Eric Andersen - Blue River / Stages The Lost Album (1972-73/90 us, amazing folk rock, 2014 double disc remaster)

This modestly influential master s/s from the Greenwich Village '60s set (he wrote Violets Of Dawn and Close The Door Lightly When You Go, to name but two titles), enjoyed a healthy modicum of success after a run of moderately well-selling LPs for Vanguard with his first album for Columbia, 1972's Blue River. Here it enjoys a timely reissue on BGO, in a two-disc set coupled with its intended followup Stages, of which, as the subtitle implies, the master tapes were initially lost (they subsequently turned up in the Columbia vaults in 1989, and were eventually released in 1991). I think this is the first time these two albums have appeared on CD coupled together in one sensible package, and all tracks have been remastered in 2014 for this new BGO release, the well-filled booklet for which, in addition to the original extra notes for Stages' 1991 appearance, contains a new essay by John O'Regan that grants a useful perspective on this often undersung figure who to date has released well over 25 albums yet without gaining mainstream recognition despite producing work of consistent, enduring quality. Blue River is often considered by critics to be Andersen's creative masterpiece, and contains a number of songs regarded by critics as central to his output, songs that display his quintessential, trademark quality of delicate "resigned fractured romanticism": Is It Really Love At All?, Sheila, Wind And Sand, and of course the disc's title song (which features some beautiful backing vocals courtesy of Joni Mitchell and Deborah Green Andersen). These are complemented by the Dylanesque More Often Than Not and the gospel-style arrangement of Round The Bend. The latest reissue of Blue River is usefully supplemented with the same two bonus tracks recorded at the album sessions which were a feature of the album's 1999 Sony Legacy CD edition: the tender Come To My Bedside, My Darlin' and the rollicking cajun-inflected cover of Hank Williams' Why Don't You Love Me?.

It's widely acknowledged that Stages is of such quality that if it had appeared at the time (instead of being lost) it might have given Andersen a degree of mainstream acceptance and capitalised on the success of Blue River. Its opening song, Baby I'm Lonesome, was a particularly lovely example of the classic country waltzer, and the gentle backdrop proved just perfect and an ideal template for the rest of the album, on which a host of top-drawer session musicians, including Leon Russell, David Briggs and Kenny Malone, were used commendably sparingly. The overall standard of Stages' songs was such that no fewer than six of its songs were deemed so worthy of not being lost that they were reworked for Andersen's 1975 Arista album Be True To You; these naturally included Moonchild River Song and Woman, She Was Gentle (which featured Joan Baez on backing vocal), and the evocative 8½-minute meditation Time Run Like A Freight Train. Sure, there were a couple of rather mundane rockers tucked in there amongst the exquisite gems, although the third rocker, Wild Crow Blues (in praise of Patti Smith), was more convincing. The three bonus tracks for this reissue are identical to those that graced the 1991 CD. The first, Dream To Rimbaud, is the pearl of the collection, and was recorded at the same time as the Blue River album, whereas the final three cuts (Make It Last, Lie With Me and Soul Of My Song) were recorded in late 1990, shortly after the 1989 comeback album Ghosts Upon The Road and just prior to the eventual release of the Stages tracks; the backing crew on these tracks includes Rick Danko, Garth Hudson, Eric Bazilian, Andy Newmark and Shawn Colvin.

Together, these two albums represent Andersen's craft at a peak, encapsulating a mature, bittersweet attitude to life and love that was rarely equalled even amongst Andersen's peers. Congratulations to BGO on this expertly remastered and well presented new edition.

by David Kidman

Tracks
Disc 1 Blue River 1972
1. Is It Really Love At All - 5:20
2. Pearl's Goodtime Blues - 2:20
3. Wind And Sand - 4:28
4. Faithful - 3:14
5. Blue River - 4:44
6. Florentine - 3:29
7. Sheila - 4:35
8. More Often Than Not (David Wiffen) - 4:50
9. Round The Bend - 5:37
10.Come To My Bedside, My Darlin' - 4:57
11.Why Don't You Love Me (Hank Williams) - 2:45
All compostisions by Eric Andersen except where indicated

Disc 2 Stages: The Lost Album 1972-73
1. Baby, I'm Lonesome - 3:17
2. Moonchild River Song - 4:19
3. Can't Get You Out Of My Life - 2:53
4. Woman, She Was Gentle - 4:17
5. Time Run Like A Freight Train - 8:29
6. It's Been A Long Time - 3:20
7. Wild Crow Blues - 6:10
8. Be True To You - 3:06
9. I Love To Sing My Ballad, Mama - 2:55
10.Dream To Rimbaud - 6:22
11.Make It Last (Angel In The Wind) - 4:51
12.Lie With Me - 3:50
13.Soul Of My Song (Eric Andersen, Jonas Fjeld, Willie Nile, Ole Paus) - 3:55
All songs by Eric Andersen except where stated

Musicians
Blue River 1972
*Eric Andersen - Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Piano, Harmonica, Vocals
*David Bromberg - Dobro, Acoustic Guitar
*Andy Johnson - Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Vibraphone, Background Vocals
*David Briggs - Organ, Keyboards, Celeste
*Weldon Myrick - Steel Guitar
*Norbert Putnam - Bass
*Glen Spreen - Organ, Harpsichord, Keyboards, Woodwinds
*Eddie Hinton - Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar
*Grady Martin - Gut String Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
*Kevin Kelly - Accordion
*Mark Sporer - Bass
*Kenneth Buttrey - Drums, Percussion, Tambourine
*Jim Mckevitt - Drums
*Rick Shlosser - Drums
*Deborah Andersen - Piano, Background Vocals
*Joni Mitchell - Vocals, Background Vocals
*Farrell Morris - Vibraphone, Background Vocals
*Jerry Carrigan - Percussion
*Millie Kirkham - Background Vocals
*Sonja Montgomery - Background Vocals
*Laverna Moore - Background Vocals
*Florence Warner - Background Vocals
*Temple Riser - Background Vocals
*The Jordanaires - Background Vocals
*The Holidays - Background Vocals

