rep>>> Blackwood Apology - The House of Leather (1969 us, magnificent concept psych garage rock opera, 2023 remaster)

The first time I heard House Of Leather, at first I was not very impressed by it. The vocals sounded too “pop”; like something the Association would have recorded, and the recurring themes and overtures sounded like space fillers. But I could not deny even then that the electric guitar playing was arresting, and the organ playing weaved its way expertly through the various arrangements, providing a distinctive connecting strand. The Blackwood Apology definitely had their own sound. 

For greater atmosphere, they also throw in instruments like acoustic guitar and even pipe organ. The arrangements on the album are complex, and it is cleverly structured so that by the end of the record, the piece has returned to its starting point, meaning that you can put the album on shuffle play and listen to it as an endless loop on your MP3 player should you so choose.

I am not so dedicated as to want to do that, but I did find myself coming back to this album again and again over the 20 years that have elapsed since I bought it. In addition to the advanced musicianship, my main focus was the lyrics. Even with the full text provided on the inside cover (along with an elliptical explanatory note on the instrumental depiction that the album provides of the American Civil War), the words are perplexing. 

As someone on the Internet wondered; is the House of Leather a cathouse? The images on the cover suggest it is a house of ill-repute of some sort. And why is it the house “Of Leather”? Was it some sort of kinky B&D joint where moustachioed gents went to get their jollies in unorthodox ways?

Finally, after 20 years of scratching my head, I sat down and listened to the lyrics, and not just once but several times, in an attempt to get to the bottom of what this perplexing album is about.

The story starts “down along the Swanee River”, where we are introduced to a young lady named Sarah Jane who has “got love to send you… straight to heaven where she comes from”. We move on to a reminiscence of the House of Leather, where “the pretty young things all got together” to dance, among other things. 

We are then introduced to one Mrs Grim, who appears to be the matronly figure in charge of the House of Leather, and the narrator reminds her of Donny Brooks, a farmer who she used to know in one capacity or another, and obliquely makes mention of the town’s mayor, a man by the name of Ramsey. 

A little bit further on, we find out that the House of Leather is a school of some sort, and Sarah Jane appears to be a teacher there (teaching what exactly? – again, we don’t know), who both Donny Brooks and Ramsey have fallen in love with. The outcome of this love triangle is that Sarah Jane ends up with Donny Brooks the farmer, and they settle down on his farm, where she ends up bearing him a child.

Then along comes the US Civil War, in which her husband and child (a boy) are both killed. After the war, Sarah Jane stays on at the farm, which Ramsey, the mayor, now owns. The album concludes with the words “Sarah’s on her knees… building dreams… begging for love”, and “if you’re ever…. way down along the Swanee River… you’re not far from the House of Leather… where I was born….”

Well, that’s all perfectly clear, isn’t it? So the narrator is the offspring of Sarah Jane and Ramsey… or is he? And if he was their child, why was he born in the House of Leather and not down on the farm? Was she kicked off the farm and ended up having to work for a living? But working in what capacity? And exactly what sort of education is offered by an institution that ventures to call itself the “House of Leather”? 

by W.S. McCallum

The brainchild of 23 year-old writer / guitarist Dale Menten, The House Of Leather is a rock opera set in a bordello during the US Civil War. It was originally released in December 1968, shortly before it was staged as a sell-out rock opera in Minnesota. A fine mixture of acid-tinged pop-rock and ballads, it makes its long-overdue CD debut here – together with liner notes that tell the story of the production’s ill-fated move to New York in 1970.

