Rare Aussie prog Lizard – Bad Companions LP release date on August 1973. Lizard progressive rock band from Sydney Australia. An interesting progressive blues-rock album, with elements of jazz-fusion thrown in for good measure. A couple of standout tracks are “Page Missing From My Book”, appealing blues-based boogie performed in an exploratory manner, and “Rehabilitation Boogie”, one of the finest bluesy jazz fusion tracks ever committed to vinyl by an Aussie combo! Lizard split up in early 1973 after having laid down several tracks at EMI Studios (Sydney) during December 1972. These tracks eventually appeared on the band’s “Rosalyn” b/w “Cecil” single (released 7 June 1973), and “Bad Companions” LP.
Initially, the album was slated to appear as “Starve the Lizards”, but this was replaced by the “Bad Companions” title. Michael (Mick) Tulk had previously played guitar with British freak-beat band The Untamed during the mid-1960s. Greg Hill, Dave Conners and Rob Souter had previously been members of the Sydney-based White Wine, although none of them actually played on the band’s “Overflow” LP (Festival 1970). Mick Tulk and Dave Conners also appeared on Gulliver Smith’s “The Band is Alright But the Singer Is…” LP (Reprise 1973). Dave Conners obviously spent some time in the UK—he also performed on the following LPs: Jade Warrior “Released” (Vertigo 1971) and Graham Parker & The Rumour’s “Howlin’ Wind” (1976). Here’s another little known fact: Rob Souter was drummer for the Dynamic Hepnotics (1980-86). Quite an impressive musical heritage!
Tracks
1. Intro - 0:58
2. Page Missing From My Book (Mick Tulk, Gulliver Smith) - 7:33
3. Tarot Cards - 6:06
4. Rosalyn - 3:25
5. People People - 3:28
6. Cecil - 4:58
7. Rehabilitation Boogie - 6:37
All music by Mick Tulk, John Wheelerm, Greg Hill, Dave Conners, Rob Souter except where stated, Lyrics by Gulliver Smith
I look forward to a time when labels will once again release hard-driving soul albums that play out like one long, campy musical. I guess R. Kelly’s episodic soap opera “Trapped in the Closet Pts. 1-whatever” is sort of in the ballpark, but while Kels offers his own Serge Gainsbourgian lecherousness, Lotti Golden leads us into the bizarre excursions of the late-’60s underground freaks. So fertile was the music scene of that period that an album of restlessly epic roadhouse suites could be released on a major label.
Golden gets help on Motor-Cycle from an impeccably arranged Atlantic Records session band. They give the album a wall-of-sound heft when called for and lay the foundation, in the midst of all that brass, with a flawless, swinging rhythm team. Then, at key moments, the curtain goes up and they’ve got rows of saxes, trumpets, vibes, and churchfuckingbells behind them, and you begin to realize that this is not the same song and dance. Furthermore, everyone is committed never to repeat the same progression for more than, say, 30 seconds, but also knows that at some point the song will return to each segment, just to remind you how great it was the first time around.
So, there’s that, and the emcee for this aberrant cabaret is Lotti Golden, nexus of the intemperate adventure starring a cast of sex fiends, drug addicts, and other proponents of the In The Now school of living. Motor-Cycle is exactly the sort of hazy deviant party you always hoped the late-’60s was. It plays out roughly like this: Lotti’s got a thing for this kid Michael, who “lets me ride his motorcycle.” But Michael’s truth machine was starting to breakdown, so she heads to Fay’s, the meet-up spot for her coterie of malcontents. Anabell’s gonna be there, Silky’s gonna be there, Billy is gonna drop by, Celia’s gonna come by. But for Fay, whose French poodles keep her satisfied, it’s her doctor’s pills that keep her high, and she’s in trouble with the meds.
“Hey man, did you hear what happened to Fay? Yeah, it’s really a drag, what a bring-down. So where do you want to go? Rosie’s? That’s cool. Out of sight man, we’ll dig it!”
