ULTIMATE SPINACH – BEHOLD AND SEE – 1968 (US) psychedelic rock

Ultimate Spinach's second album The Penultimate Spinach (as they would make only one more LP) is a slightly more subdued continuation of the derivative psychedelia in their debut. Again, it's like a hack take on West Coast groups. There's Country Joe & the Fish in Ian Bruce-Douglas' electric keyboards (which don't play anything as good as his solos on "Sacrifice of the Moon" from the first album); Jefferson Airplane-like female vocals (by guest singer Carol Lee Britt) and songwriting on "Where You're At"; some Quicksilver Messenger Service-type guitar arrangements on "Mind Flowers"; a melody and vocal reminiscent of Kaleidoscope's "Keep Your Mind Open" on "Fragmentary March of Green"; and more. Songwriter Bruce-Douglas' lyrics are unintentional hippie parodies without any irony or humor, whether solemnly aspiring to a beatnik state ("take a trip to the center of your mind") or indicting the straight world ("he has an ulcer in his brain, from thinking of how to divorce his wife"). When the album turns to social critiques, it's uncertain whether the band is trying to mimic the Mothers of Invention without the wit, or whether they're unwittingly embodying the very kinds of groups whom the Mothers took the piss out of on We're Only in It for the Money.

-Ian Bruce-Douglas/ Guitar,Harmonica,Keyboards,Wood Flutes,Vocals
-Barbara Hudson/ Vocals, Guitar
-Geoffrey Winthrop/ Lead Guitar,Sitar, Vocals
-Richard Nese/ Bass
-Keith Lahteninen/ Drums,Vocals
-Carol Lee Britt/ Guest Vocalist1 Gilded Lamp of the Cosmos 3:04
2 Visions of Your Reality 5:52
3 Jazz Thing 6:42
4 Mind Flowers 9:40
5 Where You're At 3:14
6 Suitegenesis of Beauty (4 Parts) 9:48
7 Fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse 5:59
8 Fragmentary March of Green 6:39
9 Mind Flowers (Mono) 9:34
10 Fragmentary March of Green (Mono) 6:36

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ROY BUCHANAN - BUCH AND THE SNAKE STRETCHERS – 1971 (US) blues rock

This homemade and self-produced platter was issued by Roy Buchanan (guitar/vocals) after being rejected by Polydor. The artist decided to privately distribute the album on his own BIOYA label, whose initials stood for the message that Buchanan had for Polydor -- B(low) I(t) O(ut) Y(our) A(ss). For obvious contractual reasons, his name wasn't even intimated on the burlap bag (no joke) that housed first pressings of the 12" platter -- which was sold only at "underground" stores, head shops, and Buchanan's gigs. The music within the grooves proved to be equally as rustic and authentic as the packaging would suggest. The contents were in essence a professional audience tape documented circa 1971 during Buchanan's residence at The Crossroads nightclub in Bladensburg, MD. Years (if not decades at this point) as a consummate sideman is manifest in the spectrum of emotions and fluidity that Buchanan's fretwork achieves. His trademark precision and clean timbre pierces the otherwise murky recording as he pilots the Snakestretchers, who respectively consist of Ned Davis (drums), Dick Heintze (keyboards), Teddy Irwin (rhythm guitar), Chuck Tilley (vocals/rhythm guitar), Peter Van Allen (bass), and Marc Fisher (percussion). The six-piece backing combo are deceptively tight and likewise a perfect foil for both Buchanan's nimble fingers and acutely soulful leads. The opening cover of Don Gibson's "Sweet Dreams" alternately shimmers and sears behind the band's nimble waltz. The languid and drawn-out "Down by the River" is nothing short of a seminal example of the riveting command that formed around Buchanan's solos. Of even greater value are the originals "Since You've Been Gone" and the truncated "The Messiah Will Come Again," which is joined in progress. Although to somewhat lesser results, the same core of musicians would contribute to both the debut LP Roy Buchanan (1973) and follow-up, Second Album (1974), with the former also including studio-derived interpretations of the aforementioned -- "Sweet Dreams" and "The Messiah Will Come Again."
1 Sweet Dreams 5:03
2 Down by the River 7:35
3 Since You've Been Gone 7:57
4 I'm a Lonesome Fugitive 3:53
5 The Messiah Will Come Again 7:10
6 Johnny B. Goode 3:23

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ROY BUCHANAN - SECOND ALBUM – 1973 (US) blues rock

Roy Buchanan's Second Album (1974) was recorded less than six months after completing his self-titled major-label debut, Roy Buchanan (1972), and sported a slightly amended version of the Snakestretchers -- featuring Ned Davis (drums), Dick Heintze (keyboards), Teddy Irwin (rhythm guitar), Chuck Tilley (vocals/rhythm guitar), and, replacing Pete Van Allen, Don Payne (bass). The vibe is much in keeping with the previous effort, albeit decidedly more blues-based. Likewise, the arguably misplaced countrified cuts have been dispensed with, as the musicians concentrate more specifically on traditional blues and original compositions. Once again, the choice of covers is not only impeccable, but has been significantly personalized by the guitarist's unique sensibilities and inimitable timbre. "Five String Blues" leads the pack, revealing the meticulous craftsmanship that Buchanan places upon each intonation, as his precision is never obscured within the flurry of unleashed notes. While less technical than emotive, Buchanan's gift for interpretation is nothing short of spellbinding, as the reading of Erskine Hawkins' "After Hours" demonstrates. "Tribute to Elmore James" is an R&B-laden rocker with copious nods to James' slide fretwork as well as Buchanan's own well-placed emphasis. Yet another facet to this aggregate is the funkier midtempo "I Won't Tell You No Lies." Sadly, the Snakestretchers tenure concludes on this LP. By the time of Buchanan's follow-up, That's What I Am Here For (1974), undue influences would recast the guitarist's rhythmic support to an increasingly lessened ensemble effect.
1 Filthy Teddy 3:10
2 After Hours 6:15
3 Five String Blues 6:23
4 Thank You Lord 2:25
5 Treat Her Right 2:44
6 I Won't Tell You No Lies 6:35
7 Tribute to Elmore James 3:25
8 She Once Lived Here 2:58

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ROY BUCHANAN - LOADING ZONE – 1977 (US) blues rock

Loading Zone, Buchanan's second solo album for Atlantic, is produced by Stanley Clarke, a built-in guarantee for jazz-rock legitimacy. More importantly, Clarke's rep as the killer bass player of the decade has had a positive, prodding effect on Buchanan's playing. He shifts into overdrive on the first track, a fiery and propulsive Clarke composition entitled "The Heat of the Battle," and never looks back for the whole album. He has always been the master of the Fender Telecaster squeal, but on some of these tracks his frenzied excursions into overtones, harmonics and tight clusters of notes played largely in the upper register of the instrument move beyond traditional lead-guitar histrionics. One gets an acute physical sense of Buchanan literally shredding his way through the blues-rock clichés to get to a higher, abstract plane. Sometimes he tries too hard—even the majestic exchange with Steve Cropper on the supersonic remake of "Green Onions" threatens to run on too long. But, like Beck, he is trying to take lead guitar into another dimension and his sparkling work on tunes like "Judy," "Hidden" and the tongue-in-cheek "Adventures of Brer Rabbit and Tar Baby" (featuring Clarke on "country-sprung" bass) augurs well for his continuing development.
1 The Heat of the Battle
2 Hidden
3 The Circle
4 Adventures of Brer Rabbit and Tar Baby
5 Ramon's Blues
6 Green Onions
7 Judy
8 Done Your Daddy Dirty
9 Your Love

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ROY BUCHANAN – LIVE IN JAPAN -1978 (US) blues rock

