rep>>> Andy Roberts - Just For The Record The Solo Anthology (1969-76 uk, splendid folk rock with prog shades, 2005 two disc set)

Born 12 June 1946, Hatch End, Middlesex, England. Folk singer-songwriter and guitarist Roberts’ solo achievements have been overshadowed by his work on recordings by other artists. He first came to public attention after meeting BBC disc jockey John Peel in 1967. During this period Roberts accompanied the Scaffold before going on to join the Liverpool Scene in 1968. He recorded his highly acclaimed solo debut Home Grown while still a member of the Liverpool Scene. Initially released on RCA Records in 1970, the album was reissued in shortened form by B&C Records the following year. Roberts recorded two further albums in 1971; the beautiful solo album Nina And The Dream Tree continued the fine work begun on Home Grown, while Everyone was recorded with the ill-fated band of the same name, featuring Roberts, Bob Sargeant, Dave Richards and John Pearson.

In 1972 Roberts joined Plainsong with whom he recorded the highly regardedIn Search Of Amelia Earhart. He then joined former Liverpool Scene colleagues Roger McGough and Adrian Henri in the Grimms from 1973-76, during which time he appeared on their final two albums. During this period Roberts also released two further solo albums, Urban Cowboy and Andy Roberts And The Great Stampede. In 1974, he featured in his first stage musical, Mind Your Head, but thereafter concentrated on session work. He worked with Roy Harper, the Albion Band and Hank Wangford. He recorded and toured with the latter artist until 1984, but continued with other session commitments, including playing guitar on Pink Floyd’s The Wall in 1981. Roberts also provided a singing voice for UK television’s satirical puppet seriesSpitting Image from 1983-84.

From the mid-80s onwards, Roberts has been heavily involved in composing music for film, television and theatre. His flexibility is reflected in the diversity of the programmes he has composed for, ranging from television drama series such as The Men’s Room (excellent theme song sung by Sarah Jane Morris, ‘I Am A Woman’) -  to Madhur Jaffrey’s Far Eastern Cookery. In his capacity as composer, Roberts has been involved with Z Cars, Bergerac and the six-part television documentary series, Where On Earth Are We Going?, in addition to writing music for the movies Loose Connections, A Masculine Ending, Priest, Mad Love, Face, and Going Off Big Time. He also acted as musical director for the Royal Court in Sloane Square, London, during the early 80s. He has also played on countless sessions by a wealth of artists, and since the early 90s has toured and recorded with the reunited Plainsong. 

Andy Roberts Music

Tracks

Disc 1

1. The Raven - 2:30

2. Applecross - 6:49

3. Moths And Lizards In Detroit - 5:18

4. The One Armed Boatman And The Giant Squid - 5:57

5. Creepy John (John Koerner) - 3:36

6. Home Grown - 2:53

7. Your A Machine - 4:34

8. John The Revelator (Traditonal Arr. Andy Roberts) - 2:03

9. Baby Baby - 2:16

10.Autumn To May (Peter Yarrow, Noel Paul Stookey) - 2:36

11.Queen Of The Moonlight World - 4:46

12.Lonely In The Crowd - 2:32

13.Radio Lady - 3:20

14.Dont Get Me Wrong - 4:27

15.Sitting On A Rock - 3:05

16.Gig Song - 1:47

17.Richmond - 4:51

18.Elaine - 4:23

19.Just For The Record - 3:51

20.Good Time Charlie (John Koerner) - 2:50

All songs by Andy Roberts except where stated

Disc 2
1. Keep My Children Warm - 5:01
2. I've Seen The Movie - 5:44
3. 25 Hours A Day/Breakdown/Welcome Home - 7:37
4. The Dream Tree Sequence - 15:41
5. Poison Apple Lady - 4:12
6. Urban Cowboy - 3:44
7. Living In The Hills Of Zion - 3:28
8. Charlie (Traditional Arr. Andy Roberts) - 1:29
9. Big City Tension - 4:29
10.Home At Last - 2:53
11.Home In The Sun - 3:57
12.New Karenski - 4:06
13.Bluebird Morning - 2:47
All songs by Andy Roberts except where noted

