Plain and Fancy

1968 The International Submarine Band - Safe At Home (2004 remaster)

Tuesday, April 29, 2025

Gram Parsons - Another Side Of This Life The Lost Recordings (1965-66 us, acoustic country folk blues, 2000 release)

Gram Parsons gets heavy credit as one of the pioneers and true talents of country rock. In the 27 years since his death, no one has matched the beautiful fragility of his voice or his novelistic sense of country songwriting (i.e., “$1000 Wedding”). Though Parsons may not have been an overly prolific writer, the few cuts that showed up on his LPs were high-quality keepers.

Listening to his canon of work, Parsons seems to have arrived as a full-blown original. While owing a debt to his heroes such as Merle Haggard and George Jones, Parsons seemed to be coming from a different, outside place; he occupied a space that seemed truly his own. Now, for the first time, we are privy to an early, developmental stage of his amazing, if too short, career.

Another Side of This Life: The Lost Recordings of Gram Parsons 1965-1966 gathers 18 tracks recorded three and a half decades ago on a friend’s reel-to-reel machine. What makes these recordings so interesting is the evident development that was taking place. The total commitment to country music doesn’t yet seem to be in place, and Parsons shows heavy folk leanings from his time playing the coffeehouses in Greenwich Village. Fred Neil, in particular, seems to cast an influence over these performances, which makes sense considering Neil’s stature in the New York City folk scene at that time.

Parsons’ recorded work, beginning with his 1968 International Submarine Band recordings, showed a rapidly maturing and seemingly confident stylist. It comes as a bit of a revelation to hear where Parsons was only two years earlier. The Gram Parsons of these demos is a more straight-ahead folk singer. Songs such as Dick Weissman’s “They Still Go Down” and Hamilton Camp’s “Pride Of Man” even sound Kingston Trio-ish. The vocal style Parsons would use on his later work is not wholly evident here, and the fragility in his delivery, though hinted at, is not fully present.

The track on this collection that stands out and points to the future is an early version of the Parsons original “Brass Buttons”. The vocal does not yet contain the homespun quality of the version that would later appear on Grievous Angel, but it still stands as a promising sign of what’s to come. It’s a shame Parsons didn’t write more during his brief life, but “Brass Buttons” shows how capable he was, even at this early stage.

As usual, Sundazed has done a wonderful job mastering and packaging this release. The sound quality of these home-recorded demos is much better than one might assume; at first listen, I was shocked at how well they had been transferred.

Another Side Of This Life may not be essential listening for those not interested in the Parsons story or legacy, but as a historical document, it is revealing. This collections fills in a previously missing aspect of Gram Parsons’ musical life; for those intrigued or moved by his work, it sure is nice to have that early chapter.

No Depression, March 1, 2001

Tracks

1. Codine (Buffy Sainte-Marie) - 5:34

2. Wheel Of Fortune (Gram Parsons) - 2:27

3. Another Side Of This Life (Fred Neil) - 2:38

4. High Flyin' Bird (Billy Edd Wheeler) - 3:46

5. November Nights (Gram Parsons) - 3:35

6. Zah's Blues (Gram Parsons) - 3:59

7. Reputation (Tim Hardin) - 3:07

8. That's The Bag I'm In (Fred Neil) - 3:11

9. Willie Jean (Traditional) - 4:05

10.They Still Go Down (Dick Weissman) - 2:24

11.Pride Of Man (Hamilton Camp) - 2:42

12.The Last Thing On My Mind (Tom Paxton) - 3:42

13.Hey Nellie Nellie (David Fromer, Elbert Robinson, Jonathan Fromer) - 3:02

14.She's The Woman I Love (Danny Adams, Sam Moffitt, Sam Moffitt Jr.) / Good Time Music (John Sebastian) - 4:55

15.Brass Buttons (Gram Parsons) - 2:22

16.I Just Can't Take It Anymore (Gram Parsons) - 3:26

17.Searchin' (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) - 3:29

18.Candy Man (Reverend Gary Davis) - 3:17

*Gram Parsons - Vocals, Guitar

1969 The Flying Burrito Brothers - The Gilded Palace Of Sin (2017 SACD)

1970 The Flying Burrito Brothers - Buritto Deluxe (2020 SACD)

1970 Bread Love And Dreams - The Strange Tale Of Captain Shannon And The Hunchback From Gigha

Monday, April 28, 2025

Bread Love And Dreams - Bread Love And Dreams (1969 uk, fragile, beautiful with little flash-points of colour like the wings on a butterfly, 2012 remaster)

This is the first album from Bread, Love and Dreams, released in 1969 against the background of a major revival in the popularity of folk music that had grown via the folk clubs and college campus across much of the county during the previous few years.

This upsurge in popularity reached its peak with the release of a glut of seminal releases from bands like them who all stretched the scope of what was a fairly narrow and traditional style of music into the realms of Acid-Folk, Folk Rock and of course more traditional Folk styles. That year saw Liege and Lief from Fairport Convention, and the third and fourth Incredible String Bands albums to name just two.

Bread Love and Dreams were originally from Edinburgh where their psyche influenced folk compositions were in stark contrast to the more traditional approach of many of their Scottish contemporaries. They first came to the attention of Decca producer Ray Horricks at the 1968 festival and he quickly brought them to recording studios in London to record their debut release the following year. They released three albums between 1969 and 1971 with a varied line up from album to album and on later releases featuring well known guests from the burgeoning folk circuit like Danny Thompson and Terry Cox of Pentangle.

