Monday, November 17, 2025

Blood Sweat And Tears - In Concert (1976 us, exceptional bass jazz rock, 2017 remaster)



The album under consideration here - BLOOD SWEAT AND TEARS LIVE - was originally released in Europe and Japan only in 1976, with the tracks being recorded at four different shows on their 1975 tour, namely the Schaeffer Music Festival in New York City July 5th, 1975; City Hall Plaza in Boston (Recorded on the Record Plant NY Remote Truck), July 20th, 1975; National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, August 11th and 12th 1975; and at the Monterey Jazz Festival in Monterey, California, September 21st 1975. The Columbia / CBS label, which was the bands' recording home since 1967, had developed a marketing ploy for their artists by releasing live recordings outside of the US marketplace as a way of keeping an acts' fanbase supplied with new product - artists such as Donovan, for example released an overseas-only Live in Japan set, and, in one notable example, the Cheap Trick Live At The Budokan live album, initially only available as an expensive Japanese import release ended up becoming the album that would seal their domestic commercial breakthrough. The Blood Sweat and Tears album would not get a release States-side until 1991, under the title Live and Improvised.

The BST personnel on this album is close to that of their 1975 studio release, New City, and comprises David Clayton- Thomas (lead vocals), Bobby Colomby (drums, backing vocals), David Bargeron (trombone, tuba, percussion, backing vocals), Larry Willis (keyboards, backing vocals), Bill Tillman (saxophone, flute, backing vocals), Anthony Klatka (trumpet, backing vocals), Joe Giorgianni (trumpet, backing vocals), Steve Khan (Guitar, backing vocals - at Schaeffer Music Festival and City Hall Plaza recordings), George Wadenius (guitar, backing vocals at National Arts Centre recordings), Mike Stern (guitar, backing vocals at Monterrey Jazz festival recordings), Ron McClure (bass), and Don Alias (Percussion, backing vocals). The album was produced by Colomby and executive producer Jimmy lenner. lenner had made something of a reputation for himself as a producer for Capitol Records acts such as The Raspberries, Grand Funk Railroad, and later The Bay City Rollers, Air Supply and others, as well as the multi- million selling soundtrack to the global smash Dirty Dancing, in 1987.

Opening with 'Spinning Wheel', which includes a typically impassioned lead vocal from Clayton-Thomas, the band also work into the song arrangement a fine instrumental interlude, with walking bass, trumpet, trombone and tenor sax solos, which really shows the kind of high-quality musical chops that this variant of BST had at their disposal.

'I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know' is an Al Kooper opus, and it's blessed here with a vocal of real subtle soulfulness and commendable restraint by Clayton Thomas, that vocal complemented by a fine horn arrangement. Again, though, its inclusion serves to illustrate that, eight years and seven albums since their debut, the band were still mining material from the Al Kooper era in their live shows.

'And When I Die' another one of the bands' excursions into the songbook of Laura Nyro, is dusted off and rendered in sprightly fashion here, even giving Bill Bargeron an extended tuba solo (which is not something a sleeve note writer often  gets to mention), and it segues into 'One Room Country Shack', an opus from the pen of John Lee Hooker. From the just-released New City album, it opens with a blast of fruity, under-the-floor tuba from Bargeron, with an appropriately raw-throated vocal from Clayton-Thomas, a bluesy interlude that morphs seamlessly back into 'And When I Die'. Clayton-Thomas takes a break whilst the band breeze though the Chick Corea penned instrumental, '(I Can Recall) Spain', which has the BST ensemble inhabit Jazz- Fusion terrain with genuine instrumental virtuosity.

'Hi-De-Ho (That Old Sweet Roll)', penned by Carole King and Jerry Goffin, is a Gospel-coloured workout that is tailor- made for Clayton-Thomas' soulful pipes, but the band also turn in Yeoman service with a steady-rolling backup throughout. Clayton-Thomas also gets the audience to indulge in a bit of call-and response to great effect, the song having been a hit single culled from their third album. Another lengthy instrumental excursion, the eleven-minute 'Unit Seven', is introduced as a tribute to the-then recently deceased Julian 'Cannonball' Adderley (he passed away on August 8th, 1975). 'Life', which was also taken from the New City album, was written by Allen Toussaint, and its strutting funk and massed backing vocals make for a neat shifting of musical gears. 'Mean Ole World', (penned by Jerry LaCroix, who had replaced vocalist Clayton-Thomas when he left (albeit temporarily) the band in 1972), is another tough funk offering, with an enviably tight rhythm section providing some great bedrock for the band to do their stuff on top.

'Ride Captain Ride'was also from the freshly-released New City, and is a cover of a 1970 hit by the band Blues Image. Perhaps at six-minutes plus, it overstays its welcome, but there's no doubting its fine, punchy arrangement and gutsy vocal. Closing proceedings is another BST smash, their incisive take of 'You've Made Me So Very Happy', penned by Berry Gordy and Brenda Holloway, it rounds off a satisfying and varied set neatly.

Blood, Sweat & Tears would record one more album for the Columbia CBS label, More Than Ever, released in July, 1976, but their commercial moment had long since passed, as Disco came to the fore, rendering BST's take on old School Blue Eyed Soul and Funk redundant, sales-wise.

Removed from the critical milieu of the time, BST can be enjoyed as purveyors of superior adult-orientated pop. Back in the mid-1990s, the music industry indulged in a brief nostalgic flirtation with middle-of-the-road pop sounds, 'Easy' listening, and then morphed into the 'Guilty Pleasures' scene, where appreciation for light pop sounds as purveyed by the likes of Andy Williams and other caramel-voiced crooners saw a renewed appreciation for the likes of BST. Back in the early seventies, the likes of 'Spinning Wheel', 'And When I Die' and 'You've Made Me So Very Happy' became staples of popular Light Entertainment shows, and the cheesy appeal fed into the kitsch values of the 'Easy' 1990s scene.

