Plain and Fancy

1966 The Hollies - Bus Stop (2012 japan remaster)

Sunday, November 2, 2025

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

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

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

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

The Hollies would delve further into hard rock on the next album, Romany with new singer Mikael Rickfors, but by the time Clarke returned to the fold for a self-titled effort featuring “The Air That I Breathe,” they had pretty much abandoned the approach. Still, Distant Light stands as one of the most consistent efforts of The Hollies’ post Graham Nash era.

by Terry Flamm, February 5, 2013

Tracks

1. What A Life I've Led - 3:55

2. Look What We've Got - 4:06

3. Hold On (Allan Clarke) - 4:05

4. Pull Down The Blind (Terry Sylvester) - 3:27

5. To Do With Love - 3:25

6. Promised Land - 4:18

7. Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress (Allan Clarke, Roger Cook, Roger Greenaway) - 3:16

8. You Know The Score (Terry Sylvester, Allan Clarke) - 5:35

9. Cable Car (Terry Sylvester) - 4:21

10.A Little Thing Like Love (Allan Clarke, Tony Macaulay) - 3:18

11.Long Dark Road - 4:15

12.I Can't Tell The Bottom From The Top (Guy Fletcher, Doug Flett) - 3:42

13.Mad Professor Blyth (Allan Clarke) - 2:15

14.Gasoline Alley Bred (Roger Cook, Roger Greenaway, Tony Macaulay) - 3:54

15.Dandelion Wine (Tony Hicks) - 2:42

16.Hey Willy (Allan Clarke, Roger Cook, Roger Greenaway) - 3:28

17.Row The Boat Together (Allan Clarke) - 2:19

18.Cable Car (Terry Sylvester) - 4:21

19.I Can't Tell the Bottom from the Top (Guy Fletcher, Doug Flett) - 3:50

Songs 1,2,5,6,11 written by Tony Hicks, Kenny Lynch

The Hollies

*Bernie Calvert - Bass

*Allan Clarke - Vocals

*Bobby Elliott - Drums, Percussion

*Tony Hicks - Guitar, Vocals

*Terry Sylvester - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals

With

*Gary Brooker - Organ And Piano (Track 11)

*Mick Abrahams - Pedal-Steel Guitar (Track 1)

*Jim Jewell - Saxophone

*Madeline Bell, Doris Troy, Liza Strike - Backing Vocals (Track 1)

*John Scott - Arrangements, Conductor

1966 The Hollies - Bus Stop / Stop! Stop! Stop! (2011 remaster)

1974 The Hollies - Hollies (2009 remaster with extra tracks)

Saturday, November 1, 2025

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

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

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

“We were listening to ‘Hey Jude,’ recalls Greene. “Somebody broke the rule, ‘Okay, your song doesn’t have to be two minutes and 58 seconds.’” When Royal Aircoach unspooled the outsized tune in concert, its headiness was underscored by a DIY fog machine that was basically a batch of liquid nitrogen and a vacuum cleaner set on reverse.

by Jim Allen

Tracks

1. Wrapped Up In Your Mind - 2:59

2. Wondering Why (Alan Gagnon, Ed Goodoak, Robert Greene) - 2:59

3. Webs Of Love (Jeffrey Skinner, Robert Greene) - 3:38

4. When I Return (Robert Greene) - 7:23

5. Lies Ain't Right - 2:20

6. Waking Skies - 2:33

7. Wax Theory - 2:36

8. Looking Out (Robert Greene) - 2:45

9. Death of Man (Mark K. Connelly, Robert Greene) - 7:53

Songs 1,5,6,7 written by Ed Goodoak, Robert Greene

Royal Aircoach

*Alan Gagnon - Bass

*Gil Van Geyte - Drums

*Jeffrey Skinner - Lead Vocals (Tracks 1,3,6)

*Mark K. Connelly - Organ (Tracks 1,4-9), Lead Vocals (Track 9)

*Robert Greene - Guitar, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals (Tracks 4,5,7,8)

