Plain and Fancy

rep>>> Bell And Arc - Bell + Arc (1971 uk, excellent colorful classic rock, 2004 remaster)

Bell 'n' Arc’s one and only record is a prime cut of early 1970s British rock and roll. Born out of the psychedelic ashes of Skip Bifferty, Bell 'n' Arc saw a reunion of sorts between singer Graham Bell and his former band mates, keyboardist Mick Gallagher and guitarist John Turnbull. Anyone delving into this record expecting the underground freak-beat of that earlier band, however, is in for a rude surprise. This band is an entirely different beast, and even Graham Bell’s singing has undergone some serious evolution since Skip Bifferty sank in 1969.

Heavy threads of American soul music, as well as tasteful touches of gospel and country, are what inform this record more than anything. From the insistent groove of “High Priest of Memphis” to the rollicking banjo rolls in “Keep A Wise Mind,” it is clear what musical traditions these cats are mining. Graham Bell’s vocals here are so soulful it almost hurts, with the obvious reference point being the shredded-throat testifying of fellow countryman Joe Cocker.

Turnbull’s guitar is also on fire, whether he’s indulging in tight wah-pedal workouts in “Let Your Love Run Free” or keeping things beautifully restrained in the band’s sizzling, slow-burn workout of Leonard Cohen’s “So Long, Marianne.” In the meantime, I would assert that it is Gallagher’s rhythm piano which seems to be the bedrock of the band’s sound. Each cut displays inspired playing that really seals together the spirit of the band. His concluding improvisations on “Yat Rock” are particularly enjoyable, where he compliments his driving rhythm playing with the occasional Jerry Lee Lewis run.

Side A of this record is one of those rare cases where every song is absolutely killer, and the energy just does not let up. The opening three song punch blows me away every time. By the second side, things start to lose a little steam, but only barely. In fact, “Dawn,” the one acoustic track on the album, is a pleasant, hazy respite from the high-octane rave-ups that surround it. In fact, the guitar dynamics and subdued atmosphere might actually make it a highlight. “Children of the North Prison” draws the band back, and throws out one of the catchiest hooks on the record against a great ascending piano line.

In the years since I first happened on this record, it has slowly but surely become one of my absolute mainstays. It’s hard not to be drawn in to Arc’s tight grooves and Bell’s cosmic rock and roll songs, and I dare say it makes some fantastic road music. Check out the (out-of-print, but easy to find) Rock and Groove Records reissue, or keep your eye peeled for one of the original copies. I should probably note that it looks as though the British and American copies of this one have different artwork; the British record has a bright red cover, with what looks like layered fists.

by Nik Rayne

Tracks

1. High Priest of Memphis (Graham Bell) - 3:30

2. Let Your Love Run Free (Graham Bell, Tom Duffy, Michael Gallagher, John Turnbull) - 6:00

3. Keep a Wise Mind (Colin Gibson, Graham Bell, John Turnbull) - 3:19

4. So Long Marianne (Leonard Cohen) - 3:44

5. She Belongs to Me (Bob Dylan) - 4:29

6. Yat Rock (Graham Bell) - 6:08

7. Dawn (Graham Bell) - 3:00

8. Children of the North Prison (Graham Bell) - 4:15

9. Everyday (Graham Bell, Tom Duffy, Michael Gallagher, John Turnbull) - 3:53

Bell And Arc

*Graham Bell - Vocals, Harmonica, Acoustic Guitar

*Tom Duffy - Bass

*Michael Gallagher - Piano, Organ

*John Turnbull - Guitars

*John Woods - Percussion

With

*Rob Tait - Drums

*Ken Craddock -Guitars, Piano, Organ

*Alan White - Drums, Percussion, Vibes

*Steve Gregory - Tenor Saxophone

*Buddy Beadle - Baritone Saxophone

*Jeff Condon - Cornet

Wednesday, October 14, 2026

rep>>> Elvin Bishop - Live! Raisin' Hell (1977 us, splendid blues rock funk roots 'n' roll, 2012 remaster)

Growing up in the 1940s on a farm in Iowa with a loving but non-musical family, Elvin seldom heard music as a kid. “This was before TV,” Elvin says, “and on the radio you got a lot of Frank Sinatra and ‘How Much Is That Doggie In the Window’ type of stuff.” The family moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, when Elvin was 10, in 1952. Tulsa was “totally segregated,” says Elvin, “I mean, hard core.” However, “the one thing they couldn’t segregate was the airwaves. When rock and roll started up, in the mid-’50s, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino and Little Richard showed up on white radio.”

And then, late one night when Elvin was 14 or 15, the atmospheric conditions a little rough, Jimmy Reed’s harmonica came cutting through the static from WLAC in Nashville, and Elvin Bishop’s life was changed. The song was “Honest I Do.” “That piercing harp came through, cutting in like a knife, and I said, ‘Oh, man, that’s it.’ I found out that blues was where the good part of rock and roll was coming from.”

And about that time, he started trying to play guitar. “I wanted to play it from the beginning,” Elvin says. “I kept trying and then quitting it. Hurtin’ my fingers, playing those old pawn-shop guitars with the strings two inches off the fret board. Nobody I knew played.” But he kept after it. “Not being able to dance, and seeing how the musicians did with the girls, and loving the music, I finally stuck with it.”

