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JOHN HOWARD ABDNOR INVOLVEMENT (Fort Worth, TX) "Intro To Change" 1969 (Abnak ABST-2072) [ylp exists] Without
trying to sound snooty about it, John Howard Abdnor probably owes his
brief musical career to the auspices and generosity of his father.
John Howard Abdnor Sr. was a well to do Fort Worth-based business
who had made a killing in the insurance business. By the early
1960s Abdnor Sr. had turned his attention to music, where as the founder
and owner of AbnakRecords, he enjoyed quite a bit of local success with
acts such as soulster Bobby Patterson (who attended college with Abdnor
Sr.'s son) and The Five Americans. Like a good dad, Abdnor Sr. also
financed son John Howard Abdnor's own musical aspirations, which
included a myriad of mid-1960s releases credited to a slew of alias
including Jon and Robin (Robin being his wife), Jon Abnor, Jon and the
In Crowd, Jon Howard, H. Rabon and The John Howard Abdnor Involvement.
Much to my surprise, 1969's self-produced LP is a fairly interesting
affair. Backed by what are apparently sessions players and friends,
Abdnor had a decent voice that combined with the album's sporadic
horn arrangements, occasionally recalled Blood, Sweat and Tears
David Clayton Thomas. If you doubt the comparison, check out the
opening song 'How Do You Teach a Turtle To Fly' or 'Maintain'. Musically
the set was all over the spectrum, including stabs at R&B ('I'll
Come Running To You'), singer/songwriter ('J.D.') and country-rock
('Sandy, I'm Your Man'). Easily the weirdest (and longest) track was the
psych-influenced 'Relaxation'. Love the bizarre nuclear explosion
ending. Barely clocking in over 20 minutes, in length the album
sported a likeable low tech sound and feel. Abnak also released a single
off of the album - 'I'll Come Running To You' b/w 'Sandy I'm Your Man'
(Abnak AB-147). [SB]
"Time"
1973 (Gas 2001) [gatefold] Having listened to this one a half
dozen times, I've got to tell you these guys barely qualify as a rock band,
let alone a psych act. Quality pop outfit yeah, but psych? Definitively
not... Guitarist Ron Bartley,
bassist Jimi Bertucci , drummer Brian Cotterill and keyboard player Bob
McPherson got their start in the late 1960s with the Toronto-based Just Us.
That outfit subsequently morphed into Captain Midnight's Dirty Feet (great
name), but ran into a problem with Captain Midnight's publishers. The threat
of legal action was enough to see the quartet opt for another name switch -
this time around Abraham's Children. Signed
to the small Toronto-based G.A.S. Records, the band enjoyed a Canadian
top-40 hit with their debut 45 'Goodbye-Farewell'. Their 1973 follow-up
'Gypsy' went top-10, leading G.A.S. to finance an LP. Unfortunately, by
the time the group started recording the album, musical tensions had begun
to flare. G.A.S. executes demanded the band continue to work in a commercial
pop vein, while the band members were interested in a harder-rock sound.
Guess which side won the fight? Produced by Paul Gross (who
contributed a couple of tracks to the LP), 1973's "Time" offered
up a mix of the earlier singles and new studio material. Boasting three lead
singers in Bartley, Bertucci and Contterbill, the entire set was enjoyable,
with tracks such as 'Children's Song' and 'How To Be A Lady' showcasing the
group's knack for writing and performing commercial pop. Imagine a Canadian
version of Pilot, or The Raspberries and you'll get a feel for most of the
album. The group also enjoyed a third Canadian hit with the bouncy 'Thank
You'. It's interesting that the two best songs are also the least
commercial. Both 'Woman 'O Woman' and the group-penned 'Workin' for the Man'
are thumping rockers, albeit with harmony vocals that make radio stations so
happy.Following the album's release the band underwent an ongoing series of
personnel changes that saw Bertucci, Cotterili and McPherson all quit. With
replacements the band struggled on for three more years, during which time
they shortened their name to 'The Children''. They also released one final
non-LP single - 1974's 'Goddess of Nature' on Rampage. The group finally
called it quits in 1976. Bartley, Dinardo and O'Shea subsequently formed
Bang. Bertucci continued to record under the name 'Jimi B'. The band has
reformed and continues to tour to this day, along with a retrospective
double CD titled "30". [SB]
"Abstracts" 1968 (Pompeii SD 6002) One of the first (and last)
acts signed to Atlantic's short-lived Pompeii subsidiary, the band's LP offered up a weird
hybrid sounding like Association-styled MOR crossed with ARS Nova styled
Baroque-psych. Yeah, we know it sounds odd. Exemplified by Peluso-penned
material such as "Rich Young Heir", "O.D.D. Clown" and
"Matter of Life and Death", the deep, thoughtful (aka pompous) lyrics
were certain to have appealed to closet intellectuals. The album was also
notable for including the year's oddest Gershwin cover ("Summertime").
In spite of those comments, the set wasn't acomplete waste. Peluso tended to
over sing, but he had a decent voice and on songs with strong melodies, notably
"See the Birds" and "Smell of Incense" the band proved quite
listenable. [SB]
"Light Rain" 1977 (Magi 004) Douglas
Adams' debut LP was released under his name, while the "Light Rain" title
became his band name for subsequent albums. Rather appealing mid-1970s
hippie folkrock & s-sw sounds with a rich instrumentation and lots of ethnic
moves; especially into Medi¬terranean-Arabian domains. I detect an influence
from "Desire"-era Dylan, which combines with a typical guitar-based period
sound (and some fuzz leads) a la David Sinclair on side 1, while side 2
gradually lays on an Eastern feel with flamenco guitars and Arabian violin,
making the last 10-12 minutes a bit psychedelic in feel. Hardly outstanding
but enjoyable all through for fans of 1970s folkrock, and not expensive at
all (Adams must have pressed up many copies, considering how easy this is to
find). Light Rain's subsequent work is instrumental Middle-Eastern
bellydance excursions with a westernized feel, superb performances and high
production value. These include "Dream Dancer" (1978), "Dream Suite" (1979)
and "Valentine To Eden" (1983), all now on CD. [PL]
"In Due Time" 1969 (Cadet Concept 323) [wlp & printed promo exist] Falling
somewhere in the musical spectrum between the Young Rascals and Blood, Sweat
& Tears, the short-lived and little known Aesop's Fables deserved a better
fate. In Due Time teamed them with producer Bob Gallo. Sporting two capable
vocalists, the collection aptly demonstrated the octet's enjoyable blend of
blue-eyed soul and more experimental horn based outings. The group's lounge
lizard cover of the Supremes' "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" proved less
impressive. Dock the collection half a star for having one of the year's
ugliest covers. The band released a second LP Pickin' Up The Pieces that was
only released in Australia and Canada (Mandala 001), possibly as a Bob Gallo
tax scam. [SB]
"The Affection Collection" 196 (Evolution) Here's
one gaining attention of late that was always ignored and always rare to
begin with, kind of like the now highly prized Afterglow album on MTA. The
cover and liner notes suggest something very square, and not hip. Perhaps
the music reflects that but transcends it, or sounds like an enjoyable
albeit not outstanding period piece. The farfisa organ and garage pop vibe
of both The Strawberry Alarm Clock and The New Colony Six are to the fore on
most tracks, and while unlike the Alarm Clock they don't leave me wishing
I'd never heard it unlike The New Colony Six or British North American Act
they don't quite fulfill the promise shown here. There is some heavy fuzz,
and some light psych touches, but for the most part this sounds more like an
album that would appeal to fans of "sunshine" pop with a slightly
creepier vibe. This is a good album don't get me wrong. The songs are good
and the organ sound is very pleasant. However, like the sleeve this feels
more like a rough draft of something interesting than a fully realized
album. Worth investigation, but not a lost treasure. -- Ben Blake Mitchner
"A Web of Sound" 1969 (Monitor) Eastern sounds trio tanpura, tabla, and
sitar. Three long tracks.
[RM]
"Heavy, Heavy, Heavy" 1969 (Crown cst-608) Exploito bluesy
rock fun with cheesy organ and basement guitar. [RM]
"The Albert" 197 (Perception 4) [gatefold] [1] "The Albert" 197 (Perception 9) Jazzy
proggy funky rock with horns, conga. These LPs have appeal to both odd
hippie jam fans and funky jazz collectors.
"Mahathma Gandhi Spat Here" 1973 (Phonygraph ADA-1) "Que Asco!" 197 (Phonygraph ADA-2) "Red Roses, Green Briars and Milk-White Steeds" 1974 (Phonygraph ADA-3) [gatefold] "No Commercial Appeal" 1976 (Phonygraph ADA-5) [insert] Mid-1970s hippie folk with trad and bluegrass moves and various acoustic
instruments used. There were several more LPs released, all on their own
label.
"Albrecht & Roley" 1975 (Airborn) Mainly
acoustic folk-folkrock with humble vocal harmonies, some electric leads,
Christian vibes here and there. It's closer to soft rock than rural rock.
They had a second LP, "Gentle Flowing Feeling" in 1977, and Scott Roley was
involved with the earlier Aslan album from 1973 (also on Airborn).
"Aleithia" 1975 (Airborn 750460) Even
more 'A' artistry on Airborn (see above). Christian rural folkrock with
female vocals, organ, 12-string. Nice flow, with some electric guitar parts.
"Hunchback of Notre Dame" 1969 (Mercury 61291) [wlp also exists] Ostensibly a “band,”
but the album cover appears to be four very different photos of the same guy.
This guy had a vision, and this psych-prog mix is appealing on many levels.
Lots of ideas here (some stolen), good mix of experimental, poppy, folky, and
heavy sounds. The Otis Redding cover is way out of place, but the other styles
mesh surprisingly well. Occasional mystical lyrics hint at some sort of
concept that the album doesn’t explore in depth. [AM]
"Alive 'N Kickin'"
1970 (Roulette 42052) [wlp also exists] The Tommy
James-penned “Tighter Tighter” was a hit (and still gets some play on
oldies radio), but the rest of the album is much tougher and more substantial
than that. A nice surprise in the same way as the self-titled Ohio Express
album or the Lemon Pipers’ GREEN TAMBOURINE. The guitarist is hot, and his
style ranges from funk to blues to rock, with lots of wah-wah. The songs aren’t
quite up to his level, but they’re not bad. “Mississippi Mud” is
probably the best of an above-average lot. A great, powerful female singer is
sadly underused, not singing a solo lead on any of the songs. [AM]
"Jackie And Coralie" 1969 (Sound Canada SC-7704)
Seldom seen album from long-running femme
duo, with backing by Rockadrome members and a keyboard-oriented pop sound. Genre
fans and Canadian completists will pay good money for this at times. The Allan
Sisters were usually considered country pop artists, and became well-known
around Canada with many TV appearances.
"Loner" 1973 (Fleetwood 5106)
Appropriately titled femme folk album, may
appeal to genre fans. The label indicates a New England origin.
"Eveningsong" 1978 (Whatever) [insert]
Dreamy new age hippie folkrock with Rhodes
piano and vibes. Allen was involved with several similar albums.
"Music Is Love" 1980 (A.F.B.)
Forgettable late-stage hippie bar-rock except for the enjoyable "Starry Ride"
which features Sky Saxon; this is the only track on the LP he's on. Djin
Aquarian from the Yahowa band also appears.
"Alpha Centauri" 1977 (Salt 003)
Hard prog-rock dedicated to Tommy Bolin,
described as ‘lame’ by one connoisseur.
"Ambush" 1981 (no label)
Hard rock/AOR, highly rated by some. There are at least five different private
releases called Ambush from the hard rock-metal era, so make sure you get the
right one. This has a white cover with the band name in black on the front
cover.
"Songs by" 1971 (Signet)
Relaxed electric folkrock.
"Once Upon A Rock" 1977 (AmPed ap-1003)
Southern rock. Eric Johnson (Mariani, Electromagnets) guests on one track.
"American Revolution" 1967 (Flick Disc fls-45002) Signed
by the MGM-affiliated Flick Disc label, the quartet's 1968 debut "The
American Revolution" found the quartet working with four separate
producers (Harley Hatcher, the team of Mike Lloyd and Mike Curb, and Larry
Brown). Musically the collection was all over the spectrum, including
haphazard stabs at Rascals-styled blue-eyed soul ("Come On and Get
It"), Beatles-styled psychedelia (the hysterically inept "In the
Late Afternoon" and "Opus #1") and Buckinghams-styled horns
("Love Has Got Me Down). Unfortunately, while all four principles sang,
none could really hold a tune (be sure to check-out their attempt at
close-knit harmonies on "Crying Eyes and an Empty Heart").
Combined with the fact they couldn't write worth a damn and their choices of
outside material sucked, and you were left with an album that was largely
unlistenable. Give them an extra star for the hopelessly dated album cover.
Of course today the project's earnestness is hysterical. Richard Barcelona turned up in one of the later (post GNP Crescendo)
line-ups of the Seeds. [SB]
"The Original Rock’N Popsenanny" 1970 (2 LPs, Band ‘n Vocal) Mostly
horrible vocal numbers, but the last side features a psychy rock group. Same
custom label as Brigade.
"Visions of a Peaceful Planet" 1980 (Beauty af-79) Eastern
spiritual hippie folk with acoustic guitars, tablas, sarod, flute, and even
sitar on two tracks. The band has several more releases and are still
active.
"Muriel Anderson" 1977 (Rotary)
Teenage femme folk with half the LP
instrumental acoustic guitar tracks. May interest genre fans.
"Angels & Archangels" 1974 (Trinity Church 102)
Progressive religious music composed by
artists Archangel and Larry King. Includes a spoken word and effects piece
similar to John Rydgren's "Cantata".
"Anthem" 1970 (BuddaH BDS 5071) Signed by Buddah this trio's
self-titled 1970 album teamed them with producer Stan Vincent. Musically
"Anthem" offered up a fairly entertaining mix of commercial pop
(the title track) and slightly more experimental numbers (the extended
"Misty Morns"). While it wasn't one of the year's most original
offerings, all three members -- guitarist Bartholomew guess he didn't have a
last name), bassist Gregg Hollister and drummer Bobby Howe -- were gifted
with decent voices and on tracks such as "Florida" and
"Queen" they displayed a knack for crafting some pretty harmonies.
