One - Come (1972 us, marvelous spiritual jam psych rock, 2015 edition)

One of the more curious acts in the Bay area group scene was a band (or collective) called One, or, more specifically. 1, acquaintances of Paul Kantner and Grace Slick from Bolinas. A nine-piece ensemble including two female vocalists, they engaged in lengthy, drifting tunes that drew as much from raga as from rock, with touches of jazz and country. One member, Roger Crissinger, the only semi-known quantity, had previously enjoyed notoriety having been a member of the progressive rock group Pearls Before Swine. But the leader of the group was a mysterious man who didn't always sing so much as vocalise in his own unique way, often without words, who needed words? 

This character went by the name of Reality D. Blipcrotch. A former Marine and former actor, Blipcrotch was originally from Elgin, Illinois, where he first sang professionally aged just three years old in his father's barbershop quartet. No one knew anything else about him. not even his original name, he'd had it legally changed, swears former Airplane manager, Bill Thompson.

The story behind the making of One's self-titled album for Grunt, which was released in 1972, is one that still rankles producer Pat Leraci (aka Maurice). It's a tale that both defies reality and defines the broad absurdity of the post-Aquarian times with equal measure. 

Although these anecdotes shed light on the bizarre situation confronting the producer, they reveal only half the story of the musicians and their own paths that lead them to the mercy of Reality D, Blipcrotch and his herb-driven vision of exploding records and free groove-sprung hashish. Although Blipcrotch and his identity has always proved a mystery to those around him, on online source made remarks in a message that was totally un-related to the band or music as a whole and was instead more concerned with Volkswagen vans and a loose relative of his father, namely one Jerry Leroy. 

As the commentator states: Jerry Leroy, aka Reality D. Blipcrotch, aka Jerry Wiley (I'm not making this up) parked his (VW) in the driveway of our home when I was about ten years  old, Jerry Wiley was his birth name and the one he used as a young up-and-coming actor. The second one was his stage name when he became a hippie rock musician with a group called 1 (I saw them do a sound check at the Fillmore in San Francisco). His third name came when he was born again and moved to Hawaii and started writing Christian operas".

Aside from solving the mystery of Blipcrotch, an elementary spectacle on our part surely, the remainder of the band appear to be the threads of a social circle or to be more specific in this case, a Chicago hippie commune. The band was assembled in the Bolinas district of Chicago, ft. under the supervision and direction of Jerry Leroy In 19TO- Their most earnest recruit was Roger Crissinger who had fared better than his counterparts as a founding member of Pearls Before Swine alongside Tom Rapp. Although Crissinger would split from PBS in 1968 he would leave 1 and rejoin Rapp to assist on his solo debut album Stardancer in 1972. Grunt records itself was a vanity label formed in 1971 by Jefferson Airplane assisted by RCA records, ft helped to promote Bay area bands such as “1”, Papa John Creach, Hot Tuna and the Airplane before their transition into Jefferson Starship.

CD Liner-Notes

Tracks
1. One Of A Kind (Marc Granat, Reality D. Blipcrotch) - 4:31
2. Two Car Raga (Marc Granat, Roger Crissinger, Reality D. Blipcrotch) - 8:37
3. Free Rain (Reality D. Blipcrotch) - 5:09
4. Three Songs (Frank Trevor Fee, Marc Granat, Reality D. Blipcrotch) - 10:08
5. Old Englishhh (Marc Granat, Reality D. Blipcrotch) - 7:51

One
*Mark Baker - Drums
*Reality D. Blipcrotch - Voice, Percussion
*Roger Crissinger - Organ, Piano
*Frank Trevor Fee - Bass
*Donald Ensslin - Rhythm Guitar, Banjo
*Marc Granat - Guitar, Sitar, Dulcimer
*Sarah Oppenheim - Voice, Autoharp
*Laurie Paul - Voice, Tanpura
*Theodore Teipel - Flute, Harmonia, Piano

Related Act
1967  Pearls Before Swine - One Nation Underground (Japan remaster)
1972  Tom Rapp - Stardancer (2009 issue)

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Swallow - Swallow (1973 us, awesome brass blues roots rock, 2010 issue)

Duke and the Drivers had fun living out their fantasy on ABC Records but, under the aegis of the redoubtable Buddy Buie and with help from the Atlanta Rhythm Section, Boston's Swallow were very serious about their craft, and it shows on this collection of understated blues-rock. Vern Miller, Jr. of the Remains, George Leh, and New England personalties Parker Wheeler and Phil Greene (the extra "e" is missing from the legendary engineer's name on this disc) are four of the nine musicians who make up the large outfit. 

On one of the all-time worst album covers -- a green martian hand holding the nose of the man in the moon (presumably, so he can swallow) -- the nine musicians are displayed above a moonscape, their names out of order with the photos. In 1973, the Atlanta Rhythm Section emerged from the remnants of the Classics IV and, with J.R. Cobb and Barry Bailey of that group on this disc, along with B.J. Thomas/Friend & Lover/Billie Joe Royal producer Buie, one would think Warner Bros. would have been more serious about this outing. Most of the titles are by Miller, making the album a statement by the man Danny Klein of the J. Geils Band calls his favorite bass player. Two co-writes by Leh are included, along with two Randy Newman songs, "Illinois" and the often covered "I'll Be Home." Although Buie co-wrote all the hits of the Atlanta Rhythm Section, his magic is not added here, and perhaps that is what is missing.

The record is better than decent -- it is very good -- despite the fact there is no hit to launch it from obscurity. Greene went on to engineer Beaver Brown, New Kids on the Block, and the sessions this writer did with Buddy Guy in 1986, while blind singer Leh developed a following and great reputation performing around the Boston area. "Georgia, Pack My Bags" isn't a hit, nor is "Rockin' Shoes"; perhaps the closest thing to a potential chart climber is "Don't Tell Mama," some kind of answer, not to Etta James, but to Savoy Brown's minor hit from their 1971 Street Corner Talking album, "Tell Mama." At least they showed respect for their elders! There was much potential here; it's too bad the label and/or management mishandled the look of the album, and failed to give this large group a couple of songs their musicianship could work with to reach the masses. But, for fans of the legendary Remains, it is another chapter in the career of Vern Miller and an essential item in order for their collections to be complete.

by Joe Viglione

Tracks
1. Georgia, Pack My Bags - 3:35
2. Rockin' Shoes - 4:47
3. Illinois (R. Newman) - 2:17
4. I Get My Rocks Off Rockin' (G. Leh, V. Miller) - 2:46
5. I'll Be Home - 4:21
6. Don't Tell Mama - 3:35
7. Let It Roll (G. Leh, V. Miller) - 2:33
8. That's What My Love Is For - 2:56
9. I Was Born To Sit Back - 5:01
10.Helping Hand - 4:43
All songs by Vern Miller except where stated

Swallow
*George Leh - Lead Vocals  
*Parker Wheeler - Vocals, Harp
*Vern Miller Jr - Bass, Guitar, Vocals
*David Woodford - Tenor Sax
*Phil Green - Guitar  
*Mick Aranda - Drums
*Bob Camacho - Keyboards  
*Jay Dewald - Trumpet
*Andy Harp - Trumpet
*Kerry Blount - Sax
*Gordan Kennedy - Trombone

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Climax Blues Band - Sense Of Direction (1974 uk, magnificent blues funky rock, 2013 remaster and expanded)

On their 1974 studio album, Sense of Direction, Pete Haycock (guitars, vocals), Colin Cooper (sax, flute, clarinet, vocals, rhythm guitar), Derek Holt (bass, vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards), and John Cuffley (drums) wrote a bunch of songs that seemed to distance themselves from the more Chicago blues flavored material they had come up with previously, a trend that actually started on 1972's Rich Man album and continued more and more with each successive record.