*Rick Noon - Rhythm Guitar (Tracks 2,3)

*Mike Saulnier - Organ (Tracks 2,3)

1968 40 Blue Fingers, Freshly Packed And Ready To Serve (2013 reissue)

Friday, October 31, 2025

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

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

Produced by Tony Ashton, who also contributed on keyboards. The bassist Paul Martinez had previously collaborated with Tony Ashton in P.A.L. release, he also was a member raw rock band Hackensack, drummer Ed Spevock had worked with Babe Ruth, Pete Brown's Piblokto! and The Alan Ross Band, Robbie Blunt, who plays the guitar was in that rather cool band Bronco featuring the great Jess Roden, is involved. The acoustic version of the classic “Stop Knocking My Door” is truly moving. This fine work showcases Stan's excellent form during this period.

Tracks

1. The Creeper - 3:36

2. Delilah - 4:08

3. Riding With The Devil - 3:52

4. Think (Don D. Robey, Jimmy McCracklin, Deadric Malone) - 2:14

5. Stop Knocking My Door (Stan Webb) - 4:53

6. Blue Vein - 3:58

7. It's Easy If You're Lonely - 4:57

8. The Guitar Playing Derelict - 4:14

9. Dr. Brown (Buster Brown) - 3:00

10.Red Haired Lady (Stan Webb) - 3:16

Songs 1-3,6-8 written by Stan Webb, Robbie Blunt

Chicken Shack

*Dave Winthorp - Tenor, Soprano Saxes

*Stan Webb - Guitars, Vocals

*Robbie Blunt - Guitars

*Edd Spevock - Drums

*Paul Martinez - Bass Guitar

*Tony Ashton - Keyboards

1969 Chicken Shack - O.K. Ken? (2014 remaster)

1969 Chicken Shack - 100 Ton Chicken (2013 xpanded)
1970 Accept (japan remaster and expanded)
1973 Unlucky Boy (2013 reissue)
1974 Go Live "Goodbye Chicken Shack"
1978 Stan Webb's Chicken Shack - That's The Way We Are (2015 edition)

1981 Chicken Shack - Roadies Concerto (2015 release)

1967-68 Remo Four - Smile

1969 Ashton Gardner And Dyke - Ashton Gardner And Dyke
1970 Ashton, Gardner And Dyke - The Worst Of
1971 Ashton, Gardner and Dyke - Let It Roll / Live

1972 Ashton Gardner Dyke And Co - What A Bloody Long Day It's Been

1970-71 Bronco - Country Home / Ace Of Sunlight (2010 remaster)

1969-72 Hackensack - Give It Some

1974 Hackensack - Up the Hard Way (2002 remaster)

1975-78 Stretch - The Best Of Stretch Why Did You Do It (2007 release)

Wednesday, October 29, 2025

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

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

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

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

Dusty Shoes unfortunately tanked. Next kept at it for a good four years, issuing several singles in the mid-seventies before packing it in. Of the five, Belanger was the only one to achieve rock 'n' roll stardom. He joined pop-rockers Harlequin in 1975 and sang on all their hits right into the mid-eighties and beyond.

by Michael Panontin

Tracks

1. Which Way - 3:12

2. What Have I Done - 2:45

3. Take Me With You - 5:58

4. They Should Care - 2:36

5. Strange Mood - 4:13

6. Dreams - 3:03

7. Be Free - 2:44

8. Don't Let Go - 3:03

9. Dusty Shoes - 9:28

All compositions by Al Johnson, Brian Sellar, George Belanger, James Grabowski, Ralph Watts

Next

*George Belanger - Lead Vocals

*Ralph Watts - Lead Guitar

*James Grabowski - Organ

*Al Johnson - Drums

*Brian Sellar - Bass

1977-80 Hands - Hands (2002 remaster)

Tuesday, October 28, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

After moving rehearsal venues two more times we then heard of the Canadian band Prism, who were going to release their debut soon. Since we didn't have a deal at that point, and being afraid of reprisals by their label Arista, we decided to change our name. After what seemed like an eternity we decided upon Hands. We were playing all original music by that time and had done a couple of high profile gigs, sow e changed our name roughly around the time that we were finishing up the first recordings for what would become the first CD, Hands. Later on we added Tom Reid on vocals and became a seven- piece. After a while, in 1979, I decided to leave the band. Paul Bunker left some time after that and Hands then hired Mark Menikos on violin and Shannon Day on keyboards. The band recorded several of the tunes we'd worked on while PauI, Skip and I were still part of the band. The songs they recorded are many of the tunes that make up Palm Mystery. Hands finally disbanded in late 1980.