Stages: The Lost Album 1973
*Eric Andersen - Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Piano, Harmonica, Vocals
*Andy Johnson - Acoustic Guitar
*Leon Russell - Organ, Piano, Guitar
*David Briggs - Piano, Hammond Organ, Clavinet
*Rick Danko - Bass Guitar, Background Vocals
*Garth Hudson - Accordion
*Pete Drake - Steel Guitar
*Weldon Myrick - Pedal Steel Guitar
*Norbert Putnam - Upright Bass, Cello
*Eddie Hinton - Acoustic Guitar
*Grady Martin - Gut String Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
*Joe Spivey - Acoustic Guitar, Fiddle
*Kenny Malone - Drums, Percussion
*Kenneth Buttrey - Drums
*Deborah Andersen - Piano, Background Vocals
*Farrell Morris - Percussion
*Steve Addabbo - Synthesizer
*Eric Bazilian - Mandolin, Concertina, Background Vocals
*Tommy Cosgrove - Bass Guitar
*Teddy Irwin - Acoustic Guitar
*Mike Leech - Bass
*Charlie Mccoy - Percussion
*Andy Newmark - Drums
*Willie Nile - Electric Guitar
*Troy Seals - Electric Guitar
*Glen Spreen - Hammond Organ
*Reggie Young - Electric Guitar
*Jonas Fjeld - Acoustic Guitar, Electric Piano
*Dan Fogelberg - Background Vocals
*Joan Baez - Background Vocals
*Shawn Colvin - Background Vocals
*Florence Warner - Background Vocals

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Mott The Hoople - Fairfield Halls Live (1970-71 uk, superb classic hard rockin' live set, 2007 remaster)

Prior to the release of the (at the time, disappointing) Live album in 1974, the only officially available record of Mott the Hoople's live prowess was one track tacked onto the end of 1971's Wildlife album, a protracted take on "Keep a Knockin'" that was, apparently, the only salvageable cut from a projected full live album. The rest, producer Guy Stevens insisted, was so marred by technical problems as to be unusable. However, 36 years later listeners would discover that Stevens was a lot of things, but -- at least on this occasion -- he wasn't necessarily honest. Fairfield Halls, Live 1970 captures the full concert, from the tumultuous opening "Ohio," all ragged guitars and Verden Allen's foreboding organ, through a dynamite "Rock and Roll Queen" and three slabs from the then-forthcoming Mad Shadows, and on to the closing oldies, "Keep a Knockin'" and "You Really Got Me." 

And, alongside the Fillmore tapes recorded earlier in the year, at last the true magic of the original Mott the Hoople has been unleashed, a rock band that could have redefined "rock" if only more breaks had gone its way. Less exciting, but filling up the disc regardless, five tracks recorded five months later in Sweden (and previously available on the same label's All the Way from Stockholm to Philadelphia: Live 71/72 set) repeat "Thunderbuck Ram" but do add a Himalayan "Walkin' with a Mountain," "Laugh at Me," and "The Original Mixed Up Kid" to the brew, plus a volcanic cover of Mountain's "Long Red" that will leave you reeling. As if the rest of the disc hasn't already battered you hard enough. 

by Dave Thompson

Tracks
1. Ohio (Neil Young) - 5:00
2. No Wheels To Ride (Ian Hunter) - 7:45
3. Rock 'N' Roll Queen (Mick Ralphs) - 5:18
4. Thunderbuck Ram (Mick Ralphs) - 4:56
5. When My Mind's Gone (Ian Hunter) - 6:42
6. Keep A Knockin' (Richard Wayne Penniman) - 8:28
7. You Really Got Me (Ray Davies) - 8:55
8. Long Red (Leslie West, Felix Pappalardi, John Ventura, Norman Landsberg) - 4:22
9. The Original Mixed-Up Kid (Ian Hunter) - 4:37
10.Walking With A Mountain (Ian Hunter) - 7:08
11.Laugh At Me (Sony Bono) - 5:46
12.Thunderbuck Ram (Mick Ralphs) - 4:42
Tracks 1-7 Recorded 13th September 1970 at Fairfield Halls, Croydon, England
Tracks 8-12 Recorded 16th February 1971 at the Konserthuset, Stockholm, Sweden

Mott The Hoople
*Pete Overend Watts - Bass Guitar, Vocals, Guitar
*Dale "Buffin" Griffin - Drums, Backing Vocals, Percussion
*Ian Hunter - Vocals, Guitar, Piano, Bass Guitar
*Mick Ralphs - Guitar, Vocals, Keyboards
*Verden Allen - Organ, Backing Vocals

1966/90  Doc Thomas Group And The Silence - The Italian Job / Shotgun Eyes
1969-72  Mott The Hoople - Two Miles From Heaven (2003 issue)
1969  Mott The Hoople - Mott The Hoople (2003 bonus tracks remaster)
1970  Mott The Hoople - Mad Shadows (2003 Extra Tracks Remaster)
1971  Mott The Hoople - Wildlife (2003 japan bonus tracks remaster)
1971  Mott The Hoople - Brain Capers (bonus tracks remaster)
1972  Mott The Hoople - All The Young Dudes (2006 bonus tracks remaster)
1973  Mott The Hoople - Mott (2006 remaster and expanded)
1974  Mott The Hoople - Hoople (2006 remaster and expanded)
1975  Mott - Drive On (2006 edition)