Opener "Amerita/Sense of Direction" combined not only some fiery blues, but also hard rock & jazz fusion, as Haycock's guitar and Cooper's sax blast off into a complex, unison burst of energy over tricky rhythms, then settle into an dreamy atmospheric section that segues into the slide guitar blues of "Losin' the Humbles". Cooper's laid back vocal drives the alluring blues/pop of "Shopping Bag People", another piece filled with Haycock's tasty slide guitar solos, while "Nogales" is catchy rock 'n' roll, not unlike what the Steve Miller Band was creating right around the same time. Haycock's shimmering lead guitar lines introduce "Reaching Out", a funky, jazzy rocker with great vocals, tight rhythms, smoky sax, and crisp guitar work. "Right Now" is a smoldering blues number, led by Haycock's stinging guitar lines and Cooper's lazy vocals & smoky horns. The album reaches its climax with the groove laden hard rocker "Before You Reach the Grave" and the rootsy, bluesy, almost Grateful Dead sounding " Milwaukee Truckin' Blues (Chipper's Song)".

As with all the other Esoteric/Cherry Red reissues, Sense of Direction features remastered sound (well done as always), and a selection of bonus tracks, of which the BBC Radio One tracks are the highlights. The booklet here is filled with photos and a nice long essay from Malcolm Dome, who talks about the bands history and the album itself. With the death of Colin Cooper a few years ago and Pete Haycock just days ago, all these Climax Blues Band reissues couldn't have come at a better time. If your only memory of this band is "Couldn't Get it Right", trust me, you need to explore them further. 

by Pete Pardo

Tracks
1. Amerita / Sense Of Direction - 6:07
2. Losin' The Humbles - 2:38
3. Shopping Bag People - 4:02
4. Nogales - 4:10
5. Reaching Out - 5:17
6. Right Now - 6:33
7. Before You Reach The Grave - 3:13
8. Milwaukee Truckin' Blues (Chipper's Song) - 1:43
9. A Sense Of Direction - 3:32
10.Shopping Bag People - 3:58
11.Amerita / Sense Of Direction - 6:23
12.Right Now - 6:13
13.Milwaukee Truck Song Blues - 2:46
14.Losin' The Humbles - 4:32
All songs written by Climax Blues Band
Bonus Tracks 9-14

The Climax Blues Band
*Colin Cooper - Vocals, Alto, Tenor Saxes, Rhythm Guitra, Clarinet
*Pete Haycock - Vocals, Lead Guitar. Slide, Acoustic Guitars
*Derek Holt - Vocals, Bass Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Electric Piano
*John Cuffley - Drums, Percussion

1969  The Climax Chicago Blues Band (2013 remaster and expanded)
1970  A Lot Of Bottle (2013 remaster and expanded)
1971  Tightly Knit (2013 remastered with bonus tracks)
1972  Climax Chicago - Rich Man (2013 bonus track remaster) 
1973-79  Climax Blues Band - Live Rare And Raw (2014 Release)

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Michael Fennelly - Lane Changer (1973 us, superb individual rockin' heart 'n' soul, 2015 issue)

Signed to Epic Records on the strength of his demo songs, Fennelly would record his long-anticipated solo debut album, 1973’s Lane Changer, in England. Produced by former Zombies bassist Chris White, Fennelly was backed by a number of England’s best, tho’ admittedly underrated musicians of the era, including bassists Dave Wintour (who had played with Rick Wakeman) and Jim Rodford (Argent, and later with the Kinks); and drummers Robert Henrit (Argent, and another future alum of the Kinks) and Henry Spinetti (who would later play with both Eric Clapton and George Harrison). Argent’s Russ Ballard added backing vocals on several tracks. In-demand U.K. session horn players Mike Cotton and Alan Holmes augment a number of performances on the album with their immense sound, and Fennelly’s former Crabby Appleton bandmate Casey Foutz brought his keyboard prowess to the party.

In many ways, Lane Changer continues in a similar vein to Crabby Appleton’s Rotten To The Core; that is, hard-charging rock ‘n’ roll with pop and psychedelic undertones. The album-opening title track is an engaging slab o’ slippery hard rock featuring Fennelly’s lofty vocals, a busy arrangement with chaotic instrumentation, and rapidly-shifting changes in musical direction, all held together by Fennelly’s wiry fretwork which runs throughout the song. By contrast, “Touch My Soul” is a gentle, slow-paced ballad that mixes a folkish lyrical construction with touched of gospel grandeur and Fennelly’s soaring vocals. The highlight of the song, however, is Fennelly’s underrated guitar playing, which bolsters a wonderful vocal performance with both emotion and imagination.

Jumping right back into high-octane, hard rock territory, “Won’t You Please Do That” is an unabashed Zep knock-off that expands that band’s classic sound even further with Fennelly’s hypnotizing guitar, explosive rhythms, and a call-and-response chorus that includes Argent, Ballard, and an unnamed “mystery singer” that sounds suspiciously familiar. “Dark Night” is more of a stripped-down affair, with Fennelly’s haunting vocals front and center in front of a simple bass/drums rhythm and flourishes courtesy of Casey Foutz’s Mini-Moog.**** It’s a downright beautiful song, full of texture and complexity, with a lot of musical invention hiding in the grooves beneath Fennelly’s soulful vocals and Foutz’s symphonic swells and electronic sojourning.

The solo performance “Easy To Love” displays Fennelly’s talents nicely, his acoustic guitar strum nestling right nicely up against his expressive vocals, which at times hit a tone not unlike bluesman Skip James’ voice on what is otherwise an engaging folk-rock ballad. “Shine A Light” builds upon its predecessor, adding drums and bass to an unassuming, mid-tempo rocker that offers some of Fennelly’s most inspired fretwork on Lane Changer, his breathless vocals punctuated by a short but lovely solo. On the other hand, “Bad Times” offers up some good ol’ ‘70s-styled dino-stomp with bombastic rhythms and blazing guitar, the song’s lengthy intro leaping, headfirst into a raging boogie-rock with Fennelly’s sly guitar leading the charge.