Live in Japan (2003) is said to have been Roy Buchanan's favorite of all his platters, and ironically, it was never issued stateside. However, as word spread, the title became an essential addition to his discography. Fact is that it may have never come out at all, had there not been a loophole in Buchanan's contract with former label Polydor, giving them control over his non-North American output. Joining the guitarist for his 1977 tour of Japan are John Harrison (bass), Malcolm Lukens (keyboards), and Byrd Foster (drums/vocals). They are likewise the core contributors to Buchanan's most recent studio effort, A Street Called Straight (1976), though no tracks from the album are represented here. Instead, the set consists of recent collaborations, definitive cover versions, and a few seminal Buchananclassics. The immaculate fidelity immediately separates Live in Japan from most other releases in his canon. The enthusiastic yet typically reserved Japanese audience is first treated to a laid-back and stretched-out reading of Booker T. & the MG's' "Soul Dressing." The backing trio provide a rock-solid bed for Buchanan's sinuous interjections and spacious melody lines. "Sweet Honey Dew" is a perfect vehicle for some incendiary string shredding, although the actual tune is somewhat of a derivation of a standard blues riff. Perhaps more fitting is the rousing rendition of Larry Williams' "Slow Down," uncovering the nimble accuracy accompanying the sonic kick in Buchanan's piercing fret work. Contrasting this is the lengthy jam on "Blues Otani," as the ensemble ably improvise in and around the guitarist. Live in Japan concludes with an intimate and affective "Sweet Dreams," which may well have been the artist's unofficial anthem, as his unique interpretation undoubtedly made it a signature piece. If you own but one concert recording of Buchanan, let it be this one, as you will not be disappointed.
1 Soul Dressing 7:18
2 Sweet Honey Dew 3:28
3 Hey Joe 9:23
4 Slow Down 2:53
5 Lonely Days Lonely Nights 4:13
6 Blues Otani 7:51
7 My Baby Says She's Gonna Leave Me 3:24
8 Sweet Dreams 3:58

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RHINOCEROS – BETTER TIMES ARE COMING/SATIN CHICKENS – 1969/1970 (US) heavy blues

Never more than a footnote in rock history, and better known for their career missteps than for any music they actually made, there was sufficient interest in the late-'60s "supergroup" Rhinoceros for Collector's Choice to reissue its long out of print debut on CD in 2002. The enthusiastic response to their first, and best, album was encouraging enough to result in the band's final pair of discs -- both out of print even longer -- to get the same treatment, this time as a money-saving two-fer. Although the band was going through problems when these albums were recorded, including but not limited to shifting personnel, there are adequate highlights within these 20 tracks to justify their unexpected reappearance in 2003. Satin Chickens, Rhinoceros' 1969 sophomore effort is the better of the two, but still sounds rushed and even haphazard at times, a substantial change from their calculated debut. Some of the jams were written in the studio and sound it, especially on the unedited instrumental "Chickens," where the outfit hesitantly but ultimately finds a funky, Little Feat-styled groove. The group begins to morph from hard rockers to a white soul/funk outfit with occasionally worthwhile results, especially on the emotional ballad "Find My Way" and the sensually slow rocking "It's the Same Thing." Their final album, the prophetically untrue Better Times Are Coming, was a last gasp effort recorded by a group whose members had changed so critically from the original incarnation that little more than their name connected them to the early days. Like much of Satin Chickens, little is terrible, and none unlistenable, but it sounds like what it is: a bunch of musicians trying to generate a musical camaraderie that just isn't there. Still, the funky "Old Age" works up a frothy Sly Stone groove and "Groovy World" is a charming piece of let's-live-together fluff that could only have been recorded in the early '70s. They sound like a pretty good garage band trying to get a contract, rather than a once substantial supergroup in their final throws. The remastering of both albums is stunning, with sharp, crisply defined sound. Only the lackluster graphics, which reproduce the front and back covers in headache-inducing miniature (the inner sleeve and lyrics of Better Times is reproduced in print so tiny as to be unreadable) and ignore all track annotation or individual personnel, belie the budget sensibilities of the project. Matthew Greenwald's liner notes are helpful but a little too enthusiastic in their praise of these marginally interesting artifacts.

Alan Gerber (piano)
Doug Hastings (guitar)
Danny Weis (guitar)
John Finley (vocals)
Michael Fonfara (keyboard)
Jerry Penrod (bass)
Billy Mundi (drums) 1 Satin Doll 0:50
2 Monkee Man 4:07
3 Find My Hand 3:36
4 Top of the Ladder 5:03
5 Sugar Foot Rag 0:46
6 Don't Come Crying 4:05
7 Chicken 3:25
8 It's the Same Thing 3:23
9 In a Little Room 4:28
10 Funk Butt 3:22
11 Back Door 3:43
12 Better Times 2:45
13 Old Age 3:02
14 Sweet, Nice 'N' High 3:32
15 Just Me [instrumental] 2:12
16 Happiness 2:34
17 Somewhere 3:42
18 It's a Groovy World 2:55
19 Insanity [instrumental] 2:21
20 Lady of Fortune 3:05

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BUTTERFIELD BLUES BAND – THE RESURRECTION OF THE PIGBOY CRABSHAW – 1967 (US) blues rock

In his third album, Butterfield adds a horn section and the direction of the group has started to veer away from straight Chicago-style blues toward a sound more influenced by R&B. By this time, Bloomfield has left the group and Elvin Bishop (aka Pigboy Crabshaw) takes over on lead guitar. A lot of great tunes here, like "Driftin' and Driftin."

Paul Butterfield (harmonica, vocals)
Elvin Bishop (guitar)
Mike Bloomfield (guitar)
Mark Naftalin (organ)
Jerome Arnold (bass)
Sam Lay (drums)
1 One More Heartache; 3:20
2 Driftin' and Driftin' (Driftin' Blues) 9:09
3 I Pity the Fool 6:00
4 Born Under a Bad Sign 4:10
5 Run Out of Time 2:59
6 Double Trouble 5:38
7 Drivin' Wheel 5:34
8 Droppin' Out 2:16
9 Tollin' Bells 5:23

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THEM – THE ANGRY YOUNG THEM – 1965 (UK) blues rock

The debut album by the group, also known as The Angry Young Them, and half its tracks make it a dead-on rival to the Stones' debut album. This reissue features the album's original British configuration ("Just a Little Bit," "I Gave My Love a Diamond," "Bright Lights, Big City," and "My Little Baby" are here; "One Two Brown Eyes" and "Here Comes the Night" are absent). "My Little Baby" was no huge loss, being a pale imitation of "Here Comes the Night," but the omitted "Just a Little Bit" features a Howlin' Wolf/"Spoonful"-style performance by Van Morrison that would have incinerated a lot of American teens. On the other hand, Morrison's soul-shouting performance on the deleted "I Gave My Love a Diamond," appropriated by Bert Berns from the public domain "Cherry Song," would have shocked any folkie familiar with the original. Morrison's "You Just Can't Win" isn't nearly as impressive, but even as a time-filler it isn't half bad. And then there's "Gloria," rock's ultimate '60s sex anthem, and one of the handful of white-authored songs that can just about hold its own against any blues standard you'd care to name.
1 Mystic Eyes 2:37
2 If You and I Could Be as Two 2:49
3 Little Girl 2:44
4 Just a Little Bit 2:18
5 I Gave My Love a Diamond 2:47
6 Gloria 2:33
7 You Just Can't Win 2:20
8 Go on Home Baby 2:27
9 Don't Look Back 3:15
10 I Like It Like That 3:13
11 I'm Gonna Dress in Black 3:29
12 Bright Lights, Big City 2:28
13 My Little Baby 2:06
14 (Get Your Kicks On) Route 66 2:21

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THEM – THEM AGAIN – 1966 (UK) blues rock

The group's second and, for all intents and purposes, last full album was recorded while Them was in a state of imminent collapse. To this day, nobody knows who played on the album, other than Van Morrison and bassist Alan Henderson, though it is probable that Jimmy Page was seldom very far away when Them was recording. The 16 songs here are a little less focused than the first LP. The material was cut under siege conditions, with a constantly shifting lineup and a grueling tour schedule; essentially, there was no "group" to provide focus to the sound, only Morrison's voice, so the material bounces from a surprisingly restrained "I Put a Spell on You" to the garage-punkoid "I Can Only Give You Everything." Folk-rock rears its head not only on the moody cover of Dylan's "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" but also the Morrison-authored "My Lonely Sad Eyes," but the main thrust is soul, which Morrison oozes everywhere -- while there's some filler, his is a voice that could easily have knocked Mick Jagger or Eric Burdon off their respective perches.