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Nick Drake - Tuck Box (1968-74 uk, brilliant jazzy folk rock, 2013 five discs box set remaster)

A singular talent who passed almost unnoticed during his brief lifetime, Nick Drake produced several albums of chilling, somber beauty. With hindsight, these have come to be recognized as peak achievements of both the British folk-rock scene and the entire rock singer/songwriter genre. Sometimes compared to Van Morrison, Drake in fact resembled Donovan much more in his breathy vocals, strong melodies, and the acoustic-based orchestral sweep of his arrangements. His was a much darker vision than Donovan's, however, with disturbing themes of melancholy, failed romance, mortality, and depression lurking just beneath, or even well above, the surface. Ironically, Drake has achieved a far greater stature in the decades following his death, with an avid cult following that grows by the year.

Part of Drake's failure to attract a mass audience was attributable to his almost pathological reluctance to perform live. It was at a live show in Cambridge, however, that a member of Fairport Convention saw Drake perform, and recommended the singer to producer Joe Boyd. Boyd, already a linchpin of the British folk-rock scene as the producer for Fairport and the Incredible String Band, asked Drake for a tape, and was impressed enough to give the 20-year-old a contract in 1968. 

Drake's debut, Five Leaves Left (1969), was the first in a series of three equally impressive, and quite disparate, albums. With understated folk-rock backing (Pentangle bassist Danny Thompson plays bass on most of the cuts), Drake created a vaguely mysterious, haunting atmosphere, occasionally embellished by tasteful Baroque strings. His economic, even pithy, lyrics hinted at melancholy, yet any thoughts of despair were alleviated by the gorgeous, uplifting melodies and Drake's calm, measured vocals. Bryter Later (1970) was perhaps his most upbeat effort, featuring support from members of Fairport Convention, and traces of jazz in the arrangements. On some cuts, the singer/songwriter, remarkably, dispensed with lyrics altogether, offering only gorgeous, orchestrated instrumental miniatures that stood well on their own. 

Neither album sold well, and Drake, already a brooding loner, plunged into serious depression that often found him unable to make music, work, or even walk and talk. He managed to produce one final full-length work, Pink Moon (1972), a desolate solo acoustic album that ranks as one of the most naked and bleak statements in all of rock. He did record a few more songs before his death, but no more albums were completed, although the final sessions (along with some other fine unreleased material) surfaced on the posthumous compilation Time of No Reply. 

Drake's final couple of years were marked by increasing psychiatric difficulties, which found him hospitalized at one point for several weeks. He had rarely played live during his days as a recording artist, and at one point declared his intention never to record again, although he wished to continue to write songs for others. (It's been reported that French chanteuse Françoise Hardy recorded some of Drake's songs, but she hasn't released any.) On November 25, 1974, he died in his parents' home from an overdose of antidepressant medication; suicide has been speculated, although some of his family and friends dispute this.

In the manner of the young Romantic poets of the 19th century who died before their time, Drake is revered by many listeners today, with a following that spans generations. Baby boomers who missed him the first time around found much to revisit once they discovered him, and his pensive loneliness speaks directly to contemporary alternative rockers who share his sense of morose alienation. 

Hunger for "new" Nick Drake material had reached enough of a fever pitch by the 21st century for Island to try digging up enough for this odd patchwork collection, combining outtakes with remixes of tracks that had been previously issued on the Time of No Reply album. The result is a curious disc that's not quite an anthology of wholly previously unreleased material, and thus of somewhat limited value to Drake collectors, though it contains much good music. The only song here previously unavailable in any form is the 1974 outtake "Tow the Line," a melancholic solo acoustic performance (as are most of the tracks on the CD) that's well up to the standards of Pink Moon and the 1974 tracks that previously surfaced on Time of No Reply. 

Also new to official release are spring 1968 solo acoustic versions of "River Man" (later to appear on Five Leaves Left with orchestration) and "Mayfair" (a later recording of which was used on Time of No Reply), as well as a March 1969 version of "Three Hours" that's longer than the one later cut for Five Leaves Left. There's also a newly discovered take of "Hanging on a Star" (one of the 1974 outtakes used on Time of No Reply) with a different vocal. The differences between these and the familiar studio renditions aren't knock-your-socks-off different, but certainly good and well worth hearing by Drake cultists.

It's the rest of the material that might be the target of criticism from concerned consumers, whether for posthumous tampering or redundancy with previously available albums. Most controversially, two tracks from Time of No Reply -- "Time of No Reply" itself and "I Was Made to Love Magic" (the latter here, for some reason, retitled simply "Magic") -- have been altered to include Robert Kirby's original orchestral arrangements, recorded in 2003. Actually in both instances, the substituted orchestration is integrated very tastefully, but it can never be answered whether Drake himself would have approved or had it done the exact same way. 

The remaining cuts are simply remixes or remasterings of six songs that appeared on Time of No Reply, the remixes of the 1974 songs "Black Eyed Dog," "Rider on the Wheel," and "Voices" (originally titled "Voice from the Mountain" when it first appeared on Time of No Reply) being done by the original recording engineer, John Wood. Though those remixes of the 1974 tracks in particular are an improvement (the songs on the original release had been mixed onto a mono listening tape), again it's not the sort of thing that will generate revelations unless you're an audiophile. As everything Drake recorded was worth hearing, this CD too is quite worthy judged in isolation, and certainly full of the subdued mystery the singer/songwriter brought to his music. It's just not the gold mine of discoveries for which some might have hoped.

