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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Levon Helm - Electric Dirt (2009 us, classic rock with folk, country, blues and jazz touches)

Rest In Peace Levon Helm (May 26, 1940 – April 19, 2012)

Electric Dirt  is the second album in the last five years (after the 2007 "Dirt Farmer" and followed by the 2011 "Ramble at the Ryman")  from American musical treasure Levon Helm.  Its predecessor, Dirt Farmer, his first solo LP in a quarter century, followed Levon’s near-miraculous recovery from throat cancer, and as such represented a new lease on life for the legendary artist, who rose to prominence as the drummer and vocalist for Levon and the Hawks, which later became The Band.

The accolades poured in after Dirt Farmer’s release in the fall of 2007. “This album is nothing less than a return to form by one of the most soulful vocalists in rock history,” raved the San Francisco Chronicle, reflecting the universal sentiment. Levon was named Artist of the Year by the Americana Music Association, and the album was awarded the 2008 Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Recording. Meanwhile, Rolling Stone hailed Helm’s Midnight Ramble, which takes place monthly at Levon Helm Studios—a.k.a. The Barn—in his longtime home of Woodstock, N.Y., as 2008’s Best Jam Session.

“I’m not surprised that Levon wanted to do another record so quickly,” says multi-instrumentalist Larry Campbell, who, along with Amy Helm, produced Dirt Farmer and who, due to Ms. Helm’s obligations as a new mother, was the sole producer of this project. “It turned out to be a promising relationship as far as he and I were concerned, and a promising situation overall. We all had the sense that Levon’s reemergence was long overdue, and it was downright thrilling to hear him singing again at the Midnight Rambles and during the sessions for the last record, after the possibility of losing that voice forever. For people my age and a little bit older, it was as if the Beatles had gotten back together. That would have been a very important voice to have lost, and to get it back again was monumental.”

The 11 tracks feature the same core crew of Midnight Ramble regulars that played on Dirt Farmer and subsequently hit the road: Helm behind the drum kit, Ollabelle’s Byron Isaacs on bass, Brian Mitchell on keyboards, Campbell on various guitars, fiddle, mandolin, dulcimer and harmony vocals. Backing vocalists Amy Helm of Ollabelle, Levon’s daughter, and Teresa Williams, Campbell’s wife, deepen the album’s “next of kin” vibe. The horn section of the Levon Helm Band appears on four tracks.

Two of the tracks were arranged by the legendary Allen Toussaint with the LHB horns and the other two tracks by trumpet-playing band member Steven Bernstein. Best known for his work with Marianne Faithfull, Lou Reed and Rufus Wainwright, Bernstein is also leader of New York avant-jazz band Sex Mob. So this is a diverse group of skilled musicians united by their feel for and devotion to Helm’s singular vision.

Electric Dirt again finds Levon steeped in tradition in his connection to the land and those who live by it, but this record goes deeper and wider, incorporating gospel, blues and soul elements in a bracing collection of originals and carefully chosen outside songs.

“We knew we couldn’t just remake Dirt Farmer; it had to be something different,” Campbell explains. “Because as great as that record was, as convincing as Levon was and as pure as his impulse was to make it, that’s just one aspect of what he’s about. I knew that we had to keep that vibe but build on it—get more expansive. We wanted to get closer to what we do in the live shows, but not depart too far from that organic thing. Given all that, it was difficult coming up with an actual concept, but as the tunes were collected, it started to present itself. We wanted to get a few tracks with the horns on them, but we didn’t want to hit everybody over the head with that aspect, so it took a lot of thought to come up with tunes and arrangements that wouldn’t alienate the audience that embraced Dirt Farmer. Which meant keeping away from overproduced, slick sounds—not that Levon could ever get close to that—but the idea was to keep it honest.”

A pair of Muddy Waters tunes, “Stuff You Gotta Watch” and “You Can’t Lose What You Ain’t Never Had,” was actually cut during the Dirt Farmer sessions, although they perfectly fit the vibe of Electric Dirt. “Initially, there was some discussion about doing a straight-ahead blues record, but that ain’t right because that’s changing what the last record was, not expanding on it. There is a blues feel to some of the performances, and the blues is a part of what Levon is as well. But the objective was to just present more of his depth as an artist.”

Electric Dirt’s numerous high points start right at the top, with a rousing rendition of the Grateful Dead’s “Tennessee Jed.” Campbell and Williams spent a good part of 2008 on the road with Dead bassist Phil Lesh, including some shows on which Helm and Lesh appeared together. “There was some real comradeship going on,” Campbell points out, “so we thought, wouldn’t it be great if we could find a Grateful Dead tune that Levon could do? ‘Tennessee Jed’ was always one of my favorite Dead songs, and I thought Levon could actually be Tennessee Jed. And it fit like a glove.”

Following a fervent take on the Staples Singers’ “Move Along Train,” which finds Levon breaking out his gospel roots, comes Helm and Campbell’s “Growing Trade,” which takes an empathetic look at the plight of a Southern small-farm owner. “My wife is from west Tennessee,” says Campbell, “and there are cotton farmers down there about to lose their places. Most of them are just church-going farmers with deep, moral convictions, but they’ve realized that the most important thing for them is to save the land which has been in their families for generations. And Levon has a deep understanding of what all that means, so he brought a wonderful perspective to the song and performance.”

The ancient-sounding mountain ballad “Golden Bird,” on which Campbell’s mournful fiddling deepens the melancholy of Helm’s vocal, was actually written by seminal Woodstock folk artist Happy Traum. Along with Carter Stanley’s “White Dove,” the song forms a bridge between the rustic intimacy of Dirt Farmer and the amped-up urgency of Electric Dirt. “Heaven’s Pearls,” penned by Byron Isaacs for Ollabelle, originally appeared on the group’s Campbell-produced 2006 album Riverside Battle Songs. “Amy had the idea that it would be a really good duet with Levon,” says Campbell. “So we started messin’ with that, and sure enough, it worked great.”

“I Wish I Knew How It Feels to Be Free,” whom Helm had been itching to tackle since hearing Nina Simone’s 1967 version, is at once rousing and deeply poignant in his horn-fueled interpretation. It ends the album on a fittingly life-embracing note.