1 Could You Would You 3:15
2 Something You Got 2:36
3 Call My Name 2:23
4 Turn on Your Love Light 2:18
5 I Put a Spell on You 2:40
6 I Can Only Give You Everything 2:43
7 My Lonely Sad Eyes 2:27
8 I Got a Woman 3:16
9 Out of Sight 2:26
10 It's All Over Now, Baby Blue 3:52
11 Bad or Good 2:09
12 How Long Baby 3:41
13 Hello Josephine 2:06
14 Don't You Know 2:26
15 Hey Girl 2:59
16 Bring 'em on In 3:46
17 One More Time - U.S. Version 2:40

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MARSHALL TUCKER BAND – LONG HARD RIDE – 1976 (US) south rock

On Long Hard Ride, The Marshall Tucker Band's country influences come to the fore, resulting in a strong record that failed to gain many hits. Still, the final product is well worth listening to -- it's one of their better releases. Be sure to listen for Charlie Daniels' guest appearance.
1 Long Hard Ride 3:53
2 Property Line 3:02
3 Am I the Kind of Man 4:26
4 Walkin' the Streets Alone 5:09
5 Windy City Blues 4:58
6 Holding on to You 3:52
7 You Say You Love Me 4:02
8 You Don't Live Forever 4:02
9 If I Could See You One More Time (live bonus track) 4:54

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MARSHALL TUCKER BAND – STOMPIN ROOM ONLY GREATEST HITS LIVE 1974-76 – 2003 (US) south rock

Twenty seven years after it was compiled, the apocryphal Stompin' Room Only is finally released. The album, which suffers only from being the seam album between Marshall Tucker's tenures at Capricorn and Warner Bros, was recorded during the European tour in support of Carolina Dreams. Here are 11 tracks by the original band -- with guests on a few -- with two cuts from a Milwaukee 1974 show tacked on for good measure. This is Marshall Tucker as they have never been heard on record. Like the Allmans, the Tuckers were all about seamlessly expanding from one musical form into another. Whereas studio versions of "Can't You See," "Take the Highway," "Ramblin'," and "24 Hours at a time," would weave elements of jazz, blues, honky tonk, gospel, and Appalachian folk music into the body of a song, on these extended jamming excursions they fully indulged their passions, winding in and out of genres without seams or sudden shifts. On an elongated cover of B.B. King's signature tune, "The Thrill Is Gone," with a number of guests including Dickey Betts and Charlie Daniels (making for a four-guitar front line!) as well as Jimmy Hall and Chuck Leavell, Chicago blues, jazz, and country are all enmeshed simultaneously, as the hidden nuances in the song come to the fore. On the gloriously long "24 Hours at a Time," Tom Caldwell's bass moves through the various jazz eras as Daniels fiddles his ass off to keep time with Toy Caldwell's knotty, razor-wire leads. And for those fans of the Marshal Tucker Band whose gauge is the song, "Can't You See," there isn't a better one on record or bootleg that's better than this one. With its shuffling, funky backbeat, and Toy Caldwell's impassioned vocal leading the charge to his burning solos, it literally send chills up the spine. This is one of the few cases where a found "lost" recording lives up its legend.
1 Long Hard Ride 4:22
2 This Ol' Cowboy 5:39
3 Fire on the Mountain 4:14
4 Searchin' for a Rainbow 6:28
5 Take the Highway 5:50
6 Can't You See? 5:44
7 Blue Ridge Mountain Sky 6:52
8 The Thrill Is Gone 10:49
9 Ramblin' 5:36
10 24 Hours at a Time 13:23
11 Hillbilly Band 3:43

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RAM – WHERE (In Conclusion) – 1972 (US) heavy space rock

Ram was a short-lived American prog rock band that released one album on Polydor in 1972 and then disappeared. The group consisted of flautist/saxist John DeMartino, guitarist/vocalist Ralph DeMartino (presumably John's brother), bassist/vocalist Michael Rodriguez, and drummer Steeler, with Dennis Carbone providing additional vocals and keyboard. They're basically a heavy prog rock band with some blues and hard rock influences. John DeMartino gives us some trippy sax work from time to time, and on the opening cut, "The Want in You", some Tull-like flute. Both "The Want In You" and "The Mother's Day Song" shows the bluesy side of the band, while the ever wonderful "Stoned Silence" shows a more psychedelic side, with a great piano passage from Dennis Carbone. "Odyssey" is by far the most straigh-up prog piece on the album, emphasizing flute and piano. The album ends with the four movement suite "Aza", which contains some space rock tendencies, especially those echoey flutes that get me thinking of Brainticket'Psychonaut. There's plenty of intense jamming as well, and I really love those choppy sounds near the end. This truly is one of the great lost gems of prog rock, and I was lucky to get the original LP on Polydor (which apparently don't grow on trees!).

Dennis Carbone (piano, vocals)
John Demartino (saxophone, flute, clarinet)
Ralph Demartino (guitar, vocals)
Michael Rodriguez (bass, vocals)
Steeler (drums)1. The Want In You 4:23
2. Stoned Silence 5:29
3. Odyssey 3:43
4. The Mothers Day Song 6:19
5. Aza 20:57
a) Spiral Paths
b) Bound
c) Peril And Fearer
d) Where? (In Conclusion)

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COUNTRY LANE – SUBSTRATUM – 1973 (Switzerland) heavy progressive

Along with “Substratum” originally being released in 1973 and being reissued by the label Musea, the five Swiss-born musicians that constitute COUNTRY LANE offer the listener an unrecognizable jewel in melodical Progressive rock from the early seventies. This music authoritatively executed is comparable to that produced by its Anglo-Saxon references, such as DEEP PURPLE and URIAH HEEP in those years. One may equally recall FAIRPORT (without violins) or the Belgian group WATERLOO (without flutes)...