For many years after his death, unreleased home tapes that Nick Drake made shortly before beginning his official recording career have been bootlegged among collectors. The 28 songs on Family Tree add up to an extensive (though not quite complete, missing some minor covers like "Get Together," "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright," and "Summertime") compilation of the performances he recorded on such equipment before he cut his debut album, 1969's Five Leaves Left. The bulk of it, and the part that's been oft-bootlegged, was recorded on a reel-reel at his family home (and include a vocal duet between him and sister Gabrielle Drake on "All My Trials," though otherwise they're all solo performances).

Less familiar, and hence probably new even to many hardcore Drake collectors, are eight songs taped on cassette somewhat earlier during his spring 1967 stay in Aix-En-Provence in France, as well as a couple of earlier versions of songs that later appeared on Five Leaves Left that were taped by Robert Kirby in 1968, and a couple recordings of songs sung and played (on piano) by Nick's mother, Molly Drake. Many Drake fans will already be familiar with the performances he taped at his family home, but the cleaned-up sound here makes this disc much easier to listen to than those earlier unauthorized releases, though everything's still (inevitably given the sources) a little lo-fi. 

As for the music, it's a very pleasant and listenable portrait of Drake's folk roots, though not on par (and not meant to be) with his studio releases. For one thing, at this point, he wasn't playing much of his own material; most of the songs are traditional folk tunes, or covers of compositions by '60s folk songwriters that were obviously big influences on Drake, such as Bert Jansch, Jackson C. Frank, and Dylan (and, on "Been Smokin' Too Long," a friend he met in France, Robin Frederick). Also, both his guitar work and singing are more derivative of the likes of Jansch, Donovan, and country bluesmen such as Blind Boy Fuller (whose "My Baby's So Sweet" he covers here) than they would be by the time he settled into his own style on Five Leaves Left. Still, much of what makes Drake special does come through, even with the relatively low percentage of original material and primitive recording conditions. 

His folk guitar work is already nimble, but more striking are his vocals, which already boast his characteristic mixture of assured slight smokiness and English reserve. And the few Drake compositions put his reclusive yet poetic world view in greater, more original focus, though it's really only on the songs later used on Five Leaves Left (and, perhaps, the haunting if Donovan-esque "Strange Meeting, Pt. 2") that it becomes fully mature. The two Molly Drake songs, incidentally, aren't mere completist add-ons; they make it clear that she was likely a substantial influence upon her son's melancholy melodies and songwriting, if perhaps a subliminal one. Less essential, though still illuminating for the dedicated Drake fan is a classical instrumental (by "the Family Trio") with Nick on clarinet. 

by Richie Unterberger

Tracks
Disc 1 - Five Leaves Left 1969
1. Time Has Told Me - 4:27
2. River Man - 4:22
3. Three Hours - 6:15
4. Way To Blue - 3:11
5. Day Is Done - 2:28
6. Cello Song - 4:48
7. The Thoughts Of Mary Jane - 3:22
8. Man In A Shed - 3:55
9. Fruit Tree - 4:49
10.Saturday Sun - 4:05
All Songs by Nick Drake

Disc 2 - Bryter Layter 1970
1. Introduction - 1:32
2. Hazey Jane Ii - 3:46
3. At The Chime Of A City Clock - 4:45
4. One Of These Things First - 4:51
5. Hazey Jane I - 4:29
6. Bryter Layter - 3:22
7. Fly - 3:00
8. Poor Boy - 6:09
9. Northern Sky - 3:45
10.Sunday - 3:43
All Compositions by Nick Drake

Disc 3 - Pink Moon 1972
1. Pink Moon - 2:06
2. Place To Be - 2:43
3. Road - 2:02
4. Which Will - 2:58
5. Horn - 1:23
6. Things Behind The Sun - 3:57
7. Know - 2:25
8. Parasite - 3:36
9. Free Ride - 3:06
10.Harvest Breed - 1:37
11.From The Morning - 2:32
Words and Music by Nick Drake

Disc 4 - Made To Love Magic 1968-74
1. Rider On The Wheel - 2:37
2. Magic - 2:45
3. River Man - 4:01
4. Joey - 3:03
5. Thoughts Of Mary Jane - 3:38
6. Mayfair - 2:11
7. Hanging On A Star - 3:23
8. Three Hours - 5:11
9. Clothes Of Sand - 2:31
10.Voices - 3:46
11.Time Of No Reply - 2:48
12.Black Eyed Dog - 3:34
13.Tow The Line - 2:16
Lyrics and Music by Nick Drake

Disc 5 - Family Tree 1968
1. Come In To The Garden (Introduction) - 0:32
2. They're Leaving Me Behind - 3:17
3. Time Piece - 0:43
4. Poor Mum - 1:38
5. Winter Is Gone - 2:43
6. All My Trials - 1:55
7. Kegelstatt Trio - 1:13
8. Strolling Down The Highway (Bert Jansch) - 2:50
9. Paddling In Rushmere - 0:24
10.Cocaine Blues - 2:59
11.Blossom - 2:41
12.Been Smokin' Too Long (Robin Frederick) - 2:13
13.Black Mountain Blues - 2:36
14.Tomorrow Is A Long Time (Bob Dylan) - 3:42
15.If You Leave Me - 2:02
16.Here Come The Blues - 3:53
17.Sketch 1 - 1:00
18.Blues Run The Game - 2:24
19.Milk And Honey - 2:59
20.Kimbie - 3:26
21.Bird Flew By - 2:54
22.Rain - 3:07
23.Strange Meeting Ii - 4:27
24.Day Is Done - 2:20
25.Come Into The Garden - 2:00
26.Way To Blue - 2:52
27.Do You Ever Remember? (Molly Drake) - 1:34
All Songs by Nick Drake except where Stated