Levon, says Campbell, “is in great spirits as he gets more and more comfortable with his resurgence. And the next one will be even bigger.” He’s laughing, but that doesn’t mean he or his legendary collaborator would settle for anything less. Campbell is speaking for himself and everyone involved when he adds, “This is very much a labor of love.”
Levon Helm Official 

Tracks
1. Tennessee Jed (Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter) - 5:58
2. Move Along Train (Roebuck Staples) - 3:22
3. Growing Trade (Levon Helm, Larry Campbell) - 4.22
4. Golden Bird (Happy Traum) - 5:11
5. Stuff You Gotta Watch (Muddy Waters) - 3:38
6. White Dove (Carter Stanley) - 3:29
7. Kingfish (Randy Newman) - 4:24
8. You Can’t Lose What You Ain’t Never Had (Muddy Waters) - 4:01
9. When I Go Away (Larry Campbell) - 4:32
10.Heaven’s Pearls (Anthony Leone, Byron Isaacs, Fiona McBain, Amy Helm, Glenn Patscha) - 4:09
11.I Wish I Knew How it Would Feel To Be Free (Richard Carroll Lamp, Willy E. Taylor) - 3:25

Musicians
*Levon Helm - Drums, Mandolin, Vocals
*Amy Helm -  Guitar, Mandolin, Vocals
*Teresa Williams - Autoharp, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
*Larry Campbell - Dulcimer, Fiddle, Acoustic, Electric Guitar, Horn Arrangements, Mandolin, Vocals
*Jay Collins - Tenor Sax, Vocals
*Clark Gayton - Trombone, Tuba
*Byron Isaacs - Bass, Vocals
*Howard Johnson - Tuba
*Erik Lawrence - Soprano, Baritone Sax
*Brian Mitchell - Accordion, Harmonium, Organ, Piano
*George Recile - Vocals
*Catherine Russell - Vocals
*Allen Toussaint - Horn Arrangements
*Jimmy Vivino - Electric Guitar, Organ
*Steven Bernstein - Cornet, Horn, Horn Arrangements, Trumpet

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The Kingsmen - The Best Of (1963-67 us, trailblazer garage beat, Rhino Vinyl release)

"Louie, Louie" by the Kingsmen, the undisputed garage-rock hit song of all time, was still charting nationwide that first week in February 1964 when the Beatles landed at Kennedy Airport. Although the Beatles were spearheading a major British Invasion of America's radio airwaves, the Kingsmen successfully held their own. Between 1963 and 1967, at least 11 of the Kingsmen's singles and 5 of their LPs made Billboard magazine's charts.

These discs were a non-stop series of some of the loudest, rawest, and funnest rockin' radio hits ever. The Kingsmen emerged from their Portland, Oregon garage in 1959, around the same time that the world was first being introduced to the developing Northwest Rock Sound. The Seattle/Tacoma based combos; the Waiters, the Frantics, Little Bill & the Bluenotes, and the Ventures each scored on the national charts with their debut releases. The Kingsmen originally formed as a 4-piece unit: Jack Ely, (vocals/guitars), Lynn Easton, (drums), Mike Mitchell, (guitar), Bob Nordby, (bass) They performed popular standards and their favorite raunchy Top-40 tunes at local supermarket grand openings and school sockhops.

In the fall of '62, the Kingsmen lured Don Gallucci, keyboards), away from another Portland band, Gentleman Jim & the Horsemen. Just prior to this, Ely acquired a copy of "Louie, Louie" by the Wallers, a cover of Richard Berry's 1956 underground R&B hit. This version featured the Waller's raving vocalist, Rockin' Robin Roberts, (with his patented "yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah's..."), and it raced up the charts in 1961 on KJR. Seattle's then-mighty rock 'n' roll radio station. That achievement and the disc's five digit sales figures offered simple statistical evidence of the Pacific Northwest region's undying fondness for the song. It also bolstered the local tradition for rockin' R&B combos to feature the song nightly at dances.

The Kingsmen adopted it and began employing the song as an extended showstopper finale. When a local disc jockey, Ken Chase, hired the Kingsmen to open his new teen club, The Chase, and noticed the young crowd's wild reaction to "Louie, Louie", he booked the band into a downtown Portland studio. "Louie, Louie" and an original instrumental number, "Haunted House", were cut quickly in March 1963 for thirty-eight legendary dollars.

When DJ's at station KISN in Portland began broadcasting this "Louie, Louie," Seattle record mogul Jerry Dennon took notice and signed the boys up, releasing their first single on his fledgling Jerden label. Such was the early '60's Northwest teendance scene, that many of the working combos shared a core of the same songs in their sets. So, it made perfect sense for a crosstown rival band, Paul Revere & the Raiders, to enter that very same studio, that very same week, in order to record their version of "Louie, Louie." These two bands battled it out on Portlands charts all through that summer.

The Kingsmen's chaotic version with it's manic lead guitar solo, insane cymbal crashes, generally slurred and unintelligable lyrics, as well as that famous faffed third verse, rose to about #20. The Raider's good, though comparatively tame, sax-based rendition went on to get them signed as the firci rock n' rot! group on Columbia Record's talent roster. Eastca meanwhile had been devising other schemes; he had secretly recistered himself as the legal owner of the Kingsmen's name and he nac aiso taken up the saxophone. Finally at a rehearsal in late August, he dropped his bombshell; he would now be taking over as their frontman/vocalist.

Needless to say, the guys were stunned. It was, however, a bloodless coup as both Ely and Nordby opted to quit and Gary Abbott, (drums), and Norm Sundholm, (bass), were recruited from local bands. Only weeks later, Easton was phoned by some college students in the deep south who were curious about the garbled lyrics within "Louie, Louie" and they wondered whether it was true that they could be deciphered if slowed down to 33 1/3 RPM.

The Kingsmen were initially humored by these outlandish rumors, but before long the news networks were filing reports from New Orleans, Florida, Michigan and elsewhere about an American public nearly hysterical over the possible dangers of this record. When ace Boston DJ, Arnie "Woo Woo" Ginsburg of station WMEX, received word that the Governor of Illinois was preparing to ban it, he immediately set the tune into heavy rotation on his show. He apparently reasoned that it might not appear proper if the song were to be outlawed in another area before staid ol' Boston could have its chance.

The New York based R&B label, Wand Records, jumped in, reissued the disc, and 21,000 copies were sold that first week in Boston alone. As "Louie, Louie" began to saturate every radio market a frenzy began building, the rumor mills were working overtime, and ugly record burning incidents reportedly occurred. A congressional subcommittee took an interest, the FBI payed the band a visit, and both Ely and Berry ended up being summoned by the FCC to make statements regarding the song's lyrical content. "Louie, Louie" entered the Billboard charts in November '63, charted for 16 weeks (resting in the Nation's #1 position for two solid weeks), and would go on to sell probably 10 million copies worldwide.

The Kingsmen embarked in late December on a whirlwind three week tour for the William Morris Agency. Soon after returning home, Abbott was replaced by Dick Peterson and Barry Curtis joined because Gallucci was stuck in high school and wasn't free to tour. By the spring of '64, various concert promoters were urging Ely to form his own Kingsmen because Easton's crew was experiencing a bit of trouble on the road; people had begun to question whether Easton's was the same voice as the hit record. Jack Ely and his Kingsmen began booking shows but eventually the two groups would end up facing off in court.

A settlement was reached: Ely would desist from making further bookings as the Kingsmen, but any future pressings of 'Louie Louie" would have to credit Ely as the vocalist, and Easton was bar rec from lip-syncing to Ely's original vocal on TV appearances. In March 1964, the Kingsmen's second single, a cover of Barret: Strong's 1960Top-40 smash "Money" was released, and it charted foil weeks. The Kingsmen began four years of endless concerts, roac tours, dances, and appearances on all the teen set TV shows: Shindig. Hullaballoo, Shlvaree, Shebang, Where The Action Is, and others.

They also performed the title track and the tough "Give Her Lovin'" in what was perhaps the zaniest of Annette's surf in' flicks, How To Stuff A Wild Bikini. In January '65, the Kingsmen's fifth single, "The Jolly Greer Giant," a novelty tune based on a well-known frozen vegetable company's popular animated trademark character, created yet another mild controversy. "The Jolly Green Giant," boosted by all the attending publicity, charted for 12 weeks, peaked at the Nation's #4 spot, and became the Kingsmen's second best seller.