Not sure who it was, but one of the three had a voice that sounded uncannily
like The Monkees' Michael Nesmith ("Anthem" and "New
Day"). Needless to say, the album sold roughly ten copies, instantly
ending up in cutout bins. [SB]
"Anthem"
1978 (no label)
"Aorta"
1969 (Columbia cs-9785) [360 Sound label; gatefold] The first LP showcased one of the better slices of late-1960s major label psychedelia. Almost a concept piece, the individual numbers were strung together by a series of segues ("Main Vein" sections I through IV). Featuring largely original material (three of the four members contributing songs), the collection offered up a nice mélange of poppier numbers (The Buckinghams-styled "Magic Bed" and "Sleep Tight") and harder edged, more experimental efforts ( the psych-flavored "What's in My Mind's Eye" and "Catalyptic"). Columbia also chose to included a rerecorded version of "Strange" which b/w "Ode to Missy Mxyzosptik" was subsequently released as a single (Columbia catalog number 4-44870). Sure, it wasn't a major creative statement or something that would drastically change your life, but full of nice fuzz guitar, interesting melodies, and weird studio effects, it made for a solid player; every track worth hearing. Besides, when's the last time you heard such a glowing review? A minor chart success, the album peaked at # 167. [SB] "Aorta
2" 1970 (Happy Tiger ht-1010) The second album also saw the band undergoing a major change in musical direction. All but abandoning their earlier psych leanings, track such as "Willie Jean", "Little Bonnie" and "Sandcastles" offered up a mix of lighter pop and country-rock sounds. Curiously, several of the compositions including "Beg For His Forgiveness", "His Faith In Man" and "Devil, Maggot & Son" featured rather blatant Christian-oriented lyrics. Taken on their own those efforts weren't half bad, full of of nice harmony vocals and engaging melodies, but when compared to the debut the results just didn't come close. This time around it was the atypical numbers that provided the highlights. The furious rocker "Beg for His Forgiveness" probably came the closest to recapturing the debut's meltdown sound, while "Pickin' Blues" was an okay boogie/blues number.
[SB]
"Launching No 1" 1973 (HNP)
Bluesy club rock and Santana groove guitar organ jamming.
“Warrior” 1980 (Joyeuse Garde jgr-001) [gatefold; insert]
Recorded in Oklahoma, heavy guitar and synth-led Christian prog with a
medieval edge and tons of different instruments. Produced by Jimmy Hotz.
Ex-Redemption, after a relocation from San Antonio. Kemper Crabb later went
on to a solo career with more recordings.
"Arnold – Cut The Crap" 1980 (First American) This obscure hard rock/AOR album has
quite a sense of humor. Arnold looks absolutely demented on the album cover
and his vocals (I wouldn’t exactly call what he does “singing”) are a
mix of shouts, growls and interjections. He rants and raves to the left and
the right of the melodies, which are all carried by a chorus of backing
vocals. The style does eventually wear thin, but it’s a short album (25
minutes), so for the most part, it works. The music isn’t especially heavy
(and some of it is old-style 50s-ish rock and roll) but it’s full of
energy. It’s fast and raucous, has plenty of lead guitar and some funky
bass here and there. There’s backwards guitar on one song. Kind of a
novelty, but fun. [AM]
"Cosmic Bean" 1970 (SSS International 21) [promos also exist] [1]
Here's one that almost
makes it. It's got a perfectly nice folk-rock/pop feel, lovely arrangements
with lots of well-placed organ and jangly 12- string guitars, and a fabulous
psychedelic album cover. The vocals are a little weak, though, and rarely
improved with harmonies. And while the songs are all pretty good, they lack
that extra step that would take them toward greatness. A little more
creativity might have helped: a wild guitar solo, unexpected tempo change,
vocal histrionics, anything other than the albums's one attempt at a rave-up,
the unfunny "Daddy's Got The Clap." So, while Arnold Bean show
plenty of promise, this album is missing spark and intrigue. Just when you're
ready to give up on it, though, the last three songs, "I've Got The
Key," "Captain Marvel," and "Nature Boy," are the
three best, so you put the album away thinking maybe it was pretty great.
COSMIC BEAN is destined to disappoint those who get their hopes up and to be a
pleasant surprise for those who don't. [AM]
"Ars Nova" 1968 (Elektra
EKS-5002) [gatefold] Classically training musicians living and working in New York City, in 1967 drummer Maury Baker, guitarist Wyatt Day, bass Bill Folwell, guitarist Giovanni Papalia, vocalist/horn player John Pierson and bassist John Raskin decided their future (and their fortunes) lay in rock and roll. Several months of intense rehearsals and a series of well received concerts led to a deal with Elektra Records. Teamed with Doors producer Paul Rothchild, the band's 1968 self-titled aptly debut displayed the sextet's virtuosity. Musically diverse, "ARS Nova" found the band equally at home with classical inspired ballads (the Baroque-influenced single "Pavan for My Love"), precursor Blood, Sweat and Tears horn arrangements ("General Clover Ends a War") and prototype heavy rock ("And How Am I To Know"). With Day providing the majority of material (much of it co-written with either Pierson or non-band member Gregory Copeland), the group's efforts to blend classical and rock elements was interesting, if occasionally a tad pretentious. Imagine a less bubble gummy version of The Left Banke and you'll get a feel for the set. Personal favorite, the popish single "Fields of People." In spite of decent reviews, including an extensive write-up in the June 1968 edition of Life, the set failed to sell. [SB] "Sunshine and Shadows"
1969 (Atlantic SD-8221) In the wake of the album's release
the band was torn apart by musical and personal disagreements. When things
finally settled down, Day and Pierson stood as the only survivors. Supported
by a brand new lineup consisting of keyboardist Warren Bernhardt, guitarist
Sam Brown, drummer Joe Hunt, Art Koenig and horn player Jimmy Owens the
revamped band signed with Atlantic. Released in mid-1969, "Sunshine and
Shadows" found the band working with producer Arthur Gorson. With Day
providing the majority of material (trumpet player Owens contributed the
instrumental "You Had Better Listen"), numbers such as the title
track, "I was Once" and "She Promises Everything"
retained the band's "arty" leanings, though with less impressive
results. Pastorial melodies, folkish harmonies and thoughtful lyrics made
for a decent album, though stretched over most of the first side, it began
to sound alike. "Well, Well, Well" was far better, if only due to
the atypical rock tempo and Brown's screaming fuzz guitar solo. Another
commercial nonentity, the collection vanished without a trace. (In case
anyone cared, Jon Borgzinner, who had authored the earlier piece in Life,
contributed the liner notes.) Shortly after it's release the group called it
quits. [SB]
"Art Is Whatever You Can Get Away With" 1972 (Oosik)
Zappa/Fugs-like stoned goof basement folk,
a live performance by Rudy Palmtree and his Exotic Fruits.
“Artificial Horizons” 1974 (Horizons HS-01)
Electronic prog with synth, dulcimer,
flute, echoplex. Sometimes listed credited to Tom Behrens.
"Endless Skies" 1983 (Ashbury WW 83010)
Hardrock ripper with a progressive edge and
a ‘70s sound; has been compared to Black Sabbath and Bill Nelson. Nice color
fantasy cover.
"As High As You Can Get" 196 (Innovations IS 100) The ultra-cool cover makes this look much more interesting than it is. It's a Christian various artists sampler with a few different groups. The Lyte have 3 OK garage/teen-beat tunes including the title track, but the rest of the LP is pretty terrible, featuring non-rock combo One Way Street and one Ernie Kridler.
"Asia" 1978 (no label, no #) "Armed To The Teeth" 1980 (no label)
Early 1970s-influenced progressive guitar
and mellotron rock in a Deep Purple/Captain Beyond-school from a band formerly
known as White Wing; no relation to the more famous Asia, naturally.
"Assemblage" 1971 (Westbound wb-2004) Cool hippie jamming
on renowned soul label with fuzz, funky moves,
femme backing vocals, and crashing organ. [RM]
"Va T'En Maintenant" 1967 (Capitol 70016, Canada) French-Canadian garage pop. [RM]
"Bluesvibes" 1969 (Sire 97007) Led by singer/multi-instrumentalist Wayne Ceballos, the little know Aum stand as also-rans in the lexicon of '60s San Francisco bands. With drummer Larry Martin and bassist Ken Newell rounding out the trio, the group's initial reputation stemmed from their jam-oriented concerts. Initially signed by the London-affiliated Sire label, as one would expect from the title, the group's 1969's "Bluesvibes" found them working in a distinctively blues-vein. Reflecting the band's live act, the Richard Gotthrer produced debut featured a series of seven extended jams, (the shortest song clocking in at 4 minutes). With Ceballos writing the majority of the material, in spite of period excesses (e.g. aimless soloing), originals such as "Mississippi Mud" and "Chilli Woman" weren't half bad. Moreover, Ceballos proved a decent singer, injecting considerable energy into his performances. Among the few missteps, the band's ponderous cover of John Loudermilk's "Tobacco Road" would've been suitable for Vanilla Fudge. Commercially the set proved a non-entity; quickly vanishing into cutout bins. [SB] "Resurrection" 1970 (Fillmore F-30002) One of the first acts signed to Bill
Graham's Fillmore label, 1969's "Resurrection" teamed the band
with producer David Rubinson. As one might have guessed from the album title
(let alone the back cover which showed three crosses), their sophomore
effort found the band pursuing a pseudo-religious agenda. In spite of
occasionally clunky lyrics and an irritating degree of echo, Ceballos-penned
material such as "God Is Back In Town," the ballad "Only I
Know" and " Today and Tomorrow" wasn't half bad. Boasting a
nifty Ceballos guitar solo, the stately title track was our nomination for
standout track. Elsewhere, the driving "Bye Bye Baby" and
"Little Brown Hen" recalled Quicksilver Messenger Service.
Certainly not likely to get top-40 airplay, but San Francisco certainly
turned out worse sounding bands. Commercially the set did nothing; the trio
calling it quits shortly thereafter. [SB] AUTUMN (MI) "On The Road Again" 197 (RPC Z-496041) Christian college vanity press on
the infamous custom label. It's average student folk with a whole bunch of
Beatles covers in acoustic, ensemble-sung versions, plus some a capella
numbers and all-out gospel folk. The most unusual thing is a Loggins &
Messina medley. People with poor judgment have tried to hype this as a
recent 'find', but unless you're an RPC completist or really big on
harmless, generic seminary folk, this is of no interest.
"Man In The Moon" 197 (RICHARDS-PERDUE 82379) Shrewd, dishonest record sellers
have exploited the gullability of '70s folk and s-sw collectors and raised
3-figure sums for this LP via vague or misleading descriptions. Such a game
only lasts so long, and once dupes of the Mark Ayers LP went into
circulation, surprised exclamations of disgust were heard. It's a completely
MOR-sounding adult contemporary s-sw variant, and barely qualifies even as
"country singer-songwriter", despite the cowboy hat worn by Ayers on the
front cover. Lame, sentimental ballads are supported by acoustic guitar and
somewhat incongrous mellotron (I think). This is very far removed from what
serious collectors of local '60s-70s music want, but it seems both sellers
and buyers are getting desperate out there. May appeal to Cy Timmons fans.
"Live At The Ad-Lib Club In London" 1964 (World Artists wam-2001) Beat covers, not terribly good but
plenty of adrenaline! Cover has a shameless Beatles tie-in showing them
promoting the club. Despite claims to the contrary, no relation to Billy
Thorpe & the Aztecs from Australia. BABY (TX) "Baby" 1974 (Lone Starr 8670) Described
as average southern rock, sometimes hyped.
"Babylon" 1977 (Mehum 4641)
Genesis-style progressive rock with lots of keyboard and long tracks, rated
highly by genre fans. Oddly housed in a cover (both silver-gray and
black-white variants exist) that looks like a punk/skinhead LP; this design
was transformed into a space alien on the CD reissue.
"Have A Nice Day" 1971 (Allied Records AL-1971) [sticker] Los
Angeles-area obscurity with a Dead-like rural sound. Some of the guys were
previously with Fenwyck, who had the split LP with Jerry Raye out.
"Creek's Up" 197 (private) 100%
retro roots Texas swing, hillbilly stringband, jugband, ragtime etc; not
rock music at all, but sometimes hyped as such by dishonest record sellers.
Male/female vocals, well-executed.
"Southbound Freight" 1981 (Platt & Klum) Dual
guitar hard rock with a Southern vibe, has been compared to Wabash
Resurrection.
"Real"
1968 (Decca dl-75057) [white
label promo] [1] We've always wondered about this quartet (keyboardist Joe Di Marzo, singer Danny Mahony, guitarist Jay Saving and drummer Al Esposito). A number of reviewers have categorized the band's sound as psychedelic, but to us they sound like Young Rascal clones.
Released by Decca, 1968's "Real" teamed the quartet with producer Jim Curtiss. Showcasing a mixture of originals (Di Marzo, Mahony and Savino all contributing material) and two covers, the collection offered up an enjoyable set of blue-eyed soul. Propelled by Mahony's crusty voice (baring an uncanny resemblance to Felix Cavaliere), tracks such as "I Want You By My Side", "Got Away" and "I'm Sitting By the Wayside of My Life" were melodic and highly commercial Okay, back to the psych label for a moment: admittedly "Red, Purple and Blue" had a nifty freak-out fade, while "It's All Over" benfitted from a tasty lead fuzz guitar. A commercial non-entity, the set vanished without trace. Within a matter of months the band followed suit.
[SB]
"Cosmic Remembrance" 196 (World Pacific wps-21875) [gatefold]
Eastern meditation exploito with sitar and jarring female narration.
Pre-Lite Storm.
"Baldwin and Leps"
1971 (Vanguard vsd-6567) [gatefold]
[1]
These two "buskers" recorded their album pretty much as they played in
the street (or subway): just violin, guitar and vocals. Side one is a
semi-rock-opera about some drug dealing drifters. Interesting once, but not
musically compelling enough to make it stand up with time. Unfortunately the
best two songs on the album are the two where they augment their routine: one
with a rhythm section and one with a bunch of sound effects. You gotta give
credit to Vanguard for signing such an obviously uncommercial band, but the
album is nothing special. [AM]
“If I Only Could Play Piano” 1979 (Airhole 00001)
Primitive DIY freakouts with one side being basement rock and the other
hippie folk trance, plus 10 minutes of silence! The label lists the band as
Wombat Suicide. Presumably only 100 copies pressed, although quite a few
have appeared in recent years.