Hooked on the sounds emerging from the radio, Elvin had to find out where they were coming from and who was responsible. When he was awarded a National Merit Scholarship in 1959, he could have gone to pretty much any college he wanted, but chose The University Of Chicago, because that’s where the blues were. And so he landed in the middle of one of the richest and most vital scenes in blues history. “Any night of the week you could hear Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Howlin’ Wolf, Hound Dog Taylor, Otis Rush, Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, Magic Sam, Bobby King, Eddie King, Little Smokey, Big Smokey, and a whole ton of people you never heard of.”

His first week in Chicago, he came across Paul Butterfield, who was sitting on some steps drinking beer and playing blues on guitar. “We fell together right away,” says Elvin. “I was amazed to find other white guys into blues.” After playing with a lot of different people, including J.T. Brown, Hound Dog Taylor and Junior Wells, Elvin hooked up with Butterfield to form the legendary Paul Butterfield Blues Band, with bassist Jerome Arnold and drummer Sam Lay, who’d been Howlin’ Wolf’s rhythm section. Producer Paul Rothchild of Elektra Records encouraged them to add guitarist Michael Bloomfield. “I’d met Bloomfield before, in a pawn shop,” says Elvin, “when I was looking for guitars. We got to talking. He got a guitar out, started playing circles around the world.”

In 1965 the Butterfield band went into the studio and recorded The Paul Butterfield Blues Band album, which turned out to be a sea-change record for thousands of rock fans and musicians. An integrated band playing blues music in 1965 was unheard of. It introduced a lot of people to the blues, and to the musicians who had influenced the Butterfield band. After several more albums with Butterfield, including the pivotal genrebending East West, Bishop took off on his own. “I wanted to stretch out, see how far I could take it on my own,” says Elvin. Bishop had visited San Francisco with the Butterfield band during the Summer of Love in 1967. “I loved the people, the weather, and not having to watch my back all the time.” And like several other Chicago musicians he ended up moving to the Bay Area.

The 70’s saw Elvin hit the charts with solo tracks like “Travelin’ Shoes,” “Sure Feels Good” and what would become his biggest hit, “Fooled Around and Fell in Love,” with a powerful vocal by Mickey Thomas (later of Jefferson Starship). During the 1980’s, Elvin spent most of his time on the road, “entertaining the people and maybe having a little too much fun myself.” Later in the decade he hooked up with Alligator for a number of excellent albums that grew right out of his blues roots.

"Live! Raisin' Hell' was recorded between March 1976 and February 1977 initially as a gig in Georgia, and subsequently at four shown in California, was released in late summer 1977, and became Bishop's second US Top 40 album, spending three months in the chart. He does not appear to have subsequently worried mainstream chart compilers, although he remained with Capricorn for two more albums, 1978's "Hog Heaven" on which Amos Garrett and Maria Muldaur guested, and 1979's "Best Of Elvin Bishop".

Tracks
1. Raisin‘ Hell - 2:51
2. Rock My Soul - 4:54
3. Sure Feels Good - 4:49
4. Calling All Cows (Earley Drane) - 6:20
5. Juke Joint Jump - 4:12
6. Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey (E. Bishop, Mickey Thomas, Phillip Aaberg) - 3:21
7. Joy - 4:11
8. Stealin‘ Watermelons - 4:49
9. Fooled Around And Fell In Love - 5:33
10.Little Brown Bird (McKinley Morangfield) - 6:06
11.Yes Sir - 4:23
12.Struttin‘ My Stuff - 3:40
13.Give It Up (William Slais, M. Thomas) - 3:44
14.Travelin‘ Shoes - 7:17
15.Medley - 13:01
.a.Let The Good Times Roll (Leonard Lee)
.b.A Change Is Gonna Come (Sam Cooke)
.c.Bring It On Home To Me (Sam Cooke)
All songs by Elvin Bishop except where stated

Band
*Elvin Bishop - Vocals, Lead, Rhythm, Slide Guitars
*Don Baldwin - Drums, Percussion, Vocals
*Micheal "Fly" Brooks - bass
*Debbie Cathey - Vocals
*Melvin Seals - Synthesizer, Organ, Piano, Clavinet
*Bill Salis - Alto, tenor Saxophones, Clavinet, Synthesizer, Organ
*Reni Slais - Vocals
*Mickey Thomas - Vocals
*Johnny Vernazza - Lead, Rhythm, Slide Guitars, Vocals
*Chuck Brooke, Bob Claire, Dave Grover, Bill Lamb - Horns
Guest Musicians
*Mic Gillette, Steve Kupka, Greg Adams - Horns

1969-70•72 Elvin Bishop - Party Till The Cows Come Home (2004 Acadia)

Just Paste
Text Host

rep>>> Sawbuck - Sawbuck (1972 us, excellent west coast psych with southern rock taste, Vinyl issue)

Sawbuck formed 1970 in San Francisco. On an office remodeling job, Ronnie Montrose met promoter Bill Graham, who introduced him to his partner, producer David Rubinson. Graham and Rubinson owned a small record label called Fillmore Records, and signed a recording contract with Sawbuck.

