Not many may remember Raw Material, an early British prog band who, along with similar groups like Cressida and Spring, helped shape the sound of the legends that were shortly to follow. Perhaps themselves inspired by such 60's stars The Doors as well as The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Raw Material's songs were rooted in jazz and blues, yet a touch of classical mixed with rock firepower evolved into progressive rock as we now know it.
The first trhree songs of their eponymous debut album, from the London based quintet, includes three strong, long tracks: "Time And Illusion", which had a long instrumental break and vibraphone on leading role; "I'd Be Delighted", which featured strong vocals, good flute and sax work and "Fighting Cock", which builds in strength after a mellow beginning.
Their classic debut album was originally issued in October 1970, and receives its definitive reissue with this deluxe double-CD. As well as the full album, it features both sides of all three singles they'd made to date, as well as the whole of the Sounds Progressive LP they'd released under a pseudonym. The set includes a 16-page booklet offering detailed background notes (drawing on original interviews) and copious photos and promo materials, as well as a reproduction of the promo poster sent to a few UK record shops at the time.
Tracks
Disc 1
1. Time And Illusion (Vic Coppersmith) - 7:30
2. I'd Be Delighted (Ed Welch) - 5:06
3. Fighting Cock (Ed Welch) - 3:48
4. Pear On An Apple Tree (Ed Welch, Phil Sawyer) - 2:58
5. Future Recollections (Colin Catt, Phil Gunn) - 3:54
6. Traveller Man (Yash Klodzinski, Larry Page, Dave Green) - 6:13
7. Destruction Of America (Colin Catt, Herbie Flowers, Phil Gunn) - 2:20
Disc 2
1. Time And Illusion (Vic Coppersmith) - 3:11
2. Bobo's Party (Melanie Safka) - 3:13
3. Hi There Hallelujah (Ed Welch, Michael d'Albuquerque) - 2:46
4. Days Of The Fighting Cock (Ed Welch) - 3:09
5. Traveller Man (Part 1) (Yash Klodzinski, Larry Page, Dave Green) - 3:21
6. Traveller Man (Part 2) (Yash Klodzinski, Larry Page, Dave Green) - 2:59
7. Who Do You Love? (Ellas McDaniel) - 2:06
8. Living In The Past (Ian Anderson) - 3:26
9. Man Of The World (Peter Green) - 2:29
10.I'm A Man (Jimmy Miller, Steve Winwood) - 2:59
11.Spirit In The Sky (Norman Greenbaum) - 3:43
12.Let's Work Together (Wilbert Harrison) - 2:31
13.Second Generation Woman (Rick Grech) - 2:22
14.Sympathy (Graham Field, David Kaffinetti, Steve Gould, Mark Ashton) - 2:23
I’m betting most of you have heard the Bleu Forest’s “A Thousand Trees Deep,” which was issued in 2016 on the Golden Pavilion label. Initially recorded in 1968, the disc duly renewed interest in the otherwise obscure Ventura County, California band. Prior to the birth of “A Thousand Trees Deep,” the Bleu Forest laid down a recording, that like “A Thousand Trees Deep,” had been hiding in the vaults for years.
Recorded one night in August 1967 at producer Jimmie Haskell’s house, the effort portrays the band in all their bare bones bravado. Employing only a two track reel to reel tape machine and a pair of microphones, the fellows poured their hearts and souls into the performance as though they were courting a massive crowd at Madison Square Garden. Despite the limited technology and spontaneity of the session, the results are mighty impressive. The tone is punchy, while the Bleu Forest approaches their songs with a concentrated focus. Original material, matched by a solid vision, presents the musings of a self-contained band.
The dual influences of raggedy garage rock and psychedelic exploration prevail throughout “Ichiban – Live At Jimmie’s,” directing the tracks to shimmer and sizzle with West Coast cool. Thoughtful lyrics, occasionally flashing a flowery poetic quality, lend a sense of mystique to the mix.
Chiming Byrds styled licks snuggle side by side with aggressive acid-informed frequencies, recalling the barbed bite of Jefferson Airplane and the latter day Vejtables. Detached British inspired vocals, backed by excitable harmonies, along with free-flowing tempos and compact jamming seal the set.
My favorite songs on “Ichiban – Live At Jimmie’s” are “When I’m Alone,” “Bitter Street,” “A Woodland Spring” and “One I Love,” but the whole collection is a satisfying listen.
Not a speck of dead space appears here, as the Bleu Forest rock relentlessly to a high energy level. A valuable piece of history, “Ichiban – Live At Jimmie’s” offers an enjoyable look at a great band that was not only hip to the sounds of the time period in which they were active, but capable of expressing themselves with genuine conviction.
An obscured English singer songwriter Bob Hughes, was thirty-two years old at the time he recorded his first album (My Old Man) at Spaceward Studios in 1976. This was followed in the same Cambridge studios by In For a Penny with the group Hooknorton in 1977 and The Kids Are Ok! 1978, which was recorded in two sessions only!!