Musicians
Disc 1 - Five Leaves Left 1969
*Nick Drake - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Piano
*Danny Thompson - Bass
*Richard Thompson - Electric Guitar
*Paul Harris - Piano
*Rocki Dzidzornu - Congas
*Clare Lowther - Cello
*Tristam Fry - Drums, Vibraphone
*Robert Kirby - Arrangements

Disc 2 - Bryter Layter 1970
*Nick Drake - Vocals, Guitar
*Dave Mattacks - Drums
*Dave Pegg - Bass
*Richard Thompson - Lead Guitar
*Mike Kowalski - Drums
*Ray Warleigh - Alto Saxophone
*Ed Carter - Bass
*Lyn Dobson - Flute
*John Cale - Harpsichord, Viola, Organ, Piano, Celesta
*Paul Harris - Piano
*Doris Troy - Vocals
*P.P. Arnold - Vocals

Disc 3 - Pink Moon 1972
*Nick Drake - Vocals, Piano, Acoustic Guitar

Disc 4 - Made To Love Magic 1968-74
*Nick Drake - Guitar, Vocals
*Rebop Kwaku Baah - Congas
*Gina Ball - Violin
*Dinah Beamish - Cello
*Ian Burdge - Cello
*Amanda Chancellor - Viola
*Sally Herbert - Violin
*Karen Jones - Flute
*Rory McFarlane - Double Bass
*Anna Morris - Violin
*Claire Orsler - Viola
*Julia Singleton - Violin
*Jane Spiers - Flute
*Richard Thompson - Electric  Guitar

Disc 5 - Family Tree 1968
*Nick Drake - Vocals, Guitar, Clarinet
*Chris McDowall - Piano
*Nancy McDowall - Viola
*Molly Drake - Vocals

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The Sonics - The Jerden Years (1966-69 us, impressive garage punk, 2001 digi pak remaster)

The original (and best known) Sonics lineup lasted for a total of three albums -- 1965's Here Are the Sonics, plus 1966's Boom and Introducing the Sonics. With the first two releases having been reissued on CD by the Norton label, the third release has become increasingly hard to come by over the years -- until it was issued in 2001 as part of the import release The Jerden Years 1966-69. 

The 30-track set is padded with post-Introducing the Sonics filler, but the Sonics were still firing on all cylinders by the time of their third album -- as such classic originals as "The Witch" are combined with a smattering of covers (Bo Diddley's "I'm a Man," etc.). While the extra tracks don't exactly measure up to the Sonics' classic tunes, Introducing the Sonics was one heck of a record, and hunting down a copy of The Jerden Years 1966-69 will allow you to complete your Sonics CD collection. 

by Greg Prato

Tracks
1. The Witch (Gerald Roslie) - 2:42
2. You've Got Your Head On Backwards (Gerald Roslie) - 2:21
3. I'm A Man (Ellas McDaniel) - 2:59
4. On The Road Again (John Sebastian) - 1:45
5. Psycho (Gerald Roslie) - 2:11
6. Dirty Old Man (Gerry Roslie) - 2:16
7. I'm Going Home (Larry Parypa) - 2:24
8. High Time (Andy Parypa) - 1:45
9. I'm A Rolling Stone (Andy Parypa, Larry Parypa) - 2:22
10.Like No Other Man (Gerald Roslie) - 2:00
11.Maintaining My Cool (Gerald Roslie) - 1:51
12.Bama Lama Lu (Richard Penniman) - 2:38
13.Leave My Kitten Alone (James McDougal, Little Willie John, Titus Turner) - 2:41
14.Hanky Panky (Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich) - 2:21
15.Diddy Wah Diddy (Willie Dixon, Ellas McDaniel) - 2:25
16.Anyway The Wind Blows (Pt. 1) (Frank Zappa) - 2:52
17.Anyway The Wind Blows (Pt. 2) (Frank Zappa) - 3:25
18.Loveitis (Albert James Vance, Harvey Scales) - 2:31
19.Always Love Her (Gerald Roslie) - 2:42
20.Lost Love (Gerald Roslie) - 2:16
21.Good Hard Rock - 2:17
22.Once Again (Gerald Roslie, Larry Parypa) - 2:33
23.I'll Stay With You (Bob Demmon, Dennis Lindsey, Jim Gallagher, Rich Fifield, Stormy Patterson) - 2:51
24.I'm Right (Gerald Roslie) - 2:19
25.Only She Would Do (Gerald Roslie) - 2:20
26.Love Lights (Gerald Roslie) - 2:44
27.Goodbye (Randy Hiatt) - 2:20
28.Near My Soul (Randy Hiatt) - 2:38
29.Wake Me, Shake Me (Al Kooper) - 2:18
30.You're In Love - 3:24

The Sonics
*Andy Parypa - Bass
*Bob Bennett - Drums
*Larry Parypa - Lead Guitar
*Gerry Roslie - Lead Vocals
*Rob Lind - Saxophone, Vocals
*Jim Brady - Vocals

1964-66  The Sonics - Psycho Sonic (2003 remaster edition) 
1965  Here Are The Sonics (New Rose rare Vinyl issue)
1966  The Sonics - Introducing

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The Litter - Emerge (1969 us, superb garage psych rock, 2009 edition)

In 1968 Electra Records made an offer to sign the group after their performance at the famed Cheetah Club in LA. with "Genesis" and "The Iron Butterfly".

In August 1968 "The Litter" recorded 7 songs live at The Electric Theatre for the movie "Medium Cool".  The band was paid $500 for the days shooting, but when the movie was released to theatres the scenes of "The Litter" on stage were intact but the soundtrack was Frank Zappa.