"Bamboo" 1969 (Elektra EKS-74048) Music is a tough business and if
you want to make a living in it, you have to be willing to adapt to the
public's ever-changing taste. That said, Bamboo stands as one of the
more dramatic changes I'm aware. Singer/guitarist Dave Ray had
previously been a member of the folk and blues outfit Koerner, Ray and
Glover. In the wake of that trio's collapse he built a recording studio
in Minnesota and (judging by the album cover photo), decided to become a
hippy. He also decided to get back into recording via a collaboration
with singer/guitarist Will Donicht. While the cover of 1969's
"Bamboo" only shows Ray and Donicht, this was apparently a
full scale band with bassist Daniel Lee Hall contributing several songs
to the collection. Produced by Allan Emig, the album finds Ray and
company opting for a much more rock oriented sound that his earlier
catalog. Tracks such as 'Girl Of The Seasons' (which sounds like
something David Crosby might have written and recorded), 'Treehouse' and
the rocker 'Blak Beri Cheri Blooz' offer up a competent, if pedestrian
mix of rock, country-rock, lite jazz and even psych touches. There's
nothing really wrong here, but by the same token, there's nothing really
right. I was going to give it three stars, but decided to dock it one
for Donicht and Ray's horribly dated wardrobes. [SB]
”Electric Women” 1979 (no label) Weird
mix of synth prog and hard guitar rock. There was also a 1985 LP, ”No
Destination”.
"Bandolero" 1970 (Eclipse erc-5-m37925) The
record was pressed in Florida for export to Puerto Rico. A mix of basement
fuzzed hardrock and jazzy funk Santana moves. Moody church organ and driving
fuzz. Disjointed rhythms on many tracks, with weird tempo changes within
songs. The vocals, mostly in English, are obnoxiously bad. The closer,
“Truth And Understanding”, gets a nice anthemic tension going only to
dissolve into a formless funk jam. A pretty weak effort, really. [RM]
"Beware"
1966 (Warner Brothers w-1625) [mono] Preteen kiddie garage covers.
Fun basement
raveups. [RM]
"The Mother Of Us All" 1969 (Tetragrammaton T-123) This is one of many interesting releases on the Tetragrammaton label. It’s a distinctive mix of folk, rock and jazz and sounds like nothing else I know. In an obvious attempt to challenge the listener, the album starts with the album’s sparsest, moodiest track. About half of the songs are drumless acoustic numbers. They’re good, but the full band songs are even better, some with surprisingly poppy hooks. The 6-minute “Don’t You Hate The Feeling” and 11-minute “Shadow Man” break out into excellent extended jazz guitar solos that work amazingly well in the folk-rock context. These songs blow away any of the bluesy guitar jams on the heavy psych albums of the era. Intriguing work that could have heralded a new, successful blend of genres had anyone heard it. Produced by jazz musician Mike Berniker, who would also work folk-rock wonders on the great album by Susan Pillsbury. [AM] "Sessions With Jef Lowell" 1971 (Otherway Records 101) [1] Here
are some details from bass player Jef Lowell, who plays with Steve Baron on
this little-known, privately released sequel: "... Steve and I had
just come off the road from a four month tour as the opening act for a
production of Jesus Christ Superstar. We thought it would be fun to invite a
bunch of our Superstar friends, and do what would be basically a live album in
the studio. They were all very talented musicians, and they joined in for
chorus vocals on a couple of the songs, as well as contributing ambience.
Their sax player played on a song called "Magic Magician". It was
mostly sold by mail order, and never had any serious promotion. We sometimes
sold copies at concerts, but never made a big thing of it. I suppose Steve had
hopes that some record company might pick it up and release it, but that never
happened. Musicly, it's a pretty straightforward presentation of what we
sounded like as a live duo. But, in it, the jazz flavor is unfortunately gone.
That element was largely the influence of Bill Davidson, the lead guitarist,
and Tom Weiner, the keyboardist. What remained was the two 'folkies', so the
album is strongly bent toward progressive folk."
"Barons" 1970 (Solar 101) Melodic
lounge rock and pop soul. "By Request" has a decent cover of Buffalo
Springfield's “Mr Soul”, otherwise this band is pretty forgettable.
"I Feel A Strange Excitement In The Air" 197 (Eagle no #) Late 1970s
Christian obscurity, details invited.
"John Who" 1978 (Tinkertoo)
Messed-up real people folk. Bassette, a black folkie guy, had several more
local LPs, all of which are reasonably interesting, but this is the
strangest and most enjoyable.
"Battle Of The Bands, vol 1" 1966 (Panorama 103) These
two samplers feature various famous and obscure bands from the Pacific
Northwest, and are dominated by the raunchy frat/club sound typical of the
era. The first volume features The Sonics (the great "Like No Other Man"),
Don & The Goodtimes, the Bards, Mr Lucky & The Gamblers, and several more.
Vol 2 brings in some folkrock and early psych moves, and has Magic Fern, PH
Factor, the Bumps, the Live Five, the Bards, the Sonics ("High Time"), Don &
The Goodtimes and even late-phase Kingsmen. These samplers have seen some
minor collector interest, but presumably all tracks were also released on
45. The two albums were also reissued in the 1970s "Original Northwest Rock"
series, with the order reversed, so that Vol 3 in that series matches Vol 2
above, and Vol 4 matches Vol 1. The first two volumes of "Original Northwest
Rock" were various artist samplers compiled in the 1970s, featuring a
similar mix of well-known and obscure Pac NW bands.
"China Doll" 197 (Ixtlan Records ILN-1001)
Self-released Canadian singer-songwriter with AOR moves. Highly rated by
some.
“Let Him Shine" 197 (Worship Renewal Ministries LS 257)
This mysterious privately pressed Christian LP has the hallmarks of a tax
scam album, with a few really excellent dreamy songs at the beginning, some
lesser mellow songs and demo-sounding guitar-and-voice songs later, and a
total running time of just over 26 minutes. It’s worth investigation for the
first few songs, which are confident rock and folk songs with excellent
singing. Overall, though, it’s a bit samey and only partially inspired. [AM]
"Greetings Children of Paradise" 1968 (Verve Forecast) Produced by Appletree Theatre's John
Boylan, Bear featured the talents of keyboardist Eric Kaz, singer Steve Soles
and guitarist Artie Traum (backed on their album by Autosalvage bassist Skip
Boone and drummer Darius Davenport). In spite of the cheesy cover and title
(thank Mr. John's Palace of Fashion for the cover photo), 1968's "Greetings
Children of Paradise" was actually pretty good. With all three prime
members writing (Soles penning most of his material with brother Michael), the
ten tracks were varied, including competent stabs at country-rock ("The
Hungry Dogs of New Mexico"), fairly conventional pop ("Don't You Ever
Want To Think About Them?"), rock, psych and even jazz ("What
Difference?"). Soles had a nice voice (occasionally recalling Squeeze's
Chris Difford - we're not kidding, check out "It's Getting Very Cold
Outside"). (Actually, on reflection, the set's quirky charms actually
compare nicely with Squeeze.) Sure, it won't change your life, but it's an album
we keep in the occasional play pile. A commercial non-entity, the band quickly
called it quits, with Kaz reappearing in a series of bands, including The Blues
Magoos, American Flyer, Mud Acres (with Traum) and with a solo career (see
separate entries). All three members also became in-demand sessions players.
[SB]
"Beast" 1970 (Evolution 2017) Beast featured the talents of
drummer Larry Ferris, keyboardist Gerry Fike, woodwind player Mike
Kearnes, bassist Kenny Passarelli. singer David Raines, trumpet player
Dominick Todero and former Super Band guitarist Robert
Yeazel. Following the loss of horn player Todero and bassist
Passarelli (replaced by Roger Byrant), 1970's cleverly-titled
"Beast" was released on the Evolution label. Continuing their
partnership with producer Norman Petty the album was again recorded at
Petty's Clovis, New Mexico studios. Musically the collection wasn't too
different from the debut. Anyone familiar with Lighthouse or Sugarloaf
styled horn rock will be pretty comfortable with most of the material.
Slightly more varied than the debut, the flute propelled
"Communication" and "Don't You Think It's Time?"
reflected a quasi-jazzy feel, while the harmony rich "Inlook"
sounded like an Association-styled slice of pop and "Move Mountain
(You Got It)" found the band taking a stab at conventional hard rock.
The overall effect was professional, if a little short on originality and
inspiration ... Packaged in one of the year's uglier covers (credit to
Charles E. Murphy), the set vanished without a trace, followed in short
order by the band. Following the band's break up Ferris and Yeazel joined
Sugarloaf, while Pasarelli hooked up with Joe Walsh in Barnstorm, followed
by an extended career as an in-demand sessions player (see separate
entry). [SB]
"Iris Bell Adventure" 1969 (Rubaiyat)
Live jazzy hippie blues trio recorded in Ann Arbor. Originally from
Charleston WV, Iris Bell held a long residency at the Rubaiyat club. She
passed away in 2008.
"Rising Son" 1980 (Money Maker s-7780) [orange
vinyl]
"Denny
Belline and the Rich Kids" 1966 (RCA lpm-3655) [mono] Garage and frat rock mostly covers. Good
LP mostly uptempo ravers 'recorded in
front of a dancing teen crowd at the Shore Club in Sayville, Long Island'. Denny is Perry Como's nephew. [RM]
"Take It All In" 196 (Orco) Folkrock mix of acoustic and electric.
[RM]
"Beethoven Soul"
1967 (Dot dlp-3821) [mono] [1] Most “reviews”
mistakenly list this forgettable soft-rock album as having female vocals. The
woman pictured on the cover actually plays strings, which are the most
interesting sounds on the album. Not quite bubblegum, not quite soft rock, but
not really distinctive either. [AM]
"At Big Pink" 1969 (Buddah bds-5050) Purna and Luxman Das, the guys on the
cover of Bob Dylan's "John Wesley Harding", play Indian soul music
that should appeal to eastern psych fans. Produced by Garth Hudson and recorded
at the Band's house in Woodstock. [RM]
"Pop
Goes the Electric Sitar" 1968 (Decca 74938) Exploito sitar rock covers from noted
session musician. He plays a Coral Electric Sitar which produces fuzztone; the
design was named after him. [RM]
"Circles" 1975 (no label PP-3375) Very
homemade-looking mid ‘70s singer-songwriter from San Jose, California. Small
paste-on covers and simple blue labels. The music is rather bland 1970s
style folk rock, and suffers from an overabundance of backing singers. [MA]
"Expressions East"
1967 (Mainstream 56023) [mono] "Oud
Artistry" 1967 (Mainstream 56047)
[mono] "Music
of the Middle East" 1968 (Roulette sr-25306) These
early LPs go mainly in an ethnic Middle Eastern direction. The later LPs are
listed in the main Acid Archives.
"Beretmusic" 1970 (Aries XPL-1011) From the liner notes I know their
names were John Alvarez, Chip Navarro and Joe Salazar. Their sole album,
1970's "Beretmusic" was apparently recorded in New Haven,
Connecticut with production by Martin Kugell and Samot Arikios. Largely
written by Alvarez, this one's a challenge to adequately describe.
Material such as 'On the Road', 'Back Roads of My Mind' and 'Yes I Love
Her' is pretty poppy, but the album has a strange vibe to it, complete
with occasional effects laden vocals and some of the most irritating
backing vocals you'll ever hear (I was wondering if they were pulling
people's fingernails out). Apparently a live track (it sounds like they
were playing for about three people), the ballad 'My Woman' seems to
confirm that these guys were really a lounge act at hearts. They also get
a nod for turning in the lamest cover of 'Woodstock' I've ever heard. Hard
to believe, but these guys manage to make it sound like a salad dressing
commercial. Mind you, it's real person potential I would have earned it
three stars, but there are horns on a couple of the tracks and 'Yes I Love
Her' sports one of those irritating country twangs that sounds like a
Commander Cody rip-off (guess they actually pre-date the Commander.). [SB]
"Modern Phonography" 1978 (Patron Saint ps-1) [gatefold; insert; 500p] Lost
basement folk and folkrock sound from leader of Patron Saints, with slide
guitar and some acoustic solo tracks. There is also a second LP from 1982,
Sending Out Signals, and Bergman combined both albums for a 2-CD reissue in
1998.
"The Bermuda Jam" 1969 (DynoVoice DY 31907) If you go by the liner notes, this
late-'60s quartet was a multi-national affair, the four members coming
from Australia (James O'Connor), England (Paul Muggleton), Portugal (Glen
Mello) and the States (Andy Newmark). In spite of the accents, one got the
feeling this was little more than a goofball studio project, probably
masterminded by Bob Crewe, whose DynoVoice label released their sole LP.
Produced by Andy Denno, 1969's "The Bermuda Jam" was one weird
affair. Complete with sound effects and spoken word snippets, musically
the set found the quartet all over the spectrum. "Hold Me" and
"Who Put the Sun In Your Eyes (Who Put the Fly In Your Soup)"
offered up harmony rich top-40 pop; "Up Down, Turn Around" found
the band turning in a decent blue-eyed soul effort, while "Forever
Young" had a C&W feel. Nothing here was terribly wrong, nor with
the exception of the meltdown "Good Trip Lollipop" was there
anything particularly right. Back to "Lollipop" - complete with
meltdown keyboards, LSD drenched vocals (the hysterical laughter and
nursery rhyme fragments were a sweet touch) and crunching guitar, it was
easily the most psych-oriented effort and the standout track, it's too bad
the rest of the LP wasn't as memorable. As you'd expect, the set vanished
without a trace, followed in short order by the band. (Nice pajamas guys
...). Within a couple of years Newmark reappeared as a member of Sly and
the Family Stone. [SB]
"Do You Wanna Dance - The Best Of Frank's Bandstand" 1965 (Arc 669) Compilation related to CBC TV show
aired from different Canadian cities. Bands on
this comp include the Offbeats, the Raindrops and the Brunswick Playboys. Contents
are teen-beat/pop.
"The Best Of The Greatest" 1969 (Birchmount bm-535)
Features the 49th Parallel (excellent
tracks), Guess Who, Beaumarks. The same label also released "Strictly Canadian".