Raymond Amey (guitar, synthesizer, vocal)
Olivier Maire (organ, piano, spinet, vocals)
Jean-Francois Donze (drums)
Giancarlo Duella (bass)
Freddy von Kaenel (rhythm guitar, banjo)1 With a Sweet Whistle to My Ears 6:21
2 It's Only Your Memory Playing Just The thought of a First Love 2:36
3 Substratum 1:47
4 In the Morning Sun 3:26
5 Good Old Time 2:36
6 Song To Ivan 7:00
7 Letter to a Friend 7:39
8 Captain Bloom 2:39
9 Lilliput's Safari 2:16

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GOLIATH – GOLIATH – 1970 (UK) progressive rock

UK bluesy prog album with female vocals and good guitars.
1 Port and Lemon Lady
2 Festival of Light
3 No More Trash
4 Hunter's Song
5 Men
6 I Heard About a Friend
7 Prism
8 Emerge
9 Breath, Sunshine, Dandelion
10 Maajun
11 Taste of Tangier

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RECREATION – RECREATION/ MUSIC OR NOT MUSIC 1971/1972 (BEL) progressive rock

Recreation’s debut album is to say the least a timid one, but one can clearly sense that these guys have all it takes (except self-confidence maybe) to be a future great. This KB-lead trio is the antithesis of other KB trios such as ELP or Egg (well maybe a bit Egg crossed with French group Travelling) giving a rather hard to define sound between Canterbury (Soft Machine at times), jazz-rock and classical reprises and Vanilla Fudge. The nightmarish and Dali-esque artwork is great evocation of what you are about to hear in this album, but also the next one.
If the opener Burning Chapel is an underachiever (we vainly wait for the track to explode, expand and explore), Running For Life is clearly a step in the right direction, while Sexual Lover is clearly explorative even in a psychedelic musical sex orgy – a very Fudgey affair if you ask me. The second vinyl side is made of three fully rearranged covers, the first of which, you really have to pay attention to find the original slowed down (again the Fudge thing) Lovin’ Spoonful classic – a masterstroke. Up next is a daring (but doomed) rendition of the hit California Dreamin – but who could have replaced those gorgeous vocal harmonies. As daring, bold audacious as it may be, this is partly successful- therefore implying also a failure – the Fudge would’ve not missed this one!!! Reach out is another strongly psyched and progged-out cover.
progarchives.com

- Francis Lonneux / drums
- Jean-Jacques Falaise / keyboards
- Jean-Paul VanDen Bossche / guitars, bass1. Music Against Music
2. Music For Your Dog
3. The Night Was Clean, The Moon Was Yellow
4. Where Is The Bar, Clay?
5. Caligula Suite In Horror Minor
6. My Grandmother Likes Andy Williams Too
7. We Don’t Like It Either
8. Last Train To Rhythmania
9. … And The Producer Got Mad
10. Glove Story
11. Laughin’ People – Meanwhile: Starvin’ Children
12. Nothing’s Holy
13. Concerto For An Elevator
14. War Business Is A Good Job
15. To End Or Not To End
16. Burning Chapel
17. Running For Life
18. Sexual Lover
19. Summer In The City
20. California Dreamin’
21. Reach Out, I’ll Be There

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WALPURGIS – QUEEN OF SABA – 1973 (GER) heavy krautrock

I found the record in a second hand shop. I have never heard of the band before, but when I see a Pilz/Ohr release I buy it.So this one was a good surprise. The few things I found out about the group are mentioned above. The two sides of the record are quiet different. On Side One (tracks 1-4) arranged rock songs with double guitar and Jürgen Dollase from Wallenstein on organ and piano.They are good, but not very original,the best track is "Daily" with a nice piano solo by Dollase at the end. Side Two (Tracks 5-6) is the realy interesting side : two long improvisations in Westcoast style.(Quicksilver Messenger Service, Grateful Dead) mainly based on the talented twin guitar play of Sokolmowski and Kalemba on electric and twelve string. As often the production of Dieter Dierks is excellent and the only weak point are the english vocals. progarchives.com

Ryszard Kalemba (guitar)
George Früchtenicht (bass)
Jan Sundermeyer (congas, flute)
Jerzy Sokolowski (guitar, vocals)
Manfred Stadelmann (drums, vocals)1 Disappointment 3:42
2 Queen of Saba 5:09
3 Daily 6:56
4 Hey You, Over Theret 4:10
5 What Can I Do 7:07
6 My Last Illusion 11:20

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AVTOGRAF – STONE LAND (КАМЕННЫЙ КРАЙ) – 1989 (USSR) heavy progressive/power pop

The first official album by Avtograf released by the Soviet label Melodiya, "Stone Land" spawned a major hit at the time (at least in the U.S.S.R.): "Oh My Boy". The song is catchy power pop, and is equaled in other places on the album ("City", "Fiscal Demon"). However, Avtograf's desire at being a typical '80s power pop band (right down to the tracks being recorded in Los Angeles and having a slick corporate sheen) succeeds too well. Many of the songs, like their Western counterparts, are quickly forgotten. At least they no longer sounded like Styx.
1 Город 4:03
2 О, мой мальчик 4:23
3 Я люблю 5:30
4 Странник 5:30
5 Казенный демон 4:40
6 Колокол 4:23
7 Мастер 5:20
8 Каменный край 4:23
9 Амур 4:48
10 Мир в себе 5:19

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BLACK CROWES – WARPAINT – 2008 (US) south rock

Looking back, it seems inevitable that the Black Crowes would suffer a rocky middle age. Young bands yearning to be old tend to stumble when the years start to pile up, once hunger and ambition start to fade into the ceaseless grind of the road, and the Crowes were no exception. After they mapped out the furthest reaches of their world on 1994's Amorica they slowly spun their tires, turning out records both respectable and tired, before internal tensions slowly tore the brothers Robinson apart, leading to a split in 2002, not long after the release of their sixth album, Lions. A few years of solo wanderings led the Crowes to a reunion in 2005, but they had to go through a few more lineup changes -- including the addition of North Mississippi Allstar Luther Dickinson as the replacement for guitarist Marc Ford -- before they buckled down to record their seventh album, 2008's Warpaint. All that turmoil and trouble are felt on Warpaint, as are the years the band spent paying dues on the jam band circuit after Amorica. Warpaint shows that the decade of hard struggle gave the Crowes soul and chops, turning them into the band they've always wanted to be. The Black Crowes haven't changed their basic sound -- ever since Shake Your Money Maker the band has always drawn deeply from the Stones and Faces, tempering that British swagger with Southern-fried blues borrowed from the Allmans, then slowly threading hippie mysticism throughout -- but the feel of the band has changed, as the Crowes have turned from reckless ruffians into seasoned veterans, with the group feeling lived-in and genuine. There's depth here, highlighted by an instrumental suppleness that slightly recalls Little Feat -- particularly on the slow-rolling "Oh Josephine" with its gently cascading choruses -- an evolution that could only be earned during those years on the road, building the band through nightly jams and a slow cycle of membership turnovers. This is a suppleness that has grit, thanks especially to Dickinson's glass slide runs that give this music some welcome grease. The Crowes also pull off a couple of sly moves here, weaving some swirling psychedelia through the chorus of "Movin' on Down the Line," turning the Reverend Charlie Jackson's "God's Got It" into a heavy, heavy backwoods stomp, then spinning the closing "Whoa Mule" into a roiling blues raga. These are the turns and tricks of veterans, who can slide these flourishes into their signature sound without calling attention to their changeups, but these numbers are enough of a departure to garner attention -- what may not get as much praise is how the Crowes write compellingly within their standard sound, as they do here, beginning with the opening gambit of the down'n'dirty "Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution" and the crawling "Walk Believer Walk." From there, Warpaint continues to gain momentum, as this album is not only their strongest set of songs since Amorica, it has a depth and presence that is rare for a digital age creation and, best of all, the album has a true narrative thrust, making it feel like a true classic rock album. What the Black Crowes have done here is what true journeymen do: they don't renounce their past, they build upon it, finding hidden depths within it, shaping tradition after their own image to make it sound fresh. They're old-fashioned, but in the best sense: they're in it for the long haul, which the superb Warpaint proves beyond a shadow of a doubt. by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Chris Robinson (vocals, harp, percussion)
Rich Robinson (guitar)
Johnny Colt (bass)
Steve Gorman (drums)
Ed Harsch (piano, keyboards)1 Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution 5:03
2 Walk Believer Walk 4:39
3 O, Josephine 6:38
4 Evergreen 4:20
5 We Who See the Deep 4:49
6 Locust Street 4:14
7 Movin' on Down the Line 5:42
8 Wounded Bird 4:23
9 God's Got It 3:22
10 There's Gold in Them Hills 4:47
11 Whoa Mule 5:4

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HELP YOURSELF – HELP YOURSELF/ BEWARE OF THE SHADOW – 1971/1972 (UK) pub rock