In 1969 The Electric Theatre in Chicago held a contest to see which band was louder, "The Litter", or "Blue Cheer".  "The Litter" won hands down.

ABC Probe Records signed "The Litter" sight unseen to a recording contract and the album Emerge - The Litter was recorded in Michigan.  Although the record was charting in Billboard and the group was touring the U.S. with acts like "The Who", unavailability of their albums due to distribution problems, plagued the group everywhere they appeared.

The album Emerge - The Litter is the only album by the group to chart in Billboard magazine, also was #1 in Puerto Rico and successful as well in the European market.

The single Silly People (flip side Feeling) from the album Emerge - The Litter was picked as a Special Merit Spotlight in Billboard magazine, but was banned from airplay by some radio stations because of the lyrics.

Dan Rinaldi is the only member of "The Litter" to have played in and recorded with all 12 versions of the band.

The-Litter 

Tracks
1. Journeys (Mark Gallagher, Ray Melina) - 2:14
2. Feeling (Jim Kane, Mark Gallagher, Tom Murray) - 2:50
3. Silly People (Jim Kane, Mark Gallagher, Ray Melina, Tom Murray) - 3:31
4. Blue Ice (Jim Kane, Tom Murray) - 3:10
5. For What It's Worth (Stephen Stills) - 5:21
6. Little Red Book (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) - 3:30
7. Breakfast At Gardenson's (Ray Melina) - 3:02
8. Future Of The Past (Jim Kane) - 12:37
9. On Our Minds (Mark Gallagher, Sean Jones) - 2:15

The Litter
*Jim Kane - Bass, Fuzz Bass, Special Effects
*Tom Murray - Drums, Percussion
*Dan Rinaldi - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
*Ray Melina - Lead Electric, Acoustic Guitars, Vocals
*Mark Gallagher - Lead Vocals

1966-68  The Litter - Distortions / Live At The Electric Theatre 
1968  The Litter - One Hundred Dollar Fine
Related Act
1968-71  Lightning - Lightning

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The Litter - Distortions / Live At The Electric Theatre (1966-68 us, stunning garage beat)

The Litter were one of the few garage bands to invest enough energy and imagination into their interpretations to make a cover-heavy LP worth hearing. "Action Woman" is here, and they go about tackling, and sometimes dismantling, numbers like the Small Faces' "Whatcha Gonna Do About It" and the Who's "A Legal Matter" (both of which were barely known in the U.S. at this point, incidentally). 

"I'm a Man," though based on the Yardbirds' version, gets into some pretty incredible feedback/distortion swirls in the closing rave-up section. Distortions has been reissued a few times, but the 1999 CD on Arf! Arf! is the one to get, as it includes two outtakes ("Hey Joe" and the 25-second, hardly worth noting "Harpsichord Sonata #1") and seven songs, mostly previously unreleased, recorded live at Chicago's Electric Theatre in August 1968. This was the music that the band played while filming a scene in Haskell Wexler's film Medium Cool (although none of the music was used in the movie), and it's in a heavier, bluesier hard rock direction than their 1967 recordings, but still retains some of the punky spirit of the Distortions era. 

by Richie Unterberger

Tracks
1. Action Woman (Warren Kendrick) - 2:32
2. What'cha Gonna Do About It? (Brian Potter, Ian Samwell) - 2:27
3. Codine (Buffy Sainte-Marie) - 4:30
4. Somebody Help Me (Jackie Edwards) - 1:55
5. Substitute (Pete Townshend) - 2:36
6. The Mummy (Tom "Zippy" Caplan, B. Bomberg) - 1:25
7. I'm So Glad (Skip James) - 3:47
8. A Legal Matter (Pete Townshend) - 2:47
9. Rack My Mind (Jeff Beck, Chris Dreja, Paul Samwell-Smith) - 3:41
10.Soul Searchin' (Warren Kendrick) - 2:47
11.I'm a Man (Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman) - 4:00
12.Hey Joe  (Billy Roberts) - 4:08
13.Harpsichord Sonata #1 - 0:25
14.Here I Go Again - 2:37
15.The Egyptian - 2:52
16.(Under the Screaming Double) Eagle (Tom "Zippy" Caplan, Denny Waite, Woody Woodrich) - 3:01
17.Confessions (Of a Traveler Through Time) (Larry Loofbourrow) - 2:23
18.Blues One (Tom "Zippy" Caplan, Denny Waite) - 4:03
19.She's Not There (Rod Argent) - 7:53
20.Pegasus - 3:19
Tracks 14-20 Live At The Electric Theatre, 18th August 1968

The Litter
*Denny Waite - Vocal, Keyboard
*Tom "Zippy" Caplan - Lead Guitar
*Dan Rinaldi - Rhythm Guitar
*James Worthington Kane - Bass
*Tom Murray - Drums
*Bill Strandlof - Lead Guitar
*James Worthington Kane - Organ, Vocals

1968  The Litter - One Hundred Dollar Fine
Related Act
1968-71  Lightning - Lightning

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Maria Muldaur - Maria Muldaur (1973 us, charming mixture of folk country jazz and blues)

From the sweet to the salacious to the poignant, Maria Muldaur's eponymous, strong debut features savvy studio vets, talented guests, strong tunes, and Muldaur's lissome pipes. The outstanding players include Ry Cooder, David Grisman, Clarence White, and Mac Rebennack, better known as Dr. John. A tasteful guitar solo by the underrated Amos Garrett elevates the charming surprise hit single "Midnight at the Oasis." Although she later gravitated to jazz and gospel, Muldaur's first outing is heavy on songs derived from country and blues. A rousing "Work Song," borrowed from Kate & Anna McGarrigle, is only one of several highlights. 