Rubinson was especially impressed by Montrose--s talent and ambition. He set the guitarist up for session work with the Pointer Sisters and keyboardist Herbie Hancock before he arranged for Montrose's big break.

Montrose had been in the process of recording what would have been his first album with Sawbuck when David Rubinson, the producer, arranged an audition with Van Morrison. Montrose got the job and played on Morrison's 1971 album Tupelo Honey.

Mojo Collins remembers,

One day I stumbled into the office of the Fillmore and met the secretary Annie, we quickly became friends and she opened the door for me to get a 45 record to Bill Graham, owner and manager of theJefferson Airplane and Marty Balin. He liked the record and I got hooked up with Annie and her friend Starr Donaldson who was playing Wolfie in the San Francisco version of "Hair" at a local theatre.

We became friends and later I met Ronnie Montrose and Chuck Ruff along with Bill Church, who replaced our original bassist Kooch. This was the basic foundation for what became Sawbuck. We were signed to Fillmore Records and an album entitled "Sawbuck" was recorded in 1970-71 produced by the famed David Rubinson who also produced Moby Grape, Santana, Janis Joplin, The Chambers Brothers, Elvin Bishop, Cold Blood and Tower of Power.

For the next year or so we toured and opened for major acts and played the final week of the Fillmore West before it closed. During the making of the album, Ronnie was approached to do some commercial jingles and one was heard by Van Morrison, and Ronnie was gone, he later wound up with Edgar Winter and recruited Chuck Ruff from Sawbuck for The Edgar Winter Group, and that pretty much ended our tenure as a performing band.

I came home to NC and tried to put together another Sawbuck, with my brother David Collins and a few of his friends, we toured for awhile when the album was released but fizzled out because of lack of support from the label. Around this time David Rubinson and Bill Graham split there partnership and Sawbuck was shelved.

Tracks
1. Sing This Song - 3:50
2. Wound Up - 2:35
3. Oo Lolla Moore - 3:26
4. Virginia Woman (In Gear) - 3:07
5. There Will Be Love - 3:02
6. Believe - 3:07
7. Reno - 2:29
8. Mayday - 3:04
9. Sweet and Sour - 2:57
10.Lovin' Man - 2:35
11.Bible Burning - 4:03
12.Promised Land - 5:27
All songs written by Mojo Collins except Reno' written by Stephen Hatley, Chuck Ruff.

Sawbuck
*Mojo Collins - Lead vocals, Guitars
*Starr Donaldson - Guitar, Vocals
*Chuck Ruff - Drums
*Stephen Hatley - Keyboards, Acoustic Guitar
*Nine Year – Bass
Guest Musicians
*Ronnie Montrose – Guitar Track 6 & 10
*Bill Church – Bass
*Boots Rolph Stuart Hughston - Saxophone
*Andrew Narell - Steel Drum
*Sami - Congas
*Hungria Carmello Garcia - Timbales
*Arsinio Avizaro - Vocals
*Raymond Clough - Vocals

Just Paste
Text Host

Tuesday, October 13, 2026

rep>>> Wet Willie - Keep On Smilin' (1974 us, exceptional funky blues southern rock)

The five original members of Wet Willie, all from Mobile, Alabama, came together in 1969 and soon realized they had something special. Jimmy was out front, a triple threat on lead vocals, sax and harmonica; as one writer said, “Jimmy Hall was who Mick Jagger wanted to be!” Ricky Hirsch played guitars and wrote or co-wrote much of the band’s material, with Jack Hall, Jimmy’s brother, on bass, Lewis Ross on drums and John Anthony on keyboards.

The band relocated to Macon, Georgia in 1970 where they were signed by Phil Walden’s Capricorn label, and got right to work on their self-titled first album. Upon its release later that year, Wet Willie began a relentless touring schedule, and soon became known as one of the hardest working bands of the Southern Rock era. As they put it, they “opened for everyone from A to Z: Allman Brothers to ZZ Top!”

Wet Willie Music

Keep on Smilin' is the definitive Wet Willie studio album, bluesier than a lot of their other work, and much of it also somewhat more laid-back. Beginning with "Country Side of Life," the band sounds tight, tuned, and in top form.

Their playing is clean and crisp, and the vocals exude a bold confidence. The hit title track is a compelling reggae-country meld that's one of the more interesting and long-wearing country-rock hits of its period. It's surrounded by gospel-flavored material and also one of the neater Stax-influenced tracks ever put down by a white band, "Soul Sister," which is also a great showcase for the Williettes.

