Honeyman is a previously unreleased live 1973 radio broadcast in excellent sound. As the songs originate mostly from the Sefronia and Greetings from L.A records (although a couple of songs from the '60s do appear), this couldn't be placed among his best work, or even among his best live albums (Dream Letter and Live at the Troubadour 1969 are both considerably better). Buckley's vocals are great, though, and if the tunes are sometimes too funky for their own good, this is generally good stuff, especially his riveting interpretation of Fred Neil's "Dolphins".
by Richie Unterberger
Tim Buckley was a riveting live performer. While the albums made near the end of his career are not accorded the respect of the earlier, groundbreaking releases, the songs were still up to Buckley’s high standards. Honeyman is a live album from a 1973 radio broadcast. The sound is superb and the playing is much more organic sounding and even tighter than his studio recordings. Here, the songs breathe. Fred Neil’s “Dolphins” is a credible opener, perfect for Buckley’s sympathies and its quick segue into Buckley’s own “Buzzin’ Fly” from his studio best Happy/Sad makes for a great one-two punch. The avant-garde period is passed over for a shot at Goodbye and Hello’s “Pleasant Street” and tracks from Greetings from L.A. and Sefronia. The dexterous guitar leads of “Get On Top” help cook the radio waves. “Devil Eyes” and “Stone In Love” follow with a deeper funk that leaves plenty of room for Buckley to pull off his best night moves.
Tracks
1. Dolphins (Fred Neil) - 3:45
2. Buzzin' Fly (Tim Buckley) - 7:20
3. Get On Top (Tim Buckley, Larry Beckett) - 4:41
4. Devil Eyes (Tim Buckley, Larry Beckett) - 7:34
5. Pleasant Street (Tim Buckley) - 8:14
6. Sally Go 'Round The Roses (Lona Stevens, Zell Sanders) - 5:53
7. Stone In Love (Tim Buckley) - 4:17
8. Honey Man (Tim Buckley, Larry Beckett) - 8:31
9. Sweet Surrender (Tim Buckley, Larry Beckett) - 8:26
Considering the troubled background of this album (Eric Clapton, Ahmet Ertegun, and Tom Dowd only ended up with eight tracks at a series of 1970 sessions in Miami; two years later, the J. Geils Band was brought in to cut two additional songs to round out the long-delayed LP for 1972 release), the results were pretty impressive. Buddy Guy contributes dazzling lead axe to their revival of "T-Bone Shuffle"; Junior Wells provides a sparkling remake of Sonny Boy's "My Baby She Left Me," and Guy is entirely credible in a grinding Otis Redding mode on the Southern soul stomper "A Man of Many Words."
by Bill Dahl
Legend has it that Junior Wells and Buddy Guy first met in 1958, when recent Chicago transplant Guy beat Wells in a Battle Of The Blues competition, even though Wells was the established player on the Windy City scene. The two played together at the 1967 Newport Folk Festival and opened for The Rolling Stones on their 1970 tour. That tour was the catalyst for the recordings on this album, originally released in 1972.
When the Stones played Paris, Guy-Wells disciple Eric Clapton came over for a visit, joining Guy onstage for a few numbers. Backstage, Clapton suggested to Atlantic's Ahmet Ertegun that he sign the two bluesmen. Ahmet agreed if Clapton agreed to produce the record. The deal was struck, and sessions got underway at Criteria Studio in Miami. Unfortunately the album took two years to be released, during which time some of the post-Woodstock blues buzz had subsided.
Although the Guy-Wells partnership was vital well into the '80s, Guy enjoyed his greatest commercial successes after the partnership ended, winning five Grammys -- beginning with 1991's Damn Right, I've Got The Blues -- and a record 21 W.C. Handy Blues Awards. Wells died in 1998.