The main members of the band on this first LP were David McNiven, who wrote and sang much of their material, Angie Rew, on vocals and playing the flute and Carolyn Davis on guitar.

This album has been compared with a number of groups from that period especially of tracks like 'Falling Over Backwards' which to some critics at the time reminded them of the ISB. Others praised Bread Love and Dreams for distinctive sound, linked no doubt to their combined talents and abilities as multi instrumentalists.

This album features some really nice ethereal female lead and backing vocals, which was very much the accepted style of the time, but it also features strong lyrics from David which keep the listeners interest and today provide an interesting reflection on the fairly left-wing anti establishment, at the time 'hippie', stance of much of the bands output.

But its not all folk whimsy as the last track here is much more blues than folk and contrasts with much of the rest of the album. While the band toured widely, with Magna Carta and even Tyranosaurus Rex, but they never really achieved the success they deserved with this album, or the two others that followed, and this is reflected in the considerable value now placed on original copies of all three of their releases. David and Angie continued to tour and work in theatre projects and became involved with the rock band Mama Flier, also from Edinburgh and they continue to perform.

by Ian Milton 2012

Tracks

1. Switch Out The Sun - 3:22

2. Virgin Kiss - 3:43

3. The Least Said - 3:44

4. Falling Over Backwards - 5:44

5. Lady Of The Night - 3:14

6. Main Street - 2:16

7. Artificial Light (Of All The Living Lies) (Andy Badale, Estelle Levitt) - 3:39

8. Until She Needs You - 3:43

9. Mirrors - 5:34

10.Poet's Song - 2:53

11.The Yellow-Bellied Redback - 2:17

12.95 Octane Gravy - 3:22

All compositions by David McNiven, Angie Rew, Carolyn Davis except track #7

Bread Love And Dreams

*David McNiven - Vocals, Guitar, Organ, Piano, Flute, Harmonica

*Angie Rew - Vocals, Guitar, Organ, African Drums

*Carolyn Davis - Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Tambourine, Buzz-Horn

With

*Ian Green - Strings Conductor

1971 Bread Love And Dreams - Amaryllis (2001 Korean remaster)

Sunday, April 27, 2025

The Love Depression - The Love Depression (1968 venezuela, rough garage punkadelic, 2006 reissue)

Venezuela 1968. Band members were 17 to 18 years old at the time of the recording. Guitarist Alvaro Falcón came from a band called The Snobs and previously a band from Washington D.C. The Laymen, Richard Aumaitre came from a famous Venezuelan band Los Darts and Jesus Toro from The Nasty Pillows, a local soul and Hendrix oriented band. What an amazing record this is. On same label as Ladies WC. This masterpiece is full of fuzz guitar, acid leads and pumping sounds. Covers only this time but played so wild that you will like it better than the original composition. This album is as good as Ladies WC. Realy amazing Psych artwork too." Alvaro Falcón: (Guitar, Piano, Organ, Harmonica, Background vocals), he was 17 at the time; Jesus "Torito" Toro: (Drums and Lead vocals); Richard Aumaitre: (Bass and Background vocals). Recorded in Estudios Continente,Caracas, Venezuela April 1968.

FoEx

Straight from 1968. You don’t often associate the garage and psychedelic music of the 1960s with Venezuela, but the LOVE DEPRESSION dispels that notion. This record is mostly covers including some of JIMI HENDRIX and CREAM. While the covers are pretty fantastic, some better than the originals, it’s the LOVE DEPRESSION originals that stand out. “Gonna Ride” is absolutely simmering with psychedelic garage energy. Something like a souped-up JIMI HENDRIX. You most likely haven’t heard of the LOVE DEPRESSION, but now is your chance. This record holds up better than ever.

Tracks

1. Gon'na Ride (Alvaro Falcon, Jesús Toro) - 2:58

2. High Way Child (Jimi Hendrix) - 3:02

3. When A Man Loves A Woman (Lewis Wright) - 3:25

4. Kansas City (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) - 4:55

5. If You Need Me (Bateman Picket) - 2:28

6. Toad (Bateman Picket) - 4:05

7. Stone Free (Jimi Hendrix) - 3:32

8. Cross Roads (Robert Johnson) - 4:26

9. Whiter Shade (Gary Brooker, Keith Reid) - 3:52

10.51st Aniversary (Jimi Hendrix) - 3:12

11.I'm Sorry (Bobby Womack) - 3:16

12.Sweet Soul Music (Otis Redding) - 1:56

The Love Depression

*Alvaro Falcon - Guitar, Organ, Piano, Backing Vocals

*Jaime Seijas - Guitar, Organ, Vocals

*Jesús Toro - Drums, Vocals

*Richard Aumaitre - Bass, Backing Vocals

With

*Stephen Scott - Harmonica (Track 4)

Friday, April 25, 2025

James Luther Dickinson - Dixie Fried (1972 us, awesome roots 'n' roll swamp blues folk psych rock, 2002 edition and 2016 remaster and expanded)

The late James Luther Dickinson was one of American music’s most elusive, intriguing musicians and producers. Part of the unpredictable Beale Street crowd from Memphis, Tennessee, his résumé reads like a free-styling, improvised narrative of American country, blues, folk, soul and rock. A limber, flexible player, he’s on Aretha Franklin’s Spirit In The Dark, The Flamin’ Groovies’ Teenage Head, and great sets from Jerry Jeff Walker and Ronnie Hawkins, among others: he also played piano for The Rolling Stones, on “Wild Horses”. Later in his career, Dickinson was a benign presence on albums by Bob Dylan, Tav Falco, Meat Puppets, Mudhoney, Primal Scream and Spiritualized.