The Kids Are Ok! is a step in a new world. Firstly, it's the work of a band, The Bob Hughes Band which comprised of Bob Hughes (12 string guitar, 6 string guitar and vocals) and 5 talented musicians: John Kaliski (lead guitar, bass guitar, vocals), Alan Buxton (same as John), Gary Moore (drums), Adrian Nash (keyboards and vocals) and Ron Turner (lead guitar). Secondly, this album is much more folk rock than My Old Man, with plenty of electric guitar. Melodies are so catchy they will stay in your head for days.
Tasty rural boogie blues rock with Crazy Horse influences, this lone album from Illinois’ sextet Farm is an air-guitarist’s delight. Intricate, dual guitar interplay is the order of the day, with lots of meandering solos full of those West Coast druggy vibes. If you’ve worn out all your bootleg outtakes of David Crosby and The Pure Earth Rock and Roll Orchestra’s Wally Heider sessions, then this is the next logical step for your musical mind expansion.
Side one opens with the lengthy headnodder “Jungle Song” and the more traditional, Canned Heat style blues courtesy the self-explanatory “Let That Boy Boogie”. Flip the album over and the band flash their Allman Brothers’ influences on more structured and accessible tracks like “Sunshine In My Window” and “Cottonfield Woman”, which are both full of dueling fuzz guitars and emotional, bluesy vocals. Their faithful interpretation of “Statesboro Blues” reiterates their influential nod towards the Allmans, and is just another highlight on this fun album. Put on your boogie shoes, darling, break out the Jack Daniels and party the night away. Yee hah!
by Jeff Penczack, October 18, 2013
Tracks
1. Jungle Song - 7:50
2. Let That Boy Boogie - 8:15
3. Sunshine In My Window - 4:00
4. Cottonfield Woman - 4:04
5. Statesboro Blues (Blind Willie McTell) - 4:25
All songs by Del Herbert, Gary Gordon, Jim Elwyn, Roger Greenwalt, Steve Evanchik, Mike Young except track #5
Farm
*Del Herbert - Lead Guitar, 12-String Acoustic Guitar
*Gary Gordon - 2nd Guitar, Bottleneck Guitar, Vocals
*Jim Elwyn - Bass, Vocals
*Steve Evanchik - Congas, Timbales, Cymbals, Mouth Harp
Recorded in 1973 by guitarist/vocalists, Dennis Cheplick and Jack Sarvis, aided by Cheplick’s brother, Greg, on drums and Sarvis’ future brother-in-law, Ken Turcic on bass, Backbone Of The Nation was originally released on the RPC label in a limited pressing of 25 copies. The album was recorded “live” by the quartet at a local Pennsylvania studio, Marjon Records, with the LPs ten tracks being recorded in 3 hours with no overdubs or editing, at a total cost of $100. In this Gear Fab Records reissue the album’s ten tracks are supplemented by two bonus tracks, for a total run time of slightly over 41 minutes.
The original album opens with the four and a half minute title track, which features nice fuzz guitar by Sarvis, and is the heaviest number on the LP. Turcic and Greg Cheplick supply a driving beat, supplemented by solid rhythm guitar from Dennis Cheplick, and a very tasty lead line by Sarvis, who also delivers a fuzz filled solo. The band also features a more mid-tempo side, as evidenced by “If Only I Had Told You” with its jangling 12-string acoustic guitar by Cheplick. The tune includes gorgeous vocal harmonies by Cheplick and Sarvis. “I Don’t Love You Anymore” is a mid-tempo number, with a country rock feel, more vocal harmonies and a restrained lead guitar line courtesy of Sarvis. “Too Much Of Nothing” is another mid-tempo number showcasing the jangling 12-string guitar of Cheplick and a gentle lead line by Sarvis. Side one of the LP closed with “Airplane Rider” a return to more up-tempo material fueled by Sarvis’ fuzz guitar and Cheplick’s jangling rhythm guitar.
Side two opens with a straight ahead rocker, “Untitled Love.” Dennis Cheplick’s gorgeous lead line is joined by Turcic’s bass, which booms over top of Sarvis’ husky vocals. “The Stones You Throw” another mid-tempo rocker features more booming bass from Turcic and a nicely textured lead line by Sarvis. “Hooky Player” showcases jangling rhythm guitar by Cheplick and more restrained lead from Sarvis, who also supplies a tasteful solo. “Sweet And Free” is a mid-tempo ballad with jangling 12-string guitar by Cheplick and a gentle, nicely picked solo from Sarvis. The original Backbone Of The Nation closes with another mid-tempo number “How Many More Years.” The tune is a return to the band’s more country rock side with ballad style vocals and a withheld lead line by Cheplick, supported by Sarvis’ rhythm guitar and gorgeous harmony vocals. The original LP is supplemented by two bonus tracks, “Like A Vine” and “Deception.” Both tunes feature gentle acoustic guitar and restrained lead lines as well as showcasing the band’s vocal harmonies.