Tracks
1. A Man of Many Words (Buddy Guy) - 4:01
2. My Baby She Left Me (She Left Me a Mule to Ride) (Sonny Boy Williamson) - 3:11
3. Come on in This House/Have Mercy Baby (Junior Wells) - 4:23
4. T-Bone Shuffle (Aaron T-Bone Walke) - 4:19
5. A Poor Man's Plea (Junior Wells) - 3:13
6. Messin' With the Kid (Mel London) - 2:15
7. This Old Fool (Buddy Guy) - 3:11
8. I Don't Know (Willie Mabon) - 4:30
9. Bad Bad Whiskey (Thomas Davis) - 4:14
10.Honeydripper (Joe Liggins) - 3:49
Musicians
*Buddy Guy - Lead Guitar, Rythm Guitar
*Junior Wells - Vocals, Harmonica
*Eric Clapton - Rythm Guitar, Bottleneck Guitar
*A. C. Reed - Tenor Saxophone
*Leroy Stewart - Bass
*Mike Utley - Organ, Piano
*Seth Justman - Piano
*Roosevelt Shaw - Drums
*Stephen Bladd - Drums
*Carl Dean Radle - Bass (Track 1)
*Danny Klein - Bass (Tracks 7, 10)
*J. Geils - Rythm Guitar (Tacks 7, 10)
*Jim Gordon - Drums (Track 1)
*Magic Dick - Harmonica (Tracks 7, 10)
*Dr. John - Piano (Track 1)
Born in June 1947 in Brighton (Sussex), Tim Hollier soon re-located with his family to Seascale (West Cumberland). At school he met Rod Alexander (g, later with V.I.P.'s, Green Bullfrog and Axe) and in 1960 they formed The Meteors together with Terry Hewitt (b) and Mike Beresford (d, soon replaced first by Keith Henderson and then by Brian "Chico" Greenwood, later of Jasper, Trifle, Moonrider, Gonzalez, Nicky James and Patrick Hernandez). In 1963 Tim went to Carlisle Art College and while studying he played with some success on the local folk club scene in a duo called Sovereigns (with his cousin Robbie Peckford).
A couple of years later Tim moved to London to attend the London College of Graphic Design, where he met Canadian guitaristsinger Rick Cuff: the two began playing together and performed live in the capital city's venues of the time opening for well known acts, such as Jo-Ann Kelly, Roy Harper and even Paul Simon. Thanks to Charlie Crane (singer with Cryin' Shames and Gary Walker & The Rain), Tim came into contact with Simon Napier-Bell, who was working with David Hemmings' Hemdale Company, and in June '68 he signed for United Artists. With a good budget from the label and the help of fine musicians of the calibre of John Cameron, Gerry Conway, Herbie Flowers and David & Jonathan.
The third and final "proper" Tim Hollier LP was issued in March 1971, once again arranged by John Cameron. Here Tim sang three Rick Cuff-penned songs, of which especially "Tenderly Stooping Low" (already sung by Amory Kane on his second long-player) was particularly noteworthy. Cameron's orchestrations were at times too mellow, but songs like "And I Wait For That" (co-written by photographer Jeremy Taunton) and "Time Has A Way Of Losing You" (with lyrics by Rory Fellowes) still stand out, the last track of which was the impressive "While London's Days Increase" (lyrics by Fellowes). After a second (and final) single, issued in July 1971, which included a cover of Gordon Lightfoot's "The Circle Is Small", Tim Hollier's recording career halted for a while. Tim Hollier died on 5 July 2017 due to complications of surgery.
Tracks
1. Skysail (Rick Cuff) - 3:31
2. Beauty Of The Gardens (Jeremy Taunton, Tim Hollier) - 2:04
3. Time Has A Way Of Losing You (Rory Fellowes, Tim Hollier) - 2:220
4. And I Wait For That (Jeremy Taunton, Tim Hollier) - 2:59
5. Your Quiet Life (Jeremy Taunton, Tim Hollier) - 2:18
6. Tenderly Stooping Low (Rick Cuff) - 3:38
7. Flowers In The Morning (John Cameron) - 3:08
8. Sunshine Moonshine (Roger Fennings) - 2:56
9. Yesterday's Dreams (Rory Fellowes, Tim Hollier) - 2:51
10.Tomorrow Is The First Day Of The Rest Of Your Life (Tim Hollier) - 2:20
11.Through The Darkness (Rick Cuff) - 3:21
12.While London's Days Increase (Rory Fellowes, Tim Hollier) - 2:51
Personnel
*Tim Hollier - Vocals, Guitar
*Amory Kane - Guitar, Piano, Harmonica, Bass
*Harold McNair - Flute
*Tim Kraemer - Cello
*Tony Carr - Drums, Perscussion
*Bill Le Sage - Piani, Vibraphone Free Text the Free Text
There's not many that could write a song like Gene. Take one song, Spanish Guitar'. A song that which no less than Bob Dylan said was 'something I or anybody else would have been proud to have written'. We open with 'You Showed Me' a song never properly recorded by The Byrds but turned into a hit by The Turtles a few years later. And by The Lightning Seeds here in England many years later! The guy could write songs! We have a couple of Gene's finest Byrds moments before we move onto the solo material. 'Set You Free This Time' is just so fuckin good! That slight quiver is his voice is everything. He wasn't a fabulous singer I suppose but he could sing and that quiver in his voice invested everything he did with a tremendous emotional quality. Besides, the likes of 'Set You Free This Time' contains some of the greatest lyrics written by anybody. No wonder Bob admired his song writing. 'She Don't Care About Time' is a superlative Byrds single that inexplicably was never included on a regular Byrds album. Its just fabulous, the guitars jangle away and it's pop music. Prime Beatles influenced music that in turn influenced The Beatles not least George Harrison who was a huge fan of The Byrds.
