Julie Felix - First Second And Third • The Complete Three Decca LPs (1964-66 us, tremendous acoustic folk, 2008 double disc edition)

Although California-born, Julie Felix found herself in Britain smack dab in the middle of the folk revival in the mid-'60s, and with her serviceable voice and exotic good looks, she was soon a poster girl for the U.K. scene itself, releasing an album a year for Decca Records between 1964 and 1966, all three of which are collected here in this two-disc set. Felix wasn't Joan Baez or Judy Collins, however tempting it might be to make those comparisons, and her albums sound a bit like live sets tracked in the studio, with little embellishment, giving them at times a kind of a those-were-the-days documentary feel. Felix's faintly husky voice sounds fine but gets a bit generic, and the same could be said of her guitar playing, and she sounded pretty much like a thousand other female folk singers on the scene at the time trying their hand at "The Riddle Song."

But what Felix did have was a fine ear for recognizing a good contemporary folk song, and these three LPs are full of songs by the likes of Bob Dylan, Ian Tyson, Tom Paxton, Phil Ochs, Donovan, and Bert Jansch, among others, as well as several selections from the Woody Guthrie songbook. Nothing here really sets the world on fire, but Felix rises well above the ordinary on versions of Jansch's "Needle of Death," Tyson's "Someday Soon," and a jaunty take on Donovan's "To Try for the Sun," and she's never less than pleasant on more traditional fare like "The Maid of Constant Sorrow" or "The Riddle Song." In the end, though, she's more of a flashback to a particular time and place than she is an enduring folk icon, which doesn't diminish what's here, but it hardly makes it essential, unless, of course, you really want to hear "The Riddle Song" one more time. A timepiece. 

by Steve Leggett

Sequenced back to back across this double-disc set are the self-titled solo debut and the imaginatively-titled The Second Album and The Third Album, which first introduced and, then, consolidated Julie Felix as a permanent feature on the British folk scene from the mid-60s onwards.

Recorded with pared-down production while Felix essentially lived in exile in the UK, these three Decca albums mostly showcase her as an interpreter of originals by the likes of Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, Phil Ochs, Donovan, Leadbelly and Peggy Seeger. As such, they reflect the sprit, sentiments and aspirations of the Civil Rights movement transplanted to mid-60s Britain. Though The Third Album was little more than a collection of outtakes from the first two, compiled by producer Hugh Mendl, it did include her hit version of Tom Paxton’s Going To The Zoo, arguably still her most recognisable song.

Following her sojourn with Decca, Felix moved to Fontana and, later, to RAK with Mickie Most. It’s these three albums that remain her most essential recordings.

by Grahame Bent

Tracks
Disc 1 Julie Felix 1964 
1. Masters Of War (Bob Dylan) - 3:10
2. The Old Maid's Song (Harry Robinson, Julie Felix) - 2:38
3. Hey Nelly Nelly (Jim Friedman, Sheldon Alan Silverstein) - 2:35
4. Cu-Cu-Ru-Cu (Harry Robinson, Julie Felix) - 3:19
5. Tarry Town (John Allison) - 2:38
6. Aunt Rhodie (Harry Robinson, Julie Felix) - 1:34
7. Pastures Of Plenty (Woody Guthrie) - 2:46
8. Tell Old Bill (Harry Robinson, Julie Felix) - 3:12
9. Ship In The Sky (Woody Guthrie) - 2:07
10.Buttermilk Hill (Ronnie Gilbert) - 2:46
11.Sally Don't You Grieve (Malvina Reynolds, Woody Guthrie) - 1:44
12.Don't Think Twice It's Alright (Bob Dylan) - 3:37
13.The Riddle Song (Harry Robinson, Julie Felix) - 1:43
14.Plane Crash At Los Gatos (Woody Guthrie) - 4:42
The Second Album 1965
15.Someday Soon (Ian Tyson) - 3:00
16.Needle Of Death (Bert Jansch) - 3:33
17.The Young Ones Move (Dave Mudge, John Remsbury) - 2:37
18.Guantanamera (José Martí, Pete Seeger) - 2:46
19.The Road Makers (Dave Evans) - 1:58
20.I've Got Nothing But Time (Tom Paxton) - 2:46
21.Days Of Decision (Phil Ochs) - 2:34

Disc 2 The Second Album 1965
1. A Rumbling In The Land (Bob Dylan) - 2:32
2. You Won I Lost (Ian Tyson) - 2:36
3. When The Ship Comes In (Bob Dylan) - 3:08
4. Port Mahon (Sydney Carter) - 2:56
5. Space Girl (Peggy Seeger) - 2:37
6. Judge Jeffries (Bob Plail) - 1:58
7. The Last Thing On My Mind (Tom Paxton) - 2:29
The Third Album 1966
8. To Try For The Sun (Donovan Leitch) - 3:06
9. John Reilly (Bob Gibson, Ricky Neff) - 3:18
10.The Fox And The Goose (Traditional) - 1:57
11.What Did You Learn In School Today? (Tom Paxton) - 1:39
12.The Maid Of Constant Sorrow (Dick Burnett) - 2:42
13.The Gallows Pole (Alan Lomax, Huddie Ledbetter, John A. Lomax) - 2:00
14.My True Love (Traditional) - 3:09

15.One Man's Hands (Alex Comfort, Pete Seeger) - 1:55
16.Going To The Zoo (Tom Paxton) - 2:30
17.The Spring Hill Disaster (Ballad Of Spring Hill) (Ewan MacColl, Pete Seeger) - 3:00
18.Mound Of Your Grave (Woody Guthrie) - 2:08
19.Come On Billy Home (Traditional) - 1:45
20.I Travelled All Over This World (Julie Felix) - 2:30

*Julie Felix - Vocals, Guitar

1972  Julie Felix - Clotho's Web (2009 remaster and expanded)

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Gene And Debbe - Playboy The Best Of Gene And Debbe (1967-68 us, attractive charming sunny country folk)

Gene Thomas and Debbe Neville were a fresh-scrubbed pop duo from Nashville, TN, who sounded something like a twangier Sonny & Cher, or as if Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood had been stripped of their eccentricities (particularly Hazlewood's tumescent ego). Gene & Debbe's sole Top 20 hit was "Playboy" in 1968, and this collection from Sundazed features that tune as well as 21 other sides from the short-lived duo. While these songs were obviously aimed for the pop charts, there's no avoiding the fact this stuff was recorded in Nashville (and released on TRX Records, an offshoot of the powerful Acuff-Rose publishing concern) -- the keening pedal steel on "Torch I Carry," the banjo on "Lovin' Season," and the cheatin' song ethos of "Rings of Gold" all point to the act's Music City heritage, and producer Don Gant (who later recorded with the Neon Philharmonic) was clearly shooting for lots of charm rather than a significant share of hipness (as if the presence of a Dean Martin cover wouldn't make that obvious).