Tracks
1. Medley: Swanee River Overture / House Of Leather Theme - 2:06
2. Do You Recall The House Of Leather? - 2:47
3. Recess With Mrs. Grim - 1:03
4. Graduates Of Mrs. Grim’s Learning - 3:10
5. There Is Love In The Country (On The Donny Brooks Farm) - 2:03
6. Here I Am - 4:27
7. She Lives With Me - 1:07
8. There’s Love In The Country (On The Donny Brooks Farm)  Reprise - 2:05
9. Time Marches On - 5:23
10. Dixie And The War - 3:21
11. Death And Reality - 2:52
12. Sarah’s On Her Knees - 2:46
13. Theme From House Of Leather (Epilogue In Suede) - 2:45
All compositions by Dale Menten

Blackwood Apology
*Ron Beckman - Bass,
*Dennis Caswell - Drums, Vocals
*Tom Hustin - Guitar, Vocals
*Dennis Libby - Piano, Vocals
*Greg Maland - Keyboards, Pipe Organ
*Dale Menten - Guitar, Vocals
*Bruce Pedalty - Organ, Vocals

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rep>>> Sandy Salisbury - Do Unto Others (1969 us, magnificent sunshine folkish psych, 2012 Blu Spec, seventh part of eight discs box set)

At no other time in our history could Salisbury resurrect his musical career like he has in the new millennium. First gaining notice as a member of the band the Ballroom with producer extraordinaire Curt Boettcher, when Boettcher notcied he and Salisbury’s voices blended so well together one of the best sunshine pop partnerships of all time was born. Eventually the Ballroom was shut down and the two formed The Millennium. Luckily for Boettcher, Salisbury was as good a songwriter as he was a singer and was able to contribute heavily to both The Millennium and Boettcher’s next band, Sagitarrius. 

Though Sagitarrius only released one album, the excellent Present Tense, the duo continued to work together on a myriad bunch of other sunshine-pop projects and one-off’s. Usually set in a group context, Salisbury had a rare shot at solo fame when iconic producer Gary Usher offered Salisbury a solo deal with his Tomorrow label. An album was recorded and readied for release (entitled Sandy, the album was rumored to feature most of the Millennium) when the label was inexplicably shuttered, scuttling the album and souring Salisbury on the music business.

Flash forward about thirty years. Music of the ’60’s from soul to brit-pop to freakbeat to psychedelic rock to sunshine-pop is all being searched out by any of the hungry consumers still willing to buy CDs. Seems the boomers want it because they want to re-live the sounds of their youth and the youth want it because they’ve heard time and time again how groundbreaking music from that era was and how little their music matters in today’s society. So, you’ve got everybody from age 18 to 55 looking to buy both the well-known classics from the era plus any obscurities labels are able to dig up. Though the charts don’t necessarily show these reissues tallying up any groundbreaking sales numbers (not that any new releases are tallying up any groundbreaking sales numbers) it’s no secret these comps and obscurities are doing huge business.

It’s not for nothing labels big and small pushing new music are going under by the droves while a ton of reissue labels have sprung up and are thriving. Nor that mid-level artists are losing their record label contracts while reissue labels take the less confrontational road of buying masters from some accountant who used to be in a semi-popular psyche band and hyping their re-release like some recently dug-up Holy Grail.

Sure, I’m dumbing the whole thing down. In most cases what’s happening is beautiful and well-deserved. (And believe me, there is plenty of great new music coming out, so don’t harp at me about that. Always been and always will be. You just have to dig a little deeper to find it, that’s all.Sometimes too deep, but it’s still out there.) Suddenly, a true artist who did excellent but much-overlooked work like Salisbury has a chance to re-connect to his fanbase and get some attention for his efforts both long ago and recent. This album and three others released in the past five years or so (along with a ton of Millennium tracks and outtakes) have been released by the excellent Sonic Past Records in hopes of turning on sunshine-pop fans both young and old to the glorious voice and songwriting skills of Salisbury.

Though the album is made up of all old tracks rescued from someone’s archive, they show Salisbury at the height of his vocal power, singing as sweetly and genuinely as he’s ever sung, even besting most of The Millennium’s material as far as I am concerned. Salisbury’s songwriting is also formidable and while one listens to this album the question of why he isn’t a household name becomes inevitable as these great sunshiney songs fill your head with melodies a surgeon would have a hard time removing. Just sublime bubble-gummy pop. Since recording these songs, Salisbury has been a much-published children’s book author and has recently stated he plans an album of all-new material to be released very soon. Personally, I cannot wait.