Moving on through the first couple of solo records i've already covered we have highlights with the ridiculously happy 'Tried So Hard', the stone cold classic 'Train Leaves Here This Morning' and the simply brilliant 'Why Not Your Baby'. And, on this compilation at least, a couple of rarities. Rarities? Gene recorded a single 'The French Girl' / 'Los Angeles' after his solo debut. The single never gained release and Gene ultimately decided to ditch that particular style and move more towards a country rock style. Thing is.....ah! 'The French Girl'. This is SUCH a fantastic song. Supremely melodic, the quiver in his voice present and correct and some fantastically romantic evocative lyrics. This song gets to me every time. It was never released? It should have been number one! Really. And, 'Los Angeles'. Rock and Roll! Sorry, i'm getting carried away, but really, these songs are just so damn good and grin inducing. Everybody should get hold of these two songs. They really are that good.
More quality out-takes here. Gene had a bunch of them. 'I Pity The Poor Immigrant' - a great Dylan cover given a rock beat but still retaining a country flavour. 'Something's Wrong' from 'Fantastic Expedition' sounding as great and wondrous as ever. The decent 'Polly' and 'Dark Hollow' - yet more Gene Clark out-takes better than most writers best moments. A special mention for the two songs at the end of the first disc. 'She's The Kind Of Girl' and 'One In A Hundred' were Byrds re-unions. The mixes here are different to those that later emerged and were recorded with Jim Dickson The Byrds original mentor. They are simply fantastic, far superior to anything The Byrds were doing at that stage. The jangle is present, the harmonies are stupendous. Really. And, 'She's The Kind Of Girl' is simply beautiful.
Highlights of the second disc of course include the songs taken from his classic 'No Other' album which still to this day hasn't received a re-issue. Reissue it somebody! We open with some beautiful acoustic songs, 'With Tomorrow' and 'Spanish Guitar'. 'Spanish Guitar' especially is a thing to behold. A wonderful song, heartbreaking and beautiful again. A number of pleasant songs pass by until we reach the next moment of pure genius. 'Full Circle Song' - the version here is different to the version on The Byrds largely disappointing 73 reunion album. This is Gene's original version and dammit if it isn't wonderful! Wonderfully recorded and performed, a little Byrds jangle in the guitar and its just so uplifiting and happy. No wonder The Byrds wanted it to open their reunion album. This song always makes me smile and makes me happy. 'I Remember The Railroad' is so atmospheric, wonderfully desolate in feel. Skipping the 'No Other' songs for the moment, the remainder of the record is tasteful, quality but never again reaching heights of genius. Gene had something of a bad lifestyle and a drinking habit that ultimately cost him his life. 'Fair And Tender Ladies' however is late period Gene Clark and does send a chill up the spine. A beautiful folk song with added female harmonies.
'No Other' was the album Gene recorded for Asylum records with a budget that went way over what had been originally allocated. The production was state of the art, experimental. The songs were all 5/6/7 minutes plus and daring in their ambition. They remind me of Bob Dylan's 'Desire' album which was released in 1976. 'No Other' came out in 74. 'Silver Raven' and 'The True One' are both amongst the best songs Gene ever wrote. And, then? 'Lady Of The North'. Ah! 'Lady Of The North'. This is the one. I'm crying, i'm sorry. I'm going :) Yes, why did I have to listen to this whilst writing the review? I am crying, actual tears of joy. 'Lady Of The North'. The emotional quiver, fantastic vocals actually, some of the best he ever did. Soaring musical parts, a song in sections each one adding to the last. Violin! Desire! 'flying high, above the clouds. we lay in grassy meadows, the earth was like a pillow - for our dreams'. Wonderful lyrics, great piano. One of the finest six minutes in musical history. It's 4.30pm in the afternoon. I'm half way through the song. I've not drunk any alcohol, i'm sober and sane. One of the best songs and performances of all time.