The disc's flipside, "Long Green," became a regional standard that was covered by numerous Northwest bands and, in fact, Jimmy "Sugar Shack" Gilmer & The Fireballs created a minor national hit version of it in 1969. Don & The Gopdtimes, Gallucci's newly formed band, burst out in '65 with a scorching original, "Little Sally Tease," a song that the Kingsmen promptly covered with a fullblown studio effort. "Little Latin Lupe Lu" ('64), "Death Of An Angel" ('64), one of their contributions to the dance-craze-of-the-week fad, "The Climb" ('65), and other hits kept the Kingsmen charting regularly through November 1967.

The Kingsmen experienced further personnel changes, brought in new producers, and booked recording sessions in Hollywood. By this time, the era's psychedelic influences began to shade some of their recordings: "I Guess I Was Only Dreaming," "Just Before The Break Of Day." These final Wand label releases were, perhaps, just a little too experimental and did not meet with the same massive commercial success that the Kingsmen's previous teen R&B outings had. The Kingsmen finally abdicated their throne in 1968 and went into a self-imposed musical exile.

Meanwhile, "Louie, Louie," the song that couldn't be stopped, made a remarkable re-entry onto the Billboard charts for a couple of weeks in mid-1966 and Jack Ely & The Courtmen, now signed to a major label, released spirited rewrites such as "Louie, Louie '66," and "Love That Louie." The phenomenal impact of the Kingsmen's classic cut remains undiminished and its legend grows. In the 1978 movie Animal House, the late John Belushi gave a memorable performance leading a debauched frathouse party in a hilarious slurred sing-a-long with the Kingsmen's record. Then in 1979, the English Mod group, The Who, also paid tribute by including the Kingsmen's "Louie, Louie" in the soundtrack to their film Quadrophenia.

Tracks
1. Louie, Louie (Richard Berry) - 2:42
2. Money (That's What I Want) (Janie Bradford, Berry Gordy Jr.) - 2:16
3. Little Latin Lupe Lu (Bill Medley) - 2:21
4. Death of an Angel  (Daniel Woods, Dori Woods) - 2:30
5. The Jolly Green Giant (Lynn Easton, Don "Sugarcane" Harris, Dewey Terry) - 1:56
6. The Climb (Lynn Easton) - 2:25
7. Annie Fanny (Lynn Easton) - 2:01
8. Give Her Lovin' (Lynn Easton) - 1:44
9. Long Green (Lynn Easton) - 2:30
10.That's Cool, That's Trash (Steve Barri, P.F. Sloan) - 2:15
11.Genevieve (Huey "Piano" Smith) - 2:36
12.Killer Joe (Bob Elgin, Bill Medley, Bert Russell) - 2:15
13.Little Sally Tease (Jim Valley) - 2:55
14.Trouble (Joe Levine, Arthur Resnick) - 2:21

The Kingsmen
*Jack Ely - Vocals, Guitars
*Lynn Easton - Drums
*Mike Mitchell - Guitar
*Bob Nordby - Bass
*Don Gallucci - Keyboards
*Gary Abbott - Drums
*Norm Sundholm - Bass
*Dick Peterson - Drums
*Barry Curtis - Keyboards

1962-67  The Kingsmen - Louie Louie The Best Of (2008 Repertoire release)

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The Count Bishops - Speedball Plus 11 (1975 multinational, powerful boogie pub rock)

The Count Bishops had formed in June of 1975 from the remnants of a group called Chrome. Rhythm guitarist Zenon de Fleur (aka Hierowski) and New York emigrant and vocalist Mike Spenser, via an advert in Melody Maker, brought in Australian drummer Paul Balbi, and, all the way from Hatfield on bass, Steve Lewins. Paul had not long arrived from the Antipodes, where he had been playing in several bands, and Steve had come directly from the acoustic Spaniel Mountain - now there's a name to conjure with.

Before leaving his native New York, Mike had been in a band called the Kingbees with Johnny Guitar (guitar). In July he had been persuaded to come to London on the promise of a record deal, with an, as yet, non-existent label, and a full date book in the pubs of London: faith is a wonderful thing. The band were named after a New York street gang by Mike.

Up until now the "Speedball" EP has been the only material available from these sessions, and indeed the only Count Bishops record with Mike Spenser as vocalist. In early 1976 Mike departed after a contretemps with a plate glass window, the last in a series of confrontations with inanimate objects that led to the band requesting his departure. He went on to form London's premier garage band, The Cannibals.

The band continued through one album and single for a Dutch label, Dynamite Records, without replacing Mike, before cutting their first Chiswick album with Australian chanter Dave Tice. Shortly after this Steve Lewins moved on to the Wilko Johnson band. With the addition of Pat McMullen on bass the band went on to release a further two albums for Chiswick. They finally disbanded after the tragic death of Zenon in 1979 from injuries received in a car wreck.

This CD consists of the original EP, released on 28th November 1975, exactly 20 years ago, plus the rest of the material recorded at the Pathway sessions, and two cuts from a previous session at [future Stiff Records' bossman] Dave Robinson's studio above the Hope & Anchor pub, with a slightly different line up.

As mentioned in the sleeve note to the Chiswick Story, 'Walking The Dog' and 'I'm A Man' were cut at these sessions, with the former's bass line registering it unuseable (note that Steve Lewins was not on this session). Since then the multi-track tape has surfaced, confirming my fragile remembrance of the 'Walking The Dog' story, and featuring two cuts of Tm A Man', as well as two cuts of 'I Want Candy' and several attempts at Otis Redding's 'I've Got Dreams To Remember', with seriously fractured lead vocal.

Original mix downs of Tm A Man' and 'I Want Candy' have also surfaced, and close this CD. The version of 'I Want Candy' is interesting since it pre-dates by 3 years the Bishops single (NS 37/CHIS 101). The version of Tm A Man' is via Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters' 'Mannish Boy' and incongruously David Bowie's The Jean Genie'. In hindsight The Count Bishops "Speedball" EP is a link between the pub rock of the early 70s and the punk rock that arrived snarling and kicking a year later.