Musicians
*Andy Roberts, Vocals, Acoustic, Electric Guitars, Dulcimer, Slide Dulcimer, Kriwacek String Organ
*Bob Sargeant - Vocals, Organ, Piano, Mellotron
*Dave Richards - Bass Guitar, Harmonium, Electric Piano, Backing Vocals
*John Pearson - Drums, Percussion
*Timi Donald - Drums
*Bob Ronga - Bass, Acoustic Guitar, Backing Vocals
*B.J. Cole - Pedal Steel Guitar
*John Megginson, Piano
*Mike Kellie - Drums
*Gerry Conway - Tambourine
*Charlene Collins - Backing Vocals
*Pat Donaldson - Bass
*Mike 'Ace' Evans - Bass
*Carol Grimes - Backing Vocals
*Gordon Huntley - Steel Guitar
*Neil Innes - Electric Guitar
*Mik Kaminski - Electric Violin
*Mac Kassoon - Backing Vocals
*Kathy Kissoon - Backing Vocals
*Mike London - Backing Vocals
*Iain Matthews - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Tambourine
*Zoot Money - Piano, Organ
*John Pearson - Drums
*Roger Powell - Keyboards
*Tim Renwick - Guitar, Vocals
*Ray Warleigh - Saxophone
*Ian Whiteman - Piano

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rep>>> David Ackles - David Ackles (1968 us, splendid tight folk rock)

Along with Randy Newman, Van Dyke Parks, Harry Nilsson, and some others, David Ackles helped widen the definition of contemporary singer-songwriters in the late 1960s. This was a group of performers open to incorporation of many non-rock pop and theatrical influences into their work, and not based in folk-rock, like so many of the other early singer-songwriters were. Nor were they conventional rock or pop singers. Somehow, nonetheless, they recorded albums that were marketed to the rock audience. Of all the names mentioned above, David Ackles is certainly the most obscure, even if his quartet of albums won him a cult audience that included Elton John and Elvis Costello.

David Ackles, his self-titled 1968 Elektra debut, was an unusual effort even by the label's own high standards for introducing original talents. Ackles's dark, brooding songs and low croon-rumble of a voice delivered cerebral lyrics painting the everyday adventures of misfits and their struggles to find meaning and spirituality. What could have been overblown in other hands was given a stately dignity by the stoicism, vacillating between determination and resignation, of Ackles's vocals and observations. Far more than any of his subsequent albums, the record's arrangements were tailored for rock ears, with ethereal psychedelic-tinged guitar and organ that weren't too unlike those heard on other Elektra LPs of the time, such as Tim Buckley's early releases.

Ackles's path to a record deal was about as strange as it could be for a late-1960s underground rock artist. Unlike virtually every other such performer of the era, David had virtually nothing in the way of either a folk or rock resume, or even professional experience as a solo live performer. Already in his early thirties, his principal background was in musical theater. He had met David Anderle in the theater department of the University of Southern California, where the two Davids had gone to school together. Years later, Anderle was working at Elektra Records' west coast office, and Ackles did some demos for his old friend.

It's still unclear whether the original intention was for Ackles to write songs for others, or to record him as a solo artist from the start. Before his death in 1999, Ackles told author Mark Brend (in the book American Troubadours), "My intention was to have lots of other, much better singers record my songs...I believe the truth is that [Elektra president] Jac Holzman couldn't interest any other singers on his label in recording my stuff, so was forced into offering that chance to me." To the recollection of Ackles's widow, Janice Vogel Ackles, "David Anderle called him and said he wanted David to write some songs 'cause he remembered how talented he was, or something to that effect. I think David Ackles's understanding initially was that they were interested in him as a songwriter, and then when he did some demos, everybody said, 'Well, I don't know who else is gonna sing this material. I think it's really your stuff, and you should do it.' I remember David Ackles telling me that once he submitted the material, he didn't think he was going to record it. He thought that they were going to farm it out to other people, so it came as a big surprise to him."

When Ackles first played his songs for Elektra, "I probably had some trepidation, 'cause David was very much involved in musical comedy music, which I hated," Anderle admits. "Then 'Road to Cairo,' 'Down River,' and these things just knocked me out. I realized he was writing those kind of songs, instead of the little musical comedy things he was writing in college. When David played the songs, I believe Russ Miller and I took him into the studio and cut some demos with him. Russ was running Jac's publishing company at the time. We played the demos for Jac, and Jac certainly gave the okay to proceed [with the album]." Anderle, not even a producer at the time (though he'd go on to produce many albums over the next couple of decades, including Judy Collins's Who Knows Where the Time Goes), and Miller would be co-producers for David Ackles.

The album's backing was supplied by musicians who had been in the Electric Flag and Iron Butterfly; guitarist Doug Hastings had been in the Daily Flash and, briefly, Buffalo Springfield. (Most of them would go on to play in the late-1960s Elektra rock band Rhinoceros.) "I remember what a bitch it was making that first album," says Anderle. "We used him and his piano as a bed, and added instruments afterwards. I'm not even sure if he cut anything with a band. We might have cut some of the things with the boys playing, but I remember working really hard matching stuff up after the fact. It was a lot of overdubbing, making stuff fit in, and it gave it a really interesting feel. It didn't sound like anything else." Though Ackles had never recorded with rock musicians or even done any solo live shows, Anderle maintains the singer-songwriter was comfortable being the showcased solo recording artist: "He was very adaptable and so full of music anyway. He went into it like a fish in water."