by Adrian Denning
Tracks
Disc 1
1. You Showed Me (Gene Clark, Roger McGuinn) - 1:54
2. Feel A Whole Lot Better - 2:31
3. Set You Free This Time - 2:50
4. She Don't Care About Time - 2:31
5. Tried So Hard - 2:21
6. So You Say You Lost Your Baby - 2:09
7. The French Girl - 2:38
8. Los Angeles - 2:39
9. I Pity The Poor Immigrant (Bob Dylan) - 4:56
10.That's Alright By Me - 4:00
11.Train Leaves Here This Morning (Gene Clark, Bernie Leadon) - 3:51
12.Why Not Your Baby - 3:42
13.The Radio Song (Gene Clark, Bernie Leadon) - 3:03
16.Wall Around Your Heart (Don Reno, Red Smiley, James Buddie Smith) - 3:09
17.No Longer A Sweetheart Of Mine (Don Reno, Red Smiley, James Buddie Smith) - 3:16
18.Through The Morning, Through The Night - 4:07
19.Kansas City Southern - 3:40
20.Polly - 4:23
21.Dark Hollow (Bill Browning) - 3:04
22.One In A Hundred - 2:48
23.She's The Kind Of Girl - 2:57
All compositions by Gene Clark except where stated
Disc 2
1. With Tomorrow (Gene Clark, Jesse Ed Davis) - 2:28
2. Spanish Guitar - 5:01
3. The Virgin - 3:37
4. Opening Day - 4:17
5. Winter In - 3:19
6. The American Dreamer - 1:54
7. Full Circle Song - 2:46
8. In A Misty Morning - 4:58
9. I Remember The Railroad - 2:32
10.Silver Raven - 4:56
11.The True One - 4:01
12.Lady Of The North (Gene Clark, Doug Dillard) - 6:07
13.Hear The Wind - 3:07
14.Silent Crusade - 4:15
15.Past Addresses - 5:39
16.Fair And Tender Ladies (Traditional) - 5:04
17.Changes (Phil Ochs) - 3:31
18.Mr. Tambourine Man (Bob Dylan) - 5:37
Words and Music by Gene Clark except where noted
Ah, the debut album by The Seeds: an audacious and brutal missive from a band of sneering reprobates with the merest of musical proficiencies but with unlimited punk attitude.
At least, that’s how it must have seemed when The Seeds was released in June 1966. The world had already been introduced to Sky Saxon, Daryl Hooper, Jan Savage, and Rick Andridge on the group’s three singles, but this was an entire LP, and it didn’t let up from start to finish. The fact that they were actually nice, regular guys (generally speaking) was hard to tell amidst the demented clamor rising from the LP’s grooves. The music on The Seeds has its roots in the primitive garage sounds of bands like The Kinks but it’s further out there than anything else of the time.
On this debut album, Sky and his gang tear through a collection of simple tunes at warp speed, doggedly recycling a limited repertoire of musical ideas and skills. What makes it hold up to repeated listens is the band’s sheer conviction. Every note is bursting with breathless emotion — technical proficiency be damned. In fact, the three instrumentalists, especially keyboardist Daryl Hooper, were quite adept at their instruments but the music of The Seeds did not call for clever tricks or complicated arrangements.
Resolutely sticking to its simplistic script, The Seeds commands attention. The music is simple – drums and electric guitar, with Hooper’s organ dominating. The intricacies of The Beatles aren’t to be found here.
Much of the appeal is in Sky Saxon’s unusual voice — a nasal sneer to end all nasal sneers. Sky, aged 29, was so far ahead of his time that the world would take at least ten years to catch up. He spits out his boneheaded teen-angst lyrics, interspersing them with various grunts, howls and wails.
The Seeds contains several engaging new ideas: ghostly proto-psych on “Can’t Seem To Make You Mine” and “Try To Understand”; fearsome voodoo punk on “Evil Hoodoo”; rambunctious defiance on “No Escape” and “Pushin’ Too Hard”. The album suggests some of the avenues that the band would explore on its subsequent albums like A Web Of Sound and Future.
There is virtually no studio trickery or advanced musical theory applied to this album; while managing to avoid monotony, you can’t really say that it’s sophisticated. Which is kind of the point; there’s gold in the dirty ditches of the record’s dingy landscape.