Fans of ’60’s music, especially sunshine pop, will love this album. Full of catchy melodies and spectacular vocal work, this album is sure to bring a smile to your face and leave you hummin’. Does it get any better than that?

by Scott Homewood

Tracks
1. Just Don't Know How To Say Goodbye (Sandy Salisbury, Joey Stec) - 3:01
2. Spell On Me - 2:55
3. The Hills Of Vermont (Sandy Salisbury, Lee Mallory, Michael Fennelly) - 3:33
4. The Good Ol' Good Times (Michael Fennelly) - 2:03
5. Come Softly (Barbara Ellis, Gary Troxel, Gretchen Christopher) - 3:30
6. On And On She Goes (With Me Tonight) (Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson) - 2:56
7. Cecily (Sandy Salisbury, Curt Boettcher) - 2:54
8. Do Unto Others (Sandy Salisbury, Curt Boettcher) - 2:59
9. Once I Knew A Little Dog (Sandy Salisbury, Keith Colley) - 1:50
10.Baby Listen - 2:45
11.Goody Goodbye - 2:26
12.Sweet Sweet Cinnamon - 2:25
13.Every Minute Of My Life (Sandy Salisbury, Randy McNeill) - 2:18
14.I'll Do The Cryin' (Sandy Salisbury, Jill Jones) - 2:08
15.Super Day - 2:08
All songs written by Sandy Salisbury except where stated

Personnel
*Sandy Salisbury - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
*Curt Boettcher - Guitars, Vocals
*Lee Mallory - Guitars, Vocals
*Waddy Wachtel - Guitar
*Toxie French - Percussion, Marimba, Vibes
*Ron Edgar - Drums
*Doug Rhodes - Keyboards, Bass, Piano
*Ben Benay - Electric Guitar, Harmonica
*Jerry Scheff - Bass
*Orville "Red" Rhodes - Pedal Steel Guitar
*Gary Usher - Moog

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rep>>> The Rascals - Peaceful World (1971 us, exceptional funk jazz r 'n' b, japan remaster)

Eddie Brigati and Gene Cornish both left the Rascals by 1971. The remaining members -- chief songwriter, vocalist, and keyboardist Felix Cavaliere and drummer Dino Danelli -- kept the name and left Atco for Columbia. Before disbanding permanently in 1972, they released two albums for the label -- 1971's Peaceful World and 1972's The Island of Real -- that have been unjustifiably discounted and forgotten for years.

Cavaliere had become deeply interested in the writings and teachings of the great Sufi master musician Hazrat Inayat Khan, who -- through his own tradition -- looked at music holistically, as an integral part of earthly and spiritual life. He also came under the sway of the emerging sounds of jazz, gospel, and the emerging uptownfunk and soul of the period. Peaceful World is a sprawling yet very focused collection of songs. With Danelli on drums and Ralph MacDonald on percussion, he filled out the rest of the band with the cream of the New York studio scene: saxophonists Joe Farrell, Pepper Adams, and Ernie Wilkins; bassists Gerald Jemmott and Chuck Rainey; guitarists Link Chamberlain and Buzz Feiten; trumpeters Ernie Royal and Joe Newman; trombonist Garnett Brown; flutist Hubert Laws; and backing vocalists Ann Sutton and Cynthia Webb. In other words, he put together a smoking studio band. 

The remarkable aspect of this gorgeous record is that it sounds vintage but not dated. The production is clean, the funk is in the cut, and the communication between musicians in the charts is tight. The LP's last side is taken up by the title cut, a 21-minute complete bliss-out of a spiritual jazz jam. But there are some excellent gospel and sophisticated soul tunes as well -- check out "Mother Nature Land,""Bit of Heaven," the funky Rhodes in "Sky Trane," and the rave-up soul-rocker "Love Letter." The ballad "Little Dove" includes stunning harp work by Alice Coltrane! 