Still, Thomas and Neville sang well together, and the former brought some good songs to the table, especially the Dylanesque "The Sun Won't Shine Again" and the heartfelt "I'll Come Running." Playboy: The Best of Gene & Debbie collects everything they released during their two-year lifespan along with four songs that have never been heard before, and frankly this is more Gene & Debbe than anyone but an obsessed fan would want to own. But if you want to hear Gene & Debbe, this is clearly the place to go, and the typically excellent remastering and packaging from Sundazed show this material more respect than they'd likely receive from anyone else. 

by Mark Deming

Tracks
1. Don't Try To Change Me - 2:15
2. Give Me A Sweetheart (John D. Loudermilk) - 2:06
3. Playboy - 2:56
4. Rings Of Gold - 3:08
5. Go With Me - 2:25
6. Truly, Truly True (Mickey Newbury) - 2:07
7. Love Will Give Us Wings - 1:57
8. I'll Come Running - 2:24
9. Any Way You Want Me (Mickey Newbury) - 1:53
10.Let It Be Me (Gilbert Bécaud, Mann Curtis, Pierre Delanoë) - 2:04
11.Two Of A Kind (Bob Montgomery, Earl Sinks) - 2:13
12.Torch I Carry (Ray Doggett, Y. Parker Wong) - 2:14
13.Lovin' Season - 2:36
14.Make A Noise Like Love (Bobby Bond) - 2:13
15.Memories Are Made Of This (Frank Miller, Richard Dehr, Terry Gilkyson) - 2:44
16.The Sun Won't Shine Again - 2:18
17.Loan Some (Bobby Dyson, Larry Lee) - 2:45
18.I'm Only Human - 2:15
19.Just As Long As That Someone Is You (Mickey Newbury) - 2:27
20.Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye (John D. Loudermilk) - 2:27
21.What Did You Take Me For (Dewayne Blackwell, Rani Blackwell) - 2:44
22.Then I Cried - 2:56
All songs by Gene Thomas except where stated

*Debbe Neville - Vocals
*Gene Thomas - Vocals

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Steeplechase - Lady Bright (1970 us, excellent heavy groovy psych, 2006 reissue)

Us groovy heavy psych band, probably hailing from New York City, their music balances between Steppenwolf, Iron Butterfly and Rascals. Drummer Joe Forgione and organ player Tony Radicello were  members of the  Philadelphia-based R 'n' B group the Soul Survivors.

Singer and guitarist Dean Parrish was the most  succesful as a solo artist, best known for the song, "I'm on My Way", which became famous, he also worked as a session musician with Jimi Hendrix and Santana in 1970, and played guitar with Bob Marley in 1972.

Tracks
1. Wrought Iron Man (Tony Radicello, Dean Parrish, Eddie Kramer, Bob Spinella) - 4:18
2. Shorty Stokes (Tony Radicello, Dean Parrish) - 3:49
3. Down On The Town (Tony Radicello, Dean Parrish) - 3:25
4. Talking Bout You (Tony Radicello, Dean Parrish) - 3:04
5. Lady Bright (Bob Spinella, Tony Radicello, Dean Parrish) - 4:12
6. In The Valley (Bob Spinella, Tony Radicello, Dean Parrish) - 2:37
7. Mary Clarke (Tony Radicello, Dean Parrish) - 4:20
8. Sea Shore (Tony Radicello, Bob Spinella, Dean Parrish) - 4:29
9. Never Coming Back (Tony Radicello, Dean Parrish) - 3:23
10.Cherry Blossom (Tony Radicello, Dean Parrish, Eddie Kramer) - 2:54

The Steeplechase
*Bob "Bobby" Spinella - Organ, Piano, Harpsichord, Electric Piano, Backing Vocals,
*Dean Parrish - Guitar, Vocals,
*Joey "Joe" Forgione - Percussion, Drums, Backing Vocals,
*Tony Radicello "Tony Alexander" - Organ, Bass, Vocals, Backing Vocals, 12-String Guitar
With
*Eddie Kramer - Piano, Vocals
*Kim King - Guitar
*Paul Fleischer - Horns

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Marc Benno - Marc Benno (1970 us, fascinating melt of blues, southern and classic rock, 2012 korean replica remastered edition)

Marc Benno was known through the Asylum Choir with Leon Russell in the end 1960s. He is still a Texas musician who actives as a blues guitarist, a piano player, a singer songwriter, etc ... in the United States.

He was born in Dallas in 1947. Thanks to the environment which managed the Texas State Fair's Music Hall Gardens, he always has a special good luck with music, as Benno met stars like Sam Cooke, Laverne Baker, Frankie Avalon, Paul Anka, The Drifters, Lloyd Price and so on ... in the backstage. He had special music talents.

When Benno headed to LA to further his career in the mid-1960s, he started his own music activity. As you know, he released two albums of the Asylum Choir with Leon Russell. He raised his career for his work which was including guitar session at LA. Woman album of The Doors and cooperating many musicians like Eric Clapton , Lightnin' Hopkins, Bill Wyman, Georgie Fame, Rita Coolidge, Eddie Murphy, etc...

In 1970, Benno contracted formally with A&M Records and at last he released his the first solo album, Geographic environment of the Southern United States is good for the blues musicians, elements of music taken to professional musicians form childhood, the natural talents and faithfulness, the musical wisdom and technology in learning collaboration with others, and the passion and love for music which only he knew all of them was made to one work.

As a Texas blues guitarist to play well, Marc Benno's the first album 'Marc Benno' will not be able to explain without his beautiful guitar as The Doors Album which was invited to work. Despite of soulful mood and distinctive sticky rhythm of easily attractive the Southern music his confident guitar without over and lack playing, piano : Booker T. Jones, bottleneck guitar: Ry Cooder, Gerry McGee, Jerry Scheff, Jim Horn etc... outstanding performances in several sessions. Rita and Priscilla Coolidge sisters's a fantastic chorus part everything is perfect breathing. Songwriting passed on the sweet melody and Marc Benno's light blues is not only the musical completeness but the worth as a masterpiece remembered in our heart.

After Ambush's recording, Benno formed a new band, Marc Benno & The Nightcrawlers, who were primed to become the next big thing, and went off on tour opening for Humble Pie and The J.Geils Band - getting star treatment on tour. One of the Nightcrawlers was a young guitarist named Stevie Vaughan(he'd start using Ray later).

During 1974-75, his childhood influences came full circle when he joined Lightnin' Hopkins' band as 2nd guitar player. Benno's career got an unexpected boost in 1985, when his song "Rock & Roll Me Again" won the Grammy for Best Score for a Motion Picture, he got a more popularity.

Until now, he was been working hard, writing songs, releasing albums. He has become a venerable blues's giant and musician. As if he may be similar to backstage's images of many music starts who met in childhood. But it is sure that he is already a great bluesman.

CD Liner Notes

Tracks
1. Good Year - 3:03
2. Try It Just Once - 3:06
3. I'm Alone I'm Afraid - 4:16
4. Two Day Love Affair - 2:51
5. Second Story Window - 4:23
6. Teach It To The Children - 3:17
7. Fammily Full Of Soul - 2:59
8. Hard Road (Greg Dempsey, Marc Benno) - 3:39
9. Nuce Feelin' - 5:50
All song by Marc Benno unless as else indicated

Musicians
*Marc Benno - Vocals, Guitar, piano
*Booker T. Jones - Piano, Electric Piano, Organ
*Ry Cooder - Bottleneck Guitar
*Jerry McGee - Guitar, Dobro
*Jerry Scheff - Bass
*Jim Horn - Saxophones, Flute
*Jimmy Karstein - Drums
*Sandy Konikoff - Hambone
*Rita Coolidge - Vocals
*Priscilla Coolidge - Vocals

1968  The Asylum Choir - Look Inside (2007 remaster)
1973  Marc Benno And The Nightcrawlers - Crawlin (with young Stevie Ray Vaughan, 2006 release)

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Shawn Phillips - Rumplestiltskin's Resolve (1976 us, extraordinary progressive art folk rock, 2013 remaster)

Upon reflection, the front sleeve for Rumplestiltskin’s Resolve might have helped its initial dismissal, in 1976, as raggle-taggle hippie meandering, but it’s worth fresh appraisal today. 