Aptly-named guitarist Jan Savage has few tricks up his sleeve; his short, simple guitar figures get their power from their economy, their magical and precise placement. Just a couple notes here and there add much to the structure of the music.
Similarly, Daryl Hooper sprinkles a few notes around when necessary, and it is his mid-60s sound that give many of the songs their soft, curious underbelly. Drummer Rick Andridge keeps the beat without a lot of clever fills. At times, different second guitarists would join The Seeds in the studio, including Russ Serpent; bass guitar (miscredited to Sky) was played by other guests, including Harvey Sharpe. (“Fallin’ In Love” and “Evil Hoodoo” do not feature Andridge; an alternate drummer whose name is lost to history handles the duties on these two songs.)
All in all, with nothing but a couple pieces of warped lumber and a few ten-penny nails, The Seeds build a majestic garage-punk monstrosity of a skyscraper on their debut album.
Sky Saxon’s lyrics on The Seeds are perhaps best left unmentioned. They seem as if they were written in about ten minutes – that’s for the whole album – and consist mostly of standard circa-1965 pop music cliche s. “Sky’s lyrics were infected by a wondrous charm,” as a 2008 press release charitably worded it.
Several of the songs include the phrase “night and day”. Sky Saxon always “needs your love both night and daaay” and he’d never tire of urgently telling you.
Of course, at the end of the day the lyrics really don’t matter on The Seeds anyway; it’s Sky’s glorious buzzsaw voice and the effusive wackiness of the music that spins your head around on each listen.
Tracks
1. Can't Seem To Make You Mine - 3:01
2. No Escape (Jan Savage, Jimmy Lawrence, Sky Saxon) - 2:12
3. Lose Your Mind - 2:13
4. Evil Hoodoo (Daryl Hooper, Sky Saxon) - 5:07
5. Girl I Want You - 2:23
6. Pushin' Too Hard - 2:36
7. Try To Understand - 2:47
8. Nobody Spoil My Fun - 3:51
9. It's A Hard Life - 2:37
10.You Can't Be Trusted - 2:02
11.Excuse, Excuse (Marcus Tybalt) - 2:17
12.Fallin' In Love - 2:45
13.She's Wrong - 2:13
14.Daisy Mae (Take 1) - 2:20
15.Dreaming Of Your Love - 2:19
16.Out Of The Question (Version 1 Take 1) (Sky Saxon, Russ Serpent) - 3:02
17.Out Of The Question (Version 1 Master) (Sky Saxon, Russ Serpent) - 2:23
18.Pushin' Too Hard (Take 1) - 3:15
19.Girl I Want You (Alternate Overdub) - 2:22
20.Evil Hoodoo (Unedited Take And Intercut Section) (Daryl Hooper, Sky Saxon) - 15:59
21.It's A Hard Life (Take 3) - 2:37
22.Nobody Spoil My Fun (Alternate Overdub Take 3a) - 3:50
All songs by Sky Saxon excpt where stated
Bonus Tracks 13-22 The Seeds
*Sky Saxon - Vocals, Bass, Harmonica
*Daryl Hooper - Piano, Organ
*Jan Savage - Lead, Rhythm, Twelve String Guitar
*Rick Andridge - Drums
Vanilla Fudge was one of the few American links between psychedelia and what soon became heavy metal. While the band did record original material, they were best-known for their loud, heavy, slowed-down arrangements of contemporary pop songs, blowing them up to epic proportions and bathing them in a trippy, distorted haze. Originally, Vanilla Fudge was a blue-eyed soul cover band called the Electric Pigeons, who formed in Long Island, New York, in 1965. Organist Mark Stein, bassist Tim Bogert, and drummer Joey Brennan soon shortened their name to the Pigeons and added guitarist Vince Martell. They built a following by gigging extensively up and down the East Coast, and earned extra money by providing freelance in-concert backing for girl groups. In early 1966, the group recorded a set of eight demos that were released several years later as While the Whole World Was Eating Vanilla Fudge, credited to Mark Stein & the Pigeons.
Inspired by the Vagrants, another band on the club circuit led by future Mountain guitarist Leslie West, the Pigeons began to put more effort into reimagining the arrangements of their cover songs. They got so elaborate that by the end of the year, drummer Brennan was replaced by the more technically skilled Carmine Appice. In early 1967, their manager convinced producer George "Shadow" Morton (who'd handled the girl group the Shangri-Las and had since moved into protest folk) to catch their live act. Impressed by their heavy, hard-rocking recasting of the Supremes' "You Keep Me Hangin' On," Morton offered to record the song as a single; the results landed the group a deal with the Atlantic subsidiary Atco, which requested a name change.
