Rockasteria

Amazing 12-string slinging folk singer-songwriter from East Lansing, Michigan. He’s got a bit of a Tim Buckley sound, and he’s a really interesting lyricist.

"Lady Today" also features the "Woolies" including Jeff Baldori on lead guitar. "By Candlelight", subtitled "Love Song to a Cat" is just that but it's quite a nice piece of folk psych with flugel horn low in the mix providing texture. You can't beat the honesty of such self-produced music. His vocals and 12-string are both great. "It Depends" has a fast tempo and a dreamy texture with echoed vocals in the 60's mode.

Original sound with lyrics like "I used to walk the fields with a gun - just for fun but now I walk with empty hands again. I do not care for hunting any more - since the war. I will not hunt for animals or men." More dreaminess on "Guess We'll Never Be That Way Again" and "Nights Like This".

Tracks
1. You've Heard This Song Before - 2:54
2. Furry Little Friend - 3:17
3. Rollen Home - 2:40
4. By Candlelight - 3:44
5. Happiness All The Time - 2:17
6. Wish I Were A Whippoorwill - 2:23
7. It Depends - 3:39
8. Guess We'll Never Be That Way Again - 3:13
9. Night Like This - 4:01
10.Lady Today - 3:45
11.Didn't You - 4:53
All songs by Bob McAllen

Personnel
*Bob McAllen - Vocals, Guitar, 12 String Guitar
*Mike Grace - Bass
*Dave Koether - Drums
*Mike O'Sullivan - Glugel Horn
*Bob Baldori - Shakers
*Jeff Baldori - Lead Guitar
*Bee Metros - Drums
*Zocko Groendal - Bass

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Band was originally known as "Five Sounds" and included keyboardist Joe Sealy. They released two singles in 1965 and 1966 on Epic which charted on Halifax radio station CHNS. In 1968 the "Five Sounds" were the house band on CBC television's "Where It's At" (the local segment of the national series) which was hosted by Frank Cameron and produced in Halifax.

In 1968 the band went to New York to record "I Could Have Danced All Night" album and changed name to "Central Nervous System" at the suggestion of Mark Joseph who worked at the Record Plant where the album was recorded. Album consisted of Billard and Jollimore penned originals and cover of Lonnie Mack's "Why" which was not listed on the album cover. Album was produced by Tom Wilson (Zappa, Dylan) and Eddie Kramer (Hendrix, Stones) was one of the engineers.

Band split up in 1969 just before the album had a chance to try itself in the marketplace and dates were lined up to tour in the United States. Billard and White both went on to play in "Pepper Tree" at different times. Oakley switched to lead guitar and was a founding member of "Soma". Jollimore and Cassidy both went to Lighthouse.

by Ritchie Oakley, Jim Rice and Richard Bonner

Tracks
1. Comin' To Get Ya - 2:15
2. Undecided - 3:00
3. She's Everything Good To Me - 2:22
4. I'm My Own Keeper - 2:44
5. Sweet Hot Lucy - 2:20
6. Silence In My Room - 2:27
7. Why (Lonnie Mack) - 4:18
8. It's So Hard - 2:31
9. Welcome Back Girl - 2:52
10.A Heart That's Cold - 2:28
11.Mystery Lady - 2:56
All songs by Doug Billard, Keith Jollimore except where stated

Central Nervous System
*Keith Jollimore - Saxophone
*Bruce Cassidy - Trumpet
*Ritchie Oakley - Bass
*Jim White - Guitar
*Jack S. Lilly - Drums
*Doug Billard - Vocals

Related Act
1971 Lighthouse - One Fine Morning

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"We are travelers on a cosmic journey, Stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share. This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity." Paulo Coetho, The Alchemist The Cosmic Travelers is a rare, original live album with 1,000 copies released on the Volcano label. This live jam was recorded at the Spring Crater Celebration in the Diamond Head Volcano in Oahu, Hawaii on April 1, 1972. The event was organized by businessmen and friends Tom Moffat, Ken Rosene and Herb Brentlinger.

The artists were a Los Angeles based combo of psychedelic blues studio musicians; Jimmy McGhee, Dale "Mule" Loyola, Joel Christie and Drake Levin. Jimmy had backed up Gene Redding and Etta James. Dale had recorded with the band Hook, and Joel and Drake had recorded with Lee Michaels. Prior to this. Drake had been the lead guitarist for Paul Revere and the Raiders, from their early dance hall days in the Pacific Northwest, to their national success with Dick Clark's Where The Action Is, and he had played on most of their biggest hit records. After leaving the Raiders, Drake had also been a member of the group The Brotherhood, which featured two of his Raider band mates, Phillip Volk and Michael "Smitty" Smith.

This festival in Hawaii was the first time that these four musicians had played together as a group, and they took the main stage and were recorded for this album after only two days of rehearsals. The rocking, hard driven guitar riffs from Jimmy and Drake were mesmerizing, and the vocals from Joel, Jimmy and Dale were a near-perfect harmony. The Cosmic Travelers was a good description of these four souls. They were musicians traveling to the Sunshine Festival, and the name seemed quite fitting since they were all indeed spiritual men.

The live Crater Festival album was recorded the same year that Drake and I met. It was later that year, the day before Thanksgiving, and when I met him he had this album in his hand. Both of our lives were forever changed and forever tied together from that point on. The next few months after we met were holidays spent traveling to Miami and Hermosa Beach. Drake and I went on to make beautiful music together as husband and wife until he passed away on the Fourth of July in 2009.

If you knew Drake, then you know that he was always a leader, the idea maker and vision seeker, the music man. Drake was born in Chicago and moved to Idaho with his family when he was young. Although his years in Chicago were few, rhythm and blues seemed to be as much a part of him as others who spent their whole lives making music in that city. Drake joined the Raiders at 16 years old, and by the time that he had barely turned 18, he had already recorded a live set of music with the group, featuring covers of many R’n’B standards, and some original music. His talent was obvious in his guitar solos and steady rhythm. In later years, besides playing with Lee Michaels. Drake also played with Emmit Rhodes and Ananda Shankar, and produced other artists as well.

As Drake and I got to know each other, I got to know his friends in the Cosmic Travelers also. Drake had described Jimmy McGhee as a soul brother from Los Angeles. He and Jimmy had toured in Canada and the mid-west with Gene Redding and Etta James. Jimmy moved in with us while the guys prepared to go back to Hawaii and cut another album. He lived with us in Los Angeles for the next couple of years. Something that was so impressive to me was that he played his guitar all the time! He seemed to live and breathe music; if he was awake he was playing. He was so incredibly jazzy and funky! No matter who came to the house, Jimmy would have them playing some instrument or singing.

The fabulous and solid Peruvian drummer, Dale Loyola, had just come off the road with Lee Michaels. Dale also moved in with us, and along with Drake and Jimmy formed the new group. The Travelers. They toured the west coast from Santa Barbara to San Diego for the next 5 years. The soulful and amazingly talented lead singer and bass player, Joel Christie, had his own group happening in Los Angeles. Joel was writing very heavily back then. He sang lead in the musical Jesus Christ Superstar, and wrote spiritual and new age beginnings material. Eventually Joel came to live with us as well, after the other guys had moved out, and he played gigs with Drake in Tahoe with Curtis Lawson and Billy Dunn.

This gig in Hawaii brought these gentlemen together as musicians and life long friends, and as you listen to this album, you are listening to some of their best work. This was but a brief moment in eternity, but a very rare and special moment!

by Sandra Levin, San Francisco, California October, 2012

Tracks
1. Farther Up The Road (Joe Veasey. Don Robey) - 9:16
2. Move Your Hands (Lonnie Smith) - 10:24
3. Jungle Juice (Granville McGhee) - 6:46
4. Look at You Look At Me (Dave Mason, Jim Capaldi) - 3:52
5. Soul (McGhee, Redding) - 7:00
6. Soul Reprise (McGhee, Levin, Christie, Loyola) - 2:13

The Cosmic Travelers
*Drake Levin - Guitar
*Jimmy McGhee - Guitar, Vocals
*Joel Christie - Bass, Vocals
*Dale Loyola - Drums, Vocals

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Hot Knives was a band with an impressive pedigree and plenty of talent which unfortunately was in the right place at the wrong time -- playing enthusiastic and tuneful power pop and folk-rock with a faint psychedelic undertow, the group should have been right at home on the San Francisco music scene, but in the mid-'70s, they were too late for the Ballroom scene, stuck out like a sore thumb in the age of stadium rock, and were a poor fit for the harder sounds of new wave and punk that were lurking on the horizon.