His production legend, however, rests on Big Star’s dissolute classic, Third/Sister Lovers. Listening to Dickinson’s first solo album, Dixie Fried, recorded a couple of years before the Big Star set, you can start to hear how things ended up the way they did: while Dixie Fried is more coherent, there are still some seriously odd things going on. Like his eventual collaborator Alex Chilton, Dickinson takes liberties with songs, pulling them apart like taffy while scrawling graffiti over the musical backbone provided by a motley crew of players, including Mac Rebennack (aka Dr John), Memphis legend Sid Selvidge, and members of Dickinson’s session group, The Dixie Flyers.

Dickinson’s version of Dylan’s protest song, “John Brown”, is a good example: low-slung and sprawling, his bolshy, colloquial vocal ties itself in knots over a rhythm section playing through fug and mud, the sax and slide tangling together as Terry Manning’s Moog dials in electronics seemingly from an entirely other recording session. Songs like this, the warped blues clatter of “O How She Dances” and the drunken, see-sawing bluff of “Casey Jones (On The Road Again)” are the heart of Dixie Fried, balanced as they are by more immediately straightforward performances, like the bawdy roar of the opening “Wine”, or the gospelised holler of the title cut, written by Carl Perkins.

Throughout, Dickinson’s deeply invested in animating revenants, but something always goes awry as the past creeps up to mug the present: Dixie Fried is an album full of mutant ghosts. There’s some kind of manic juju in the air through this set of songs – it’s hard to put your finger on it exactly, but it has the same reckless, careening energy of later, more sainted Dickinson productions like Chilton’s 1979 solo set, Like Flies On Sherbert. Unlike the proto-punk deconstruction of rock that took place on Chilton’s solo masterpiece, though, with Dixie Fried, Dickinson’s extending the form by mangling it, lovingly, confusingly, with good times in mind.

by Jon Dale, 27th November 2016

Tracks

1. Wine (Billy Joe Shine, David Swartz, Gene Haufler, Jack Allday, Mario Daboub) - 3:28

2. The Strength Of Love (John Hurley, Ronnie Wilkins) - 3:51

3. Louise (Paul Siebel) - 3:10

4. John Brown (Bob Dylan) - 6:31

5. Dixie Fried (Carl Perkins, Howard Griffen) - 2:24

6. The Judgement (James Luther Dickinson, Mike Utley) - 4:08

7. O How She Dances (Traditional) - 3:15

8. Wild Bill Jones (Bob Frank) - 4:13

9. Casey Jones (On The Road Again) (Furry Lewis) - 6:36

Bonus Tracks on 2016 Future Days edition

10.If I Had My Way (Traditional) - 3:10

11.The Lady From Baltimore (Tim Hardin) - 3:23

12.Clap Your Hands (Jim Dickinson) - 2:04

13.Old Time Used To Be (Christmas Tree) (Jim Dickinson) - 5:25

14.Relax Your Mind (Jim Dickinson) - 3:14

15.Mama Tried (Merle Haggard) - 3:44

16.Sanctified (Jim Dickinson, Bob McDill) - 2:47

Musicians

*Jim Dickinson - Lead Vocals, Piano, Guitar

*Charlie Lawing - Alto Saxophone

*Brenda Kay Patterson, Ginger Holiday, Jeannie Greene, Mary Holiday, Mary Lindsay Dickinson - Backing Vocals

*Joe Gaston, Tommy McClure - Bass

*Sammy Lee Creason - Drums

*Jack Pennington - Fiddle

*Charlie Freeman, Edward La Paglia, Gimmer Nicholson, Lee Baker, Mike Ladd - Guitar

*Sid Selvidge - Guitar, Piano

*Mike Utley - Keyboards

*Ken Woodley - Keyboards, Bass

*Jeff Newman - Pedal Steel Guitar

*Dr. John, The Night Tripper - Piano

*Terry Manning - Vocals, Guitar, Electric Piano

*Jimmy Crosthwait - Washboard

Thursday, April 24, 2025

Impala Syndrome - Impala Syndrome (1969 venezuela, fantastic acid psych rock, 2012 remaster)

Previously known as Los Impalas, this Venezuela-based group eventually moved to Spain where they met with great success. The band’s discs, which encompassed a mix of different styles, were well received and are now relished by collectors throughout the world. In tune with the changing times, Los Impalas then switched their name to the snazzier sounding Impala Syndrome and released a self-titled album in 1969 on the Parallax label, which has recently been revived by Gear Fab Records.

Housed in a ghastly hallucinogenic sleeve, Impala Syndrome stands as a spectacular slab of hard rocking psychedelic informed godliness. The band’s chops, which surge forth with energy and excitement, are constantly firing on all circuits, while the quality of the songs is exceptionally high. Powerful and confident vocals, mated with packets of punchy melodies also flood the material. Cream, the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Sly and the Family Stone tend to be the trinity of influences supporting the tracks, but it’s entirely safe to say Impala Syndrome had their own mojo working.