Standout tracks included "Sonny Come Home," which was something like the film The Swimmer set to music in its disconsolate tale of a disastrous attempt to go home again; "Down River," in which Ackles sounded just a bit like a counterpart to fellow grim balladeer Scott Walker; and the six-minute "His Name Is Andrew," with its quasi-religious tone and elegiac organ. Certainly the most popular tune, inasmuch as any David Ackles song could be said to be popular, was the first-person drifter narrative "The Road to Cairo," covered in Britain by Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger, & the Trinity (as their non-charting follow-up to their UK Top Five cover of Bob Dylan's "This Wheel's on Fire").

Anderle "never could understand why that wasn't a hit," and Ackles even put a French-language version on a B-side of a 1968 UK Elektra single. According to Anderle, "Somebody thought that David would have a shot in France, because of the nature of Charles Aznavour and the French ballad singers. Jacques Brel, I think, was the person that was mentioned. I think Elektra figured he would have a shot internationally, so he did the French version of the song." It didn't catch on in Europe, and David Ackles wasn't a hit anywhere, though like all his albums it was a success with critics. The pattern continued on his second album, Subway to the Country, in which he began to shift from rock to the more theatrical and orchestral foundations of his artistic vision.  

by Richie Unterberger

Tracks
1. The Road To Cairo - 5:16
2. When Love Is Gone - 3:20
3. Sonny Come Home - 2:59
4. Blue Ribbons - 4:37
5. What A Happy Day - 2:14
6. Down River - 3:57
7. Laissez-Faire - 1:36
8. Lotus Man - 2:49
9. His Name Is Andrew - 6:11
10.Be My Friend - 4:48
All songs composed by David Ackles

Musicians

*David Ackles - Piano, Vocals

*Michael Fonfara - Organ

*Douglas Hastings - Guitar

*John Keliehor - Percussion

*Jerry Penrod - Bass

*Danny Weis - Guitar

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rep>>> Various Artists - Ah Feel Like Ahcid 24 American Psychedelic Artefacts From The EMI Vaults (1966-70 us / canada, garage psych, 2007 remaster)

Following on from the excellent Insane Times, which recently collected up a selection of UK psych on EMI’s sprawling family of labels, here’s the sister comp covering American big-label wigginess. The added positive here is more previously unreleased material.

Just like Nuggets, the grandaddy of all acid flashbacks, this draws together the whole gamut of psychedelic subgroups from A to fish. Things kick off with two all-time great garage punkers (The Balloon Farm’s A Question Of Temperature and the Third Bardo’s turbo-swaggering Five Years Ahead Of My Time), before veering into proto-prog, acid rock, exotic Eastern fakery, sunshine pop and comedy cash-ins (hmm, I Stole The Goodyear Blimp). Then there are the big boys: The Beach Boys, Beefheart, The Steve Miller Band. Something for everybody, see. An overview, an introduction, a splendid time guaranteed for all, with a great booklet and five digital download bonus tracks.

As for highs, just say Yes to Fargo’s drippy obscurity Sunny Day Blue, and get the giggles at the pre-Allman Brothers combo Hour Glass, and their ambient existential talkover, Bells.

by Derek Hammond, 31 January 2008

Artist - Title - Composer

1. The Balloon Farm - A Question Of Temperature (Don Henny, Ed Schnug, Mike Appel) - 2:40

2. The Third Bardo - Five Years Ahead Of My Time (Rusty Evans, Victoria Pike) - 2:13

3. The Book Of Changes - I Stole The Goodyear Blimp (T. Smith) - 2:20

4. First Crew To The Moon - The Sun Lights Up The Shadows Of Your Mind (Jerry Millstein) - 2:21

5. SRC - Up All Night (Scott Richardson, Gary Quackenbush, Elmer George Clawson, Glenn Quackenbush, Steve Lyman) - 3:07

6. Morning Dew  - Crusader's Smile (Malcolm Robinson) - 2:48

7. The Fallen Angels  - Mother's Homesick Too (Robert W. Decker III, George F. Meier Jr.) - 2:22

8. The Human Beinz - April 15th (Dick Belly, Lex De Azevedo) - 6:55

9. Kim Fowley - Bubblegum (Marty Cerf, Kim Fowley) - 2:30

10.T.I.M.E - Tripping Into Sunshine (Larry Byron, Bill Richardson, Steve Rumph, Nick St. Nicholas) - 3:07