Though based on the early Rolling Stones recordings, the Count Bishops revved up their punky R&B approach and whizzed through the songs at breakneck speed. In fact at a Count Bishops gig Upstairs At Ronnie's, Malcolm McLaren once bent my ear for a good deal of the evening as to whether Mike Spenser was the man he had been looking for to front the new group he was putting together. Cheeky bugger - trying to nick the lead singer of our only act.
by Roger Armstrong, 1995

Tracks
1. Route 66 (Troup) - 2:57
2. I Ain't Got You (Carter, Carter) - 1:50
3. Beautiful Delilah (Berry) - 2:08
4. Teenage Letter (Richard) - 2:25
5. Cry to Me (Russell) - 3:40
6. Buzz Me Babe (Moore, West) - 2:55
7. Sweet Little Sixteen (Berry) - 2:47
8. Honey I Need (Button, Smithling, Taylor) - 2:11
9. Carol (Berry) - 2:37
10.Don't Start Crying Now  (Moore, West) - 2:02
11.Mercy Mercy (Covay, Miller) - 3:00
12.Reelin' and Rockin' (Berry) - 3:14
13.Down the Road a Piece (Raye) - 2:49
14.I'm a Man (Diddley) - 3:42
15.I Want Candy (Berns, Feldman, Goldstein, Gottehrer) - 3:13

The Count Bishops
*Johnny Guitar - Guitar, Vocals
*Paul Balbi - Drums
*Steve Lewins - Bass
*Zenon De Fleur - Guitar Vocals

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The Factory - The Complete Recordings (1968 uk, excellent psych freak beat, 1996 Vinyl issue)

Whatever the sixties will be remembered for, be it Mods against Rockers, the pill, mini-skirts or the beginning of the youth revolution, what probably had more impact was the drug culture and psychedelia. Even the Beatles lost their family appeal after Bob Dylan turned them on with a cigarette that was stronger than Capstan full strength.

Mods grew their hair long as they also grew in age to slow down from their years of popping pills as proved by The Small Faces who told us "Here Comes The Nice" and led us into "Itchycoo Park" on a Lazy Sunday Afternoon". International Times let others know that others knew as the Furry Freak Brothers and Timothy Leary shared a common bond.

The doors of perception were open as were the minds of those who ventured underground. I first met Damon Lyon Shaw in 1965 when I joined IBC studios in London. He had already been there two years and had worked with The 'Stones and The Kinks. Eventually he went on to record The Who's "Tommy", The 'Stones "Got Live If You Want It", The Small Faces, Cream, Radar Love, Status Quo and The Factory! I worked cutting masters and was lucky enough to cut the first Jimi Hendrix releases as well as The Who's "Live At Leeds", We were having a great time every day, and getting paid for it, but we felt the urge to put our experience into production and so we had to find a band... I didn't really know what I was doing at a party in Surrey.

As a North Londoner, I hardly ventured south of the Thames, but there I was and there I met a 17 year old guitarist who bent my ear about a band he was in. Ian Gates was one of those young kids who looked like he was in a band and when he found out which part of London I came from he told me they were playing near there the following Saturday. It wasn't that far from where I lived and his enthusiasm saw me promising to turn up. "What are you called" I asked. "The Factory"... I did go and what I saw was a trio that were raw and gutsy as they laid into Hendrix and Cream numbers while strobe lightning seemed to freeze their every movement.

That was it, I had found the band we were looking for and it took no time to fix up a session in the studio. 16 year old drummer Bill MacLeod and 21 year old Jack Brand on bass soon adapted to the discipline of working in a studio, while Ian played as if he was a session musician. "Path Through The Forest” (taken from a demo sent in by a writer now long since lost in the mists of time) was their debut single but this was not released in it's original intended form.

We had wanted to add effects but someone from the record company straightened his tie and said no. A few good reviews and no plays on national radio saw the band going back to playing in and around town as we planned the next session with the boys. This was at a time when "San Francisco (Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair)" was top of the charts as a song that was supposed to be representing all those turned on freaks. I first heard "Try A Little Sunshine" while listening to my friend John Pantry's demos.

It was summer and everyone was trying some. The message was clear even to befuddled minds as a trip to Kew Gardens became a pleasant Sunday afternoon, "Listen, can you hear the sounds of love?" he asked, as he stared at the setting sun. The title was enough to put off the BBC from playing the single and once again we were left with just a good record. The man in the tie buttoned up his suit and went home! As well as another Pantry original "Red Chalk Hill" Factory recorded covers of Fairport Convention's "Mr. Lacey" and Paul Revere & The Raiders' "Gone".

Other cover songs that the band recorded included "So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star" and "Second Generation Woman" - both of which I sang lead vocals on, a fact that has remained a secret until now. Only the latter has survived to be included on this disc. The Summer came and went and disenchantment grew within the band. Then they were gone, each to find their own niche in the music business as playing for fun became lost in their search for a more secure future. In a short time they had released two classic singles, (augmented here with two rare demos) and we were to move on to our next project, Five Day Rain.

But time was no barrier and years later The Factory received the recognition that was denied all those years ago. Not so long ago I received a package of old tapes and acetates from another engineer who used to work at IBC. His name is Denis Blackham and he is known in the mastering world as "Bilbo". A few days before this we had been talking on the 'phone about Factory and he reminded me of the original version that we never finished.

Over the years the tape of the effects that we both played around with were lost but he said he thought he still had an acetate of what we intended to use on the final mix. He was right and using the latest studio equipment we managed to recreate "Path Through The Foresf exactly as we intended it to be. It took 25 years to get the original version on vinyl so take a path through the forest, try a little sunshine and you'll be there.
by Brian Carroll - 1996

Tracks
1. Path Through The Forest (Original Version) (Pat Rollings) - 4:18
2. Gone (M. Lindsay, T. Melcher) - 3:16
3. Mr. Lacey (A. Hutchings) - 2:57
4. Try A Little Sunshine (J. Pantry) - 3:50
5. Red Chalk Hill  (J. Pantry) - 3:33
6. Second Generation Woman (R. Grech) - 3:10
7. Path Through The Forest (Previously Unreleased Version) (Pat Rollings) - 4:52
Vocals on track #6 by Brian Carroll.

The Factory
*Bill MacLeod - Drums
*Ian Oates - Lead Guitar
*Jack Brand  - Vocals, Bass Guitar

Related Act
1970 Five Day Rain

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Floating Bridge - Floating Bridge (1969 us, awesome heavy blues psych)

Guitarist Rich Dangel had been a member of The Wailers, as well as the lesser known The Rooks and a late incarnation of The Time Machine.   Following The Time Machine's collapse in 1967 Dangel and bass player Joe Johnson decided to form their own band.  Recruiting guitarist Joe Johansen and drummer Michael Marinelli the result was The Unknown Factor.  Serving as a for-hire backing band, the quartet worked with local acts such as Patti Allen and Ron Holden.

In 1968 they added former Punch singer Pat Gossan to the lineup.  They quickly scored a deal becoming the house band at Seattle's Eagle Auditorium and attracted considerable attention as one of the acts performing at the 1968 Sky River Rock Festival.  The resulting publicity saw them sign a contract with the L.A. based Vault Records.   The group subsequently debuted with a dandy 1968 single 'Brought Up Wrong' b/w 'Watch Your Step' (Vault catalog number V-947).

While the single did little commercially, it attracted enough attention for Vault to finance a follow-on album.  Released in 1969 the cleverly titled "Floating Bridge" teamed the band with producer Jackie Mills.  Musically the set offered up a standard mix of originals and popular covers, but the results were killer throughout. With Dangel, Johnson and Gossan responsible for most of the original material, tracks like 'Brought Up Wrong', the earlier single 'Watch Your Step', and 'Three Minute & Ten Second Blues' sported a distinctively heavy, Hendrix-inspired sound.

Propelled by Gossan's likeable voice and Dangel and Johansen's twin leads extended guitar rave-ups like 'Crackpot' and their Byrds/Stones instrumental medley should strike a chord with the two hard rock fans out there reading this.  Elsewhere another 'Hey Jude' cover wouldn't have sounded like the year's most imaginative move, but these guys managed to pull it off.