Other highlights include the acoustic country ballad "Alabama," a major change of pace for this band with some clever lyrical conceits; the ultra-funky "Soul Jones" (which manages to work in a quote from the Allman Brothers), and the soulful rocker "Lucy Was in Trouble," which became a key part of the group's concert sets. The 1998 Capricorn remastering has an especially full sound, improving significantly on the original LP.

by Bruce Eder

Tracks
1. Country Side Of Life (Maurice R. Hirsch, Ricky Hirsch) - 3:29
2. Keep On Smilin' (John Anthony, Jack Hall, Jimmy Hall, Ricky Hirsch, Lewis Ross) - 3:56
3. Trust In The Lord (Mike Duke) - 3:10
4. Soul Sister (John Anthony, Ella Avery) - 4:54
5. Alabama (Maurice R. Hirsch, Ricky Hirsch) - 3:24
6. Lucy Was In Trouble (Maurice R. Hirsch, Ricky Hirsch) - 3:38
7. Soul Jones (John Anthony, Jack Hall, Jim Hall, Ricky Hirsch, Lewis Ross) - 4:01
8. Don't Wait Too Long (John Anthony) - 3:05
9. Spanish Moss (Maurice R. Hirsch, Ricky Hirsch) - 3:43
10.In Our Hearts (John Anthony, Ricky Hirsch) - 4:24

Wet Willie
*Jimmy Hall - Harmonica, Percussion, Alto Saxophone, Vocals
*Rick Hirsch - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*John Anthony - Keyboards, Percussion, Vocals
*Lewis Ross - Drums, Percussion
*Jack Hall - Banjo, Bass, Composer, Vocals
With
*Ella Avery - Vocals
*Donna Hall - Vocals
*Earl Ford - Electric Trombone
*Joyce Knight - Vocals

Just Paste
Text Host

1972 Capability Brown - From Scratch (2011 japan remaster)

rep>>> Capability Brown - Voice (1973 uk, beautiful art prog yacht rock, 2011 japan SHM remaster)

This album is probably the main reason why the band was branded with the genre "progressive". While the first four songs are strongly in the direction of their first work, offering rather perfect and sophisticated arrangements in pop and mainstream rock, on the other side, the full-length "Circumstances" offers the band's well-hidden prog splendor in its purest form. In over 20 minutes, echoes of the great works of bands such as Yes, Gentle Giant, Wishbone Ash, Queen and many more can be heard here in a highly original way.

Completely overlooked and undervalued, this is the 'magnum opus' of a band that I would at least grant the status of one of the pioneers of "ArtPop". As on their debut, the band also knows how to make cover versions of "I am so are You" (Affinity) and "Midnight Cruiser" (Steely Dan) their own. More than just "nice", you should definitely check it out. If the first 4 numbers are too sweet for you, you will at least get a 20-minute prog hammer of the upper category. Capability Brown had everything going for them - at least musically and it is a shame that this release caps their career and output.

Tracks

1. I Am And So Are You (Alan Hull, Tony Ferguson, Dave Nevin, Kenny Rowe, Grahame White, Joe Williams, Roger Willis) - 3:56

2. Sad Am I (Tony Ferguson) - 3:51

3. Midnight Cruiser (Donald Fagen, Walter Becker) - 4:01

4. Keep Death Off The Road (Drive On The Pavement) (Dave Nevin) - 6:20

5. Circumstances (In Love, Past, Present, Future Meet) (Tony Ferguson, Dave Nevin, Kenny Rowe, Grahame White, Joe Williams, Roger Willis) - 20:49

Capability Brown

*Tony Ferguson - Vocals, Acoustic, Electric, Pedal Steel Guitar, Bass, Flute,

*Dave Nevin - Vocals, Electric, Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Recorder, Mellotron, Synthesizer, Keyboards, Percussion, Vibraphone

*Kenny Rowe - Vocals, Bass, Percussion

*Grahame White - Vocals, Electric, Acoustic Guitar, Lute, Balalaika, Keyboards

*Joe Williams - Vocals, Percussion

*Roger Willis - Vocals, Drums, Piano, Harmonica

Monday, October 12, 2026

rep>>> Diane Hildebrand - Early Morning Blues And Greens (1969 us, gorgeous songwriter with a strong and expressive voice across a number of styles, 2006 remaster)

In the late 1960s, Elektra Records was rapidly expanding from its folk base into folk-rock, psychedelia, pop, and combinations thereof all at once. As exciting a time as it was for the label, almost inevitably, some artists in its cluster of new signings got somewhat lost in the shuffle. Few of its albums from the time are as obscure as the sole LP by Diane Hildebrand, Early Morning Blues and Greens. A low-key cross between folk-rock, pop, and the emerging singer-songwriter movement, it made little impact upon its release. Hildebrand remains most known not for this album, but for the material she wrote in the same era for the Monkees, who covered the title song of the LP.

Prior to recording the album, Hildebrand had been working as a staff writer at Screen Gems Music Publishing. Screen Gems supplied much of the material covered by the Monkees, generating songs from composing teams like Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, and Carole King and Gerry Goffin. Another Brill Building veteran at Screen Gems was Jack Keller, co-writer (with Howard Greenfield) of Connie Francis's huge 1960 hits "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" and "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own," Jimmy Clanton's "Venus in Blue Jeans," and the themes for the television series Bewitched, Gidget, and Hazel. Keller was involved with the Monkees virtually from the group's inception, co-producing several songs on their debut album.

For their follow-up LP More of the Monkees, Keller teamed up with Hildebrand to write "Your Auntie Grizelda," and the pair also penned "Early Morning Blues and Greens" for the third Monkees LP, 1967's Headquarters. Outside of the Monkees' orbit, Hildebrand and Keller were responsible for the theme to The Flying Nun; working independently of Keller, Diane contributed lyrics to the Monkees' collective group composition "Goin' Down," which originated as a studio jam and (as the B-side of their chart-topping "Daydream Believer") would become one of their hardest-rocking and best recordings. Though she was just one of numerous names on Monkees songwriting credits, such was the group's fame in 1967 and 1968 that she didn't escape attention from the band's more devoted fans. "Diane was always getting calls from Monkees fans who wanted to know all about Peter [Tork] or Micky [Dolenz]," says Colin Cameron, Hildebrand's boyfriend of the time. "I really learned the value of an unlisted phone number!"