11.Steve Miller Band - The Beauty Of Time Is That It's Snowing (Steve Miller) - 5:13

12.The Beach Boys - Never Learn Not To Love (Dennis Wilson) - 2:31

13.Chris And Craig - Isha (Chris Ducey) - 2:14

14.The Raik's Progress - Sewer Rat Love Chant (John Kates, Steve Krikorian, Duane Scott) - 2:39

15.Mother Tucker's Yellow Duck - One Ring Jane (Don McDougall, W. Iveniuk) - 4:19

16.Mad River - Wind Chimes (David Robinson, Rick Bockner, Lawrence Hammond, Tom Manning, Greg Dewey) - 7:12

17.Gandalf - Can You Travel In The Dark Alone (Peter Sando) - 3:05

18.Hour Glass - Bells (Peter Alin) - 2:22

19.Food - Forever Is A Dream (Ted Ashford, Steve White, Bill Wukovich) - 4:04

20.David Axelrod - Urizen (David Axelrod) - 4:00

21.The Common People - Soon There'll Be Thunder (Denny Robinett, Jerrald Robinett) - 2:20

22.Fargo  - Sunny Day Blue (Marty Cooper) - 2:28

23.Quicksilver Messenger Service - Bears (Roger Perkins) - 2:10

24.Captain Beefheart And His Magic Band - Ah Feel Like Ahcid (Don Van Vliet) - 3:04

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rep>>> Bodine - Bodine (1969 us, exceptional country rural rock funky soulful psych)

Bodine is as solid as it gets, loaded with tunes as good as anything played on classic rock radio today. You would think that stations would be interested in expanding their content with picks from the vast piles of unknown classics (Bodine included), but it’s still the same old hits, recycled day after day, some 40 years later. In any case, this little lost gem, produced by Bill Cowsill, is a strong promise from a band that would disappear after just one release.

The sound is influenced by country rock, with rural acoustic guitar driving back seat to funk bass lines and stabbing double tracked guitars. But the song structures have Ray Davies-ian 3-part movements and a strong Beatles influence, especially on the bouncy Statues Of Clay. Apart from this review, I think the vocal harmonies are cool, the backups strangely adding “eee’s” to the excellent Easy To See and trading vocal leads easily standing next to groups like Blood Sweat and Tears. It’s nice to find a record with a lotta soul made by some kids with seriously blue eyes.

I find it amazing a band so unknown could have such powerfully memorable songs, though not everything has aged wonderfully. Take It Back satisfies but teeters near television theme schmaltz. But the boys do manage to approach Jim Ford’s country funk on clear winners like Keep Lookin’ Through Your Window. If you give it a chance, you’ll find there really are no throwaways on Bodine’s only album.

by Brendan McGrath 

Tracks
1. Short Time Woman (Eric Karl) - 3:44
2. Oakland (Kerry Magness) - 3:19
3. Into My Life (Eric Karl) - 2:55
4. Travelogue (Steve Lalor) - 3:07
5. It's Just My Way (Eric Karl) - 5:41
6. Easy To See (Steve Lalor) - 2:51
7. Take It Back (Eric Karl) - 3:22
8. Keep Lookin' Through Your Window (Eric Karl) - 3:47
9. Statues Of Clay (Steve Lalor) - 2:44
10.Long Way Just To Go Home (Eric Karl) - 2:56
11.Between The Lines (Steve Lalor) - 3:33
12.Disaster (Eric Karl) - 3:09

The Bodine
*Kerry Magness - Bass
*Jon Keliehor - Drums
*Eric Karl - Guitar
*David Brooks - Keyboards
*Steve Lalor - Guitar

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rep>>> Jacob's Creek - Jacob's Creek (1969 us, essential folk psych bluesy rock, 2011 reissue)

This Trenton New Jersey band was lead by brothers Lon and Derrek Van Eaton, who previousle played with local garage band The Tree, along with drummer Tim Case and are best-known for the subsequent music they made for The Beatles’ Apple label. 

They added guitarist Steve Burgh and singer guitarist Bruce Foster to form Elisium in 1968, which morhed into Jacobs Creek. Basing themselves in New York, they played at Andy Warhole's Factory, opened the Doors and soon signed to Columbia, who placed them with producer  Al Lawrence (perhaps best known for his work with Santana).

The quintet's resulting album was issued in August 1969 complete with a lyric insert and touched on pop, rock, country, blues, psychedelia and Folk. With arrangements encompassing electric guitars, horns and sitar, unfortunately the label didn't promote it, and (despite encouranging radio play) didn't sell. The band continue to play around New Jersey

finally splitting in March 1971. Brothers Lon and Derrek Van Eaton put together some home recorded demos as a duo, Apple's manager Tony King liked what he heard and recommended the duo  to George Harrisson who arranged for them to singed to Apple in September 1971 and went on to produce their album, Brother, released next year.