And so the whole party up and moves to Rosie’s. No pause for introspection on poor Fay’s demise, no lessons learned, none of that crap; the good times must roll on. That’s kind of the M.O. of Motor-Cycle. If something heavy happens, slow the music down for a second, give a wail, then move on. With a crowd this colorful, there’s always another story to tell. Silky “had to get married quick in her mama’s red dress in a civil courthouse in Georgia.” Her baby was baptized on a Monday, an occasion for Lotti to sip milk from a champagne glass in the rain. Problem is, Silky’s got a thing for drag queens, who have great parties but make shitty fathers. Silky wants a straight man this time, a real butch guy. A bit of soul searching ensues, but not enough to interrupt the groove. Fact is, that groove is so infectious and permeating that you really have to pay attention to pick up on all the freaky storylines. It’s much simpler and just as pleasurable to latch onto that bass-line and horn hook and just ride along.
Motor-Cycle is that rare party record that’s got a bizarre story behind it while still being a freak-show record that you can throw on at dance parties. To make a crude comparison, it’s as if The Velvet Underground recorded for Motown. In short: debauchery with a beat. Dig it.
by Path, May 29, 2008
Tracks
1. Motor-Cycle Michael - 8:14
2. Gonna Fay's - 8:31
3. A Lot Like Lucifer (Celia Said Long Time Loser) - 6:32
4. The Space Queens (Silky Is Sad) - 7:21
5. Who Are Your Friends (Lotti Golden, Bob Crewe) - 5:52
6. Get Together (With Yourself) - 5:36
7. You Can Find Him - 5:13
8. Annabelle With Bells - 4:12
9. Sock It To Me Baby - 3:29
All songs written by Lotti Golden except where stated
Not much is known about Manna. The album was recorded by Robert Paul 'Bobby' Guidotti (drums), Anthony Dean and James Daniel (guitar) and Denny Correll (vocals, RIP 2002). Correll came from the Blues Image. Guidotti was later supporting Chris Thompson. There is little information about the origin of the band Manna, the name could be due to the biblical 'manna (bread)'. On the other hand, the musicians could also have been referring to the 1971 Bread album Manna.
At no point Manna redefine music. But there's something about their idea of (then) contemporary rock music with a certain Southern heft that appeals to me immensely. It rocks in an extremely pleasant way, while at the same time the band rarely loses itself in banalities. On the contrary: Bread may have been an influence, but so were the Allman Brothers, CSNY, McCartney and so on. Many influences, but here they don't spoil the broth.
Tracks
1. Good Old Rock And Roll (Frank Konte, Dennis Correll) - 2:49
2. Tell Me Why (James Daniel, Anthony Dean) - 3:23
3. Save The Country (James Daniel, Anthony Dean) - 3:07
4. What Ya Gonna Do (Dennis Correll, Frank Konte) - 3:04
5. We Can Make It (Dennis Correll, Frank Konte) - 3:10
6. Red Man (James Daniel, Anthony Dean) - 4:52
7. Southern Bound (James Daniel, Anthony Dean) - 2:42
8. Clap Your Hands (James Daniel, Anthony Dean) - 2:58
9. Hold On (Frank Konte) - 4:48
10.New Day’s Coming (James Daniel, Anthony Dean, Bobby Guidotti) - 4:05
50 years ago guitarist/vocalist George Milspaugh, guitarist Dan Hurc, bass player Mickey Gentile and drummer Dean Aliotta got together to play at a Halloween barn party in rural Waterman, Illinois back in 1974. That was the birth of Pearl Handle. After honing their chops at colleges and in clubs for a few years, they headed to Nashville to record an album. But before it could get released, the label and studio went out of business. A few years later, to everyone in the band’s surprise, while a friend was thumbing through cassette tapes at a truck stop, what did he find? A Pearl Handle tape! How did this happen?
Emerging in the ‘70s, Pearl Handle set themselves apart from most of the other club bands who were trying to be the next rock stars with their Southern rock/outlaw country influences that proved popular. Dressed in blue jeans and cowboy boots, and George in his wide-brimmed western hat, you’d think they were from Texas, not Chicago.