Commercially, the end may not have been pretty for the Rascals, but this album hold together as well or better than anything in their catalog and vindicate them with their timeless appeal. 

by Thom Jurek

Tracks
1. Sky Trane - 5:47
2. In And Out Of Love (Buzzy Feiten) - 3:13
3. Bit Of Heaven - 3:30
4. Love Me - 3:48
5. Mother Nature Land - 3:31
6. Icy Water (Buzzy Feiten) - 4:31
7. Happy Song - 3:42
8. Love Letter - 5:27
9. Little Dove - 6:30
10.Visit To Mother Nature Land - 5:04
11.Getting Nearer - 8:57
12.Peaceful World - 21:25
All songs by Felix Cavaliere except where stated

Musicians
*Felix Cavaliere - Vocals, Keyboards, Marimba, Organ, Piano
*Dino Danelli - Drums
*Howard "Buzz" Feiten - Guitar, Bass, Background Vocals
*Annie Sutton - Vocals
*Linc Chamberland - Guitar, Horn Arrangements
*Gerald Jemmott - Bass
*Robert Popwell - Bass
*Chuck Rainey - Bass
*William Salter - Bass
*Hubert Laws - Flute
*Alice Coltrane - Harp
*Pepper Adams - Baritone Saxophone
*Garnett Brown - Horn, Trombone
*Ron Carter - Bass
*Joe Farrell - Flute, Soprano Sax, Tenor Sax
*Molly Holt - Background Vocals
*Buddy Buono - Background Vocals
*Cynthia Webb - Background Vocals
*Ralph Macdonald - Bells, Conga, Percussion, Shaker, Talking Drum
*Joe Newman - Trumpet
*Ernie Royal - Trumpet
*Jon Smith - Saxophone
*Ernie Wilking - Saxophone

1972  The Rascals - Island Of Real

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rep>>> The Rascals - Island Of Real (1972 us, groovy funky jazzy blue eyed soul)

By the time the Young Rascals had become the Rascals - down to keyboard guru Felix Cavaliere and Dino Danelli on drums for these two swansong albums in 1971-72 - they'd added Sly Stone-like depth and a "one from the heart" patina of soulfulness that Mick Jagger could approach only in his dreams. Equally important to Cavaliere's heartfelt vocals in this mature version of New York's Finest were the tasty, Steve Cropper-like stylings of guitar whiz Buzzy Feiten, augmented on both albums by a stellar cast of New York jazz luminaries: Joe Farrell on tenor sax, flute player Hubert Laws, Pepper Adams on baritone sax, keyboardist Alice Coltrane and Ron Carter on bass - all of whom helped the Rascals create an exotic pair of timeless classics that became to Soul and Jazz what the recordings of the Band were to Country and Americana.

Sundazed

Tracks
1. Lucky Day - 3:09
2. Saga Of New York - 4:03
3. Be On The Real Side (Robert Popwell) - 3:37
4. Jungle Walk (Buzz Feiten) - 3:05
5. Brother Tree - 3:38
6. Island Of Real (Joe Farrell) - 4:57
7. Hummin' Song - 3:58
8. Echoes - 3:10
9. Buttercup - 5:06
10.Time Will Tell - 4:07
11.Lament - 6:10
12.Prove It-Bonus (Previously Unissued) - 3:13
13.Love Is A Woman-Bonus (Previously Unissued) - 3:11
All songs by Felix Cavaliere axcept where indicated.

Personnel
*Felix Cavaliere - ARP Synthesizer, Keyboards, Vocals
*Lois Colin - Harp
*Dino Danelli - Drums, Percussion
*Charles Dinwiddie - Horn, Sax
*Kwasi "Rocky" Dzidzornu - Congas
*Joe Farrell - Flute, Saxophone
*Howard "Buzz" Feiten - ARP Synthesizer, Guitar
*Molly Holt - Vocals
*Herbert Laws - Flute
*Ralph MacDonald - Congas
*Steve Madaio - Trumpet
*Robert "Pops" Popwell - Bass
*David Sanborn - Horn, Sax
*Jack Scarangella - Congas
*Jon Smith - Horn, Sax
*Manny Stamm - Flugelhorn
*Annie Sutton - Vocals
*Woodstock Horns - Horn
*Daniel Ben Zebulon - Congas

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rep>>> La Croix - La Croix (1972 us, marvelous rhythm 'n' blues, brass rock)

 

Jerry LaCroix was born October 10, 1943 in Alexandria, LA, and a 30-mile journey from his kinfolk's home in nearby Jena. His first musical exposure came by way of family. At early age LaCroix moved to Port Arthur and attended Port Arthur and Port Neches schools, he graduated from Port Neches-Groves High School in 1961 before going to Lamar University.

