Plain and Fancy

Monday, August 10, 2026

Kris Kristofferson - Kristofferson (1970 us, expressive outlaw country folk rock, 2001 remaster)

Kris Kristofferson was approaching his mid-thirties and had been kicking around Nashville for several years when he belatedly became an overnight success in 1969-1970. The impetus was "Me and Bobby McGee," which he co-wrote with Fred Foster, who ran Monument Records. Roger Miller cut the song, and his recording peaked in the country Top 20 in August 1969. By that time, Kristofferson had performed at the Newport Folk Festival at the behest of Johnny Cash, and Foster decided to sign him to Monument as a recording artist. Before this debut album was released in 1970, Ray Stevens had scored a pop and country chart entry with Kristofferson's "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down."

On the evidence of his first collection of songs, Kristofferson was ahead of his country music peers in realizing that, despite Nashville's conservative political tilt, there was a natural affinity between the country archetype of a hard-drinking, romantically independent loner and the rock & roll archetype of a drug-taking, romantically free hippie. (Of course, lots of rock musicians, especially in Los Angeles, had already noticed this similarity, and formed bands like Poco and the Flying Burrito Brothers to exploit it.)

He opened the album with what sounded like an answer to the criticisms of the Rolling Stones in the wake of Altamont. "Blame It on the Stones" contrasted various conservative stereotypes, starting with "Mr. Marvin Middle Class," with the supposedly evil rock group, its chorus a parody of "Bringing in the Sheaves." Needless to say, that was not a typical way to open a country album in 1970 (or any other time), but Kristofferson quickly followed with the somewhat more reverent "To Beat the Devil," which he dedicated in a spoken introduction to Johnny Cash and June Carter, and in which he established a persona he would maintain through much of the album, the character of a poor songwriter struggling against despair.

"Me and Bobby McGee," a classic on-the-road song, was next, with Kristofferson, despite the country grammar, displaying his background as an English teacher in its chorus, "Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose/Nothin' ain't worth nothin', but it's free." Then came "The Best of All Possible Worlds," which used a reference to Voltaire to reflect wryly on the viewpoint of a drunken vagrant. (You could see what attracted Roger Miller to Kristofferson in a song like this, which clearly was influenced by Miller's "King of the Road," though Kristofferson's treatment of the subject was grittier.) Of course, the ultimate example of the subject was the album-closing "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down," which was basically a first-person description of a hangover. The romantic side of the hard-living drifter character was glimpsed in the album's two tenderest statements, "Help Me Make It Through the Night" and "For the Good Times," both of which were pleas by the narrator to sleep with the object of his affection.

A sleeve note suggested that Kristofferson had been reluctant to record, but while he didn't have much range as a singer, he brought a conviction to his vocals and a complete understanding of the nuances of the lyrics. The songs were so personal that they seemed to demand a personal interpretation. Nashville, as it turned out, didn't have much use for countercultural songs like "Blame It on the Stones" and "The Law Is for Protection of the People" (which had some choice words for the police), but the country music community could recognize a good love song with an erotic edge that was on the cusp of the era's changing mores, and Ray Price quickly cut "For the Good Times," which topped the country charts.

Then, Johnny Cash covered "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" for a number one country hit, leading to its winning the Country Music Association's Song of the Year award for 1970, and Sammi Smith gave a twist to "Help Me Make It Through the Night" by recording it as a woman's song for yet another country number one. The finishing touch to Kristofferson's sudden renown was Janis Joplin's cover of "Me and Bobby McGee," released shortly after her death, which topped the pop charts.

When it was released in 1970, Kristofferson did not reach the charts. By the following year, however, its creator was on his way to becoming a major star, and after his second album, The Silver Tongued Devil and I, broke into the pop charts in July 1971, Monument re-titled the first album Me and Bobby McGee and reissued it. This time around, it made the pop and country charts and went gold. (On February 6, 2001, Monument/Legacy reissued Kristofferson as part of its American Milestones series. Featuring 24-bit remastering, the CD added four previously unreleased tracks from the same sessions that produced the album, among them an early version of "Come Sundown," later recorded for a Top Ten country hit by Bobby Bare and re-cut by Kristofferson himself for his Shake Hands With the Devil album in 1979.)

by William Ruhlmann

Tracks
1. Blame It On The Stones (Kris Kristofferson, John Wilkin) - 2:46

2. To Beat The Devil - 4:43
3. Me And Bobby Mcgee (Kris Kristofferson, Fred Foster) - 4:23

4. Best Of All Possible Worlds - 3:01
5. Help Me Make It Through The Night - 2:24
6. The Law Is For Protection Of The People - 2:40
7. Casey's Last Ride - 3:37
8. Just The Other Side Of Nowhere - 3:39
9. Darby's Castle - 3:19
10.For The Good Times - 3:25
11.Duvalier's Dream - 2:58
12.Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down - 4:34
13.The Junkie And The Juicehead, Minus Me - 3:24
14.Shadows Of Her Mind - 3:13
15.The Lady's Not For Sale (Kris Kristofferson, Carol Pugh) - 3:27

16.Come Sundown - 2:36
All songs by Kris Kristofferson except as noted

Musicians
*Kris Kristofferson – Guitar, Vocals
*Jerry Kennedy - Guitar

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Sunday, August 9, 2026

rep>>> The Guess Who - Live At The Paramount (1972 canada, gorgeous live album, 2000 remaster)

The August 2000 reissue of Live at the Paramount on the Buddha label has 13 songs, the whole 75 minutes of music from the first of two shows, and provides the best explanation of how the Guess Who endured as a major concert draw years after their biggest hits were behind them; when they were spot-on, as they were that night, they gave an exciting show.