Hot Knives was formed by the brother-and-sister team of Michael Houpt (lead vocals and guitar) and Debra Houpt (lead vocals), who began singing together as teenagers growing up in Pennsylvania, playing folk tunes in the style of Peter, Paul and Mary. By 1969, Michael had relocated to Northern California, and he began working with a political improvisational theater troupe in San Francisco; the Flamin' Groovies sometimes rehearsed at the company's performance space, and Michael struck up a friendship with bandmembers Tim Lynch (lead guitar) and Danny Mihm (drums). By 1972, Debra had moved to San Francisco, while Lynch and Mihm were looking for a new project after the Flamin' Groovies' original lineup fell apart.

With bassist Ed Wilson joining Michael, Debra, Tim, and Danny, Hot Knives was born, with the group taking their name from Michael's favored method of smoking hashish. Hot Knives gigged regularly in the Bay area and the group slowly built a following for their engaging melodies, Michael and Tim's guitar interplay and the soaring vocal harmonies of the Houpts. However, they were far enough from the mainstream that record companies weren't interested, and in 1976 Hot Knives took matters into their own hands, self-releasing a single, "Lovin' You" backed with "Around the World," which was produced by Cyril Jordan of the Groovies. Another 7" followed later the same year, "I Hear the Wind Blow" b/w a cover of Moby Grape's "Hey Grandma."

The singles earned some enthusiastic press (Greg Shaw in Bomp! called them "the best thing happening in San Francisco these days") but didn't lead to a record deal, and while the group had a wealthy and enthusiastic patron in Casper Weinberger, Jr. (whose father was Secretary of Defense under Ronald Reagan), it wasn't enough to keep the lineup intact after Tim Lynch left the band. While Hot Knives continued for a while with guitarist Bob Kinney, they quietly called it quits by the end of the decade. In 2011, the Australian label Grown Up Wrong released a Hot Knives collection that featured both sides of their two singles, along with ten unreleased tracks.

by Mark Deming

This is a gem. For the last 30 years it occupied lead singer Mike Houpt’s dusty cupboard, forgotten and neglected before being tracked down by Australia’s Grown Up Wrong! Records.

Fronted by Mike and Deborah Houpt, The Hot Knives’ self titled album will take you back to a more innocent time in ’76 with a blistering concoction of 60’s San Fransisco folk rock and muscular rock’n’roll topped with sweet, sweet harmonies between Mike and Deborah. Think Fleetwood Mac’s rockin’ alternative.

The album features 11 rockin’ originals, mostly from the mind of main man Mike Houpt, who had released two Hot Knives 7” singles, back in the day himself through his own K.O records label. The album also features three thumping covers, The Knickerbockers’ Beatles sound- alike "Lies", Moby Grape’s "Hey Grandma" and a big beat version of the frequently covered "Silver Threads and Golden Needles".

What really catches me about this album is the timing of its release with the 70’s music becoming a much more sought after sound (think Tame Impala and Stonefield), it will be interesting to see how the album is perceived in the public eye. It is a really upbeat, rockin’ album with some of the most blistering guitar solos I have heard to date.

The best reference to their sound I can give you is Fleetwood Mac, mostly because of the common era of both outfits. Also the distinct warm harmonies and gorgeous, flaming guitar. The difference between the both is that The Hot Knives is definitely more upbeat and rockin’ with more solos and more of a rock’n’roll influence.

Definitely worth a listen. Harmonies, harmonies, harmonies!

by Nick Leighton

Tracks
1. Around The World (Michael Houpt) - 2:50
2. Sooner Or Later (Michael Houpt) - 3:38
3. I Hear The Wind Blow (Michael Houpt) - 3:57
4. Take Me Back (Debby Houpt) - 2:50
5. Secrets About Me (Michael Houpt) - 5:02
6. Hey Grandma (Jerry A. Mlller.Jr., Donald J. Stevenson) - 2:49
7. You Can Get Anything You Want (Michael Houpt) - 3:23
8. Lies (Buddy Randell, Beau Charles) - 2:42
9. Lovin’ You (Michael Houpt) - 3:31
10.Silver Threads And Golden Needles (Jack Rhodes, Dick Reynolds) - 2:35
11.Winter's Come (Michael Houpt) - 2:39
12.So Fast (Ed Wilson) - 2:49
13.Fool For Love (Ed Wilson) - 2:43
14.Turning Into (Michael Houpt) - 3:25

Hot Knives
*Debra Houpt - Vocals
*Michael Houpt - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
*Bobby Kinney - Lead Guitar, Vocals (Tracks 2, 4, 11, 12)
*Tim Lynch - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Danny Mihm - Drums
*Ed Wilson - Bass, Vocals

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It's July 1969, and I'm sitting at Brother Juniper's, a cafe on Haight Street. I knew it was run by a New Age cult called The Holy Order of Man' and I also knew this bright eyed chick, Dianne, who was serving food there, was part of the group.

You could have had me believing that black was white when I looked into her deep brown eyes and beheld her breasts protruding beneath her brown Brother Juniper robe. I knew she liked me by the way she packed the tuna salad onto that rye bread sandwich she made for me.

That'll be both my lunch and dinner meals. I took my cherry burst Gibson acoustic guitar (with a custom L-40 neck) from my gig bag, and tuned it. I wanted to get it perfect or as near you could get without tuning gadgets that would become so ubiquitous several decades later. I had created some chords that my friend Daniel McCurdy had inspired.

They were multiples of suspensions that would immediately bring your head into a lofty and elated space. Daniel had said if these progressions were electrified they would knock people over, they were so powerful. I never tried playing them electric. I was so impressed with my friend's sound, as it seemed so different. I thought he must be from some other galaxy or something. In the past, I usually played simple triad chords on my guitar until I met him. Now I was inventing far out chords left and right with new ethereal tunes I write.

I flashed back to a month ago when a couple of friends invited me and guitarist Charlie Cocky to their house. Charlie liked my new songs and would play a very sensitive acoustic lead part on his axe while I sang and played my ethereal chords. Suddenly, a guy who was standing next to me flopped down and bonked his head hard when he hit the floor. He either fainted, or got knocked out by our sound. I said, "Charlie, we must have been so perfectly in tune it knocked him out." Charlie responded, "I think we were just the right microtone off to have that effect."

I don't want any episodes like that happening here at Brother Juniper's, so I played a simpler song, an ode to buxom Dianne, 'Lady of Light.' It never made it to the album, nor did my ode to 'Hallie' and my New York lover's song, 'Monday Marye Morning.' I enjoy making a sound with my voice and guitar that I imagine could make people feel peace, love and joy, and often it does.

As the people gathered around the table where I'm sitting I could see on their faces the pleasure I'm bringing them as I sing about the beauty of nature as in the 'Color Song.' I feel the spirit of a new age in the air. I enjoy the slow vibrato I create with my voice, not unlike Donovan or Tim Harden. I delight in those influences along my journey.

The vibe has been uplifted at Brother Juniper's so now I get up, walk outside and embrace the warm sun pouring down upon the colorfully clad folks on Haight Street...

by Marcus (June 2009)

After the release of the Freak Scene album, psychedelic guru Rusty Evans made his way from NYC to San Francisco, a geographic shift that resulted in work for the legendary San Francisco Sound label, producing bands such as It’s A Beautiful Day, Tripsichord, and Indian Puddin’ and Pipe; it also led to a drastic shift in style from the psychedelic “happening” of the Deep album for Cameo Parkway and the raga rock of the Freak Scene album for Columbia. And so it came to pass that Evans reclaimed his birth name of Marcus, and recorded a very mellow LP in 1969 for Kinetic Records, a label formed by the Kinetic Playground Ballroom in Chicago. Like much of Marcus’ work, the album is a fascinating relic of a particular time and place, in this instance San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district in the post-Summer of Love era.

The Marcus LP is richly orchestrated psychedelic-folk music, with a pronounced Donovan and/or Tim Harden flavor to it, something that did not escape its creator. The mood is dreamy, the songs reflective, the voice vibrato, the album a yin to the yang of the Freak Scene “Psychedelic Psoul” album which precedes it by two years. So we have the hot and aggressive Freak Scene album contrasted—some might say perfectly balanced—by the diffuse and tranquil Marcus album two years later. To our mind, further proof of the excellence of the artistic mind behind both albums.

This is the first actual re-issue of the vastly under-rated Marcus album since 1969; the only previous CD edition used alternate takes and not the album versions. Our fulsome edition indulges any completionist fantasies we might harbor, as it also serves up thirty-two bonus tracks, nearly two hours of alternate takes and acoustic demos (plus a few non-album tracks). There are guitar/voice demos recorded several months before Kinetic came along and offered a deal; other home demos have Marcus with acoustic guitar, bass and cello. There are guitar/voice demos were recorded six to eight months before Kinetic came along and offered a deal; other home demos have Marcus with acoustic guitar, bass and cello.