Although he was never a household name in his own right, LaCroix's soulful vocals made him a favorite performer for those in the know -- a group that, early in his career, included Columbia president Clive Davis, who not only presided over White Trash's deal with the label's Epic subsidiary, but ended up playing matchmaker between LaCroix and Blood, Sweat & Tears after White Trash fell apart. Although he'd just released his own solo album, 1974's 'The Second Coming,' he decided to abandon promotional efforts because, as he put it, "Blood, Sweat & Tears was going on a world tour and I hadn't seen the world."

Staying with the band long enough to contribute to their 1974 'Mirror Image' album, LaCroix soon left because, as he told Swampland, "they weren’t really a kick-ass band like White Trash was and I wasn’t happy." But just as quickly as he left one band, he joined another: Rare Earth's manager soon came calling, and as LaCroix recalled in the same interview, "He flew me out to L.A. and we talked a little bit and he said, 'Oh, by the way, tomorrow we’re going to be on Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert. You want to sing with us?' No rehearsal, no nothing. I just got on live TV and sang 'Get Ready.' He said and then, day after tomorrow, we’re going on tour. So I had to learn all of their songs in two days."

While LaCroix continued to enjoy local legend status in the Louisiana and Texas Gulf Coast region, he turned his back on the music industry after the '80s; at one point, he told Swampland, "I was living up in Oregon cutting wood. A guy had a 2000-acre ranch. It was just pristine but it wasn’t music." Returning to Texas to care for his ailing father, he started a new band, but he harbored no delusions of grandeur regarding that stage of his career. "I'm doing a compilation tape of things I've recorded in the past. A little package to give more or less as souvenirs to people who come to see us. Demos, if somebody wants to hear something," he mused in one late interview. "I'm also working on an anthology. I'm getting my own CD burner so I can make my own CDs and do them out of the back end of the Winnebago."

After the turn of the century, LaCroix dedicated himself to caring for his elderly mother, but in the summer of 2010, his own health took a turn for the worse. Local musicians banded together to help raise money for his medical care after he suffered congestive heart failure; he recovered enough to perform at his induction into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in January of 2012, but over time, his condition continued to deteriorate.

The man behind one of Southeast Texas' most noted, soulful voices enchanted the area for more than four decades, the "blue-eyed soul brother" never fully recovered, he passed away on May 7th, 2014.

Tracks

1. On The Road Again - 3:25

2. Drivin' Wheel (B. B. King, JulesTaub) - 5:15

3. A Little Bit O' Trust (Edgar Winter, Jerry La Croix) - 4:39

4. New Orleans Song - 3:57

5. Marshall's Tune (Marshall  Cyr) - 3:25

6. Tired Of Feeling Sorry For Myself - 3:23

7. Ninety-Nine And A Half (Eddie L. Floyd, Steve Cropper, Wilson Pickett) - 3:41

8. Sexy Linda Lee - 2:50

9. I'd Like To Write A Song - 3:12

10.All Join Together - 6:30

All songs by Jerry La Croix except where stated

Musicians

*Jerry La Croix - Lead Vocals, Harp, Saxophone, Piano

*Barry Rillera - Lead Guitar, Backgound Vocals

*Bobby Ramirez - Drums, Congas, Percussion

*George Sheck - Bass

*Jon Smith - Saxophone, Backgound Vocals

*Tilly Lawrence - Trumpet, Percussion

*Marshall Cyr - Trumpet, Percussion

*Jose Silva  - Bass (Tracks 1,2,7,9,10)

*Michael Omartian - Piano (Tracks 3,6)

*Greg Mathieson - Piano (Tracks 9,10),  Organ (Track 7)

*Gordon De Witty - Organ (Track 2)

1974  Jerry La Croix - The Second Coming

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rep>>> Legend - Moonshine (1972 uk, third album, superb boogie rock, 2006 extra tracks limited issue)

Originally released in 1972 (on the Vertigo label) Legend's third album, Moonshine, gets out into the sun again (via the Repertoire imprint) as a 2500-copy limited edition. The band represented here was the "Mark III" version, consisting of John Bobin, Mo Witham, Bob Clouter and the legendary Mickey Jupp. 