A stunning, guitar-driven rocker, “Watch Yourself,” features an uncredited Jeff Beck playing lead guitar while Fennelly himself keeps pace with an intricate rhythm guitar performance, his high-flying vocals presaging the rise of the arena-rock godhead. The album ends with a classic fake-out in “Give Me Your Money,” the song starting as a sort of jazz-flecked, late-night torch-song with a dark ambiance and syncopated rhythms driven by Foutz’s tinkling keys before bursting out into a fast ‘n’ furious boogie blast that, once spent, gives way to the song’s darker tones and slower pace. It’s a truly schitzo and altogether wonderful performance to close out the unique musical experience that is Lane Changer.

by Rev. Keith A. Gordon 

Tracks
1. Lane Changer - 2:28
2. Touch My Soul - 4:04
3. Won't You Please Do That - 3:15
4. Over My Dead Body - 2:38
5. Dark Night - 4:28
6. Easy To Love - 3:04
7. Shine A Light - 3:04
8. Bad Times - 5:53
9. Flyer - 2:52
10.Watch Yourself - 3:32
11.Give Me Your Money - 4:03
All compositions by Michael Fennelly

Personnel
*Michael Fennelly - Guitar, Vocals
*Russ Ballard - Vocals
*John Beachman - Trombone
*Michael Cotton - Trumpet
*Casey Foutz - Keyboards
*Michael Giles - Drums
*Robert Henrit - Drums
*Alan Holmes - Clarinet, Saxophone
*Gasper Lewel - Percussion
*Nick Newell - Soprano Sax
*Jim Rodford - Vocals
*Henry Spinetti - Drums
*Dave Wintour - Bass

1967-72  Michael Fennelly - Love Can Change Everything (2013 Release)
1970  Crabby Appleton - Crabby Appleton
1971  Crabby Appleton - Rotten To The Core

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Various Artists - Time Machine A Vertigo Retrospective (1969-73 uk, An extraordinary amalgam of jazz prog psych folk hard rock, three disc box set)

So spoke the leading counterculture magazine International Times in a feature on the birth of the new so called "progressive" labels established by the major record labels in 1969 with the intention of tapping in to the rapidly expanding market in "underground" rock music. With the sonic experimentation of The Beatles masterwork "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" came a whole host of acts who wanted to expand their musical horizons by fusing different musical influences. The new "progressive" music was not designed for dancing; it was created with the specific intention of being seriously listened to and appealed to an audience of students, hippies and followers of all things "underground".

The new musical style took many sources of inspiration; jazz, blues, classical music, folk and rock, but it became clear that the commercial appetite of the progressive audience could prove lucrative to the major record companies. In reality, Decca records were first off the mark with the establishment of the Deram label in October 1966, which served as a vehicle in which to place acts that were deemed to have "selective" appeal. One of the earliest bands to create an impression on Deram were The Moody Blues, whose experiments with the Mellotron on the single "Nights in White Satin" and the album "Days of Future Passed" inspired a new generation of imitators, however, the label still lacked a clear direction.

Perhaps the first British label to establish a clear "underground" identity was Island Records, which had been formed by Chris Blackwell. Begun in 1962, Island had shifted from becoming a label solely dedicated to bringing Jamaican music to the new immigrant West Indian population in Britain to that of a champion of the emerging underground. Scoring early successes with bands such as Traffic, Island successfully appealed to the UK counterculture specifically because they were free of any major "corporate" label trappings. 

With the emphasis now being placed on impressive album sleeve packaging and design, as much as good music, Island took the lead, leaving the major labels with the dilemma of how they should follow. A major problem faced by the major labels was the fact that leading lights of the underground music scene were sharing label imprints with conservative pop acts. In EMI's case artists such as Pink Floyd and The Pretty Things shared a home on Columbia records with Des O'Connor and Lulu. EMI successfully solved this by the formation of Harvest records label in June 1969. Launched in a blaze of publicity with releases by acts such as Michael Chapman and the Edgar Broughton Band, the imprint quickly established a credible reputation in contemporary rock circles. With EMI appearing to take the lead, A&R staff at Philips records quickly took notice. They too had similar issues with artists such as Colosseum, Jimmy Campbell, Mike Absalom and Black Sabbath sharing their Fontana label home with MOR singers such as Nana Mouskouri.

A&R head Olav Wyper found the solution by creating a new identity for existing esoteric acts within the Philips group of companies. The creation of Vertigo records was announced in the Autumn and immediately staff were engaged to seek out new talent that would give EMI. Decca and even Island records a run for their money. Vertigo quickly established a recognizable identity with the design of its distinctive "swirl" logo by Roger Dean that graced the entire label of the "A" side of each album. Album sleeves were almost all gatefold in design and were mostly the work of photographer and designer Marcus Keef (keen eyed observers may note the similarity of design of the sleeves of albums such as Colosseum's "Valentyne Suite", the eponymous debuts of Black Sabbath, Affinity and the cover of the 1970 sampler "The Vertigo Annual").

Vertigo scored chart success with its first two album releases, "Valentyne Suite" by Colosseum and Juicy Lucy's self titled debut. The label quickly expanded its roster of acts in its first six months of operation to include Black Sabbath, Rod Stewart, Uriah Heep, Gentle Giant, Manfred Mann's Chapter Three, Affinity, Gracious!, Nucleus, Cressida and many more. 1970 was a particularly good year for the label when albums by Rod Stewart and Black Sabbath became major sellers, allowing Vertigo the luxury of signing acts such as May Blitz, Dr. Z, Tudor Lodge, Ramases and others that failed to perform commercially (Dr. Z's "Three Parts to My Soul" allegedly selling less than 100 copies upon release). These Vertigo albums quickly acquired cult status and became highly desirable collectors' items within a few years of their initial release. 

In 1970, Olav Wyper was approached by RCA Records London office, who were keen to follow on the heels of Philips, EMI and Decca by establishing their own "underground" imprint, Neon. Wyper accepted the invitation and left Vertigo to make Neon records a reality. The Neon label was to be a short lived affair, releasing only a handful of albums, but the identity of the records released on that label followed closely that of Vertigo, with the Neon logo comprising the entire "A" side label and the sleeves being designed and photographed by Marcus Keef.

By contrast Vertigo became more established, and went from strength to strength, but the free attitude of signing any act that boasted vague underground credentials that was present during the labels birth began to wane and with acts such as Status Quo signing to the label and the worldwide success of artists such as Black Sabbath, Vertigo began to take a more guarded approach to its signings. Obscure esoteric acts were quickly dropped in favour of acts more assured of commercial success and the distinctive "swirl" logo was replaced in 1973 by Roger Dean's "spaceship" design. To many, Vertigo began to lose its identity soon after, although the label continued to enjoy huge success with artists such as Thin Lizzy, Status Quo, Graham Parker and the Rumour and latterly Dire Straits. It still continues as an imprint to this day, long after rivals Deram and Harvest ceased to release new product.