On bass, electric guitar, and acoustic guitar (as well as the co-writer of one track), Cameron was also an important contributor to the Early Blues and Greens album, which showed a fuller and more serious side of Hildebrand than the Monkees' interpretations of her compositions had. Cameron had met Hildebrand while working as a session musician on Screen Gems demos, and the two were soon living together in the heavily musician-artist-populated Beechwood Canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles. Early Blues and Greens came about when Diane got a one-album deal for an LP of her own on Elektra, to be co-produced by David Anderle (who was producing fellow notable Elektra singer-songwriters Judy Collins and David Ackles in the same era) and Russ Miller. Cameron's friendship with Anderle, in fact, led to work for the musician as a bassist on Collins's "Chelsea Morning" single and Scott McKenzie's Stained Glass Morning album.

"The choice of musicians for the sessions was Diane's," remembers Cameron. "I was doing demo sessions for Screen Gems writers, Diane among them, as well as other recording projects; my reputation as a session musician was on the rise; and Diane and I were a couple at the time, so it seemed logical" for him to play on the LP as well. Colin was already well acquainted with one of the other musicians, Tony McCashen (who contributed electric guitar, acoustic guitar, banjo, bass, and harmonica), as they'd been friends in San Diego before relocating to Los Angeles. In fact McCashen and another San Diego buddy, Don Dunn, were also Screen Gems staff writers.

As for the other musicians, adds Cameron, "Tony, me, Russ [Russell White, piano and harpsichord], Mac [Malcolm Eisensohn, drums], and a young gangly lead guitarist who later became quite famous had an eclectic little band known as Mobius which played various venues in Southern California. The guitarist was Kenny Loggins. We weren't able to use Kenny on the sessions (I'm not sure why), but Diane invited the rest of us to take part in the recordings. We were all very good friends at the time. Later on when Tony and Don got their own contract to record for Capitol Records, I offered to back them up just as a sideman so that I could continue to pursue my session man ambitions. The band, Dunn & McCashen, put out two albums, some of which I played on, and we were the opening act for Sly & the Family Stone and the Rascals at various major concerts."

Another sideman of note on Early Morning Blues and Greens was autoharpist David Dawson from the early country-rock group Hearts & Flowers, several of whose members Cameron jammed with around this period. Organist Fred Myrow also handled the horn arrangements (and arranged and conducted the second album by David Ackles, Subway to the Country, around the same time). Myrow had been a composer-in-residence under Leonard Bernstein at the New York Philharmonic, but by the late 1960s was scoring an experimental movie for former UCLA film student-turned-rock-star Jim Morrison, Highway. Myrow would go on to discuss a creating a musical with Morrison, with Myrow doing the music and Morrison the text and lyrics, although those plans were scrapped after the Doors' singer's death in 1971. Fred subsequently scored several movies, most famously Phantasm, before dying in 1999.

While Hildebrand wrote about half of the material on Early Morning Blues and Greens on her own, she also continued to work with songwriting partners. The title track was a reprise of the song she'd composed with Jack Keller for the Monkees, of course, and Keller was also the co-writer on another of the LP's tracks, "Come Looking for Me." Jim Horn, who'd played saxophone on some Monkees records, co-penned "Thumbin'," and Don Lottermoser got the co-credit for "And It Was Good." The album closer, "Given Time," was the only songwriting collaboration between Hildebrand and Cameron.

"We were a couple and I think Diane wanted to involve me as much as possible in her life and work," reflects Colin. "It was the only song I ever completed with her. I've written only a handful of published songs since then, and don't regard myself as a songwriter. Truthfully, when Diane asked me if I'd like to write with her she chose a song that was probably 50% complete, and my contribution was just a few words and notes here and there. We played our two guitars in the living room of our cottage home in Beechwood Canyon one afternoon and finished the song pretty much that day. She was very generous to offer me co-writer credit. I will say this about her— she wrote from the heart and with a clarity that I don't see in many other writers to this day." Plus, Cameron adds, "Just like she did with the musicians, Diane chose the songs that she liked for the recordings. As far as I know, she had free rein in artistic choices like this when it came to the album."

Surveying the LP as a whole, Colin muses, "I don't believe that Diane ever made a conscious attempt to be a part of any songwriter or musical movement. She was a thoroughly liberated and independent person who could write songs on assignment for projects given her, or write just for her own pleasure. I think the album was more of the personal pleasure sort. I know she admired other singer/writers like Judy Collins and Joni Mitchell, but I never saw her attempt to emulate their style or sound. The greatest possible weakness might be that the recordings were not geared to be 'commercial' or fit a particular radio format, and radio programmers probably had a difficult time deciding where it fit in (if at all). The great strength was, as I mentioned, the honesty and purity of her songs, and also of her voice and the band's performance."