Milspaugh started gigging in bands back in high school. He sowed his roots in the Kiwis, Captain Soul and Cox’s Army. Hurc and Aliotta, had already teamed in Hoona with Dean’s brother Ted. Gentile had just returned home after his college years at Southern Illinois University. Hurc, who had started out on bass, had moved over to guitar giving Pearl Handle dual guitar lead capabilities, especially important when they covered the Southern rock sounds of the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
On stage, Milspaugh fronted the band. His large physical presence with a gruff appearance while swigging down some Jack Daniels reminiscent of a roadhouse rowdy, he had a personality that you would never want to get into a bar fight with him, but if you were with someone else, he would be the first to back you up. His piercing, vibrato-soaked, in your face vocals; dynamic slide guitar chops and limber, high-kicking stage antics were the driving force of the band.
After six years sharpening their stage presence opening for Journey and Van Halen and building a repertoire of original material, it was time to head into the studio and cut an album.
“We got an offer from Sunbird Records,” remembers Milspaugh in an interview with Sweet Home Music. “We sent them a demo of our songs and that’s what started the whole session.”
They would head to Nashville. Working with producer Nelson Larkin of Sunbird Records, and famed country studio engineer Ron “Snake” Reynolds, they were armed with a set of originals along with a couple of songs offered up by their producer. The tracks were cut, mostly one-take sessions. They didn’t get finished before the band had to head back on the road.
“We were told we would return to finish everything in a couple weeks,” according to Milspaugh. But then, “We never heard from the studio after we returned to Chicago,” only to find out Sunbird went out of business and the band was not able to recover the tapes.
“We never heard another thing about those recordings until three or four years later. A friend of mine had called and he had just returned from a trip to Nashville. He told me he was in a record store checking out cassettes in the bargain bin, and he saw the Pearl Handle ‘Brylen’ tape.”
No one in the band had any idea. Apparently, Brylen Records, a small independent Nashville label, had gained access to the Sunbird tapes and released a seven-song album Pearl Handle (Brylen 4420) in 1982 (That “bootlegged” album now fetches $60+ in collector circles).
The trail for the Pearl Handle band seemed to end there. Disappointed after the loss of their record, and the band worn down from the years on the road, it was time to take a break.
Milspaugh would just take a break, working jobs as a bouncer and bartender at Lincoln Avenue bars. Gentile and Hurc continued on as the rhythm section for Dirt’s Raiders, a post-Boyzz band formed by their frontman ‘Dirty’ Dan Buck. They would get a demo deal offer from Atlantic Records, but that deal would also fizzle out.
None of those were full-time jobs. Mickey Gentile had taken a day job with Warner-Elektra-Atlantic where he would hold down a marketing position. Ironically, Sunbird studio producer Nelson Larkin had been named President of WEA Nashville in charge of the Atlantic Records’ country catalog. Gentile bumped into him at a company convention and inquired about the Pearl Handle tapes. No resolved was reached in that conversation, but mysteriously a while later, the original Pearl Handle tapes were delivered to Gentile’s doorstep.
Gentile sat on those tapes, not really knowing what to do with them. Then another part of Pearl Handle’s past came to light. Pre-Pearl Handle Milspaugh had been in Cox’s Army. They had released a single in 1971 on the local Chaparral label. In recent years, that record has been fetching upwards of $100 in record collector circles.
by Ken Voss, Apr 28, 2024
Tracks
1. Better And Better - 4:34
2. Going Down Again - 4:43
3. Can't Live With You, Cant Live Without You Blues - 3:05
4. Lucille (Little Richard, Albert Collins) - 2:58
5. Young Stuff - 6:13
6. Down In The Alley - 6:55
7. Four Until Late (Robert Johnson) - 3:32
8. Call For The Doctor (Ron " Snake" Reynolds) - 3:05
9. Stranded On A Dead End Street (Earl Thomas Conely) - 2:25
10.Late Night Lover - 3:09
11.Yes No Maybe So - 3:11
12.Nasty Ways - 3:36
All songs by George Millspaugh, Dan Hurc, Albert Mickey Gentile, Dean Aliotta except where stated
Blow by Blow typifies Jeff Beck's wonderfully unpredictable career. Released in 1975, Beck's fifth effort as a leader and first instrumental album was a marked departure from its more rock-based predecessors. Only composer/keyboardist Max Middleton returned from Beck's previous lineups. To Beck's credit, Blow by Blow features a tremendous supporting cast. Middleton's tasteful use of the Fender Rhodes, clavinet, and analog synthesizers leaves a soulful imprint. Drummer Richard Bailey is in equal measure supportive and propulsive as he deftly combines elements of jazz and funk with contemporary mixed meters.