This collection celebrates the vision of Olav Wyper and his A&R team during Vertigo's early years, (notably Patrick Campbell-Lyons of UK band Nirvana who produced many of the early Vertigo albums), and celebrates an age when musical creativity was the watch word. Although sometimes the resulting recordings were less than satisfactory, the musicians behind them were brave and hardy souls. Due to the vagaries of the rights reversion of some of the music released on the Vertigo label in its first three years of operation, it has not been possible to include some material by artists whose contributions were of equal merit to those artists featured here. Musicians such as Mike Absalom, Assagai, Graham Bond, Fairfield Parlour et al all deserve attention from aficionados of the "progressive" era. It is to them and the artists featured that this set is dedicated.

by Mark Powell

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Colosseum - The Kettle (Dick Heckstall Smith, John Phillip Hiseman) - 4:28

2. Juicy Lucy - Who Do You Love? (Ellis McDaniels) - 3:02

3. Clear Blue Sky - My Heaven (Patrick Campbell Lyons, John Simms) - 5:00

4. Manfred Mann Chapter Three - Travelling Lady (Mike Hugg, Manfred Mann) - 5:48

5. Black Sabbath - Behind The Wall Of Sleep (Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Bill Ward) - 3:37

6. Cressida - To Play Your Little Games (John Heyworth) - 3:17

7. Gracious! - Introduction (Raymond Davis) - 5:51

8. Affinity - Three Sisters (Linda Hoyle, Lynton Naiff) - 4:57

9. Bob Downes - Walking On (Bob Downes) - 4:58

10.May Blitz - I Don't Know (Richard Newman) - 4:45

11.Nucleus - Torrid Zone (Karl Jenkins) - 8:33

12.Rod Stewart - Handbags And Gladrags (Michael d'Abo) - 3:55

13.Gentle Giant - Nothing At All (Kerry Minnear, Derek Shulman, Phil Shulman, Ray Shulman) - 9:08

14.Ben - The Influence (Reid, Davey) - 10:05

Disc 2

1. Dr. Z - Evil Woman's Manly Child (Keith Morris) - 4:47

2. Jade Warrior - Borne On The Solar Wind (Glyn Harvard, Tony Duhig, Jon Field) - 3:01

3. Patto - The Man (Clive Griffiths, Ollie Halsall, John Halsey, Mike Patto) - 6:14

4. Juicy Lucy - Thinking Of My Life (Parch W. Nantlais Williams) - 4:24

5. Jimmy Campbell - Half Baked (Jimmy Campbell) - 4:40

6. May Blitz - For Madmen Only (James W. Black, Richard Newman, William Hudson) - 4:11

7. Tudor Lodge - The Lady's Changing Home (Lyndon Green, John Stannard) - 4:36

8. Beggars Opera - Time Machine (Denis Roderick, Martin Griffiths, Alan James Park) - 8:06

9. Colosseum - Bring Out Your Dead (Dave "Clem" Clempson, Dave Greenslade) - 4:19

10.Warhorse - Mouthpiece (Peter Parks, Mac Poole, Ashley Holt, Nick Simper) - 8:49

11.Uriah Heep - Lady In Black (Ken Hensley) - 4:46

12.Freedom - Through The Years (Roger Saunders) - 4:25

13.Sensational Alex Harvey Band - Midnight Moses (Alex Harvey) - 4:22

14.Magna Carta - Lord Of The Ages (John Chris Simpson) - 10:02

Disc 3
1. Atlantis - Living At The End Of Time (Frank Diez) - 9:05
2. Ramases - Life Child (Eric Stewart, Lol Creme, Kevin Godley, Graham Gouldman, Martin Raphael) - 6:37
3. Beggars Opera - McArthur Park (Jimmy Webb) - 8:20
4. Nucleus - Song For The Bearded Lady (Karl Jenkins) - 7:22
5. Gentle Giant - Pantagruel's Nativity (Kerry Minnear, Derek Shulman, Phil Shulman, Ray Shulman) - 6:49
6. Gravy Train - (A Ballad Of) A Peaceful Man (Norman Barrett, Barry Davenport, J.D. Hughes, Lester Williams) - 7:05
7. Ronno - Powers Of Darkness (Harker Marshall Ronson) - 3:31
8. Status Quo - Paper Plane (Franxcis Rossi, Robert Young) - 2:52
9. Ian Matthews - Little Known (Ian Matthews) - 2:55
10.Vangelis Papathanassiou - Let It Happen (Ricky Dassin, Vangelis Papathanassiou) - 4:12
11.Jade Warrior - Mwenga Sketch (Tony Duhig, John Field) - 8:33
12.Aphrodite's Child - The Four Horsemen (Costas Ferris, Vangelis Papathanassiou) - 5:54
13.Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath (Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Bill Ward) - 5:29

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Les Variations - Nador (1968-71 france, fantastic rough hard rock, 2010 remaster and expanded)

“Nador” maintains a high level of Rock’n’Roll, showing Variations were a unit in sync with their sound and themselves. Joe “O.J.” Leb has a ballistic set of pipes and he’s given to great stressing in verse and freaking out into caterwauling excess to drive the point home. Both un-operatic and hyperactive, he’s intently aware of all the musical flashpoints and underscores them all with great wail, warp and woof. Despite the fact Leb sings all but one track on “Nador” in English, the lyrics aren’t discernable 100% of the time but the constant use of bedrock’n’roll phrases that punctuate throughout communicate everything. 

Guitarist Marc Tobaly is a greatly skilled quarryman of hard rock and hooks up a mighty linking vessel via his roaring Gibson SG between Leb’s vocals and the engine room that is Jacques Grande on bass and Jacky Bitton’s powerhouse drumming. Tobaly wrote practically all of the material on “Nador,” so natch the arrangements allow for ample riffage to smash through consecutive windows of opportunity over and over and over again. Hefty rhythm/lead guitar overdubs sear continuously throughout, scored as they are with Tobaly’s stockpiled riffs and solos which all are recorded and produced to be nowhere but in the forefront at all times. The end result is high definition, robust rock’n’roll played by four Gauls with a whole lotta balls with a fire lit underneath their collective derrières at all times. 

“Nador” is a supremely confident debut album where Variations came, saw, then Rocked. And then Rocked some more. For “Nador” was where they let one go and it was slick, greasy, on fire and yeah: a crystallisation of Rock’n’Roll. 

