The Butts Band - The Complete Recordings (1973-75 us / uk, excellent classic rock, soul, rhythm 'n' blues and reggae tunes, feat. Robby Krieger, John Densmore, Jess Roden)

The 1973 debut of Butts Band, produced by Doors engineer turned producer Bruce Botnick, is -- along with Ray Manzarek's 1974 release, The Golden Scarab (also produced by Botnick) -- the true fulfillment of what Other Voices and Full Circle initiated. A release of Golden Scarab and The Butts Band on one CD would be a good companion piece to the aforementioned post-Morrison Doors releases; it's most likely what would have evolved had the Doors' trio given us a third album in the early '70s. Make no mistake, this is very musical and great stuff, it just had no image, introduced us to new personalities, and was saddled with a terrible name (c'mon, the Butts Band? What was Jimmy Castor's line in "Troglodyte"? "Bertha Butt, one of the Butt sisters." It's just plain silly with the world watching the Doors' legacy). Before Robbie Krieger went on his jazz tangent, this folky blues group may have been a necessary diversion. 

There's none of the Doors' darkness or Ray Manzarek's manic intensity here. It's laid-back, well-played, perfectly recorded music on the Blue Thumb label. What is surprising is that Robbie Krieger was an integral part of the Doors' hit singles. He seems to have put that in the past on these compositions. "Baja Bus," with conga by Larry McDonald, might as well be the Allman Brothers. Side one was recorded in Kingston, Jamaica, with Botnick as engineer, while in London for side two at Olympic Studios they used Keith Harwood on the boards, though Bruce Botnick is the producer of the entire package. More of what you'd expect than the follow-up, Hear and Now, which changes all the musicians save the two Doors and completely reshuffles the sound. Gotta hand it to Krieger and Densmore; they can be as proud of this as Ten Wheel Drive's Zager and Schefrin can be of their post-Genya Ravan disc on EMI. That record wasn't Ten Wheel Drive with Genya Ravan, but it was competent and worth a listen, as is The Butts Band .

In 1975 John Densmore and Robbie Krieger put together a second version of Butts Band for Hear & Now, which is really bizarre because Roy Davies, Phillip Chen, and vocalist Jess Roden did an admirable job on the first disc's folky blues sound. With Mike Berkowitz brought in as a second drummer, Karl Rucker on bass, and Bobbi Hall on congas, the band is expanded and substantially changed. Add Michael Stull and Alex Richman, both on keyboards and vocals, with Stull on guitar as well, and you may think you have what the Doors were up to on Other Voices. Almost, but not quite. The jazz element is definitely there, but subdued, for this is a soul record, an honest to God soul record by two of the guys who backed up Jim Morrison. 

Krieger and Densmore sound like they are sponsoring Barry White doing the songs of Percy Sledge. "If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody" is pure rhythm & blues, as is "Livin' and Dyin'," but it is not Butts Band that producer Bruce Botnick worked with. Sure it is dynamite stuff, but as the first go round for Butts Band had no image, this must have confused the hell out of radio programmers, retail workers, critics, and fans of the Doors. Botnick has been replaced by Jerry Fuller and is truly is the anomaly when it comes to Doors spin-off projects. Heck, even Ray Manzarek's work with poet Michael McClure contains Jim Morrison American Prayer elements, but the quasi-Steely Dan sound of "Caught in the Middle" could be early Lou Rawls cutting his teeth backed by a pseudo-pop band. It's commendable that Blue Thumb allowed rock stars to stretch like this, but no one familiar with Densmore and Krieger could get a handle on where Hear & Now was going. 

What might have been a nice calling card would be to take the Doors' "Touch Me" and let this crew send it up the R&B charts. For two members of a totally established group to create a new entity then switch genres is totally original and quite obscure. Butts Band would have been better off trying to get Towerof Power to do this arrangement of Bob Marley and Peter Tosh's "Get up, Stand Up." Robbie Krieger writes a majority of the songs, and female vocalist Alex Richman has a bit of Kathi McDonald in her for her composition "Everybody's Fool," but it is territory not embraced by most Doors aficionados. Labelmates with the Four Tops, this was moved to the Blue Thumb/ABC imprint (the Four Tops were on sister label Dunhill for their "Keeper of the Castle" phase). Gotta have it for the collection, but Manzarek's The Golden Scarab will get more spins. 