In the end, the best of Blood, Sweat and Tears music, removed from the febrile atmosphere of its initial creation, easily stands up to contemporary scrutiny. This live double set celebrates both their commercial and musical innovation, and its reappearance is both enjoyable and welcome.
by Alan Robinson, September 2017
Tracks
Disc 1 
1.Spinning Wheel (David Clayton-Thomas) - 5:57
2.I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know (Al Kooper) - 8:56
3.Lucretia MacEvil (David Clayton-Thomas) - 7:11
4.And When I Die (Laura Nyro) - 6:28
5.One Room Country Shack (John Lee Hooker) - 2:42
6.And When I Die (Reprise) (Laura Nyro) - 3:06
7.(I Can Recall) Spain (Al Jarreau, Chick Corea, Joaquín Rodrigo) - 9:01
Disc 2 
1.Hi-De-Ho "That Old Sweet Roll" (Carole King, Gerald Goffin) - 6:33
2.Unit Seven (Sam Jones) - 11:03
3.Life (Allen Toussaint) - 5:19
4.Mean Ole World (Jerry Lacroix) - 9:44
5.Ride Captain Ride (Frank Konte, Carlos Pinera) - 6:29
6.You've Made Me So Very Happy (Berry Gordy, Jr., Brenda Holloway, Frank Wilson, Patrice Holloway) - 6:42

Blood Sweat And Tears
*David Clayton-Thomas - Lead Vocals
*Bobby Colomby - Drum, Background Vocals
*Dave Bargeron - Trombone, Tuba, Percussion, Background Vocals
*Larry Willis - Keyboards, Background Vocals
*Bill Tillman - Saxophone, Flute, Background Vocals
*Anthony Klatka - Trumpet, Background Vocals
*Joe Giorgianni - Trumpet, Background Vocals
*Steve Khan - Guitar, Background Vocals (At Schaeffer Music Festival; City Hall Plaza)
*Georg Wadenius - Guitar, Background Vocals (At The National Arts Centre)
*Mike Stern - Guitar, Background Vocals (At Monterey Jazz Festival)
*Ron McClure - Bass
*Don Alias - Percussion, Background Vocals


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Sunday, November 16, 2025

Mood Jga Jga - Mood Jga Jga (1974 canada, splendid funky brass rock, 2024 korean remaster)



Mood Jga Jga formed in 1971 in Winnipeg, Manitoba just after Greg Leskiw had left The Guess Who. Greg and Gord Osland signed Hermann Fruhm after just six days of starting the band. The name Mood Jga Jga came from Gord Osland's son Sam, who mumbled the words while Osland and Leskiw were under the influence. Sam Osland went onto play with Vancouver indie band Imbrue Huzza, who released a cassette in 1993.

Mood Jga Jga features the fine writing of Greg Leskiw and is the finest funky jazz country blues rock album ever released in the province of Manitoba. The music is timeless. It could have been released last year, or 10 years ago, or 20 years ago, and you wouldn't know it. The song "Turn Around" was on the Canada Gold LP compilation in the mid-seventies.

Mood Jga Jga gathered again in 1991 and made a recording for a CBC compilation Variety Recordings 6 on CBC VRCD 1006 (Gimme My Money/ Fine Time/ If You Ever Leave Me/ Sensible Lover/ Better Place, Better Time/ Why? Why? Why?). They re-isssued their album privately on CD, with the help of k.d. lang's manager Larry Wanagas, in 1994 in a limited pressing of 1000 copies. They re-formed a few times afterwards, appearing at The Winnipeg Folk and Jazz Festivals. They also got together again in 1997 and released "Boys Will be Boys", pressed privately on MJJ 0001 (Sensible Lover - Krautsuppe Song/ Better Place Better Time/ Dancing With Comrade I/ Boys Will Be Boys/ It's Gonna Get Better/ Desert Rain/ Herm's Toon/ Ma Cherie/ Forgive Him/ Dancing With Comrade II/ Be My Champion/ Interlude/ Universal Blues). That album was dedicated to the late and great Dianne Heatherington.
by Robert Williston
Tracks
1. Queen Jealousy - 2:48
2. Only A Fool In Love (Greg Leskiw, Herman Fruhm) - 3:11
3. River Bank (Bill Merritt, Greg Leskiw) - 3:42
4. Daybreak - 3:26
5. Kill The Hangman - 4:38
6. Come And See Me Here My Friend - 4:14
7. Nowhere To Go - 3:02
8. Gimme My Money - 3:55
9. I Am What I Am What I Am - 4:44
All songs written by Greg Leskiw except where stated

Mood Jga Jga 
*Greg Leskiw - Guitar And Vocals
*Herman Fruhm - Guitar
*Bill Merritt - Bass
*Gord Osland - Drums

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Thursday, November 13, 2025

Brunning Sunflower Blues Band - Bullen St. Blues • Trackside Blues (1968-69 UK, vibrant blues rock, 2002 remaster)



The Brunning Sunflower Blues Band was the part-time British blues-rock outfit led by former Fleetwood Mac bassist Bob Brunning and blues pianist Bob Hall. A founding member of Fleetwood Mac, Brunning kept a low profile after having been let go by Peter Green once John McVie was free of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. He worked briefly with Savoy Brown and became a schoolteacher, but still found time -- with Hall and their Sunflower Blues Band -- to release four albums: 1968's Bullen Street Blues, 1969's Trackside Blues (featuring Green), 1970's I Wish You Would, and 1971's The Brunning/Hall Sunflower Blues Band. The group reconvened in the '80s as the Deluxe Blues Band, and the bandmembers often served as backup players for stateside blues musicians touring England. Trackside Blues and I Wish You Would were re-released on Appaloosa in 2000. Brunning continues to be involved in blues music and study, delivering lectures on the topic from time to time. 
by Chris True
Tracks
1.Gone Back Home (Peter French) - 4:06
2.Hit That Wine - 2:33
3.Bullen Street Blues - 4:03
4.No Idea - 2:36
5.Shout Your Name And Call It - 2:07
6.Take Your Hands Off Me - 2:32
7.'Fore Time Began (Peter French) - 5:29
8.Something Tells Me - 3:09
9.Big Belly Blues - Gone Back Home - 4:06
10.Sunflower Boogie - 3:29
11.Rockin' Chair - 2:26
12.Ride With Your Daddy Tonight (Scotty Moore) - 3:32
13.Tube Train Blues - 3:19
14.Sunflower Shuffle - 3:14
15.Simple Simon - 2:15
16.I Met This Bird In Playboy - 2:33
17.(Ah! Soul) Uranus Part 1 - 2:35
18.It Takes Time (Otis Rush) - 3:33
19.Baby You're The Real Thing (Colin Jordan) - 3:02
20.If You Let Me Love You (B.B. King, Sam Ling) - 7:00
21.North Star (Colin Jordan) - 2:57
22.Closing Hours - 3:10
23.Uranus Part 2 - 3:25
Songs 2,3,6,9,11,13,15,16,22,23 written by Bob Brunning
Songs 4,5,8,10,14, written by Bob Hall

Brunning Sunflower Blues Band
*Bob Brunning - Bass, Vocals
*Bob Hall - Piano
*Colin Jordan - Guitar, Vocals
*Peter Fench - Vocals (Tracks 1-11)
*Jeff Russell - Drums (Tracks 1-11)
*Pete Banham - Drums (Tracks 12-23)
With 
*Peter Green - Guitar, Vocals (Tracks 12,15,17,18,20)

Related Acts

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Tuesday, November 11, 2025

Steve Hillage - Fish Rising (1975 uk, fascinating canterbury prog space rock, 2007 remaster and expanded)



After departing Gong in 1975, Steve Hillage followed the same route as everyone else, by making a solo album. He enlisted some Gong colleagues -- bassist Mike Howlett, saxophonist Didier Malherbe, and drummer Pierre Moerlen -- and augmented them with others from his Canterbury scene past, keyboard player Dave Stewart (the two had played together at the beginning of the decade) and Henry Cow's Lindsay Cooper. The result, apart from revealing a slightly unhealthy obsession with fish (at least a change from Gong's pot head pixies) is a Canterbury musical delight, even if the lyrics are chock-full of hippie-dippy sentiment. 

