Thirty Days Out - Miracle Lick (1972 us, awesome groovy rock, 2010 issue)

Playing a well behaved version of San Francisco west coast and Midwestern hippie rock with slight progressive moves, 'Miracle Licks' will appeal to those who long for the hazy days of Grand Funk Railroad, early REO Speedwagon and more importantly Quicksilver Messenger Service. 'Honey I Do' is standard '70s good time rock, pleasant enough blue-jean boogie and the type of thing that backed-up clogged airwaves in the early part of the decade, but it's the final track on this side that wins points for creativity. 'The Sun Keep Right On Shining' with its well placed use of Mellotron and haunting melody makes searching for this record all the more worthwhile. 

As shamefully post-Woodstock a title as 'Everybody's Got to Have A Song' is, you would be forgiven for expecting the worse but it's actually a very good tune with excellent vocals from John Micaleff who shines on much of the record. 'Never Felt Better' sounds like an REO Speedwagon/ Neal Doughty styled rocker featuring a prairie burning organ solo and barroom piano with 'Take A Look At Yourself' closing out the album along similar lines making for a slightly above average album of groovy Midwest rock- New York style.

Thirty Days Out bass player Monte Melnick ended up as tour manager for New York punk darlings The Ramones, but trying to find much else on this east coast band is next to impossible. The group released a self-titled album in 1971 sent to record stores not in shrink wrap, but housed in a poster of a Steamliner. A novel idea and it received a lot of attention from store owners and record buyers, but the band's second album 'Miracle Lick' didn't fare quite as well and the band folded shortly thereafter.