"The Joys Of Life" 1968 (Decca DL 75148) First album by new age
singer-songwriter who is still active today is unlike anything she’d do
again. The opener, with an annoying horn arrangement, is an obvious attempt
at a hit, but the rest of the album is grade-A downer folk. Her odd voice is
an acquired taste, but suits the material, some of which has the loose feel
of Tim Buckley’s experimental phase or Van Morrison’s ASTRAL WEEKS. The
longest songs are the best on the album; the title track and “Nothing
Lasts” are both up there with the best in the genre by anyone. This album
has subtle, dark, unexpected power. Possibly from New York state. [AM]
"Big 3" 1964 (FM lp-307) [1] Rather good bluesy harmony folk with Cass Elliot
(Mamas and Papas). Denny Doherty does not appear on this LP. [RM]
"Bike" 1978 (no label 34160) [1]
Hardrock with Don Pierle. Don is Ray Pierle’s brother (McKay, Rhythm of the
Highway) but did not play in the Pierle Brothers Band.
“Celestial Explosion” 1968 (Keyboard k711-s) New
York City label. Instrumental guitar tracks with a cosmic edge. Should
interest genre fans.
"Playing on the Moon" 1973 (Amsterdam/Flying Dutchman am-12014) Bob Thiele Jr.'s band.
Rural hippie rock
Deadish sound. Bob's dad ran the Impulse and Flying Dutchman labels. [RM]
"Vol. 1" 1978 (Vetco lp-701) [1] Both Bitter Blood Street Theatre albums show up for sale often (as do those of their less “rock” offshoot band Blacklight Braille), so they must have had a pretty big local fan base. The band’s name implies some kind of cult ritual or performance art, but the “theatre” is limited to a couple of brief monologues and one song that’s recited rather than sung. This is straightforward rock with a few quirks (wild singing, some sax, a band member who plays a saw, which sounds a lot like a theremin.) Some of the guitar is pretty heavy; the rhythm guitars have a great punchy distortion sound that reminds me of the Stones’ “Monkey Man.” There are three vocalists, two men and a woman. All of them are reasonably distinctive, and the woman sounds pretty eerie when she sings backup. All of the elements are there for this to be a cool band. With maybe two exceptions, though, the songwriting is uninteresting. In the end, this is one of those albums that seems like it’s going to be really great but just isn’t. [AM] "Vol. 2" 1978 (Vetco lp-703) Heavy rock.
[RM]
"A Matter Of Time" 1981 (Bent WRC1-1749) [gatefold] Melodic hardrock/AOR with guitar and
keyboard.
"Backwoods Boogie" 1978 (Crazy Horse 2001) Swamp
fuzz rock, harmonica. Heavy southern rock boogie sound.
"Meet Anna Black" 196 (Epic) [wlp also exists] Femme folk
psych.
"Blackhorse" 1979 (DSDA 1) Southern style hardrock trio on
Dallas label.
"House Of Leather" 1969 (Fontana) Odd rock concept album about the
Civil War. Pretty good considering. [RM]
"Are Not For Smoking" 1968 (Jubilee jgs-8007) Airy pop lite folk psych.
[RM]
"Live" 1974 (Mountain) Supported by 'The Warren Groovy
All-Star Band', the 1950s rockabilly legend delivers classic rock in a
bluesy bar-band mode, highlighted by his good vocals (he was only 33 at this
point) and some remarkable guitar pyrotechnics. It's not very hip, but kind
of fun, including a ridiculously overblown Also Sprach Zarathustra intro and
a "Jesus Christ Superstar" medley. Oddly, it sounds like it was recorded in
a huge concert hall, in sharp contrast to the bar-rock nature of the music.
"Let Me In" 1976 (Pickwick PIP) Solo LP from
post-Hoi Polloi guy with minor hit title track, about 1/3rd is solid rural
rock/singer-songwriter with pro sound and excellent arrangements, while most
other tracks have unsuccessful soulrock moves with a Stevie Wonder influence. Worth checking out at the
current (low) going rate. [PL]
"Soul Session At 'His Place'" 1970 (Creative Sound css-1530)
Self-proclaimed 'Minister to Sunset Strip'.
'His Place' was an all-night nightclub where Blessit preached his psychedelic
take on the gospels. Hippie street preacher weirdness. On "Soul Session", one
side is Blessit's goofball sermon and the other features a bizarre play and
garagy jamming by ex-addicts, The Eternal Rush! [RM]
"You’ll Like Bliffert" 197 (no label 1) [insert] Stoner folk blues and
singer/songwriter. Bliffert was in 1960s band Freddy & the Freeloaders.
"Blind Owl" 1973 (KC 1010) 1970s folk from little-known act.
"Indian Summer Blues" 1975 (Feather)
Acoustic folk blues with slide guitar and
occasional piano, the second LP has full rock setting. Some moderate collector
interest has been registered for these titles.
"David Blue" 1966 (Elektra
EKL-4003) Produced by Arthur Gorson, 1966's
"David Blue" is fascinating, if only for the fact it shows someone
laboring with an overwhelming Dylan fixation (geez even Blue's haircut looks
like mid-'60s Dylan). There's no doubt Blue was a talented performer.
Unfortunately, those talents included being blessed (or cursed) with a gruff
voice and a half-sung/half spoken delivery that bore more than a passing
comparison to Dylan. As a writer Blue wasn't bad, but in the shadow of
Dylan's best work, originals such as "So Easy She Goes By" and
"Midnight Through Morning" simply couldn't compete. On the other
hand, his debut is better than 99.9% of material released by Dylan-wannabes.
So what makes it so good? Give Blue credit for hiring a first rate backing
band (including bassist Harvey Brooks, guitarist Monte Dunn and keyboardist
Paul Harris - all had previously played with Dylan), and having the smarts
to rock out. Up tempo numbers such as "The Gasman Won't Buy Your
Love", "If Your Monkey Can't Get It", The
Byrds-do-Dylan-styled "It Ain't the Rain That Sweeps the Highway
Clean" and "It Tastes Like Candy" are great and literally
save the album from the typical annoying angst of Dylan-inspired
singer/songwriters. Anyone into Dylan circa "Blonde On Blonde" or
"Highway 61" will be impressed (and have to wonder if these aren't
simply Dylan outtakes). [SB]
"Bad Dream" 1979 (Parliament 3661) Dual-lead hardrock with colorful
fantasy death cover. [RM]
"Beatle Beat" 1964 (A.A. 133) Exploito Merseybeat sound.
[RM]
"Bluebyrd" 1975 (no label)
Introspective folk trio with mellow leanings. Acoustic guitar, flute, hand
drums.
"No
Money Down" 1977 (Money Master 1273-1) Rootsy
'70s boogie rock-hardrock with stinging guitar leads. Ex-Woolies guys with a
no-frills Detroit approach. Not without merit.
"Put on Blue Shoes" 1980 (Living Room) [12" EP] [1] Local powerpop.
The band also had some 45s and an unreleased album.
"Blues Union" 1980 (Lunar 2) Blues
rock and Texas shuffle with wailing guitar courtesy Michael Heyman; early
1970s sound. A 45 was also released.
"Bodine" 1969 (MGM se-4652) [gatefold] Great westcoast sound wide-open guitar rocker.
mix of heavy riffs and dreamy rural tracks. Post-Daily Flash and post-Fantastic
Zoo. [RM]
"Chansons Pour Mediter" 1971 (Select)
French-Canadian folk and singer-songwriter with religious (I think) the
themes. Light rock backing and good use of organ on some tracks. Boisvert
writes good songs, but the language barrier for non-Francophones becomes too
steep on a word-oriented record such as this (unlike, say, the Agape album
from Quebec), and his somewhat weak, unsteady vocal doesn't help the
listener. For French-speakers, this may be a pretty good LP, though.
"Jay Bolotin" 1970 (Commonwealth United 6002) [wlp only?] Good loner
folk. Bolotin is today a visual artist of some repute.
"The Bondsmen" 1966 (Austin) Seldom seen teenbeat LP. Due to the
common band name, this one is difficult to dredge up info on.
"In
Action" 1963 (Drum Boy) Pre-Beatle sounds,
mostly instrumental with a 12-year old lady guesting on vocals on two
tracks.
"Borbetomagus" 1980 (Agaric) "Work On What Has Been Spoiled" 1981 (Agaric) "III" 1982 (Agaric) Experimental progressive
avant jazz. The band had several LPs.
"Blackhole Boogie" 1972 (no label bg-0606) Beat
poetry and sampling (Beatles, Stones, etc) collage. Has a strong sexual
component. 25 tracks! Boruk Glasgow is the artist.
"Boston Tea Party" 1968 (Flick Disc 45000) Cheese
teen lyte-psych with good track "We have already died".
"A Period Of Time" 1975 (Sheepeater 000-1) Obscure
rural-countryrock with nice double exposure front cover.
"Bounty" 1981 (Harts 755)
Synth-led progressive rock. Includes ARP Odyssey, Solana string ensemble,
Steinway piano, guitar, bass, drums.
"Alias Boona"
1969 (Verve Forecast fts-3070) [wlp exists] Boylan
was half of Appletree Theatre and is doing fragile folk rock introspection
here.
"Introducing the Boyles Brothers" 1968 (International Artists iasc-6801) Hideous
supper club lounge vocals only listed here because of the label (a vanity/custom
job). The only
International Artists LP not reissued with the box set. [RM]
"Mostly Live" 1977 (Lizard 1369) Wasted rural jams with the typical
Allman Bros influence; may appeal to genre fans, but not much in demand
currently.
"Brat" 1973 (no label r-2826) [1-sided; no cover; 150p] Guitar rock, includes covers of ”The
Nazz Are Blue” and ”The Kids Are Alright”.
"A Christmas Present" 1984 (Scyne VPA-LP-3012) [as Gold Fever only; 200p] Weaker but still haunting effort by J.D. Brennan and his gang. [SK] "Pot of Gold" 198 (Scyne) [200p] By the mid 1980s Brennan was already in his mid 50s when he decided that his calling was to become a rock star. Gathering up a collection of similarly self-delusional musical misfits, as J.D. Brennan and Gold Fever, they began playing the local Boston club circuit. 1984's self-produced "Pot of Gold" (the LP was reportedly recorded in Brennan's basement), is an odd collection of mostly 1950s covers, rounded out by four period sounding originals and a cover of Bruce Springsteen's 'Pink Cadillac'. Rather than try to describe the album, here's what the back cover liner notes say: "...'Pot of Gold' is a collection of some of our favorites tunes that we have played and liked over the years. Early artists like Elvis Presley, Jimmy Reed, [...] and Rochelle and the Candles influenced our style as well as that of perhaps Bruce Springsteen, whose "Pink Cadillac" has a definite fifties ring to it. We hope to flash to the past and our own tunes, "Ninety Pound Weakling", "See Me Tonight" and "Gold Fever Rock" will let you know without a doubt: "Chantilly Lace" is here to stay." Gawd only knows how the collaboration came to pass, but Grammy winning guitarist Luther Johnson provides a nifty solo on 'Be Bop a Lula'. Having listened to this set a dozen times, I can't decide whether Brennan's simply goofin' around (especially on tracks such as 'Is It So Strange' and 'It's Only Make Believe' when he kicked into his pseudo-Elvis vocal mode), or if he was deadly serious ... Definitely different and should appeal to real people aficionados even if it's a little outside of the typical timeframe! [SB] "Stratosphere" 1987 (Scyne VPAG-LP-4196) [200p] "The Unknown Soldiers of Vietnam" 198 (Scyne) [200p] "Thru The Years" 198 (Scyne) [200p] "Guitar Slinger" 1990 (Scyne VPAG-LP-5283) [200p] Amazing 50 year old "real
people" rocker who manage to sneak in a powerful psychedelic edge to his
echoed rockabilly twist that only adds to the overall haunted lysergic feel.
Mr. Brennan plays a mean guitar and sings and is backed by a full band called
Goldfever. This is real emotional, the guy really puts himself on the line and
sings and plays as if every note would be his last. The LPs were done in
pressings of 200 copies only. [SK]
"Brethren" 1970 (TFS-0013) 1970's "Brethren" teamed
the band with producer Jay Senter. With three of the four members
contributing material (Cosgrove was the mainstay composer), the album
featured a mix of what a friend has labeled "white boy blues"
("Hitchin' To Memphis" and "Everybody In the
Congregation") and country-rock numbers (a nice cover of James
Taylor's "Don't Talk To Me Now" and "Mississippi
Freighter"). Cosgrove had a nice raspy voice, well suited to the up
tempo material. He was also a capable guitarist (check out his sterling
performance on the funky "Outside Love" and the meltdown
instrumental "Success Brand of Oil"). While much of the set
recalled something out of the early-'70s Bobby Whitlock, or Delaney and
Bonnie catalogs, nothing here was particularly original or commercial. To
our ears, the Gospel-influenced rocker "I've Been Provided For"
provided the album's highlight. The album's also interesting for it's
bizarre mix of guests - The Blossoms (providing backing vocals), Dr. John
and Poco's Rusty Young. [SB]
"Tradewinds" 1978 (no label)
Communal hippie folk.
"Hour World"
1968 (Mainstream 6124) Weak pop
psych, one of the least desirable rock LPs on the label. Listed here as they're
often assumed to be from the US. They also recorded
singles on Mainstream as "The Casuals". [RM]
"Gentle Explosion" 1969 (Decca dl-75054) [also exists as mono wlp] Described
as orchestrated AM pop.
"Do the Beetle" 1964 (Crown 399) Exploito
beat by a really good group. [RM]
"Remember The Wind And The Rain" 1968 (Oracle ors-701) Rural
folk drifter with a notable, long story-song ”Legend Of The USS Titanic”.
The Capitol pressing is easier to find than the first release. Brockett had
a second LP titled "2" on Capitol, and a third LP in 1977.
"Arrival" 1980 (Couderay CR 123178) Good drifting folkrock.