Gear Fab’s reissue Of Backbone Of The Nation features a foreword by label owner Roger Maglio and an informative essay by Jack Sarvis and Dennis Cheplick. The digipak package is rounded out by complete song annotations and gorgeous photos of the band members. A wonderful example of home-made garage/psych music, original copies of the album have gone for as much as $1000. Thankfully, Gear Fab has made it available at a much more realistic cost. This release will appeal to fans of garage and psychedelic rock and be a welcome addition to fans of these genres.
by Kevin Rathert, August 30, 2017
Tracks
1. Backbone To The Nation (Jack Sarvis, Dennis Cheplick) - 4:24
2. If Only I Would Have Told You (Jack Sarvis, Dennis Cheplick) - 2:54
3. I Don't Love Her Anymore (Jack Sarvis) - 2:41
4. Too Much Of Nothing - 3:44
5. Airplane Rider (Jack Sarvis, Dennis Cheplick) - 3:27
6. Untitled Love (Jack Sarvis) - 3:57
7. The Stones You Throw - 4:11
8. Hooky Player (Jack Sarvis, Dennis Cheplick) - 2:51
9. Sweet And Free - 2:36
10.How Many More Years - 3:07
11.Like A Vine (Dennis Cheplick, E. Webber) - 3:41
Curious the case of Ben Atkins . And it is that if he has gone down to posterity for something, it is for being the first non Afro-American artist signed by Stax (through its subsidiary Enterprise), and not for his magnificent debut « Patchouli » (1971). Curious and unfair, because despite the modest success of the album, his "melting pot" of southern music deserved to climb higher and provide him with a solid career, which he never achieved (he only released another album in 1982, "Reachin' for the feeling ", under the name of Big Ben Atkins).
The cover already gives us an idea of its content: southern soul, swamp rock and touches of gospel and folk. An authentic sound delicatessen that sails through all the possible styles of the southern United States, and that was recorded between two of the great temples of American black music, Muscle Shoals and Stax Studios.
He is accompanied on this journey by legendary musicians such as David Hood, Donald »Duck» Dunn, Jimmy Johnson and Barry Beckett among many others, allowing the powerful voice of the singer from Vernon (Alabama) to be the main axis of the LP.
A sublime and sweaty instrumentation, the genuine feminine gospel choirs and a borrowed repertoire (which he makes his own) of jewels from people like Dan Penn, Bobby Manuel (who also acts as producer of the whole group) or Howlin' Wolf gives the album a halo of timelessness still in force today. An authentic and natural trip that Ben Atkins proposes to us: bordering the Mississippi without leaving home. Good times are coming…!!!
by Albert Barrios, April 25, 2023
Tracks
1. I Love This Song (Dan Penn, Jimmy M. Johnson, Len Renfro) - 2:29
2. Cross My Mind (Dennis Lambert, Brian Potter) - 4:39
3. Shine On (Carson Whitsett, Eric Mercury) - 2:35
4. Holding On To Friends (Bob McRee, Cliff Thomas, Ed Thomas) - 3:24
5. Smokestack Lightnin'/Brighter Side Of It All (Howlin' Wolf/Charles Feldman, J. Wiker, Steve Smith, Tim Smith) - 4:12
Tony Kelly’s “Bring Me Back” Is an album that has been secretly known among people who like this kind of music for a long time, but for some reason it's extremely less exposed compared to other artists from the same genre.
His voice is similar to Ernie Graham in a slightly nasal area. Sound creation is also a feeling that made Ernie Graham a little more swamp-oriented. Produced by Grease Band's Bruce Rowland this 1972 album, released by polydor, has something in common with Gerry Lockran's "Wun".
Terry Stannard (drums) is also familiar with albums by Roger Morris, Gerry Lockran, Bryn Haworth. A melancholy British swamp masterpiece album. The photo of the jacket that looks cold matches well with the content and is the best. Increasingly popular in recent years. It continues to be difficult to obtain.
Tracks
1. Not Knowin` What`s Goin` On - 5:00
2. Makin` The Same Mistakes - 3:14
3. The Way It Is - 4:16
4. Blue Bird - 3:56
5. Bring Me Back - 3:12
6. The Elements - 3:13
7. Blues Run The Game (Jackson C. Frank) - 2:10
8. One Love - 5:19
9. Further Down The Road - 5:03
Lyrics and Music by Tony Kelly except track #7
Personnel
*Tony Kelly - Vocals, 6, 12 String Acoustic Guitars
Yet another album from way back that has been rereleased! LESSONS FOR BEGINNERS by SHAGGY was originally from the era of the 70s’ and has been released once again for the general public to be able to feast their ears on. This album has a different sound and a different feel throughout, and that’s not only due to the time period that the album is from. SHAGGY certainly has a unique sound that is their own and here that flaunt that well, you’ll just have to listen to it for yourself to see what it’s all about, but until then I guess you could read my words if you are into that sort of thing.
Bringing us into the album we have “Destination Nowhere”. We are brought into this track with a nice mellow guitar intro playing off some soft drums in the background. Once we get to the lyrics we are welcomed with the sounds of an era distinct voice that surely sounds like it is from the time period that it is. The lyrics are powerful, but the music is peaceful. Two things that I feel are getting harder and harder to find in today's music and this band does it all so well. In the next song “Vengeance” there is an upkick in pace and all around tone of the song, driving a sense of urgency and power throughout the rendition.