by Joe Viglione 

Tracks 

1. I Won't Be Alone Anymore - 4:29

2. Baja Bus - 4:40

3. Sweet Danger (Jess Roden) - 4:52

4. Pop-A-Top (Jess Roden, Phillip Chen) - 3:22

5. Be With Me - 4:21

6. New Ways (Jess Roden) - 3:55

7. Love Your Brother - 4:53

8. Kansas City (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) - 4:06

9. Get Up, Stand Up (Bob Marley) - 3:36

10.Corner Of My Mind - 4:36

11.Caught In The Middle - 3:22

12.Everybody's Fool (Alex Richman) - 2:45

13.Livin' And Dyin' (Lydia Tegret, Robby Krieger) - 3:13

14.Don't Wake Up - 4:13

15.If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody (Rudy Clark) - 4:04

16.Feelin' So Bad (Alex Richman) - 4:18

17.White House (Michael Stull) -  - 4:27

18.Act Of Love - 3:05

19.That's All Right - 3:18

20.Lovin' You For All The Right Reasons - 2:32

All compossitions by Robby Krieger except where stated

Tracks 1-8 from "Butts Band " 1973

Tracks 9-20 from "Hear And Now!" 1975

The Butts Band

1973 (Tracks 1-8)

*John Densmore - Drums

*Robby Krieger - Lead Guitar

*Jess Roden - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals

*Phillip Chen - Bass

*Roy Davies - Keyboard, ARP Synthesizer 

With

*Mick Weaver - Wurlitzer Piano, Organ

*Larry McDonald - Congas

*Allan Sharp - Congas

1975 (Tracks 9-20)

*John Densmore - Drums

*Robby Krieger - Lead Guitar

*Michael Stull - Guitar, Piano, Vocals

*Alex Richman - Keyboards, Vocals (Track 16)

*Karl "Slick" Rucker - Bass

*Bobbi Hall - Congas

*Mike Berkowitz - Percussion

Related Acts

1970-71 Bronco - Country Home / Ace Of Sunlight (2010 remaster)
1965-67  The Alan Bown Set - Emergency 999 
1969  The Alan Bown! - The Alan Bown! (2010 Esoteric remaster)
1972 Keef Hartley - Lancashire Hustler (2009 esoteric remaster)

1974-80  Jess Roden - The Best Of (2009 remaster)

1976  The Jess Roden Band - Keep Your Hat On / Play It Dirty..Play It Class

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Crack The Sky - Animal Notes • Safety Ιn Numbers (1976-77 us, fine prog rock)

Coming as it did after Crack the Sky's critically acclaimed first album, the darker, more cynical Animal Notes was something of a shock. The grim lyrics are still expressed with a dash of humor, but on the first four songs, the laughs are through clenched teeth. "We Want Mine," the opening cut, is a demand from a third-world native for a share of the world's wealth, a demand he knows will be ignored. "Animal Skins," which may be the best track on the album, skewers organized religion with bitter wit, and "Maybe I Can Fool Everybody Tonight" is told from the viewpoint of someone who is sure that his success is undeserved. Not until halfway through the album is there any lighter material, in the form of "Rangers at Midnight," a goofy pseudo-soundtrack about the Mounties. 

The remainder of the album is lighter in tone but the lyrics are oblique; "Virgin...No" sounds fantastic, all stellar harmonies and guitar hooks, but the vague verses seem to have no relation to the upbeat chorus. After the bright throwaway pop of "Invaders from Mars," lyricist John Palumbo returns to the bleak outlook of the first half with the somber "Play On." Palumbo left the band halfway through their next album and recorded a solo album of pained, introspective material, and his career direction can be seen in most of Animal Notes.

It's generally a bad sign when the lead singer quits a band in the middle of an album, especially when that singer wrote every song on the band's previous two albums. It is therefore somewhat surprising that Safety in Numbers was not merely a good album, but one which rivals Crack the Sky's award-wining first release. Though departing leader John Palumbo contributed a few vocals before quitting the band, new singer Gary Lee Chappell and other bandmembers filled in nicely on a mix of Palumbo's songs and new tunes written by guitarist Rick Witkowski and various partners. 

The two songs written by Palumbo aren't even the best -- that distinction would have to go to "A Night on the Town (With Snow White)," a delightful piece that mixes styles from the 1920s and progressive rock in a way that is probably unique. There are other lyrical gems here too, including the grim title cut and the sarcastic concert favorite "Lighten Up McGraw." Palumbo's "Nuclear Apathy" is five minutes of good song stretched to eight minutes, though the splendid guitar work and inspired arrangement does much to redeem the error. Taken as a whole, Safety in Numbers showed that there was more to Crack the Sky than John Palumbo, and that the band was ready to carry on in high style. 

by Richard Foss

Tracks

1. We Want Mine - 4:53

2. Animal Skins - 3:33

3. Wet Teenager - 3:31

4. Maybe I Can Fool Everybody (Tonight) - 5:56

5. Rangers At Midnight" (Including 'Night Patrol' and featuring 'Let's Lift Our Hearts Up') - 7:35

6. Virgin  No - 4:56

7. Invaders from Mars - 3:30

8. Play On - 3:56

9. Nuclear Apathyn - 8:31

10.Long Nights - 3:58

11.Flashlight (John Palumbo, Joey D'Amico, Joe Macre, Jim Griffiths, Rick Witkowski) - 4:33