Much of the album's success is also attributable to the excellent material, which includes Middleton's two originals and two collaborations with Beck, a clever arrangement of Lennon and McCartney's "She's a Woman," and two originals by Stevie Wonder. George Martin's ingenious production and string arrangements rival his greatest work. Beck's versatile soloing and diverse tones are clearly the album's focus, and he proves to be an adept rhythm player. Blow by Blow is balanced by open-ended jamming and crisp ensemble interaction as it sidesteps the bombast that sank much of the jazz-rock fusion of the period. One of the album's unique qualities is the sense of fun that permeates the performances. On the opening "You Know What I Mean," Beck's stinging, blues-based soloing is full of imaginative shapes and daring leaps. On "Air Blower," elaborate layers of rhythm, duel lead, and solo guitars find their place in the mix. Propelled by the galvanic rhythm section, Beck slashes his way into "Scatterbrain," where a dizzying keyboard and guitar line leads to more energetic soloing from Beck and Middleton. In Stevie Wonder's ballad "Cause We've Ended as Lovers," Beck variously coaxes and unleashes sighs and screams from his guitar in an aching dedication to Roy Buchanan.
Middleton's aptly titled "Freeway Jam" best exemplifies the album's loose and fun-loving qualities, with Beck again riding high atop the rhythm section's wave. As with "Scatterbrain," Martin's impeccable string arrangements enhance the subtle harmonic shades of the closing "Diamond Dust." Blow by Blow signaled a new creative peak for Beck, and it proved to be a difficult act to follow. It is a testament to the power of effective collaboration and, given the circumstances, Beck clearly rose to the occasion. In addition to being a personal milestone, Blow by Blow ranks as one of the premiere recordings in the canon of instrumental rock music.
by Mark Kirschenmann
Tracks
1. You Know What I Mean (Jeff Beck, Max Middleton) - 4:06
2. She's A Woman (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 4:30
3. Constipated Duck (Max Middleton) - 2:48
4. Air Blower (Jeff Beck, Max Middleton, Phil Chen, Richard Bailey) - 5:09
5. Scatterbrain (Jeff Beck, Max Middleton) - 5:41
6. Cause We've Ended As Lovers (Stevie Wonder) - 5:41
Q65 reformed in 1970, with Beer Klaasse on drums, and signed to Negram Records, staying together for several years. Their LPs of the early 70s, Afghanistan and We Are Gonna Make It had a more psychedelic orientation. Q65's line-up changed throughout the early 1970s. Nuyens exited in 1971 to join Baar in a band called Rainman, while Q65 continued with a new line-up, featuring John Frederikz on vocals and Joop van Nimwegen on guitar. Wim Bieler left to form a band called Dambuster. Johnny Frederiksz was brought in as lead singer, but by then the band had changed their name to Kjoe. 'We're Gonna Make It' (1971) was their Swan song and final album before the band broke up.
Tracks
1. We're Gonna Make It - 2:53
2. Baby Don't Worry - 3:21
3. I Just Can't Wait - 4:56
4. Saddy - 2:44
5. Please Come Back To Me - 3:05
6. We Are Happy - 4:23
7. Gotta Move - 2:49
8. There Was a Day - 2:45
9. Don't Let Me Fall - 2:48
10.Crumblin' - 2:58
11.Night - 8:02
12.Sexy Legs - 2:00
13.I Just Can't Wait - 3:36
14.Fighting Is Easy - 3:06
15.Country Girl - 2:55
16.Hoonana - 3:20
17.Troubles - 3:32
Tracks 1-3,5,8,13,14 written by Joop Roelofs, Wim Bieler
Tracks 6,9-11 written by Frank Nuyens, Wim Bieler
Track 4 written by Peter Vink
Track 7 written by Ray Davies
Track 12 written by Frank Nuyens, Peter Vink, Wim Bieler
Track 15 written by Wim Bieler
Track 16 written by John Fredriksz, Peter Vink
Track 17 written by John Fredriksz, Joop Roelofs
Tracks 16,17 as Kjoe
Tracks 1-7,11 previously released on Q65 - Afghanistan 1970
Tracks 9,10 are both from the single Q65 - Don't Let Me Fall / Crumblin'.1970
Tracks 8,12 are both from the single Q65 - Sexy Legs 1970
Track 13 from the single Q65 - I Just Can't Wait 1971
Tracks 14,15 are both from the single Q65 - Fighting Is Easy 1971
Tracks 16,17 are both from the single Kjoe - Hoonana 1972
John Mayall has been making consistently brilliant music for over six decades now, a great legacy by any standard. Like other musicians of great stature, Mayall has been particularly blessed in being able to perform with some of the best and most endearing artists on the planet, including Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Jack Bruce, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, Mick Taylor, Aynsley Dunbar, Walter Trout, Coco Montoya and Buddy Whittington. His albums are the fodder of blues legend, including the “Beano” album, Blues Breakers With Eric Clapton, Wake Up Call, and A Hard Road, just to name a few.