Envision the song redone as an instrumental with a heavy edge that would have sounded good on an early Allman Brothers album ... one of the most impressive Beatles covers I've ever heard.  In fact the only real disappointment is the routine bluesy closer 'Gonna' Lay Down 'n Die'.  Much better than the standard references would have you think (and surprisingly hard to find in decent shape).
Bad-Cat

Tracks
1. Crackshot (Rich Dangel, Joe Johnson,  Pat Gossan) - 7:00
2. Hey Jude (Instrumental) (John Lennon,  Paul McCartney) - 6:12
3. Watch Your Step (Rich Dangel,  Joe Johnson , Pat Gossan) - 4:00
4. Three Minute & Ten Second Blues (Pat Gossan) - 3:10
5. Brought Up Wrong (Rich Dangel, Pat Gossan) - 3:47
6. Medley: - 5:35
....a. Eight Miles High (Instrumental) (Gene Clark, Roger McGuinn)
....b. Paint It Black (Instrumental) (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards)
7. You've Got the Power (Rich Dangel, Pat Gossan) - 3:40
8. Gonna' Lay Down 'n Die (Rich Dangel, Joe Johnson, Pat Gossan, Joe Johansen, Michael Marinelli) - 7:26

Floating Bridge
*Rich Dangel - Lead Guitar
*Pat Gossan - Vocals
*Joe Johansen - Lead Guitar
*Joe Johnson - Bass
*Michael Marinelli -- Drums, Percussion

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Family - Anyway (1970 uk, extraordinary progressive rock with folk shades, bonus tracks edition)

"Well Anyway". Imagine the scene as in a stoned dressing room haze, the conversation has just gone on a tangent, to the point of no return. The time honoured way back to reality was to utter the immortal lines; "Well anyway!" Family violinist Willy Weider was apparently a master of the phrase and in the fullness of time the album title was born. In many respects "Anyway" is the kind of album that encapsulates the highs and lows, and both the magical moments and frustrations of a band that refused to be ordinary.

As with the its predecessor, "A Song For Me", "Anyway" offers a few gems amongst some interesting studio material, and on the edge live performances. Some songs such as "Part Of The Load", are career highlights while other such as "Good News - Bad News" and "Holding The Compass" are the best album cuts, while the live take of "Strange Band" made its debut prior to being recorded as part of a three track, chart bound EP The live bonus tracks give a meaningful insight to an inspired live band who enjoyed nothing better than stretching out.

Often described as uneven, on balance "Anyway" appears to be a continuum of ideas, and adventure, crammed into a jazzed up heavy duty, jagged sounding Folk Rock idiom. The obvious focal point is Chapman's rasping throaty growl, but there are other major musical building blocks such as Charlie Whitney's crashing chords, Rob Townsend's cymbal splashes and percussive rhythm patterns, Poll's unique use of vibes, flute and Maestro effects box and of course the majestic violin of John Weider. On top of that, unlike on previous studio efforts when the band had gone into the studio to record material they had worked on the road, the Fairfield Halls recording consisted of 4 tracks that they had only just written.

As Charlie Whitney explains; "We just went for it at the time. We were performing songs as a one off, when really what we should have done was record maybe 5 or 6 gigs and picked the best of the bunch. But we didn't really want to re- issue old stuff again, so it boiled down to the four songs on the album." Poli remembers the fraught circumstances of the recording. "/ don't think we even had time to rehearse the songs, we just bluffed our way though.

The engineer George Chkiantz was going to set up the recording gear in the back room, but the fans were already coming in before the gear arrived! He had arranged for an 8 track I think, and finally by the tine all the flight cases arrived, we didn't really have time to do anything." If the old maxim that you can smell the audience reaction, is anything to go by then by the time of "Strange Band", the band had hit their stride. That's not to say the live set offers any half measures.

The opening "Good News - Bad News" is a characteristically dynamic piece that somehow manages to encompass Charlie's crashing chords, Chapman's unique vocal phrasing and bleat and some almost introspective acoustic passages, and Poll's subtlety distorted vibes, courtesy of his Maestro gizmo. And all this was stretched over the kind of stop start rhythm that made Family so unique. The contrast between the heavy choruses and light verses is more pronounced than ever.

Poli says it was sometimes a case of; "belting the audience over the head in the live situation, and then sometimes going to the opposite extreme, by getting them to strain their ears to hear". .-MI of this could happen in one song. "Good News - Bad News" is a glorious example of Family at their most uncompromising and it's a fine album opener. In contrast, the gentle "Willow Tree" sounds almost like light relief. The band meanwhile still had things to sort out moments before they were to record the new song live.

Poli again; "On that number there was another little thing we had to sort out. Charlie had swapped to bass and John Weider was on violin and on the gig they would use the same amp. When it came to mixing it down, we didn't have a great sound. There were 8 tracks to play with and with two of the instruments going into one Marshall stack, you ended up with nothing on one track. So we had to mix both instruments on to one track "Willow Tree" was a moody piece anyway, but it could obviously have been better." "Holding The Compass" is a prime example of Chapman's unique way of phrasing.

A completely new song, "Compass" doesn't really benefit from a strong chorus, and the metre doesn't lend itself to instant recall, but by the time Chapman has delivered the chorus "Holding the compass ain't the way I've got to roam, you know it takes me straight home" and he's repeated a few words, you are hooked. Significantly the number has made a re-appearance in Chapman's recent trimmed down "semi unplugged" band along side other folky material such as Weavers Answer". ''When we played it live, we had hardly rehearsed it", says Rob Townsend. "Me and Charlie were standing in the wings waiting to go on, and I said, what shall we do? Charlie said "Holding The Compass", We'd hardly played it, and of course Charlie's attitude was 'you'll get it, don't worry.

In the event I only ended up playing tambourine and bass drum on it. The point is the chaotic live recording worked out OK, but it was typical of the band. We'd always try something new and not worry about it, and then move on to something else." "Strange Band", announced as the new single is classic Family and features probably the only vibes solo on a Rock hit record. Set against Welder's harsh violin and some bruising chords, Chapman bleats out the usual eclectic lyrics with harshness that recalls "Drowned in Wine".

The music is hard hitting, and audience reaction suggests Chapman was in his frenzy mode. As ever with Family there are no half measures and there's a palpable sense of relief in the climactic Chapman scream at the conclusion. Lovely stuff! If anything the studio material is a step forward for the band. "Part of The Load" sounded great at the time, and in hindsight was to become one of Family's highlights. The gentle bass intro, vibed chords, and Chapman's bleat are completely unique.

The live bonus track version comes in at nearly double the original recorded time, and finds the band in jam mode with two guitar breaks the second of which comes close to Zappa in both tone and style. Chapman throws in an exclamatory wail and the whole thing comes back to the verse. The lyrics are an original take on life on the road, and perfectly complements the fractured stop-time music. "Part of The Load" was written when we were in the States", explains Roger. "It's the usual stuff about the boredom of being on the road, about the moodies you throw, the people you miss etc.