There are also abundant demo studio versions, some of tremendous quality. The end result is (apparently) our first “interactive” release, as you can create your own ideal version of the Marcus album. Budget-priced double disc package includes a 20-page booklet, with an introduction by Marcus, his incredible history in music, and lyrics. Printed on FSC recycled, chlorine-free, 100% post-consumer fiber paper manufactured using biogas energy.

LiAtc

Tracks

Disc 1

Marcus LP 1970

1. (We’ll All) Go Together - 3:30

2. Time Of Our Time - 2:43

3. Helene - 3:54

4. Grains Of Sand - 4:01

5. High Priestess - 3:45

6. The Coming - 3:22

7. Royal Maze - 3:03

8. Butterfly Girl - 3:22

9. Color Song - 3:29

10.Children Of Aquarius - 3:03

Acoustic Demos

11.Go Together - 2:47

12.Time Of Our Time - 2:23

13.High Priestess - 3:00

14.Royal Maze - 2:36

15.Children Of Aquarius - 3:18

Alternates With Band

16.The Coming - 3:05

17.Butterfly Girl - 3:33

18.Color Song - 3:38

19.Helene - 3:54

20.Grains Of Sand - 3:50

Words and Music by Marcus Uzilevsky

Disc 2
Alternates 1967
1. Go Together - 3:50
2. Time Of Our Time - 2:41
3. Helene - 3:45.
4. Grains Of Sand - 3:58
5. High Priestess - 2:54
6. Earth Child - 2:55
7. The Coming - 3:00
8. Royal Maze - 3:05
9. White Cloud - 2:17
10.Butterfly Girl - 3:20
11.Color Song - 3:26
12.Children Of Aquarius - 3:01
13.Go Together - 2:37
14.Time Of Our Time - 2:41
15.Grains Of Sand - 4:02
16.Butterfly Girl - 3:15
17.Color Song - 3:39
18.White Cloud - 2:16.
19.Royal Maze - 2:27
20.Color Song - 3:28
21.Butterfly Girl - 3:20
22.Children Of Aquarius - 3:07
Words and Music by Marcus Uzilevsky

*Marcus Uzilevsky - Vocals, Arrangements

Related Acts
1966 The Deep - Psychedelic Moods

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Denver, Colorado based rock band whose two albums, this being their second, were recorded at Norman Petty’s Petty Sound Studios in Clovis, New Mexico. For their second outing they gained a new bass player and dropped the trumpet player/horn sound.

The music sounds a tad more diverse than the debut with the material ranging from good-time music to heavy rock. There are also melodic and jazzy moments courtesy of Michael Kerns flute. The psychedelic trimmings and hippie vibe of the first album pop up, yet are more subtle here.

Unfortunately, though Communication b/w Move Mountain, both from the album, were issued as a single, this album, like their debut, disappeared without a trace followed by the band itself. Guitarist and main song writer Robert Yeazel had been in 60s Denver psych garage band Super Band .

Yeazel and drummer Larry Ferris went on to play in Sugarloaf. Kenny Passarelli, bassist on their debut album, later played with Joe Walsh’s Barnstorm, Tommy Bolin (of Colorado band Zephyr fame [no surprise there]; this was the short lived band Energy formed just after Bolin’s departure from Zephyr), Steven Stills, Elton John, Hall & Oates, and others.

Tracks
1. Inlook (Robert Yeazel) - 4:22
2. Communication (Robert Yeazel, R. Morgan, J. Greenspoon) - 6:08
3. The Man Outside (Robert Bryant, Robert Yeazel) - 1:26
4. Migration (MIke Kearnes) - 1:58
5. Whistle (Robert Yeazel) - 0:56
6. I Am (Robert Yeazel, David Raines, Gerry Fike) - 2:11
7. Don't You Think It's Time? (Robert Yeazel, David Raines, Robert Bryant) - 3:32
8. Move Mountain (You Got It) (Robert Yeazel, David Raines, Robert Bryant) - 4:38
9. It's So Hard (Gerry Fike) - 3:17
10.Legal Machines (David Raines) - 2:52

The Beast
Bob Yeazel- Guitar, Vocals
David Raines- Vocals
Michael Kerns- Flutes
Gerry Fike- Keyboards
Roger Bryant- Bass
Larry Ferris- Drums

Related Acts
1972-73 Diamondhead - Diamondhead

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Wilko Johnson had left in early 1977 and in April that year the Canvey Island band introduced their new line-up by way of a secret warm up show in their hometown. By summer ’77 they were making the first record with Gypie, the Nick Lowe produced Be Seeing You. Although Mayo was still working his way into the band's sound, Dr. Feelgood retained their tough, hard-rocking appeal.

Three further studio albums would be recorded with Mayo, including Private Practice which contained the UK top ten single Milk And Alcohol.

After what he describes as a ‘four year binge party’ Gypie Mayo quit the band and the end of 1980 (although he would stay on for a further six months), in part, to spend more time with his family.

by Paul Sinclair

Tracks
1. Ninety-Nine And A Half (Won't Do) (Steve Cropper, Eddie Floyd, Wilson Pickett) - 3:08
2. She's A Wind Up (Lee Brilleaux, John Martin, John Mayo, John B. Sparks) - 2:00
3. I Thought I Had It Made (Lee Brilleaux, John Mayo) - 2:16
4. I Don't Want To Know (Lee Brilleaux, John Mayo) - 2:42
5. That's It, I Quit (Nick Lowe) - 2:34
6. As Long As The Price Is Right (Larry Wallis) - 3:09
7. Hi-Rise (John Mayo) - 2:37
8. My Buddy Buddy Friends (Aaron Corthon) - 2:45
9. Baby Jane (Bishop, Nesbitt, Reed, Simmons, Wilson) - 2:58
10.The Blues Had A Baby, And They Named It Rock 'n' Roll (Brownie Mcghee, Morganfield) - 2:20
11.Looking Back (Johnny Guitar Watson) - 2:00
12.60 Minutes Of Your Love (Isaac Hayes, David Porter) - 2:24
13.Long As The Price Is Right (Second Version) (Larry Wallis) - 3:20
14.You'll Be Mine (Willie Dixon) - 2:54
15.My Buddy Buddy Friends (Aaron Contion) - 2:49
16.Looking Back (Johnny Watson) - 2:29
17.Homework (Perkins , Clark) - 2:23
18.You Upset Me Baby (King, Josea, Davis) - 4:23
19.Hey Mama, Keep Your Big Mouth Shut (Ellis McDaniels) - 3:50

Dr Feelgood
*Lee Brilleaux - Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica
*John B. Sparks - Bass Guitar, Vocals
*Gypie Mayo - Guitar
*The Big Figure (John Martin) - Drums, Vocals

1974 Down By The Jetty (2014 Japan SHM edition)
1976 Dr Feelgood - Stupidity (2014 Japan SHM edition)
1975 Malpractice (2014 Japan SHM edition)

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Working the early ‘60s folk circuit, Jessie Colin Young would play sets with Jerry Corbitt whenever he was in Corbitt’s homebase of Cambridge, MA. Liking how their voices sounded together, they began touring as a duo, taking the name “The Youngbloods” from a title of Young’s second solo LP, Youngblood. Corbitt introduced Young to multi-instrumentalist Lowell “Banana” Levinger who joined the duo. Levinger, in turn, recruited drummer Joe Bauer for the band and the Youngbloods full line-up was complete. Their combination of folk, rock and jug band elements drew comparisons to the Lovin’ Spoonful and indeed, the two bands played many of the same venues.

After establishing a successful residency at Café Au Go Go in NYC, the band was signed to RCA and recorded their self-titled debut LP, released in 1967. The album contained a mid-charting single, “Grizzly Bear,” as well as what would become their signature song, “Get Together.” Written by Dino Valente under the pen name Chet Powers, the song made it up to #62 before stalling on the charts. The album also contained well-chosen blues covers as well as original songs written by Young.

Two years after its release, “Get Together” was used in a public service campaign, sparking renewed interest. This interest translated into airplay and this time, the song climbed all the way to #2. During this period, Corbitt left the band to pursue a solo career and the remaining members carried on as a trio. Relocating to Marin County, California, the band cultivated a loyal following through their dynamic live shows, featuring inspired instrumental interplay. They carried on until 1972, leaving a rich catalog in their wake.

Rock Festival documents the group's work around and about the San Francisco Bay area in the spring and summer of 1970, recorded in various places such as the Family Dog Great Highway San Francisco March 29 1970, Provo park Berkeley May 19th 1970, University of Santa Clara April 18 1970, Euphoria San Rafael July 19 1970, Pacific High San Francisco July 21 1970, Barn Marshall April 16 1970. The album peaked at #80 on Billboard 200.