Cuts like “Too Much Time,” “I Want To Hug The Sky” and “Children Of The Forest” swivel and shake with flocks of fat and funky licks. Crunchy, crushing and aflame with cool grooves, these are the type of songs impossible not to dance to or play air guitar to. Splashed with waves of windy harmonies, “Leave, Eve” skillfully combines pop sensibilities with a stroke of acid rock fodder, and then there’s “Love Grows A Flower,” a moody midtempo piece that grips both the ears and the soul.

A lot of bands choose to save the best for last, and some folks will certainly tag the grand final on Impala Syndrome as the ultimate showstopper. Set to a ghostly raga rock rhythm, “Run (Don’t Look Behind)” echoes both the Beatles’ “Tomorrow Never Knows” and Them’s “Square Room,” as it hums and sighs to a repetitious beat of mystical mystery.

Crammed tight with dazzling mobility, Impala Syndrome is one of the finest albums of its genre. Synchronicity abounds in pounds here, as the band continually bounces ideas off each other, then locks everything neatly together. How wonderful it is such amazing performances have been documented on record, allowing them to live on for eternity.

by Beverly Paterson, March 2, 2012

Tracks

1. Too Much Time (F. Chanona, Martin Brummer, Gene Busnar) - 3:05

2. Love Grows A Flower (Francisco Belisario, Rudy Marquez, Martin Brummer, I. E. Pittelman) - 3:42

3. Children Of The Forest (K. Perea, Martin Brummer, Gene Busnar) - 4:15

4. For A Small Fee (Leo Acosta, Martin Brummer, Gene Busnar) - 2:36

5. New Love Time (Edgardo Quintero, Martin Brummer) - 2:52

6. Let Them Try (Edgardo Quintero, Rudy Marquez, Martin Brummer) - 3:03,

7. Land Of No Time (Francisco Belisario, Edgardo Quintero, Martin Brummer) - 3:14

8. I Want To Hug The Sky (F. Chanona, Martin Brummer, Gene Busnar) - 3:25

9. Leave Eve (Francisco Belisario, Rudy Marquez, Edgardo Quintero, Martin Brummer) - 2:44

10.Run (Don't Look Behind) (A. Neri, Martin Brummer, Gene Busnar) - 4:20

Impala Syndrome

*Francisco Belisario - Rhythm guitar, vocals

*Rodolfo (Rudy) Marquez - Vocals, percussion

*Edgardo Quintero - Lead guitar, vocals

*Nerio Quintero - Bass guitar, vocals

*Bernardo Ball - Drums, percussion

1967 The Beat Of The Earth - The Beat Of The Earth (2016 remaster)

Wednesday, April 23, 2025

The Beat Of The Earth - The Electronic Hole (1970 us, raw, noisy, droning and completely mesmerizing, 2004 edition)

The Beat Of The Earth's The Electronic Hole, originally released in 1970. Second album from the cultish experimental jam band formed in 1967 in Orange County, California. Their second effort from 1970 -- The Electronic Hole -- takes a step away from their earlier work, being composed with definite song structures versus the earlier drawn-out freeform jams. Sounding much like a west-coast version of The Velvet Underground & Nico, the album has melodic motifs but is much more primitive and mysterious than its cousin, with loads of fuzz, haunting organ, Phil Pearlman vocals, and even some sitar, acoustic strumming, and ballad-like moments ("Love Will Find A Way, Part I"). The album includes even a wild cover of Frank Zappa's "Trouble Every Day". Had the story ended here it would have been a real tragedy, as Pearlman's finest hour was yet to come. Six years later (with who knows what in between), recording commenced on the majestic Relatively Clean Rivers album with an entirely new band and musical vision.

Tracks

1. The Golden Hill - 2:29

2. The Golden Hill - 3:14

3. The Golden Hill - 3:54

4. The Golden Hill - 7:04

5. Love Will Find A Way (Frank Zappa) - 2:56

6. Love Will Find A Way - 7:04

7. Love Will Find A Way - 5:39

All compositions by Phil Pearlman except where noted

The Beat Of The Earth

*Phil Pearlman- Vocals, Guitar

*Bill Younger

*Rick Mandelbaum

*Toni Sartorio

*Wendell Keesee III

Monday, April 21, 2025

Lambert And Nuttycombe - At Home (1970 us, mellow ballads, superb vocal harmonies and subtle guitar interplay, 2007 edition)

Craig Nuttycombe and the late Denis Lambert got their start as a folk duo in the Los Angeles area after years of playing in a number of different bands. After signing with A&M and a move to Sausalito — just north of San Francisco, they recorded this very special and intimate folk album of original material (save a cover of Jerry Jeff Walker's "Mr. Bojangles"), which received some FM airplay at the time, helping the duo garner a limited but dedicated following. The instrumentation is simple: two acoustic guitars and two singers harmonizing; the sound is soft, warm and heartfelt, as if they are singing and playing their guitars by the fireplace in your living room on a cool winter night while you pass the pipe around.