There's no question that Help Yourself's debut album was a product of its times -- something about the whole easygoing boogie vibe and gentle psych-inspired trippiness, the way of singing, the production, and more just screams early-'70s non-metal and non-glam rock & roll. Look at it one way and Help Yourself was just a cut above incipient bar band culture but, heard with fresh ears years after its release, it strikes a great balance between entertaining the crowd and exploration. Call the band a more down-to-earth Pink Floyd or Hawkwind set somewhere in the English countryside without specifically owing anything to either band. Morley, who takes vocal lead throughout, shows a fine voice similar to Neil Young's, with just that hint of twang while not sounding quite so cracked and strained. At some points the resemblance is overwhelming -- check out the chorus of the wistful "Old Man" (in fact not a cover of Young's own standard, though that would have been perfectly appropriate). As a unit, the four-piece, which finished up the album in a week's time, comes across as seasoned without being overly pro or polished -- the curse of "tasty licks" is generally avoided in favor of relaxed understatement, solos smoothly fitting into the songs rather than dominating them. The more immediately singalong numbers, like "I Must See Jesus for Myself" and the lovely "Paper Leaves," as perfect a late summer evening ramble and sigh as one could ask for, still sneak up on a listener, entrancing without trying too hard to do so. There are some darker numbers worthy of note -- "To Katherine They Fall" is the most space rock of the bunch, keeping the right head-nodding vibes while not tripping out completely, while "Deborah" is a flat-out lovely piano ballad, Morley's wounded voice the perfect accompaniment.
Help Yourself
DAVE CHARLES drms, vcls
MALCOLM MORLEY gtr, vcls
RICHARD TREECE gtr, vcls
KEN WHALEY bs

1.I Must See Jesus For Myself
2.To Katherine They Fell
3.Your Eyes Are Looking Down
4.Old Man
5.Look At The View
6.Paper Leaves
7.Running Down Deep
8.Deborah
9.Street Songs

Beware The Shadow
DAVE CHARLES drms, vcls
MALCOLM MORLEY gtr, vcls
RICHARD TREECE gtr, vcls
KEN WHALEY bs
PAUL BURTON bs, gtr

10.Alabama Lady
11.Reaffirmation
12.Calapso
13.She's My Girl
14.Molly Bake Bean
15.American Mother
16.Passing Through

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HELP YOURSELF – STRANGE AFFAIR – 1972 (UK) pub rock

An excellent second album from a band that, familial comparisons to Man notwithstanding, was always closer to the British pub rock ideal than many of the movement's better-feted icons ever could be. And that despite the best of Help Yourself's bluesy barroom rock predating any but the earliest birds of the beer and sawdust circuit -- departing guitarist Ken Whalley's Ducks Deluxe included. Opening with the hefty chimes of the title track, Strange Affair moves on through a kaleidoscope of moves and movements, ranging from the gently and certainly Beatles-ish "Deanna, Call & Scotty," and onto a clutch of songs that would not have sounded out of place on the American West Coast -- a touchstone that, again, would soon become a pub rock ideal. The album's peak, however, has to be the nine-minute "The All Electric Fur Trapper," a lush and lovely epic that conjures images of a faintly country-flavored Pink Floyd as it moves through a series of distinct phases that climax with a semi-funky, deeply fuzzy burst of JoJo Glemser guitar savagery. Accompanied by a wryly flowery essay from Ducks Deluxe frontman Sean Tyla, "The All Electric Fur Trapper" stands not only among Help Yourself's greatest achievements, but also among the highlights of the entire early-'70s British underground.

DAVE CHARLES drms, vcls
MALCOLM MORLEY gtr, vcls
RICHARD TREECE gtr, vcls
PAUL BURTON bs, gtr 1 Strange Affair
2 Brown Lady
3 Movie Star
4 Deanna Call and Scotty
5. Heaven Row
6 Experpts from "The All Electric Fur Trapper"
7 Many Ways of Meeting

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HELP YOURSELF – RETURN OF KEN WHALEY/HAPPY DAYS – 1973 (UK) pub rock

BGO's two-fer of Return of Ken Whaley and Happy Days reissues Help Yourself's second and fourth albums. This provides somewhat incongruous listening, but Help Yourself was an incongruous band, never quite making sense all the way through their albums, even if they were always fascinating. They skipped through folk-rock, both American and British, country, pub rock, prog rock, blues, and general oddities. Often, it gelled brilliantly, but it also could be maddening, yet that was one of the pleasures of listening to the band. To really understand this two-fer, you will also need the other Help Yourself two-fer that BGO put out, but once you acquire a taste for this, you won't need too much convincing to seek either of these out.

DAVE CHARLES drms, vcls
MALCOLM MORLEY gtr, vcls
RICHARD TREECE gtr, vcls
KEN WHALEY bs
PAUL BURTON bs, gtr 1.Candy Kane
2.Pioneers Of The West In The Head
3.Who Killed Paradise
4.Amy
5.Blown Away
6.Man We're Glad To Know You
7.It Has To Be
8.The Golden Handshake
Happy Days:
9.Jesus What Are Little Kids For
10.Virginia
11.Waiting At The Station
12.Seashell
13.I've Got Beautiful You
14.My Friend
15.Elephant By My Side

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ULTIMATE SPINACH – ULTIMATE SPINACH – 1967 (US) psychedelic rock

Upon its release in early 1968, Ultimate Spinach's self-titled debut was derided by some as second-rate psychedelia, selling reasonably well only by virtue of its hype as part of the "Bosstown Sound." So how does it sound decades later, removed from that hype and standing on the music alone? It still sounds like bush league, bandwagon-riding psychedelia. Ian Bruce-Douglas dominates the record as lead singer, composer of all the songs, and multi-instrumentalist, and while he espoused a darker vision than many psychedelic songsmiths, he wasn't in remotely the same league as Jim Morrison, Grace Slick, or Country Joe McDonald. Such comparisons are not idly chosen; echoes of the Doors, Jefferson Airplane, and Country Joe & the Fish cross over into derivation more than once, sounding like a recombination of 1967 West Coast psychedelic music that was garbled on its journey across the continent. All the same, the record is their best, for what that's worth. It is not without some attractive aspects, the best of which are Bruce-Douglas' skittering, piercing organ lines heard to superior effect on "Sacrifice of the Moon," especially as that is unencumbered by his awkward, over-serious lyrics ("collapsed laughter, running, falling, drifting across the minefield of your thoughts, dissolve, wondering, who am I, why should I be alone, alone?"). He likely played Country Joe & the Fish's first LP over and over, as "Sacrifice of the Moon" and "Baroque #1" attest to; "Baroque #1" goes as far as to plagiarize Country Joe's "Masked Marauder," right down to the harmonica and scat vocals. Similarly, "Your Head Is Reeling" has grungy, distorted Doors guitar lifted straight out of Robby Krieger's intro to "The End." As Bruce-Douglas' vocals are only adequate, it's unfortunate more was not heard from guitarist and occasional lead singer Barbara Hudson, who has the kind of ice-cool style trendy among the female psychedelic singers of the era.