There are plenty of complex time changes, easily and smoothly handled by the musicians, and while Hillage doesn't contribute as many solos as admirers of his style might wish, he does use layers of guitar to create some wonderful textures and harmonies. This is, in fact, a very sophisticated record, with interesting arrangements and some innovative production -- a harbinger of Hillage's future career behind the boards. On the few occasions he does unleash the fretwork, it's quite glorious, with his trademark echo letting the notes trail like a comet's tail. He doesn't need to prove he's the fast gun in town, simply one with plenty of invention. The real emphasis is on band arrangements and those multi-part compositions that were an indelible part of the prog '70s (as in the pretentiously titled "Solar Musick Suite"). However, pomposity is carefully avoided, and the musicians bring enough of their own personalities to the party, especially Malherbe. As a solo debut it's a success, taking the qualities of Hillage's previous gigs on board, but making the final product his own. It might be fishy, but it certainly doesn't stink.
bt Chris Nickson
Tracks
1. Solar Musick Suite: - 16:55
 - A Sun Song I Love Its Holy Mystery - 6:15
 - B Canterbury Sunrise - 3:25
 - C Hiram Afterglid Meets The Dervish - 4:05
 - D Sun Song - 3:10
2. Fish - 1:23
3. Meditation Of The Snake - 3:10
4. The Salmon Song: - 8:45
 - A Salmon Pool - 1:17
 - B Solomon's Atlantis Salmon - 2:08
 - C Swimming With The Salmon - 1:37
 - D King Of The Fishes - 3:43
5. Aftaglid: - 14:46
 - A Sun Moon Surfing - 1:36
 - B The Great Wave And The Boat Of Hermes - 1:51
 - C The Silver Ladder - 0:40
 - D Astral Meadows - 2:01
 - E The Lafta Yoga Song - 2:42
 - F Glidding - 2:23
 - G The Golden Vibe/Outglib - 3:33
6. Pentagrammaspin - 7:46
7. Aftaglid - 13:00
All compositions by Steve Hillage, Miquette Giraudy
Bonus Tracks 6,7

Personnel
*Steve Hillage - Lead Vocals, Electric Guitar
*Tim Blake - Synthesizers, Tamboura
*Christian Boule - Electric Guitar
*Lindsay Cooper - Bassoon
*Miquette Giraudy - Keyboards, Synths
*Mike Howlett - Bass
*Didier Malherbe - Sax, Flute
*Pierre Moerlen - Drums, Marimba, Darbuka
*Gilli Smyth - Vocals, Bells
*Dave Stewart - Organ, Piano


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Sunday, November 9, 2025

Gypsy - Unlock The Gates (1973 us, groovy funky rockin')



Judging by the cover art, liner notes and some of the song titles I initially wondered if I’d purchase a secular album (of course I didn’t immediately notice the guy on the cover holding a copy of Rolling Stone).  I owned a couple of the earlier Gypsy LPs and they weren’t religiously-themed, but people change all the time …  

Co-produced by Jack Richardson and Jim Mason, 1973’s “Unlock the Gates” was easily the band’s most conventional set.  Largely written by lead singer/guitarist Enrico Rosenbaum (singer/guitarist James Johnson and keyboardist James Walsh also contributing material), selections like ‘Is That News?’, the title track and 'Bad Whore (The Machine)’ would have sounded perfect slotted into mid-1970s top-40 radio (okay the latter title might have been a problem for commercial radio).  Unfortunately while highly commercial, material like ‘One Step Away’ and ‘Need You Baby’ came at the expense of the band’s identity.  Anyone expecting to hear more of the pseudo-progressive moves found on earlier sets was going to be thoroughly disappointed.  To be honest, much of the set could have easily been mistaken for Ambrosia (‘Make Peace with Jesus’), The Doobie Brothers, etc.  That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially if you were into commercial 1970s rock.  ‘Bad Whore (The Machine)’ and the funky (yes, funky) ‘Don’t Get Mad (Get Even)’ were particularly impressive.  Perhaps not good news to some folks, but the core of Chicago’s horn section (Lee Loughname, James Pankow, and Walter Pazaider) provided supported on a number of tracks.   

An odd mixture of progressive and yacht rock moves, 'Make Peace with Jesus' sounded like David Pack and Ambrosia tune,  No idea if they were being sincere with the song's non-secular lyrics, but it gets a nod as one of the LP's  standout performances which probably explains why it was released as a single. Penned by James Walsh, 'One Step Away' was a smooth AOR ballad that sounded like it had been stolen out of the Ambrosia songbook.  Very commercial, this one sounded like it had been written specifically for radio airplay. It sounded strange, but the band's white-boys funk-meets-jazz-rock mash-up 'Bad Whore (The Machine)' somehow worked.  Yeah, the discordant horn section at the end of the song was a waste of time, but the rest of the sound actually had a decent groove. Bless 'Don’t Get Mad (Get Even)' for at least giving drummer Bill Lordan five seconds of spotlight time ...   The album's best performance, this one had everything going for it - catchy, funky melody, more of those silky smooth group harmonies, and even a short taste of James Walsh's keyboards
by Scott R.Blackerby, March, 2024
Tracks 
1. Is That News? (Enrico Rosenbaum, James C. Johnson) – 3:17 
2. Make Peace With Jesus (Enrico Rosenbaum, James Walsh) – 3:17 
3. One Step Away (James Walsh) – 3:12
4. Bad Whore (The Machine) – 2:50
5. Unlock the Gates – 3:41
6. Join It – 2:48
7. Need You Baby – 3:06 
8. Smooth Operator – 3:21
9. Don't Get Mad (Get Even) – 3:16 
10.Precious One (James C. Johnson) – 4:20 
All songs by Enrico Rosenbaum except where stated