Shawn Phillips delivered a work of lyrical invention and gentle beauty – though he could also surprise, as the disco-influenced Hie Away proves with its tale of “the thanatoid elite, with rattling and multi-prattling tongues” riding on a bed of ARP synths, bass and sax. 

Mostly recorded and mixed in California, Rumplestiltskin’s Resolve varies from the strong and suitably ordered Early Morning Hours, through the lengthier Today and the lyrically simpler Serendipity Peace, to the multi-sectioned title track that closes the album. Throughout, Phillips ensures that his vocals suit each song’s needs, whether that be invoking the intimacy of Nick Drake or Cat Stevens, or, elsewhere, providing a bolder, confident delivery. Still sounding fresh nearly 40 years on, this is certainly one to investigate.

by Kingsley Abbott

Tracks
1. Early Morning Hours - 5:22
2. Spitefull - 4:55
3. Today - 10:24
4. Wailing Wall - 5:54
5. Hie Away - 5:33
6. Serendipity Peace - 2:50
7. Rumplestiltskin's Resolve - 7:16
All compositions by Shawn Phillips

Musicians
*Shawn Phillips - Chimes, Guitar, Sitar, Vocals
*Paul Buckmaster - Keyboards, Organ
*Michael Clarke - Drums
*Barry Desouza - Drums
*John Gustafson - Bass
*Steve Hammond - Guitars
*Paul Jackson - Bass
*Robert Lichtig - Bass
*Mike Miller - Bass, Guitars
*John Pullen - Oboe, Organ
*Caleb Quaye - Guitar
*Peter Robinson - Keyboards, Percussion, Piano, Synthesizer
*Bill Summers - Percussion
*Albert Wing - Saxophone

1970  Shawn Phillips - Contribution / Second Contribution (2009 remaster)
1969-72  Shawn Phillips - Faces (2014 remaster)
1974  Shawn Phillips - Furthermore (2014 issue)
1977  Shawn Phillips - Spaced (2013 remaster)  

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Lydia Pense And Cold Blood - Live Blood (2008 us, superb blues jazz funky brass rock)

Live Blood was recorded at the Sunbanks Music Festival in Washington State, and captures the band in their most natural of habitats: on stage and smokin. Live Blood is what Cold Blood fans have been waiting forlightning in a bottle, laid down by a tight six-piece band, fronted by the incomparable Ms. Pense. Live Blood stays true to the throbbing, thumping, horn-laced tunes for which the band has come to be known.

Lydia’s vocals are right-on and she’s sounding  as good as she ever has.  Needless to say Cold  Blood’s performance is all about funk and soul, capturing the magic  from the beginning of this record with the opening  killer version  of ‘I Just Want To Make Love To You", the 13 minutes "Funky On My Back" is a remarkable jam trip with guitar blasts, dymanic vocals and wind instruments..

Tracks
1. I Just Wanna Make Love To You (Willie Dixon) - 6:52
2. Can't Take It (Don't Give A Damn) (L. White) - 4:47
3. No Way Home (Raul Matute, Danny Hull) - 5:08
4. I'm A Good Woman (Barbara Lynn Ozen) - 4:28
5. Funky On My Back (Cecil Stoltie, Danny Hull, Larry Field, Lydia Pense, Raul Matute, Rod Ellicott) - 13:03
6. Back Here Again (Paul Tillman Smith) - 7:39
7. Face The Music (Steve Dunne) - 5:09
8. It Takes A Lot Of Good Lovin (Alvertis Isbell, Booker T. Jones) - 5:09
9. You Got Me Hummin' (David Porter, Isaac Hayes) - 8:37

The Cold Blood
*Lydia Pense - Lead Vocals
*Steve Dunne - Guitars, Vocals
*Donny Baldwin - Drums, Vocals
*Robert Zuckerman - Saxophones, Flute
*Rich Armstrong - Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Percussion, Vocals
*Stephen Salinas - Keyboards, Vocals
*Evan Palmertson - Bass

1969-70  Cold Blood - Cold Blood / Sisyphus
1972  Cold Blood - First Taste Of Sin
1973  Cold Blood - Thriller
1973  Cold Blood - Vintage Blood Live
1974  Cold Blood ‎- Lydia (2004 remaster)

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Quintessence - Spirits From Another Time (1969-71 uk based international multicultural trippy psych prog rock, 2016 double disc set)

Formed in fashionable Ladbroke Grove in 1969, this international six-piece played extended, improvisatory compositions highlighted by lengthy guitar solos, flute, sitar and communal, Indian-inspired chanting. They took on Eastern names to match their philosophies, with Australian flautist and founder Ronald Rothfield becoming Raja Ram, for example, and American bassist Richard Vaughan known as Shambhu Babaji. Far from a niche, underground concern, however, Quintessence quickly signed to Island after a major-label bidding war, and soon appeared frequently in the music weeklies, and even live on BBC2 and in Nicolas Roeg’s Glastonbury Fayre. Across five studio albums, ranging from 1969’s In Blissful Company to 1972’s Indweller, they journeyed into their own groovy mysticism, lyrically paying as much heed to St Pancras and Ladbroke Grove as to Mount Kailash and various deities.

Despite their popularity at the time, they have since slipped under the radar in recent years, being denied the resurgence of, say, The Incredible String Band, or even the credibility of weirder Eastern-inspired acts like The Third Ear Band. Spirits From Another Time attempts to rectify this, with two CDs of outtakes and alternative recordings from the vaults, many forgotten by their creators and in need of reconstruction; two cuts here even feature new guitar and vocals from Dave ‘Maha Dev’ Codling and Phil ‘Shiva’ Jones.

The results are impressive, though Quintessence were clearly at their best when they abandoned their scenester pretensions and Jones’ slightly hammy vocals, and instead launched into relaxed improvisation. Disc One’s 12-minute take of “Epitaph For Tomorrow” is stunning, a steady, subtle groove over which lead guitarist Allan Mostert is free to slowly unwind his subtle soloing, his instrument increasingly affected by echo and wah-wah effects; “Body” similarly embarks on some swinging guitar improvisation, while opener “Notting Hill Gate” moves from exhortations of meditation and “getting it straight” into peals of echoed flute and buzzing sitar. What’s most striking is the restrained, almost ambient manner of their sound, presumably aimed straight at enlightenment rather than hedonism.