12.Lighten Up McGraw (Rob Stevens, Rick Witkowski, Joe Macre) - 5:08

13.Give Myself to You (Rick Witkowski, Rob Stevens) - 3:24

14.A Night on the Town (With Snow White) (Rick Witkowski, Deborah Kucan) - 3:29

15.Safety in Numbers" (Joe Macre, Rick Witkowski) - 6:30

All songs written by John Palumbo except where stated 

Tracks 1-8 from "Animal Notes", 1976

Tracks 9-15 from "Safety In Numbers". 1977

Crack The Sky
*John Palumbo - Lead Vocals, Keyboards, Acoustic Guitar, Harmonies
*Rick Witkowski - Electric Guitar, Harmonies
*Joe Macre - Bass Guitar, Harmonies
*Jim Griffiths - Electric Guitar, Harmonies
*Joey D'Amico - Drums, Harmonies
*Gary Lee Chappell - Lead Vocals, Back-Up Vocals, Acoustic Guitar (Safety In Numbers)
*Rob Stevens - Piano, Minimoog, Oberheim Synthesizer (Safety In Numbers)
Additional Musicians In Animal Notes
*David Sackson - Concert Master
*"Singin' Mounties" - Vocals
*George Marge - Horns
*Robert "Chic" Diciccio - Horns
*Gotham City Swing Band - Horns

1975  Crack The Sky - Crack The Sky

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White Wing - White Wing (1976 us, fascinating hard prog rock, 2017 remaster)

WhiteWing, formerly called Forbidden Children, was formed in Rapid City in 1968 with founders Mike Drew (vocals, organ), Rod Schroeder (vocals, guitars), Mike Coates (guitars), Gary Cass (bass) and Norm Curtis (drums).  From the band’s beginning, they were touring with national performing artists throughout North and South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, Nebraska, Minnesota and Canada. Their name became synonymous with great music and electric performances. 

In 1974, Mike Niva performed on keyboards and vocals with WhiteWing. In 1975 with the line-up of original members Coates, Curtis, and Cass and now with Tim Renshaw on keyboards and Mike English on lead vocals, WhiteWing landed a record deal with the Minneapolis record label A.S.I. and released their self-titled debut album. The single from that album titled Hansa, written by Mike Coates, hit the Billboard top-singles charts. Subsequently, WhiteWing albums were sold all over the US, Canada, and Europe. Radio stations placed Hansa in a frequent rotational slot as part of their station’s programming; Hansa had massive radio airplay throughout the Midwest and Canada. WhiteWing was often mislabeled as an American version of The Moody Blues but it was a much heavier band with a progressive rock foundation; it was hard to find a genre that defined this unique band during the mid 70’s.

WhiteWing disbanded in late 1976 but left a mark in South Dakota rock history with the founding of a progressive, distinct style that is still rare and treasured by a multitude of vinyl music collectors and progressive rock aficionados.  All of the members of WhiteWing are indebted to the many loyal and faithful fans who supported them through the years. Many of the former members still perform and work in the music industry today. WhiteWing looks back on their place in the history of rock music in South Dakota with thanks, gratitude and pride.    

South-Dakota R'n'R

Tracks

1. Hansa (Cygnus) - 3:14

2. Patent Leather - 6:44

3. Slave - 3:16

4. Wait 'Til Tomorrow - 4:29

5. The White Ship - 4:11

6. Harbinger - 3:51

7. A Little Levity (A Satirical Salute) - 4:44

8. Tuzashottma - 1:13

9. Executive Privlege - 4:20

10.Hansa (Aquila) - 1:59

All Music and Lyrics by Mike Coates except tracks #2 and #7 Lyrics written by Mike English

White Wing

*Gary Cass - Bass Guitar

*Mike English - Vocals

*Tim Renshaw - Keyboards, Clavinet (Track 7)

*Norm Curtis - Drums, Percussion

*Mike Coates - Electric, Classical, Acoustic Guitars, Backing Vocals, Piano (Tracks 1,4), Clavinet (Tracks 5,7)

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Black Widow - Black Widow (1970 uk, good heavy psych prog rock, 2014 remaster)