by Mark Allan

Tracks
1. Any Old Time (Jimmie Rodgers) - 03:45
2. Midnight At The Oasis (David Nichtern) - 03:49
3. My Tennesse Mountain Home (Dolly Parton) - 03:32
4. I Never Did Sing You A Love Song (David Nichtern) - 02:49
5. The Work Song (Kate McGarrigle) - 04:04
6. Don't You Make Me High (Don't You Feel My Leg) (Blue Lu Barker, Danny Barker, J. Mayo Williams) - 02:48
7. Walkin' One And Only (Dan Hicks) - 02:47
8. Long Hard Climb (Ron Davies) - 03:03
9. Three Dollar Bill (Mac Rebennack) - 03:58
10.Vaudeville Man (Wendy Waldman) - 02:41
11.Mad Mad Me (Wendy Waldman) - 03:13

Musicians
*Maria Muldaur - Vocals
*Clarence White - Acoustic Guitar
*Bill Keith - Banjo
*Ry Cooder - Acoustic Guitar
*David Lindley - Hawaiian Guitar
*Andrew Gold - Acoustic Guitar
*David Nichtern – Acoustic, Electric Guitar
*David Grisman - Mandolin
*Dr. John – Keyboards, Horn Arrangements
*Jim Dickinson - Piano
*Mark T. Jordan - Piano
*Spooner Oldham - Piano
*Greg Prestopino - Piano
*James Gordon - Organ
*Chris Ethridge - Bass
*Klaus Voormann - Bass
*Ray Brown - Bass
*Dave Holland - Bowed Bass
*Jimmy Calhoun - Bass
*Tommy Mcclure - Bass
*Freebo - Bass
*Amos Garrett - Bass, Guitar, Vocals, Guitar Solo
*Jim Keltner - Drums
*Ed Shaughnessy - Drums
*John Boudreaux - Drums
*Jim Gordon - Drums
*Chris Parker - Drums
*Jerry Jumonville - Alto Horn, Horn Arrangements
*Artie Butler - Alto Horn, Horn Arrangements
*Nick Decaro - Accordion, String Arrangements
*Richard Greene - Violin
*Larry Packer - Violin, Viola
*Karen Alexander -  Vocals
*Gloria Jones -  Vocals
*Ellen Kearney -  Vocals
*Bettye Lavette -  Vocals
*Jessica Smith -  Vocals
*Beryl Marriott - Violin

1967  Geoff And Maria Muldaur - Pottery Pie
Related Acts
1972  Nick Gravenites And Mike Bloomfield - Steel Yard Blues (2015 remaster)
1979  Geoff Muldaur And Amos Garrett - Live In Japan

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Geoff And Maria Muldaur - Pottery Pie (1967 us, remarkable blues folk rock)

One of just two albums to be released by the easier-going American equivalent of Richard & Linda Thompson (without the brooding gloom and biting irony), this set includes some virtuoso folk-blues performances, as well as the version of "Brazil" made famous in Terry Gilliam's movie of the same name. Though the ten tunes here are all covers, Geoff & Maria Muldaur treat each as if molded from clay of their own making, just as they had old traditional numbers as members of the Jim Kweskin Jug Band. 

It's probably no coincidence that this album would eventually find its way to Joe Boyd's Hannibal label. It's a collection that suggests the Richard & Linda Thompson albums he would release throughout the '70s. Although it's often difficult to find, many fans will find Pottery Pie more than worth the money and effort. 

by Brian Beatty

Tracks
1. Catch It (Eric Von Schmidt) - 3:20
2. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight (Bob Dylan) - 3:57
3. New Orleans Hopscop Blues (George Thomas) - 2:46
4. Trials, Troubles, Tribulations (Traditional) - 4:47
5. Prairie Lullaby (Billy Hill) - 4:51
6. Guide Me, O Great Jehovah (Traditional) - 1:39
7. Me and My Chauffeur Blues (Memphis Minnie) - 6:25
8. Brazil (Ary Barroso, Bob Russell) - 3:31
9. Georgia On My Mind (Hoagy Carmichael, Stuart Gorrell) - 3:44
10.Death Letter Blues (Son House) - 6:14

Personnel
*Geoff Muldaur - Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals
*Maria Muldaur - Vocals
*Peter Ecklund - Trumpet, Whistle
*Amos Garrett - Guitar
*Hal Grossman - Horn
*Bill Keith - Steel Guitar, Pedal Steel
*Rick Marcus - Drums
*Billy Mundi - Drums
*Betsy Siggins - Vocals
*Bill Wolf - Bass

Related Acts
1972  Nick Gravenites And Mike Bloomfield - Steel Yard Blues (2015 remaster) 
1979  Geoff Muldaur And Amos Garrett - Live In Japan 

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Paladin - Charge! (1972 uk, tremendous crossover prog rock, 2007 extra tracks remaster)

Having failed to ignite the populace with their eponymous debut, a set brimming with joie de vivre and creative crossovers, Paladin decided the only way to break into the mainstream was to assault it. And this they set about doing with their sophomore set, 1972's Charge. Far heavier than their previous set, the quintet seemed determined to beat listeners into submission. That's evident from the get go, as they bash their way through the opening track "Give Me Your Hand," a rhythm-heavy number fueled by fiery guitar solos, strident vocals, and a hard rocking sound. The only reminder of their previous musical predilections is the Latin percussion that bubbles up halfway through the piece. But then this is much more a hard rock album, with Derek Foley's guitar now given far more prominence while the vocals stray into Robert Plant territory, and the organ is invariably set towards psychedelia. 