Michael Clay interview on Pete Pardo at Sea of Tranquility

Tracks

1. Bach's Lunch / Zombieroch (Michael Clay, Mike Barreyre, John Rousseau, Sonny Sollel, Steve Parker, Paul Banker) - 5:21

2. Dreamsearch (Michael Clay, Mike Barreyre, John Rousseau, Sonny Sollel, Steve Parker, Paul Banker) - 9:48

3. Spacial Circumstances (Michael Clay, Mike Barreyre, John Rousseau, Sonny Sollel, David Carlisle) - 5:15

4. Hope (John McLaughlin) - 1:48

5. Lament (John Wetton, Robert Fripp, Richard Palmer-James) - 3:57

6. Celebration (Franco Mussida, Flavio Premoli, Peter Sinfield) - 5:30

7. Mazurka (Michael Urbaniak) - 6:06

8. In Memory Of Elisabeth Reed (Dickey Betts) - 9:08

9. I Hate Everybody (Johnny Winter) - 2:37

10.Aybe Sea (Frank Zappa) - 2:30

Tracks 1,2,5,6 as Prism 1976

Tracks 3,4,7,10 as Ibiss 1974

Musicians

*Michael Clay - Keyboards, Guitar, Percussion

*Mike Barreyre - Guitar, Vocals (Ibiss, Prism)

*John Rousseau - Drums, Percussion (Ibiss, Prism)

*David Carlisle - Bass (Ibiss)

*Sonny Sollel - Woodwinds, Vocals (Ibiss, Prism)

*Steve Parker - Bass, Guitar, Vocals (Prism)

*Paul Banker - Violin (Prism)

*Ernie Myers - Guitar, Mandolin, Vocals (Hands)

*Mark Menikos - Violin, Mandolin, Guitar, Vocals (Hands)

*Shannon Day - Keyboards (Hands)

1969 Merryweather - Word Of Mouth (2019 korean remaster)
1970 Neil Merryweather, John Richardson And Robin Boers
1971 Neil Merryweather And Lynn Carey - Vaccum Cleaner

Monday, October 27, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

The best of these tracks were the ones that utilized Brox's gloomy, almost gothic organ, if only because it made them stand out more among the company of the many similar bands recording in the prime of the British blues boom. Otherwise the main fare was straightforward blues-rock that was well played, but rather average and forgettable, the most distinguished ingredient being Dunbar's hard-hitting, swinging drums. If only because it has some original songs that were better than anything on the first album ("Fugitive," "Till Your Lovin' Makes Me Blue," and "Tuesday's Blues," the last of which has some songwriting and guitar work quite similar to Peter Green's late-'60s style in those departments), it's a slightly better listen, though not up to the standards of somewhat similar groups like Fleetwood Mac and John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers.