The song was about coping with that and owning up to the fact that it's part of the job." Both versions are superb and show the band at the top of their game. The title track is an altogether different affair being almost a return to the sound experimentation found on "A Song For Me". Essentially an acoustic piece with an eastern flavour that is in part reminiscent to the acoustic feel of Led Zeppelin, "Anyway" is also full of strange percussion. "We recorded at Olympic studios", explains Poli. "It was a big place that also did cinematic stuff. So there was a full cinema screen for the conductor and someone had hired in some weird things that we decided to use. The percussion effects on that track were done by Boo Bams, sort of conga type things, but tuned congas as vibes, They had a piano keyboard about 6 inches wide, to be played like congas, but they are actual notes. I was halfway down the stairwell with the boo bams", laughs Poll. "/ think Charlie and Roger started the thing as a simple tune on guitars, Rob added congas and we continued to put colours on the top of it. That's what you do as a band as you grow and develop, you add tonal colours, and different layers." And so we come to the instrumental "Normans". Firstly the title. ":Norman" is the term used by a member of the band who didn't like a person or thing.

More specifically Roger explains; "We were on the Al going to a gig and stopped at a small place, a wooden shack. They wouldn't let us play the games in the place because we weren't members. The guy who ran the place was called Norman. Weider also ate Pali's food on one occasion when the waiter asked who's is this?" This in turn became known as "Doing a Norman", and later it also became "A Cup of Norman's" (tea). The tea of course was crap, so the name stuck." The actual piece is a jovial affair enjoying a recurring Weider's fiddle led, waltz time signature with middling piano. "/ think we decided that everyone was to solo on that, even Roger", says Poli. "There was a sort of classical part, flute and piano parts and even Chappo's part on the outro which was a sort of "lala " yodel at the end. We all wanted to try something. I think "Normans" is the sort of piece that made Family unique, in that we were always trying new stuff". The instrumental cuts straight into a Neil Young "Harvest" style groove, before settling for a kitchen sink and all, kind of suite. Essentially an anti war song, the piece labours over three major passages before settling into a melodic conclusion.

As a concluding piece to the original album, "Songs & Ladies" - reprised complete with extended guitar outing on the live bonus track, is one of a handful of tracks that come in as near misses. Overall the live-recorded debut of four new songs was as extremely adventurous as it was the typical taking of a risk by a band that knew no artistic boundaries. The bonus cut of "Strange Band" has a rough at the edges live feel with Chappo's vocals mixed well to the fore and the lyrics are for once distinguishable.

Weider weighs in with more violin, Poli adds vibes, and this nicely ragged version shows what a great live band Family were. The following nine and a half minute jam on "Part Of The Load" is bliss for any Family fan as the extended piece offers a chance for everyone in the band to stretch out. The closing version of "Lives And Ladies" benefits from a tougher mid number section on which Charlie and Poli build up a head of steam as they swap guitar and piano lines. More significantly for the future, Roger brings a mix of delicate emotion, pith and pathos to the lyrics, through his growing ability to phrase.

Where once he would attack a piece belligerantly, on this bonus version of "Lives And Ladies" he suggests he's maturing as a vocalist by occasionally holding back on his delivery, and teasing out the nuances through his vocal swoops. While "Lives" may not be one of the fans favourite songs, it was an attempt at greater coherence, that was to find fruition in the following year. For the best was just about to come in the shape of "Fearless".
by Pete Feenstra

Tracks
1. Good News-Bad News - 8:06
2. Willow Tree - 4:39
3. Holding the Compass - 4:28
4. Strange Band - 3:34
5. Part of the Load - 4:41
6. Anyway - 3:28
7. Normans (Palmer, Weider, Whitney) - 4:21
8. Lives and Ladies - 6:35
9. Strange Band (Alternative Live Version) - 2:31
10.Part of the Load - 9:43
11.Lives and Ladies - 8:03
All songs by Roger Chapman and Charlie Whitney except track #7.

Family
*Roger Chapman - Vocals, Percussion
*Charlie Whitney - Electric, Acoustic Guitars, Bass
*John Weider - Acoustic Guitar, Bass,
*Poli Palmer - Percussion, Keyboards,, Vibes
*Rob Townsend - Drums, Percussion

More Family
1967/69 Music in a Doll's House / Family Entertainment 

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Green - Green (1969 us, great texas psych rock)

Like many bona fide lost classics, Green is still largely shrouded in mystery. It sold badly on its original release (in the spring of 1969, on Atlantic subsidiary Atco), and still hasn't received its due as one of the most imaginative psych-pop albums of the period.

Certain members were from Denton, Texas, while Richard Gardzina (now a distinguished saxophonist and flautist) hailed from Manchester, New Hampshire. The group are thought to have coalesced at North Texas State University, and recorded four songs as demos in a local studio, an acetate of which has recently surfaced (included here as bonus material). It shows them to have been a superbly tight unit well before they got to cut an album.

Their eventual debut, produced by veteran songwriter and composer Fred Darian, reflects little of the crazed psychedelia of fellow Texan musical travellers like the 13th Floor Elevators and the Golden Dawn. If anything, it's more Englishinfluenced, a taut collection of acid pop tunes set to distorted guitar and taut horn arrangements that complement, rather than swamp, the material.

Though four separate band members are credited with contributing brass to the record, selfindulgence is entirely avoided in favour of complex arrangements that consistently take unexpected turns. This means that, like many other neglected gems, the album reveals itself best on repeated listening. The songs veer from the mellow ballads Sunrise #7 and Footprints In The Snow to the hard psychedelic Green and Eastern-tinged Where Have I Been?', and - though most feature an impressive range of instruments - they are never cluttered.

Ultimately, however, the band's very breadth of talent may have damaged their chances of commercial success, for the album sank without trace. Its follow-up, 1971's To Help Somebody (also on Atco) was less focused (though still impressive in parts) and didn't sell either, prompting the band to fall apart. It is to be hoped that this first CD reissue will help to shed more light on the story behind this widely-admired LP.

Tracks
1. To Be (John Martin) - 2:52
2. Where Have I Been? (John Martin) - 3:10
3. Sunrise # 7 (Wilson Fisher) - 3:37
4. Just Try (John Martin) - 2:13
5. Sparkle (John Martin) - 2:20
6. Green (Wilson Fisher, Gary Casebeer, Bobby Blood, Richard Gardzina, John Martin) - 3:24
7. Footprints In The Snow (John Martin) - 2:23
8. At The Time (John Martin) - 2:15
9. RCMPB (Wilson Fisher) - 3:06
10.Don't (John Martin) - 2:11
11.Have You Ever? (John Martin, Richard Gardzina) - 3:05
12.Where Have I Been? (John Martin) - 3:25
13.Have You Ever? (John Martin, Richard Gardzina) - 3:19
14.At The Time (John Martin) - 2:22
15.Sunrise # 7 (Fisher) - 3:28
Bonus Tracks  12-15

Green
*Gary Casebeer  - Percussion, Keyboards, Brass, Vocals
*Richard Gardzina - Reeds, Keyboards, Vocals, Brass
*Wilson Fisher - Strings, Vocals, Harmonica
*John Martin - Strings, Keyboards, Vocals
*James Neel - Brass, Keyboards, Vocals, Reeds
*Bobby Blood - Brass

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The Blues Project - Live At The Cafe Au Go Go (1966 us, classy electric psychedelic blues rock, japan SHM double disc set)

Verve/Folkways and Howard Solomon, entrepreneur of the Cafe Au Go Go in New York's Greenwich Village, presented a four-day concert series called the "Blues Bag." The evenings of November 24 through the 27 at the Cafe Au Go Go proved to be one of the most exciting events during a busy weekend of folk and jazz concerts.