The band settled on Vanilla Fudge, after a favorite ice cream flavor. "You Keep Me Hangin' On" didn't perform as well as hoped, but the band toured extensively behind its covers-heavy, jam-oriented debut album Vanilla Fudge, which gradually expanded their fan base. Things started to pick up for the band in 1968: early in the year, they headlined the Fillmore West with the Steve Miller Band, performed "You Keep Me Hangin' On" on The Ed Sullivan Show, and released their second album, The Beat Goes On. Despite its somewhat arty, indulgent qualities, the LP was a hit, climbing into the Top 20. That summer, Atco reissued "You Keep Me Hangin' On," and the second time around it climbed into the Top Ten. It was followed by Renaissance, one of Vanilla Fudge's best albums, which also hit the Top 20. The band supported it by touring with Jimi Hendrix, opening several dates on Cream's farewell tour, and late in the year touring again with the fledgling Led Zeppelin as their opening act.
by Steve Huey
In a debut consisting of covers, nobody could accuse Vanilla Fudge of bad taste in their repertoire; with stoned-out, slowed-down versions of such then-recent classics as "Ticket to Ride," "Eleanor Rigby," and "People Get Ready," they were setting the bar rather high for themselves. Even the one suspect choice -- Sonny Bono's "Bang Bang" -- turns out to be rivaled only by Mott the Hoople's version of "Laugh at Me" in putting Bono's songwriting in the kindest possible light. Most of the tracks here share a common structure of a disjointed warm-up jam, a Hammond-heavy dirge of harmonized vocals at the center, and a final flat-out jam. Still, some succeed better than others: "You Keep Me Hanging On" has a wonderfully hammered-out drum part, and "She's Not There" boasts some truly groovy organ jams. While the pattern can sound repetitive today, each song still works as a time capsule of American psychedelia.
by Paul Collins
Tracks
1. Ticket To Ride (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 5:40
2. People Get Ready (Curtis Mayfield) - 6:30
3. She's Not There (Rod Argent) - 4:55
4. Bang Bang (Sonny Bono) - 5:20
5. Illusions Of My Childhood, Pt. 1 - 0:20
6. You Keep Me Hangin' On (Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Eddie Holland) - 6:42
7. Illusions Of My Childhood, Pt. 2 - 0:23
8. Take Me For A Little While (Trade Martin) - 3:27
9. Illusions Of My Childhood, Pt. 3 - 0:23
10.Eleanor Rigby (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 8:10
This was to be Moby Grape's last album for Columbia. The record company separated the group from long time friend and producer David Rubinson.
Truly Fine Citizen was produced in Nashville by the legendary Bob Johnston [supposedly in three days]. The band is down to a trio [Peter Lewis, Jerry Miller, and Don Stevenson]. Johnston brings in session man Bob Moore to play bass. This album shows their facility with country-rock, a direction hinted at on Moby Grape 69.
Bright singing and vocal harmonies and a set of very good songs make this album a winner. Johnson has given Truly Fine Citizen an atmospheric sound and it all pulls together into a nice tight package.
It's a must album for Moby Grape fans, and collectors of late sixties country rock.
by Allan J Moore
Tracks
1. Changes, Circles Spinning (Peter Lewis) - 2:27
2. Looper (Peter Lewis) - 3:02
3. Truly Fine Citizen (Tim Dell’Ara) - 1:47
4. Beautiful Is Beautiful (Tim Dell’Ara) - 2:29
5. Love Song (Tim Dell’Ara) - 2:22
6. Right Before My Eyes (Peter Lewis) - 2:02
7. Open Up Your Heart (Tim Dell’Ara) - 2:36
8. Now I Know High (Peter Lewis) - 6:10
9. Treat Me Bad (Tim Dell’Ara) - 2:17
10.Tongue-Tied (Jerry Miller, Skip Spence) - 2:01
11.Love Song, Part Two (Tim Dell’Ara) - 2:41
12.Rounder (Live) (Skip Spence) - 2:02
13.Miller’s Blues (Live) (Jerry Miller, Bob Mosley) - 6:06
14.Changes (Live) (Jerry Miller,, Don Stevenson) - 4:17
15.Skip’s Song (Seeing Demo) (Skip Spence) - 3:26
16.Looper (Demo, Previously Unreleased) (Peter Lewis) - 2:06
17.Soul Stew (Instrumental, Previously Unreleased) (Bob Mosley) - 2:18
18.Cockatoo Blues (Tongue-Tied Demo, Previously Unreleased) (Jerry Miller, Skip Spence) - 3:41
Moby Grape
*Peter Lewis - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
*Jerry Miller - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Don Stevenson - Drums, Vocals With
*Bob Moore - Bass
Though Budgie are probably the most well known band to come out of Wales, Man certainly have had a long and respected career as well, with many studio albums to their credit and endless touring over the years. Mostly recognized for their live shows, it's no surprise that Man has released numerous live albums, this one, Maximum Darkness, originally came out in 1975 and recently remastered by Esoteric/Cherry Red. It features the lineup of Micky Jones (guitar, vocals), Deke Leonard (guitar, piano, vocals), Martin Ace (bass, vocals), and Terry Williams (drums, vocals), with guest guitar from John Cipollina, the legendary Quicksilver Messenger Service member.