Tracks
1. Colors - 5:20
2. Anonymous Verdict Suite (Jesus' Return / Christian Man) - 7:18
3. Everything's Gonna Be Alright - 2:26
4. Coming… The River - 5:04
5. Do You Understand? - 3:09
6. What's Around - 3:02
7. A Love Song - 2:08
8. Behind The Door - 4:06
9. What You Hear (Lon Van Eaton, Bruce Foster) - 2:53
10.Lonely Fire - 4:10
11.The Circle - 6:10
12.Katharine - 1:01
All songs written by Lon Van Eaton, except where noted.

Jacob's Creek
*Lon Van Eaton - Keyboards, Guitars, Vocals
*Steve Burgh - Guitars, Organ, Vocals
*Derrek Van Eaton - Vocals
*Tim Case - Drums
*Bruce Foster - Guitar, Banjo, Organ
*Steve Mosley -  Drums
Guest Musician
*Denny Storley - Congas

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rep>>> Warren Zevon - Excitable Boy (1978 us, remarkable folkish groovy rock, 2007 remaster and expanded)

Despite his many affiliations within Los Angeles’ session scene, Warren Zevon was a struggling songwriter who was going nowhere in a hurry when his pal Jackson Browne convinced Asylum Records to take a chance on signing him.

With Browne at the helm, Zevon gave birth to a pair of albums — his self-titled endeavor and its follow-up Excitable Boy. Taken together, they gave him the means, for better or for worse, to live a rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle, at least temporarily. Admittedly, 30 years after the fact, both collections sound a tad dated, forever tethered to the ’70s by the sort of glossy sheen that typically was affixed to singer/songwriter efforts from the era. Still, there’s no denying the potency of Zevon’s formula, which refreshingly injected a twist of biting satire into the more romantic inclinations of his peers.

Although it was, in actuality, Zevon’s third endeavor, Excitable Boy had the look and the feel of a sophomore effort. By Browne’s own admission, the collection was constructed from its predecessor’s spare parts, and although they were exquisite specimens — both Werewolves of London and the title track had been set aside and saved — the fact remains that there was less unity amongst the set’s contents. Nevertheless, it’s hard to quibble with the songs themselves. 

Here’s an indication of Excitable Boy’s strength: Six of its nine tracks were redeployed to form the basis of Zevon’s greatest hits retrospective A Quiet Normal Life. Of the remaining cuts, only the deliciously funky, but ultimately lightweight Nighttime in the Switching Yard could be considered filler. The other two selections — Tenderness on the Block’s gently optimistic message from a father to his daughter and Veracruz’s mournful depiction of the casualties of American imperialism — are equally worthy contenders.

That’s quite a testament to Zevon’s capabilities, especially considering that the rest of Excitable Boy was filled with his widely recognized tales of a predatory ladies’ man (Werewolves of London), a vengeance-seeking vigilante (Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner), a self-destructive antihero (Lawyers, Guns and Money), and a battered, bruised, and ultimately doomed relationship (Accidentally Like a Martyr).

 Although his later efforts undeniably contained a more cohesive narrative — a product of the maturity that middle age brings as well as the focus that arrived once he overcame his dependence upon alcohol — it arguably is difficult to find a more iconic collection of songs within his canon. Recently reissued with a quartet of bonus tracks — including a haunting rendition of Tule’s Blues (a personal account of the dissolution of his marriage) and the string-draped Frozen Notes (an equally sad reflection upon lost love and loneliness) — Excitable Boy still stands, in spite of its flaws, as strongly, proudly, and defiantly as it ever has

by John Metzger

Tracks
1. Johnny Strikes Up the Band (Warren Zevon) - 2:51
2. Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner (David Lindell, Warren Zevon) - 3:52
3. Excitable Boy (LeRoy Marinell, Warren Zevon) - 2:41
4. Werewolves of London (Waddy Wachtel, LeRoy Marinell, Warren Zevon) - 3:31
5. Accidentally Like a Martyr (Warren Zevon) - 3:44
6. Nighttime in the Switching Yard (Jorge Calderón, David Lindell, Waddy Wachtel, Warren Zevon) - 4:21
7. Veracruz (Jorge Calderón, ZevonWarren Zevon) - 3:31
8. Tenderness on the Block (Jackson Browne, Warren Zevon) - 4:01
9. Lawyers, Guns and Money (Warren Zevon) - 3:30
10.I Need A Truck (Outtake) (Warren Zevon) - 0:56
11.Werewolves Of London (Alternate Version) (Waddy Wachtel, LeRoy Marinell, Warren Zevon) - 3:40
12.Tule's Blues (Solo Piano Version) (Warren Zevon) - 3:13
13.Frozen Notes (Strings Version) (Warren Zevon) - 2:03