If Quintessence’s music is at times too time-stamped, and lyrics like “celestial wine filling you with divinity” too gauche for the cynical decades that came after, perhaps now, with the continuing resurgence of new age music and renewed appreciation for the likes of the Grateful Dead, is the right time again to appreciate these overlooked cosmic adventurers.

by Tom Pinnock

Tracks
Disc 1
1. Notting Hill Gate (Ronald Rothfield, Shiva Shankar Jones) - 5:42
2. Brahman - 5:38
3. Sea Of Immortality (Version 1) - 5:41
4. Epitaph For Tomorrow - 11:40
5. Only Love (Take 3) - 7:11
6. Spirits From Another Time - 1:22
7. Untitled Guitar - 2:33
8. Hari Om - 3:16
9. Body - 5:41

Disc 2
1. Sea Of Immortality (Version 2) - 5:30
2. Tree Of Life - 6:35
3. You Never Stay The Same - 6:32
4. Only Love (Take 2) - 7:59
5. Marwa - 3:10
6. Wonders Of The Universe - 3:38
7. Maha Mantra - 6:01
8. Untitled Harpsichord - 2:00
9. Sunlit Kitchens - 3:33
10.Twilight Zones (Lyrics by Stanley Barr) - 6:01
11.Move Into The Light - 6:25
All compositions by Quintessence except where noted

The Quintessence
*Allan Mostert - Lead Guitar
*Dave Codling - Rhythm Guitar
*Jake Milton - Drums
*Ron Rothfield - Flute
*Shambhu Babaji - Bass Guitar
*Shiva Shankar Jones - Vocals

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Second Hand - Death May Be Your Santa Claus (1971 uk, intense prog experimental rock, 2010 remaster)

By the time Second Hand released this, the band's second album, in 1971, the progressive elements were much stronger, and the group went further with experimentation. Only a couple tracks have guitar, but there are plenty of high-energy rockers just the same, especially the title track, "Lucifer and the Egg," and "Somethin' You Got," and the lack of guitar is more than made up for by plenty of long, wild organ solos. "Hangin' on an Eyelid" adds in easy listening elements to a rock song for an oddly effective mix.

The experimental leanings become especially prevalent on the second side of the record, where the group leaves song structure aside for several segued tracks of bizarre, mostly instrumental material, a wise choice given that Rob Elliott is only a marginally better vocalist than his brother Ken, who sang on the first album. (Fortunately, on many of the tracks they use processing to make the vocals sound more interesting.) "Cyclops" is a long instrumental of mostly keyboards, whereas "Sic Transit Gloria" has some weird chanting and explosions before suddenly going into "Revelations Ch. 16, Vs. 9-12" with nightmarish tones. The two bonus tracks on the CD, placed between the two sides rather than at the end, are quirky pop songs, one of which has guest saxophonist Lol Coxhill. 

by Rolf Semprebon

Tracks
1. Death May Be Your Santa Claus (Ken Elliott) - 2:37
2. Hangin' On An Eyelid (Ken Elliott) - 4:19
3. Lucifer And The Egg (Ken Elliott) - 7:49
4. Somethin' You Got (Kieran O'Connor) - 2:57
5. Cyclops (George Hart, Ken Elliott) - 6:30
6. Sic Transit Gloria Mundi (George Hart, Ken Elliott, Kieran O'Connor) - 1:01
7. Revelations Ch. 16 Vs. 9-21 (Ken Elliott, Mike Craig) - 3:35
8. Take To The Skies (Ken Elliott, Mike Craig) - 2:04
9. Death May Be Your Santa Claus (Reprise) (Ken Elliott) - 5:21
10.Funeral (Paul Greedus, Alan Morgan) - 3:01
11.Dip It Out Of The Bog Fred (Ken Elliott) - 1:38
12.Baby RU Anudder Monster? (Ken Elliott) - 3:22

The Second Hand
*Ken Elliott - Organ, Mellotron, Vocals, Piano
*Kieran O'Connor - Percussion, Drums, Noise, Vibraphone, Vocals
*George Hart - Bass, Vocals, Violin
*Moggy Mead - Guitar
*Rob Elliot - Vocals
Guest Musicians
*Lol Coxhill - Saxophone
*Tony Mcgill - Guitar

1968  Second Hand - Reality

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The Mandrake Memorial - 3 Part Inventions (1969 us, exceptional psych prog rock, 2016 release)

The lost, third studio album from 1969 by this quite good psychedelic / proto-progressive band. An absolutely worthwhile release for fans of music of this era.

“Having made two superb psychedelic albums and gigged with The Doors, Frank Zappa, Pink Floyd, The Velvet Underground and many others, in June of 1969, The Mandrake Memorial came to London. The plan was to record with famed producer Shel Talmy (The Kinks, The Who, Pentangle), but when that fell through, they persevered alone.

Long thought to be lost, 3 Part Inventions anticipates the woozy, dream-like vibe of their 1970 masterpiece Puzzle, combining eerie vocals, trippy guitar and otherworldly electronics to create a unique whole.

Transferred directly from the master tape, it's released here for the first time, together with a detailed band history, rare images, two previously unheard outtakes from a 1969 acetate, and a rare radio interview.“

CD Liner-Notes

Tracks
1. The Puzzle - 2:52
2. Ocean's Daughter - 2:56
3. Tadpole - 2:32
4. Part Of My Dreams - 5:48
5. Wouldn't You Like It - 2:14
6. Bucket Of Air - 7:29
7. Witness The End - 10:06
8. Cassandra - 4:54
9. The 12th Brigade - 5:14
10.Rock Star Interview - 2:39
All compositions by Craig Anderton, Michael Kac, Randy Monaco, John Kevin Lally

The Mandrake Memorial
*Craig Anderton - Guitars, Electronics, Sitar
*Michael Kac - Keyboards, Voices
*Randy Monaco - Bass, Voices
*John Kevin Lally - Drums

1968  The Mandrake Memorial
1969  Medium
1970  Puzzle  

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Nick Gravenites • Mike Bloomfield - Steel Yard Blues (1972 us, a long lost underground soundtrack blues rock gem with jazz and country gleams, 2015 remaster)

With a killer leading couple of Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland—fresh from their box office triumph co-starring in Klute—and a soundtrack by the Electric Flag’s Mike Bloomfield and Nick Gravenites—with performances by Paul Butterfield and Maria Muldaur—you would think that the 1972 film Steelyard Blues would be better known than it is. Alas, the film was one of those only-in-the-early-‘70s countercultural romps that died at the box office; Fonda plays a call girl (again) who hooks up with Sutherland’s bumbling ex-con to restore a seaplane and attempt an escape from The Man breathing down their collective necks. Poorly reviewed and largely forgotten by film audiences, it has remained a cult classic because of its soundtrack, which marked Mike Bloomfield’s first release of any kind in three years, and reunited him with Gravenites, with whom he’d composed music in the Electric Flag for the soundtrack to Roger Corman’s B-movie classic The Trip. 

Here, the emphasis was less on psychedelia than on a jaunty mix of blues, rock and country to match the shambolic goings-on on screen; there’s no mistaking Bloomfield’s stinging blues-rock licks for those of any other guitarist, and a pre-“Midnight at the Oasis” Muldaur serves notice of her impending superstardom. Completing the musical cast was Paul Butterfield, in whose band Bloomfield first broke into prominence, keyboardist Merl Saunders, later of course to collaborate with the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia, and Annie Sampson of the Bay Area group Stoneground.  

by Richie Unterberger.