Sun/azed

Tracks
1. It's A Lovely Day (Jesse Colin Young) - 2:37
2. Faster All The TIme (Lowell Levinger) - 4:49
3. Prelude (Joe Bauer, Lowell Levinger, Jesse Colin Young) - 1:01
4. On Beautiful Lake Spenard (Lowell Levinger) - 4:52
5. Josiane (Jesse Colin Young) - 6:34
6. Sea Cow Boogie (Joe Bauer, Lowell Levinger, Jesse Colin Young) - 0:25
7. Fiddler A Dram (Traditional arr. by Lowell Levinger) - 5:13
8. Misty Roses (Tim Hardin) - 4:13
9. Interlude (Lowell Levinger) - 2:14
10.Peepin''N' Hidin' (Baby, What You Want Me To Do) (Jimmy Reed) - 5:03
11.Ice Bag (Joe Bauer, Lowell Levinger, Jesse Colin Young) - 2:18

The Youngbloods
*Joe Bauer - Drums
*Jesse Colin Young - Bass, Guitar, Vocals
*Lowell Levinger "Banana" - Vocals, Keyboards, Guitar
With
*Rick Anderson - Harmonica

1967/69 The Youngbloods / Earth Music / Elephant Mountain
1969 Elephant Mountain (Sundazed expanded)
1971 Beautiful! Live In San Francisco (Sundazed edition)
1972 High On A Ridge Top (Sundazed remaster)

Jesse Colin Young releases
1972 Together
1973 Song For Juli (2009 remaster)
1974 Light Shine
1976 On The Road (Japan remaster)

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A smoking live set from the Butterfield Blues Band – and like all the group's work, as much of a jazz and soul album as a blues one! Butterfield drew his inspiration from the Chicago bluesmen, it's true – but his style also has plenty of echoes of New Orleans soul, Memphis R&B, and other strands of American work – in a mode that's quite similar to some of the changes that were going on in the British beat group scene at the end of the 60s.

The lineup here features some really nice touches on sax from Trevor Lawrence and Gene Dinwiddie – and the live setting only seems to loosen all the players up even more than usual, and let them hit a few nice funky moments.

Dusty-Groove

Tracks
1. Gene's Tune (Gene Dinwiddie) - 12:29
2. Nobody's Fault But Mine (Otis Redding) - 6:58
3. Losing Hand (Charles Calhoun) - 14:28
4. All In A Day (Hod Hicks) - 8:11
5. Feel So Bad (Chuck Willis) - 4:43
6. Except You (Jerry Ragavoy) - 4:51
7. You've Got To Love Her With A Feeling (Freddie King, Sonny Thompson) - 5:23
8. Love March (Gene Dinwiddie, Philip Wilson) - 12:25

The Butterfield Blues Band
*Paul Butterfield - Harmonica, Vocals
*George Davidson - Drums
*Gene Dinwiddie - Soprano, Tenor Sax, Vocals, Lead Vocal On Track 8
*Ted Harris - Keyboards
*Rod Hicks - Fretless Bass, Vocals
*Trevor Lawrence - Baritone Sax, Vocals
*Steve Madaio - Trumpet, Vocals
*Ralph Walsh - Guitar

Paul Butterfield's mosaic
1964 The Original Lost Elektra Sessions
1965 The Paul Butterfield Blues Band
1966 East West
1966 East-West (2014 Audio Fidelity Hybrid SACD)
1966-68 Strawberry Jam
1967 The Resurrection Of The Pigboy Crabshaw
1968 In My Own Dream
1969 Keep On Moving
1970 Live
1971 Sometimes I Just Feel Like Smilin'
1973 Paul Butterfield's Better Days
1973 It All Comes Back (Japan Edition)
1976 Put It In Your Ear

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Tommy Peltier started out as a trumpet player. Born and raised in New Orleans, he moved with his family to California at the age of 13. He formed a Dixieland band, and then was drafted into the U.S. Navy and spent two years working with their ensembles. After his stint expired, he settled back in Southern California and set to work with the Jazz Corps, a group who played mostly local gigs and ended up cutting a few sides with a young Roland Kirk. Judee Sill wound up circling in this orbit as well, and the two became occasional collaborators, sometime lovers, and lifelong friends.

But in 1970, an injury prevented Peltier from playing trumpet and thus excised him from the jazz world. Not one to be undone, he took a few chords that he had learned from friends like Sill and set out as a singer-songwriter. None of that music saw the light of day until now, collected together as Chariot of Astral Light.

The Sill connection is the key here. The two worked together on a lot of Peltier's material, and Judee pops up on half of the disc's 12 tracks, handling backing vocals, guitar and organ lines. She's an obvious influence on these songs, but her starry, oblique introspection and deep-seeded religious fascination didn't carry over so much into Peltier's tunes. These tracks tend to be relentlessly optimistic and upbeat, although they do bear a striking resemblance to the work of both Tom Rapp and Neil Young in parts (mainly in Peltier's high-pitched vocal delivery).

It's unclear what Peltier planned to do with a lot of these songs. He had a house in Echo Park where he held weekly Saturday recording sessions in his front room that a number of peripheral scenesters would attend (Lynn Blessing, Wolgang Melz, and Dave Purlato - all of whom appear here). Aside from the few takes done at actual studios, the bulk of the stuff on display here was recorded in that tiny room.

This record is somewhat curious, then, released in anticipation of Water's forthcoming reissues of Sill's two Asylum LPs from the early 1970s and hot on the heels of her now recovered and somewhat completed third album. If that connection is what it takes to get this music out there, then so be it. Peltier probably won't be remembered in any great lineage for his efforts, but as evidenced here he wrote some pretty nice tunes, a good picture of what could have been, or at the very least an in-depth portrait of what he describes as a difficult period in his life.

Sill is absent from the first half of the disc, but even without her Peltier is in fine form. He checks in with six originals that range from the bristling stomp-cum-country-psychedelia of "Time After Time" to the sly boogie of "Red Rider." When Sill steps in for the remainder of the album, her efforts mesh well and become another piece of the support system. Her unmistakable vocals and lazy farfisa lines color the title track, but the drawing is all Peltier. Better still is "Here Today," Tommy's first attempt at vocals, played with only Judee backing him up. With only acoustic guitar and two voices, you can hear Peltier finding his range and his voice with increasing confidence as the song spins.

Chariot of Astral Light – another one of those "what could have been" records that seem to pop up with more and more frequency these days (see also: Gary Higgins, Simon Finn, etc.). It works well as a spotlight on a few songs that never had their moment to shine, but also as a testament to the power and impact Judee Sill had during her brief life.

by Michael Crumsho

Tracks
1. 10,000 Greyhounds 4:14
2. Time After Time (Sammy Cahn, Julie Styne) - 6:29
3. Oneness - 3:29
4. Butterflies 2:16
5. Red Rider 3:32
6. Beautied Out 4:34
7. Pocket Socket 3:26
8. Chariot Of Astral Light 3:24
9. Here Today 2:57
10.Oneness - 4:47
11.Smile All The While 4:02
12.My Friend 3:22
All songs composed by Tommy Peltier except where indicated.

Musicians
*Judee Sill - Farfisa Organ, Guitar, Organ, Vocals
*Tommy Peltier - Farfisa Organ, Guitars, Vocals
*Dave Parlato - Bass
*Wolfgang Melz - Bass
*Art Johnson - Guitar
*Lynn Blessing - Farfisa Organ
*David Bearden - Harp
*Barry McManus - Drums
*Judy Hemmel - English Horn
*Bobby Toris - Congas
*Bob Harris - Keyboards
*Kathryn Reynolds - Vocals
*Mope Dido - Congas

1971 Judee Sill (2013 Japan remaster)

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The story of the Shake Spears is one of the most absorbing within the annals of 1960’s rock and roll. Despite enduring numerous line-up changes involving key members throughout their history, the band persevered, successfully bridging different eras – the mid 60’s British Invasion, psychedelia and late 60’s hard rock. This is an impressive achievement, as trends in music did not last long in this most volatile decade. The Shake Spears also stand among the very few notable bands of the era to originate from the African continent. Their history began with two young bands in the early sixties in Rhodesia, the Dynamics and the Phantoms.

Unfortunately, Shakespeare’s Spanish adventure was over when their sponsor suffered a heart attack and the group was forced to return to England as they were left with no money coming in.

This line-up of Shakespeare didn’t last long after their return. Disillusioned by their failed tour to Spain and with no hope of going to the US, the band envisioned no bright future and decided to split up.

Martin and Georgie left, but Alan (now the senior member of the group), Chris, and Mick had new plans. It just happened that at the same time the English psychedelic-pop / blues-rock band Grapefruit had also disbanded, so they could enlist Grapefruit’s keyboard player Mick Fowler for their new project. They teamed up as an entirely new band, for which they chose the name Fynn McCool (after Finn McCool, originally Fionn mac Cumhaill in Gaelic, a figure in Irish mythology).