Gypsy
*Enrico Rosenbaum - Guitar, Vocals 
*James Walsh - Keyboards, Vocals 
*James C. Johnson - Guitar, Vocals 
*William Lordan - Drums 
*Randall Cates - Bass, Vocals 
With
*Walter Parazaider - Saxophone (Tracks 1,4,6,7)
*James Pankow - Trombone (Tracks 1,4,6,7) 
*Lee Loughnane - Trumpet (Tracks 1,4,6,7)


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Thursday, November 6, 2025

West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band - Where's My Daddy? (1969 us, splendid psychedelia, 2011 edition)



This is the fifth album by psych legends The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band. Recorded shortly after this legendary Californian psychedelic band had left Reprise (where they'd made three classics), this oddity is more pop-based than their previous efforts, though the eccentric influence of frontman Bob Markley is still strong. Released in the summer of 1969, it sold poorly and hasn't been widely heard since.
Tracks
1. Where's My Daddy? - 2:07
2. Where Money Rules Everything - 1:53
3. Hup Two! Hup Two! - 1:50
4. My Dog Back Home - 3:11
5. Give Me Your Love Thing - 3:45
6. Outside/Inside - 2:23
7. Everyone's Innocent Daughter - 2:23
8. Free As A Bird - 2:00
9. Not One Bummer - 1:20
10.Have You Met My Pet Pig - 2:03
11.Coming Of Age In LA - 2:38
12.Two People - 2:17
Songs 1,2,11 written by Michael Lloyd, Bob Markley
Songs 3,4 written by Danny Harris, Bob Markley
Songs 5-10,12 written by Shaun Harris, Bob Markley

The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band
*Bob Markley - Vocals
*Danny Harris - Guitar, Vocals
*Shaun Harris - Bass, Guitar, Vocals
With
*Hal Blaine - Drums
*Ron Morgan - Guitar
*Michael Lloyd - Guitar, Vocals


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Mad Curry - Mad Curry (1970 belgium, superb progressive rock with jazz glances, 2013 bonus tracks remaster)



Machiavel might be Belgium's best known and most successful progressive rock band, but they weren't the first.

Probably the earliest band from that country playing this kind of music is Mad Curry, who released a single called "Antwerp", and then a self-entitled album, both in 1970 on the small Pirates label, meaning LP copies aren't likely to float around, and a legitimate CD reissue hasn't surfaced.

The band came from Antwerp, which is in the nothern half of the country (where the Flemish variety of Dutch is spoken). The band included female vocalist Viona Westra, who sounds remarkably like Curved Air's Sonja Kristina, with saxist Joosk Geeraerts (apparently also known as Giorgio Chitschenko), organist Danny Rousseau, bassist Jean Andore (or Vandooren), and drummer Eddy Kane (or Verdonck).

Notice they don't have a guitarist. Despite the band being Belgian, they stick to a British style of jazzy progressive rock.

Really, Mad Curry is truly one of the great, lost gems of progressive rock. This is simply an incredible collection of music, with some really creative drumming from Eddy Kane, and some killer organ work from Danny Rousseau.

This one of those progressive rock albums that isn't particularly pretentious (for those who run at the thought of this kind of music), as they tend to borrow more from jazz than classical. The music is really full of great twists like on "Beauty", "Music, the Reason for Our Happiness", and "Longhaired Children in a Cave".

"The Worker" is a real interesting one where it the keyboard heard sounds like a cross between a piano and harpsichord. While vocals are largely from Viona Westra, one of the guys (not sure who) do actually share vocal duties on "Beauty" (a song with reference to sex) and he reminds me of the Amon D??l II male vocalist.

Frequently Mad Curry gets compared to Soft Machine and Julian's Treatment, which is understandable, the Soft Machine comparison coming from the jazzy nature of the music, and Julian's Treatment for the female vocals and Hammond organ.

Other groups I get reminded of are Affinity, Catapilla, and even Curved Air (thanks to Viona Westra sounding like Sonja Kristina, which means if you like Sonja's vocals, you'll have little problem warming up to Viona's vocals, although like Sonja, she is an acquired taste).

Really, had Mad Curry been British, they'd likely end up on the Vertigo label, as it's very much in the vein of the more jazzy progressive albums on that label.

But since they were Belgian, they ended up on the Pirates label. Remember, in Belgium, the progressive rock scene hadn't been as so well represented as the progressive rock scenes in the countries that surround it (Netherlands, France, Germany), but Belgium had their share of groups worth your time, and if you're a fan of those British groups I mentioned, I really think you can't go wrong with Mad Curry. I was simply blown away from the first listen! 
by Ben Miler
Tracks
1.Men - 4:08
2.Big Ben - 4:53
3.Beauty - 3:31
4.Music, The Reason Of Our Happiness - 4:05
5.Jack Is Away - 5:17
6.5 Longhair Children In A Cave - 3:52
7.The Worker - 3:48
8.Sound For Tomorrow  (Giorgio Chitschenko) - 3:16
9.Antwerp - 2:57
10.Song For Cathreen - 2:26
All titles by Viona Westra, Giorgio Chitschenko except where noted

Mad Curry
*Viona Westra - Vocals, Percussion
*Giorgio Chitschenko (Joosk Geeraerts) - Varitone Saxophone
*Danny Rousseau - Keyboards, Sounds
*Jean Andore (Vandooren)  - Bass
*Eddy Kane (Verdonck) - Drums

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Wednesday, November 5, 2025

Spirit Of John Morgan - Age Machine (1970 uk, excellent psych classic rock)



These devout blues rockers' second helping of psychedelic blues appeared in 1970 with confident swagger underpinned by the relative success of their self-titled debut LP from 1969. Mervyn Conn's Carnaby outlet was itself confident enough to issue the band's second installment of brooding blues to a marketplace that was becoming swamped with mega-stars and progressive pomp. Spirit Of John Morgan's affinity with Graham Bond is clearly evident throughout the songwriting and performances that signify the band's innovative approach and musical prowess. Digitally remastered with analytical liners and rare photos detailing the band's success and eventual demise, the Spirit Of John Morgan is being kept well and truly alive with this celebratory reissue of a significant and true lost classic. Includes a bonus track.
F/F
Tracks
1. Age Machine - 3:35
2. No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed (Richie Havens) - 5:34
3. Friend Of Jesus (James Edward Stewart) - 2:46
4. Golden Rollin' Belly - 2:28
5. Never Let Go - 3:11
6. Lost Nirvana - 4:56
7. Seventh Dawn - 3:53
8. Won't You Come Home - 2:28
9. Mumbo Jumbo - 4:27
10.Putney Breakdown - 2:10
11.The Floating Opera Show (Georg Hultgreen) - 2:55
All songs written by John Morgan except where stated
Bonus Track 11