There is no pretension of musical virtuosity at work here, the stark arrangements for two acoustic guitars have one purpose only, which is to support the two as they harmonize and deliver their songcraft, and to that end the effort succeeds immeasurably. Think of Nick Drake's acoustic work, pre-psychedelic Donovan or perhaps Duncan Browne's earliest work for the general tone, though an additional dimension is added due to the harmonies, the end result being nothing short of magical.

by Peter Thelen, 2008-01-01

Tracks

1. Morning (Craig Nuttycombe, Denis Lambert) - 2:57

2. Time - 2:22

3. Bird Song - 2:47

4. My Own Beat (Craig Nuttycombe) - 2:02

5. Something On My Mind (Craig Nuttycombe) - 1:43

6. Mouse - 2:06

7. Ode To Drugan (Craig Nuttycombe, Denis Lambert) - 2:15

8. Putting Myself Together Again - 2:18

9. Mr. Bojangles (Jerry Jeff Walker) - 3:38

10.Country Song - 2:37

11.Heaven Knows (Where I've Been) - 1:55

12.Clover - 2:41

Tracks 2,3,6,8,10-12 written by Denis Lambert

Personnel

*Dennis Lambert - Vocals, Guitar

*Craig Nuttycombe - Vocals, Guitar

Sunday, April 20, 2025

Family Times Band - Family Times Band (1976 us, laid-back silky folk tinged psych rock, 2010 reissue)

Family Times Band consisted of two brothers and two sisters who hailed from Newport News, Virginia and released this their sole album in 1976 as a privately pressed edition of 500. Presented here for the first time on CD. This album runs the gamut from killer hypnotic acid folk psych "Sitting By The Ocean" to West Coast psychy folk rock "She's Gone", 3rd Velvets/Hackamore Brick sounds "All I Need", to fuzzed out rockers "Cause You Know". Overall it comes across as being very much a mixture of the Seventh Dawn "Sunrise" LP and the Art Of Lovin'. And despite the 1976 release date, this album is much more in keeping with 1969-70 sensibilities. Lead vocalist Don Leitzke sounds very much like Mandrake Memorial's Michael Kac."

Tracks

1. Sitting By The Ocean - 5:06

2. She's Gone - 3:15

3. My Love - 3:46

4. You've Got To Carry On - 3:25

5. The Morning's Just Begun - 2:19

6. Cause You Know - 2:20

7. That Was All Just A Game - 2:46

8. Everybody Get Happy - 2:20

9. All I Need - 2:37

10.What Should We Do - 2:44

All compositions by Don Leitzke

Family Times Band

*Don Leitzke - Guitar, Vocals

*Jen Leitzke - Keyboards, Vocals

*Amy Leitzke - Bass Guitar, Vocals

*Tom Leitzke - Percussion, Vocals

Saturday, April 19, 2025

The Beat Of The Earth - The Beat Of The Earth (1967 us, fascinating fresh and inventive psychedelic rock, 2016 remaster)

A foundational document of American private-press psychedelic rock emerge from decades-long shadows, deeply illuminated chapters authored by prototypical "terminally unique" Southern California artist/seeker Phil Pearlman and two of his early, briefly extant bands.

From 1967, Phil Pearlman (The Beat Of The Earth), leads a free assemblage of local Southern California acid-heads through loping Velvetica tribal incantations. The Beat of the Earth earns its name in two side-length jams brimming with eastern-tinged luminosity. It is the sun-dappled mirror of The Velvet Underground's "Sister Ray." Instead of the urban decay and black and white pop art of the Warhol scene, The Beat of the Earth represents the same idea, looking west across the Pacific. This comes from the same yet intrinsically polar opposite frame of mind from the VU noise marathons of their epic live shows. Mind-expanding psychedelia done by sun-gobbed hippies that were totally out of step with everything else happening in Southern California of the pop-psych '60s.

Tracks

1. The Beat Of The Earth Part One - 20:54

2. The Beat Of The Earth Part Two - 20:54

Words and Music by Phil Pearlman

Personnel

*Phil Pearlman - Vocals, Guitar

*James R. Nichols - Guitar

*Karen Darby - Vocals, Percussion, Guitar

*Ron Collins - Keyboards

*Sherry Phillips

Friday, April 18, 2025

Midnight - Into The Night (1978 us, raw garage-like underground hard rock)

Midnight is one of those 'shoulda/woulda/coulda' bands that might actually have made it -- had their utter youthfulness not got in the way. Hailing from the 'burbs of Olympia Fields, Country Club Hills, and Chicago Heights, Illinois, Dave Hill (keys), Scott Marquart (drums), Frank Anastos (guitar, vox), and John Falstrom (bass) were all record-obsessed teenagers taking music lessons at Homewood's Melody Mart in 1974. After meeting, they realized that Hill, Anastos and Falstrom went to Rich Central H.S. in Olympia Fields, while Marquart was just down the road at H-F High School in Flossmoor.

That same year they formed Midnight, covering hot and heavy hard rock songs from the likes of Uriah Heep, James Gang and Sabbath (natch!) -- but they evolved quickly, playing house parties and high schools around the south suburbs in '75. By the following year, despite the teenaged years of their members, they were playing nightclubs and colleges in and around Chicago, while adding electrifying original songs to their repertoire. In the fall of 1977, still lacking either management or producer, the kids recorded their LP Into the Night at A-K Sound Recording Studio in Orland Park, IL -- privately releasing it in early 1978 in a small edition, making it a majorly sought-after hard rock rarity today (Falstrom regularly gets offers of $100 or more for a copy!).