This inevitably constricts their musical experimentations, yet the band still take some interesting excursions along the way. "Good Lord," for instance, encompasses Latin rhythms, a Southern rock segment, space rock passages, and even pop. "Watching the World Pass By" is even more diverse, kicking off in an easygoing fashion with a jaunty harmonica solo, then running into discordance, a majestic church organ, bouncy blues, a country hoedown, and a jig before a ferocious guitar solo takes the piece out in hard rock style. The Beatles get a nod on "Any Way," funk goes psychedelic on "Get One Together," and the roots of rock are explored on the barrelling "Well We Might," with the rest of the set dedicated to R&B laced rock. Yet somehow it all sounds a bit forced and heavy-handed. Still it's a hard rocking extravaganza. 

The Roger Dean cover art inevitably excited interest, the band's new hard rock approach garnered them more praise, but not enough to prevent them from calling it a day. In later years, Charge's reputation among prog rock fans soared, more so than their far superior self-titled set. [Esoteric wisely reissued both, with Charge buttressed further by five bonus tracks. Three are alternate takes of songs from the set, the other two instrumental versions of Paladin numbers.]

by Jo-Ann Greene

Tracks
1. Give Me Your Hand - 6:50
2. Well We Might - 5:05
3. Get One Together (Keith Webb) - 2:38
4. Anyway - 4:20
5. Good Lord (Derek Foley, Lou Stonebridge, Peter Beckett) - 6:47
6. Mix Your Mind With The Moonbeams - 6:03
7. Watching The World Pass By (Lou Stonebridge) - 9:38
8. Give My Love To You (Derek Foley, Keith Webb) - 2:31
9. Sweet Sweet Music - 2:48
10.Anyway (Alternate Version) - 4:19
11.Sweet Sweet Music (Alternate Version) - 2:48
12.Well We Might (Alternate Version) - 6:10
13.Fill Up Your Heart (Instrumental) - 5:43
14.Bad Times (Instrumental) - 7:14
All songs by Peter Solley except where indicated
Bonus Tracks 8-14

The Paladin
*Lou Stonebridge - Vocals, Electric Piano, Harmonica
*Peter Solley - Organ, Violin, Grand Piano
*Keith Webb - Drums, Percussion
*Derek Foley - Lead Guitar, Slide Guitar, Vocals
*Pete Beckett - Bass, Vocals

1971  Paladin - Paladin (2007 remaster) 

Related Acts
1966-69  Terry Reid - Superlungs / The Complete Studio Recordings (two disc set)
1967  Donovan - A Gift From A Flower To A Garden (2008 remaster)
1967-69  Ruperts People - Magic World Of Rupert's People (2001 Circle limited edition)
1970  Philamore Lincoln - The North Wind Blew South (2010 remastered edition)
1972  Bond And Brown - Two Heads Are Better Than One (2009 remaster)

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Glencoe - Glencoe (1972 uk, magnificent prog rock, 2013 korean remaster)

Having recorded two albums under the Forever More nameplate, in 1971 the four principals (drummer Stuart Francis, bassist Alan Gorrie, and guitarists Onnie McIntyre and Mick Strode, decided to reinvent themselves as Glencoe.

Before the band could record anything Gorrie and McIntyre bailed, reappearing in The Average White Band.  Francis and Strode quickly recruited keyboard player Graham Maitland and bassist Norman Watt-Roy.  The quartet hit the road touring the English club and college circuit, but in early 1972 Strode quit.  He was replaced by guitarist John Turnbull, whose resume included time with The Chosen Few, ARC, and Skip Biffery.

The band were quickly signed by Epic, with Columbia signing them to it's newly establish Grand Western Gramaphone subsidiary.  In an unusual move, the band were allowed to produce their own debut.  Released in 1972, "Glencoe" stands as one of those albums that makes you wonder how these guys escaped wider attention.  With Maitland and Turnbull responsible for the majority of  material, the set featured a likeable mixture that crossed country-rock ('Lifeline'), pop, and progressive moves (frequently within the same song).  Tracks like 'Airport', 'Lifeline' and 'Look Me In the Eye' were smooth and highly melodic and that may have spelled their demise.   With so many talented early-'70s bands out there, these guys were too mainstream for hard rock fans.  They were also too rock oriented for country-rock fans, and too bright and commercial for progressive fans.  Maybe not the most album of 1972, but thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish.

In support of the album, Epic put them on the road opening for Deep Purple, but that did little for sales. 

Bad-cat

Tracks
1. Airport (Graham Maitland, Reed) - 5:04
2. Look Me In The Eye (Graham Maitland, Reed) - 4:15
3. Lifeline (Graham Maitland, Reed) - 5:45
4. Telephonia (John Turnbull) - 5:02
5. It's (John Turnbull) - 5:40
6. Book Me For The Flight (Graham Maitland) - 5:26
7. Hay Fever (John Turnbull) - 4:44
8. Questions (Graham Maitland) - 3:24
9. Sinking Down A Well (John Turnbull, Micky Gallagher) - 5:00

The Glencoe
*Stuart Francis - Drums, Vocals
*Graham Maitland - Keyboards, Vocals
*John Turnbull - Guitar, Vocals
*Norman Watt-Roy - Bass, Vocals

Related Acts
1965-69  Les Fleur De Lys - Reflections
1966-69  Skip Bifferty - The Story of Skip Bifferty (double disc edition) 
1970  Forever More ‎- Yours / Words On Black Plastic (2007 remaster)
1970  The Greatest Show On Earth - Horizons (2012 remaster) 
1970  The Greatest Show On Earth - The Going's Easy (2012 remaster)
1970  Five Day Rain - Five Day Rain (2006 remaster bonus track issue) 
1971  Bell And Arc - Bell + Arc 

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