The sound is fairly raw throughout, with the kind of loose, relaxed musicianship that comes from pro cats getting down and having fun. Rock, blues, country and a touch of traditional balladeering inform each of the disc's 13 tracks and find the group right at home with those stylistic touchstones. 

Whether they're stripped-down and rockin' (as on the rousing "Moonshine" and "Captain Cool") or dramatic and string-filled (the plaintive "Another Guy" and "The Writer of Songs") there's an element of toughness that keeps the band from ever sounding stuffy, and it's that same barroom machismo that makes this record stand out as a near-classic example of down-home, '70s British rock done correctly -- with fun and chutzpah in equal amounts. 

by J. Scott McClintock

Tracks
1. Moonshine (Mickey Jupp, Bob Clouter, John Bobin, Mo Witham) - 3:49
2. Another Guy - 3:30
3. Mother of My Child - 3:25
4. Captain Cool (Mickey Jupp, Bob Clouter, John Bobin, Mo Witham) - 1:43
5. Ausfahrt - 0:56
6. Eingang - 0:41
7. Shine on My Shoes (Mickey Jupp, Bob Clouter, John Bobin, Mo Witham) - 2:50
8. The Writer of Songs - 4:57
9. Local Folk'ol - 3:04
10.At the Shop - 2:52
11.Just Because - 3:51
12.Don't You Never - 2:58
13.Someday - 2:16
All songs by Mickey Jupp unless otherwise written.

Legend
*John Bobin - Lead Guitar, Bass, Spanish Guitar, Vocals
*Bob Clouter - Drums
*Mickey Jupp - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Lead Guitar, Piano
*Mo Witham - Lead Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm Guitar, Spanish Guitar, Vocals

1971  Legend (Red Boot)

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rep>>> Jerry La Croix - The Second Coming (1974 us, remarkable soulful brass blues rock)

The Second Coming, an Album by Jerry LaCroix released in 1974 on Mercury records. Jerry (also know as Jerry “The Count” Jackson)  has a great track record as a rhythm and blues artist as part of great groups such as The Boogie Kings, Edgar Winters White Trash, Blood Sweat & Tears and Rare Earth.  He never stopped performing until his death in 2014 at the age of 70.  

His style of vocals and harmonies with many artists as well as a saxophonist is amazing. There are great cuts on this album such as Mean Old World, Genesis, You’ll Always Be Mine, She Does It To Me and many more.  Highly recommend to listen this album as well music he has done with other artists.

Tracks

1. Mean Ole World - 4:41

2. Are You Lonely For Me Baby (Bert Berns) - 4:18

3. You Girl - 3:35

4. The Die Has Been Cast (W. D. LaCroix) - 3:23

5. Genesis - 3:45

6. She Does It To Me - 2:53

7. Funny Boy - 5:47

8. Drinkin' Daddy's Wine - 2:40

9. Silent Is The Night - 4:30

10.You'll Always Be Mine - 3:12

All songs by Jerry Lacroix except where indicated

Musicians

*Jerry LaCroix - Tenor Saxophone, Harmonica, Bells, Chimes, String Arrangements, Horn Arrangements