Distributed themselves (and barely promoted), the LP certainly covers all the heavy bases with a wickedly raw mix, at times sounding like proto-doomers Pentagram, with the odd, occasional boogie number and power-ballad as well. Following the release of Into the Night, the band continued to play out, including a show at the Aragon in late '79. Meanwhile, Midnight had recording sessions at multiple studios in and around the Chicagoland area -- but Falstrom reports with some considerable regret that they let the tapes 'slide though our fingers' over the years. He was recently able to locate and release the masters from a three-song EP recorded at Columbia College in 1979 and then lost for 30 years -- but Into the Night is the true legacy of Midnight. The end of Midnight came in 1980, when the band chose to stop playing live and focus on writing new material -- this insular existence led to irreplaceable powerhouse drummer Marquart quitting. And with that, the clock struck Midnight on this promising young rock group..."

Fo-Ex

Tracks

1. Train Of Thought (Dave Hill, Rick Goggin) - 4:02

2. Into The Pit - 3:28

3. Crazy Little Mama - 3:24

4. Smoke MY Cigarettes - 3:00

5. Time Will Tell - 6:08

6. Into The Night - 5:04

7. What's The Story - 4:46

8. Future Comes Our Way - 2:31

9. Auto-Kinetic Illusion - 4:06

10.Suicidal Ways - 2:27

All songs by John Falstrom, Scott Marquart, Frank Anastos, Dave Hill except track #1

Midnight

*John Falstrom - Bass Guitar

*Scott Marquart - Drums, Percussion

*Frank Anastos - Guitar, Backing Vocals

*Dave Hill - Keyboards, Lead Vocals

1965-71 The First Three E.P's
1967 Country Joe And The Fish - I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die (2013 digi pack double disc set)
1967 Electric Music For The Mind And Body (2013 double disc remaster)
1968 Together (2005 Remaster)
1969 Live! Fillmore West
1969 Here We Are Again
1970 CJ Fish
1970 Tonight I'm Singing Just For You
1971 Hold On It's Coming
1971 War War War
1973 Paris Sessions
Related

Thursday, April 17, 2025

Country Joe And The Fish - Reunion (1977 us, fine folk psych rock, 2018 remaster)

“Reunion,” released in 1977, constituted a reunion of the 1967 version of Country Joe and the Fish. They wisely didn’t just dip into the old psychedelic well, because that really wasn’t likely to go over in 1977. Instead, they served up a bunch of country rock, some of it quite good (“Stateline Nevada” and “Insufficient Funds” stand out), and one of my favorite Christmas songs ever, “Dirty Claus Rag,” in which Santa steals a Christmas tree because they just don’t grow at the North Pole. The album is fun, and playable, and like most band reunion albums, it fails to capture the magic the band once had. I like it, I’ve had it since about 1979, sometimes I’ll play it — but this is a bunch of guys getting together for old times’ sake, not a rejuvenation. It would be their last album as a group of any sort. Country Joe went on to a long and continuing solo career, Barry Melton became a public defender; sometimes the band still gets together.

Tracks

1. Come to the Reunion (Gary Hirsh) - 3:03

2. Time Flies By (Joe McDonald) - 4:09

3. Stateline, Nevada (Barry Melton) - 2:03

4. Love Is a Mystery (Barry Melton) - 2:04

5. Dirty Claus Rag (Joe McDonald, Barry Melton, Sam Charters, Phil Marsh) - 2:04

6. Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine (Joe McDonald) - 3:25

7. Thunderbird (Joe McDonald) - 3:42

8. Gibson's Song (Instrumental) (David Bennett Cohen) - 3:37

9. No One Can Teach You How to Live (Barry Melton) - 3:16

10.Insufficient Funds (Bruce Barthol, Phil Marsh) - 2:36

11.Dreams (David Bennett Cohen, Richardson) - 2:55

Country Joe And The Fish

*Country Joe McDonald - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Trombone (Track 3), Harmonica (Track 10)

*Barry Melton - Vocals, Electric, Acoustic Guitars, Mandolin, Dobro, Synthesizer (Track 9)

*David Bennett Cohen - Keyboards, Acoustic, Electric Guitars

*Bruce Barthol - Bass, Vocals (Track 10)

*Gary "Chicken" Hirsh - Drums, Percussion, Sandblocks (Track 5)

With

*John Otis - Congas

*Jim Price - Horns

*Bobby Keys - Horns

*Trevor Lawrence - Horns

*Steve Madaio - Horns

*Sam Charters - Jug (Track 5)

1969 Various Artists - Quiet Days In Clichy (2010 remaster)

1970 Barry Melton - Bright Sun Is Shining

1972 Melton Levy And The Dey Brothers - Melton Levy And The Dey Brothers (2001 remaster)

1966-69 Terry Reid - Superlungs / The Complete Studio Recordings (2004 two disc set)

Tuesday, April 15, 2025

Terry Reid - The Other Side of The River (1973 uk, fascinating acid psych bluesy rock with unreleased material, 2016 digipak remaster)

British musician Terry Reid is a relatively unsung legend. With his incredible voice (that earned him the nickname “Superlungs”), spot-on songwriting, and underrated guitar skills, Reid invented new sounds and others followed suit. His 1973 LP, River, is an under-the-radar but deeply loved album. Our special new release, The Other Side Of The River, features all previously unreleased material from the River sessions, including six never-before-heard Reid compositions and five very different alternate takes of tracks from River.

Over the decades, as River went in and out of print, there were rumors of a mythological double album’s worth of unreleased material. The rumors turned out to be true, as the entire album was recorded twice: once with British producer Eddy Offord and again with the legendary Tom Dowd. The sessions captured Reid’s free-associative mix of folk, blues, rock, jazz, bossa-nova, soul, and samba, recalling at times Tim Buckley and Van Morrison, while featuring some remarkable guests including Gilberto Gil on percussion, Ike & Tina Turner’s Ikettes on vocals, and David Lindley, of psych band Kaleidoscope, on violin.