The Blues Project group topped a long show that was filled with talented and exciting performers. They not only held their audience, but they drew cries of "more, more, more" after each encore. Fortunately, Verve/Folkways decided to record all four nights. While electronic instruments are extremely difficult to record live, we have managed to capture all of the excitement these young men generated. The Blues Project's musical range is broad, due both to their versatility as musicians and the scope of their musical interests.

Their songs cover a wide spectrum: folk, folk-rock, hard rock 'n' roll, rhythm & blues and gentle ballads. Tom Flanders, the lead vocalist, has since left the band. He will be recorded by Verve/Folkways as a single in the very near future. The band has excellent vocalists in Steve, Danny and Al. This, plus their abilities to double on such instruments as the piano, organ, harmonica, vibes, flute and sitar, gives the Blues Project enormous potential.

The best way to end these liner notes is to quote Robert Shelton, The New York Times critic: "Nearly a score in number paraded to the Cafe Au Go Go for four nights in what was the most unusual and perhaps most rewarding program of the weekend. Thjs live recording session for Verve/Folkways Records was a study in the varied effects of the blues. "Of the electric bands at The Blues Bag', none impressed more than the Blues Project, possibly the most incandescent group in folk-rock today. [They are.] Sparked by the imaginative electric guitar of Danny Kalb; the volatile electric piano of Alan Kooper and the vocal sky-rocketing of Tommy Flanders."
by Jerry Schoenbaum

Tracks
Disc 1
1. Goin' Down Louisiana (Muddy Waters) - 4:04
2. You Go, I'll Go With You (Willie Dixon) - 3:46
3. Catch The Wind (Donovan) - 3:04
4. I Want To Be Your Driver (Chuck Berry) - 2:26
5. Alberta (Traditional) - 4:11
6. The Way My Baby Walks (Andy Kulberg) - 3:11
7. Violets Of Dawn (Eric Andersen) - 2:52
8. Back Door Man (Willie Dixon, Chester Burnett) - 3:16
9. Jelly Jelly Blues (Billy Eckstine, Earl Hines) - 4:44
10.Spoonful (Willie Dixon) - 4:56
11.Who Do You Love (Ellis McDaniel) - 5:25
12.Hoochie Coochie Man (Willie Dixon) - 2:33
13.Parchman Farm (Mose Allison, Randy Cierley) - 3:32
14.Have You Ever Had The Blues? (Bill, Jennings, Juanita Lenoir) - 2:44
15.Alberta (Alternative Version) (Traditional) - 4:53

Disc 2 Mono Album
1. Goin' Down Louisiana (Muddy Waters) - 4:07
2. You Go, I'll Go With You (Willie Dixon) - 3:49
3. Catch The Wind (Donovan) - 3:07
4. I Want To Be Your Driver (Chuck Berry) - 2:30
5. Alberta (Traditional) - 4:17
6. The Way My Baby Walks (Andy Kulberg) - 3:15
7. Violets Of Dawn (Eric Andersen) - 2:58
8. Back Door Man (Willie Dixon, Chester Burnett) - 3:22
9. Jelly Jelly Blues (Billy Eckstine, Earl Hines) - 4:51
10.Spoonful (Willie Dixon) - 5:04
11.Who Do You Love (Ellis McDaniel) - 5:35
12.Bright Light Big City (Jimmy Reed) - 4:54
13.Who Do You Love (Alternative Version) (Ellis McDaniel) - 6:16
14.Violets Of Dawn (Studio Version) (Eric Andersen) - 2:56
15.Back Door Man (Studio Version) (Willie Dixon) - 3:18

The Blues Project
*Danny Kalb - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Al Kooper - Organ
*Steve Katz - Rhythm Guitar
*Roy Blumenfeld - Drums
*Andy Kulberg - Bass
*Tommy Flanders - Vocals

1973  The Original Blues Project - Reunion in Central Park

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Al Kooper - Naked Songs (1973 us, fabulous jazzy blues folk rock, japan remaster)

Naked Songs represents the other end of Al Kooper's early career from I Stand Alone. Where that first album was recorded very gradually at the outset of his solo career, soon after exiting Blood, Sweat & Tears, Naked Songs was a much more cohesive work (cut in New York and Georgia) from the end of his stay at Columbia Records.

Ironically, it was a contractually obligated album, but never one to throw away an opportunity, Kooper embraced soul, gospel, blues, pop, and even country music in the course of filling its two sides. Playing his usual array of instruments, including loud, note-bending blues guitar and gospel-tinged organ on "As the Years Go Passing By," he effortlessly switches gears to the smoother pop-soul sound of "Jolie," then straight country with a blues tinge on "Blind Baby."

John Prine's grim and uncompromising "Sam Stone" gets an extraordinary performance, but the real surprise is the presence of Sam Cooke's Soul Stirrers-era gospel classic "Touch the Hem of His Garment" -- the latter is one of a pair of Cooke songs (the other is "A Change Is Gonna Come") that one would not expect any white artist to try and cover, much less do well, but Kooper does it justice and then some, and this track alone is worth the price of the album.

The album benefits from the fact that Kooper had spent a good chunk of the prior year working with the Atlanta Rhythm Section (which appears here) as well as discovering Lynyrd Skynyrd. Naked Songs may have been intended mostly to get him out of his Columbia contract, but it proved a highlight of his career as well as his last new recording for four years. Naked Songs was reissued in Japan in 2003 in a mini-LP jacket format in state-of-the-art 24-bit digital audio.
by Bruce Eder

Tracks
1. (Be Yourself) Be Real (Kooper) - 3:27
2. As the Years Go Passing By (Malone) - 6:04
3. Jolie (Kooper) - 3:49
4. Blind Baby (Kooper) - 3:07
5. Been and Gone (Peacock) - 2:37
6. Sam Stone (Prine) - 4:41
7. Peacock Lady (Kooper) - 3:23
8. Touch the Hem of His Garment (Cooke) - 4:04
9. Where Were You When I NeededYou (Kooper, Levine) - 3:12
10. Unrequited (Kooper) - 2:54

Musicians
*Al Kooper - Bass, Flute, Acoustic, Rhythm Guitar, Gut String Guitar, Harpsichord, Keyboards, Organ, Piano, Vocals
*Patti Austin - Vocals
*Barry Bailey - Guitar
*Charlie Bradley - Engineer
*Charlie Brown - Rhythm, Slide Guitar
*J.R. Cobb - Acoustic Guitar
*Dean Daughtry - Piano
*John Paul Fetta - Bass
*Michael Gately - Vocals
*Eileen Gilbert - Vocals
*Paul Goddard - Bass
*Richard Greene - Fiddle
*Junior Hanley - Drums
*Robert John - Vocals
*Maruga - Drums
*Robert Nix - Drums
*Linda November - Vocals
*Albertine Robinson - Vocals
*Stuart Scharf - Acoustic Guitar
*Maretha Stewart - Vocals
*Tasha Thomas - Vocals
*Jimmy Wisner - String Arrangements

Related Act
1970  Al Kooper - Easy Does It
1973  The Original Blues Project - Reunion in Central Park

*For more Al Kooper (solo or collaboration works, please feel free to ask for)

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Various Artists - The Golden Road The Electric Coffee House Vol.2 (60's us, electric folk psych treasures)

A little while back we took a journey into that time when American folk music discovered electric rock and pop. The result was The Electric Coffee House compilation. That turned out to be one of our most successful albums, so consequently we've been having another delve into that hallowed region of chiming guitars, righteous harmony and garage joy.

