Sunday, March 30, 2014

Snafu - Snafu / Situation Normal (1973-74 uk, excellent groovy rock with jazzy blues shades, two disc set)



Snafu was formed in 1973 by former Procol Harum and Freedom vocalist Bobby Harrison along with Mick Moody, formerly of Tramline, the Mike Cotton Sound and Juicy Lucy. With Colin Gibson from Ginger Baker's Air Force, Terry Popple from Mickey Jupp's Legend, and session musician Pete Solley, the band released two critically acclaimed albums for the WWA label in 1974, Snafu and Situation Normal. In 1975, Solley left the band to be replaced by another session musician, Brian Chatton, and Tim Hinkley was recruited to complete the lineup that would record the band's third album, All Funked Up. This album has been seen as the band's "great lost album" because of its limited vinyl-format release, originally on the Capitol label. Shortly after the release of this album in 1976, Snafu broke up. 
by Keith Pettipas
Tracks
Disc 1 Snafu 1973
1. Long Gone - 5:15
2. Said He The Judge (B. Harrison, M. Moody, P. Solley) - 4:31
3. Monday Morning - 3:16
4. Drowning In The Sea Of Love (Gamble, Huff) - 5:50
5. Country Nest - 5:19
6. Funky Friend - 4:05
7. Goodbye Usa - 4:22
8. That's The Song (P. Solley, Marcellino)  - 6:03
9. Dixie Queen - 4:38
10.Sad Sunday - 6:24
All songs by Bobby Harrison, Micky Moody except where stated
Bonus Tracks 9-10
Disc 2 Situation Normal 1974
1. No More - 6:16
2. No Bitter Taste - 3:21
3. Brown Eyed Beauty And The Blue Assed Fly - 3:23
4. Lock And Key - 2:48
5. Big Dog Lusty - 3:40
6. Playboy Blues - 8:15
7. Jessie Lee - 4:35
8. Ragtime Roll - 5:05
All songs by B. Harrison, M. Moody, P. Solley

Snafu
*Bobby Harrison - Vocals, Percussion
*Micky Moody - Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals
*Pete Solley - Keyboards, Violin, Vocals
*Colin Gibson - Bass
*Terry Popple - Drums, Bass

Related Act
1969  Freedom - Nero Su Bianco / Black On White

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Freedom - Nero Su Bianco / Black On White (1969 uk, beautiful psychedelic rock, 2009 bouns tracks remaster)



A spin-off of Procol Harum, Freedom was formed by guitarist Ray Royer and drummer Bobby Harrison. Both of them were in Procol Harum's lineup at the outset for their debut "A Whiter Shade of Pale" single, but were ousted almost immediately when Procol singer, Gary Brooker, enlisted his former bandmates from the Paramounts, Robin Trower and Barry Wilson, as replacements. Freedom's early sound, perhaps unsurprisingly, echoed Procol Harum's in its prominent use of organ and piano, as well as heavy rock guitar, and like Procol Harum's early records, captured late British psychedelia as it was starting to inch toward progressive rock.

Freedom wasn't a Procol Harum clone, though, with a somewhat poppier take on psychedelia that was closer to Traffic than Procol Harum. Their initial lineup only released two singles in 1968 before breaking up, also recording a soundtrack for an obscure Italian film by Dino De Laurentis, Attraction/Black on White. The soundtrack LP was given a limited release in Italy -- so limited, in fact, that the group members themselves were unaware that it had come out. Recorded with noted future producers Eddie Kramer and Glyn Johns engineering, this was reissued on CD in 1999, and is actually a pretty good if derivative slice of late-'60s British psychedelia.
by Richie Unterberger
Tracks
1. To Be Free - 3:20
2. The Better Side - 4:35
3. Attraction- Black On White/With You - 7:55
4. The Butt Of Deception - 2:54
5. The Truth Is Plain To See - 3:54
6. Childhood Reflections - 3:07
7. Seeing Is Believing - 3:15
8. You Won't Miss - 3:31
9. Born Again - 4:21
10.Decidedly Man - 4:19
11.Relation - 3:23
12.We Say No - 3:11
13.The Game Is Over - 4:49
14.The Better Side (Working Mix, Single Vocal) - 4:41
15.The Butt Of Deception (Working Mix) - 2:54
16.Born Again (Dry Version) - 4:15
17.Where Will You Be Tonight? (Mike Lease) - 3:39
18.Trying To Get A Glimpse Of You (Ray Royer) - 3:02
19.Trying To Get A Glimpse Of You (Mellotron) (Ray Royer) - 3:02
20.Trying To Get A Glimpse Of You (Pisno) (Ray Royer) - 3:05
All songs by Bobby Harrison, Mike Lease, Ray Royer, Steve Shirley except where stated
Bonus Tracks 14 - 20

Freedom
*Bobby Harrison - Drums
*Mike Lease - Keyboards
*Ray Royer - Guitar
*Steve Shirley - Bass

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