This is the easiest Brooks album to find, and probably his most mainstream effort. What that means is that it isn’t full of echoplex and sound effects, not that it would ever sound anything but bizarre on the radio. Though the songs are reasonably brief, they’re full of Brooks’ trademark fast-picking lead guitar style. The album’s most memorable song, ”It’s A Beautiful Day,” starts out a gentle ballad with wimpy lyrics and deteriorates into endless soloing. It’s funny, and compel¬ling in its own weird way. Brooks may be more convincing when he’s not trying to write ‘normal’ songs (which have derivative chord progressions and mindless lyrics) but this album has an odd charm, and his squeaky high voice subverts any AOR aspirations he may have had. Most people actually rate this as Brooks’ best album, which is arguable. I’d suggest that straight hard rock fans start here, while people with more adventurous taste start with Translucent World. The LP was pressed on various colors of translucent vinyl as well as on black vinyl. [AM] "No Exit" 1980 (Rock City rcr-88001, Germany) "Blastin' Through" 1980 (Rock City rcr-88003, Germany) "Star People" 1980? (Star People spr-0005) [yellow vinyl] "High Flyer"
1981 (Criteria) [test pressing;
gold vinyl; 75#d] [2] "Criteria Demo Album"
198 (Criteria) [red vinyl;
autographed by Terry; 100 pressed] [2?]
"Brother Fox and the Tar Baby"
1969 (Oracle ors-703) [gatefold; wlp exists] We've seen this item show up on a number of high priced psych lists,
but if you're expecting oodles of Fender feedback and drug scorched personas, this one's going to be too pop oriented to appeal to you. One of the era's isolated
bi-racial bands, the group were signed by the small Oracle label, the result an odd
hodge-podge of musical styles. Quite diverse, the set includes stabs at
conventional hard rock ("We All Love Him"), Tom Jones-styled MOR
ballads ("I Start To Cry") and the plain bizarre ("Maxie the
Meanie"). The first time I listened to it, I was a little
underwhelmed, but repeated playing reward the listener. Clearly not the year's
most innovative album, there are still numerous tracks worth hearing. To my
ears the highlights included "Metal Soldier", "Three Tots and a
Man" and their most psych-oriented track "Mr. Sleepy". The band
has ties to a couple of other wellknown Boston area outfits. [SB]
"Brothers And Sisters" 1976 (Western Hemisphere WH-1002) This
obscure album is one of three known releases on Tiger Lily’s sister label.
It’s a variety of soft rock styles, sounding like it spans a few years, and
probably by a variety of artists (indeed, six different lead singers are
listed on the album cover, which unlike a lot of Tiger Lily records, has at
least partial credits). The songs include wussy AM pop with horns and
strings, homogenized country, near-bubblegum, singer-songwriter cheese, and
lounge. As with most of these Roulette tax-scam things, it’s highly
professional in both performance and production. Some of it sounds like it
could have gotten some radio play if it was on a real label, like, um,
Roulette. So, it’s well done, but that doesn’t mean I expect any of you to
like it: only those with an unquenchable jones for mainstream soft pop need
apply. The consistent factor here is producer Larry Rush, and my best guess
is that this album is a compilation of his work as a producer/arranger (and
in some cases, songwriter), intended as a showcase for record labels, one of
which apparently stole it. Despite the name of the ‘artist’, all lead
singers are male. [AM]
"The Wall I Built Myself" 1970 (Stormy Forest sfs-6007) [promos exist] "Willoughby's Lament" 1971 (Stormy Forest sfs-6008) Dreamy guitar and cosmic keys folk.
[RM]
"Tenspeed" 1975 (Fish Creek 4002) Rural guitar rock from band that had been going since the early 1960s. "Rattlesnake
Joe" 1975 (Fish Creek 4003)
"A Choirboy’s Lament" 1976 (SRI)
1970s folk with percussion, bass and female vocal harmonies and a surprise
appearance by Emmylou Harris. Cover versions of Joan Baez and ”Codine”, the
rest is originals.
"Brownstone" 1973 (Playboy) Heavy blues rock with acid leads and
fine vocals from Barbara Lopez. [RM]
"Synthesis" 1978 (no label) [insert; poster]
Eclectic bag of tricks including psych moves, doomy rock, some synth, a few
tracks with female vocals. Great psychy sleeve with a landscape tinted
crimson.
"Bubble Gum Machine" 1967 (Senate) This seems to have been a studio project for producer/writer Wes
Farrell. Released by the ABC affiliated Senate label, their self-titled 1967
album featured a decent mix of Farrell-penned originals ("Wha'Cha Gonna Do
For Me Now" and "I Wonder") and popular covers (Beatles, Buffalo
Springfield, The Bee Gees, whose "To Love Somebody" was mis-credited
to Robert Gibb). To be honest, "The Bubble Gum
Machine" isn't going to drastically change your life. The uncredited male
vocalist had a decent enough voice, while their attractive female singer
('Vicki' - no last name) had a voice that bore a passing
resemblance to Cass Elliott. Unfortunately, as far as mid-1960s music goes,
nothing here is particularly original or inspiring. 'Bout the best you can say
is that "The Love of a Woman" has a certain top-40 charm and they
would have made a great bar cover band. [SB]
"In Duane’s Pirate Cavern" 1965 (Custom Recorded lp-101) Early
frat-rock sound, reported as weak.
"Main Man Stan" 1980 (FX 1000) [1000p]
Jacksonville, Florida label. Heavy bluesy rock with fuzz. Proceeds from
sales of the record were devoted to the ‘care and therapy’ of Rusty’s
friend, Stan Smith, in a Florida rehabilitation center.
“Strawberry Pickins” 1974 (Pearce 42550)
Country-rock and folk, one side rocking
and the other folk & bluegrass.
"The Music Makers" 1972 (IRC) Light
folkrock and s/sw with female vocals and covers of Dylan, Carole King, John
Denver, some originals. A Tolkien fairytale theme also. Sometimes listed with
the title and artist reversed. Insert.
"Strive, Seek, Find"
1971 (Family Productions pas-6013) [promos exist] Rural
rock with Sneaky Pete guesting, has been compared to Brewer & Shipley.
"Look For Me Tomorrow" 1979 (Break Time Music) Ms Busler is an accomplished folk and bluegrass guitarist with an insatiable voice. When not playing music, Lisa is usually writing songs for herself and other female musicians including famous ones like multi Grammy Award winner Mary Chapin Carpenter. The “Look For Me Tomorrow” album appears to be her first release. She performs with a full electric band that performs contemporary variations of folk music that incorporates strains of rock, blues, pop and country music. The album is not consistent but about half of it is as good as the material found on groundbreaking female compilation releases like “Ladies From the Canyon” and “Hippie Goddesses”. The song, “One Morning in May”, is an old folk cover of just Busler on guitar and lead vocals with a second female voice providing colorful background harmonies that swerve in and out around Busler’s singing, and feeds this sparse song with a fuller and catchier sound that makes it an outstanding track. A fair comparison would be with the band Thrower-Spillane-McFarland album(see review). The “other half” of the album is at best average with a few over produced pop songs that may only appeal to a select group of late seventies AOR fans. Because this record is still under the radar and without a sales history, copies have turned-up cheaply priced.[SLB]
"Bustin’ Loose" 1981 (Cisco)
Rural rock with Southern moves, very
countrified but has good heavy lead guitar.
"The American Metaphysical Circus"
1969 (Columbia Masterworks
ms-7317) [1] "A Christmas Yet to Come" 1975 (Takoma c-1046) "Yankee Transcendoodle" 1976 (Takoma c-1051) Experimental acid
psych, electronics pastiche with female vocals on the debut; one of the few
"rock" LPs released on Columbia's classical/art music imprint. The Takoma LPs are
less acidic but still into proggy, experimental stacked synth explorations. [RM] CALDERA ( ) "Moog Mass" 1970 (Kama Sutra ksbs-2020) The appeal of this one is obvious and it is
somewhat hard to find. Their later LPs had some commercial success and are not
nearly as interesting from an underground perspective. [RM]
"Dayspring" 1974 (Morningstar 00001)
Christian rural rock with some blues-rock moves, hyped among Jesus rock
collectors, others seem less impressed.
"Honky Tonk Women" 1969 (Alshire) "Honky Tonk Women"
is known to feature members of the group Wilson McKinley and is quite
good exploito hippie underground rock. 'Sabre Dance' uses envelope follower to
great effect and 'Brick Walls' is an outstanding anti-war anthem. The CPP also
released a "Hair"-sploitation LP on Alshire with Beatles and Desmond
Dekker covers! [RM]
"Future" 1979 (no label)
Obscure private press with a spacey progressive rock sound, a bit earlier in
style than the release year indicates.
"Wanted Dead Or Alive" 1978 (no label)
Country & western music from inbred-looking family with some kid vocals, not
very interesting except for the memorable front cover.
"The Cambridge Concept of Timothy Clover - A Harvard Square Affair" 1968 (Tower st-5114) [tan label] And what a concept it is, Boston as a hippie haven!
Studio psych laugh-along fun for whimsical flower popsikers. [RM]
"Land of
1000 Dances" 1965 (Rampart rm-3302) [mono] Frat soul
rockers who hit with "Land of 1000 Dances". The album is rather
weak overall. [RM]
"Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band" 1973 (ESP Disk esp-3009) [gatefold; quad] Backporch
hippies cosmic bluesy jamming. This band was actually from Australia but are
listed here for reference.
"Cargoe" 1972 (Ardent ads-2802) [laminated cover] Here’s another power pop treasure on the same label as Big Star and the
Hot Dogs. Cargoe feels much more “Southern” and laid back than either of
those groups, but have much more melodic vocals than most “rural rock”
bands. The arrangements are creative and thoughtful, including some mild
psychedelic touches and some tasty backwards guitar. Overall, it feels like they
were reaching for greatness and only falling a rung or two short. The laminated
album cover is annoying and usually peels the second you touch it. [AM]
"Original Sounds" 196 (Cherry Records TC-101) Tom
Carlile would later see some success as a country artist, but this early LP
is previously undocumented. Dating from circa 1968, it's a vanity pressing
with a certain amount of money poured into it, as indicated by the
prestigious studios where it was recorded. I guess they didn't have any
dough left for a proper artist to design the front cover, which is as
strikingly crude as anything I've seen from the era. The music is an odd mix
of Tom Jones blue-eyed soul croon, lounge drama, gospel, and 60s pop. The
opening "I Believe In Miracles" collects all these elements into one highly
energetic piece of music. About half the album (originals all through) is of
no special merit, but the moody "Just The Same" is a rather appealing flirt
with British beat. Side 2 opens with "I Saw The Light", an infectious
gospel-pop number with enough hit potential to get picked up by CBS —
there's even a British release of it. Tom Carlile and his merry men save the
most interesting track for the last, and "The Man With No Name" is probably
the main reason to check this LP out. An unexpected, early tribute to the
anti-hero of Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns, this tune even utilizes
sampled Morricone coyote howls while the appropriate western drama unfolds.
[PL]
"Natural High" 1969 (Light LS 5558 LP) An
amusing, hopefully hip yet woefully unhip Christian anti drug-hippie musical
from the late 60s. One of three LPs from Carmichael & Kaiser (preceded by
"Tell It Like It Is" from 1968 and followed by "I'm Here, God's Here" from
1973). Carmichael who would go on to some fame within Jesus music circles.
Worth checking out if you find it cheap, not least due to the great period
color cover.
"Twine Time" 1965 (Mar V Lus 1827) [1] Alvin Cash's big break
came in late 1964 when producer Andre Williams asked him to provide some
nonsense vocals for a track he was working on. Hoping to capitalize on the
public's current interest in various dances, including the Twine, Williams had
Cash record "Twine Time" with support from his own backup band The
Nitelighters. Released by One-der-ful's Mar-V-lus subsidiary, and credited to
Alvin Cash and the Registers, the single became a national hit, eventually
selling close to a million copies. More than anxious to capitalize on the
unexpected hit, the label rushed Cash into the studio to cut a supporting album.
Released as the cleverly titled "Twine Time" the set offered up a
hastily recorded set of sound alikes ("Twine Awhile" and
"Bump"), supported by isolated covers (Sam Cooke's "Shake" -
the credits listing 'Sam Cook' as the writer) and a couple of throwaway
instrumentals ("Do It One More Time" and "Burn Just a Hair",
the latter sporting a hysterically inept attempt to edit in after-the-fact
audience sounds). As a singer Cash wasn't a major presence; most of his
performances limited to groans and screeches, brief spoken word segments and
call and response sections with a female backing chorus - check out "You
Shot Me Thru the Grease" for a perfect example. The whole affair had a
loose, throwaway feel sounding something akin to a hybrid of Archie Bells and
the Drells meet Junior Walker. Released as a single, 1965's "The
Barracuda" b/w "Do It One More Time" saw Cash repeat his earlier
success, though on a much smaller basis. All told, it wasn't something that
would drastically change your life, but made for an interesting addition to the
mid-'60s Chicago music catalog. It's also increasingly hard to find... [SB]
"Nature's Secret"
1977 (Golden Lotus gl-1) "Take Me Back" 1979 (Golden Lotus) Eastern folk psych
floaters with some heavy rock tracks too. "Nature's Secret" is a good
one for the guru love rock bag. [RM]
"Absolutely 100% Live" 1981 (private) [#d; insert] Jammy
blues-rock with fuzz leads, recorded in San Francisco. The music is mostly
r&b covers with a loud bar band sound. A few songs have lengthy funk jams
with agreeable lead guitar tactics along with remaining band members
providing the rhythm and percussion. The record has its moments but does
lack originality and uniqueness. Personally, I like the Casuals when they
are jamming on their instruments and spewing live energy. [SLB]
"Live From The Chi Chi Club" 1970 (Avalon) Bluesy
sleazy club rockers from Catalina Island, cover versions all through.
"Catch" 1969 (Dot DLP-25956) Here's another unknown late
1960s outfit... Apparently a California-based quintet, their self-titled
1969 album doesn't even provide performance credits. Produced by J.R.
Shankin, "Catch" has it's moments. With the 11 tracks credited
to M. Collings and R. White, most of the set sports a modest
country-rock feel. In this case that's meant as a compliment since
tracks such as 'Amber' and 'Come Near Me' emphasize the genres' best
characteristics - tight harmonies and some catchy melodies. 'Storm' and
'The Dandelion and the Butterfly' offer up more orchestrated pop, but
are just as good. Unlike anything else on the album, 'Crash and Burn' is
a take no-prisoners slice of fuzz guitar rock. It's easily the stand out
track. Also worth hearing is the moody eight minute 'Nine Roses'. Too
bad they didn't have more of these in their catalog. Two 45s were also
released from the album. [SB]
"Sing Me A Song" 1974 (Sky Piece)
Melodic rock with rural AOR moves.