*Tasha Thomas - Backing Vocals, Vocal Arrangements

*Edgar Winter - Synthesizer, Soloist

*Johnny Winter - Slide Guitar, Guitar, Soloist

*Rick Derringer - Lead Guitar, Soloist

*Jerry Friedman - Guitar

*Hugh Mccracken - Guitar

*Bob Rose - Guitar

*John Tropea - Guitar

*David Spinozza - Guitar

*Bob Mann - Guitar

*Stu Woods - Bass

*Paul Griffin - Piano, Clavinet, Wurlitzer

*Ralph Schuckett - Piano, Clavinet

*Rick Marotta - Drums, Backing Vocals

*Richard Crooks - Drums

*Ralph Macdonald - Percussion

*Jimmy Maelen - Percussion

*Randy Brecker - Trumpet, Horns

*Robert Millikan - Horns

*Lew Delgatto - Horns

*David Sanborn - Horns

*Carl Hall - Backing Vocals

*Hilda Harris - Backing Vocals

*Charlotta Gilbert - Backing Vocals

*Gail Kantor - Backing Vocals

*Merle Miller - Backing Vocals

*Laurel Massé - Backing Vocals

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rep>>> Legend - Legend • Red Boot (1971 uk , roots rock, pub rock, 2005 bonus tracks edition)

In some circles, Mickey Jupp is something of a minor legend, a roots rocker with excellent taste and a cutting wit, best heard on the songs "Switchboard Susan" and "You'll Never Get Me Up in One of Those," both covered by Nick Lowe. 

Basher's endorsement is a clear indication that Jupp is a pub rocker, a guy who specializes in laid-back good times, so it shouldn't come as a great surprise that his first band, Legend, was proto-pub, an unabashed celebration of old-time rock & roll, filled with three-chord Chuck Berry rockers and doo wop backing vocals. Nevertheless, listening to their 1970 LP is a bit of a shock, as it's completely disassociated with anything that was happening in 1970, even with Tony Visconti enlisted as their producer. 

Legend's sensibility is ahead of its time in its retro thinking, pointing the way to the rock & roll revival of the late '70s and not even that similar to the country-rock of Eggs Over Easy or Bees Make Honey, as this has little of the rustic feel of the Band: it's just straight-up oldies rock, a trait emphasized by those incessant doo wop harmonies that are on almost every cut on this LP (but do disappear on the bonus live cuts on the Repertoire reissue, possibly because they were too busy playing to harmonize). 

Those harmonies and the light, almost goofy, touch of Jupp's writing here distinguish Legend and also illustrate why they made no waves in 1970; it's hard to see the counterculture getting roused over the verse "If you were an apple you'd be/Good good eating/If you were a book you'd be/Good good reading." 

These slightly silly flourishes do have a lot in common with the wry humor of Nick Lowe, who at this time was denying this mischievous streak as he attempted to sound like Crosby, Stills & Nash, but at this point, Jupp was largely on his own doing this light, good-time pub rock. That may be why it sank without a trace at the time, but heard apart from its era, Legend is a minor delight, one of the first flowerings of the pub rock sensibility. 

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Tracks
1. Cross Country - 3:28
2. Cheque Book - 3:22
3. Lorraine, Pt. 1 - 2:58
4. Nothing Wrong with Me - 2:06
5. Somebody in Love - 2:42
6. Goin' To - 2:37
7. Anything You Do - 3:08
8. My Typewriter - 2:57
9. Five Years - 3:00
10. Hole in My Pocket - 2:09
11. Lorraine, Pt. 2 - 3:34
12. I Feel Like Sleeping - 3:16
13. Life - 3:02
14. Late Last Night (Single B-Side) - 3:54
15. Don't You Never - 2:56
16. Someday (Single B-Side) - 2:16
All songs by Mickey Jupp

Legend
*John Bobin - Bass, Vocals
*Bill Fifield - Drums
*Mickey Jupp - Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
*Mo Witham - Guitar, Vocals

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rep>>> Whalefeathers - Declare • Whalefeathers (1970-71 us, fascinating heavy psych prog rock, 2002 Akarma issue)

American psychedelic group who recorded two excellent albums for the tiny Nasco label circa 1970, which later became a widely known imprint amongst collectors of obscure underground blues-rock and psychedelia. Both of their released albums, Whalefeathers Declare and their self-titled second album, have been collectors' items of extraordinary value to LP hounds which were finally reissued on the Akarma label in 2001. Maybe it's telling of the sound herein to know that the group does a cover version of Skip Spence's "Omaha," a psychedelic gem from his time in Moby Grape. For the most part, Whalefeathers deal in heavy rock based around keyboard-driven psychedelia and hard blues-rock. 