Further along we get to the rocking sounds of the title song “Lessons for Beginners” which is a well placed instrumental about halfway through the album. Riveting and intriguing guitar blaring around the sounds of a band you can tell puts a lot of work and emotion into their music. I am not typically one for instrumentals but this one here is done very well. Once past this instrumental you will eventually find yourself at the song “Nobody Cares” which has a highly nostalgic sound, almost as if it was pulled from a conglamoration of older music, but given a twist that makes it very personal and unique to the sounds of SHAGGY.
Closing out with a bang with have the song “Sunshine”. This song is fast and frantic! Guitar all over the place, drums all over the place and vocals all over the place. Giving you a song of chaos to take you away from a rather peaceful and chill album otherwise. If melody and nostalgia is what you are in for, then you should most certainly give this album a try!
by Jordan Rogers, 23 February 2021
Tracks
1. Destination Nowhere - 4:41
2. Vengeance - 3:11
3. Bitch - 4:14
4. No Strings - 3:50
5. Lessons For Beginners - 2:54
6. On The Road (Janne Gustavsson, Thomas J. Ryan) - 4:33
7. Nobody Cares - 3:50
8. I Can Feel - 3:05
9. Brink Of Nowhere (Janne Gustavsson, Thomas J. Ryan) - 7:40
10.I Don't Know - 4:36
11.Sea Queen - 3:48
12.Sunshine - 2:42
13.Lessons For Beginners (Craig, Johannes Brahms) - 2:44
All songs by Jan Rognas, Thomas J. Ryan except where indicated
Best remembered for his 1973 smash "My Maria," singer/songwriter B.W. Stevenson (the "B.W." reportedly stood for "Buckwheat" -- his real first name was Lewis) was born October 5, 1949, in Dallas, TX. As a teen he played in a variety of local rock bands before attending college, eventually joining the U.S. Air Force; upon returning from duty Stevenson settled in the Austin area, where he became a frequent attraction on the city's thriving club circuit. Upon signing to RCA he was marketed primarily to country listeners, enjoying little success with either his 1972 self-titled debut or its follow-up, Lead Free.
by Jason Ankeny
This two-fer CD combines B.W. Stevenson's self-titled 1971 debut album with Lead Free, released the following year. Originally these LPs were released separately on RCA, and had been out of print until they were reissued in 2004 on Collectables. This pleasant and lite country-pop set highlights many original Stevenson compositions, including "Early Morning Memphis," "Highway One," "Save a Little Time for Love," and "Lonesome Song."
by Al Campbell
Tracks
1. Like What You Do - 2:38
2. Early Morning Memphis - 2:31
3. My Feet Are So Weary - 3:51
4. Waitin' For Spring - 4:33
5. Gypsies - 3:25
6. Don't Go To Mexico (Dan McCrimmon) - 2:38
7. August Evening Lady - 3:21
8. Peaceful Easy Feeling (Jack Tempchin) - 3:23
9. A Touch Of Pennsylvania (Dave Loggins) - 3:42
10.Minuet For My Lady - 2:54
11.Maybe Mexico (Jerry Jeff Walker) - 2:46
12.Jackson - 2:12
13.Save A Little Time For Love - 2:18
14.Lonesome Song - 3:11
15.Wasted Too Much Time - 4:06
16.Long Way To Go (Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil) - 2:20
17.Highway One - 3:37
18.Two Track Road (B.W. Stevenson, Brian T. Atkinson) - 0:39
19.Say What I Feel (Mike Murphey) - 2:10
20.Texas Morning (Boomer Castleman, Mike Murphey) - 3:26
21.Home Again (Carole King) - 2:28
22.On My Own - 4:52
Words and Music by B.W. Stevenson except where indicated
Born in September 1947, Buddy Miles is most renowned for his role as drummer in Jimi Hendrix's Band Of Gypsys. His playing career began in his father's jazz band, but by the mid 60s he was playing in the backing bands of soul vocal groups such as Ruby and the Romantics. In 1966 he joined the band of Wilson Pickett, and it was here that Mike Bloomfield spotted him and asked Buddy to join the band that he was forming after leaving the Butterfield Blues Band. This band became the Electric Flag , who were planning to create an eclectic blend of blues, psychedelia, rock and jazz. The debut album cooked, but the band disintegrated after that - with Miles remaining for a second album without Butterfield.
After this, with the help of the Electric Flag horn section he formed his own outfit The Buddy Miles Express. The debut album was produced by Jimi Hendrix and was called 'Expressway To Your Skull'. Released on Mercury this was the first of a number of collaborations with the legendary guitar man. Hendrix also produced the 2nd Buddy Miles Express album 'Electric Church' and appeared on Hendrix's 'Electric Ladyland' LRWhen the guitarist disbanded his original group the Experience, Miles along with Buddy Cox were recruited to his new outfit The Band of Gypsy's'.This funkier rock group did not last long releasing only one live album before Miles was replaced.