When the 82 year old Mayall issues an album, it is a celebration. There will be “ah-ha” moments, and “unbelievable” moments for listeners to bask in, and without doubt there are always moments of revelation. For the most part, this has always been so.
Recorded in November–December 1971, and released in 1971 on Polydor, Jazz Blues Fusion‘s seven tracks have an all too short running time of just this side of 45 minutes. All songs on the album are credited to Mayall, who has assembled a remarkable ensemble of musicians here. We have Mayall on vocals, piano, guitar, and harmonica, joined by Freddy Robinson on lead guitar, Larry Taylor caressing the bass, and Ron Selico keeping the beat on percussion. Also coloring the mood are Blue Mitchell blowing trumpet, and Clifford Solomon coaxing bliss from his alto & tenor saxophones.
Jazz Blues Fusion is a perfect example of what today’s so-called hipsters strive so hard to project and achieve: suave cool that is unforced, awakened from the depths of a carefree spirit and an unbound, buoyant heart. Listening to this music, one is immediately caught up in the joy and enthusiasm of the performances. These musicians are not working; their hearts are singing and dancing as their hands lovingly encourage the instruments to yield their beautiful fruit. These songs are a breath of fresh air; they are a simple and tantalizing truth, beckoning weary spirits to smile and be contented.
An album of pure delight, Jazz Blues Fusion is a gift that will be welcomed by any music lover. Share this album with a friend, lover, or even yourself. What a considerate gift it is!
by Barry Kerzner, July 7, 2016
Joh Mayall joined heaven's big band on 22nd July 2024.
Tracks
1. Country Road - 7:17
2. Mess Around - 2:50
3. Good Times Boogie - 8:52
4. Change Your Ways - 3:41
5. Dry Throat - 6:40
6. Exercise In C Major For Harmonica - 8:33
7. Got To Be This Way - 6:52
Words and Music by John Mayall
Tracks 1-4 recorded live In Boston on November 18, 1971
Tracks 5-7 recorded live at Hunter College, New York on December 3,4/1971
For the first time, the official release of the Black Shaheen album. It was recorded shortly after the Dedicate album, but unfortunately it was shelved by EMI. Only a handful releases was uncovered. Recorded in the late 70's in the legendary Muscle Shoals studio, this album represents some of the finest smoothest, funkiest blye eyed soul'n AOR ever committed to wax.
by Thomas Splett, Oct 24, 2020
The things were going well for the Rhead Brothers in the late 70s: Their debut album “Dedicate” had reached number 30 in the US-charts in 1977 and a few months later the brothers Steve and John Rhead were on their way to the Wishbone Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, to record their second album. The result was a sublime mix of blue-eyd soul, jazzy Steely Dan inflected arrangements and latin flavored West Coast vibes – all refined with southern funkiness. Back in England the tide turned: EMI had printed 10,000 copies at the wrong speed. And after EMI was taken over, the Rhead Brothers were one of the bands, which had to go. So “Black Shaheen” was never officially released – till 2016, when Preservation Records rescued this lost masterpiece for music enthusiasts.