-Ian Bruce-Douglas/ Keyboards,Guitars,Harmonica, Theremin, Wood Flutes, Sitar,Vocals,Vibraphone,12-String Bass Guitar
-Barbara Hudson/ Vocals, Guitar
-Keith Lahteninen/ Drums,Percussion, Vocals
-Ted Myers/ Guitar,Vocals
-Richard Nese/ Bass
-Geoffrey Winthrop/ Guitar,Sitar,Vocals1 Ego Trip
2 Sacrifice of the Moon (In Four Parts)
3 Plastic Raincoats/Hung Up Minds
4 (Ballad of) The Hip Death Goddess
5 Your Head Is Reeling
6 Dove in Hawk's Clothing
7 Baroque #1
8 Funny Freak Parads
9 Pamela

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FIRE – COULD YOU UNDERSTAND ME – 1973 (YUGOSLAVIAN) heavy psych

Fire - Could You Understand Me CD reissue of savage 1973 heavy psychedelic hard rock with brutal distorted caveman guitars all over the place.These guys were probably big fans of Led Zeppelin, Steppenwolf and Black Sabbath!
Maximum (kinda rhymes with "Eruptum") fuzz and flailing drums hammered into shape by three hairy gents from Yugoslavia displaced to The Netherlands, first issued on the private Killroy label in 1973. Legend, rumor and speculation surrounds many of the recording details - were they itinerant mineworkers hoping to blow off some steam, or maybe they just couldn't find a decent recording studio in their homeland? And what twisted tale does the cover art depict, so inflammatory the LP was supposedly banned upon original release? There is no mystery, however, about the trio's raw power or surprising command of the English language, prepare to bleed!

Jura Havidić (guitar, vocals)
Miljenko Balić (bass)
Emil Vugrinec (drums, vocals)1 Could You Understand Me 3:35
2 Dedicated to Love 3:04
3 Memory of You 5:07
4 Jedan divan dan 7:35
5 Hey You 6:35
6 Where Are You 3:22
7 Flames 9:00

Highly Recommended!
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TOO MUCH - TOO MUCH – 1971 (JAP) heavy psych

Too Much – an obscure group who made only one album I’m aware of, ‘Too Much’ [Atlantic, 1971]. It’s nothing very
original, containing a fairly generic mix of heavy rock [notably influenced by Black Sabbath], slow blues [one song
sounds like a thinly-disguised re-make of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Since I’ve Been Loving You’!], dodgy ballads and soft
progressive rock. I find a bit over half the album is fairly good, and the opening track is a great heavy riff monster.

Juni Lush (vocals)
Tstomu Ogawa [aka Junio Nakahara] (guitar)
Masayuki Aoki (bass)
Hideya/Shuye Kobayashi (drums)
1 Grease it out 5:34
2 Love That Binds Me 6:25
3 Love is You 6:00
4 Reminiscence 6:05
5 I Shall Be Release 4:52
6 Gonna Take You 4:34
7 Song for My Lady 12:13

Tnanx to Chris

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CLAUDIO GABIS – Y LA PESADA – 1973 (ARGENTINA) heavy psych

A lot of the Agrentinian progressive rarities - at least the smallish number that I have heard - are really progressive hard rock albums, and this one is no different. Gabis is a hot guitarist playing pyscho-hard rock and etc. with lots of acid leads and beyond on this rare 1972 album. The band here includes Jorge Pinchevsky-violin (and later of Gong on Shamal!), Alejandro Medina-bass & vocals, Isa Portugheis and Jimmy Marquez-drums, Kubero Diaz-guitar and vocals. For those who dig a heavy rock sound.
1 Fiebre de la ruta
2 Si hubiera sabido
3 Más allá del valle del tiempo
4 Blues del terror azul
5 Boogie de Claudio
6 El viaje de Lord Dunsany

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AINIGMA – DILUVIUM – 1973 (GER) heavy psych

An other mysterious, dark stoner rock effort from 70’s Germany. Ainigma only release one album which is a pure krautrock classic, totally explosive in terms of emotions, obviously rocking and lovely psychedelic. "Prejudice" starts with dreamlike introspective organ atmospheres then rapidly catch the essence of a jam session, with abundant improvised Hammond organs, heavy guitars. "All things are fading" is a moody, depressive but furiously rocking with damaged riffs and sad guitar solos. The only default comes from the vocals which are rather weak. "Diluvium" is a standard heavy rock epic with melancholic guitar breaks, touching melodies, dynamic, captivating organ melodies. "Thunderstorm" features ultra doom like heavy guitars (closed to German Oak), weird, chaotic improvised ambiences. This one can't be missed by fans of vintage space rock and early krautrock. (progarchives.com)

Willi Klüter (organ, vocals)
Wolfgang Netzer (guitar, bass, vocals)
Michael Klüter (drums)1 Prejudice 5:35
2 You Must Run 7:30
3 All Things Are Fading 5:14
4 Diluvium 17:56
Bonus Tracks
5 Thunderstorm 4:58
6 Dilivium (instrumental) 17:45

Ainigma is often lumped into the krautrock sub-genre, erroneously in my opinion. In reality, this is pure psychedelic, organ and fuzz guitar driven hard rock.
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DAY OF PHOENIX - WIDE OPEN N-WAY – 1969 (DENMARK) heavy psych

The group was founded in 1968 by Cy Nicklin (later in Culpeper's Orchard) with Karsten Lyng Nielsen, Jess Staehr Nielsen, Ole Prehn and Henrik Friis Nielsen. They released the first single (1969) and participated in different events but in 1969 Cy Nicklin left the group and was replaced by Hans Lauridsen (and Stæhr by Erik Stedt Rasmussen).
In 1970 the band released the LP Wide Open N-Way. The music is psychedelic rock with clear feeling flowing from American bands. The lyrics are all sung in English. I met very different opinions about this album but it is definitely interesting and original work. Its producer (and of the following one) was Tony Reeves, ex-Colosseum bassist. Wide Open N-Way was warmly received and got some interest worldwide. Two years later the group reformed (besides Karsten Lyng and Ole Prehn there were three BRI members: Ole Fick, Jess Stæhr, Bo Thrige Andersen) and recorded the second album. Unfortunately, it presents mediocre rock compositions far behind its predecessor.

Cy Nicklin (guitar, vocals)
Karsten Lyng Nielsen (guitar)
Jess Stæhr Nielsen (bass)
Ole Prehn (guitar, acoustic guitar)
Henrik Friis Nielsen (drums, percussion)1 Wide Open N-Way 11:33
2 Cellophane #1
3 Cellophane #2 13:44
4 If You Ask Me 4:49
5 Mind Funeral 12:29
6 Tick-tack 1:10

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FRIEDHOF – FRIEDHOF – 1971 (GER) heavy psych

Good kraut rock with proto metal guitars a la Wishbone Ash, and a steady Goldenrod-like beat.

Ernst-Ulrich Freitag (guitars)
Norbert Schulz (bass, percussion)
Rainer Bartl (drums)1 Orgasmus (Schulz)
2 Nothing at All (Friedhof)
3 Undertaker's Joy (Freitag)
4 Setting Sun (Freitag)
5 Clear Blue Sky (Freitag)
6 Unknown

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ORANGE PEEL – ORANGE PEEL – 1970 (GER) heavy psych

110% completely oil saturated mind blowing Kraut-Rock from these underground heavy weights from 1970. Produced by the legendary Dieter Dierks, ORANGE PEEL offers everything an album from this genre should... crazy frenzied guitar work , heavy organ whisps and tons of nice heavy keys, mind altering music and instrumentation, with great drum and bass interplay all creating a true heavy psychedelic monster and IMHO one of the best albums from the 70’s Germany. Wow this album truly is one hell of a trip man... 4 long exploratory tracks with tons of vintage keyboards creating a wonderful wall of sound which has been carefully re-mastered on CD by the folks at CMP Records. Krautrock fans need to not look any further nor find a more mind blowing album... not Krautrock collection can be without this album ! (progarchives.com)

Peter Bischof (vocals, percussion)
Michael Winzkowski (guitar)
Curt Cress (drums, percussion)
Leslie Link (guitar)
Heinrich "Heini" Mohn (bass)
Ralph Wiltheiß (organ)1 You Can't Change Them All 18:16
2 Faces That I Used to Know 3:13
3 Tobacco Road 7:17
4 We Still Try to Change 10:05