"Central High Hootenanny '66" 1966 (no label) High
school production from the Student Council, featuring folk and folkrock
groups such as the Offtones and Maria Sanbiase. Electric backing on most
tracks. Crude packaging.
"Louie Louie" 1965 (no label) [10” 1-sided LP; no cover] Hot guitar frat rock with surfy
leads. This is probably a different band from the surf group.
"Teen Challenge Presents Cephas with Jeff Cogswell" 197 (no label 32217/8) Circa ‘73 Pittsburgh moody christian
garage folk sponsored by the christian youth group ‘Teen Challenge’.
Acoustic and electric guitars, bass, Farfisa organ, drums, teen femme
backing vocals. Several originals but perhaps most notable for the nearly
nine minute version of ”Jesus Is Just Alright” with a long organ and guitar
jam. Rite pressing. [RM]
"Blue Iron Crown" 197 (no label)
Late 1960s/early ‘70s local release of
freaky folk-blues with pagan elements. Copies of this album are rarely seen.
CHALLENGER’S (Puerto Rico) "Challenger’s" 1968 (Mariel lps-104, Puerto Rico) [gatefold]
Swirling organ, some fuzz, English
vocals. Mix of folkrock, bluesy garage, and Latin moves. With some 7-Up Cola
commercials thrown in to pay the bills.
"From There To Just About Here" 1975 (Old Road 375) "The Lady And The Stranger" 1976 (Old Road 33976) "Sooner Than Today" 1978 (Moonshine MS 101) Obscure
folk guitarist with mix of originals and covers.
"Chameleon
Church" 1968 (MGM se-4574) Soft-rock Bosstown album that hasn’t attracted much attention from
collectors, despite the Chevy Chase involvement. Generally it’s pleasant but
uninspired, listenable but safe. The album’s few trippy moments seem like an
afterthought. A few good melodies on side two tend to float away beneath the
overall blandness. Orpheus fans might like it. Not horrible, but not memorable.
Members of this band were in the Lost and the later version of Ultimate Spinach
(on their third album). [AM] LES CHANCELIERS (Quebec, Canada) "Les Chanceliers" 1967 (Citation cn-16010) [1] Garage
pop featuring Michel Pagliaro who went to a successful career as a pop
vocalist. Mostly French vocals. One band original. The band released several
45s and a 1968 EP.
"Now" 1969 (Uni 73061) [gatefold] Mix of rock, psych, and even funky moves.
"Charity" 1975 (Gospel Jubilee FM 75011)
Custom press of christian folkrock with
male & female vocals, flute, some fuzz.
"Charlatans"
1969 (Philips
phs-600-309) [wlp also exists] [1] "Charlatans
(unrel LP)" 1979 (Groucho, Italy) "The
Amazing Charlatans" 1996 (CD Big Beat 138, UK) Rootsy folkrock and jugband.
Terribly overrated though they did record a few trippy cuts. The group was far
more important historically than musically, for planting the seeds of the
psychedelic revolution. [RM]
"Bobby Charles Invades The Wells Fargo Lounge" 196 (Fenton fs-321) Live
recording of local lounge act, with Danny Gatton. Ethnic jazz guitar versions of
"Malaguena", "Zorba The Greek" etc, incl brass
section. Of interest because of the label.
"Going To The Dogs" 1977 (Fidelco Foundation Inc.) A family business breeding guide
dogs for the blind recorded this appealing laidback guitar album, with some
mild psych winners. The guys shoot the breeze and pick their electric
guitars, suitable listening on a stoned afternoon.
"Live At Harvey’s - Too Much" 1967 (2 LPs, Ikon IER S 121/122) This rarely seen album was recorded
live at Harvey’s Resort Hotel & Casino in Nevada (where Jack Bedient also
recor¬ded). It’s a racially integrated club act that had been formed by
soldiers serving in the US Army. Typical mix of frat, r’n’b and soul: ”Louie
Louie”, ”Kansas City”, ”Turn On Your Lovelight”, ”Hang On Sloopy”, etc. The
album was a custom job by the Ikon label in Sacramento, home of a number of
legen¬dary garage 45s, and was a stereo pressing that was unplayable on mono
equipment due a technical screw-up! The band went on to have success as
Checkmates Ltd (not '...Inc'), and later hooked up with Phil Spector. Today
this record is mainly of interest for its obscurity and the Ikon connection.
The release date has been given as 1965 earlier, but this is obviously
incorrect.
"The Cheetah - Where It’s At
1967" (Audio Fidelity AFLP 2168) [mono] Exploito teenbeat and soul from the
Esquires, Thunderfrog Ensemble, and Mike St Shaw & the Prophets. Covers all
through, lots of Stones, some James Brown, Young Rascals etc. The LP is
sometimes hyped, but it’s not a rarity. Also out on reel-to-reel.
"Word Of Mouth" 1974 (Gramex g-101) [paste-on cover] Mix of hippie singer-songwriter funk
and rural rock weirdness. Pressed by GRT in Nashville. Issued in a plain
cover with a paste-on front listing the band name and title. A paste-on back
labeled ‘Reference Data’ lists the song titles and credits. Could be an
enjoyable local realness trip for the right listener.
"Los
Chijuas" 1968 (Musart) [300p]
[2] "Los Chijuas,
Vol 2" 1970 (Musart) [2] Melodic teen garage like a
lesser Summer Sounds. Organ, jangle guitar, harmonies. Two excellent teen-garage tracks from the first LP appear on the
"Psychedelic Moods pt 2" compilation. [RM]
"Monkee Business" 1967 (Wyncote SW 9199) [1] "Monkeys A-Go-Go" 1967 (Wyncote SW 9203) [1] Exploito Monkees covers and pop fuzz originals.
One track from
the 2nd LP was reissued on the "Lyte Psych" compilation on Arf
Arf, which lists the band as being from PA.
"Chris, Chris & Lee" 1970 (C C & L)
Delicate folk-folkrock covers and some
originals. ”Thank You” has nice vocal harmony arrangements and an upbeat
flow, like the Chapin Bros four years down the line.
"Ode to A Warrior" 1977 (Silent Thunder c-1007) Moody
folk rock singer-songwriter. Acoustic and electric guitars, piano, drums,
cello, congas.
"The
Visitation" 1976 (Siren demo) [two inserts] [2] Garage
psych throwback. On later LPs, they became more of a noise outfit. This LP was
not included in their box set.
"Circus" 1974 (Hemisphere
ks-6679) Jammy keys and heavy, distorted
leads rockers including a 12-minute track. Produced by Corky Siegel. CIRKUS ( ) "Cirkus" 197 (no label) Early 70s lounge-band with
garagy soul rock high energy covers and mixed vocals. ”Get Ready”, ”Spill
The Wine”, ”River Deep Mountain High”.
"C.K. Strong" 1969 (Epic bn-26473)
Lynn Carey’s first group, pre-Carrie Nations. Pretty standard blues rock,
which at first seems better than it is because her vocals are so hot. Three
songs sung by one of the guys fall into the “what were they thinking” category. Includes some
entertaining lyrics and a mildly ambitious suite about “John The Baptist”.
Neil Merryweather haters should pick up this album because it’s Lynn’s only
one without him. [AM]
"Yes, Indeed!" 1976 (Tiger Lily 14035)
Another mysterious album on Tiger Lily.
Singer-songwriter and soul, a bit in a Carole King vein with full backing
band and horns. This is usually categorized as a ‘soul’ genre title. Two
tracks appear both instrumental and vocal to pad out the playtime, in
typical tax scam fashion.
"Diggin’ In" 1978 (GDS 2051)
Crude hardrock boogie. Back cover notes
‘Play this ass kicker loud!’, in case you were in doubt. Ex-Eighth Day, who
had two songs on the much earlier Psychedelic Six Pack of Sound sampler.
"Sugar On Sunday" 1968 (White Whale wws-7126) One of the
few 60s bands to cover the 13th Floor Elevators, Clique later had some chart success
with their light UK-style pop-psych sound. Only the first two singles feature
the original band, the White Whale material is just Randy Shaw singing over L.A.
session musicians.
"Clockwork" 1973 (Greene Bottle) [gatefold] Clockwork
is an album that will undoubtedly remain obscure and rise and rise in value
when more people hear what is in these grooves. The band, probably from the
American westcoast, number 7 members, but there is no horn rock or soft
commercial trite pop here. This album may be the record that is the last
rural heavy psych into rural melodic intense rock/prog crossover to come out
before the 60s were more than just a memory. The sound is killer throughout,
with lots of heavy wah-wah/fuzz guitar blasts, strong melodramatic harmonies
and a lead voice that are very similar to Wizards From Kansas, and 3 clever
rearrangements of cover tunes including a storming heavy psych version of
"Hazy Shade Of Winter." The few tracks that head off into a mellow
acid CSNY vibe are done tastefully and when the harpsichord comes to the
fore reminiscent of The Mandrake Memorial. With every track at least really
good and a bit over half of this totally killer this album lives up to the
amazing creepy die cut sleeve. I recently saw this for 125 on an online
list, I also saw it gone when I wanted to check about it again, so this will
be one that climbs up fast ala the also excellent and slightly similar LP by
Fresh Air. For progressive fans who also want hooks and melody, and for
psych heads who want a late flash of the westcoast vibe this is essential.
-- Ben Blake Mitchner
"Yves et Toup" 1975 (Trans World) [unipak] Christian
progressive folk, highly rated by some.
"Another Carnegie Mellon University First!" 1969 (AIP)
Collegians. Bagpipe group on one side and a basement folkrock group on the
flipside.
"Live At The Raven Gallery" 1968 (Hideout 1003)
Folk LP recorded live, on noted local label. Nice black & white jazz-style
cover.
"No Need to Worry" 1983 (no label, no #) [plain black cover w/ info sheet; 100p]
1970s style hardrock cruncher like Truth & Janey with some progressive
influences, demo-only release.
"Mike Cohen" 1973 (Diadelphous Stamens) [insert]
"Collage '75" 1975 (BCC-1975) [gatefold]
College project album from Brookdale Community College, including the usual
mix of styles. Instrumental psychedelic rock, poetry, funk, hippie folk,
bluegrass and an awkward soul-searching singer-songwriter. "Bands" include
North Star, To Be Continued, Eric Marcusson, Maryann Sabanskas, Watchful
Waiting, and more. V.A "COLORADO FOLK" (CO)
"Colorado Folk, vol 1" 1973 (Biscuit City Enterprises)
This first volume has folk and singer-songwriters, including one good
sitar-tablas track "Legend Of The Washeen". The second volume from 1974 is
similar but more bluegrass-oriented, and features a track by Tumbleweed
artist Pete McCabe.
"Colt" 198 (private)
Obscure album that features some good guitar-work and powertrio jamming on
the sidelong "Walk Away". The other side is lengthy bar-rock versions of two
Chuck Berry tunes. It sounds like a late '70s/early '80s release, possibly
demo only. It may appeal to fans of Rain or Black Orchids, although the
clean, uncompressed studio recordings takes away the desired live
atmosphere.
"On Saint John’s Eve" 1976 (Pharoah)
Collegians doing avant-garde jazzy progressive weirdness with a side-long
track. Seldom seen but not rated highly.
"Gentle Revolution" 1969 (Avant Garde avs-122) [gatefold] "Fragments From an Unknown Gospel" 1970 (Avant Garde avs-123) [gatefold] Christian flowery dreamy
folk pop on "Gentle Revolution" including Beatles, Byrds, and Joni
Mitchell covers. On "Fragments From an Unknown Gospel" Bill recites
his poetry with odd piano backing by Carmel Signa. One of those Christians that
is kind of 'out there' with hippie crossover appeal. [RM]
"Comfortable Chair" 1969 (Ode z12-44005) What little attention 1969's "The Comfortable Chair" has gotten
seems to stem from the fact The Doors' Jim Morrison discovered them, while John
Densmore and Robbie Kreiger served as producers for their sole 1969 album.
That's unfortunate since this set is actually quite impressive in its own right.
Featuring all-original songs (virtually every band member contributing to he
writing chores), the album bounces all over the musical spectrum. Lead singers
Bernie Schwartz and Barbara Wallace are both quite good, navigating through the
different genres without any trouble. Highlights include the opening rocker
'Ain't No Good No More', the sweet ballad 'I'll See You' and ''Let Me Through.
Exemplified by 'Some Soon, Some Day' and 'Stars In Heaven' much of the set
features a lazy, dreamy aura that's quite captivating. Had it been a little more
original and the band churned out a couple more rock numbers, and the album
could have been a classic. As is, the album makes for a fascinating game of
'spot theinfluence'. My ears hear bits of David LaFlamme and It's a Beautiful Day
(luckily without the violins) and even The Jefferson Airplane ('Be
Me'). Ode also tapped the album for a pair of instantly obscure singles.
[SB] COMPANION (CA) "On The Line" 1977 (Sleepy Eye 1001) Bluesy rural 1970s rock from Bay
Area band; presumably no relation to the guys below.
"Mr Head Live" 1980 (Akashic) Dead/Allman Bros-style guitar
jammers. Neither of the two different Companion albums from CA are expensive.
"Connecticut’s Greatest Hits" 1967 (Co-Op 101)
An obscure sampler from New Haven featuring a few
teen-beat/garage era bands such as the Chosen Few and the Majenics. The
Chosen Few do a good Young Rascals-style Lori Burton track and covers of
“Hey Joe” (slow and dull) and the Blendells’ “La La La La La” (not bad).
Most of the other partici¬pants are vocal groups (including a post-Five
Satins combo) and soul acts, and the album is often promoted to ‘northern
soul’ collectors. With the majority of the tracks also out on 45, this album
is mainly a concern for regional completists. [PL]
"Connexion" 1975 (RCA 0105)
French-Canadian hardrock with band compositions throughout
and vocals in French. Highly rated by some.
"No Suppression" 1981 (no label) [gatefold]
Basement folkrock.