Early Morning Blues and Greens, however, did not find a wide audience, perhaps because it was neither too "underground" nor too pop. It wasn't heavily promoted by either the label or the artist, either. "Our collaboration with several friends resulted in a pleasant 'folkie' record that was probably bought mostly by family, friends, and Monkees fans," summarizes Cameron. "I don't believe much was done to promote her album. Actually, Elektra had a pretty big roster at the time—many of their artists were commercial successes and probably got the big push from the company, but there were other lesser-knowns whose records were mostly relegated to low visibility catalog and word-of-mouth promotion. Diane didn't seem to have aspirations to do concerts or clubs, at least not in the time I knew her. As time has proven, maintaining a high visibility with the public through live performances can sustain and build a music career."

Cameron went on to tour and record with dozens of notable artists, his lengthy career including work with Burt Bacharach, Joan Baez, Cher, Jackie DeShannon, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, Charlie Rich, the Righteous Brothers, Tina Turner, and many others (for more information on his past and present activities, see his website, www.colincameronbass.com). Hildebrand did not record another LP for Elektra or anyone else, though she did have a big success with another Hildebrand-Keller composition, "Easy Come, Easy Go," which was a Top Ten hit for Bobby Sherman in 1970. "I can't honestly say for sure why there were no other albums forthcoming," observes Cameron. "Whatever she's doing now, I would expect her to be involved with the same warmth, kindness, and concern for others that I saw in the time I knew her."

by Richie Unterberger

Tracks

1. Jan's Blues - 2:56

2. Thumbin' (Diane Hildebrand, Jim Horn) - 2:22

3. From Rea Who Died Last Summer - 2:14

4. There's A Coming Together - 2:43

5. And It Was Good (Dan Lottermoser, Diane Hildebrand) - 3:01

6. Gideon - 1:56

7. Early Morning Blues And Greens (Diane Hildebrand, Jack Keller) - 3:10

8. The Reincarnation Of Emmalina Stearns - 3:21

9. You Wonder Why You're Lonely - 3:51

10.Come Looking For Me (Diane Hildebrand, Jack Keller) - 2:10

11.Given Time (Colin Cameron, Diane Hildebrand) - 3:17

All Music and Lyrics by Diane Hildebrand except where indicated

Musicians

*Diane Hildebrand - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar

*Colin Cameron - Bass, Acoustic, Electric Guitars

*Tony McCashen - Electric, Acoustic Guitars, Banjo, Bass, Percussion

*Russell White - Harpsichord, Piano

*David Dawson - Autoharp

*Malcolm Elsensohn - Drums, Bongos, Percussion

*James Decker - Horns

*Sheridon Stokes - Horns

*Fred Myrow - Organ

rep>>> Linda Perhacs - Parallelograms (1970 us, gorgeous divine folk, 2008 bonus tracks remaster)

This unique and fascinating album has belatedly garnered a considerable following in recent years as a result of the new interest in what is nowadays referred to as Acid Folk. In reality it’s finely-structured acoustic folk-rock, but with strong elements of psychedelic studio treatment and twentieth-century avant-garde classical and choral music. Until now it’s only rated a couple of oblique references in these pages; now it’s time to give it the full exposure it deserves.

The album was the product of a chance conversation between Los Angeles periodontist Linda Perhacs and one of her patients, film score composer Leonard Roseman. Perhacs had written the songs as a hobby sideline, composing with just modally-tuned acoustic guitar and her own beautifully clear voice. Stimulated by Perhacs’s own graphic visualisation of her composition “Parallelograms” as “visual music sculpture” encompassing light, form and colour as well as sound, Roseman offered to develop her songs into an album, arranging and enhancing them in George Martin fashion and utilising the services of his studio’s state-of-the-art technology plus session musicians including guitarist Steve Cohn and percussionists Milt Holland and Shelley Manne. The stunning results found a release on Kapp records, but there the interest stalled; the label pressed the songs out of sequence with dull AM-friendly equalisation on poor quality vinyl, and then proffered no publicity for it, and the brashly commercial Los Angeles AM radio stations refused to play it. When what would become her first and only album in almost four decades tanked, Perhacs went back to the day job.

Over thirty years later she was alerted to the fact that the new generation of Acid Folk musicians such as Devendra Banhart were drawing inspiration from her long-lost work. Reissued by Wild Places in 1996 and by Sunbeam in 2008, the currently-available CD is correctly sequenced, beautifully remastered and comes with eight bonus demos, alternative versions and unreleased songs plus a superb booklet history by Perhacs herself. Perhaps best of all, its belated success has induced Perhacs to start creating music again and she’s issued two albums of new music in partnership with musician/producer Ben Watt of Everything But The Girl since 2007.

The quirky acoustic guitar tunings of Parallelograms may suggest early Joni Mitchell and the clear, crystalline vocals similar-period Joan Baez, but on this album Linda Perhacs utterly transcends both with her dazzling originality. The gently-rippling guitar arpeggios and cascading multi-tracked harmonies of the opening “Chimacum Rain” set out the collection’s predominant motifs, but the following “Paper Mountain Man” is surprisingly funky and blues-inflected with its jazzy percussion and distant, ethereal harmonica, and the wonderfully ironic critique of South Californian society marital celebrations, “Porcelain Baked-Over Cast-Iron Wedding”, rocks along similarly on oriental percussion and delightfully atonal 12-string.