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BAD AXE - BAD AXE – 1976 (US) hard rock

I'd heard this one was supposed to sound like an amalgam of Black Sabbath & Deep Purple with some wild twin lead guitar playing, which isn't too far off the mark. The twin guitarists put in a pair of fine performances, there are indeed traces of Sabbath & Purple, but the band they most remind me of is "Kings Of Oblivion" era Pink Fairies, right down to the Larry Wallis like vocals. If wigged out, heavily stoned sounding, Who influenced Seventies hard rock sounds like your thing, step right up, Bad Axe deliver the goods.
1 Cities of Rage
2 Stray
3 Do What We Please
4 What Did I Do
5 Set Me Free
6 Vacation
7 Blues L.A
8 Foggy Morning
9 Road to Makin' It
10 Take Your Time

Tnanx to Chris

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DRYEWATER – SOUTHPAW – 1974 (US) hard rock

Reissue of this PSYCH/HARD ROCK album by North Carolina band. Killer guitar and excellent vocals. Originals are SUPER-RARE and go for BIG money. From start to finish this is classic hard rock, a bit toward southern rock. The songs from 'Winterground" to "Thunder" keep it rolling. Sadly Richard Drye left this world many years ago so his musical legacy is limited to one album. For this Dryewater release we went back to the way we originally did the cover, a paste-on like the early days of reissues

ROBERT BLAIR bs, vcls
RICHARD DRYE ld vcls, gtr
SHAYE DRYE keyb'ds, vcls
GARLAND WALKER STIDHAM drms
1 Winterground
2 Trouble
3 Give Yourself Time to Live
4 Don't Let Her Sleep Too Long
5 Let Me Take You
6 Thunder
7 See Them Run
8 Revelation
9 Set Out on the River
10 After All (I Aint Sleepy)

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SAM APPLE PIE – SAM APPLE PIE – 1969 (UK) blues rock

The British blues-rock boom was such a big deal at the end of the 1960s that plenty of also-ran bands got the chance to fill out the bottom of concert and festival bills, and also to record. Sam Apple Pie were among them, and their self-titled debut album didn't offer much in the style that was out of the ordinary, though it did possess basic competence. You needed more than basic competence to make a mark, however, even in a genre that could be as hidebound as British blues. Sam Apple Pie didn't have those extra special somethings, relying too much upon stock blues riffs and good-time energy that might have been effective in a concert setting, but are pretty dull on record. If any influence from their peers seems strongest, it's early Fleetwood Mac (in both their stinging blues modes and their quieter, more reflective ones). Songs like "Stranger," "Sometime Girl," and "Winter of My Love," with its swooping slide, downcast lyrics, and minor keys, definitely recall some of the Mac's early tunes. But this is way below the level of the Peter Green-helmed Fleetwood Mac in singing, playing, and songwriting, though at least the band wrote every song on the album except one ("Tiger Man [King of the Jungle]," where the macho bluster is so callow that it's uncertain whether it's a parody or a sincere attempt at the real thing). Certainly the standout track, though the least typical one, is "Annabelle," with a soft jazz-classical-rock blend -- and little of the blues -- that's, again, very reminiscent of some of Fleetwood Mac's work in the 1969-1970 period. The sudden detour into a jazzy jam with flute in "Moonlight Man" is another promising avenue that, alas, wasn't explored elsewhere on this release.

Danny "Pancho" Barnes (guitar)
Andy "Snakehip" Johnson (slide guitar)
Lee Baxter Hayes Jnr. (drums, vocals)
Sam "Tomcat" Sampson (vocals, harp)
Bob "Dog" Renny (bass, vocals)
Gary Fletcher (bass)
Martin Bell (drums)
Mark DeMajo (bass)
Mike "Tinkerbell" Smith (guitar)
Rex Morris (sax)
Dave Charles (drums)
Danny Barnes (guitar)
Harry Klein (sax)
Steve Jolly (guitar)
Malcolm Morley (keyboards)
Andy Clark (keyboards)
Jimmy Knox (drums) 1 Hawk 4:08
2 Winter of My Love 7:16
3 Stranger 4:27
4 Swan Song 7:12
5 Tiger Man (King of the Jungle) 2:24
6 Something Nation 4:00
7 Sometime Girl 4:02
8 Uncle Sam's Blues 2:37
9 Annabelle 5:20
10 Moonlight Man 7:19
11 Tiger Man [Mono Single Mix] 2:24
12 Sometime Girl [Mono Single Mix]

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A.B.SKHY - A.B.SKHY – 1969 (US) blues rock

A.B. Skhy was a blues-rock quartet from San Francisco consisting of guitarist Dennis Geyer, keyboard player Howard Wales, bass player Jim Marcotte, and drummer Terry Andersen. This lineup made the group's debut album, A.B. Skhy, in 1969, with a seven-piece horn section. The album failed to chart, but the instrumental "Camel Back" hit number 100 on the Hot 100 for one week in December. Andersen and Wales then left and were replaced by guitarist James "Curley" Cooke and drummer Rick Jaeger for the group's second album, Ramblin' On (1970), which was produced by Kim Fowley. They broke up during the recording of their third album.

Dennis Geyer (guitar, vocals)
Jim Marcotte (bass)
Terry Anderson (drums, vocals)
Howard Wales (keyboards)
James Curley Cooke (guitar, vocals)
Rick Jaeger (percussion)1 You Upset Me Baby 7:09
2 Just What I Need 3:30
3 It's Love Baby, 24 Hours a Day 2:29
4 Camel Back 5:06
5 Understand 5:36
6 Love Isn't 4:09
7 Of All Sad Words 3:08
8 Love May Cure That 5:09

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FAIR WEATHER – BEGINNING FROM AN END - 1971 (UK) rock

Perhaps best known today, at least in the States, as a member of Eric Clapton's early-'90s backing band, back in the '60s Andy Fairweather Low was a pop star, Amen Corner's frontman/guitarist. Formed in 1966, that group sent six singles spiralling up the U.K. pop chart, including "(If Paradise Is) Half as Nice," their 1969 number one. Amen Corner closed up shop in 1970, only to immediately reopen as Fair Weather, albeit with a slightly reduced staff -- brass players Mike Smith and Allen Jones had found employment elsewhere. By July, the band's debut single, "Natural Sinner," was taking its evil ways up the chart, reaching number six. Beginning from an End arrived soon after, but before year's end, the band had broken up for good and soon sank from memory. Thus Beginning's reissue on CD was a welcome return, for the set really completed Amen Corner's own story and returned the band to a variation on their early British beat sound -- a solid slab of British rock, albeit one with its R&B roots still proudly displayed. Check out the stomping cover of Stax classic "Don' Mess with Cupid" or the inspired psychedelia-tinged take on "I Hear Your Knocking" for proof. Incidentally, "I Hear You Knocking" was engineered by Dave Edmunds and is obviously the prototype for his own subsequent hit cover. But it's Fairweather Low's own compositions that best capture Fair Weather's transition into the rock age. From the funky "You Ain't No Friend," to the heady blend of proggy-blues on the instrumental "Looking for the Red Label," and across the sliding guitar of the country-flavored "Poor Man's Bum a Run," Fair Weather is stretching R&B into a big stadium sound centered around Fairweather Low and Neil Jones' magnificent guitars, and filled out in a hundred directions by Blue Weaver's phenomenal keyboards. Of course, they weren't the only British band at the time attempting this dramatic transformation from R&B into hard rock, but Fair Weather didn't stick around long enough to disintegrate into thumb-twiddling noodling and 20 minutes of tedious soloing. Still a pop band at heart, Fair Weather accomplished in sharp songs what others took an entire album side to do. And to drive home this point, this reissue appends all three of the band's singles, and A- and B-sides, as bonus tracks. Fair Weather sounded grand then, and they still do today.