The group signed to RCA, which had not only been the Shake Spear’s last record label, but also that of Grapefruit (who were signed to the RCA Dunhill label in the USA), so the company was familiar with both bands and knew about their popularity in Europe, so that it was easier to promote them. Fynn McCool toured through the countries that had been the creative home of the Shake Spears before: the Benelux states, Germany, and especially France.

The 1960’s came to an end, and the new decade looked promising for the group. Soon they started recording at Olympic Studios, and their style would be far different from the Shake Spears. Fynn McCool now was into heavier, progressive tunes – no more pop for Belgian kids. Their first record, “U.S. Thumbstyle” / “Diamond Lil'” (RCA 1956; A-side by Chris Stone, B-side by Mick Fowler) was released in May 1970 and the group’s album was still being completed, when RCA suddenly decided to release it prematurely in August 1970 – the tracks were not fully worked out and the model that was being built for the cover art wasn’t finished either.

Fynn McCool turned out to be a fluctuating group, as by the time the album (recorded with the initial line up) came out, the line up had already been changed, as two more ex-Grapefruit members, Bob Wale (replacing Chris Stone on guitar) and Geoff Swettenham (brother of Pete Swettenham; replacing Mick Carter on drums) were recruited in July. Bob Wale had joined Grapefruit in spring 1969, and had been a key figure in the group’s immediate change of style from sweet baroque pop to heavier tunes. Vik Tedeschi, a Swiss-German Jazz musician, joined on saxophone, oboe and flute, but for just a couple of months. Fynn McCool broke up in February 1972.

20-Flight-Rock

Tracks
1. U.S. Thumbstyle (Chris Stone) - 2:55
2. Hopeless Prescription (Chris Stone) - 4:09
3. Hey Ho (Mick Fowler) - 2:53
4. Diamond Lil (Mick Fowler) - 4:03
5. Great Change Coming On (Alan Escombe, Chris Stone, Mick Fowler) - 3:18
6. The Road To Wisdom (Mick Fowler) - 4:06
7. The Only Way To Feel (Chris Stone) - 3:25
8. Faith Of Clay (Chris Stone, Mick Fowler) - 3:59
9. Coming On Stronger (Mick Fowler) - 3:47
10.Shattered (Part 1) (Alan Escombe, Chris Stone) - 3:18
11.Shattered (Part 2) (Alan Escombe, Chris Stone, Mick Fowler) - 4:51

Fynn McCool
*Chris Stone - Guitar, Vocals
*Alan Escombe Wolhuter - Bass, Vocals
*Mick Carter - Drums
*Mick Fowler - Guitar, Piano, Lead Vocals

Related Act
1969 Grapefruit - Deep Water

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Chris Spedding is a special character in the history of English rock of the 70s is somehow the most visible musicians and rock stars more discreet, still right in the middle, centrist total, neither white nor black, perfect gray. At least that's what we can conclude listening to albums of his solo career, a career that began in 1970 with the album "Backwood progression.

Born in Derbyshire June 17, 1944, raised in Sheffield and Birmingham by adoptive parents, Chris Spedding embrace a musical career in the late 60s by joining the Battered Ornaments, jazz and rock group led by the legendary Pete Brown, poet, Cream lyricist and future host Piblokto, interesting English progressive rock band in the early 70s. when Brown left the Battered Ornaments, they enter in a phase of decay, and one that we sense as savior Chris Spedding. Guitarist gifted jazzman who is also coach at Nucleus, Spedding can only note that the Battered Ornaments do not want to continue the adventure or even enjoy free recording hours available to them at the famous Abbey Road Studios in London.

As the group is still bound to a contract Harvest label, Chris Spedding is alone on board with Abbey Road sessions to the eye and an obligation to put out a record as soon as possible. It is these circumstances that give rise to the first solo album by Spedding, "Backwood progression." But the good Chris is primarily a musician accompanying a shark studio that will also be found a part of his career on this lucrative business. As he has never written a single song before the album he jumped into the water and made a dozen titles for the occasion.

Solo artist and composer default, Chris Spedding is going to deliver a decent album but completely outside the trade routes of the time it released. Neither hard nor soft, neither experimental nor commercial, nor adventurous nor nerdy, neither aggressive nor soft nor provocative preservatives or rock or jazz or prog or psych, or anything or everything, in short, completely neutral, "Backwood progress" door its name: One step forward, one step back but in the end, something that can defy time with an album to consistent quality, without exaggeration or weakness, balanced on allowing federate various tastes .

Without knowing it, without want it, Chris Spedding commits good album par excellence, one that will produce no tub, the one the rock critics fail to catch, as it is without bumps. Chris Spedding shows "Please Mrs. Henry" Bob Dylan, in a friendly version. And the most remarkable is when he refers to the condition of a session musician, with a "Session Man" which allows him to copy several styles of guitar (Jimmy Nolen Ritchie Havens), something that he happily emerge in 1976 on his song "Guitar jamboree" where he likes to copy lots of famous musicians. For it may be that, Chris Spedding: a great imitator, a guitarist who can do many things, and can truly forge his own style.

by François Becquart

Tracks
1. For What We Are About To Hear - 2:29
2. Backwood Progression - 3:44
3. Words Don't Come - 1:47
4. The Hill - 3:28
5. You Can See - 5:19
6. Session Man - 1:28
7. Please Mrs. Henry (Bob Dylan) - 2:19
8. The Soldiers And The Goodtime Girls - 3:58
9. Ought To Be A Law - 2:30
10.She's My Friend - 3:10
11.Should The Occasion Arise (Roger Potter) - 2:15
12.Never Carry More Than You Can Eat - 2:26
13.Backwood Theme - 2:05
All songs by Chris Spedding except where stated

Personnel
*Chris Spedding - Vocals, Guitars
*Roy Babbington - Bass
*Laurie Allan - Drums
*Paul Abrahams - Organ
*Royston Mitchell – Piano, Harmonium, Backing Vocals
*Frank Ricotti - Conga

1972 Chris Spedding - The Only Lick I Know
1977 Chris Spedding - Hurt
1975-77 Chris Spedding - Chris Spedding (2013 Audiophile edition)

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Sage' was a Tampa, FL based band that was founded in 1967. Sage began playing local dances and clubs which eventually brought the band to the attention of Blues Image's Mike Pinera who signed them to his small Illusion label. It is widely rumoured that Illusion was some sort of a tax scam with albums by Sage and stable mates Hopney being given away or destroyed immediately upon release.

There probably is more than just a small grain of truth in this rumour, as this particular album is spectacularly rare and almost never comes up for sale. Sage By Sage is a strong album with some first-rate playing and excellent song writing.

by Adamus67

Tracks
1. My Girl - 3:10
2. Lovely Lady - 4:08
3. Don't Stop Loving Me - 4:09
4. No One But You - 3:52
5. I'm Satisfied With You - 3:27
6. I Believe In You - 4:27
7. Morning Dove - 5:54

Sage
John Cameron (guitar)
Hilda Williers (bass)
Ray Williers (guitar)
Rodger Stephan (drums)

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Plainsong was a short-lived folk-rock outfit with country-rock leanings that briefly provided a pretty close British equivalent to the likes of Crosby, Stills & Nash. Singer-songwriter Iain Matthews had been the frontman with Fairport Convention during their early West Coast-influenced period, and had subsequently enjoyed moderate success as a solo artist and with his pioneering British country-rock outfit Southern Comfort. His main collaborator in Plainsong would be guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Andy Roberts, former musical kingpin of the loose collective of folk musicians and performance poets known as the Liverpool Scene. Rounding out the new band were bassist/pianist David Richards and Californian acoustic guitarist Bob Ronga, with percussion being provided on an ad-hoc basis by Iain’s former Fairport colleague Dave Mattacks or fellow folk-rock stalwart Timi Donald. The gentle irony of the band’s name belies their strengths: Matthews’s angelic voice and their superb four-part harmonies, plus immaculate instrumental backings.

Prior to their formation in early 1972 Roberts had become infatuated with the alternative version of the Amelia Earhart story propounded in Fred Goerner’s book The Search For Amelia Earhart , which suggested that she had been on a clandestine aerial spying mission for the US government on the Japanese at Saipan in 1937 and had perished at their hands, the whole affair then being hushed up to avoid an early war. Matthews became readily interested in the topic. Unable to stretch the concept to a whole album, they decided to make a short suite on it the centrepiece of their Elektra debut, which also took as its title that of Goerner’s tome and featured appropriate cover art. A cover of David McEnery’s traditional account “Amelia Earhart’s Last Flight” was followed by Matthews’s own “True Story Of Amelia Earhart” which proffered the Goerner line. Cleverly splitting the two was a soulful version of the old bluegrass spiritual “I’ll Fly Away”. The remainder of the album comprised mellow, thoughtful compositions by Matthews and widely varying but carefully chosen covers of numbers by obscure but respected folk-rock and country artists, including Paul Siebel’s “Louise”, Henske and Yester’s “Raider” and Jim & Jesse’s rollicking “Diesel On My Tail”.