On their second album, the standouts are a cover version of "World of Pain," originally by Mountain, and a rave-up on the blues standard "Don't Need No Doctor," while elsewhere they soak in instrumentals with electric keyboards and guitar distortion with no apparent direction. m Cincinnati, Ohio, this outfit used to gig frequently with Westfauster and played a heavy, very keyboard-dominated blend of music. Their albums have distinct psychedelic influences. Both albums are sought-after by collectors.

by Dean McFarlane

Tracks
Declare 1970
1. Declare - Prelude (Michael Jones) - 3:53
2. Lost Dimension (Ed Blackmon) - 6:47
3. Know Thyself (Michael Jones) - 2:59
4. Imagine (Michael Jones) - 3:06
5. Omaha (Alex "Skip" Spence) - 5:48
6. Please Me For A While (Ed Blackmon, Michael Jones) - 5:20
7. Invention Sequence (Ed Blackmon) - 3:41
8. Love Cant Be Wrong (Michael Jones) - 3:46
Whalefeathers 1971
9. World Of Pain (Felix Pappalardi, Gail Collins) - 8:36
10.I Dont Need No Doctor (Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson) - 3:26
11.Its A Hard Road (Back Home) (Lee Blanc) - 5:07
12.Bastich (Steve Cataldo) - 6:20
13.Pretty Woman (Andrew Charles Williams, Jr.) - 3:31
14.Shadows (Ed Blackmon) - 10:36

Whalefeathers
*Stephe Bacon - Percussion, Tympani, Rhythm Instruments, Vocals
*Ed Blackmon - Piano, Organ, Harpischord, Vocals
*Michael Jones - Guitar, Vocals
*Roger Sauer - Bass, Vocals (Tracks 1-8)
*Leonard LeBlanc - Bass, Vocals (Tracks 9-14)

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rep>>> Renaissance - Turn Of The Cards (1974 uk, brilliant progressive art folk rock, 2006 remaster)

The third album by this incarnation of Renaissance was a match for their previous success, Ashes Are Burning, with equally impressive performances and songwriting and a few new musical twists added. The songs here fit more easily into a rock vein, and the prior album's folk influences are gone. 

Turn of the Cards rocks a bit harder, albeit always in a progressive rock manner, and Jon Camp's bass and Terence Sullivan's drums are both harder and heavier here, the bass (the group's only amplified instrument) in particular much more forward in the mix. This change works in giving the band a harder sound that leaves room for Jimmy Horowitz's orchestral accompaniments, which are somewhat more prominent than those of Richard Hewson on the prior album, with the horns and strings, in particular, more exposed. 

Annie Haslam is in excellent voice throughout, and finds ideal accompaniment in Michael Dunford's acoustic guitar and John Tout's piano. The writing team of Dunford and Betty Thatcher also adds some new wrinkles to the group's range -- in addition to progressive rock ballads like "I Think of You," they delivered "Black Flame," a great dramatic canvas for Haslam and Tout, in particular; and "Mother Russia" is a surprising (and effective) move into topical songwriting, dealing with the plight of Alexander Solzhenitsyn and other victims of Soviet repression (you had to be there in the 1970s to realize what a burning issue this was). 

And then there were the soaring, pounding group virtuoso numbers like "Things I Don't Understand," which managed to hold audience interest across nine or ten minutes of running time. 

by Bruce Eder

Tracks
1.Running Hard - 9:35
2.I Think Of You - 3:07
3.Things I Don't Understand (Dunford, Jim McCarty) - 9:27
4.Black Flame - 6:25
5.Cold Is Being - 3:00
6.Mother Russia - 9:17
All Songs credited to Michael Dunford, Betty Thatcher except where noted.

Renaissance
*Annie Haslam - Lead, Backing Vocals
*Jon Camp - Bass, Backing Vocals
*John Tout - Keyboards, Backing Vocals
*Terence Sullivan - Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals
*Michael Dunford - Acoustic Guitar, Backing Vocals
Orchestral Arrangements: Jimmy Horowitz

1969  Renaissance - Renaissance (2008 remaster)

1973  Renaissance - Ashes Are Burning (2019 Esoteric)

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