The Spirit of John Morgan
*John Morgan - Organ, Piano, Vocals
*Mick Walter - Drums, Percussion, Vocals
*Don "Fagin" Whitaker - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Phil Shutt (Phil Curtis) - Bass
*Trev Thoms - Guitar


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Monday, November 3, 2025

The Hollies - Romany (1972 uk / sweden, wonderful folkish classic rock, 2014 japan SHM remaster and expanded)



The group's follow-up album to a pair of hit singles ("Long Cool Woman," "Long Dark Road") tries for the harder sound that sold those singles. Romany's cover art deliberately recalls its immediate predecessor Distant Light, but otherwise the two albums are rather dissimilar. For starters, this is the album that the group cut during the short-lived tenure of Mikael Rickfors as lead singer -- he's more of a weighty, David Clayton-Thomas type singer than Allan Clarke was, much more of a hard-rock crooner, as is evident on the version of David Ackles' "Down River" and the self-consciously heavy rocker "Slow Down." Tony Hicks and Terry Sylvester make a valiant effort to meld their harmonies into the familiar Hollies mode, and succeed on songs such as "Delaware Taggett and the Outlaw Boys" and "Jesus Was a Crossmaker," though apart from "Magic Woman Touch," most of this album's original first side lacks the memorable hooks, melodies, or tempos needed for hit material. 

There are tunes worth discovering, however, for anyone who has never heard this album. The title track, although it was too moody and arty to ever become a hit, could be the prettiest song to come from the group after the 1960s; the Tony Hicks co-authored "Blue in the Morning" has a hard-edged, crisp, economical guitar part reminiscent of "Long Dark Road"; and "Courage of Your Convictions" seems to be a conscious attempt at emulating the sound of "Long Cool Woman." The playing and singing are impressive, and these are solid album tracks, if not necessarily chart-topping material. 
by Bruce Eder
Tracks
1. Won't We Feel Good That Morning (Billy Day, Mike Leslie) - 3:23
2. Touch (Mikael Rickfors) - 5:11
3. Words Don't Come Easy (Colin Jennings) - 3:42
4. Magic Woman Touch (Colin Jennings, Garth Watt-Roy) - 3:17
5. Lizzy and the Rainman (Larry Henley, Kenny O'Dell) - 3:19
6. Down River (David Ackles) - 4:08
7. Slow Down (Billy Day, Mike Leslie) - 2:53
8. Delaware Taggett and the Outlaw Boys (Colin Jennings) - 3:08
9. Jesus Was a Cross Maker (Judee Sill) - 3:46
10.Romany (Colin Jennings) - 5:24
11.Blue in the Morning (Kenny Lynch, Tony Hicks) - 3:19
12.Courage of Your Convictions (Alan Rush, Randy Cullers) - 3:35
13.The Baby (Chip Taylor) - 3:53
14.Oh Granny (Terry Sylvester) - 2:41
15.Indian Girl (Terry Sylvester) - 3:18
16.I Had A Dream (Terry Sylvester) - 3:32
17.Magic Woman Touch (Colin Jennings, Garth Watt-Roy) - 4:02
18.If It Wasn't For The Reason That I Love You (Roger Cook, Roger Greenaway) - 3:17
19.Papa Rain (Colin Jennings) - 4:04
20.Witchy Woman (Don Henley, Bernie Leadon) - 3:37
21.Oh Granny (Terry Sylvester) - 2:41

The Hollies
*Mickael Rickfors - Lead Vocals
*Bernie Calvert - Bass
*Bobby Elliott - Drums, Percussion 
*Tony Hicks - Guitar, Vocals 
*Terry Sylvester - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals 
*Allan Clarke - Vocals (Track 14)


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Sunday, November 2, 2025

The Hollies - Distant Light (1971 uk, fine folk classic rock, 2014 japan SHM bonus tracks remaster)



Released in 1972, Distant Light provided the first signs of The Hollies’ brief foray into hard rock territory. It included “Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress,” which many people feel is atypical of The Hollies’ classic blend of fresh harmonies and catchy melodies. But the song worked out fine, as did most of the other tracks on this sadly overlooked album. Surprisingly, lead vocalist Allan Clarke, who co-wrote the song and played its now famous rolling guitar intro, departed to pursue a solo career prior to the album’s release.

Not that Distant Light came on like a whole lotta Led Zeppelin, but even long-time fans had to be pleasantly shocked to hear guitarist Tony Hicks cutting loose during the final minutes of “Promised Land,” a powerful anti-war song he co-wrote with non-band member Kenny Lynch. “You Know The Score,” written by Clarke and rhythm guitarist-harmony vocalist Terry Sylvester, sets its lament of “Death and destruction/We’ve got to change it now, Lord only knows how” to a hard-hitting arrangement. “Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress” with its Creedence Clearwater Revival style chugging guitar, would go on to be an FM radio staple, and lately, a gasoline commercial.

“Long Dark Road,” the other hit single from the album, was an appealing mid-tempo gem built on acoustic guitar, soaring harmonies, and Clarke’s high energy harmonica playing. Distant Light also had some gorgeous pop, particularly “Cable Car,” “To Do With Love,” and “Little Thing Like Love,” which sounded like vintage Elton John. “Pull Down The Blind,” Sylvester’s sarcastic look at heartache, and “Hold On,” Clarke’s rollicking tale of a one-night stand gone wrong, added even more flavor.

The Hollies would delve further into hard rock on the next album, Romany with new singer Mikael Rickfors, but by the time Clarke returned to the fold for a self-titled effort featuring “The Air That I Breathe,” they had pretty much abandoned the approach. Still, Distant Light stands as one of the most consistent efforts of The Hollies’ post Graham Nash era.
by Terry Flamm, February 5, 2013
Tracks
1. What A Life I've Led - 3:55
2. Look What We've Got - 4:06
3. Hold On (Allan Clarke) - 4:05
4. Pull Down The Blind (Terry Sylvester) - 3:27
5. To Do With Love - 3:25
6. Promised Land - 4:18
7. Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress (Allan Clarke, Roger Cook, Roger Greenaway) - 3:16
8. You Know The Score (Terry Sylvester, Allan Clarke) - 5:35
9. Cable Car (Terry Sylvester) - 4:21
10.A Little Thing Like Love (Allan Clarke, Tony Macaulay) - 3:18
  11.Long Dark Road - 4:15
12.I Can't Tell The Bottom From The Top (Guy Fletcher, Doug Flett) - 3:42
13.Mad Professor Blyth (Allan Clarke) - 2:15
14.Gasoline Alley Bred (Roger Cook, Roger Greenaway, Tony Macaulay) - 3:54
15.Dandelion Wine (Tony Hicks) - 2:42
16.Hey Willy (Allan Clarke, Roger Cook, Roger Greenaway) - 3:28
17.Row The Boat Together (Allan Clarke) - 2:19
18.Cable Car (Terry Sylvester) - 4:21
19.I Can't Tell the Bottom from the Top (Guy Fletcher, Doug Flett) - 3:50
Songs 1,2,5,6,11 written by Tony Hicks, Kenny Lynch