The drummer's next move was to record this album Them Changes' which remained on the chart for over a year making the drummer a star. On the back of this Miles hit the road with Carlos Santana and the pair recorded the top 10 live album 'Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles! Live!' for CBS. After this Miles continued to record for CBS and even took part in a 1974 Electric Flag re-union. He then switched labels to Casablanca for two albums. However after this he kept a reasonably low profile for the next decade, releasing only one album for Atlantic in 1981.
He suddenly found himself on the charts once more in 1986 when he voiced a version of “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” for a dried raisin commercial, that when released as by the California Raisins became a worldwide hit. The last few years have seen Miles in demand with a reformed Buddy Miles Express. Them Changes' the album was Buddy Miles signature tune, and the album was his most successful. It contained both the funky and the sublime. There are two fantastic cover versions of Neil Young's 'Down By The River' and Greg AlIman's "Dreams". But the music conveyed within the tracks swings with the power of rock and the nuance of soul. Them Changes' the track is furiously funky and this and other originals show a more than capable songwriter. What's more to fans of Miles work with Hendrix and the Electric Flag it is a pleasure to hear his voice. A classic slice of funky rock.
Rehearsals for Retirement might have been a prophetic title for an album by a major singer-songwriter who, after the 1969 release of this LP, would write and record barely any first-rate compositions, and would soon cease writing songs altogether. Despite the tombstone on the cover, though, it was only in hindsight that some critics viewed the effort as that of an artist who knew his creative muse was in danger of expiration. Phil Ochs’ writing, singing, and verve remained sharp and vital on his third A&M album, the last to be produced by Larry Marks. It was his optimism and drive that were wilting, in the wake of a year that had seen the counterculture take the brunt of Establishment repression at the 1968 Democratic Convention (at which Ochs performed and demonstrated), the escalation of the Vietnam War, and tumult in both campuses and inner-city ghettoes.
In comparison to his previous pair of A&M albums (1967’s Pleasures of the Harbor and 1968’s Tape from California, both reissued on CD by Collectors’ Choice Music), the production on Rehearsals for Retirement was relatively straightforward. It largely eschewed the baroque orchestration that had colored much of those pair of Marks-produced efforts. The decrease of risk-taking with the arrangements might have meant that there were no peaks to match "Outside of a Small Circle of Friends," "The Party," and "The War Is Over." Yet it also guaranteed a consistency of tone that each of those earlier LPs lacked. Although Lincoln Mayorga contributed classical-flavored piano (as he had on Pleasures of the Harbor and Tapes from California), he and Phil were also joined by guitarist-bassist Bob Rafkin, who had a more conventional rock orientation than either of his colleagues.
Much of Rehearsals for Retirement was inspired by Ochs’ experiences in Chicago. His disillusionment with idealistic activism and sense of despondency about American society could have hardly been reflected more bitterly than it was in the opening cut, "Pretty Smart on My Part." A peppy melody and characteristically exuberant vocal disguised a lyric about as disturbing as any in pop music, Ochs taking on the persona of a paranoid American who perceives anyone different from him as a threat, whether a hitchhiker that he beats up or a pretty woman he ties and whips. For all its bold and even violent imagery, note how similar the rhythms, melody, and execution are to those of Buddy Holly, an influence that would assert itself quite visibly on Ochs’ subsequent Gunfight at Carnegie Hall album.
"The Doll House," decorated by Mayorga’s stately piano runs, was the oldest song on Rehearsals for Retirement. It was also, along with such late-‘60s Ochs compositions as "When in Rome" and "The Floods of Florence," one of his most surreal, containing a little-noticed blatant homage to/parody of Bob Dylan’s vocal style for a few lines. "I Kill Therefore I Am" was a return to the frightening realism of "Pretty Smart on My Part," another sketch (this time in the third person) of a macho man determined to keep America safe from longhairs, African-Americans, students, and others at odds with his narrow-minded view of the United States. Any doubt that Ochs’ angst had been largely triggered by events in Chicago was put to rest by "William Butler Yeats Visits Lincoln Park and Escapes Unscathed." The melancholy tale of chaos in the city’s Lincoln Park was backed by grand Mayorga piano and accordion, in one instance where Ochs and Marks managed to use quasi-classical backing in an understated fashion.
Ochs painted his loss of faith-in idealism and, more distressingly, his own purpose-in more personal terms in "My Life," which features some of his most moving vibrato singing. "The Scorpion Departs But Never Returns," inspired by a nuclear submarine accident, put the apocalyptic glumness that hovered over most of Rehearsals for Retirement in more symbolic terms: certainly it could just be taken as a tale of a ship lost at sea, but it also reflects directionlessness Ochs saw in both the course of America and within his own life. "The World Began in Eden But Ended in Los Angeles," an uncommonly straightahead barroom rocker for Ochs, portrayed Los Angeles not as paradise, but as a morally bankrupt, polluted, and overdeveloped city, a viewpoint much less prevalent in the 1960s than it is today. (Could it be that those tacky horns are a subtle dig at A&M Records co-founder Herb Alpert?) The country-rock-tinged "Doesn’t Lenny Live Here Anymore" fit in well with the album’s somber ambience, but steered clear of sociopolitical comment, illustrating that loneliness and alienation can be found in the lives of everyday people, as well as in battlegrounds for America’s future.