The Seth Man 

Tracks
1. What A Mess Again (J. Leb, M. Tobaly) - 3:14
2. Waiting For The Pope (J. Leb, M. Tobaly) - 3:37
3. Nador - 2:41
4. We Gonna Find The Way - 4:25
5. Generations - 3:07
6. Free Me - 3:41
7. Completely Free (J. Bitton, M. Tobaly) - 5:38
8. Mississipi Woman (M. Fowley) - 3:08
9. But It's Allright (J. Bitton) - 4:27
10.Come Along - 3:29
11.Promises - 2:42
12.What's Happening - 3:22
13.Magda - 3:20
14.Down The Road - 2:56
15.Love Me (J. Bitton, M. Tobaly) - 2:43
16.Come Along (Version Alternative) - 3:55
All songs written by Marc Tobaly except where stated
Bonus Tracks 10-16

Les Variations
*Marc Tobaly - Guitars
*Jacques Grande - Bass
*Jo Leb - Vocals
*Isaac "Jacky" Bitton - Drums, Percussion, Vocals

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The Box Tops - The Original Albums (1967-69 us, superb classic heavenly soulful jazzy folk baroque psych, four albums two disc set, 2015 issue)

The Box Tops are a ground breaking 1960s group made up of five friends from Memphis Tennessee who first charted in 1967 with a song called 'The Letter,' which like most of their other songs from the 1960s was recorded at Chips Moman's "American" recording studio and was produced by Dan Penn. In fact they were the first Memphis artists to record in Memphis and have a number one record! During 1967-69, the group released 4 albums (excluding their "Super Hits" album) and 10 singles. 'The Letter' remained at the top of Billboard's chart for four weeks in 1967; their third single, 'Cry Like A Baby,' hit the number two position for two weeks in 1968. Both records went gold at initial release, with 'The Letter' selling over four million copies and 'Cry Like A Baby' over two million.

The original members (Alex Chilton, Bill Cunningham, John Evans, Danny Smythe, and Gary Talley) were members of a local band called The Devilles, but changed the group name at the time of the release of 'The Letter,' because it was discovered that other groups had released records under that name and member changes had taken the group in new musical directions. "No American group since the Righteous Brothers had looked whiter and sung blacker than the Box Tops on that sensational first single in 1967, 'The Letter.' Alex Chilton's voice had more Memphis grit than was considered entirely proper for a white gentleman. But he learned to sing in Memphis, where lots of people sing that way, and got his musicians from a town where musicians are pretty heavy whatever their color."

By January 1968 the line up had changed. John Evans and Danny Smythe returned to school and were replaced by Rick Allen (from the Gentrys) and Tom Boggs (from the Board of Directors). This line up remained the same until Bill Cunningham left to return to school in August 1969, although Jerry Riley substituted for Gary Talley at live performances in 1968 for a couple of weeks while Gary was ill. Harold Cloud replaced Bill in September of 1969. During the following months there were a number of group member changes, and in February 1970 the group disbanded.

The Box Tops

Tracks

Disc 1

The Letter/Neon Rainbow 1967

1. The Letter (Wayne Carson Thompson) - 1:54

2. She Knows How (Wayne Carson Thompson) - 3:07

3. Trains And Boats And Planes (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) - 3:45

4. Break My Mind (John D. Loudermilk) - 2:29

5. Whiter Shade Of Pale (K. Reid, G. Brooker, M. Fisher) - 4:34

6. Everything I Am (Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham) - 2:18

7. Neon Rainbow (Wayne Carson Thompson) - 3:03

8. People Make The World (Bobby Womack) - 2:30

9. I'm Your Puppet (Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham) - 2:53

10.Happy Times (Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham) - 1:45

11.Gonna Find Somebody (Bobby Womack) - 3:01

12.I Pray For Rain (Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham) - 2:23

Cry Like A Baby 1968

13.Cry Like A Baby (Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham) - 2:34 

14.Deep In Kentucky (Bill Davidson) - 2:10

15.I'm The One For You (H. Thomas, L. Jones) - 3:05

16.Weeping Analeah (D. Folger, M. Newbury) - 3:04

17.Every Time (Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham) - 2:34

18.Fields Of Clover (Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham) - 2:52

19.Trouble With Sam (Daniel Pennington) - 2:16

20.Lost (Mark James, Glen D.Spreen) - 2:29

21.Good Morning Dear (Mickey Newbury) - 3:40

22.727 (Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham) - 2:18

23.You Keep Me Hanging On (E. Holland, L. Dozier, B. Holland) - 3:42 

Bonus Tracks, Single Versions

24.The Letter (Wayne Carson Thompson) - 1:58

25.Cry Like A Baby (Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham) - 2:34 

26.I See Only Sunshine (Alex Chilton) - 2:14

27.You Keep Tightening Up On Me (Wayne Carson Thompson) - 2:53

28.Come On Honey (Alex Chilton) - 3:23

Disc 2
Non Stop 1968
1. Choo Choo Train (Donnie Fritts, Eddie Hinton) - 2:52
2. I'm Movin' On (Clarence E. Snow) - 3:47
3. Sandman (Wayne Carson Thompson) - 2:57
4. She Shot A Hole In My Soul (Mac Gayden, L. Neese) - 2:43
5. People Gonna Talk (Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham) - 4:10
6. I Met Her In Church (D. Penn, S. Oldham) - 2:43
7. Rock Me Baby (Riley B. King, Joe Bihari) - 3:48
8. Rollin' In My Sleep (Paul Davis) - 3:15
9. I Can Dig It (Alex Chilton) - 2:24
10.Yesterday Where's My Mind (John Reed) - 3:27
11.If I Had Let You In (Donnie Fritts, Eddie Hinton) - 3:17
Dimensions 1969
12. Soul Deep (Wayne Carson Thompson) - 2:29
13. I Shall Be Released (Bob Dylan) - 2:48
14. Midnight Angel (Mark James, Glen D. Spreen) - 3:20
15. Together (Alex Chilton) - 3:24
16. I'll Hold Out My Hand (Chip Taylor, Ai Gorgoni) - 3:25
17. I Must Be The Devil (Alex Chilton) - 3:36
18. Sweet Cream Ladies, Forward March (B.Weinstein, Jon Stroll) - 2:16
19. (The) Happy Song (Alex Chilton) - 1:57
20. Ain't No Way (Neil Diamond) - 3:03
21. Rock Me Baby (Riley B. King, Joe Bihari) - 9:13
Bonus Tracks, Single Versions
22. Since I Been Gone (Alex Chilton) - 3:14
23. Lay Your Shine On Me (Curtis Arcenaux, Richard Mainegra) - 2:34

The Box Tops
*Alex Chilton - Lead Vocals, Guitar
*Gary Talley - Lead Guitar,  Vocals
*Bill Cunningham - Bass, Keyboards,  Vocals (1967-68)
*John Evans - Guitar, Keyboards,  Vocals (1967-68)
*Danny Smythe - Drums (1967-68)
*Larry Spillman - Drums (1967-68)
*Thomas Boggs - Drums, Vocals (1968-69)
*Rick Allen - Keyboards, Vocals (1968-69)
*Harold Cloud - Bass (1969)

1967-70  The Box Tops - The Best Of Box Tops
1970  Alex Chilton - Free Again: The 1970 Sessions (2012 release)

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Mandingo - Savage Rite (1975-77 uk, exotic instrumental funk jazz rock oddity, 2012 issue)

A strange netherworld filled with rattling bongos, slick strings, wall wall-infused rhythms and searing guitar solos. The original sleeve of Mandingo's fourth album, 1977's 'Savage Rite' reveals little. Other than an image of a scantily clad Afro-sporting female looking into the middle distance, there's little to go on. Track names summon up the exotic but apart from an associate producer credit for Gil King and the line "A Supertunes Production for EMI, produced by Norman Newell", there arc no details at all. The reverse sleeve image smoulders and rereading the song titles; 'Jungle Juice', 'Rebellion' and 'Requiem For A Warrior' merely adds to the intrigue. Who was this strange band and where did they come from?