Leicester, England-based Black Widow formed in 1969 from the ashes of blue-eyed soul band Pesky Gee! Jim Gannon (vocals, guitar, vibraphone), Kip Trevor (vocals, guitar, harmonica), Zoot Taylor (keyboards), Clive Jones (woodwinds), Bob Bond (bass), and Clive Box (drums) played dark, allegedly satanically inspired rock along the lines of Black Sabbath, and gained plenty of attention and controversy for their theatrical live sets. Black Widow made the U.K. Top 40 with their 1970 debut album, Sacrifice. Despite, or perhaps because of, the focus on their occult trappings, they moved away from their dark roots with their 1971 self-titled album and continued this trend with the following year's Black Widow III. By this time, however, lack of critical and label support, plus many lineup changes, caused the group to falter. Late in 1972, after losing their deal with CBS Records, Black Widow recorded Return to the Sabbat, a self-produced set that did not see the light of day until 1999, when it was released by Blueprint Records. A tribute album, Come to the Sabbat, appeared later that year as well. 

by William Ruhlmann

Tracks

1. Tears And Wine (Jeff Griffith, Jim Gannon, Kip Trevor, Romeo Challenger, Zoot Taylor) - 8:58

2. The Gypsy (Jim Gannon) - 4:33

3. Bridge Passage (Jeff Griffith) - 0:30

4. When My Mind Was Young (Jeff Griffith, Jim Gannon) - 5:12

5. The Journey (Jim Gannon, Kip Trevor, Zoot Taylor) - 5:52

6. Poser (Jeff Griffith, Jim Gannon, Kip Trevor, Romeo Challenger, Zoot Taylor) - 7:46

7. Mary Clark (Bill Litchfield, Jim Gannon) - 4:07

8. Wait Until Tomorrow (Jim Gannon) - 3:24

9. An Afterthought (Jeff Griffith, Jim Gannon, Kip Trevor, Romeo Challenger, Zoot Taylor) - 1:12

10.Legend Of Creation (Jim Gannon) - 5:58

Black Widow

*Jeff Griffith - Bass Guitar, Vocals

*Jim Gannon - Lead, Acoustic, Twelve-String Guitars, Vocals 

*Kip Trevor - Lead Vocals, Tambourine, Maracas 

*Romeo Challenger - Drums, Bongos, Congas

*Zoot Taylor - Organ, Piano

*Clive Jones - Saxophone, Flute

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Anno Domini - On This New Day (1971 ireland, splendid folkish psych classic rock, 2006 digipak remaster)

A pleasant and satisfying set of songs from Anno Domini, a melodic acoustic folk rock outfit formed in 1971 by former Eire Apparent lead guitarist David ‘Tiger’ Taylor. Eire Apparent specialised in heavy rock and toured America with the Jimi Hendrix Experience in 1967. Anno Domini provided a complete musical contrast. ‘On This New Day’ is a rare work, long sought after by collectors. Influenced by American folk rock, the Irish group featured a lively version of The Byrds’ ‘So You Want To Be A Rock’n’Roll Star’ among the ten album tracks. Other stand out items include a ‘cover’ of Dion’s ‘Daddy Rowlin’ and originals ‘Bad Lands Of Ardguth’ and ‘The Good Life I Have Known’. A single version of ‘Hitchcock Railway’ has been added as a bonus item.

Tracks

1. So You Want To Be A Rock 'N Roll Star (Chris Hillman, Roger McGuinn) - 5:08

2. On This New Day (David Mercer, Kerry Scott) - 1:58

3. Bad Lands Of Ardguth (David Mercer, Kerry Scott) - 3:17

4. Regency Days (David Mercer, Kerry Scott) - 2:53

5. Hitchcock Railway (Don Dunn, Tony McCashen) - 5:13

6. This Good Life I Have Known (David Mercer, Kerry Scott) - 3:13

7. The Trapper (David Mercer) - 2:28

8. Daddy Rowlin (Dion DiMucci, Tony Fasce) - 4:16

9. Five O'Clock In The Morning (Kerry Scott) - 3:07

10.June Tremayne (David Mercer, Kerry Scott) - 3:23

11.Hitchcock Railway  (Don Dunn, Tony McCashen) - 4:31

Bonus Track 11

Anno Domini 

*Dave Mercer - Vocals, Guitar, Bass 

*Kerry Scott - Vocals, Harmonica, Percussion,  

*David "Tiger" Taylor - Guitar, Vocals

Related Act

1969  Eire Apparent - Sunrise (2010 Flawed Gems)   

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The Staton Brothers Band - The Staton Brothers Band (1972 us, beautiful harmonized folk rock)

Produced by John Simon, 1972's cleverly-titled "The Staton Brothers Band" with several of these tracks were quite good in an imitative way.  Largely written by Jeffrey Staton, 'S.F. To La', 'Take It Back' and 'I Need To Be Alone' showcased lots of strumming acoustic guitars, catchy melodies, and four-part harmony vocals.