by Richie Unterberger

Tracks

Disc 1 The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation 1968

1. Watch 'N' Chain (Aynsley Dunbar, Jon Morshead, Alex Dmochowski, Victor Brox) - 2:36

2. My Whiskey Head Woman (Aynsley Dunbar, Jon Morshead, Alex Dmochowski, Victor Brox) - 4:24

3. Trouble No More (Jon Morshead, Alex Dmochowski, Victor Brox) - 2:56

4. Double Lovin' (Jon Morshead, Victor Brox) - 3:52

5. See See Baby (Ma Rainey) - 2:20

6. Roamin' And Ramblin' (Victor Brox) - 3:00

7. Sage Of Sidney Street (Aynsley Dunbar) - 4:57

8. Memory Of Pain (Percy Mayfield) - 6:06

9. Mutiny (Aynsley Dunbar, Jon Morshead) - 7:25

Disc 2 Doctor Dunbar's Prescription 1969
1. Change Your Low Down Ways (Aynsley Dunbar, Jon Morshead, Victor Brox) - 2:23
2. Fugitive (Victor Brox) - 4:35
3. Till Your Lovin' Makes Me Blue (Victor Brox) - 4:57
4. Now That You've Lost Me (B.B. King) - 3:31
5. I Tried (Larry Davis, Don Robey, Joseph Scott) - 2:52
6. Call My Woman (Jon Morshead) - 3:07
7. Devil Drives (Victor Brox) - 2:46
8. Low Gear Man (Victor Brox) - 2:58
9. Tuesday's Blues (Victor Brox) - 3:37
10.Mean Old World (Walter "Little Walter" Jacobs) - 3:03

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

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Saturday, October 25, 2025

Neil Merryweather - Space Rangers (1974 canada, excellent blend of space glam prog rock)

Every now and then an obscure nugget from rock’s rich history will pop up on reissue that will pique your interest and curiosity, regardless of whether you know much, or anything, about the artist. Such is the case with ‘Space Rangers’, a 1974 album from Canadian maverick Neil Merryweather, a cult classic given a long overdue reissue this week. So, strap yourself in and prepare to explore Neil Merryweather & the Space Rangers’ weird and wonderful world of glam space prog…

In fact, it’s correct to add a healthy dose of hard rock and a smattering of funk into the mix too on this space-themed concept album with a cover like a poster for a fifties sci-fi horror film. The smattering of funk is most prevalent on a radical re-working of Donovan’s ‘Sunshine Superman’, so radical it renders it almost unrecognisable aside from the lyrics. Similar radical treatment is also given to an excellent cover of the Byrds’ ‘Eight Miles High’, which turns the psychedelia up to 11 on this version. ‘Neon Man’, ‘Escape’ and ‘High Altitude Hide’n’Seek’ take a powerful, grooving and heavy hard rock approach, whilst the likes of ‘Hollywood Blvd’, ‘King of Mars’, ‘Road To Hades’, the soulful ‘Step In The right Direction’ and the closing epic ‘Sole Survivor’ head more in a mellotron-soaked progressive direction, but still with a powerful punch.

There’s some T-Rex, some Bowie and definitely some Todd Rundgren in here. At times I can also hear a blueprint for what Big Elf went on to do decades later. It all adds up to a quite wonderful album, and a true gem if you’re prepared to dig deep enough.

‘Space Rangers’ is available on a limited run of coloured and black vinyl (with a bonus 7” of previously unreleased tracks), digipak CD, cassette and download. It’s also issued alongside the follow up to this album, ‘Kryptonite’, which was released the following year in 1975, but sadly wasn’t available for review here. On the strength of this golden nugget, that’s an album I will most certainly be seeking out too. If this kind of thing is your bag, so should you.

by Jim Rowland, Apr 12, 2021

On March 29, 2021, Merryweather died in Las Vegas, Nevada, after a short illness

Tracks

1. Hollywood Blvd - 5:39

2. Step In The Right Direction - 3:43

3. Eight Miles High (Gene Clark, Jim McGuinn, David Crosby) - 3:40

4. King Of Mars - 3:35

5. Neon Man - 4:05

6. Sunshine Superman (Donovan Leitch) - 3:45

7. Road To Hades - 4:12

8. High Altitude Hide N' Seek - 3:24

9. Escape - 2:50

10.Sole Survivor - 8:14

All songs written by Neil Merryweather except where noted.