Personnel
*Warren Zevon - Lead, Harmony Vocals, Piano, Organ, Synthesizer
*Jorge Calderón - Harmony Vocals, Spanish Vocals
*Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar - Guitar, Percussion
*Russ Kunkel - Drums
*Karla Bonoff - Harmony Vocals
*Jackson Browne - Guitar, Harmony Vocals
*Luis Damian - Jarana
*Kenny Edwards - Bass
*John Mcvie - Bass
*Mick Fleetwood - Drums
*The Gentlemen Boys (The Gentlemen Boys Consisted Of: Jackson Browne, Jorge Calderón, Kenny Edwards, J. D. Souther And Waddy Wachtel) - Backing, Harmony Vocals
*Arthur Gerst - Mexican Harp
*Bob Glaub - Bass
*Jim Horn - Saxophone
*Greg Ladanyi - Bells
*Rick Marotta - Drums
*Jeff Porcaro - Drums
*Linda Ronstadt - Harmony Vocals
*Leland Sklar - Bass
*J.D. Souther - Harmony Vocals
*Manuel Vasquez - Requinto
*Waddy Wachtel - Guitar, Synthesizer, Harmony And Backing Vocals
*Jennifer Warnes - Harmony Vocals

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rep>>> Paul Brett's Sage - Schizophrenia (1972 uk, spectacular hard psych folk rock, 2009 remaster)

Schizophrenia, the third and final album, saw the group reduced to a trio with the departure of bassist Dufall. Although not replaced, the bass playing is uncredited, Brett's old friend from the Fire days, Dave Lambert, by this time a member of The Strawbs, added piano and organ to a few tracks. From the opening grooves of Custom Angel Man a new heaviness to the material could be heard with electric guitar hammering between the speakers. There was still an underlying acoustic vibe with piano and acoustic guitar forming the backdrop. Twin electrics also grace the marvellous Song Of Life - Song Of Death, possibly the only other 'rock' song besides Greg Lake's I Believe In Father Christmas to include sleigh bells! The vocals are also quite a bit rougher, giving the songs a harder edge, although the harmonies were still present on more commercial numbers like Charlene and the acoustic numbers like Tale Of A Rainy Night which really emphasises just how proficient Brett was on the guitar. 

Slow Down Ma! is all over the place tempo wise, with a frantic rhythm set up by the congas of Voice accompanied by a real drum kit, played by another Strawbs member, Rod Coomes. The gentler passages have some nice lap steel guitar to add texture. Two instrumental numbers, Limp Willie and Bee are great guitar showcases, the latter featuring a solo acoustic and the former a couple of electrics, along with the sleeve note "Drink eight double rums and you can no doubt make up your own words"! As one might expect from the title, Take Me Back And I Will Love You is a sweet ballad, well mostly, it all gets rather heated at the end and seems to lose its original intent. 

Autumn once again harks back to the style of the original album with flute and oboe (played by Rob Young), acoustic guitar, bongos, harmony vocals and some very tasty electric guitar. A wonderful song. Dahlia, a non-album single, has been added to complete the entire reissue of the songs of Paul Brett's Sage. A good tune that differs from the rest of the group's output in that it features some great violin work. This is undoubtedly by Mike Piggott, who replaced Cowell in the last line-up of the band, despite the sleeve notes stating that the violinist never recorded with the group (Piggott's web site states that he recorded with Brett in 1972, but no other details are given!) 

by Mark Huges

Tracks
1. Custom Angel Man (Paul Brett) - 2:35
2. Charlene (John Hutcheson) - 3:06
3. Song Of Life - Song O f Death (John Hutcheson) - 2:44
4. Slow Down Ma! (John Hutcheson) - 2:59
5. Saviour Of The World (John Hutcheson) - 3:39
6. Limp Willie (Bob Voice, Dick Dufall, Paul Brett, Stuart Cowell) - 1:41
7. Tale Of A Rainy Night (Paul Brett) - 3:03
8. Take Me Back And I Will Love You (John Hutcheson) - 4:13
9. Autumn (Paul Brett) - 4:43
10.Make It Over (Goddard, Phillips) - 3:10
11.Bee (Paul Brett) - 1:01
12.Dahlia (Bonus Track) (Paul Brett) - 4:14