The Other Side Of The River includes songs that even Terry had forgotten – rockers in the style of the River track “Dean,” Latin grooves with percussionist Willie Bobo, and beautifully sparse vocal material not unlike David Crosby’s If Only I Could Remember My Name and John Martyn’s Solid Air.

Reid’s vocal prowess earned him offers to front both Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple, but he turned down both opportunities to carve out a distinctive solo career. Instead, he rocked on the sidelines, ultimately touring with Cream and Fleetwood Mac, writing songs for CSNY, and opening for The Rolling Stones on their 1969 tour. More recently, Terry’s songs have been covered by a number of younger artists including the Raconteurs, and his voice can be heard on DJ Shadow’s track “Listen”. This spring he will be touring the East Coast and U.K. Though his “superlungs” would have no doubt served Zepp well, perhaps his solo status allowed him to be more experimental and nuanced than he would’ve been able to be as a mainstream frontman, and for that we are grateful. The Other Side Of The River stands alone as a fresh and utterly groundbreaking Terry Reid gem.

LITA

Tracks

1. Let's Go Down - 6:51

2. Avenue (F# Boogie) - 6:04

3. Things To Try - 6:30

4. Country Brazilian Funk - 9:14

5. River - 5:55

6. Listen With Eyes - 3:48

7. Anyway - 5:46

8. Celtic Melody - 1:54

9. Funny - 8:06

10.Late Night Idea - 2:22

11.Sabyla - 5:33

All compositions by Terry Reid

Personnel

*Terry Reid - Guitar, Vocals

*Leo Miles - Bass

*Conrad Isidore - Drums

*David Lindley - Steel Guitar, Slide Guitar, Electric Guitar

*Willie Bobo - Percussion

1968-91 Terry Reid - Original Album Series (2015 five discs edition)

1974 Terry Reid - Seed of Memory (2004 remaster)

Monday, April 14, 2025

Billy Gray - Feeling Gray? (1972 uk / italy, primo blues classic rock, with prog touches, 2010 remaster)

It's 1972. Prog has been a reality for a couple of years, but the counterculture is already knocking at the door with its hard, self-conscious sound. Meanwhile, the epigones of post beat and psychedelia are playing their last cards of trustworthiness because from the following year on, that kind of proposal will be less and less accepted by an increasingly militant and less compassionate public. It is therefore in time William Gray, aka Bill, better known as the guitarist of Trip to place for Polydor his first blues rock album “Feeling Gray” which, however, despite the undoubted quality of the product, will not give him much satisfaction.

Bill was born in Kilmarnock, Scotland, in 1947 and at not even 20 years of age already had on his resume a successful 45 recorded for Philips as guitarist for the Anteeks: “I Don't Want You” / “Ball and Chain,” now priced at about 290 pounds.

Settling in London in the spring of 66, he joined David Bowie's The Buzz as a replacement for guitarist John Hutchison, and with them recorded a demo of the single “I dig everything” written by Bowie himself. In The Buzz's version, however, the song never saw the light of day having left then-producer Tony Hatch dissatisfied and he fell back on studio musicians for the release.

The Buzzes nevertheless continued to accompany Bowie live for four more months before the reef, but in September they had to give up on Bill Gray of all people, lured by a tempting offer from our own Ricky Maiocchi, then sojourning in London in search of musicians.

Maiocchi, by the way, had already recruited on bass one Arvid Andersen, a quirky beatnik of Scandinavian descent, and a young guitarist of good hope named Ritchie Blackmore, a longtime friend of Arvid's from the days when they were part of first Neil Christian's Crusaders, then Screamin Lord Sutch & The Savages, and finally the Three Musketeers.

Thus, they lacked a drummer, later found in the figure of Ian Broad (formerly a militant in Rory Storm & The Hurricanes with whom Ringo Starr also played) and another guitarist, who was indeed William Gray. And so, here Maiocchi and the Trip began their Italian adventure.

Maiocchi, however, is very centralizing, and Blackmore, who often steals his thunder, does not like the former Chameleon's constant calls for calm. Ian Broad then turns out to be wretchedly undisciplined and scurrilous. After just three weeks Blackmore and Broad leave, the Trips abandon Maiocchi, recruit Sinnone and Vescovi, and proceed on their way.

Bill Gray, for his part will stay with them for two albums, The Trip and Charon, and then he too will drop out due to supposed differences with Vescovi who, some say, apparently was not exactly a model of democracy. Others murmur instead that Vescovi and Andersen were unhappy with the idea that Gray was working on solo material, but that is part of the gossip.

The fact remains that Billy leaves, a year later he meets former Rokes Shel Shapiro, and before long he is at Regson Studios in Milan recording with four other musicians (including Gian Luigi Pezzera and Shapiro himself) his “Feeling Gray?” nine tracks, half an hour long.

Musically there is not much to say about it: nothing prog, nothing innovative, so really nothing earth-shattering, but on the other hand a very pleasant record, very well played, polished and never banal despite the fact that it is evidently Anglophone blues rock. Between the grooves the experience of the musicians shines through, and even if we wanted to mistakenly consider it a filler or worse an exercise in style it is really worth a listen. Thus, if only and only for the sheer pleasure of the music. And also to evoke once again the great spirit of William, who left really too soon.