Tracks
1. Black Shaheen - 3:54
2. Strange Mercy - 3:55
3. Sweet Sweet Heartaches - 5:14
4. No Surprise - 4:02
5. Loves's A Crazy Game - 4:46
6. Dark And Quiet Walls - 3:29
7. Oh Darling - 3:18
8. Son Of A Sadder Side Of Town - 3:57
9. When The Seagull Flies - 4:39
All composditions by John Rhead, Steve Rhead
Musicians
*John Rhead, Steve Rhead - Lead, Harmony Vocals, Guitar
*Barbara Wyrick, Marie Tomlinson, Suzy Storm • Backing Vocals
*Bob Wray, Butch Ledsord • Bass
*Roger Clark - Drums
*Mel Collins - Solo Flute, Solo Saxophone
*Bill Hinds, Cracle Awhaii, Larry Byrom, Mac Macnally, Steve Read - Guitar
*Charles Rose, Harrison Calloway, Harvey Thompson, Muscle Shoals Horns, Ronald Eades - Horns
Adding a bit of Procol Harum's sound to the mix is exactly what the doctor ordered for this superior second outing from the decision by Jack Bruce and Leslie West to merge their talents. "Shifting Sands" and the Peter Brown co-written "November Song" are amazing expressions for these artists, who break out of what people expected from them to create something important. Bruce does his best Neil Young in this "Helpless" takeoff, and West's guitar adds the bite that was not part of Buffalo Springfield, but the album jacket is just plain terrible, like the Guess Who's Road Food taken to an extreme.
Had this album found its way into the sublime cover to their first effort, Why Dontcha, they might've been taken more seriously by the critical elite of the day. The underground comic art by Joe Petagno is not the beautiful stuff he has produced since, and is not the eye-catching Robert Crumb work that made Big Brother's Cheap Thrills so inviting. Perhaps you can't tell a book by its cover, but that's what marketing departments are for, and the debacle that is the packaging on Whatever Turns You On disguises the on-target music finally starting to jell. "Rock & Roll Machine" is West finding a groove and, yes, Mountain keyboard player Steve Knight could have improved this very good song and brought it to another level.
Andy Johns' production is a bit smoother, but he still lacks the finesse of a Denny Cordell or a George Martin. There's none of the sparkle that the Beatles' "Revolution" contained, an element that made hard rock radio-friendly. Jack Bruce, on the other hand, is delivering solid album tracks -- the Brown/Bruce/West/Laing composition "Scotch Crotch" could've fit nicely on Disraeli Gears or Wheels of Fire, but not as one of those discs' 45 RPMs. And that's the same problem faced by the Why Dontcha album -- great musicians jamming out, but failing to find their way around the maze, failing to write a "Can't Find My Way Home" or a "Tales of Brave Ulysses." "Slow Blues" is a fluid West/Bruce vocal combo with piano and slide guitar -- superb fun for these guys, but not expanding beyond what they've given in the past.
And while this album may be superior to the first, there's also a complacency, and maybe a feeling by the band that the world owed these journeymen something. For fans, it is a nice addition to the collection and great to listen to for a change of pace. For their careers, it sounds like men with a lot to give treading water. The nature of the record industry -- executives wanting three million units out of the box and artists wanting to record on their own terms -- wasn't the environment to allow a West, Bruce & Laing five or six more discs to catch a wave. It's too bad, because there was something there.
Compilation albums usually have few songs you can just throw away, but not this record. It's got a great version of Blue Öyster Cult's "Buck's Boogie", both Winter brothers, the best Mahavishnu Orchestra lineup, Mountain, West Bruce & Laing, Santana, one with his band and one with Buddy Miles It's gotta be one of the strangest, most eclectic compilations ever put out. It was very odd even back then, a bit of R&R history.
Track - Artist - Title - Composer
1. Carlos Santana And Buddy Miles - Marbles (John McLaughlin) - 4:19
2. Johnny Winter And - Rock And Roll, Hoochie Koo (Rick Derringer) - 3:32
3. Mahavishnu Orchestra With John McLaughlin - The Dance Of Maya (John McLaughlin, Rick Laird, Billy Cobham, Jan Hammer, Jerry Goodman) - 7:17
4. West Bruce And Laing - Pleasure (Corky Laing, Jack Bruce, Leslie West, Pete Brown) - 4:02