The Hollies
*Bernie Calvert - Bass
*Allan Clarke - Vocals
*Bobby Elliott - Drums, Percussion 
*Tony Hicks - Guitar, Vocals 
*Terry Sylvester - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals 
With
*Gary Brooker - Organ And Piano (Track 11)
*Mick Abrahams - Pedal-Steel Guitar (Track 1)
*Jim Jewell - Saxophone
*Madeline Bell, Doris Troy, Liza Strike - Backing Vocals (Track 1)
*John Scott - Arrangements, Conductor

Related Act

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Saturday, November 1, 2025

Royal Aircoach - Open Up Your Mind (1968 us, fascinating garage psych rock, 2022 remaster)



Gargantuan, untamed riffs initiate an extinction-level event in your ear canal with this staggering platter of soundwave plowing ‘60s thunder. Royal Aircoach created a teenage riot all over the northeast, with a lone 45 as the only recorded evidence of their sonic sedition. But the arrival of Open Up Your Mind turns the Royal Aircoach rap sheet from a single charge to a floor-length list of crimes against complacency! On colored vinyl!

“I liked it loud and buzzy,” says guitarist Bobby Greene about the ruckus he kicked up with Royal Aircoach in the late ‘60s. For a couple of precious years, the Topsfield, MA band created a teenage riot all over the northeast, and were expanding their minds and their sound with tracks like the eight-minute metaphysical epic “Death Of Man.” Greene remembers, “We probably had smoked a couple of joints and we started having this philosophical talk about how man was destroying himself.” The weed-enhanced skull session led to a slowly unfolding epic awash in fuzzed-out guitar riffs and spooky organ frills, with Connolly on incantatory vocals.

“We were listening to ‘Hey Jude,’ recalls Greene. “Somebody broke the rule, ‘Okay, your song doesn’t have to be two minutes and 58 seconds.’” When Royal Aircoach unspooled the outsized tune in concert, its headiness was underscored by a DIY fog machine that was basically a batch of liquid nitrogen and a vacuum cleaner set on reverse.
by Jim Allen
Tracks
1. Wrapped Up In Your Mind - 2:59
2. Wondering Why (Alan Gagnon, Ed Goodoak, Robert Greene) - 2:59
3. Webs Of Love (Jeffrey Skinner, Robert Greene) - 3:38
4. When I Return (Robert Greene) - 7:23
5. Lies Ain't Right - 2:20
6. Waking Skies - 2:33
7. Wax Theory - 2:36
8. Looking Out (Robert Greene) - 2:45
9. Death of Man (Mark K. Connelly, Robert Greene) - 7:53 
Songs 1,5,6,7 written by Ed Goodoak, Robert Greene

Royal Aircoach
*Alan Gagnon - Bass
*Gil Van Geyte - Drums
*Jeffrey Skinner - Lead Vocals (Tracks 1,3,6)
*Mark K. Connelly - Organ (Tracks 1,4-9), Lead Vocals (Track 9)
*Robert Greene - Guitar, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals (Tracks 4,5,7,8)
*Rick Noon - Rhythm Guitar (Tracks 2,3)
*Mike Saulnier - Organ (Tracks 2,3)

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Friday, October 31, 2025

Stan Webb's Chicken Shack - The Creeper (1978 uk, awesome funky blues rock, 2002 remaster)



"The Creeper" is a 1978 blues-rock album by Stan Webb's Chicken Shack. It was recorded in late 1977 and released in 1978 on the Ariola record label. This is maybe Chicken Shack's hardest rccking album, with Stan Webb sharng much of the song writing with Robbie Blunt.

Produced by Tony Ashton, who also contributed on keyboards. The bassist Paul Martinez had previously collaborated with Tony Ashton in P.A.L. release, he also was a member raw rock band Hackensack, drummer Ed Spevock had worked with Babe Ruth, Pete Brown's Piblokto! and The Alan Ross Band, Robbie Blunt, who plays the guitar was in that rather cool band Bronco featuring the great Jess Roden, is involved. The acoustic version of the classic “Stop Knocking My Door” is truly moving. This fine work showcases Stan's excellent form during this period. 
Tracks
1. The Creeper - 3:36
2. Delilah - 4:08
3. Riding With The Devil - 3:52
4. Think (Don D. Robey, Jimmy McCracklin, Deadric Malone) - 2:14
5. Stop Knocking My Door (Stan Webb) - 4:53
6. Blue Vein - 3:58
7. It's Easy If You're Lonely - 4:57
8. The Guitar Playing Derelict - 4:14
9. Dr. Brown (Buster Brown) - 3:00
10.Red Haired Lady (Stan Webb) - 3:16
Songs 1-3,6-8 written by Stan Webb, Robbie Blunt

Chicken Shack
*Dave Winthorp - Tenor, Soprano Saxes
*Stan Webb - Guitars, Vocals
*Robbie Blunt - Guitars
*Edd Spevock - Drums
*Paul Martinez - Bass Guitar
*Tony Ashton - Keyboards


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Wednesday, October 29, 2025

Next - Dusty Shoes (1971 canada, hard goovy rock)



The Winnipeg quintet (singer George Belanger, guitarist Ralph Watts and organist James Grabowski, with Brian Sellar and Al Johnson handling bass and drums, respectively) formed out of the ashes of the Fifth, whose handful of excellent singles kept them at the top of the local pop heap for much of the latter 1960s. The guys even travelled to Toronto to record at the venerable Eastern Sound Studio, which at the time had some of the most state-of-the-art equipment in the country and had already recorded albums by Bruce Cockburn, Anne Murray, Murray McLaughlin and Lighthouse.

What's more, Dusty Shoes was feted by none other than Lieutenant-Governor W. J. McKeag. RPM reported in its Feb. 12th, 1972 issue that "for the first time in the history of the staid old office of Manitoba's Lieutenant-Governor, his official residence was opened to a people's group, Warner Bros' Next," adding that "the Winnipeg group has become something of a phenomenon in Manitoba". Also flown in for the party were Kinney Music president Ken Middleton and the record's producer John Pozer.

Dusty Shoes rocks hard right from the get-go. The opening track, 'Which Way', kicks things off with a dog bark, some hefty guitar/organ riffs and a high-pitched caterwaul that places it somewhere between Deep Purple and Foghat. The fun continues with the five-and-a-half-minute 'Take Me with You', a ripping slab of blues-boogie where Watts and Belanger play off each other brilliantly. Frampton and Marriott would have been proud. 'Be Free', the record's single, is predictably more accessible, with melodic guitars and lithe harmonies that point the group more in the direction of Grand Funk and their then-current FM staple 'Closer to Home'.