Sought after on vinyl and commanding a heavy price if you can find it, the album is a real oddity. From the opening bars of 'Manhunter' with its filmic strings, pounding bongos and funky rhythm section, it sounds like a lost piece of Afro-beat-inspired disco, a souped-up version of 'Bongolia' with a scorching guitar rolling out around the two-minute mark. Tags on the internet mention all genres and the sleeve suggests some level of authenticity, but the sound is unique, it's not from some long lost tribe, the moves are too well rounded, the riffs too well organized, the sound just too perfect.

'Wild Man" continues the groove with a 'Shaft'-styled wah wah underpinning an almost Bond-esque sound while that guitar tears into proceedings again. Indeed it's that 007 sound that permeates this whole album that makes it so exciting. It's a larger than life drama played out over pounding drums and exotic percussion from vibraslap to maraca, all held together with a pin sharp funk rhythm. A hint of disco, for sure, but this is a big production.

Side one closer 'Requiem For A Warrior' adds tribal African drums, a fistful of electronic swirls and a brass sound that's more Chicago Transit Authority than Fela Kuti. And, side two's opener 'The Man From Takoradi” continues the sleuth-some sound, while 'Jackal' sounds like a backing track from a Motown ballad with layers of jazz funk strangeness unevenly placed on top with more than a nod to David Axelrod.

'Jungle Juice' turns up the heat in a neo-strip erotica fashion and the closing title track sounds like the chase scene from Live And Let Die. There's voodoo in those rhythms and heady funk in the finish. There's flutes, there's odd noises, it has everything.

Before I came across 'Savage Rite', I'd heard Mandingo's 'Black Rite' on the compilation 'The Sounds Of Monsterism Island' a fantasy collection by artist Pete Fowler that also included Millennium, Martin Denny, The United States Of America, The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, Silver Apples, Eden Ahbez and Dead Meadow among others. Heady company to be in for sure. But, who were Mandingo? I had to find out more. It seems that, at a time when Osibisa had carved a small niche for themselves in the UK with their funky African rhythms and Roots was being screened on TV, Mandingo were created in an EMI studio to cash in on the interest in African culture, some time around the early 1970s. Knowingly removed from the real thing, Mandingo possessed a contemporary orchestral sound and clever arrangements that were navigated by seasoned composer and bandleader Geoff Love.

A staple'of the easy listening circuit in the 1960s, Love had provided the music for everyone from Shirley Bassey and Mrs Mills to Max Bygraves, while taking a leaf from Mantovani's book by recording a series of albums as Manuel And The Music Of The Mountains. A gifted songwriter and seeming workaholic, Love also made a string of instrumental albums that featured great themes from TV series to movies. And, in doing so, he had the best players at his command. So, when the concept of Mandingo came along they were allowed to break free a little, to flourish on four albums that began with 'The Primeval Rhythm Of Life' in 1973.

By 1977, the concept was in closure but their final hurrah, 'Savage Rite' was to be their masterpiece. The brief had been relaxed somewhat and the juxtaposition of sounds and styles took them to a new place. Just listen to 'The Man From Takoradi' if proof were needed. As punk was exploding, Mandingo were on a wild flyer, making bongo-powered funk that was far removed from the original source idea but no less exotic.

by Dave Henderson, MOJO magazine, 2012

Tracks
1. Manhunter (Mike Vickers) - 3:17
2. Wild Man (Roger Webb) - 3:04
3. Arachnid (Brian Fahey) - 2:39
4. King Of The Jungle (Mike Vickers) - 2:56
5. Requiem For A Warrior (Roger Webb) - 4:22
6. The Man From Takoradi (Roger Webb) - 4:05
7. Jackal (Brian Fahey) - 2:49
8. Rebellion (Mike Vickers) - 2:37
9. Jungle Juice (Roger Webb) - 4:17
10.Savage Rite (Mike Vickers) - 2:39

1972-73  Mandingo - The Primeval Rhythm Of Life / Sacrifice

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Damon - Song Of A Gypsy (1959-68 us, gorgeous acid folk psychedelia, surf beat roots 'n' roll, 2013 hard sleeve double disc edition)

Damon was born in Rochester, New York. His parents owned a beauty shop with living quarters atop, and they squirreled away funds enough to buy a small bowling alley. When Damon was eight, his parents sold their building and business, packed Damon and brothers Ken and Gerald and their belongings into a car, and moved to Alhambra, California. It was the beginning of what he now regards as his "predestined life as a gypsy," as his parents moved constantly within Los Angeles city limits first to the northeast, then to Westchester, then "to a city here and a town there" and finally to Inglewood, where Damon spent his high school years.

Theirs was a tight knit Italian American family: communal suppers were a must and all three boys sat dutifully at the table and focused on "family first," talking about school, community and their parents' business and property management at least until their parents began private conversations in Italian. In 1960 his high school sweetheart Katy told him she was pregnant. She was sixteen, he was nineteen. They married, and their union bore him his three girls.

Beginning in the seventh grade, when he picked up the clarinet after falling in love with the music of Benny Goodman, he had dreamt of becoming a musician. As his high school years came to a close, he tried anything that felt natural. He was an avid surfer so, in late 1960, newlywed and "bit by the recording bug," he wrote and recorded "The Lonely Surfer" (groovy, if standard surf rock) and cut to wax his first stab at "Don't Cry" (blue-eyed doo-wop). 

He was backed by a group he picked up at the Hermosa Biltmore Hotel named The Crossfires but dubbed The Castaways for their Merri Records release; this band would later become SoCal mainstays The Turtles. He then moved on to the even more obscure Harmony Records for the "Twisf'-inspired "Bowling Alley Jane" and his second version of "Don't Cry," this time called "Don't Cry Davy." After a detour with Associated Artists - "Little Things Mean a Lot /The Glory of Love" feature only his backing vocals, but were inexplicably released under his name - he founded his own Del Con label and issued promotional and commercial versions of "A Face In A Crowd" and "I Lie," the latter establishing his preference for garage-rocking soul.