Ochs’ disenchantment with that future, however, roared back into play for "Another Age," with its infectious "Secret Agent Man" tempo and bold pledge of allegiance against the flag (and to vintage rebels such as Thomas Paine, Jesse James, and Robin Hood). The record ended on a suitably resigned note with the title track, again spotlighting Mayorga’s rolling, almost loungish piano accompaniment. Rehearsals for Retirement, for all its sad disappointment, was not a bummer to listen to: the melodies were graceful, and Ochs’ singing passionate and often uplifting, perhaps despite himself. It was a huge commercial disappointment, however, reaching only #167, and earning a deletion from A&M’s catalog just months after its release.
At least Rehearsals for Retirement was released in the United States, which is more than could be said for Gunfight at Carnegie Hall, recorded in 1970 but not issued until the mid-1970s (and then only in Canada). That album, often difficult to obtain since it first came out, has been added to Rehearsals for Retirement on this CD.
Gunfight was recorded at Carnegie Hall on March 27, 1970, during a most controversial phase of Ochs’ career. Exhausted by his struggles to embody the conscience of left-wing America during much of the 1960s, he began to wear Elvis Presley-style gold lamé suits onstage, and sprinkle his concerts with covers of vintage rock tunes, particularly those of Elvis and Buddy Holly. This was part of his effort to establish continuity with the socially aware material in which he specialized, and the roots music that he loved. In the event, however, it was accorded a mixed reception, much as Bob Dylan’s first electric concerts had sparked a divided reaction in the mid-1960s.
Backed by Rehearsals session men Mayorga and Rafkin, as well as drummer Kevin Kelly (who had been in the Gram Parsons-era Byrds) and bassist Kenny Kaufman, Ochs delivered a set of both rock-oriented interpretations of some of his most popular tunes, and medleys of Presley and Holly songs. On top of that were covers of "Mona Lisa" (probably modeled on Carl Mann’s hit rockabilly version) and Merle Haggard’s "Okie from Muskogee." The latter was likely a willfully provocative choice, Haggard’s hit embodying the most reactionary elements of America, and Ochs himself embodying the least reactionary elements of the United States.
The portion of the set preserved on Gunfight was actually an unbalanced representation of the show, which contained much original material that did not appear on the LP. (One of those songs, an acoustic version of "Crucifixion," did eventually get issued on the Chords of Fame anthology and the Farewells & Fantasies box set.) Because it leaned so heavily on the cover tunes (particularly the medleys), the record gave the not wholly accurate impression that Ochs was more interested in covering rock’n’roll oldies than performing his own songs at the concert. The audience’s response to those medleys was not quite vitriolic, but certainly muted and bewildered.
Ochs was not a match for Holly or Presley as a rock singer, nor were his interpretations so radical or imaginative as to stand among his more notable creative endeavors. Gunfight, nevertheless, was an interesting, at times fascinating glimpse at a most odd detour in Ochs’ checkered career. He energetically ran through long Holly and Presley medleys (which were not confined solely to hits), and bantered somewhat exasperatedly with an audience that would have likely been far more enamored of his own vintage compositions. There was also the bonus of hearing no-frills rock versions of "Pleasures of the Harbor" and "Tape from California," songs bestowed with far more heavily produced arrangements in their studio versions. And he couldn’t have gone over too badly; it was 3am in the morning when Ochs launched into his encore of Elvis’ "A Fool Such As I," the hardy audience having stuck with him even after Carnegie Hall cut the power for a few minutes due to the late hour.
by Richie Unterberger
Tracks
Disc 1 Rehearsals For Retirement 1969
1. Pretty Smart On My Part - 3:18
2. The Doll House - 4:41
3. I Kill Therefore I Am - 2:55
4. William Butler Yeats Visits Lincoln Park And Escapes Unscathed - 3:30
5. My Life - 3:13
6. The Scorpion Departs And Never Returns - 4:16
7. The World Began In Eden And Ended In Los Angeles - 3:07
8. Doesn't Lenny Live Here Anymore - 6:12
9. Another Age - 3:43
10.Rehearsals For Retirement - 4:10
Music and Lyrics by Phil Ochs
Disc 2 Gunfight At Carnegie Hall 1970
1. Mona Lisa (Jay Livingston, Ray Evans) - 3:49
2. I Ain't Marchin' Anymore (Phil Ochs) - 4:25
3. Oakie From Muskogee (Merle Haggard, Roy Edward Burris) - 2:49
4. Chords Of Fame (Phil Ochs) - 4:41
5. Buddy Holly Medley (Charles Hardin, Norman Petty, Joe Mauldin, Niki Sullivan, Jerry Allison, Sonny West, Bill Tilghman) - 7:18
6. Pleasures Of The Harbor (Phil Ochs) - 6:00
7. Tape From California (Phil Ochs) - 5:10
8. Elvis Medley (Arthur Crudup, Pearl King, Ruth Durand, Joe Robichaux, Tommy Durden, Elvis Presley, Otis Blackwell, Roy Turk, Lou Handman, William Trader) - 10:13
US underground heavy rock sensations Poobah released this very fine sophomore effort U.S. Rock back in 1976, and the folks at Ripple Music are making it available once again, remastered and with 4 bonus tracks, lyrics, and photos. If you haven't heard of this band or discovered their kick ass proto-metal sound, this is as good a place to start as any.