Dusty Shoes unfortunately tanked. Next kept at it for a good four years, issuing several singles in the mid-seventies before packing it in. Of the five, Belanger was the only one to achieve rock 'n' roll stardom. He joined pop-rockers Harlequin in 1975 and sang on all their hits right into the mid-eighties and beyond. 
by Michael Panontin
Tracks
1. Which Way - 3:12
2. What Have I Done - 2:45
3. Take Me With You - 5:58
4. They Should Care - 2:36
5. Strange Mood - 4:13
6. Dreams - 3:03
7. Be Free - 2:44
8. Don't Let Go - 3:03
9. Dusty Shoes - 9:28
All compositions by Al Johnson, Brian Sellar, George Belanger, James Grabowski, Ralph Watts

 Next
*George Belanger - Lead Vocals
*Ralph Watts - Lead Guitar
*James Grabowski - Organ
*Al Johnson - Drums
*Brian Sellar - Bass

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Tuesday, October 28, 2025

Hands - The Early Years (1974-76 us, fine experimental prog rock, 2000 release)



When I arrived at High School in 1971, I was the only person I knew at the time that ever listened to Lizard by King Crimson, Spirit and Beethoven in one sitting. I met a girl named Dianne Barreyre who had heard of Crimson. We became friends and she introduced me to her older brother Michael Barreyre. He was into all sorts of strange music that I had not heard, and was also studying the guitar in a serious way. After a time Michael and I decided to form a band and play some of the music we'd been listening to. He had a friend, David Carlisle, who had a Rickenbacker bass and was into Yes, the Moody Blues and Crimson. 

We used to hang out together with some of my friends from high school (Michael and David were older and long out of high school) and formed a sort of artist clique, you might say. We called ourselves the Crimson Cult after King Crimson. We were very much into Abstract Jazz like early Herbie Hancock, Weather Report, and progressive bands such as Yes, KC and the like. The one album that we held up as a milestone and played the grooves off was Close to the Edge. One night at a party we were fortunate enough to hear Three Friends by Gentle Giant. That had an immediate effect on our cult and it swayed us more in the direction of tight, composed rock rather that the loose, abstracted jazz we were so fond of. Classical music was also a big part of our listening experiences those days. Michael was very knowledgeable about classical as was I and those standards were our guide in terms of discipline and dedication. So there was always a lot of respect and admiration for schooled, trained musicians.

I had met guitarist Ernie Myers at a mutual friend's party. He had been playing with John Rousseau, a drummer, and some others above a drive-in movie theatre projection room. They had also been playing outdoor gigs at East Hill, a popular place at the lake for kids to get stoned and what not. So Michael Barreyre, David Carlisle, John Rousseau and myself decided to get a band together. I asked my good friend Sonny Solell to play sax in the band and that was the beginning of the decade of progressive music. 

We called ourselves Ibis after "Flight of the Ibis" by Ian McDonald and Michael Giles. We played one or two gigs, I think, and after the second gig which was at a place called Deb's Danceland, we decided that Carlisle wasn't going to cut it. In the meantime, Dianne Barreyre, who had introduced me to her brother Michael, was dating a very talented guitarist and singer named Steve Parker. He came and sat in at the last gig of Ibis and when we got rid of David he agreed to come on as the bassist. He was not really a bassist but had a great voice and learned the bass very quickly. We changed our name to Prism shortly after that. Prism had a few original tunes but mostly we did covers. John Rousseau searched through the paper and found Paul Bunker, an ex SMU violinist. Paul played viola mostly and he read music very well. We had a few jams at John Rousseau's house and afterwards Paul joined permanently. 

The band played several club gigs and did very well with our strange set list of Zappa, Mahavishnu Orchestra, King Crimson, and Jethro Tull, as well as Johnny Winter, Allman Brothers, ZZ Top etc. Tensions at this point between Michael Barreyre and the rest of the band reached an unworkable stage. While all this was happening, Ernie Myers had moved to Los Angeles, California, where he met Skip Durbin, excellent woodwind player, at a party thrown by some of the Eagles. They hit it off and Ernie convinced Skip to move to Texas saying that they would eventually be part of Prism. Not long after Ernie's return to Texas Michael Barreyre left the band, and we subsequently replaced him with Ernie. Long before Michael left, Sonny Solell had decided to leave the group but he still let us rehearse at his place. He remained an ally of the band for years to come. The band added Skip on woodwinds and Prism was complete. We played several gigs and slowly the cover tunes faded and originals took over. 

After moving rehearsal venues two more times we then heard of the Canadian band Prism, who were going to release their debut soon. Since we didn't have a deal at that point, and being afraid of reprisals by their label Arista, we decided to change our name. After what seemed like an eternity we decided upon Hands. We were playing all original music by that time and had done a couple of high profile gigs, sow e changed our name roughly around the time that we were finishing up the first recordings for what would become the first CD, Hands. Later on we added Tom Reid on vocals and became a seven- piece. After a while, in 1979, I decided to leave the band. Paul Bunker left some time after that and Hands then hired Mark Menikos on violin and Shannon Day on keyboards. The band recorded several of the tunes we'd worked on while PauI, Skip and I were still part of the band. The songs they recorded are many of the tunes that make up Palm Mystery. Hands finally disbanded in late 1980. 
Michael Clay interview on Pete Pardo at Sea of Tranquility
Tracks
1. Bach's Lunch / Zombieroch (Michael Clay, Mike Barreyre, John Rousseau, Sonny Sollel, Steve Parker, Paul Banker) - 5:21
2. Dreamsearch (Michael Clay, Mike Barreyre, John Rousseau, Sonny Sollel, Steve Parker, Paul Banker) - 9:48
3. Spacial Circumstances (Michael Clay, Mike Barreyre, John Rousseau, Sonny Sollel, David Carlisle) - 5:15
4. Hope (John McLaughlin) - 1:48
5. Lament (John Wetton, Robert Fripp, Richard Palmer-James) - 3:57
6. Celebration (Franco Mussida, Flavio Premoli, Peter Sinfield) - 5:30
7. Mazurka (Michael Urbaniak) - 6:06
8. In Memory Of Elisabeth Reed (Dickey Betts) - 9:08
9. I Hate Everybody (Johnny Winter) - 2:37
10.Aybe Sea (Frank Zappa) - 2:30
Tracks 1,2,5,6 as Prism 1976
Tracks 3,4,7,10 as Ibiss 1974