"Copperhead" 1973 (Columbia KC-32250) Wow! I guess I wasn't expecting
all that much from Quicksilver Messenger Service's lead guitarist John
Cipollina. I was wrong... By the late 1960s Cipollina had grown
increasingly dissatisfied with his role in Quicksilver Messenger Service
(QMS). Friction with Dino Valenti and a desire to stretch out beyond the
constraints imposed within the band (specifically a lucrative sideline
playing sessions) saw Cippolina finally strike out on his own in 1970. Copperhead
started out as a fairly unstructured enterprise; essentially Cipollina
and friends jamming on the local club circuit but by 1972 the line-up
consisted of Cipollina, ex-Stained Glass bassist Jim McPherson, former
Freedom Highway guitarist Gary Philippet and drummer David Weber. Word
of mouth support led Michael Lang to sign the group to his newly formed
Just Sunshine Records. The band actually began recording material for an
album tentatively entitled "Sealed For Your Protection".
Unfortunately, the label's lack of financial resources doomed the
project and by late 1972 they'd been picked up by Clive Davis and
Columbia Records (for what was then a reportedly staggering five year,
$1.5 million contract). Released in 1973 (with the line up expanded
to include bassist Hutch Hutchinson), the self-produced
"Copperhead" offered up an excellent set of west coast rock.
With material such as 'Roller Derby Star' and 'They're Making a Monster'
spotlighting Cipollina's instantly recognizable sinewy fret work, the
set was quite a bit more focused and commercial than QMS's latter stage
releases. With Cipollina, McPherson and Philippet responsible for the
majority of the album, the collection had a fairly varied sound,
including straightforward rockers ('Pawnshop Man'), country-rock (the
wonderful 'A Little Hand') and even a touch of Steely-Dan-esque
jazz-rock ('Kamikaze'). Elsewhere, Columbia tapped 'Roller Derby Star'
b/w 'Roller Derby Star' as a single (Columbia 4-45810). Unfortunately,
the band lost their prime mentor when Davis was unexpectedly fired from
Columbia. The group had already recorded a follow-on set, but Columbia
executives promptly shelved it, dropping the band from the company's
recording roster. The band subsequently called it quits. [SB]
"Play Old, New" 1975 (Tell International)
Weirdo fringe LP of some notoriety as
it was featured in one of the Incredibly Strange Music books; this is real
live cops playing covers from the 1950s-1970s, including ”Knocking On
Heaven’s Door” and ”Memphis Train”. The cover pics are priceless. For freak
collectors mainly.
"Mike Corbett & Jay Hirsh with Hugh McCrackin" 1971 (ATCO SD 33-361) Here's another example of the old
adage about judging a book by its cover ... I found this one at a yard
sale, but was so put off by the Hirsh-drawn cover (is it a turkey?) that I
put it back. I eventually went back to get it. Thank goodness it was still
there. Mike Corbett and Jay
Hirsh had previously recorded an album as part of Mr. Flood's Party and
while some references describe this as Mr. Flood Part 2, it's anything
but. Co-produced by the pair, 1971's cleverly-titled "Mike Corbett
& Jay Hirsh with Hugh McCrackin" abandoned the formers' mild
psych moves in favor of a first-rate collection of CSN&Y-styled folk
rock. Largely penned by Hirsh (Corbitt's credited with co-authoring two
tracks), tracks such as 'Gypsy Child', 'Uncut Diamonds' and 'The Mighty
Emerald' were full of great melodies and wonderful vocal harmonies that
withstood a comparison to such stalworths as CSN&Y. Hirsh had a voice
that was quite attractive and even the trio's occasional forays into
country-rock such as 'Seashore' and 'Goodnight My Lady' were enjoyable.
The secret ingredient may well have been guitarist McCrackin whose tasty
guitar ensured that the other two never got overly goopy (okay 'Swan Song'
was kind of lame) - check out his slide work on 'Sweet Virginia' and the
blazing rocker 'Agatha's Raven'. One of my favorite recent discoveries and
(at least to my ears) better than their Mr. Flood work. [SB]
"Cornbread" 196 (Mega 31-003) [wlp exists]
Heavy guitar bluesy rural rock.
"Prospectus '69" 1969 (MGM SE-4624) Well, one look at the cover on
this obscurity is all you need to figure out that these guys weren't a
mob of drug dependent draft dodgers... Featuring a line up consisting of
keyboardist Bob Jacobs, singer Peter James, drummer Rob Mathebey,
bassist Rick Riccobono and guitarist Walt Meskell, the band debuted with
the 1968 single 'Soul Owner's Song' b/w 'Nickels and Dimes' (Music
Factory MU-416). While the single did nothing commercially, it attracted
the attention of MGM Records, which subsequently signed them to a
contract. Produced by Mike Post, 1969's "Prospectus '69" isn't
a half bad set of blue-eyed soul and commercial pop. Largely written by
guitarist Meskell and propelled by James' likeable raspy voice, material
such as 'Sunshine Grove', 'World Full of Changes' and the fuzz guitar
drenched 'Wait and See' is quite catchy. Elsewhere, the album
includes the earlier 45 'A" side 'Soul Owner's Song'. Written
by Meskell the song features some nifty acoustic slide guitar
(also courtesy of Meskell) and is probably the album's standout song.
The LP's also notable for some exquisite harmony vocals. Their
performances on tracks like 'Every Thursday Evening' and 'What You Need'
are simply great. MGM also tapped 'Annabelle' b/w 'Wait and See' as a
single. Had the band been able to avoid Post's occasionally suffocating
production touches and lost a couple of the more pedestrian and MOR
songs (the previously mentioned 'Annabelle') and this could have been a
real treasure. As it is, to my ears it's better than most of the
material recorded by such contemporaries as mid-career Association, The
Marshmallow Way, or Orange Coloured Skies. Can't say I know much
about their follow-on efforts other than Meskell went on to enjoy some
mid-1970s success as a producer and songwriter, placing material with
the likes of The DeFranco Family, C.W. McCall, and The Outlaws.
Riccobono spent almost twenty years working for BMI including a stint as
a vice president for the organization, and now works for an outfit
called Supertracks. [SB]
"Corporation" 1969 (Capitol ST-175) [rainbow label] Bluesy
fuzz rock. Their two Age of Aquarius LPs (Get On Our Swing; Hassles In My
Mind) are forgettable but this earlier and superior Capitol LP features a
fine extended jam to John Coltrane’s ”India”. It was also released in
England and France [RM]
"Corvairs" 1964 (Olympia 106)
Obscure teenbeat with frat, instros and r’n’b. This is their second LP.
"Coryell" 1969 (Vanguard Apostolic VSD 6547) I'll be the first to tell you that my knowledge of Larry Coryell is pretty limited. I've heard some of his later career jazz-rock offerings and while quite accomplished, most of it doesn't do much for me. What I didn't realize is that Coryell also had some rock roots in his past. As a teenager growing up in Washington State, he played in a number of rock bands and by the late 1960s he'd become an admirer of Cream and Jimi Hendrix. All hyperbole aside, his second solo endeavor, 1969's "Coryell" is a guitar players dream. Produced by Danny Weiss, tracks such as "Sex" and the blazing instrumental "The Jam with Albert" serve as a wonderful showcase for Coryell's instantly recognizable playing. It's hard to describe, but he's incredibly versatile, able to effortlessly handle all types of genres. He also plays with what may be rock's most biting tones. Full of razor sharp, machine guy bursts, even at this early stage of his career, material such as "Beautiful Woman" and the pretty "Elementary Guitar Solo #5" displays a jazzy-orientation, but it's never overwhelming and never without attractive rhythms and melodies. The album also sports a couple of Coryell vocal performances. As a singer he won't shake your world, but on selections such as "No One Really Knows" he's much better than most reference works would have you believe. Besides, backed by an impressive catalog of jazz buddies, including Bernard Purdie and Chuck Rainey, this is easily the most rock-oriented effort in his catalog. Certainly not a typical Coryell offering and not meant to tell anyone to go out and buy his whole catalog, but an interesting, early career side trip. [SB] "At The Village Gate" 1971 (Vanguard VSD 6573) I am a long-time fan of Larry Coryell and have a good solid crate of LPs by him or LPs with his involvement. While the bulk of that catalog falls outside the interest of this site, there are some early recordings from the 1968-71 period that fans of Jimi Hendrix and Robin Trower psychedelic guitar excess will find of enormous pleasure. The other two reviewed here are quite good from that perspective, but if there's only one you're going to pick from the dollar box (which is where you'll find most of these, other than the Free Spirits there aren't any real Coryell "rarities") I want to strongly recommend you make it this one. Recorded January 21 and 22, 1971, four months after Jimi Hendrix's death, this New York club date recorded live before an enthusiastic audience is more a psychedelic rock power trio outing than anything else. The rhythm section of Harry Wikinson on drums and Mervin Bronson on bass are totally reminiscent of Mitch Mitchell and Billy Cox-era Experience. Side one is just about a perfect non-stop display of this across the three tracks, Coryell's "The Opening" (6:10), "After Later" (5:45) and Chick Corea's "Entardecendo En Saudade." Coryell's guitar, warmly distorted and with regular forays into wah-wah territory, drives the proceedings really well and at no point do you find yourself thinking, "Hey! Wait a minute... this is jazz!". Side two begins with Coryell at the mike, "Now we'd like to do a tune by the Scottish composer, Jack Bruce." "Can You Follow?" starts with Harry Wilkinson playing solo and channeling Ginger Baker for about 40 seconds before the bass and guitar enter. This is Coryell at his "jazziest" on this LP, but that translates to lightening quick single note lines always anchored by the rock solid rhythm section. As Coryell adds distortion and a wah-wah pedal the track sounds like what the live disc of "Wheels of Fire" might have sounded like if it had been recorded at a club gig. Larry backs off a bit and the track becomes introspective for a moment again, but these shifts in dynamics work in its favor and help hold your attention throughout the 9:20 length. The LP closes with "Beyond These Chilling Winds" composed and sung here by Larry and his wife (and sometimes writing partner), Julie Coryell. The lyrics have a nice cosmic bent to them and the vocals are fine, but the bulk of the 7:50 length is spent in a pretty furious work out in power trio mode. Fans of "heavy psych" guitar rejoice. This is the real deal. [SD] “Barefoot Boy” 1971 (Flying Dutchman FD-10139) In addition to the 1969
“Coryell” LP, Larry at his most Hendrixy can be found on the 1971 LP
“Barefoot Boy.” Produced by Bob Thiele (who also produced the
1967 Free Spirits LP), engineered and mixed by Eddie Kramer (who
engineered every Jimi Hendrix Experience LP), and recorded at Electric
Lady Studios. The album has 2 tracks on side one and one on side two
(rarely a bad sign when searching for psychedelic guitar excess). Side one
opens with Larry’s 11:50 reading of Gabor Szabo’s “Gypsy Queen”
and Coryell’s solo that enters about a third of the way in is an
explosion of distortion and phenomenal speed. Rock-steady soul bassist,
Mervin Bronson (also bassist on the 1969 “Coryell” LP) is added to the
rhythm section of Roy Haynes (drums), Lawrence Killian (conga) and Harry
Wilkinson (percussion) for “The Great Escape” (8:39) that features
Larry working with a wah-wah pedal for his extended solo. The real
gem here is the 20 minute “Call to the Higher Consciousness” that
takes up all of side two. The guitar soars and dives while remaining
connected to the other players throughout, never falling into the fusion
trap of technique-for-technique's-sake. The interplay between Coryell,
Haynes and Bronson keeps the track from ever getting bogged down
regardless of its length. [SD]
"We Need A Whole Lot More Of Jesus And A Lot Less Rock'n'Roll" 197 (Jewel LPS 271) The
title should explain the contents of this Bible Belt country album, which
features anti-drug track "Take A Trip In Prayer" among other things.
"(Find Enclosed) The Last Of C.E. Jones" 1975 (Private CE-1975)
Creative Electronics was an educational program developed in 1970 by Tom
Lodge (famed sixties renegade pirate disc jockey from Britain) at Fanshawe
College in London, Ontario. The objective of the program was to expose and
teach music students hands on experience with all aspects of the recorded
music industry. By 1975, the program changed to Music Industry Arts and
geared the program more towards students pursuing careers as recording
engineers, record producers or aspiring entertainment executives. As a final
farewell, the class of 1974-75 came together and released this album.
Instead of named bands, the music developed from groupings of students that
included some participant overlapping on a few tracks. After listening to
the entire record nonstop, it becomes apparent the compositions are a messy
hodge-podge of incompatible songs. At best, the material is 50/50. Side one
has five songs and four are downright awful. The album opens with a slightly
stiff jazz rock song with hand drums and loads of lead guitar. The keyboards
and harmonies have subtle psychedelic effects that save the song from being
tagged as humdrum. The next four songs are buzz killers: three corny s/sw
songs and one neoclassical instrumental. Surprisingly, side two improves
with five out of the six songs being keepers. Hip tracks like a spacey and
haunting R&B swamp shaker, then a hard rocker with duel singeing guitars, an
experimental synth rock and effects tripper, an erratic funk rock grinder
and closes with a friendly new age hippie synth rock tune. For a record that
usually sells between $15 & $25 (postage included), it’s a bargain! [SLB]
"Plant Bones" 1980 (Shadrack Studios lp-1280) [1?] Bisexual hippie femme deep amateur folk get
back to nature sound with several excellent, moody introspective tunes. [RM]
"Crowe Bros. Band" 197 (TCB) Hillbilly
southern rockers with covers of "Cocaine Blues" and "The
Breeze", housed in cool cover of spooky crow.
"Make
A Joyful Noise With Drums And Guitars" 1966 (Tower t-5048) [mono] Southern California
Christian beat, twang and
punky riffs. Underrated funfest, this is Love Exchange sans the female
vocalist. [RM]
"CTV’s After Four" 1968 (Yorkville YVM 33003)
A sampler of bands who played on the TV show, including Ugly Ducklings
(non-LP track), Big Town Boys, Terry Black, and others.
"The Answer" 1976 (Enterprise) [insert]
Mainstream-sounding soft acoustic singer-songwriter from a trio who sound
like they've listened to a fair share of Simon & Garfunkel and CSN. So did
about 10.000 other local artists, both christian and heathen, and while a
pleasant listen, Cutt's Road are problematically one-note in their "have a
nice day" moods. Although it may have been intended as a personal statement,
the result is entirely middle-of-the-road, with zero underground or fringe
attraction (that some people call this "folk-psych" must be some kind of
joke). There's some brief electric guitar-leads, and the songs utilize
upbeat tempos and swift guitar interplay supporting the sincere male vocals.