Head and shoulders above the rest, the title track even eschews proper lyrics, the singer’s tongue playing mischievously with the syllables of the title and the names of other geometric forms in a sinuous flow of sound, broken by a Gyorgy Ligeti-like musique concrete interlude, all being the product of Roseman’s realisation of Perhacs’s original scroll-like pictorial depiction of the song. “Moons And Cattails” and “Morning Colours” are similarly, though slightly less, experimental, the former again utilising superbly melismatic vocals and the latter glorious electronically-processed flute obbligati. The rest is more conventional, but still well to the left of the field. As with the avant-garde music that largely inspired it, this is an album to be listened to, not merely heard.

by Len Liechti

Tracks
1. Chimacum Rain - 3:33
2. Paper Mountain Man - 3:13
3. Dolphin - 2:56
4. Call Of The River - 3:51
5. Sandy Toes - 3:00
6. Parallelograms - 4:36
7. Hey, Who Really Cares? (Linda Perhacs, Oliver Nelson) - 2:44
8. Moons And Cattails - 4:09
9. Morning Colors - 4:48
10.Porcelain Baked-Over Cast-Iron Wedding - 4:01
11.Delicious - 4:08
12.If You Were My Man (Demo) - 3:30
13.If You Were My Man (Alt. Take) - 2:59
14.Hey, Who Really Cares? (With Intro) (Linda Perhacs, Oliver Nelson) - 3:01

15.Chimacum Rain (Demo) - 3:45
16.Spoken Intro To Leonard Rosenman - 2:19
17.Chimacum Rain (Demo With Sounds) - 4:13
18.BBC Interview - 5:52
19.I Would Rather Love - 3:06
All tracks composed and written by Linda Perhacs, except where noted.

Personnel
*Linda Perhacs - Vocals, Guitar, Electronic Effects
*Leonard Rosenman - Electronic Effects
*Steve Cohn - Electric, 6-String, 12-String, Lead Guitar
*John Neufield - Flute, Saxophone
*Milt Holland, Shelley Mann - Percussion
*Reinie Press - Electric Bass, Fender Guitar
*"Tommy" - Harmonica
*Brian Ingoldsby - Amplified Shower Hose For Horn Effects
*"Fleetfoot" Of Laurel Canyon - Guitar

Just Paste

Sunday, October 11, 2026

rep>>> Morka - There Was A Time... (1971-74 greece, marvelous folk psych with acid drops, 2006 expanded Vinyl limited edition)

During the difficult years of the dictatorship in Greece (1967-1974), a band was formed which was the origin of Morka. This group, founded in late 1970 by John Jungemann and Dorian Kokas, was called Stone Deep. It set the trend of the basic characteristics of Morka, which was a four-part harmony band.

Stone Deep comprised a group of fellow-students at ACS (American Community School). They released a private-pressed single containing the mellow electric folk songs “Winter’s here” and “Judy“.

Dorian Kokas and Mike Moraitis formed Morka after the other members of Stone Deep returned to their homes in the USA. The name MORKA comes from MORaitis-KokAs and the duet continued the tradition of melody and harmonies, adding more psychedelic tinges.

In late-1971, Polydor released a 33 rpm EP containing both the Stone Deep tracks as well as two new duet’s songs : “I see” and “She shouts“. For these specific tracks german drummer Reiner Rathe participated as a session musician. All four tracks appeared under the Morka moniker.

That same year, after the departure of Moraitis, Kokas kept the Morka name alive with the participation of Michalis Orphanides, George Tambre, Antonis Bravos, Paul Papadeas and Pamela Leake. With this line up was that Morka became recognized by the public and took a turn in a more professional innovative direction. Many appearances followed in the clubs of Athens and endless gigs with other important bands of the greek underground scene.

In 1972, the single “Giati? (=Why?) / And so she flies“, also released by Polydor. The first track was the lone attempt by the American, Canadian and English members to sing in Greek.

In the first weeks of 1973, Morka recorded a demo-tape distinctively more mature, still emphasizing the importance of their mellow psychedelic folk roots but in a more progressive music style. No doubt, Morka was ahead of its time.

Shortly after this recording, the band broke-up, following the fate of the Greek rock bands of that era. The material of the demo-tape had never been released to this day.

In 1986, there was an ephemeral reformation of Morka with the basic line up of founder member Kokas and Orphanides and Leake. They recorded one more demo tape and afterwards the final split came.

2006 and Anazitisi Records, officially released all the recordings of Morka in a limited, to 400 copies, vinyl album entitled “There was a time…”.