Musicians
*Michael Clay - Keyboards, Guitar, Percussion
*Mike Barreyre - Guitar, Vocals (Ibiss, Prism)
*John Rousseau - Drums, Percussion (Ibiss, Prism)
*David Carlisle - Bass (Ibiss)
*Sonny Sollel - Woodwinds, Vocals (Ibiss, Prism)
*Steve Parker - Bass, Guitar, Vocals (Prism)
*Paul Banker - Violin (Prism)
*Ernie Myers - Guitar, Mandolin, Vocals (Hands)
*Mark Menikos - Violin, Mandolin, Guitar, Vocals (Hands)
*Shannon Day - Keyboards (Hands)


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Monday, October 27, 2025

rep>>> The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation - The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation / Doctor Dunbar's Prescription (1968-69 uk, outstanding blues rock, 2006 two disc set remaster)



Of the numerous British blues-rock bands to spring up in the late '60s, the Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation was one of the better known, though solid reception on tours did not translate into heavy record sales. Musically, the group recalled John Mayall's Bluesbreakers during the 1966-1967 era that had produced that group's A Hard Road album, though with a somewhat more downbeat tone. The similarities were hardly coincidental, as the band's founder and leader, drummer Aynsley Dunbar, had been in the Bluesbreakers lineup that recorded the A Hard Road LP. Too, bassist Alex Dmochowski would go on to play with Mayall in the 1970s, and guitarist Jon Morshead was friendly with fellow axeman Peter Green (also in the Bluesbreakers' A Hard Road lineup), whom he had replaced in Shotgun Express. 

Though he was only 21 when he formed the Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation, the drummer had already played with several bands of note in both his native Liverpool and London. Stints in several Merseybeat groups had culminated in his joining the Mojos, and Dunbar played on a couple of singles by the group, though these were cut after their British chart hits. Shortly after leaving the Mojos, he did his stint with the Bluesbreakers, after which he played for a few months in the Jeff Beck Group, also appearing on their 1967 single "Tallyman"/"Rock My Plimsoul." Wanting to lead his own band, in mid-1967 he formed the Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation, joined by Morshead, who'd previously been in the Moments (with a pre-Small Faces Steve Marriott), Shotgun Express, and Johnny Kidd & the Pirates; singer/guitarist/keyboardist Victor Brox, who worked for a while with British blues godfather Alexis Korner; and bassist Keith Tillman. Shortly after forming, however, Tillman left to join John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, replaced by Dmochowski, who'd played in Neil Christian's Crusaders and Winston's Fumbs. 

On their self-titled debut album, the Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation flashed a British blues-rock approach that was rather similar to that of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers circa 1967. That was unsurprising considering that leader and drummer Dunbar had played on the Bluesbreakers' 1967 A Hard Road album, and that bassist Alex Dmochowski would later play with Mayall himself. Although everyone in the Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation was a skilled player, the record ultimately comes off as rather second-division late-'60s British blues, though in a little heavier and darker a style than Mayall's. That's not to say it's mediocre, but the material (mostly original) is only average, and not quite up to the level of the musicians' instrumental proficiency. Too, Victor Brox isn't the greatest singer, though he's okay, and while Jon Morshead plays guitar well, his style sometimes seems quite influenced by Peter Green (listen especially to his work on the cover of Percy Mayfield's "Memory of Pain"). 

Additionally, some of the original material wasn't all that original; the work song-style "Watch 'N' Chain" certainly bears similarities to the tune that Donovan popularized under the title "Hey Gyp" (itself similar to a song that Lonnie Young, Ed Young, and Lonnie Young, Jr. had recorded under the title "Chevrolet" on Atlantic's 1960 Roots of the Blues LP of Alan Lomax field recordings [reissued in 1993 under the title Sounds of the South]). It's not a bad record overall, however, with the players getting a chance to take extended solos on the instrumentals "Sage of Sidney Street" and "Mutiny." 

The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation's second album was much the same as their first, offering competent late-'60s British blues, given a slightly darker cast than was usual for the style via Victor Brox's somber vocals. Like their debut, it was dominated by original material, and as on its predecessor, the compositions were rather routine blues-rock numbers, though they benefited from arrangements by highly skilled players. 

The best of these tracks were the ones that utilized Brox's gloomy, almost gothic organ, if only because it made them stand out more among the company of the many similar bands recording in the prime of the British blues boom. Otherwise the main fare was straightforward blues-rock that was well played, but rather average and forgettable, the most distinguished ingredient being Dunbar's hard-hitting, swinging drums. If only because it has some original songs that were better than anything on the first album ("Fugitive," "Till Your Lovin' Makes Me Blue," and "Tuesday's Blues," the last of which has some songwriting and guitar work quite similar to Peter Green's late-'60s style in those departments), it's a slightly better listen, though not up to the standards of somewhat similar groups like Fleetwood Mac and John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. 
by Richie Unterberger 
Tracks
Disc 1 The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation 1968
1. Watch 'N' Chain (Aynsley Dunbar, Jon Morshead, Alex Dmochowski, Victor Brox) - 2:36
2. My Whiskey Head Woman (Aynsley Dunbar, Jon Morshead, Alex Dmochowski, Victor Brox) - 4:24 
3. Trouble No More (Jon Morshead, Alex Dmochowski, Victor Brox) - 2:56 
4. Double Lovin' (Jon Morshead, Victor Brox) - 3:52 
5. See See Baby (Ma Rainey) - 2:20 
6. Roamin' And Ramblin' (Victor Brox) - 3:00 
7. Sage Of Sidney Street (Aynsley Dunbar) - 4:57
8. Memory Of Pain (Percy Mayfield) - 6:06 
9. Mutiny (Aynsley Dunbar, Jon Morshead) - 7:25
Disc 2 Doctor Dunbar's Prescription 1969
1. Change Your Low Down Ways (Aynsley Dunbar, Jon Morshead, Victor Brox) - 2:23
2. Fugitive (Victor Brox) - 4:35
3. Till Your Lovin' Makes Me Blue (Victor Brox) - 4:57
4. Now That You've Lost Me (B.B. King) - 3:31
5. I Tried (Larry Davis, Don Robey, Joseph Scott) - 2:52
6. Call My Woman (Jon Morshead) - 3:07
7. Devil Drives (Victor Brox) - 2:46
8. Low Gear Man (Victor Brox) -  2:58
9. Tuesday's Blues (Victor Brox) - 3:37
10.Mean Old World (Walter "Little Walter" Jacobs) - 3:03

The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation
*Victor Brox - Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards
*Jon Morshead - Guitar, Vocals
*Alex Dmochowski - Bass
*Aynsley Dunbar - Drums

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