What you got from this apparent mishmash was a beautifully coherent folk-country-rock album with glorious vocals and superbly understated, largely acoustic accompaniment with the occasional fiery Telecaster tail-twist, the whole having a wistful, summery feel absolutely redolent of 1972. It nonetheless failed to trouble the Top 100 album charts, and the Ronga-less follow-up provisionally titled Now We Are 3, which moved further towards country-rock, was shelved when the remaining band members split abruptly due to ferocious antipathy between Matthews and Richards and Iain’s long-aspired determination to move his muse to California. The album lay dormant till 2005 when the Water label in San Francisco released it as part of an absolutely stunning 2-CD compilation entitled simply Plainsong which includes the debut album, the unreleased follow-up, an early single and a dozen live stage and radio recordings: just about everything laid down by the original line-up. Matthews and Roberts had meanwhile reunited in a new Plainsong in the nineties, but I’ll leave you to investigate that if you will.

It's not often you hear mandolins duelling with wah-wah guitars on the same track, or a traditional tale of northern millworkers preceding a Merle Haggard saloon lament, but Plainsong had no use for rulebooks; they were far too busy crafting intelligent acoustic soundscapes and toying with accepted pop sensibilities, and to be presented with 40 examples of such joyousness in one tidy case is a rare and wonderful thing... "Quite simply and without any hype - a supergroup"

by Adamus67

Tracks

Japan 2013

1. For The Second Time (Ian Matthews) - 3:51

2. Yo Yo Man (Rick Cunha, Marty Cooper) - 2:13

3. Louise (Paul Siebel) - 3:18

4. Call The Tune (Ian Matthews) - 5:22

5. Diesel On My Tail (Jim Fagan) - 2:03

6. Amelia Earhart's Last Flight (Dave Mcenery) - 4:05

7. I'll Fly Away (Albert E. Brumley) - 2:03

8. True Story Of Amelia Earhart (Ian Matthews) - 4:32

9. Even The Guiding Light (Ian Matthews) - 4:12

10.Side Roads (Ian Matthews) - 3:29

11.Raider (Jerry Yester, Judy Henske) - 4:32

Tracks

Disc: 1

1. For The Second Time - 3:50

2. Yo Yo Man - 2:13

3. Louise - 3:18

4. Call The Tune - 5:22

5. Diesel On My Tail - 2:03

6. Amelia Earhart's Last Flight - 4:05

7. I'll Fly Away - 2:03

8. True Story Of Amelia Earhart - 4:32

9. Even The Guiding Light - 4:12

10. Side Roads - 3:29

11. Raider - 4:38

12. Seeds And Stems - 3:58

13. Tigers Will Survive - 5:02

14. Spanish Guitar - 5:29

15. Time Between - 2:31

16. Truck Driving Man - 2:58

17. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry - 2:47

18. Wreck Of The Old 97 - 1:55

19. I'll Fly Away (Demo) - 0:39

Disc: 2
1. Old Man At The Mill - 2:33
2. Urban Cowboy - 3:43
3. The Fault - 2:50
4. Swinging Doors - 2:57
5. Keep On Sailing - 4:40
6. Miss The Mississippi - 2:51
7. Home - 3:33
8. First Girl I Loved - 4:03
9. Save Your Sorrows - 2:22
10. Nobody Eats At Linebaugh's Any More - 4:07
11. The Goodnight Lovin Trail - 4:38
12. All Around My Grandmothers Floor - 3:12
13. That's All It Could Amount To - 1:25
14. Amelia Earhart's Last Flight - 5:17
15. Any Day Woman - 4:24
16. Poor Ditching Boy - 3:33
17. Even The Guiding Light - 3:19
18. True Story Of Amelia - 4:20
19. Raider - 5:01
20. Miss The Mississippi - 3:35
21. Along Comes Mary - 2:47
22. Even The Guiding Light - 3:26

Plainsong
*Ian Matthews - Guitar, Vocals
*Dave Richards - Guitar, Vocals
*Andy Roberts - Guitar, Vocals
*Bob Ronga - Bass, Vocals
Additional Musicians
*Timi Donald - Drums
*Martin Jenkins - Cello, Mandola, Mandolin
*Dave Mattacks - Drums

Related Act
1971 Ian Matthews - If You Saw Thro' My Eyes (2012 remaster)

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This 1969 release by Watertown, New York’s Wool proves that even when you have strong talent and all the right connections, sometimes it still isn’t enough to get your band to break.

The group formed in the early ’60s, and were originally known as Ed Wool and The Nomads. Ed Wool, who was a master guitar prodigy and excellent songwriter, was influenced early on by the new British Invasion sound and later on by the cream-of-the-crop of soul/R&B. Ed Wool and The Nomads were huge in the mid-60s’ thriving Northern/Upstate New York music scene, even sharing the stage with bands such as Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels, The (Young) Rascals, and The Rolling Stones. In 1966, Ed and The Nomads scored a recording contract with RCA Victor and made one single, “I Need Somebody” b/w “Please, Please, Please,” which flopped.

Several line-up changes ensued as the ’60s progressed, but with Ed Wool still as the main focal point. The group was known as “The Sure Cure” for a brief amount of time, releasing the Feldman/Goldstein/Gottehrer penned “I Wanna Do It” for the Cameo-Parkway label, which also flopped. Next, as “The Pineapple Heard,” Ed’s group even had the chance to be the first group to record the Boyce & Hart tune “Valleri” in 1967, a year before The Monkees had a hit with it. That single, released on the tiny Diamond label, again, flopped. Starting circa 1968, Ed Wool finally settled with a new and final line-up, which included his younger sister Claudia on vocals, and began going by the simple, unique name “Wool.” The group traveled to New York City and began laying down tracks for their lone eponymous album for ABC Records.

This time around, the group managed to establish a songwriting connection with Neil Diamond, and had folk/pop songwriter and musician Margo Guryan at the helm for production help. Surely, this should’ve been a recipe for success. Unfortunately, the album went virtually unnoticed nationally, and scored at the very bottom of the Billboard Top 200. In Upstate/Northern NY, the album was a hit, with several of the tunes being played constantly on local radio stations. Although it was largely unknown, one can assume that a lack of promotion from ABC Records was likely to blame for the album not being a hit. It’s a shame, because the music contained on the album is downright good, with even some moments of greatness.

The album is a super tight blend of psych-rock, pop, and funk. The album’s biggest highlight, a cover of Big Brother & The Holding Company’s “Combination Of The Two” absolutely blows the original out of the water in every aspect. Both the music and vocals make Big Brother’s version sound…dare I say…weak?! One should especially pay attention to the wild vocals of Claudia Wool and the jaw-dropping fuzzy bass solo, courtesy of Ed Barrella. The second highlight of the album is an Ed Wool original, entitled “If They Left Us Alone Now.” A stark piece of psych-pop balladry, the tune belonged in the Top 40. The Neil Diamond-penned “The Boy With The Green Eyes” also had hit written all over it. Their cover of “Any Way That You Want Me,” which was better known by The Troggs, The Liverpool Five, and later Evie Sands, may be the best recorded version. The album closes with the nine-and-a-half minute cover of Buffalo, NY’s Dyke & The Blazers’ “Funky Walk” and perfectly showcases Ed Wool’s superb guitar chops.

After Wool released this album, they recorded a handful of singles for Columbia (yet another major label!), all of which fell upon deaf ears. Ed Wool is now based in Albany, NY playing blues-rock with a new line-up. Wool reunited in 2007 for a concert at the famous Bonnie Castle Resort in Alexandria Bay, NY playing some of their old ’60s songs. As for this album, it was definitely Wool at their peak of creativity. Wool has become a cult classic of sorts, and can be a bit pricey on eBay. Luckily, in 2006, the UK’s Delay 68 label reissued a remastered version of the album on CD with plenty of photographs and liner notes, and is available for purchase on Amazon. If you have the extra cash, pick this little gem up. It will not disappoint the average ’60s rock fanatic.

by Katie Kanitz

Tracks
1. Love, Love, Love, Love, Love (John Hill, Don Cochrane) -3:14
2. Combination Of The Two (Sam Andrew) - 3:05
3. If They Left Us Alone Now (Ed Wool) - 3:36
4. To Kingdom Come (J. R. Robertson) - 2:28
5. I Don't Like You Anymore (Ed Wool) - 2:55
6. Any Way That You Want Me (Chip Taylor) - 4:07
7. It Was Such A Lovely Night (Loving You Tonight) (Ed Wool) - 2:20
8. The Boy With The Green Eyes (Neil Diamond) - 3:35
9. Funky Walk (Lester Christian) - 9:40

Wool
*Ed Wool - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Claudia Wool - Vocals, Percussion
*Ed Barrella - Bass
*Tom Haskell - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
*Peter Lulls - Drums

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Band formed in Alaska in late 1972. All members belonged to the Baha'i Faith and many of the gigs the group played were associated with Baha'i community events.