Andy Fairweather Low (vocals, guitar)
Neil Jones (guitar)
Clive Taylor (bass)
Blue Weaver (organ)
Dennis Bryon (drums)
1. God Cried Mother
2. Don't Mess With Cupid
3. Dead And Past
4. I Hear You Knockin'
5. You Ain't No Friend
6. Sit And Think
7. Looking For The Red Label
8. Poor Man's Bum A Run
9. Natural Sinner
10. Haven't I Tried
11. Road To Freedom
12. Tutti Frutti
13. Lay It On Me
14. Looking For The Red Label

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GRAPHITE – CHESTNUT LOKE – 1974 (UK) progressive rock

Graphite are another of those 'almost lost forever' bands whose works have been resurrected, this time by the estimable Audio Archives label. Sadly, unlike their long-overdue issue of the second Fantasy album, Chestnut Loke is all a bit ordinary, really. It's difficult to categorise the music, though not in a particularly good way; laid-back rock, but with an English rather than an American approach is the nearest I can get. In other words, this isn't terribly exciting, but doesn't have either the complexity or the melodic strength to really appeal to the prog crowd. It's perfectly pleasant, but that's rather damning it with faint praise, isn't it? The lyrics are of the 'a little too cosmic' variety, too (see: Starflight Over The Skies and A Dragon's Tale, in particular), dating the music almost to the year.

I can't tell for certain, but it looks like this is material that has never been previously released, so it's not an album with bonus tracks, more a new album of various studio recordings. Most of the tracks just drift along pleasantly, with considerable Fender Rhodes input, but both the title track and Freedom feature a bit of the old 'Tron strings, to passable effect, played by Chris Gore. I'm sorry I can't be more positive about this, as I applaud the efforts of labels Like Audio Archives, but it's really not the sort of album that's likely to grab anyone much, I'm afraid. Of its time, really. File under 'play once, then shelve'.
1 Starflight Over the Skies
2 Chestnut Loke
3 Tide
4 Freedom
5 A Dragon's Tale
6 Dawn (Morning Has Come)
7 Set it Free
8 Out in the Rain
9 Don't You Think it's Kinda Strange
10 In Our Country Home
11 Evil Arms
12 Spring
13 Autumn
14 She's Gone Away
15 I'm Feeling Low
16 Freedom (Reprise)

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STEVE HILLAGE - L – 1976 (UK) space rock

After a stint with Gong as their trippy, hippy, new agey guitar guru of cosmically and extremely raga-esque trance rock and improv heaven, Steve Hillage went solo. He branched out to carry his own version of the Gong gospel of personal freedom via his special blend of cosmic brotherhood, Eastern religion, new age, pyramids, ley lines, crystals, and some ferocious jazz fusion and progressive rock guitar blended with space rock synths. Hillage reinterprets some well-known tunes by other artists like Donovan and George Harrison here as well as penning some of his more memorable sonic treats. His awesome riffing and speedy solos on his Fender Strat rival those of Hendrix and Frank Marino but go further compositionally via exotic scales from other cultures. Add in Todd Rundgren's engineering and production genius, his Utopians guesting, and several others like Don Cherry on brass and Tibetan trumpet along with a 15th century Hurdy Gurdy and you have a wild romp into eclectic rock. The 12-minute-long "Lunar Musick Suite" is the pinnacle moment of the release and "Om Nama Shivaya" comes in a close second for Hillage's most blissed-out trance rock. Both Gong and Hillage's solo career have brought such superb musical echoes and legends such as veteran space rockers, the Ozric Tentacles.
1 Hurdy Gurdy Man 6:33
2 Hurdy Gurdy Glissando 8:58
3 Electrick Gypsies 6:19
4 Om Nama Shivaya 3:34
5 Lunar Musick Suite 11:57
6 It's All Too Much 6:29
7 Eight Miles High (Backing Track) 4:27
8 Maui (Early Version of "Palm Trees") 4:37
9 Shimmer 3:48

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BACHDENKEL – LEMMINGS – 1973 (UK) space rock

Bachdenkel was a Birmingham psychedelic rock band, named "U Know Who". they changed their name to Bachdenkel when they early in their carreer moved to France to live and record there. Their debut album was recorded in 1970, but wasn't released untill 1973 (though different sources contradict each other on that point), which made the sound seem a bit out-dated, with influences of the late 60's psychedelic scene including Procol Harum, The Beatles, The Byrds and Pink Floyd.

Lemmings is an often overlooked gem, with very good stellar psychedelic Rhythm & Blues tracks, mainly focussing on guitars and drums, with some organ and piano songs and passages thrown in. The voice is a bit an acquired taste, but works well certainly on the more relaxed pieces. Highlights on this fabulous album are the increasingly powerfull Strangerstill and The Settlement Song, and the almost metal song Come All Ye Faceless. No weak tracks really. The bonus tracks are great aswell and fit right in with the 'original' album tracks.

Lemmings is a must listen album for those who like early Pink Floyd and late Beatles albums, and assorted bands like The Byrds, early Deep purple (Mark I), May Blitz and Procol harum. A masterpiece, I think so at least. Rounded down to 4 stars because it sounds a bit out-dated, even for the time it was released. (progarchives.com)

Colin Swinburne (vocals, guitar, piano)
Peter Kimberley (bass)
Karel Beer (guitar)
Brian Smith (drums)1. Translation (4:16)
2. Equals (1:52)
3. An Appointment With The Master (5:19)
4. The Settlement Song (11:23)
5. Long Time Living (2:22)
6. Strangerstill (6:56)
7. Come All Ye Faceless (9:06)
Bonus tracks on 1990 CD re-issue (from the EP):
8. The Slightest Distance (6:08)
9. Donna (4:16)
10. A Thousand Pages Before (6:32)

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BACHDENKEL - STALINGRAD – 1977 (UK) space rock

The very good lead singer has a tone right between Kansas' and Neal Morse. The miscellaneous electric guitar arrangements are very original: the comparison with Steve Hillage is often quite valuable: Hillage however sounds more spacy and extravagant. The keyboards are rarely used: indeed the guitar-driven tracks do not justify the presence of organ and piano: they are rather used in a few specific tracks. Compared to their previous Lemmings album, here they are more elaborated, sructured and less psychedelic. There are many parts that have an excellent complex punk tendency: I even find some Neu! similarities, regarding some of the drums and electric guitar sounds, especially on the "Stalingrad" track. Obviously, they are 100 times better than Neu!, since their compositions remain very respectable and structured. The album globally is moderately progressive, psychedelic and it never falls into a deja vu rock/hard rock style. (progarchives.com)

Colin Swinburne (vocals, guitar, piano)
Peter Kimberley (bass)
Karel Beer (guitar)
Brian Smith (drums)

1. The Whole World (Looking Over My Shoulder) (3:37)
2. After The Fall (4:27)
3. Seven Times Tomorrow (3:56)
4. For You To Live With Me (3:23)
5. The Tournament (2:52)
6. (It's Always) Easy To Be Hard (4:46)
7. Xenophon (4:51)
8. Ctalingpad (3:30)
9. Stalingrad (4:33)
10. You Lied About Your Age (The Unreleased Singles) (3:11)
11. Ring Of Truth (The Unreleased Singles) (2:55)
12. Sirocco (The Unreleased Singles) (2:58)
13. Ctalingrad (Studio Live) (3:23)
14. After The Fall (Studio Live) (5:35)
15. For You To Live With Me (Studio Live) (4:38)
16. Seven Times Tomorrow (Studio Live) (6:50)
17. Through The Eyes Of A Child (Archives) (4:01)
18. An Appointment With The Master (Archives) (3:39)
19. Bo Bo's Party (Live, Cannes '75, Extract) (6:11)

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