Featuring the stellar guitar skills & vocals of Jim Gustafson, Poobah on this album also included Ken Smetzer (vocals, keyboards), Gene Procopio (drums), and Phil Jones (vocals, bass). Imagine a mix of Mk III & IV Deep Purple, James Gang, Led Zeppelin, Foghat, Cactus, Aerosmith, Trapeze, and Grand Funk Railroad, and you have an idea of the style of this energetic American band. "Flesh Fantasies" and "Pullin' Me Down" are muscular funk metal tracks that wouldn't have sounded out of place on Purple's Stormbringer or Come Taste the Band albums, while "Watch Me" and "Coast to Coast" also find metallic riffing, tasty Hammond organ, and funky grooves forming a whirlwind of sound not unlike classic Trapeze, Deep Purple, James Gang, and the Edgar Winter Group, with a little bluesy boogie ala Cactus. "Let's Rock" is squarely in that Cactus/Foghat boogie zone, and Gustafson's Jimmy Page-meets-Jim McCarty styled licks are absolutely blistering on the hard rocking "Thru These Eyes".
Fans of Uriah Heep will love the crunchy guitar riffs and insistent Hammond organ on the heavy "Crazy", with Gustafson's vocals hitting those high notes like a cross between David Byron and Ian Gillan. "Keep on Rollin' " is a straight forward rocker with catchy hooks and more of these delicious Purple/Heep styled guitar/organ riffs, while "Right Out of the Night" is the albums longest and most prog-rock styled piece, with atmospheric keyboards from Smetzer, emotional vocals, and floating arrangements, bringing to mind Styx or Kansas. Jones takes the lead vocal on the raunchy riff rock of Out of You", the closing track on the album proper that features plenty of wicked guitar work, thick grooves, and tasty Hammond.
The bonus tracks are a lot of fun as well; "Your Way, My Way" is a dreamy prog number with lush string synth washes and a great vocal from Gustafson, "Cold Blooded Lover" a catchy little hard rock tune, the atmospheric "Enjoy What You Have", and a ripping live version of "Steamroller", the semi-legendary title track from Poobah's third album.
Honestly, there were so many great heavy rock/proto-metal bands on the scene back in the '70s who never quite made the big time, many of them nearly as good as the heavyweights who became superstars, and Poobah sit up there very high on that list. This is a fantastic album for any lover of heavy music from the 1970s, so if you didn't discover this one back in 1976, now's your chance to do so.
"Highway" recorded and released in 1974 was the first album of the band. Much similar to other British swamp rockers like Ro Ro, Brian Short, Tennent Morrison and Black Cat Bones. Featuring Ray Minhinnet an exquisite guitarist, not only a marvellous player, but also an expert in guitar history.
Tracks
1. Silver City (Jon Elstar, Will Killeen) - 5:57
2. Song For A Friend (Ray Minhinnet, John Gordon) - 6:44
3. Cajun Queen (John Gordon, Ian Byron, Ray Minhinnet) - 6:08
4. Blinds Me (Jon Elstar) - 4:44
5. Ready! (John Gordon, Jim Hall) - 3:20
6. Down By The Wishing Well (Jon Elstar, Will Killeen) - 5:24
After leaving Rare Bird Mark, Ashton formed a new band, Headstone, together with a great guitarist called Steve Bolton. Steve used to play with Atomic Rooster. They signed a contract with Trident Productions who had already signed a new band called Queen. A great bass player Philip Chen joined who later went on to play with Rod Stewart. We recorded with the same producer of Rare Bird’s first album, John Antony. Headstone made two albums for Trident EMI.
Irish violinist Joe O'Donnell joint also Headstone circa 1975, while in and out of East Of Eden. Joe was a member of The Woods Band. This band folded and Gay & Terry Woods signed to Polydor as a duo. Joe appears on their debut LP "Backwoods", released in 1972. He then joined the fourth, unrecorded lineup of UK folkrock legends the Trees. This was reputedly the most rockin' version of the band. In 1973, Joe replaced Dave Arbus in East Of Eden.
Tracks
1. Eastern Wind - 3:45
2. Warm Sunny Days - 4:52
3. Turn Your Head - 3:53
4. Gyrosame (Steve Bolton) - 3:09
5. Karma (Jerome Rimson) - 3:42
6. Hard Road - 4:21
7. Large Weather We're Having, Lucy (Steve Bolton) - 3:01
8. Searching Light (Steve Bolton) - 3:21
9. Get Through To You - 4:23
10.All I Ask - 3:54
11.Someone's Gotta Give - 6:09
All compositions by Mark Ashton except where indicated
Headstone
*Mark Ashton - Lead Vocals, Acoustic, Electric Guitars
American trio the Poor Boys--Robert Fazio (lead vocals), Thomas Corio (organ, piano, vocals), and Edwin Corliss (percussion, vocals)--released their only album on the Motown-owned Rare Earth label in 1970. ) -- released their only album on the Motown-affiliated Rare Earth label in 1970. Produced by Michael Valvano, who had worked with Stoney and Meat Loaf on Rare Earth and Frijid Pink. This album has all the delicious elements of bubblegum pop, including catchy tunes, cheap organs, fuzz guitar, happy and simple lyrics, falsetto background vocals, etc. It is a pleasant highly complete album.