Windflower recorded one album of original material in 1973 at Studio 70 in Munich, West Germany, during a European tour (also associated primarily with Baha'i events at the time) which included performances in Germany, England, Austria, Lichtenstein, Switzerland, Israel, Norway and Finland. The album was privately pressed and released in early 1974.

Prior to returning to Alaska and retiring from professional music, the group also performed at various venues in Oklahoma, Hawaii. Band members including Gary Lamar, Marshall Murphy, and Gavin Reed, along with vocalist Barbara Taylor, performed casual gigs for a number of years, based out of Anchorage, Alaska, while they were all resident there, until the mid-1990's.

by Gavin Reed

Tracks
1. Headed For The Country - 4:22
2. You Know It Ain't Often - 4:23
3. Children Of The Loom - 5:13
4. Remover Of Difficulties - 3:40
5. Marriage Of Two Minds - 4:36
6. God Is Passing By - 3:00
7. Wind Dance - 7:01
8. Back To The Calling Of Home - 3:55
9. Song Celestial - 4:47
All compositions by Victor Wong, David Rychetnik, Gary Lamar, Gavin Reed, Marshall Murphy.

Windflower
*Victor Wong - Vocals, Keyboards,Mellotron, Acoustic Guitar, Bass
*David Rychetnik - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Flutes
*Gary Lamar - Vocals, Acoustic And Electric Guitar, Bass, Mandolin
*Gavin Reed - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Mandolin
*Marshall Murphy - Vocals, Percussion
*Kitty Wong - Vocals, Percussion
*Zonettah Varley - Vocals, Percussion

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Beast's debut album is a crossline between psych and brass rock. The band offers great moments, some cool jazz rock and relaxed psychedelia, with intense glimpses of progressive rock. There are also moments when the band goes through creative experimental fields, looking for their identity in the musical whirlwind of the late 60's. Although the album has different influences, it manage to stand at a high level, creating the foundations for their great forthcoming second release.

Tracks
1. Prelude For Today - 0:44
2. Floating (Down By The River) (Robert Yeazel) - 3:53
3. Spaceman (Robert Yeazel) - 3:34
4. Alley Sam (I Feel A Change) (Robert Yeazel) - 3:12
5. Goin'downtown (Robert Yeazel, Ken Passarelli, David Raines) - 1:55
6. Listen (Robert Yeazel, Ken Passarelli, David Raines) - 2:57
...Cannabis Sativa L (Robert Yeazel) -
7. Ev'ry Man Hears Different Music (Robert Yeazel, Gerry Fike) - 3:40
8. Love Like (David Raines) - 2:43
9. Dear Ruth (David Raines) - 2:07
10.When We Rise (Robert Yeazel, Michael Kerns, Roger Bryant) - 2:30
11.(Strange Places Like) Santo Domingo (Robert Yeazel) - 6:37
12.On My Way (David Raines) - 2:42
13.Treat Her Right (Roy Head) - 1:55
14.Wow Wow (Robert Yeazel, Ken Passarelli) - 0:51

Beast
David Raines - Lead Singer
Robert Yeazel - Lead Guitar
Gerry Fike - Organ
Larry Ferris - Drums
Michael Kerns - Flute, Saxophones
Ken Passarelli - Bass, Harmonica
Dominick Todero - Trumpet

1970 Beast - Beast (2013 Flawed Gems issue)
Related Acts
1972-73 Diamondhead - Diamondhead

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Originally released in 1970, the single "Witches Wand" is as classic as it gets from this magical era in underground music. To this day it remains a firm favourite at 60s mod and psych and 70s rock clubs up and down the UK.

Formed in the tropical climes of Barbados in 1967, the Luv Machine relocated to the UK in late '68 to seek fame and fortune in those swinging times.

The band started out by playing the underground black soul clubs in the Midlands area. Their sound was a lot harder-edged than the usual acts on the initial club circuit on which they were being booked.

Influenced by Hendrix, Cream, Credence Clearwater Revival as well as more obscure hard rock bands of the time, Luv Machine managed to combine elements of both rock & soulful psych with a funky progressive groove. Added to this was a Caribbean vibe, which made them completely unique amongst rivals of the day.

The band's self-titled debut album that was released for Polydor in 1971 has become a much-revered and collectable item amongst collectors and fans of the era.

Unfortunately, the band split before the album was actually released, which meant it was never actually given the publicity it surely deserved. Who knows what may have happened if the situation was different for them.

Tracks
1. Witches Wand - 2:45
2. You're Surprised - 2:41
3. It's Amazing - 3:21
4. Happy Children (Bishop, Bradshaw) - 3:07
5. Everything (Martin Hall) - 3:16
6. Maybe Tomorrow - 4:19
7. Reminiscing (Vernon Pareira) - 2:52
8. Change your Mind - 2:57
9. Corrupt One - 3:47
10.Lost - 3:06
11.My Life Is Filled With Changes - 3:05
12.Portrait Of Disgust - 4:53
All songs by Michael Bishop except where noted

Luv Machine
Michael Bishop - guitar, vocals
Bob Bowman - guitar, vocals
Errol Bradshaw - drums, vocals
John Jeavons - bass, vocals

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Had events taken a different turn, Kathy McCord might now be regarded as a 60s pop icon, rather than a cult heroine. It was her early mentor Chip Taylor’s intention that she would record the original of the now-classic ‘Angel Of The Morning’, but his partner Al Gorgoni favoured Evie Sands. Instead Kathy got to record a single for their Rainy Day label in 1968 that fell stillborn from the presses.

A year later, Kathy became the first non-jazz artist to be signed to Creed Taylor’s renowned CTI imprint. Her eponymous album featured musicians of the calibre of John Hall, future founder of Orleans, on guitar and flautist Hubert Laws. Its ethereal beauty failed to reach its intended audience, and it was not until years later – decades, even – that it started to achieve a belated recognition, particularly among those who enjoy the works of such McCord peers as Nick Drake and Vashti Bunyan. Copies of the original LP have crept up in price and nowadays fetch a pretty penny when offered for sale. A limited edition Japanese CD from the mid-90s sold out almost before it hit the streets.

In the 21st century, the cult of Kat continues to snowball. When the opportunity arose for Ace to license and re-reissue “Kathy McCord”, we jumped at it. She is, after all, family by relation – her big brother Billy Vera has long been part of the Ace team, as both compiler and annotator. Billy is a thrilled as we are that we’re able to give his little sister the treatment that her small but mighty catalogue deserves. It was Billy who approached her on our behalf to see if she had unissued material lurking in corners or cupboards that we could use to make that catalogue even bigger.

To everyone’s delight, Kathy trawled through her tapes and found 16 tracks that make up CD2 of this set. The fi is not always hi on these, but her abundant talent shines through on each and every one of them. They were recorded at various times during the 1970s, while Kathy was living in Woodstock and hanging out with the likes of the Fabulous Rhinestones, Amos Garrett, Paul Butterfield and assorted members of the Band – most if not all of whom can be heard in this half of our programme.