Having Cipollina on board here only adds to the bands already '60s West Coast psychedelic influenced sound. Plenty of lead guitar excursions abound on tunes such as "7171-551", and "Codeine" has a psych/acid rock/bluesy feel that wouldn't sound out of place on an old Quicksilver or Grateful Dead album. Bluesy hard rock with lots of melody and jangly guitar can be heard on "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You", while extended guitar jams once again are at the core on the near 14-minute "Many Are Called, But Few Get Up", a hard rocker with effective vocals and nasty riffs & keyboard parts to go along with the fiery solos. One of Man's more popular songs has always been the fun "Bananas", a rousing & quirky hard rocker that features guitar solo aplenty here, Jones, Leonard, and Cipollina weaving and swirling around each other for the near 12-minute duration like a cross between Yes and Crazy Horse.
Esoteric's remaster also includes two bonus tracks, the massive "C'Mon", a rambling, sprawling psychedelic jam that amazingly channels the late '60s San Francisco scene, and the heavy blues rocker "Romain". These inclusions, recorded at the Keystone in Berkeley, California in 1975, really make this a full live album (the original portion of the album was recorded that same year at the London Roundhouse), and not only does Esoteric's remaster sound great, but you also get a jam packed booklet full of information and photos. If you want to discover the jamming side of Man, this is a great place to start.
by Pete Pardo
Tracks
1. 7171-551 (Deke Leonard) - 11:20
2. Codine (Buffy St Marie) - 7:45
3. Babe I'm Gonna Leave You (Anne Bredon, Edward Darling, Paul Bennett) - 6:33
4. Many Are Called, But Few Get Up (Clive John, Deke Leonard, Micky Jones, Terry Williams) - 13:51
5. Bananas (Clive John, Micky Jones, Phil Ryan, Terry Williams) - 11:24
6. C'mon (Clive John, Micky Jones, Phil Ryan, Terry Williams) - 23:56
7. Romain (Martin Ace, Clive John, Micky Jones, Deke Leonard, Terry Williams) - 5:00
Tracks 6 and 7 recorded live at Keystone, Berkeley, California, April 1975
Man
*Micky Jones - Guitar, Vocals
*Deke Leonard - Guitar, Vocals
*Martin Ace - Bass, Guitar, Vocals
*Terry Williams - Drums, Vocals With
*John Cipollina - Guitar
Moby Grape ’69 found the band rebounding after the double album Wow/Grape Jam debacle. Wow is still a great but flawed record that at times recalls Buffalo Springfield’s tension filled Last Time Around. After Wow was completed, Skip Spence exited the band in pursuit of a solo career, releasing the legendary Oar. Spence’s departure was a major blow but like other great American bands of the time who lost key members, the Byrds and Buffalo Springfield, Moby Grape was still brimming with talent and enthusiasm.
While ’69 is not on par with Moby Grape’s self-titled debut, it’s still a great back to basics country rock record. The album only enhances the group’s legend though, including Skip Spence’s final contribution to the band, Seeing. ‘Seeing’ is undoubtedly their finest moment as a band and one of the best pieces of San Fransisco psychedelia ever waxed!