Morka

Tracks
1. Fair Lady Of 1860 - 6:04
2. Fourteen Young Children - 2:36
3. I See (Dorian Kokas, Mike Moraitis) - 2:17
4. And So She Flies - 2:03
5. Squeezing Pimples (Paul Papadeas) - 1:14
6. Winter's Here (Dorian Kokas, John Jungemann) - 3:17
7. Disassociation - 1:05
8. Judy (Dorian Kokas, John Jungemann) - 3:51
9. Avenue Winter - 5:28
10.She Shouts (Dorian Kokas, Mike Moraitis) - 2:09
11.Ann - 1:44
12.Looking For The Past - 2:08
13.Giati? (Why?) - 2:18
14.Just Like Ann - 4:14
All compositions by Dorian Kokas except where stated.
Tracks 6 and 8 as the Stone Deep

Musicians
*Dorian Kokas - Vocals, Guitar, Piano
*John Jungemann - Vocals, Guitar
*Bill Harrell - Vocals, Guitar
*Kirk Esco - Flute
*Chris Olsen - Vocals
*Randa Salameh - Vocals
*Mike Moraitis - Vocals, Organ
*Reiner Rathe - Drums
*Michalis Orphanidis - Drums, Percussion, Guitar, Keyboards
*George "Tambre" Tambakopoulos - Vocals
*Leigh Sioris - Bass
*Kostas Anadiotis - Keyboards
*Antonis Bravos - Bass
*Paul Papadeas - Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica, Bass
*Pamela Leake - Vocals, Effects
*Antonis Manolatos - Bass

Just Paste

Saturday, October 10, 2026

rep>>> The Parlour Band - Is A Friend (1972 uk, beautiful prog silk rock, 2010 remaster with extra track)

The Parlour Band have the dubious honour of being the first band from the small English Channel island of Jersey to be signed by a major UK label (Decca) and put into a studio to record an album. This was in late 1971 after Decca had been impressed by some very basic demos submitted the previous year by Peter Filleul, the band's song writer, lead vocalist and keyboard player. At the time, the band was based in Leicester as the group's drummer (Jerry Robins) and one of the guitarists (Jon 'Pix' Pickford) were studying at the local polytechnic (also the venue for the group's first mainland concert).

The other two group members were brothers Craig and Mark Anders (guitar and bass, respectively), and the five of them shared two low-rent houses typical of the squalor fit only for habitation by mice and students! However, the accommodation did give the band space to practice and Leicester was a fairly convenient location to travel from to get to gigs, although after signing a deal the band relocated to London to be nearer the hub of the English music industry.

From the opening Hammond riff of Forgotten Dreams with its accompanying layered vocals there is no mistaking that Is A Friend? is a product of the 70s. A fantastic opening which surprisingly leads into the more mellow Pretty Haired Girl. The harmony vocals are spot on and the twin lead guitars provide a gloriously melodic interlude. What is essentially a superior pop song breaks with conformity with a guitar solo which stridently leads the listener directly into Spring's Sweet Comfort. And so it goes on, song after song of melodic glory that effortlessly combines prog stylings, pop overtones and west Coast US harmonies.

Although identifiable as being from the 1970s, it is not surprising that the album failed to capture the imagination of the masses. Sure the players are technically very proficient and the song writing is first class, but the album lacks the bombast of an out-and-out progressive album of the era and is crushed in comparison to the glam rock that occupied the singles charts. Filleul's writing was not entirely unaffected by the contemporary influences as evidenced by tracks such as Evening and the closing suite, Home which provides a light prog finale to the album, and also the rather enigmatic album title (the lyrics include the line: Home is a friend).

I am sure a lot of people would dismiss this album as lightweight and somewhat inconsequential. However, I have to state that I seriously love all of the songs; from the uplifting Little Goldie, through the melancholy of Don't Be Sad to the harder Early Morning Eyes. The killer vocals get to me, the playing is concise and precise, the tunes are memorable and the production (by Nick Tauber) is crystal clear. With Esoteric's precision remastering the sound of the album is perfect and at last there is an informative booklet, written by band member Craig Anders, with information on the band and what they are up to these days. As we have come to expect, the album also features a bonus rarity, Runaround, a horn embellished rocker, the number shows a different side to the band that is not so evident from the 10 core album tracks.

The Parlour Band only released the one album under that moniker but didn't split when the album failed to sell. Instead they changed their name, first to A Band Named O and then simply The O Band, and released four more albums, albeit on a different label. The style of music also changed, taking on a harder edge with Filleul's songwriting dominance usurped. Being a long-time fan of Is A Friend?, this remasterered version is a treat to behold and will no doubt provide me many hours of late night enjoyment. This is an album I would unfailingly recommend to anyone based purely on my own love of the music. However, being somewhat more objective, the progressive elements of the album are rather thin on the ground and, as such, may not find much appeal with our readership. Of course, that doesn't mean that it is not a worthwhile album to possess...

by Mark Hughes

Tracks
1. Forgotten Dreams - 2:42
2. Pretty Haired Girl - 2:51
3. Spring's Sweet Gomfort - 5:05
4. Early Morning Eyes - 3:52
5. Follow Me - 4:56
6. Evening - 4:58
7. Don't Be Sad - 3:19
8. Little Goldie - 3:20
9. To Happiness - 2:59
10.Home - 7:38
11.Runaround - 4:26
All Words and Music by Peter Filleul

The Parlour Band
*Peter Filleul - Lead Vocals, Keyboards, Rhythm Acoustic
*Pix - Vocals, Wah Wah Gibson
*Craig Anders - Vocals, Electric, Acoustic , Slide Guitar
*Mark Ashley Anders - Vocals, Bass
*Jerry Robins - Percussion