Tracks
1. Swing With It - 2:51
2. Brand New Family - 2:29
3. Woman's Love - 2:29
4. Make The Headlines - 1:53)
5. Georgia Blues (Maria Muldaur, Mike Bloomfield, Nick Gravenites) - 2:10
6. My Bag (The Oysters) - 3:17
7. Common Ground - 2:27
8. Being Different - 2:47
9. I've Been Searching - 2:13
10.Do I Care (Maria Muldaur, Merl Saunders) - 3:08
11.Lonesome Star Blues (Maria Muldaur) - 4:19
12.Here I Come (There She Goes) - 2:11
13.If You Cared - 2:25
14.Theme From Steelyard Blues (Drive Again) - 2:16
All compositions by Mike Bloomfield, Nick Gravenites except where noted

Personnel
*Mike Bloomfield - Vocals, Guitar
*Nick Gravenites - Vocals, Guitar
*Maria Muldaur - Vocals, Guitar, Handclaps
*Paul Butterfield - Vocals, Harmonica
*Annie Sampson - Vocals
*Merle Saunders - Organ, Piano
*Christopher Parker - Drums
*John Kahn - Bass

1964  The Original Lost Elektra Sessions
1965  The Paul Butterfield Blues Band
1966  East West
1966  The Butterfield Blues Band - East-West (2014 Hybrid SACD limited adition) 
1966-68  Strawberry Jam
1967  Electric Flag - The Trip
1968  Mike Bloomfield, Al Kooper, Steve Stills - The Super Sessions (2014 Hybrid Multichannel SACD 24/88) 
1968-69  Electric Flag - An American Music Band / A Long Time Comin'  
196?-7?  The Electric Flag - Live
1968  Al Kooper, Mike Bloomfield - The Lost Concert Tapes, Filmore East
1969  Mike Bloomfield And Al Kooper - The Live Adventures
1969  Michael Bloomfield with Nick Gravenites And Friends - Live At Bill Graham's Fillmore West
1969  Nick Gravenites - My Labors
1970-71  Big Brother And The Holding Company - Be A Brother / How Hard It Is 
1973  Bloomfield, Hammond, Dr.John - Triumvirate (Japan remaster)
1976  KGB - KGB
1976-77  Michael Bloomfield - Live at the Old Waldorf
1977  Prescription For The Blues

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Bridget St John - Dandelion Albums (1969-72 uk, amazing tender folk rock, 2015 four discs box set)

Venerated BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel once called Bridget St. John “the best lady singer-songwriter in the country.”  So when Peel formed Dandelion Records in 1969, the label’s first signing was St. John; in fact, Peel once commented that “the main reason why we started the label [was] ‘cos nobody else was going to record her stuff.”  Cherry Red Records has just reissued all three of St. John’s moody, evocative Dandelion albums (individually released in 2005 on CD) recorded between 1969 and 1972, together with a bonus disc of the artist’s BBC recordings, in one 4-CD package as The Dandelion Albums and BBC Collection.  It’s nearly one-stop shopping for those hoping to acquaint themselves with fans of this leading light of the English folk revival.

Most of the songs on 1969 debut Ask Me No Questions were penned while St. John was still a student at Sheffield University.  A further testament of his dedication, Peel himself produced the sessions.  (John Peel on Dandelion: “The half-witted, idealistic notion behind Dandelion and our other violent, capitalist enterprise, Biscuit Music, is that any profits, if such there be, should go to the artists, not to [partner] Clive [Selwood] nor myself.” )  John Martyn joined St. John on guitar for the baroque "Curl You Toes" and the title track, while future Fairport Convention member Ric Sanders added guitar to "Lizard-Long-Tongue Boy" and "Many Happy Returns.”  Selwood used his Elektra Records connections to grant St. John’s entirely self-written debut an American release, but despite its hauntingly beautiful sound, it failed to make much of a commercial impression in either the United Kingdom or United States.  Questions has been expanded with two bonus tracks: St. John’s rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Suzanne” and her own “Passin’ Thru.”  Both tracks are single sides from 1972 and 1973, respectively.

A change in distributors (from CBS to WEA) was just one of the problems facing Dandelion that kept St. John from releasing a second album until 1971.  When Songs for the Gentle Man arrived, however, it was worth the wait.  Produced by Ron Geesin (Pink Floyd’s Atom Heart Mother), it featured another array of beautifully pastoral St. John originals plus covers of John Martyn (“Back to Stay”) and Donovan (“The Pebble and the Man”).  St. John’s husband Nigel Beresford co-wrote “Seagull Sunday.”  Like its predecessor, Songs for the Gentle Man too gained an American release on Elektra.

St. John’s final long-player for Dandelion, Thank You For…, followed in 1972.  This time, Jerry Boys (Steeleye Span, Sandy Denny) was at the helm and the U.K. release on Dandelion was distributed by Polydor.  (The album wasn’t released in America.)  With Thank You, St. John ventured into the realm of folk-rock with more layered arrangements, and covers of songs from a diverse crop of writers including Bob Dylan (“Love Minus Zero – No Limit”) and Buddy Holly (“Every Day”).  Terry Hiscock of the band Hunter Muskett contributed “Silver Coin,” and “Good Baby Goodbye” was written by Beresford. (Hunter Muskett’s lost folk-rock classic Every Time You Move was also reissued by Cherry Red.)  Her raga-rock reinvention of the traditional “Lazarus” also became a fan favorite.  Six months after the release of the album, Dandelion folded, leaving St. John without a label.  Despite St. John receiving regular airtime on the BBC, Thank You was her third album to fail to catch on with the record-buying public.  This disc has been expanded with two single sides (“There’s a Place I Know” and “Passing Thru,” the latter originally released through MCA) and an eight-song set live at Montreux in April 1972.

The box set is rounded out by a 19-track collection of St. John’s BBC recordings for programs such as Top Gear, Night Ride and In Concert between 1968 and 1972.  Among the many highlights of this disc are performances of John Martyn’s “The River” and Joni Mitchell’s “Night in the City.”  Note that sound quality is admittedly variable on this disc; the liner notes indicate with welcome transparency that “the master tapes for the BBC recordings are long lost, and these copies have been taken from the best available sources.”  (Note that additional BBC recordings for St. John were released in 2010 on the Hux label.)

Bridget St. John went on to record a fourth album for Chrysalis Records in 1974.  Though she laid low for decades, she’s returned to performing in recent years and issued a rarities collection, Take the 5ifth, as her fifth proper album.  This compact box set, produced with St. John’s cooperation, includes all four discs in handsome paper sleeves with the first three replicas of the original artwork (although gatefolds are not replicated).  A 12-page book boasts compiler Richard Anderson’s essay as well as copious memorabilia images.  Especially at this bargain price, there’s never been a better way to become acquainted with the music of Bridget St. John.  

by Joe Marchese

Tracks
Disc 1 Ask Me No Questions 1969
1. To B Without A Hitch - 3:07
2. Autumn Lullaby - 3:01
3. Curl Your Toes - 3:00
4. Like Never Before - 3:14
5. The Curious Crystals Of Unusual Purity - 4:00
6. Barefeet And Hot Pavements - 2:45
7. I Like To Be With You In The Sun (Song For The Laird Of Connaught Hall) - 2:35
8. Lizard-Long-Tongue Boy - 3:09
9. Hello Again (Of Course) - 4:11
10.Many Happy Returns - 2:17
11.Broken Faith - 4:56
12.Ask Me No Questions - 7:49
13.Suzanne (Leonard Cohen) - 5:31
14.The Road Was Lonely - 2:16