Listening to the repertoire of “New Jersey To Woodstock”, it’s quite incredible that Kathy never got the kind of breaks that were afforded to considerably less talented contemporaries of hers. She had the look, and the looks. She wrote most of her own material and sung it with supreme confidence and soulfulness. Her lack of success can only be down to a matter of being on the wrong label, or in the wrong place, at the wrong time. But it’s never too late to travel from New Jersey To Woodstock, so buy your ticket and let Kathy McCord make your journey worthwhile.

by Tony Rounce

Tracks

Disc One

New Jersey. The 60’s Recordings

1. Rainbow Ride - 5:05

2. I'm Leaving Home (She's Leaving Home) (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 4:20

3. Candle Waxing - 4:12

4. Baby James - 3:14

S. The Love Flow - 3:00

6. New York Good Sugar/Love Lyric #7 - 3:57

7. For You, Child - 3:08

8. Jennipher - 4:39

9. Take Away This Pain - 5:36

10.Velvet Smile (Kathleen McCord, Billy Vera) - 3:16

11.I'll Give My Heart To You (Chip Taylor) - 3:47

12.I'll Never Be Alone Again (Chip Taylor, Al Gorgoni) - 2:27

All titles written by Kathleen McCord except where noted

Disc Two
Woodstock. The 70s Recordings
1. New Horizons - 3:22
2. Acapulco - 3:07
3. Baby, Come Out Tonight - 2:55
4. That's A Love That's Real - 3:54
5. No Need To Wait - 3:11
6. I'll Be Lovin' You Forever - 3:18
7. Magnolia - 3:06
8. Madman - 3:53
9. Captain Cody Memorial - 3:55
10.Keep Peace In The Family - 3:41
11.You'd Convince The Devil - 2:42
12.Who's Been Coolin' You? - 5:57
13.Don't Go Talkin' To Strangers - 4:02
14. Every Little Thing You Do - 3:56
15. I Wanna Know Why - 4:38
16. Shine On - 3:57
All titles written by Kathleen McCord

Musicians
*Kathy McCord - Vocals, Guitar
*Harvey Brooks - Bass
*Kal David - Guitar, Vocals
*Marty Grebb - Keyboards
*Lenon Helm - Drums
*Rick Danko - Bass
*Amos Garrett - Guitar
*Tommy "T-Bone" Wolk - Bass
*Howard "HoJo" Johnson - Saxophone
*John Platania - Guitar
*Tom Malone - Trumpet, Tuba, Saxes, Flutes
*Lou Marini - Saxophone
*David Sanborn - Alto Saxophone
*Lew Del Gato - Sax
*Michael Brecker - Sax, Flute
*Randy Brecker - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
*Ed Shaughnessy - Drums, Tabla
*Don Sebesky - String, Brass Arrangements
*Hubert Laws - Flute
*Paul Harris - Piano, Organ
*John Hall - Guitar
*Willis Kelly - Drums

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After his first three albums in the late 1960s and early '70s, Keith Christmas was without a record deal for a few years and left the music business, returning to the fray with a couple of albums on Emerson, Lake & Palmer's Manticore label. This two-CD set has both of these (1974's Brighter Day and 1976's Stories from the Human Zoo), adding two tracks that appeared only on 1974-1975 singles, as well as previously unreleased early versions of four songs from Brighter Day.

As he had on his earlier albums, Christmas remained a frustrating artist for listeners inclined to the kind of eclectic British singer/songwriter material he recorded. He was obviously more talented (particularly as a guitarist) than the bulk of singer/songwriters seeking record contracts, yet not such a striking or memorable vocalist or composer that his albums figure among the more impressive records of their time, even on a cult level. Influenced by folk-rock and mid-'70s mainstream rock of both the U.K. and U.S. variety, these were pretty ordinary if unobjectionable albums of their type, particularly in the melodic department. Brighter Day had strong connections to King Crimson alumni, as it was produced in London by Greg Lake and Pete Sinfield, with contributions by Ian Wallace, Mel Collins, and Ian McDonald.

The songs mixed some folk, progressive rock, orchestral pop, and even soul influences with lyrics that got into some unusual (for rock) subjects, like trendy religious conversions, vagabonding on the rock circuit, and gypsy lifestyles, often in a storytelling fashion. Christmas was only an average-at-best tunesmith, though, and his vocals were adequate but thin, working better on the more introspective, acoustic-oriented numbers (especially the one most indebted to British folk, "Robin Head") than the harder-rocking ones.

Recorded in Hollywood with contributions from Steve Cropper and Duck Dunn of Booker T. & the MG's, Stories from the Human Zoo was more oriented toward harder, at times slightly Dylanesque mainstream rock, though not enormously so. Again, Christmas probed some fairly unusual territory in songs like "The Astronaut (Who Wouldn't Come Down)" (he did play on Bowie's Space Oddity album, after all) and "Last of the Dinosaurs." Most often, though, he left the impression of a sensitive soul observing the small trials and sad vignettes of life and taking them to heart, most suitably when he came up with melancholic melodies to go with them on "High Times" and "Tomorrow Never Ends."

As for the six bonus tracks (all grouped together at the end of disc one), the four early versions of songs from Brighter Day are, as expected, simpler productions (though not extremely so) than the ones on the album. The 1974 B-side "Sweet Changes" is very much in the reserved folky style he favored, while the 1975 A-side cover of the soul standard "My Girl" seems a ridiculous mismatch for Christmas' style. The 20-page booklet gives the material deluxe treatment, with lengthy liner notes including memories from Christmas himself, as well as lyrics for all of the songs on both albums.

by Richie Unterberger

Disc 1

Brighter Day 1974

1. Brighter Day - 6:15

2. Foothills - 3:59

3. Country Farm - 2:53

4. The Bargees - 6:06

5. Lovers' Cabaret - 4:30

6. Robin Head - 4:48

7. Gettin' Religion - 4:23

8. Could Do Better - 4:46

9. Song Of A Drifter - 3:07

10.Brighter Day (First Version) - 7:46

11.Foothills (First Version) - 4:08

12.Robin Head (First Version) - 4:52

13.Lovers' Cabaret (First Version) - 4:33

14.Sweet Changes (B Side) - 4:14

15.My Girl (1975 Single A Side) - 3:09

All compositions by Keith Christmas

Disc 2
Stories From The Human Zoo 1976
1. The Dancer - 4:28
2. The Nature Of The Man - 3:32
3. 3 Golden Rules - 4:12
4. Souvenir Affair - 2:55
5. The Last Of The Dinosaurs - 4:37
6. The Astronaut (Who Wouldn't Come Down) - 3:14
7. High Times - 6:19
8. Tomorrow Never Ends - 4:04
9. Life In Babylon - 5:41
All compositions by Keith Christmas

Musicians
*Keith Christmas - Congas, Flexatones, Guitars, Tambourine, Vocals,
*Mel Collins - Flute, Horn Arrangements, Saxophones, Soloist
*Steve Cropper - Guitar
*Martin Drower - Trumpet
*Donald "Duck" Dunn - Bass
*Malcolm Griffiths - Trombone
*Andy Hendriksen - Engineer
*Neil Hubbard - Guitar
*Skaila Kanga - Harp
*David Kemper - Drums
*Greg Lake - Producer
*Henry Lowther - Trumpet
*Ian Mcdonald - Piano
*Eddie Mordue - Alto Sax
*David Nicterne - Guitar
*Dean Olch - Flute
*Tommy Reilly - Harmonica
*Darryl Runswick - Bass
*William D. "Smitty" Smith - Keyboards
*Pete Solly - Clavinet, Moog Bass, Piano
*Alan Spenner - Bass
*Cat Stevens - Horn Arrangements, String Arrangements
*Snuffy Walden - Guitar
*Wendy Waldmann - Vocals
*Ray Warleigh - Alto Sax

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Bob McAllen - McAllen (1971 us, spectacular acid tinged folk rock, 2014 korean remaster)

Central Nervous System - I Could Have Danced All Night (1968 canada, exceptional funky r 'n' b' jazzy psych rock, 2008 remaster issue)

Cosmic Travelers - Live! At the Spring Crater Celebration Diamond Head, Oahu, Hawaii (1972 us, superb jam psych rock, 2012 remaster)

Hot Knives - Hot Knives (1976 us, spectacular rough folk garage psych rock, 2011 release)

Marcus - Marcus Original LP And Outtakes (1967-70 us, delicate ethereal wondrous psychedelic folk, 2011 double disc set)

Beast - Beast (1970 us, terrific heavy psych prog jazz rock, 2013 Flawed Gems issue)

Dr Feelgood - Be Seeing You (1977 uk, dynamite hard boogie pub rock, 2014 SHM remaster)

The Youngbloods - Rock Festival (1970 us, exceptional blend of psych folk blues jazz rock)

The Butterfield Blues Band - Live Vol.2 (1970 us, great blues rock)

Tommy Peltier Feat. Judee Sill - Chariot Of Astral Light (1969-74 us, ouststanding folk psych rock)

Fynn McCool - Fynn McCool (1970 Rhodesia / uk, magnificent prog classic rock, 2014 edition)

Chris Spedding - Backwood Progression (1970 uk, awesome classic rock with glam and folk traces, 2014 remaster)

Sage - By Sage (1970 us, stunning rough southern rock)

Plainsong - Plainsong (1972 uk, wonderful folk rock, 2013 japan remaster and 2005 double disc edition)

Wool - Wool (1969 us, splendid psych rock with funky sunny rays, 2006 remaster)

Windflower - Windflower (1974 us, heavenly ethereal prog folk with jazzy shades)

Beast - Beast (1969 us, fantastic psych jazz rock, 2010 edition)

Luv Machine - Luv Machine (1971 barbados, great hard guitar rock with prog traces)

Kathy McCord - New Jersey To Woodstock (1968-79 us, brilliant soulful folk psych with jazz expansions, 2010 two disc set)

Keith Christmas - Tomorrow Never Ends The Anthology (1974-76 uk, bright melodic folk prog rock with funky soul vibes, 2010 double disc edition)