The time the Staton Brothers record was released there was a major record strike on the west coast and as a result, no distribution.  The record climbed the charts in the SF Bay area, but no one was able to get a copy of it.  The records sat undistributed for over two months. 

 

The band did tour all over the US and focused largely on the east coast.  When they returned from the tour, no records had been distributed.

 

Jeff Staton who is now Jeff Jones went on to not only tour with Stephen Bishop and Art Garfunkel, and now has mainly focused on writing.  He wrote several songs for Alabama - Calling All Angels - which went gold, Brooks & Dunn, and is currently writing and composing in Nashville, TN.

 

Mike Staton also lived in Nashville, recorded several CD's, and was the driving force behind the local Rockabilly Radio Show in Nashville. 

 

Donny Mederos not only plays with the Blues Defenders, he is also the bass player for Mississippi Blues Man Johnny Rawls on the west coast. 

Bad Cat

Tracks

1. S.F. To L.A. - 3:05

2. Take It Back - 3:03

3. April - 4:00

4. No One Listens   -  3:14

5. I Need To Be Alone - 3:21

6. Four Days Gone (Stephen Stills) - 4:22 

7. Mobile Blues (Mickey Newbury) - 3:04

8. One Man Woman - 2:10

9. Mother Nature's Son (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 3:59

10.Ooh Did I Miss Her  - 2:42

11.Night In The City (Joni Mitchell) - 4:04

12.Bridge Of Your Faith - 5:56

All songs by Jeffrey Staton except where stated

The Staton Brothers Band

*Hal Atkinson  -  Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals, Percussion, Congas

*Donny Mederos  -  Bass, Backing Vocals, Dobro Guitar

*Jeffrey Staton (Aka Jeff Jones)  -  Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Piano

*Michael Staton  -  Vocals, Lead Guitar 

With

*John Simon - Orchestral Arrangements

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Bobby ''Blue'' Bland - His California Album (1973 us, magnificent soulful electric blues, BGO remaster)

In 1973 Bland's previous label Duke Records was incorporated by ABC Dunhill. Bland isn't thrilled at first, but when he learns that Steve Barri will be producing his next album, he agrees. His California album is the first for the new hosts and also marks Bland's transition from classic to modern soul. The opulent arrangements typical of modern soul came from Michael Omartian, who had the best studio musicians in Los Angeles at his disposal at ABC.

Bobby Bland's bluesy vocals fit into this sound like a made bed. By the way, it's no wonder that he brings the blues into soul. Because Bland learned his craft in the clubs of the legendary Beale Street in Memphis, where he also worked with B.B. King.

The ten-song album climbed to number three on the Black Album Charts in 1973. Two single releases, namely "Goin' down slow" and "This time I'm gone for good" also hit the charts. Bobby "Blue" Bland's  California album is just waiting to be rediscovered. 

Tracks

1. This Time I'm Gone For Good (Deadric Malone, Oscar Perry) - 3:32

2. Up And Down World (Deadric Malone, Vernon Morrison) - 3:33

3. It's Not The Spotlight (Barry Goldberg, Gerry Goffin) - 3:52

4. (If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want To Be Right (Luther Ingram, Mack Rice) - 3:50

5. Goin' Down Slow (James D. Odom) - 5:35

6. The Right Place At The Right Time (Deadric Malone) - 2:55

7. Help Me Through The Day (Leon Russell) - 3:50

8. Where Baby Went (Deadric Malone) - 3:19

9. Friday The 13th Child (David Clayton Thomas) - 3:14

10.I've Got To Use My Imagination (Barry Goldberg, Gerry Goffin) - 4:14

Musicians

*Bobby "Blue" Bland  - Vocals

*Mel Brown  - Guitar

*Ben Benay  - Guitar

*Max Bennett  - Bass

*Ginger Blake  - Vocals

*Larry Carlton  - Guitar

*David Cohen  - Guitar

*Wilton Felder  - Bass

*Chuck Findley  - Horn

*Ed Greene  - Drums

*Paul Hubinon  - Horn

*Dick Hyde  - Horn

*Jackie Kelso  - Horn

*Jack Kelson, Jr.  - Horn

*Michael Omartian  - Keyboards, Organ, Piano

*Dean Parks  - Guitar

*Sid Sharp  - Concert Master, Strings

*Julia Tillman Waters  - Vocals

*Julia Tillman  - Vocals 

*Ernie Watts  - Horn

*Maxine Willard Waters  - Vocals

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Wishful Thinking - Hiroshima (1971 uk, wonderful soft rock, 2012 edition)

Wishful Thinking is one of those bands prized by obscurantist pop collectors apparently due mostly to the obscurity surrounding the band. There are several websites that detail the group's torturous history in surprising depth, but here's the short version: Wishful Thinking were an obscure R&B-pop combo that released two singles in 1966 with original singer Roy Daniels and then a handful of singles and an album of cover versions, Live, Vol. 1, in 1967 and 1968 with new singer Kevin Scott. Another lineup revision brought in bassist and co-lead singer Tony Collier and the band was signed to the U.K. indie B&C Records, which would later transform into the far better-known prog label Charisma Records. 