The album contains nine tracks, all sung in English, composed by Gray himself, who passed away in 1984.

by John Nicolò Martin

Tracks

1. Harleytown - 3:27

2. Leavin' A Big Town - 3:04

3. Summer Nights - 3:16

4. Falling Off The Edge - 3:06

5. Midnight Swinger - 3:27

6. Writing On The Wall - 3:42

7. Borderline - 3:41

8. Ann - 2:39

9. Blue / Gray - 5:49

All Music and Lyrics by Billy Gray

Musicians

*Billy Gray - Lead Vocal, Lead Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, 12 String Guitar, Slide Guitar

*Adalberto Andreozzi - Guitar

*Roby Favero - Bass

*Gaby Moschini - Drums, Percussion

*Gian Luigi Pezzera - Piano

*Shel Shapiro - Rhythm Guitar, Keyboards

Sunday, April 13, 2025

Bill Quateman - Bill Quateman (1973 us, magnificent folk rock, 2000 remaster)

Bill Quateman (born November 4, 1947, Chicago, Illinois) is an American singer-songwriter. Quateman released four albums in the 1970s and charted with the single “Only Love”, which reached No. 86 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1973.

He started his music career as a singer/songwriter during the 70’s folk music era in Chicago. His first record deal in 1972 was with Clive Davis at Columbia. The album was successful, with two fairly big hits. While working on his second album, the Clive Davis scandal hit Columbia. The new management wanted to go into a different direction than Quateman. He got dropped from Columbia.

He was picked up by RCA years later. The success of the first album couldn’t be recreated. The next three albums did well enough, but not nearly as well as his first. The three albums were heavily produced. His first album was sparse and fit the definition of that singer/songwriter era, the next three were more corporate of the time. Quateman temporarily retired from the music industry to raise his children.

In the 2000s, he reemerged to perform publicly for a brief period. He released the 1973 album (in theory his second album) he worked on at Columbia, and two more albums. He published a book based on raising his daughter as a single parent. He became a health coach and eventually founded a Natural Medicine Company. He is currently the International Director of Advanced Bio Cell.

Tracks

1. My Music - 4:09

2. Circles - 3:58

3. Only Love - 3:02

4. Keep Dreaming - 4:40

5. Only The Bears Are The Same - 3:10

6. Get It Right On Out There - 6:03

7. What Are You Looking For - 4:54

8. Your Love Can Make It Real - 4:57

9. Too Many Mornings - 4:30

Words and Music by Bill Quateman

Personnel

*Bill Quateman - Vocals, Guitar, Piano

*Tom Radtke - Drums

*Sid Sims - Bass

*Clive Anstee - Cello

*Ken Ascher - Keyboards

*Jeffery Brown - Cor Anglais

*Ray Copper - Percussion

*Lesley Duncan - Background Vocals

*Davey Johnstone - Guitar

*Paul Keogh - Guitar

*Caleb Quaye - Guitar

*Denny Seiwell - Drums

*Liza Streik - Background Vocals

Friday, April 11, 2025

Dave Loggins - Apprentice (In A Musical Workshop) (1974 us, wonderful country soft rock, 2006 reissue)

Kenny Loggins' second cousin hit the big time for a couple of months in 1975 with "Please Come to Boston," a serviceable and sentimental soft rock gem from his second album, Apprentice (In a Musical Workshop). Part of the lexicon of harmless '70s singer/songwriters like Dan Fogelberg and James Taylor, Dave Loggins never again regained the momentum spawned by that track, but its appearance on nearly every AM pop compilation illuminates the tune's timelessness. While the rest of Apprentice doesn't deviate from the warm, dull tones of the single -- even the full-on "My Father's Fiddle" and "Girl from Knoxville" sound like the Band-lite -- it's an expertly crafted slice of commercially made diner pie that resonates squarely in the moment and vanishes two steps out of the door.

by James Christopher Monger

Tracks

1. Someday - 3:26

2. My Lover's Keeper - 3:21

3. Second Hand Lady - 3:03

4. Let Me Go Now - 3:00

5. So You Couldn't Get To Me - 2:57

6. Please Come To Boston - 4:07

7. Girl From Knoxville - 2:54

8. Sunset Woman - 5:06

9. My Father's Fiddle - 4:52

10.Wonder'n As The Day Goes By - 3:15

All songs by Dave Loggins

Musicians

*Dave Loggins - Acoustic Guitar, Vocals

*Jerry Carrigan - Drums

*John Guerin - Drums

*Kenny Malone - Drums

*John Raines - Drums

*Larry London - Drums

*Norbert Putnam - Bass

*Lee Sklar - Bass

*Shane Keister - Keyboards, Moog Synthesizer, Piano

*William Smith - Piano

*David Briggs - Piano

*Steve Gibson - Lead Acoustic, Electric Guitar

*Billy Sanford - Electric Guitar

*Mike Noble - Acoustic Guitar

*Mac Gayden - Electric Guitar

*Johnny Gimble - Fiddle

*Byron Bach - Cello

*Al Deleonibus - Accordian

*Weldon Myrick - Steel Guitar

*Shane Keister - Moog

*Farrell Morris - Percussion

*Brenda Gordon - Backing Vocals

*Pat Coulter - Backing Vocals

*Brooks Hunnicutt - Backing Vocals