Musicians

*Neil Merryweather - Vocals, Bass, Guitar

*Michael "Jeep" Willis - Lead Guitar

*Edgemont (James Herndon) - Chamberlin, Synthesizer

*Timmy Mcgovern - Drums

1969 Merryweather

1975 Neil Merryweather - Kryptonite

1978 Neil Merryweather - Differences

Related Acts
1972 Heavy Cruiser - Heavy Cruiser

1973 Heavy Cruiser - Lucky Dog

1972-73 Mama Lion - Preserve Wildlife / Give It Everything I've Got (2010 digipak)

1969-70 Triangle - Triangle (2010 remaster & expanded)

Tuesday, October 21, 2025

Triangle - Triangle II (1972 france, great prog rock, 2010 extra tracks remaster)

Two years have passed since the release of Triangle's first album in 1970 with a super hit at the key, "Maybe tomorrow", an unmissable and legendary success of the group which remains composed of Gérard Fournier known as "Papillon" (bass player and lead vocals), Jean-Pierre Prévotat (drums), Marius Lorenzini "Mimi" (guitar) and François Jeanneau (sax, keyboards), the multi-instrumentalist of the group.

The album is presented this time in a rock atmosphere more melodious than the with 9 new titles, all of which The texts are in French. Not easy to Triangle and their record label to create a second opus when we sold the still wondering what title locomotive will be able to promote the new album? The bet was met! The first 45 rpm record "Viens avec nous", from the album, takes a path comparable to "Maybe Tomorrow".

Even if the sales score doesn't reach its predecessor, this single will allow the public to to continue to love and to make people discover the Quartet. Among the 9 new compositions, These include the superb song "Litanies", certainly the prettiest melody of the band's career and "J'ai vu" which masterfully opens this album and which became the second single to which we added on the B side the last track "La pâte grise".

Although excellent this album, will not have the popular reception of "Peut-être demain" or of "Come with us". This release offers 7 other bonus tracks that are "The Old Man's Tales" and "The brumes de Chatou" (1971), single that followed "Maybe tomorrow" and which precedes "Come with us". Let us nevertheless point out a very great success for "Les brumes de Chatou", one of the best titles in the repertoire of Triangle. Then "L'arbre de juin" and "A cor and screaming" were also marketed in 1972 behind the single "J'ai vu" while "Confusion", which is not among the 9 tracks of the album, is engraved on the B-side of "Viens with us". Finally, 2 titles from 1971, the Spanish versions of "Come with us" and "The confusion".

In 1973, Gérard Fournier left the band for a solo career and recorded in 1974. A very beautiful album whose titles are plume de Boris Bergman. Triangle recorded a last opus in 1973, the group going from 4 to 5 musicians. This second album presented under a cover opening, with a rather creative assembly for period, remains musically the best of the career of the group.

Liner Notes

Tracks

1. J'ai Vu - 3:31

2. Recreation - 5:53

3. Viens Avec Nous - 3:01

4. Litanies - 5:08

5. Cette Longue Nuit - 0:58

6. Le Matin Du Premier Jour - 3:52

7. La Peine Capitale - 3:14

8. Le Retour - 3:00

9. La Pate Grise - 3:56

10.Les Brumes De Chatou - 5:15

11.Les Contes Du Vieil Homme - 4:24

12.La Confusion - 4:02

13.L'Arbre De Juin - 3:15

14.A Cor Et A Cri - 2:48

15.Con Nosotros - 3:09

16.La Confusion - 3:58

All compositions by Papillon" Gérard Fournier, Jean-Pierre Prevotat, François Jeanneau, Marius "Mimi" Lorenzini

Track 16 Lyrics by A. Betgrano

Triangle

*"Papillon" Gérard Fournier - Bass, Vocals

*Jean-Pierre Prevotat - Drums

*François Jeanneau - Saxophone, Keyboards

*Marius "Mimi" Lorenzini - Guitar

With

*Gilbert Roussel - Vocals (Track 1)

*Jean-Michel Jarre - Synthesizer (Tracks 2,6)

*Aldo Romano - Drums (Track 6)

*François Cahen - Piano (Track 6)

*George Locatelli - Guitar (Track 6)

*Henri Texier - Bass (Track 6)

1969-74 Triangle - Anthologie (2003 digi pak release)