Producer Lou Reizner (later responsible for the freakishly over the top travesty All This and World War II) tapped another B&C artist, singer/songwriter Dave Morgan (who had written a couple songs for the Move and was a late-era member of the Electric Light Orchestra), to write an album's worth of songs and the result was 1971's Hiroshima. A flop upon its first release, the album later got an unexpected second wind when the single "Hiroshima" was reissued in Germany in 1976 and became a national hit, causing the band to briefly re-form for a pair of unsuccessful follow-ups. In the meantime, Wishful Thinking had landed a song on the soundtrack to Ringo Starr and David Essex's 1973 film That'll Be the Day. Later, Scott joined the final incarnation of the New Seekers under his real name, Danny Finn. 

So Wishful Thinking was tangentially connected to enough big names and cult figures in British pop music to make Hiroshima an object of interest to the hardcore record nerd, but overlooked in this collector's frenzy is the fact that most of this album is rather dreadful. "Hiroshima" itself is an appealing prog-lite pop single matching Reizner's dramatic production style, Morgan's portentous lyrics, and Collier's slightly weedy voice into a suitably apocalyptic song pitched somewhere between Odessa-era Bee Gees and Barclay James Harvest. It's a nice little prog rock nugget worthy of inclusion on any mixtape or compilation CD of obscurities in the style, but the other ten songs on Hiroshima, with the possible exception of the amusingly fretful "United States of Europe '79," are uniformly bland pop songs given too-sweet production. 

Collectors who simply must own the single are better advised to locate one of the several '70s-vintage 45 rpm reissues, or perhaps one of the unauthorized CD bootlegs of the album floating around the prog underground; paying top-dollar prices for the album itself is bound to disappoint all but the most undiscerning "rarity equals quality" folks.

by Stewart Mason

Tracks

1. Hiroshima - 4:56

2. This Time Tomorrow - 2:55

3. She Belongs To The Night - 2:56

4. Mary Goodbye - 3:08

5. Ever Since I Can Remember - 3:30

6. We're Gonna Change All This - 2:43

7. Now - 2:30

8. United States Of Europe '79 - 3:23

9. I Wrote A Song - 4:04

10. 1984 - 3:43

11. Goodbye Lover - 1:48

All Lyrics and Music by David Scott-Morgan

Wishful Thinking

*John Franklin - Guitar

*Kevin Scott - Vocals

*Brian Allen - Drums

*Tony Collier - Bass

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Walflower Complextion - Walflower Complextion / When I`m Far From You (1966-67 us, nice surf garage rock, 2000 double disc remaster)

The Walflower Complextion were an 1960s garage band. What was not average about them was that, even though they were American, they were formed, recorded, and performed in Bogota, Colombia. The five bandmembers, ranging in age from 14 to 17, were Americans attending high school in Bogota. Rock groups of any kind, let alone American ones, were rare in Colombia at this time. So despite their callow youth and primitive equipment, they were signed to Daro International Records after the label's president heard about them at a cocktail party.

The Walflower Complextion recorded two albums for Daro in their short lifetime, the first appearing in late 1966, the other a few months later in early 1967. In both performance and material, the LPs were quite similar to that mini-genre known among '60s collectors as "prep school" rock: vanity records, done by kids at private school, that were pressed in small quantities, pretty much just for the benefit of themselves, their family, and friends. Like almost all of those prep school LPs, the pair by the Walflower Complextion were populated by many cover versions, principally of British Invasion songs. Obviously they were huge fans of the Rolling Stones; their first album had four Stones covers, while the second had a couple of non-Stones originals that were nonetheless most likely learned from the Stones' covers of those items.

The Walflower Complextion actually appeared on television in Colombia, whose TV facilities were so crude at that point that on one of them they were filmed by the first television video camera in the country. The albums were only distributed in Colombia, and the group broke up in June 1967. Both of the LPs were reissued on a double CD by Normal/Shadoks.