Disc 2 Songs For The Gentle Man 1971
1. A Day A Way - 3:18
2. City Crazy - 2:46
3. Early Morning Song - 1:56
4. Back To Stay (John Martyn) - 4:47
5. Seagull Sunday (Bridget St. John, Nigel Beresford) - 3:09
6. If You'd Been There - 4:09
7. Song For The Laird Of Connaught Hall, Pt. 2 - 1:28
8. Making Losing Better - 3:54
9. The Lady And The Gentle Man - 3:10
10.Downderry Daze - 3:21
11.The Pebble And The Man (Donovan Leitch) - 3:34
12.It Seems Very Strange - 0:41

Disc 3 Thank You For.. 1972
1. Nice - 3:23
2. Thank You for - 3:37
3. Lazarus (Traditional) - 4:22
4. Goodbaby Goodbye (Nigel Beresford) - 2:09
5. Love Minus Zero, No Limit (Bob Dylan) - 3:21
6. Silver Coin (Terry Hiscock) - 3:07
7. Happy Day - 3:55
8. Fly High (Bridget St. John, Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson) - 3:23
9. To Leave Your Cover - 3:22
10.Every Day (Charles Hardin, Norman Petty) - 4:21
11.A Song Is as Long as It Wants to Go On - 1:11
12.Passing Thru' (Richard "Dick" Cleveland Blakeslee) - 4:24
13.There's A Place I Know - 2:39
14.Nice - 5:09
15.Silver Coin (Terry Hiscock) - 3:47
16.Fly High (Bridget St. John, Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson) - 3:58
17.Lazarus (Traditional) - 4:45
18.The River (John Martyn) - 3:37
19.Thank You For - 3:55
20.Ask Me No Questions - 4:55
21.If You've Got Money - 2:58
Bonus Tracks 12-21 Recorded Live In Montreaux 28th April 1972

Disc 4 At The BBC 1968-72
1. To B Without A Hitch - 3:01
2. Ask Me No Questions - 4:06
3. Many Happy Returns - 1:42
4. Hello Again (Of Course) - 4:38
5. Rochefort - 2:21
6. Lizard Long Tongue Boy - 3:09
7. The River (John Martyn) - 3:33
8. Song To Keep You Company - 2:52
9. Night In The City (Joni Mitchell) - 3:05
10.Lazarus (Traditional) - 4:18
11.Curl Your Toes (Peter Sarstedt Session) - 2:59
12.Thank You For ... (Bob Harris Session) - 3:33
13.Leaves Of Lime - 2:52
14.City Crazy - 2:28
15.The Pebble And The Man (Donovan Leitch) - 3:29
16.Back To Stay (John Martyn) - 4:21
17.Song For The Laird Of Connaught Hall Part Two - 2:30
18.Jolie Madame (Kevin Ayers) - 2:46
19.The Spider And The Fly (Kevin Ayers) - 2:02
All compositions by Bridget St John unless as else indicated.

Musicians
1969 Ask Me No Questions 
*Bridget St. John - Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards
*John Martyn - Guitar
*Richard Sanders - Guitar
*Simon Stable - Bongos
1971 Songs For The Gentle Man
*Bridget St. John - Guitar, Harmonium, Keyboards, Vocals
*Robert Bourdon - Alto Flute
*Colin Busby - Trombone
*Angela East - Cello
*Elizabeth Edwards - Violin
*Brian Etheridge - Vocal
*Ron Geesin - Guitar, Keyboards
*Peter Hall - Vocal
*Kate Jacobs - Violin
*Derek James - Trombone
*Geoffrey Mitchell - Vocal
*Tony Parsons - Trombone
*John Pritchard - Trombone
*Richard Sanders - Guitar
*Derek Simpson - Cello
*Alan Stivell - Horn
*John Thompson, Jr. - Viola
*Charles Tunnell - Cello
1972 Thank You For..
*Bridget St. John - Guitars, Keyboards, Vocals
*Gordon Huntley - Pedal Steel Guitar
*Rick Kemp - Bass, Drums
*John Martyn - Electric, Acoustic Guitars
*Dave Mattacks - Drums
*Pip Pyle - Drums
*Tim Renwick - Guitar
*Andy Roberts - Guitar
*Richard Sanders - Guitar
*Bruce Thomas - Bass
*Ian Whiteman - Keyboards, Piano
*John Wilson - Drums

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Stone The Crows - Stone The Crows / Ode To John Law (1969-71 uk, impressive soulful blues classic rock, 2015 double disc bonus tracks set)

Stone the Crows was a tough-luck, working class, progressive soul band that came out of the pubs of Scotland in the early '70s. They had everything going for them at the start: not one, but two gritty singers, a talented guitarist, a rhythm section that had played with John Mayall, and the name recognition of having Led Zeppelin manager Peter Grant as their producer. Despite favorable reviews by the critics, however, they never managed to sell their hybridized soul music to a large audience. In addition, they lost two of their key members early on, one of whom was tragically electrocuted, and the group broke up after four albums. 

Their biggest contribution to rock was the immense vocal talent of one Maggie Bell. Winner of several Top Girl Singer awards in Britain, Bell had a raunchy, gutbucket voice that, although it fell short of the naked emotion and range of Janis Joplin's, came probably closer to her style than any other female singer. She first attracted notice when she jumped up on stage at a show in Glasgow to wail with Alex Harvey of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band. Impressed by her talent (and audacity), Harvey hooked her up with his guitar-playing younger brother Les, then fronting a local band called the Kinning Park Ramblers. After playing army bases in Europe for several years as Power, Bell, Harvey, bassist Jim Dewar, keyboardist Jon McGinnis, and drummer Colin Allen (who had played with future bass player Steve Thompson in John Mayall's band), came to the attention of Peter Grant and they changed their name to Stone the Crows, which supposedly is a Scottish variation of "the hell with it." 

Both of their first two albums received good reviews upon release, but sold very meagerly. Then bassist/vocalist Jim Dewar quit the band to join Robin Trower's fledgling group, to be replaced by the non-singing Steve Thompson. Shortly after releasing Teenage Licks, guitarist Les Harvey was electrocuted onstage during a gig at Swansea University. This appeared to end the band, but they carried on, recruiting young Jimmy McCulloch from Thunderclap Newman and released "'Ontinuous Performance." Although the rock press lauded the singing of Bell, her group couldn't seem to emerge from the shadows and they broke up after this last album, with McCulloch flying away to join Paul McCartney in Wings. 

by Peter Kurtz

Tracks
Disc 1 Stone The Crows 1970
1. The Touch Of Your Loving Hand (James Dewar, Leslie Harvey) - 6:03
2. Raining In Your Heart (James Dewar, Leslie Harvey) - 5:09
3. Blind Man (Josh White) - 5:12
4. A Fool On The Hill (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 4:09
5. I Saw America (Colin Allen, Leslie Harvey, Mark London) - 17:21
6. Freedom Road (Maggie Bell) - 10:32
7. Hollis Brown (Bob Dylan) - 13:05

Bonus Tracks 6,7 Live recordings

Disc 2 Ode To John Law 1971
1. Sad Mary (John McGinnis) - 6:54
2. Friend (James Dewar, Leslie Harvey) - 6:28
3. Love (John McGinnis) - 6:36)
4. Mad Dogs And Englishmen (Colin Allen, Leslie Harvey) - 3:34
5. Things Are Getting Better (John McGinnis) - 6:10
6. Ode To John Law (Colin Allen, Leslie Harvey) - 5:44
7. Danger Zone (Curtis Mayfield) - 6:21
8. The Touch Of Your Loving Hand (James Dewar, Leslie Harvey) - 6:01
9. Raining In Your Heart (James Dewar, Leslie Harvey) - 4:14