Paul Brett's Sage
*Paul Brett - Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Vocals
*Bob Voice - Percussion, Vocals
*Dick Duffall - Bass, Vocals
*Stuart Cowell - Electric Guitar
*Rob Young - Flute, Piano, Oboe
*Dave Lambert - Piano, Organ
*Rod Coomes - Drums

1970  Paul Brett's Sage - Paul Brett's Sage (2007 japan edition)
1971  Paul Brett's Sage - Jubilation Foundry (2007 Japan remaster)

1972  Paul Brett - Paul Brett (2016 korean remaster)
Related Acts
1969  Velvet Opera - Ride A Hustler's Dream 
1968-70  Fire - The Magic Shoemaker (2009 bonus tracks remaster) 

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rep>>> Drnwyn - Gypsies in the Mist (1978 us, fine acid psych folk rock, private press, 2006 edition)

2006 reissue of the hard to find sole album by US duo Drnwyn. Wonderful record that has some very cool psychedelic moments (especially the track '' The madman and the angel'' ), and a good number of fabulous folk rock midtempos. 

There's drums, bass and lots of acoustic guitars in here, but also electric leads, keys, mandolin and multi- part vocals with some female chorus as well. But most important, very well- crafted songs from start to finish. This was a private release back in 1978, and a deep dive into acid folk- psych. 

Tracks
1. Empty Bars - 4:55
2. Summer Sun - 4:36
3. Secrets Of The Past - 4:50
4. Brothers - 3:03
5. Move A Mountain - 5:02
6. Gypsies In The Mist - 6:27
7. Places Faces Pages - 5:26
8. The Madman And The Angel - 5:22
9. Something To Hang On The - 5:17
Music and Lyrics by David W. Hoag

Drnwyn
*David W. Hoag - Acoustic Guitar, Mandolin, Synthesizer, Vocals
*John Volio - Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
Guest Musicians
*Randy Pregibon - Lead Guitar
*Kevin McIlvaine - Bass Guitar
*Larry Davis, Drums
*Greg Smith - Keyboards
*Nancy Fannin - Voclas
*Cheryl McIlvaine - Vocals

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Jesse Winchester - Nothing But A Breeze • A Touch On The Rainy Side (1977-78 canada, excellent country folk rock, 2012 remaster)

Jesse Winchester, Nothing But a Breeze. Given Jesse Winchester’s long tenure on the fringes of stardom, I hesitate to predict that this warm, one-of-a-kind album will put him over the top. But it ought to. Producer Brian Ahern gives the country/rock set a fuller, more satisfying sound than any of its predecessors could boast. And Jesse’s material, which possesses the same timeless quality that the Band used to evoke, has never seemed more striking. Highlights include “You Remember Me,” a superbly sung, bittersweet ballad; “Twigs and Seeds,” a toker’s lament that’s bound to make you smile; and the punchy “Seems Like Only Yesterday.”

by Jeff Burger, May 25, 1977

To judge by the liner notes accompanying A Touch on the Rainy Side, this sixth and arguably best Jesse Winchester album would seem to mark new directions. For the first time, for example, the singer features production by Nashville studio veteran Norbert Putnam. And though Winchester had never previously made an album in the States, he recorded this one in Putnam’s hometown with the aid of country session musicians like David Briggs and Kenny Buttrey. In addition, the program incorporates such apparent surprises as a version of Dawn’s pop hit “Candida.”

For whatever reason, however, the set only rarely reflects the influence of Putnam, Nashville, or the American sojourn. As for “Candida,” the album’s sole non-original, you needn’t brace yourself for a journey into Dawn-like vapidity. Revitalized by Winchester’s phrasing and arrangement, the lyrics garner new dimensions, and the song winds up sounding like one of his own better compositions.

The rest of the LP—which predominantly features the emotive, melancholic ballads suggested by the title and his previous efforts—is just as good. Among my current favorites is the title cut, a tribute to Winchester’s wife that recalls Steve Goodman’s brand of romanticism. Other highlights include Holly,” where the artist employs lilting Latin touches and a singalong chorus to capture the joyous optimism of a new affair; “Wintry Feeling,” which may be the most touching musical “letter” since Leonard Cohen’s “Famous Blue Raincoat”; and “I’m Looking for a Miracle,” a good sample of Winchester’s sharp humor, which he describes as “slightly skeptical gospel.”