It's listenable, but not memorable. The Listen LP from Oklahoma is a
superior alternative. [PL]
"The
Cycle Savages" 1970 (American International st-a 1033) B-movie
soundtrack with Orphan Egg and Boston Tea Party.
"Rings" 1971 (Entrance 30962)
Rural psych rock.
"Cynara" 1970 (Capitol st-547) [green label]
Santana sound with heavy percussion, keyboard, soulful rock.
Ex-Listening.
"For Mature People" 1974 (Sky)
Acoustic, introspective folk.
"Damascus Road" 1973 (Icthus 1002)
Christian acoustic rural rock with some heavy garagy moments from a racially
integrated band. Mostly originals, some covers. Nothing special, but may
interest Jesus Rock collectors. No relation to the Georgia band who did “I
Am The Light”.
"Damnation
of Adam Blessing" 1970 (United Artists 6738) This first album is more of an introduction than a fully formed album. Adam Blessing’s vocals are among the best in the hard rock genre, versatile, powerful, and full of true passion. The original songs here are only OK, and a cover of “Morning Dew” attracted most of the attention. The production style suits them very well; it’s hard but doesn’t resemble heavy metal at all. [AM] "The
Second Damnation" 1970 (United Artists 6773) Damnation reached their peak on this second album, one of the great hard rock albums of all time. The band’s performance and the songwriting match the quality of Blessing’s vocals, and the production is 100% suited to their strengths. The guitar hooks, the cymbals and the vocals all shimmer and shine. Side one is aces all the way, closing with the masterpiece “Back To The River,” a song with perfect hooks, a perfect guitar solo, and, of course, perfect vocals. Side two isn’t quite up to the same level, ending with two long songs that are only OK, one merely a guitar workout and one merely a bluesy vocal workout. But for what came before, this is on par with anything you can name in the hard psych field. [AM] "Which is the Justice, Which is the
Thief" 1971 (United Artists 5533) Perpetually in name confusion, they shortened their moniker to Damnation for this third album, which finds them experimenting with ambitious songwriting, strings and a less heavy sound. Some of it is excellent, but overall it doesn’t really work, muting the obvious strength of their sound and Blessing’s vocals. Had it not followed such a masterpiece this album would seem pretty good. As it is, it feels like a disappointment. [AM] "Glory" 1973 (Avalanche AV-LA148-F) [released as by GLORY] Akarma reissued this album as a
Damnation album, but by this time they had changed their name completely
to Glory, and the original LP obviously tries to present them as a “new”
band. The material, however, isn’t new at all. It’s trite, lyrically
dumbed down, and without a spark of any kind. Even Blessing (here
using his real name, Bill Constable) lacks energy. Despite the
return to hard rock instrumentation, this album sounds “soft” in all
of the wrong ways. “Hot Momma” is probably the nadir. It’s hard to
tell if this was an attempt at commercial acceptabilty because it’s a
failure even on that level. [AM] "Damnation Army Band" 1969 (no label) Comic folkrock.
"Sensational
Guitars" 1966 (Tifton 8002) [mono; inner sleeve] [1] Actually Sun Ra on keys backed by Blues
Project guys. Instro rock exploito themed around the hit Batman TV show. There
are a few other Dan and Dale LPs on Diplomat, it is
unclear if Sun Ra and crew were involved with those releases. [RM]
"FTA! Songs Of The GI Resistance" 1970 (Paredon p-1003) Noted
leftwing folk blues singer. This
LP was recorded
at military bases with active duty GI's protesting the military effort in
Vietnam. Dane had several
LPs, of which this one is the rarest.
"Daughters Of Albion" 1969 (Fontana 67586) [3 inserts] Possibly a
lost pop masterpiece, and at the very least an irresistable twig on the
McCartney/"Pet Sounds"/Move tree, with 12 songs as clever,
elaborate and well-written as any of the big guys. Like all classic pop its
nature is essentially timeless, and the abundance of psychedelic studio
tricks are there as a signpost of the times, not the album's raison d'etre.
If you imagine an LP that takes the snappy 45 picks from the Millennium and
Sagittarius albums and grow those into a full-blown LP, skipping the sleepy
interludes and fillers, and then charges the music with unusual and
occasionally razorsharp lyrics, this could be it. Excellent female vocalist
keeps the songs from collapsing under the influx of ideas, and the
arrangements manage to both make sense and surprise. Vaudeville, easy
listening, Spector girlsounds, the Beatles, Brian Wilson, JFK conspiracy
theories, Mamas & Papas, parodies of Dylan & Lennon -- it's all in there, tightly wrapped and neatly
packed. A splendid time
is guaranteed for all. [PL]
"Two Sides Of Christmas" 1963 (Fenton 961) Weak early
instro rock sound and Christmas tunes. Not garage at all, but collected by some
because of the label.
"North Wind Calling" 1977 (Northwoods MD 101) [2 LPs] Mellow
rural femme hippie folk LP with Alaskan themes, samey in sound but highly
rated by some genre fans. Acoustic guitar, flute, piano, steel guitar. JEFF DAVIS (TX) "Dear Jeff" 1977 (Tap 0030) Mostly
acoustic Christian folk on Houston label, originals all through, some use of
female harmonies and environmental sounds.
"John Day" 197 (no label 4123N12)
Pastoral folkrock with full band including congas, mellotron, steel guitar,
harmonica, housed in nice appropriate artwork.
"Sing And Play Beatles Songs" 1965 (V-Records 3025) Beatles
songs plus a couple of other Invasion numbers sung in Ukranian by a Canadian
band. Lord knows why. The label is the same that had Neil Young’s legendary
45 with the Squires.
"Deadly Nightshade" 1975 (Phantom blp 1-0955) [gatefold] Femme trio rural folkrock with nice
vocals. Produced by Felix Cavaliere. "Ich Bin
Eine
Spigelei" 1978 (Imgrat 2400-001) [100#d; sprayed cover; 4
inserts; fake obi] [2-3] "Accidental
Musik" 1979 (Imgrat 2400-002) [sprayed/stamped cover; inserts;
300p] [2] "Not Yet"
1980 (Imgrat 2400-003) [insert]
[2] "horNetZ"
1981 (Imgrat 2400-004) [300p; no cover;
2 inserts] [2] Avant garde electronics
freakout, given additional boost by their inclusion on the Nurse With Wound list
of inspirators. Imgrat stood for 'immediate gratification'. "Deep Six"
1966 (Liberty
lrp-3475) [mono] Melodic rock covers with female vocal.
Nice
version of "Paint it Black". [RM]
"DWR"
1969 (Jerral 1009) Mellow pop
folkrock covers, male and female vocals. Several Dylan songs. As “Deep
Water Reunion.” The album cover is the info sheet from the master tape
box. [RM] "Deep
Water" 197 (Deepwater 161)
More folkrock
covers, from a slightly later vintage.
This album was recorded live and apparently has two different cover
variations. [RM]
"Moog" 1970 (Phase-4) Cheesy moog rock with some psychy electric
guitar parts. [RM]
"Del-Counts" 196 (Dove
Recording Studio acetate) [4] Mid-1960s acetate of album from band
with several 45s, reported to be excellent.
"Desert Sun School" 1965 (Custom Fidelity CFS 1390) Prep
school LP with 3 rock tracks by the No-Tones (two instro covers and a
folkrocky "House Of The Rising Sun" with femme vocals). The rest of the
album is the school orchestra.
"Sitar Goes International" 1968 (Kaybee kxls-110) [1?] Female sitarist of
Indian (?)
descent. Mix of ragas and 60s pop hits including Dylan, Rolling Stones, and
kiddie songs! [RM]
"I Had Too Much to Dream Last Night" 1968 (Super K 6003) Exploito-feeling
psych/garage album. Side one is full of unnecessary cover versions, while all of
side two is devoted to a medley of the title tune, the theme from “Rosemary’s
Baby,” and Poe's "The Raven." This bizarre suite is pretty fun
stuff, and is as far a departure from the Super K label’s spirit of
bubblegum as is the Queen’s Nectarine Machine’s album. A full side’s worth
of it eventually gets pretty dull, but before it does it’s a kick. [AM]
"Butterfly" 1973 (A & M A&M FLY-003) [unipak; die-cut cover] With two tremendous late 60s style femme-psychrock tracks this is Dilcher's most interesting LP, and
while the rest of the album goes in an eclectic singer/songwriter direction
the entire LP is enjoyable with excellent lyrics and a cool attitude.
Packaging is apex for 70s fans too. Dilcher made several LPs that fall
outside the scope of the Archives although it should be noted that her debut
"Special Songs" from 1971 marks the first known appearance of
Bette Midler! [PL]
"Dimitroff, Burgess & Friends" 1970 (no label)
Basement cover versions and a ‘freakout’ track.
"Song of the Second Moon"
196 (Limelight 86050) [gatefold] [1] Melodic spacy electronics now
sound action. Dissevelt cut lots more records.
"Fred Dixon & the Friday Afternoon" 197 (Banff SBS 5408) Obscure local LP by countryrock band
with originals all through and a couple of tracks described as having a
vintage Byrds sound.
"Organized Sound" 1966 (Owl 6) [1] "Eight Electronic Pieces" 196 (Folkways fm-3434) [1] Owl is a Boulder, Colorado label.
Experimental electronic tape montages. The Owl LP was recorded in 1964. [RM] "First Evolution of Dick Dodd" 1968 (Tower st-5142) [wlp exists] [1] Standells' drummer doing blue-eyed soul rock
similar to the Boxtops. "It's Not the Heat... It's the Humidity" 1975 (Unigon) [insert] Nostalgic 1930s pop moves and a few
weird garagy tracks. "After The Flood, Before The Fire" 1975 (private) Described as folkrock
with religious moves. Not a rare LP. The band had a second LP in 1977.
"Listen To Your Love" 1984 (RPC Z632099/4) [1] Local
Virginia folk oddity. "Tone the Bone", as he calls himself, sings weird
lyrics and imitates instrumental sounds with his voice. Real instruments
include acoustic guitar, harmonica and piano (out of tune per Tone). Though
released in 1984, the songs range over a number of years going back to 1970.
This is the latest dated LP I know of on this highly collectible vanity
label. There are two records contained in a very homemade looking gatefold
cover with paste-on inserts on the front & back. The song titles & some
humerous notes are on one panel of the gatefold inside; the other panel is
blank. [MA]
"Abide In Me" 197 (DD-1001)
Mid-1970s Christian folk obscurity with guitar and piano and
light orchestration.
Described as clean-sounding and dull by one authority in the field, but may
still sell for good money to genre specialists at times.
"Down A Different Road" 197 (Living Sound)
Early 1970s project LP with one side choral work from the
Long Beach State A Capella Choir, the other freaky vocal and electronic
experiments with an eerie vibe. Rated as one of the more worthwhile school
project LPs by some.
"Musical Mystical Bear" 1978 (Alba House) [insert] According to the liner notes, "a moving
blend of jazz, folk-rock, Mozart and meaningful lyrics". DREAMS AND ILLUSIONS ( ) "Dreams and Illusions" 1968 (Verve Forecast) Orchestrated soft psych, effects.
[RM]
"An Instrumental Accident" 1981 (Red Spot) [1?] Side-long
tracks from CA punk band; out of place here.
"From Me To You" 1977 (Safari sa-77001)
Eastern sounds hippie folk with sitar, tabla, dounbek, woodwinds. Long
flowing tracks, with some moog even. D.R.S. was led by Dennis R Schwulst.
"Duane’s Little Band" 1973 (Mark MC-4207) An odd
combo consisting of two middle-aged friends and their children and nephews.
Most of the album is polka and waltz fare, with one track featuring a
“yoddler”. Then all of a sudden we have ”Gloria” and ”Wipeout” thrown in the
mix, obviously so the kids wouldn't totally bitch about having to play this
old ”fuddy-duddy” music. If these two songs had been released as a 45, we'd
have the G45 guys falling all over each other for copies. There's no
rationale explanation for why they did ”Proud Mary”, but we can thank them
for doing so. It's pure lounge cheese and a gem of a version.[MA]
"Duck 1" 1968 (no label) [500p] Three
tracks, of which two are spoken word beatnik poetry with jazzy background
music, and one is a good blues jam. One of those ‘Why does this exist? What
were they thinking?’ specimens. Credited to ‘Jerry & Mike’.
"Another Dawn" 1970 (Avant Garde 124) Folkrock by an ex-seminarian.
[RM]
"Mobius" 1968 (Capitol st-285) "Dunn and McCashen" 1970 (Capitol st-565) This duo mixes popsike and singer-songwriter folk and have put together a
pretty solid album here. It’s most well known for “Lydia Purple,” which
would be covered by the Collectors and the Giant Crab, but there are a number of
equally good songs beside it. My favorites are “Hitchcock Railway,” (also
known via a cover version, by Joe Cocker), which has a killer bass part and cool
trippy percussion effects, and “Rindy,” which has lovely harmonies. A few of
the songs have iffy horn and woodwind arrangements that contribute to a music
hall feel that doesn’t really work. Otherwise, though, this is a strong genre
piece that would be worth hundreds if it was a private press. The lyrics are a
cut above the norm too. Ex-Deep Six. [AM]
"The Duo" 197 (Saxon) [10-inch EP]
Primitive electric folk rock guitar and organ, mixed vocals. One cool "Hand
Jive" type track pays tribute to Bo Diddley and The Who. The band was
actually a trio! There was also a 45 released.
"Dust Bowl Clementine"
1969 (Roulette sr-42058) [wlp exists] Rootsy outdoors sound
with counterculture concerns. With Chuck Laskowski (= Faine Jade) and Nick
Manzi of Bohemian Vendetta. [RM] RICHIE DUVALL & DOG TRUCK (CA) "Richie Duvall & Dog Truck" 197 (United Sound usr-5825) Early
1970s hippie jazzrock underground oddness on
”Dynamics” 1966 (Quintet 2004)
Obscure beat & blue-eyed soul on North Carolina label.
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REVIEWERS [MA] - Mike Ascherman [SB] - Scott Blackerby [SLB] - Scott 'Loopden' Bubrig [SD] - Stan Denski [RH] - Rich Haupt [RI] - Richard Iwanicki [SK] - Stefan Kéry [PL] - Patrick Lundborg [MM] - Mans P Mansson [AM] - Aaron Milenski [RM] - Ron Moore [RP] - Robert Plante [KS] - Ken Scott's review from the "Archivist" book  |
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