by Richie Unterberger

Tracks

Disc 1

1. All It Is (Richard Sampson, Fred Sampson) - 2:45

2. Empty Heart (Mick Jagger, Brian Jones, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Bill Wyman) - 3:00

3. Tell Me (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards) - 3:27

4. Chris's B's (Chris Kryzs, Fred Sampson) - 3:28

5. Blue Bells (Richard Sampson, Chris Kryzs, Fred Sampson, Pat Sinex) - 1:51

6. Last Time (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards) - 3:08

7. Hanky Panky (Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry) - 2:27

8. Sapphire (Chris Kryzs, Fred Sampson, Pat Sinex) - 3:42

9. Blue Turns To Grey (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards) - 2:29

10.Long Tall Shorty (Don Covay, Herb Abramson) - 2:23

11.Yack The Ripper (Link Wray) - 2:18

12.Open Up Your Door (Richard Sampson) - 2:34

All Tracks from "Walflower Complextion" 1966

Disc 2

1. Baby Please Don't Go (Big Joe Williams) - 2:22

2. Route 66 (Bobby Troup) - 2:26

3. When I'm Far From You (Fred Sampson) - 3:01

4. Not Fade Away (Norman Petty, Charles Hardin) - 2:46

5. El Caiman (Jose Maria Penaranda) - 2:23

6. La Bamba (Traditional) - 3:03

7. From Head To Toe (Fred Sampson, Chris Kryzs) - 2:40

8. Needles And Pins (Jack Nitzsche, Sony Bono) - 2:22

9. Gloria (Van Morrison) - 2:37

10.She Belongs To Me (Bob Dylan) - 3:20

11.Santa Marta (Cresencio Salcedo) - 2:53

12.Out Of Sight (Big Joe Williams) - 2:22

All Tracks from "When I`m Far From You" 1967

The Walflower Complextion

*Richard Sampson -  Drums

*Chris Kryzs - Guitar, Vocals

*Fred Sampson - Guitar, Vocals

*Mark Lusk - Lead Vocals 

*Pat Sinex -  Bass (Disc 1, Tracks: 2-7, 9-12, Disc 2) 

*Rodney Roberts -  Bass (Disc 1, Tracks 1, 8)

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Rick Saucedo - Heaven Was Blue (1978 us, mindblowing haunting acid folk psych rock, 2005 remaster)

In the brightly colored beehive where rare psychedelia drips like honey from the walls there's been buzz on this mysterious LP for several years, partly due to its musical appeal, partly due to the background story, which is a tale worth telling. Rick Saucedo is mainly known as an Illinois-based Elvis impersonator, and a successful one at that, but some time when the King's ghost wasn't looking he sneaked out and cut himself two sides of music that were as far to the other end of the spectrum as you can imagine; dreamy, melodic 60s-style psychedelia. The acidrock sleuths and dead wax bloodhounds tracked him down (of course), but were forced to deal with his manager -- possibly a "connected" guy -- who wasn't likely to see the merit of throwing light on this bizarre sidetrack in Saucedo's career. In fact, when a bunch of psych fans rounded up a healthy bag of coins in the hope of getting a few "Heaven Was Blue":s in return, the manager simply kept the money and made himself scarce!

Thus: a $900 price tag, continuing buzz, and the exact reissue now present before us. But the strangeness doesn't end quite there, because this LP has a skeleton in the closet, one that the psych mafia honchos were reluctant to share except behind locked doors. If you pressed your ear to the wall you could pick up references to a dread "50s medley" that screwed up the LP and, it was said, kept it from being bootlegged. It certainly explained why most tapes of the LP being traded only contained about 28 minutes of music; I know because I had one, and it was one of my most played tapes of an incomplete album ever. The "50s medley" rumor seemed a terrible waste as the rest of the LP was spellbinding, almost like a psych head's fantasy invention rather than an actual vinyl object.

So let's get that brylcreem skeleton out into direct sunlight and see what it's made of. Well, to begin with it's two separate tracks rather than a medley. Secondly, I wouldn't call them "50s" in some heinous Sha-Na-Na retro manner, but rather examples of the roots rock material you can find on albums by thousands of 1970s artists big and small. They're originals (I think) and do sound like a tribute to a bygone era, but I actually was expecting worse. My guess is that the Elvis impersonator angle influenced this urban myth out of proportion. These two tracks do not exactly improve or belong on the LP, and I'll probably skip by 'em -- easy to do as they close side 1 -- most times I play it, but that's about how bad it is. Case closed. Onward to the real meat.

"Heaven Was Blue" opens with "Reality", a dreamy yet concise trip of rich guitar tapestries and nice folky hooks. It sounds rather similar to those two other lost-in-time psych masters, Bobb Trimble and Michael Angelo, and could be seen as the perfect halfway house between them -- flowing and multilayered like Bobb's music (even to the point of having ghostly voices speak in the background), while the wistful vocals and droning melody come straight out of the 1967 Lennon school of Michael A. Rick Saucedo was obviously unaware of these competing acts, yet it's remarkable that three such outstanding psych timewarps exist with so much in common. If anyone finds the explanatory "X" factor be sure to send it my way. It's one hell of an album opener anyway.