Bonus Tracks 8,9 Live recordings

Stone The Crows
*James Dewar - Bass, Vocals
*Colin Allen - Drums, Percussion
*Leslie Harvey - Guitar
*Maggie Bell - Vocals
*John McGinnis - Organ, Piano

1972  Stone The Crows - Live In Montreux
1975  Maggie Bell - Suicide Sal (2006 remaster)

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Trapeze - Medusa (1970 uk, fantastic tough funky, classic rock, 2008 remaster)

Not only is Medusa the finest offering from '70s outfit Trapeze, it is one of the decade's most underappreciated hard rock recordings. With a lineup that consisted of future Deep Purple, Judas Priest, and Black Sabbath members, there seems to be proof that at least a few fellow musicians appreciated this 1971 offering. Fans of his later work might be surprised by Glenn Hughes' soulful vocal delivery, especially on the midtempo blues-rockers like "Black Cloud" and "Your Love Is Alright." Guitarist Mel Galley also deserves mention for his sparse approach to classic rock riffing that is catchy and affective.

Even the ballads are focused, memorable, and unique. There are some melodic moments on the closing title track that sound almost as if a '90s alt-rock crooner composed them. Considering that Medusa predates many similar, and more successful, classic rock LPs from the likes of Bad Company, Nazareth, Foreigner, and others, it's a wonder that the record isn't mentioned more when influential albums of this era are discussed. 

by Jason Anderson

Tracks
1. Black Cloud (Mel Galley) - 6:11
2. Jury (Glen Hughes) - 8:10
3. Your Love Is Alright (Mel Galley, Glen Hughes, Dave Holland) - 4:55
4. Touch My Life (Mel Galley) - 4:07
5. Seafull (Glen Hughes) - 6:32
6. Makes You Wanna Cry (Mel Galley) - 4:43
7. Medusa (Glen Hughes) - 5:44

Trapeze
*Glen Hughes - Bass, Piano, Lead Vocals
*Mel Galley -  Guitar, Vocals
*Dave Holland - Drums

1974  Trapeze - Hot Wire (2015 remaster)
1975  Trapeze - Trapeze (2015 remaster)
1975  Trapeze - Live At The Boat Club

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Mott The Hoople - Two Miles From Heaven (1969-72 uk, tough classic rock with some glam shades, 2003 issue)

After British Lions broke up, Dale Griffin (and Morgan) went in the studios to put together this compilation of rare and unreleased Mott The Hoople material from Island's vaults.  Mott recorded virtually everything they wrote, and just about any day not spent gigging was spent in the studio.  As a result, there is a lot of unreleased (and unfinished) material in there.

What an absolute peach this collection is. Unreleased tracks, rare b-sides and early versions of songs that would be recorded later on... this album has long been sought after by fans,  and is now at long last available on CD.

It starts with a rare vocal version of the Kinks' You Really Got Me.  Next up is Ian's first stab at social commentary, Road To Birmingham which was the b-side to Rock And Roll Queen, Mott's first single.  Then there's the alternate version of Thunderbuck Ram, with Verden's organ featuring much higher in the mix.  The studio version of Keep a Knockin' is fast and furious, and an absolute belter.

Movin' On is next - slated for the original vinyl but withdrawn at the last minute is a medium-paced rocker that Mick Ralphs would eventually re-record with Bad Company.  Ride On The Sun is beautiful - this again would be re-recorded (as Sea Diver) later on - and is possibly one of Ian's best ballads. 

Growin' Man Blues is another fast rocker which I never grow tired of hearing.  Till I'm Gone is another ballad, beautifully sung by Mick Ralphs (for a version of him sharing the vocals with Ian, check out the Anthology).  One Of The Boys is an acoustic version of the song that would be re-recorded later on.  Black Scorpio (Momma's Little Jewel) is faster than the version that would be recorded for the Dudes album.

Two more bonus tracks close the album, The Debt (which was the b-side to Midnight Lady) and the non-LP single Downtown,  with Mick Ralphs again supplying the vocals for this Neil Young/Crazy Horse cover.

As always with Angel Air, packaging is excellent with excellent and informative sleeve notes by Dale Griffin. Sound quality throughout is excellent (a lot better than the original LP).  Strangely, tho' the running order on the Bald At The Station side is different from the original LP.  No matter - this is an important album in Mott's history.

Hunter-Mott

Tracks
1. You Really Got Me (Ray Davies) 3.08
2. The Road to Birmingham (Ian Hunter) 3.30
3. Thunderbuck Ram (Mick Ralphs) 4.41
4. Going Home (Mick Ralphs) 3.00
5. Little Christine (Mick Ralphs) 3.06
6. Keep a Knockin' (Richard Penniman) 3.25
7. Black Hills (Mick Ralphs) 1.32
8. Movin' On (Mick Ralphs) 2.44
9. Ride On the Sun (Ian Hunter) 3.38
10.Growin' Man Blues (Ian Hunter) 2.46
11.Until I'm Gone (Mick Ralphs) 3.14
12.One of the Boys (Mick Ralphs, Ian Hunter) 4.19
13.Surfin' U.K. (Mick Ralphs) 2.37
14.Black Scorpio (Ian Hunter, Peter Overend Watts) 3.36
15.Ill Wind Blowing (Ian Hunter) 3.53
16.The Debt (Ian Hunter) 4.15
17.Downtown (Danny Whitten, Neil Young) 3.03

Mott The Hoople
Ian Hunter - Vocals, Piano, Guitar
Mick Ralphs - Guitar, Vocals
Peter Watts - Bass Guitar, Vocals
Dale Griffin - Drums
Verden Allen - Organ

1966/90  Doc Thomas Group And The Silence - The Italian Job / Shotgun Eyes
1969  Mott The Hoople - Mott The Hoople (2003 bonus tracks remaster)
1970  Mott The Hoople - Mad Shadows (2003 Extra Tracks Remaster)
1971  Mott The Hoople - Wildlife (2003 japan bonus tracks remaster)
1971  Mott The Hoople - Brain Capers (bonus tracks remaster)
1972  Mott The Hoople - All The Young Dudes (2006 bonus tracks remaster)
1973  Mott The Hoople - Mott (2006 remaster and expanded)
1974  Mott The Hoople - Hoople (2006 remaster and expanded)

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Mott The Hoople - Hoople (1974 uk, power glam rock, 2006 remaster and expanded)

The Hoople was Mott's third album release on CBS/Columbia Records and the band had much to live up to after their two previous studio work outs. All the Young Dudes had taken the group in an exciting new direction under David Bowie's tutelage and the self-produced Mott was so strong that its sequel inevitably faced unjust criticism. However, there were some mitigating circumstances. Organist Verden Allen and founder/lead guitarist Mick Ralphs had both left Mott in 1973. The group considered Joe Walsh, Tommy Bolin and Ronnie Montrose as Ralphs' replacement but opted for Luther Grosvenor, who joined as 'Ariel Bender'. 