Once again, we're delighted to present an intriguing selection of obscurities, some primitive, some sophisticated, some Psychedelic, some full of pop sensibility, but all of it with an essential, omnipresent undercurrent of folk tradition, albeit filtered through amplifiers and pick-ups, but there none the less. You'll hear from Ian Whitcomb's kid brother, Chuck Berry's favourite backing band, the man who wrote Mr. Bojangles, a future member of Poco, a band featuring the young Bruce Cockburn, and a whole lot more besides.

Come with us along The Golden Road, let your mind wander free and let your freak flag fly.
by Nick Saloman

Artists - Tracks
1. Morning Sun - Let's Take A Walk In The Woods (Welch) - 1:58
2. Bob And Kit - You Gotta Stop (Ray) - 2:17
3. The Woolies - Hey Girl (Rice, Baldori) - 2:19
4. The MC2 - Smiline (Stelrllng, Dough) - 2:40
5. The Rovin' Kind - Right On Time (Cotton) - 2:46
6. The Last Draft - It's Been A Long Time (Shuput, Arnold, Maciolek, Schallitz) - 2:39
7. The Fun And Games - The Way She Smiles (Romano) - 2:20
8. Keith Allison - Look At Me (Allison) - 2:52
9. The Kynd - Clouds (Vosburg) - 2:48
10.Raintree - Land Of Make Believe (Flannery, Stephens. Stephens) - 2:26
11.3's A Crowd - Bird Without Wings (Cockburn) - 3:06
12.Robin Kingsley - In And Out (Dalton. Fletcher) - 2:27
13.Circus Maximus - Lost Sea Shanty (Walker) - 4:08
14.The Patriots - I'll Be There (Keske, Janssen) - 2:16
15.The Rogue Show - Make Me Over Again (Gorky) - 2:30
16.The Counts IV - Where Are You (Roof) - 2:21
17.The Happy Medium - Fair One (Orvis) - 2:36
18.Jimmy Satan - What's It All About (Cisco, Bentley) - 2:18
19.The Tiffany System - Let's Get Together (Powers) - 2:50
20.The Ragamuffins - Parade Of Uncertainty (Pacheco) - 4:02

The Electric Coffee House Vol 1

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Gary Wright - Extraction / Footprint (1971-72 uk, stunning classic rock with prog drops, BGO remaster)

While critically acclaimed, they were not commercial successes at the time, in spite of the quality of the material. Gary Wright, former keyboardist/songwriter/vocalist for Spooky Tooth, released these two fine albums in succession after the initial breakup of the band, with `Extraction' coming out in 1971 and `Footprint' the next year. They now get a second chance, and fans of great rock music have reason to rejoice.

Wright formed a touring band in the wake of Spooky Tooth's demise, calling it `Wright's Wonderwheel' (which featured, among others, future Tooth and Foreigner guitarist Mick Jones). Most of that band played on 'Extraction', although the name Wonderwheel was not credited (however,they did release a single called 'I Know', and recorded an unreleased album). `Extraction' differed markedly from the trademark Spooky Tooth sound; the songs were generally more up-tempo, with more focus on lead guitar than the heavy organ sound of his previous band. In addition, the production was very bright and clean, with individual instruments very discreet and well separated.

It was sonically impressive on vinyl back then , and remains even more so on CD today. Featuring some truly outstanding songs such as Get on the Right Road, I Know a Place, Too Late to Cry and his own, more rocking version of The Wrong Time, which was also covered on the Wright-less Spooky Tooth Album `The Last Puff'. To me, this and `Footprint' feature Gary's most powerful vocal performances, largely devoid of the falsetto often used in Spooky Tooth recordings.

`Footprint' is a real joy to have. `Extraction' was actually released the previous year on the Repertoire label, but until this two-for set, `Footprint' was something of the Holy Grail of Spooky Tooth related material still unavailable. While `Extraction' had minimal production gloss, with somewhat sparse instrumentation and a generally `hard rock' feel, `Footprint' went a different direction.

Continuing with top-flight songs, superb vocals and lyrics that showed the emerging spiritualistic side of Gary, the recording featured many guest musicians, including George Harrison (under a pseudonym), Bobby Keys, Alan White, Jim Gordon and others. It was a more textured album in production values, with shimmering acoustic guitars augmenting the keyboards and electric instruments, more pensive lyrics and a kind of loose, thematic unity to the album not found on `Extraction'.

This theme is represented in such titles as Give Me the Good Earth, Love to Survive, Fascinating Things and the anthem-like Stand for Our Rights, which featured what may have been the last sax performance from King Curtis before his untimely death. To this day, hearing that song makes me want to jump up with a clenched fist and start marching. A more powerful affirmation to the cause of personal freedom would be hard to find.

While these masterpieces should, by all rights, have been released long before now, the fact that they are now available is great news to fans of not only Spooky Tooth and progeny, but to fans of superb late 60s, early 70s rock music everywhere. Frequent and repeated listenings guaranteed!.
by Dennis Hawley

Tracks
1. Get on the Right Road - 3:33
2. Get Hold of Yourself - 3:11
3. Sing a Song - 3:14
4. We Try Hard - 2:28
5. I Know a Place - 5:04
6. The Wrong Time (McCracken, Wright) - 3:24
7. Over You Now - 3:47
8. Too Late to Cry - 3:52
9. I've Got a Story (McCracken, Wright) - 5:29
10.Give Me the Good Earth - 3:17
11.Two Faced Man - 3:38
12.Love to Survive - 4:24
13.Whether It's Right or Wrong - 5:09
14.Stand for Our Rights - 3:33
15.Fascinating Things - 5:07
16.Forgotten - 4:05
17.If You Treat Someone Right - 4:00
All compositions by Gary Wright except where indicated.

Musicians
*Gary Wright - Vocals, Keyboards
*Colin Allen - Drums, Percussion
*P.P. Arnold - Vocals
*John Barham - String Arrangements
*Madeline Bell - Vocals
*Jerry Donahue - Guitar
*Jim Gordon - Drums, Percussion
*Jim Keltner - Drums, Percussion
*Bobby Keys - Tenor Sax
*King Curtis - Saxophone
*Hugh McCracken - Guitar
*George O'Hara - Guitar, Slide Guitar
*Barry St. John - Vocals
*Liza Strike - Vocals
*Doris Troy - Vocals
*Klaus Voormann - Bass
*Alan White - Drums
*Mick Abrahams - Guitar

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