It starts out with Spence’s plaintive, apologetic vocals which give way to a hard rocking bridge with great spiraling acid leads. It’s as deranged as Syd Barrett’s swansong, Jugband Blues, and mandatory listening for anyone interested in 60’s rock. The band also rock hard with successful results on Trucking Man, Hoochie, and Going Nowhere. Trucking Man is almost a sequel of sorts to Fall On You, with some great, fat slingshot guitar riffs that hit you hard. There are also some quiet, country rock moments on the album like the majestic I Am Not Willing and the classic It’s A Beautiful Day. It’s A Beautiful Day is Moby Grape’s Ripple (Grateful Dead), a sparkling, country folk-rock gem that shines with hippy optimism.
Moby Grape ’69 proved that after all the debut related hype settled, the band was still making great music.
by Jason Nardelli
Tracks
1. Ooh Mama Ooh (Jerry Miller, Don Stevenson) - 2:26
2. Ain't That A Shame (Jerry Miller, Don Stevenson, Peter Lewis) - 2:28
3. I Am Not Willing (Peter Lewis) - 2:58
4. It's A Beautiful Day Today (Bob Mosley) - 3:06
5. Hoochie (Bob Mosley) - 4:21
6. Trucking Man (Bob Mosley) - 2:00
7. If You Can't Learn From My Mistakes (Peter Lewis) - 2:33
8. Captain Nemo (Jerry Miller, Don Stevenson) - 1:43
9. What's To Choose (Peter Lewis) - 1:57
10.Going Nowhere (Jerry Miller, Don Stevenson) - 2:01
11.Seeing (Skip Spence) - 3:44
12.Soul Stew (Bob Mosley) - 2:16
13.If You Can't Learn From My Mistakes (Peter Lewis) - 1:23
14.You Can Do Anything (Skip Spence) - 3:35
15.It's A Beautiful Day Today (Bob Mosley) - 4:12
16.What's To Choose (Peter Lewis) - 3:19
17.Big (Jerry Miller, Don Stevenson) - 2:19
18.Hoochie (Bob Mosley) - 3:18
Tracks 13-17 Demo recordings
Moby Grape
*Peter Lewis - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
*Jerry Miller - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Bob Mosley - Bass, Vocals
*Don Stevenson - Drums, Vocals
*Skip Spence - Guitar, Piano, Vocals
Adding a new drummer to the line Up (actually three in the form of Michael Giles, Ian Wallace and Ian Paice -yes the Purple man- in one song), band struggled on releasing a fourth studio set "Bump 'n' Grind" before calling it quits at the end of 1973.
In "Bump and Grind" the intention of Jackson Heights was a return to somewhat simpler, less bombastic music. By the time the band was ready for this album, that intention had already been thrown overboard, probably for an important part by the record company, which began to crumble the harrowing lack of commercial success. Too good for the rock scene, not hit sensitive enough for the pop charts, the band fell out of the way everywhere. A somewhat fuller, more commercial sound was therefore in order.
That is, in retrospect, actually the greatest merit of "Bump" and "Grind": the album sounds incredibly good in this polished version, a richly produced album. That is partly due to the large orchestra that accompanies the band in a number of tracks. Those numbers are beautiful pop songs of the classic kind.
Jackson subsequently partnered with Swiss keyboard player Patrick Moraz in the band Refugee (made even more ironic given Jackson had previously tried to recruit Moraz for a late inning version of Jackson Heights). Frustrated with the business, he dropped out, relocating to Los Angeles where he lived until the early 1990s. Back in the UK he resumed a somewhat low-keyed musical career focusing his time on the blues oriented Ginger Pig Band and occasional Nice reunions.
Chatton hooked up with Ian Anderson in the short-lived Fragile, played in Boys Don't Cry, Uzlot (with Yes' Jon Anderson), toured with John Miles, Meatloaf, and others, wrote material for others, became an in-demand studio player, recorded a couple of solo efforts, and enjoyed success as a talent scout/manager
Tracks
1. I Could Be Your Orchestra (Hugh Murphy, John McBurnie) - 4:15
2. Spaghetti Sunshine (Brian Chatton) - 3:34
3. Long Necked Lady (John McBurnie) - 3:46
4. Public Romance (Brian Chatton) - 2:31
5. Bump And Grind (John McBurnie) - 3:25
6. Cumberland County (Brian Chatton, Lee Jackson) - 3:41
7. It's A Shame (Brian Chatton, Lee Jackson) - 4:19
8. Ladies In The Chorus (Brian Chatton, Lee Jackson) - 3:05
9. Whatever Happened To The Conversation (Brian Chatton, John McBurnie, Lee Jackson) - 3:49