Saucedo then spins a few wheels on his kaleidoscope and via a single echoing guitar note we flow into "In my mind", a counterpart and alternative to the "Reality" of almost the exact same duration. It's at least as strong as the opening track, a little heavier with fuzz chords chugging underneath the multilayered guitars and a more cutting vocal style, albeit still totally in a 1967-68 flowerpsych mood, while a reference to Jesus towards the end may recall D R Hooker. Along with the great use of organ and booming bass the track is reminiscent of the best tracks on Rain Parade's classic 1983 debut album, and one could spend a few hours discussing why "Heaven was blue" is one of the last relics of the original acid music era while the Parade's "Emergency" is instead one of the first (and best) retro LPs. We don't have time for such nonsense here, though.

Skipping past the two roots rockers discussed above it's time to flip the LP over and parachute into the marvelously painted landscape that constitutes Saucedo's sidelong title track. If it seems that "In my mind" and "Reality" gave promises of melodic psych nirvana, then "Heaven was blue" is the realization. Clocking in at almost 19 minutes it is something unique in the psych world; a successful transportation of the acid heritage from John Lennon's "Revolver" into the domains of carefully composed suites usually associated with bad 70s rock. It could have been just another J D Blackfoot, except that Saucedo pulls it off like a charm, don't ask me how -- stacking new melodies, guitar figures and arrangements atop the old ones every 3 minutes or so, each more swirling and enchanting than the last, and retaining a sense of progression throughout. The fact that it's less than a perfect performance, with guitars occasionally strolling off-key and the drummer seeming to wing it as he goes along, enforces the human warmth and removes any progrock specter forcefully. 

There is a particular segment that begins around the 5:30-minute mark and lasts about 120 seconds which I am inclined to take as a glimpse of a place BEYOND psychedelia, beyond Lennon and Trimble and Michael Angelo and all the other acid geniuses, great or small, and everyone must hear this because it's the place where we should be. Exactly how a moonlighting Elvis impersonator found it is one for our children's children to ponder; in any event the whole "Heaven was blue" track is an amazing display of creativity and control, and when it's over it's like having been subjected to a dazzling Ludovico-method technicolor montage of everything you hallucinated on the walls when discovering the greatness of psychedelia long ago: "Sunshine superman"; "Porpoise song"; "Renaissance fair"; "Matilda mother"; they're all in there, along with thunder and rain sound FX, meandering acid guitars, and howling dogs.

You will notice I haven't said much about Rick Saucedo's lyrics and I have to admit it took a while for me to even notice them, considering the spellbinding nature of the music. But they're rather interesting I must say, and just like Trimble and to some extent Michael Angelo there's a darkness lurking beneath the hippie vibe. The lyrics for Saucedo's title track are thankfully printed on the back cover and at first I took them as some kind of agnostic love & brotherhood statement, but if you really get down to it they look a bit, um... sacrilegious, like maybe it isn't a coincidence that his dog is named Satan. The three psych tracks all deal with Death, its consequences and meaning; a theme reinforced by the back cover drawing of a graveyard with tombstones for the various people involved in making the LP. I've heard say that the whole LP came about after the shock Saucedo got from the King's death in 1977, and if so that provides an interesting subtext for the ambiguous message he delivers.  

The "Heaven was blue" album as a whole is a challenge for a reviewer, and for once I'm going to abandon my principles and comment directly on the numerical rating. The three psychedelic tracks are as perfect "10"s as I've come across, while the two rockers get slapped with a "4" each. Taking the playtime of the tracks into account, this yields the formula (9*10 + 7*4 + 19*10) / 35 = 8.8. Quod Erat Demonstrandum. I could take another point off for Saucedo being such a schmuck to screw with what could have been one of the greatest psych LPs of all time, but truth is that about 5 minutes into side 2 those two rockers seem a distant memory, like a bad dream about to be forgotten. Oh yeah, the current reissue is a bootleg but looks and sounds real nice, certainly better than my old CD-R, so get it quick before it sells out.

Lysergia

Tracks

1. Reality - 4:25

2. In My Mind - 4:12

3. Country Shakin'History Makin' - 2:48

4. Ka Mon We're Gonna Rock All Night Long - 3:52 

5.a.Heaven Was Blue

   b.Graveyard

   c.Set Us Free

   d.Empty Pillow

   e.Angels March In Hell

   f.Some Call It Magic

   g.Angels March Out Of Hell

   h.Heaven Was Blue (Reprise)  - 18:29

All compositions by Rick Saucedo

Personnel

*Rick Saucedo - Vocals, Lead, Rhythm Guitar, Bass, Drums, Piano, Synthesizer

*Joe Lentino - Drums

*Jim Johnson - Piano

*Peggy Counsell - Backing Vocals

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