Tracks
1. Beg Me (Edwin Corlis, Robert Fazio, Thomas Corio) - 3:28
2. Do What You Wanna Do (Michael Valvano) - 2:49
3. Can't Get Back In (Buck Griffin, Michael Valvano, William Ellis) - 3:20
4. Wooden Horse (Buck Griffin, Michael Valvano, William Ellis) - 3:21
5. A Place Called Love (Michael Valvano, Robert Fazio) - 3:09
6. Little Boy Blue (Robert Fazio, Thomas Corio) - 3:00
7. Mary Mary (Edwin Corlis, Robert Fazio, Thomas Corio) - 2:38
8. Rhyme Or Reason (Robert Fazio) - 2:54
9. You Made Your Bed (Now You Lie In It) (Robert Fazio, Thomas Corio) - 3:04
10.I Won't Take No For An Answer (Robert Fazio) - 2:56
11.Let's Do More About Love (Michael Valvano) - 3:19
12.Just Like A Clock (Robert Fazio, Thomas Corio) - 2:24
The Stillroven may be an unknown quantity to most listeners -- even those specializing in '60s music -- but these 18 songs are all well worth hearing for anyone who enjoys not just garage punk music of the era, but also solid mid-'60s pop/rock. Based on what's here, the Stillroven should have had a shot at national exposure and a major-label contract -- an opinion likely shared by anyone favorably inclined toward the type of American band that would cover the music of the early (i.e., pre-psychedelic) Moody Blues.
(Add to that the fact that the Stillroven's rendition of "And My Baby's Gone" -- which was a potential follow-up to their single "Hey Joe" and gives some indication of their range -- is, if anything, more energetic than the Moodies' original.) And their ventures into psychedelia, such as "Cast Thy Burden Upon the Stone," are filled with strange little touches -- the latter melds sitar flourishes and garage punk textures successfully into a compelling whole, with some influences of early Pink Floyd showing up in the second half, totally out of left field. And they do a version of the Small Faces' "Tell Me Have You Ever Seen Me" that is worth the price of admission, coming from a Minnesota-spawned band. They were also able to cover the Yardbirds' psych-pop single "Little Games" with greater enthusiasm than the Yardbirds themselves, and their version has an edge that the original lacked in the verses, even if the break isn't quite as technically bold as what Jimmy Page and company did.
Their version of "(I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone" is also well worth the listening time, familiar as the song is, for the abandon of their execution. And the Stillroven covers of the Rolling Stones and Love material are similarly impressive, showing off different attributes of their musicianship. All through this collection, it's clear that the Stillroven knew how to translate their best musical impulses as well as a lot of creative performance flourishes to their recordings without sacrificing energy or excitement. What the Stillroven lacked was an individual sound that was sufficiently memorable to make a lingering impression, and they might well not have fared too much better than they did, even with some national exposure. But as interpreters, and undoubtedly as a live band, they were first-rate, and this collection does distill that virtue down successfully from more than 50 years back.
by Bruce Eder
Tracks
1. (I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone (Bobby Hart, Tommy Boyce) - 2:29
2. She's My Woman (Dave Dean, John Howarth) - 2:45
3. Hey Joe (Billy Roberts) - 2:39
4. Sunny Day (Dave Dean, John Howarth) - 2:24
5. And My Baby's Gone (Denny Laine, Mike Pinder) - 2:13
6. Little Picture Playhouse (Eric Hine) - 2:05
7. Cast Thy Burden Upon The Stone (Dave Dean) - 2:46
8. Tell Me Have You Ever Seen Me (Ronnie Lane, Steve Marriott) - 2:27
9. Have You Got A Penny (David Stuart Sandler) - 2:38
10.Cheating (Dave Rowberry, Eric Burdon) - 2:51
11.Little Games (Phil Wainman) - 2:27
12.Love Is A Beautiful Thing (Felix Cavaliere, Gene Cornish) - 2:37
13.Under My Thumb (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards) - 2:53
14.Signed D.C (Arthur Lee) - 2:48
15.Come In The Morning (Bob Mosley) - 2:10
16.Necessary Person (Mike O'Gara) - 2:27
17.Tell Me Have You Ever Seen Me (Ronnie Lane, Steve Marriott) - 2:32
18.Freakout (Phil Berdahl, Dave Dean, John Howarth, Dave Berget, Jim Larkin) - 7:01
The Stillroven
*John Howarth - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Phil Berdahl - Drums
*Dave Dean - Keyboard
*Dan Kane - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar (Tracks 1-5, 10-13)