Damon's Song Of A Gypsy was a key album in the revisionist narrative put forth by the psychedelic record collectors who searched out the rarest of the rare privately pressed American albums in the early 1990s. In this dogmatic view, the likes of Jefferson Airplane and The Doors mattered quite less than those they influenced. 

The psychedelic experience, went the argument, was stronger on the periphery, and the outsiders who populated the rim created quirky masterpieces that deserved space in an already overflowing canon. Song of a Gypsy was quickly included, the scant original copies that existed were suddenly very in demand, and, even then, in the days before eBay, exchanging hands for thousands of dollars.

But these were pontificating record collectors after all, conversing with each other. So Damon's musings on love, longing, questing and sorrow became spiritual fodder for a few; those fortunate enough to hear of Song of a Gypsy's existence but not quite fortunate enough to own a copy of the album had to imagine the music contained within the original Ankh Records' textured, gatefold sleeve. Confounding descriptions such as "tranced out gypsy Arabian acid fuzz crooner psych with deep mysterious vocals, an amazing soundscape and excellent songwriting" (from Acid Archives' - the Lonely Planet of psychedelic record collecting review of the album) didn't help matters. And the shoddy bootlegs that came about in the early '90s only spread Damon's music - none of the backstory that afforded this singular album came into view.

Thus, those looking for connections found many, as anything was plausible. Was there a kinship with John Arcesi and his Johnny Greek produced Reachin' Arcesia album on the tiny Los Angeles imprint Alpha? Was there a connection between this album and fellow Southern Californian psychedelic hero Darius's self-titled 1968 album? Over the years, however, Song of a Gypsy remained high on its own plateau: out of reach and indescribable. It seemed that this homespun, funky psychedelic monument borrowed from nothing and sprung from nowhere. To follow our previous examples: Darius's album is a bit too polished, and sounds as if it could have emerged from Capitol's Studio A; Arcesi's album, as intriguing as it is, is a psychedelic novelty, and Arcesi's performance borrows a bit too much from the over-the-top vocal style of the black-tied '40s and '50s crooners that he'd once considered peers.

To the contrary, Damon's album leapt from the tortured mind of its curious creator at the perfect time. Damon's unique, introspective songwriting and nuanced voice, the interplay between he and lead guitarist Charlie Carey and an atmosphere that so perfectly captured the last bloom of the flower power era as it decayed into the dark haze of the '70s underground could only have arisen from a spark of auspicious genius.

by Eothen Alapatt, Los Angeles, April 2013

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Song Of A Gypsy - 2:18 

2. Poor Poor Genie - 2:54

3. Don't You Feel Me - 2:34 

4. Did You Ever - 3:01 

5. Funky Funky Blues - 2:59 

6. Do You - 3:10

7. The Night - 2:05 

8. I Feel Your Love - 2:16

9. Birds Fly So High - 3:03  

10.The Road Of Life - 2:47 

11.Oh What A Good Boy Am I - 2:27 

12.Song Of A Gypsy (45 Version) - 2:18

13.Song Of A Gypsy (Demo Version) - 2:12 

14.Poor Poor Genie (Demo Version) - 2:51 

Disc 2 
1. The Lonely Surfer - 1:47
2. Don't Cry - 2:00
3. Bowlin' Alley Jane - 2:23
4. Don't Cry Davy - 2:10
5. A Face In The Crowd - 2:27
6. I Lie - 2:31
7. Cry - 2:36
8. I've Got My Pride - 2:34
9. Lovin' Man - 2:15
10.They Call Me A Fool - 2:05
11.The Battle Hymn (Of The Republic) - 2:17
12.Everything Is Alright - 2:01
13.The Little White Cloud That Cried - 2:00
14.I Wonder Why - 2:10
15.Seems Like I Traveled - 3:13
16.Dirty Daddy Blues - 3:06
All songs by David Del Conte

Pesronnel
*Damon - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
*John "Mac" Rebennack - Keyboards, Guitar
*John Johnson - Saxophone
*Earl Palmer - Drums
*Mike Deasy - Guitar
*Atley Yeager - Bass, Vocals
*Charlie Carey - Lead Guitar
*Mike Pastora - Drums
*Helena Vlachos - Finger Cymbals
*Carl Zarcone - Drums
*Richard Barham - Durbeki
*Lee Pastora - Percussion

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Amazing Blondel - Mulgrave Street (1974 uk, wonderful folk silk rock with special guests musicians, 2009 japan remaster)

Originally released in 1974. First band album without John Gladwin and along a more commercial line. Long sought after.

With the departure of John Gladwin in 1973, Eddie Baird and Terry Wincott decided to continue The Amazing Blondel. Eddie took up writing most of the material and whilst it was still of an acoustic-folk base it now had a slightly more commercial bent.

'Mulgrave Street' came out to critical acclaim and set up the band for a further three albums. Certain tracks within the album became standards like "Mulgrave Street", "Love must be the best time of your life" and "Sad to see you go".

Continuing to tour extensively the new brand of Amazing Blondel soon became established with a large fan-base to which this album will appeal. And since it has never had a CD release all Folk/Amazing Blondel fans will be sure to seek out this album.

Eddie and Terry are looking to do some gigs later in the year to help promote the release of the long missing Amazing Blondel albums.

Proper-Music

Tracks
1. Mulgrave Street - 2:28
2. Iron And Steel - 4:55
3. Leader Of The Band (Terry Wincott) - 4:19
4. Light Your Light - 3:00
5. Hole In The Head - 2:16
6. Help Us Get Along - 3:45
7. See Em Shining - 2:35
8. Love Must Be The Best Time Of Your Life - 2:34
9. All I Can Do - 2:41
10.Goodbye Our Friends (Terry Wincott) - 3:16
11.Sad To See You Go - 3:29
12.Runaway - 3:24
13.Little Darling - 3:13
Lyrics and Music by Eddie Baird unless as else stated

Personnel
*Edward Baird - Guitars, Vocals
*Terence Wincott - Guitar, Keyboards, Vocal
*Sue Glover - Vocal
*Eddie Jobson - Violin, Keyboards
*Paul Kossoff - Guitar
*Sunny Leslie - Vocal
*John Bundrick - Keyboards
*Boz Burrell - Bass
*Pat Donaldson - Bass
*Mickey Feat - Guitar
*Simon Kirke - Drums
*William Murray - Drums
*Mick Ralphs - Guitar
*Alan Spenner - Bass

1971  Amazing Blondel - Fantasia Lindum
1973  Amazing Blondel - Blondel
1974  Amazing Blondel - England 

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Jack Bruce Band - Live At Manchester Free Trade Hall (1975 uk, magnificent blend of jazz blues prog and classic rock, 2003 edition)

This double-CD set was one of the unexpected bonuses of the 2001/2002 remastering of Jack Bruce's RSO/Polydor catalog -- amid a search of the vaults, a tape of this performance, the only official live recording of the Jack Bruce Band, was unearthed. They were news to Bruce at the time of their discovery, rough mixes done in contemplation of a concert album that was abandoned. It has its technical problems, but it was possible to clean up most of the sound to a fully professional modern standard, except for a couple of spots where extraneous noise does intrude, especially on the opening of disc two. But those are insignificant flaws in relation to the overall content of these tapes, which capture the band in fine form, especially Bruce, lead guitarist Mick Taylor, and keyboardist Carla Bley -- Ronnie Leahy fills out the keyboard sound and Bruce Gary handles the drumming. Their sound is surprisingly tight and their playing rich and crisp, doing a mix of progressive rock and blues-rock in which there are at least four potential lead instruments beyond Bruce's voice, which is extremely powerful throughout and, indeed, more expressive on-stage than it ever seemed amid the cacophony of Cream's concerts. 