These developments changed the character of the band quite significantly firstly because vocalist Ian Hunter was now the undisputed group leader, secondly because Grosvenor was not a musical collaborator as Ralphs had been and thirdly because Ian effectively became sole writer. But Mott's front man had composed some fearsome new songs and The Hoople marked a solid progression. In retrospect, the album deserves greater merit for the diversity and power of Hunter's material. The 'updated' top ten hit single "Roll Away the Stone" and its follow up, "The Golden Age Of Rock ln' Roll", closed and opened the LP, acting as bookends to the eclectic material within. In 1974 there was a strong UK lobby to limit the noise level at rock concerts to 96 decibels and 'Golden Age' was an expression of Hunter's annoyance but also a celebration of the glamorous and buoyant music scene that was thriving at that time. 

Roxy Music's Andy Mackay contributed rousing saxophone to the new single and he also played to great effect on "Pearl 'n' Roy (England)", a tale of social and political frustration referencing the British Conservative Prime Minister of the time, Ted Heath. Mott was renowned for its passion towards guitars and cars. After "Drivin1 Sister" and "I'm a Cadillac" on the Mott album, bassist Overend Watts contributed "Born Late '58," a very credible rocker that Ian thought was a potential single at the time. It was the only Mott track not to feature their front man who was in America when the band cut the song Ian also extended his tales of New York City with "Alice" which trod in the tracks of Mott's "Whizz Kid". Hunter's lyrical outpouring on "Alice" was unprecedented and consequently the song was performed only once in concert. Morgan Fisher, Verden Allen's replacement, fitted the band like a glove, as exemplified by his fantastic organ playing on this cut. 

"Through the Looking Glass" is unique in the Mott canon with its stunning dynamics and orchestral arrangement rising and falling dramatically behind Hunter's expressive vocals. "Trudi's Song", a beautiful ode to lan's wife, inspired by Dylan's Nashville Skyline album, is a gentle contrast to much of The Hoople's hard edge. With the headlines 'Fragments of Madness' and 'Hoople's Blood and Thunder', two British rock journals were clearly startled by Hunter's powerful and highly charged masterpieces, "Crash Street Kidds" and "Marionette". Echoing "Violence" from Mott, "Crash Street Kidds" tells the tale of a street gang who have become so socially disenchanted that they decide they are going to take over Britain. In the end, youth fails with lan's transformed 'dalek voice' and a 'machine gun' heralding the gang leader's demise. Originally conceived as "The Bash Street Kidds", it was to be the album's theme and title but the publishers of the Beano comic (which featured the Bash St characters) would not countenance Hunter's concept. 

The cornerstone of The Hoople is unquestionably "Marionette", lan's five minute mini opera describing the corporate side of rock music and its effect on artists. Crazed violin, frantic saxes, staccato cellos, Quasimodo choruses and manic laughter surround Hunter's nightmare of a rock star driven to submission. Ian was often ahead of the field and within 18 months Queen had written a certain smash hit operetta and 'marionette' was used to describe David Essex in his portrayal of a fading pop star in the movie Stardust. Within nine months Ian Hunter would be confined to a hospital bed. Before then, "The Golden Age Of Rock 'n' Roll" hit #16 in Britain and The Hoople reached #11. Mott played a 6week American tour with Queen as support and became the first rock band to sell out a week of Broadway concerts in New York's theatre land. Hunter's acclaimed book Diary of a rock 'n' roll Star was also published around this time. It was a peak period for the group. 

During The Hoople sessions the band recorded the reflective "Rest In Peace" and a further Spector-style single "Foxy Foxy" for summer release. In the autumn of '74 it was felt that Ariel Bender did not suit Mott as lead guitarist and in spite of his whirlwind energy and the renewed spirit he had injected into the group, Grosvenor left, turned down an offer to join Sparks and formed Widowmaker instead. Bender's replacement was the brilliant Mick Ronson whose recruitment by   Hunter was a masterstroke. 'Ronno' laid down guitar for a single entitled "(Do You Remember) The Saturday Gigs?" and an intended B side, "Lounge Lizzard". The self-referential "Saturday Gigs" was deemed a huge potential hit but it stalled inexplicably at #41 in the UK. 

European concerts with Ronson were highly praised but there were increasing tensions in the band and Hunter's subsequent breakdown led to the cancellation of a sold out British tour. Mott ceased to exist. The Hoople is Mott the Hoople's final creative offering and one of their most under-rated albums lying as it does in the wake of Brain Capers, AH the Young Dudes and Mott. It is still a remarkable record and Hunter's compositions "Crash Street Kidds" and "Marionette" pointed the group in a new and exciting direction that sadly they were unable to follow. Little wonder that Ian had planned to feature a straight jacket on the cover of their next album. 'Fragments of Madness' indeed!

by Campbell Devine

Tracks
1. The Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll  - 3:26
2. Marionette  - 5:08
3. Alice  - 5:20
4. Crash Street Kidds - 4:31
5. Born Late '58 (Overend Watts) - 4:00
6. Trudi's Song - 4:26
7. Pearl 'N' Roy (England) - 4:31
8. Through the Looking Glass - 4:37
9. Roll Away the Stone - 3:10
10.Where Do You All Come From (B-side) (Dale "Buffin" Griffin, Ian Hunter, Mick Ralphs, Peter Watts) - 3:26
11.Rest in Peace (B-side of "The Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll" single) - 3:55
12.Foxy, Foxy (Non-LP single A-side) - 3:31
13.(Do You Remember The) Saturday Gigs (Non-LP single A-side) - 4:20
14.The Saturday Kids (Work in progress mixes) - 6:03
15.Lounge Lizzard (Aborted single b-side) - 4:19
16.American Pie/The Golden Age of Rock 'N' Roll (Live from Broadway)  (Don McLean, Ian Hunter) - 4:15
All tracks written by Ian Hunter except as noted.

Mott The Hoople
*Ian Hunter - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Keyboards
*Pete "Overend" Watts - Bass Guitar, Vocals, Riff Guitar, 12-String Guitar
*Dale "Buffin" Griffin - Drums, Vocals, Percussion
*Ariel Bender (Luther Grosvenor) - Lead Guitar, Vocals, Slide Guitar
*Morgan Fisher - Organ, Synthesizer, Piano
Guest Musicians
*Howie Casey - Tenor Saxophone
*Jock McPherson - Baritone, Tenor  Saxophone
*Mike Hurwitz - Cello
*Lynsey De Paul - Backing Vocals
*Mick Ralphs - Backing Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
*Graham Preskett - Violin, Tubular Bells
*Sue Glover, Sunny Leslie - Backing Vocals
*Barry St. John - Backing Vocals
*Thunderthighs (Karen Friedman, Dari Lalou, Casey Synge) - Backing Vocals

1966/90  Doc Thomas Group And The Silence - The Italian Job / Shotgun Eyes
1969  Mott The Hoople - Mott The Hoople (2003 bonus tracks remaster)
1970  Mott The Hoople - Mad Shadows (2003 Extra Tracks Remaster)
1971  Mott The Hoople - Wildlife (2003 japan bonus tracks remaster)
1971  Mott The Hoople - Brain Capers (bonus tracks remaster)
1972  Mott The Hoople - All The Young Dudes (2006 bonus tracks remaster)
1973  Mott The Hoople - Mott (2006 remaster and expanded)

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