by Jeff Burger, October 7, 1978

Tracks

1. Nothing But A Breeze - 4:46

2. My Songbird - 3:45

3. Seems Like Only Yesterday (Stoney Edwards)  - 3:05

4. You Remember Me - 4:48

5. Twigs And Seeds - 2:59

6. Gliding The Lily - 3:58

7. Bowling Green (Phil Everly, Terry Slater) - 4:47

8. Pourquoi Ne M'Aimes-Tu Pas? - 3:20

9. It Takes A Young Girl (Dave Rouner, Ron Rose) - 3:20

10.Rhumba Man - 3:37

11.A Touch On The Rainy Side - 3:58

12.A Showman's Life - 3:52

13.Sassy - 3:18

14.Candida (Irwin Levine, Toni Wine) - 3:26

15.High Ball - 3:14

16.Little Glass Of Wine - 4:53

17.Holly - 3:51

18.Wintry Feeling - 5:12

19.Just Now It Feels So Right - 3:09

20.I'm Looking For A Miracle - 4:14

All songs written by Jesse Winchester except where noted

Songs 1-10 from "Nothing But A Breeze" LP 1977

Songs 11-20 from "A Touch On The Rainy Side" LP 1978

Musicians

Nothing But A Breeze 1977

*Jesse Winchester - Piano, Guitar, Organ, Marimba, Vibes

*Marty Harris - Bass

*Dave Lewis - Drums, Percussion

*Bobby Cohen - Guitar, Mandolin

*Ron Dann - Pedal Steel, Dobro With

*Mickey Raphael - Harmonica 

*Ricky Skaggs - Fiddle, Viola 

*Tom Szczesniak - Accordion

*Jon Clarke - Recorder, Sax

*James Burton – Slide, Guitar Solo (Track 1)

*Glen D. Hardin - Strings 

*Nick Decaro - Strings 

*Emmylou Harris - Supporting Vocals

*Herb Pedersen - Supporting Vocals

*Anne Murray - Supporting Vocals

*Dianne Brooks - Supporting Vocals

*Nicolette Larson - Supporting Vocals

A Touch On The Rainy Side 1978

*David Briggs - Keyboards

*Shane Keister - Keyboards

*Steve Gibson - Guitar

*Bobby Thompson - Guitar

*John Goin - Guitar

*Jack Williams - Bass

*Larrie Londin - Drums

*Kenny Buttrey - Drums

*Farrell Morris - Percussion -

*Jamie Nichol - Congas

*Roger Williams - Soprano,  Tenor Sax

*Dennis Solee - Tenor,  Baritone Sax  

*Lloyd Barry - Trumpet

*Terry Williams - Trombone 

*The Shelly Kurland Strings - Strings

*Edward Fusty, Calvin Fusty, Borchard Teel, Sheri Kramer, Liza Silver, Diane Tidwell - Background Voices

*Peter Byrd, Vertrelle Cameron, Joy Cannon, Janet Harley, Cynthia Johnson, Jerome Mcleudon, Carole Strong, Sherman Tribble, Legoria Vernon, Kevin Williams - Chorus

1970-72  Jesse Winchester - Jesse Winchester • Third Down 110 To Go (2012 Edsel)

1974-76  Jesse Winchester - Learn To Love It • Let The Rough Side Drag (2012 Edsel)

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rep>>> Jodo - Guts (1971 uk, stunning heavy blues psych rock, 2007 digipak)

Jodo formed from a band called Axe who had a minor hit with a single called "Running Wild" written by Rod Alexander and Bill Kimber.

Jodo were a British band whose sole album was only released in the US at the time. Killer heavy-rock sound with ultra loud fuzzed out guitars and melodic vocals. Engineered by Martin Birch (B. Sabbath, D. Purple, B.O.C.) and produced by Derek Lawrence (D. Purple, Green Bullfrog).

Tracks

1. Nightmare (Rod Alexander, William E. Kimber) - 3:30

2. One Night Stand (Jon Taylor , Rod Alexander, William E. Kimber) - 2:49

3. I'm Still Trying (Jon Taylor , Rod Alexander, William E. Kimber) - 4:50

4. What's Your Number (Earl Jordan, Jon Taylor , Rod Alexander, William E. Kimber) - 2:46

5. Rat Race (Rod Alexander, William E. Kimber) - 2:58

6. Seventeen (Jon Taylor, Rod Alexander, William E. Kimber) - 5:23

7. Wish You'd Never Been Born (Jon Taylor , Rod Alexander, William E. Kimber) - 3:06

8. It's No Good (Rod Alexander, William E. Kimber) - 3:12

9. Pushing (David James, Rod Alexander, William E. Kimber) - 3:50

10.There's Still Time (Jon Taylor , Rod Alexander, William E. Kimber) - 4:36

Jodo
*Earl Jordan - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Rod Alexander - Bass, Keyboards, Vocals
*Jon Taylor - Guitar
*Bill Kimber - Vocals
*Chico Greenwood - Drums

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