The repertory is drawn almost entirely from his solo catalog (though they do close with an extended version of "Sunshine of Your Love"), with a special emphasis on songs from Out of the Storm. Though Carla Bley gets a lot of the spotlight for her work on piano, organ, Mellotron, and various other keyboard instruments, Leahy gets an extended featured spot on the piano for the medley of "Tickets to Waterfalls"/"Weird of Hermiston"/"Post War." Although there are a few standard-length songs here, this was a band that mostly preferred to stretch out, a fact illustrated by the presence of only four numbers on the second CD, which runs the better part of an hour. What made it work was that they had enough to say to fill that length, even on the 23-minute "Smiles and Grins," and the otherwise familiar "Sunshine of Your Love," here flexed out to over 13 minutes. They switch gears effortlessly between vocal numbers like "One" and instrumental-driven jams such as "You Burned the Tables on Me," without skipping a beat or letting the listener go. 

It's difficult to imagine how RSO would have released this recording reasonably intact in its own time -- there are too many tracks here that would have taken up a full side of an LP, and while Leon Russell and a few others had made the triple-live album a reality in rock, one is hard-put to imagine RSO springing for that with Bruce, whose critical notices were fantastic but whose sales -- especially in England -- had never matched his reviews. So perhaps it's just as well that this recording was forgotten but not lost, to show up today. 

The mix of blues, jazz elements, and hard rock, all in a free-form jam format, now seems all the more bracing and the CD market allows it to be kept intact. It's also doubly fortunate that this show was recorded during the period in which technology had finally mastered the art of capturing the sound of various electronic keyboard devices on-stage intact -- it's a small matter, but fans of the Mellotron will probably love this release. 

by Bruce Eder

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Can You Follow? - 1:43

2. Morning Story - 7:27

3. Keep It Down - 5:30

4. Pieces Of Mind - 5:42

5. Tickets To Waterfalls / Weird Of Hermiston / Post War - 24:21

6. Spirit (Tony Williams) - 10:44

Disc 2
1. One / You Burned The Tables On Me - 16:41
2. Smiles And Grins - 23:56
3. Sunshine Of Your Love (Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Pete Brown) - 12:07
All songs by Jack Bruce, except where stated

Musicians
*Carla Bley - Clavinet, Mellotron, Organ, Electric Piano, Synthesizer
*Jack Bruce - Bass Guitar, Piano, Vocals
*Bruce Gary - Drums
*Ronnie Leahy - Piano, Electric Piano, Synthesizer
*Mick Taylor - Guitar

1969  Jack Bruce - Songs For A Tailor (Expanded Edition)
1971  Jack Bruce - Harmony Row (Bonus tracks edition) 
1974  Jack Bruce - Out Of The Storm (Extra tracks issue)
1966  Cream - Fresh Cream (SHM remaster)
1967  Cream - Disraeli Gears (SHM remaster)
1968  Cream - Wheels Of Fire (2014 SHM remaster) 
1969  Cream - Goodbye (2010 SHM remaster)
1967-68 Cream - Live Cream (2010 SHM remaster)
1972  Cream - Live Cream II (2010 SHM remaster)

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Space Opera - Space Opera (1972 us, superb post psych prog rock, 2014 korean remaster)

An obscurity from day one, Space Opera is an overlooked classic-rock wonder. Three of the four members of Space Opera (Philip White, Scott Fraser, David Bullock) had previously recorded a stellar country-folk gem in Whistler, Chaucer, Detroit, and Greenhill. As good as that record was, they were still green compared to the fully developed band (adding drummer Brett Wilson) they would become by 1972.

From Forth Worth, Texas, but recorded in Canada, Space Opera forged a familiar rock sound in an unheard context, combining blissful three part harmonies with searing guitar leads and righteous, intricate jams. The reissue is appropriately billed as “12 string prog rock” and while references to the Byrds and Zappa abound in other reviews, it behooves me to agree. Though it is a must; Space Opera combines these musical forces like nothing I have ever heard before. Still, if you have ever hankered for the sounds of local FM radio rock, this is an album you won’t believe didn’t hit the airwaves.

Songs are well developed and near classical in form, developing into finely tuned suites. “Country Max” leads off as the clear “hit” record, remarkably recognizable, it’s the kind of record you feel like you’ve heard a million times. Moodier numbers like “Holy River” and “Riddle” jangle their way into your head with good craftsmanship and memorable refrains. “Guitar Suite” is the album’s instrumental centerpiece that successfully merges prog and country rock during every moment of sound; gnarly double-tracked harmonica and tape effects stealing the show. The recordings are so warm it’s as if the master tapes were filtered through a rainbow of vintage tape machines, and the flutes on “Outlines” even sound suspiciously mellotron-esque. Some of the beauty to this record must be owed to the warmth and grit that you just can’t get with modern digital technology.

More than pleased to discover one like this. Beautiful songs that are truly unheard classics. These fellas clearly understood how to create rock music in a way more advanced than many better known contemporaries and are still awaiting their recognition.

by Brendan McGrath

Tracks
1. Country Max (David Bullock) - 3:19
2. Holy River (Scott Fraser) - 5:26
3. Outlines (Philip White) - 4:11
4. Guitar Suite (Scott Fraser, David Bullock, Philip White, Brett Wilson) - 7:38
5. My Telephone Artist (Has Come And Gone) (David Bullock) - 3:46
6. Riddle (Philip White) - 3:07
7. Prelude No. 4 (Philip White) - 3:52
8. Lookout (Scott Fraser) - 2:47
9. Blue Ridge Mountains (David Bullock) - 2:13
10.Over And Over (Scott Fraser) - 5:54

The Space Opera
*David Bullock - Vocals, Flute, Harmonica, Guitar
*Scott Fraser - Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards
*Philip White - Vocals, Bass, Guitar, Keyboards
*Brett Wilson - Drums, Percussion

1970-78  Space Opera - Safe At Home (2010 Issue)

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