup had to call themselves Trace. Focus simply added a new drummer named Colin Allen, who a member of the Scottish group Stone the Crows. He was no match for Pierre van der Linden, so he simply resorted to more conventional rock drumming.

So the new album with this new drummer, Hamburger Concerto ends up being regarded by many as their last truly great album, many go as far as regarding it as one of their best, and that I can agree. It was the rock critics who were less kind to this album. "Delitae Musicae" is a short, medieval piece played on lute by Jan Akkerman. This piece, no doubt, showed Akkerman's love for early and medieval music. "Harem Scarem" is the first cut with full band interaction. You'll notice right away this piece isn't as intense and in your face as "Hocus Pocus". And because Colin Allen isn't Pierre van der Linden, the band focused on a more sophisticated sound, which works just fine. 

You'll still hear that classic Focus sound, with the yodeling, and Akkerman's trademark guitar playing, and organ playing from Thijs van Leer. Thijs also gives us some "yeah, yeah, yeah" voices in this song too. "La Cathedral de Strasbourg" shows a more the more medieval influences of the band, with Akkerman giving some medieval style playing on his electric guitar, but there's also full band interaction, as well. "Birth" has a more Jethro Tull-like feel, especially from Thijs van Leer's flute playing. Then comes the side-length title track. Starts off classical-like, but then there's no mistaking this is simply a great prog rock piece, there are some mellower passages that get me thinking a bit of Pink Floyd. Synthesizers make their first mark on a Focus album, Thijs van Leer started to include an ARP Odyssey with his usual gear of Hammond organ and piano.

This album doesn't feature any drum solo at all, unlike their previous albums, but then Colin Allen had no need for them. This is truly a great album to have, and I highly recommend it! 

by Ben Miler

Tracks
1. Delitiae Musicae (Jan Akkerman) - 1:13
2. Harem Scarem (Thijs Van Leer) - 5:50
3. La Cathedrale De Strasbourg (Thijs Van Leer) - 5:00
4. Birth (Jan Akkerman) - 7:45
5. Hamburger Concerto - 20:18
.I...Starter (Thijs Van Leer)
.II..Rare (Jan Akkerman)
.III.Medium I (Thijs Van Leer)
.Iv..Medium Ii (Jan Akkerman)
.V...Well Done (Thijs Van Leer)
.VI..One For The Road (Jan Akkerman)
6. Early Birth (Jan Akkerman) - 2:54

Focus
*Thijs Van Leer - Organ, Flute, Piano, Harpsichord, Moog, Vocals
*Jan Akkerman - Guitar
*Bert Ruiter - Bass Guitar
*Colin Allen - Drums

1970  Focus - In And Out Of Focus (Japan remaster)
1971  Focus - Moving Waves (Japan remaster)
1972  Focus III  (Japan mini lp release)
Related Act
1969-70  Brainbox - Brainbox (2011 Esoteric expanded)

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Cactus - Cactus (1970 us, superb hard blues rock, debut album, japan SHM remaster)

Cactus may have never amounted to anything more than a half-hearted, last-minute improvised supergroup, but that don't mean their eponymous 1970 debut didn't rock like a mofo. The already quasi-legendary Vanilla Fudge rhythm section of Bogert and Appice may have provided the backbone of the band's business cards, and soulful, ex-Amboy Duke Rusty Day brought the voice, but it was arguably former Detroit Wheels guitarist Jim McCarty who was the true star in the Cactus galaxy, spraying notes and shredding solos all over album highlights such as "You Can't Judge a Book By the Cover," "Let Me Swim," and, most notably, a manic, turbocharged version of "Parchman Farm." 

The fact that Cactus chose to tackle this classic blues song just a year after it'd been blasted into the fuzz-distortion stratosphere by Blue Cheer betrays -- at best -- a healthy competitive spirit within the early-'70s hard rock milieu, and at worst it suggests something of a mercenary nature to Cactus' motives, but that's an issue for the surviving bandmembers to duke it out over in the retirement home. And we digress -- for the blistering closing duo of "Oleo" and "Feel So Good" (complete with bass and drum solo slots) easily certifies the Cactus LP as one of the best hard rock albums of the then brand-new decade, bar none. Too bad the illustrious members of Cactus would quickly lose interest in this band project and deliver increasingly mediocre efforts in the years that followed. 

by Eduardo Rivadavia

Tracks
1. Parchman Farm (Mose Allison) - 3:06
2. My Lady From South Of Detroit - 4:26
3. Poor Brother Bill - 5:10
4. You Can't Judge A Book (By Lookin' At The Cover) (Willie Dixon) - 6:30
5. Let Me Swim - 3:50
6. No Need To Worry - 6:14
7. Oleo - 4:51
8. It Feels So Good - 6:03
All songs by C. Appice, T. Bogert, R. Day, J. McCarty except as pointed above

Cactus
*Tim Bogert - Bass, Vocals
*Carmine Appice - Drums, Percussion, Vocals
*Jim Mccarty - Guitar
*Rusty Day - Vocals, Harmonica

Cactus
1971  Ultra Sonic Boogie (2010 issue)

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