Remixed and remastered properly, this is now a killer concert album, showing off the double lead guitar attack that was a hallmark of their live sound in blazing glory, energizing even familiar songs like "New Mother Nature," and Burton Cummings near the peak of his form with the band as a singer. Surprisingly, the songs that were left off of the original LP included several hits, both vintage ("These Eyes," "No Time") and relatively recent ("Rain Dance," "Share the Land"), though the highlight is "Sour Suite," which is a dazzling showcase for Cummings as a singer and pianist.

The remixing also helps the material that was on this album originally, pumping up the volume on the bluesy jam that opens "American Woman," which also sounds a lot better (and is worth hearing in the 15 minute jam version featured here). "Share the Land" comes off better here than its official version, set ablaze by Kurt Winter's and Don McDougal's guitars and a spirited vocal performance.

by Bruce Eder

Tracks
1. Pain Train (Burton Cummings, Kurt Winter) - 7:00
2. Albert Flasher (Burton Cummings) - 2:59
3. New Mother Nature (Burton Cummings) - 4:26
4. Runnin' Back to Saskatoon (Burton Cummings, Kurt Winter) - 6:52
5. Rain Dance (Burton Cummings, Kurt Winter) - 2:53
6. These Eyes (Randy Bachman, Burton Cummings) - 4:29
7. Glace Bay Blues (Don McDougal, Blair MacLean, Gary MacLean) - 3:19
8. Sour Suite (Burton Cummings) - 3:58
9. Hand Me Down World (Kurt Winter) - 3:53
10.American Woman (Burton Cummings, Jim Kale, Garry Peterson, Randy Bachman) - 16:53
11.Truckin' Off Across the Sky (Burton Cummings, Kurt Winter, Jim Kale, Garry Peterson, Don McDougal) - 7:21
12.Share the Land (Burton Cummings) - 4:46
13.No Time (Randy Bachman, Burton Cummings) - 6:06

The Guess Who
*Burton Cummings - Lead Vocals, Piano, Flute, Harmonica
*Kurt Winter - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Don McDougal - Lead Guitar, Lead Vocals
*Jim Kale - Bass, Vocals
*Garry Peterson - Drums, Vocals

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rep>>> Galt MacDermot - Shapes Of Rhythm • Woman Is Sweeter (1966-69 canada, magical jazzy funky psych vibes)

In a career packed with varying types of compositions, Galt MacDermot is still best-known for the music he wrote in the late-'60s Aquarian musical Hair. Born and raised in Montreal, MacDermot was the son of a Canadian diplomat. He studied at Bishop's University, then at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, before moving to New York in 1964. Three years later, MacDermot's music for Hair, combined with lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni, made the show first an off-Broadway success, then a Broadway smash, and later a major motion picture. Of the several pop standards are "Let the Sunshine In," "Aquarius," "What a Piece of Work Is Man," "Good Morning Starshine," and the title song. In addition to the musicals, Two Gentlemen of Verona and The Human Comedy, MacDermot composed ballet and film scores, chamber music, band repertory, and drama accompaniments. Also, he formed the New Pulse Jazz Band in 1979.

by John Bush

This CD brings together two of MacDermot's original LPs, both of them released in the '60s -- one pre- and one post-Hair, one a session album and one a soundtrack, and both greasy in the future funk with cats like Idris Muhammad and Bernard Purdie laying down the beats behind the band. MacDermot is a driven pianist and organ grinder who sought one thing on these records: funky grooves. And he got them. Here's what's scary though: "Coffee Cold" (from Shapes of Rhythm) was recorded in 1966 -- prefiguring the rhythmic changes of James Brown's "Cold Sweat" in sequence and in key a full two years before Brown laid down his track.

The feel of "Coffee Cold" is a bit whiter and smoother, but the jam is still an anthem, even with its cheese factor. MacDermot was a prophet of the groove that would overtake the late '60s and early '70s, and, were he a proud man, could have argued that more young musicians heard and took to heart the grooves he laid down in Hair than heard Allen Toussaint and Red Allen or Eddie Bo. The true feel of Shapes of Rhythm is like Vince Guaraldi's Schroeder laying out the piano funk, seeking the groove inside the rhythm section and laying it out there. It's tough if ornate and it shimmers with real heat. The other disc, a soundtrack for Martine Barrat's movie Woman Is Sweeter, is a much dirtier, rawer affair altogether, and would have been worth the price of the CD alone.

Here guitars chunk up in the cut with the bass, and the piano floats in the accents as drums and bass reign supreme. This was recorded immediately after Hair, and MacDermot wasn't in the mood to simply lay out some incidental music to a hippie flick. He took it down to its essence: rhythm, polyrhythm, drums, bass, and filthy nasty funk at insanely fast -- for the time -- tempos that were in fact symbolic of the orgiastic nature of his compositions. This wasn't just sex music, this was group sex symphonic music made with only a handful of instruments. These two albums comprise 26 tracks of pure groove-driven genius, with a bonus vocal version of "Coffee Cold" that the producers go hog-wild over in their notes, but it pretty much sucks compared to the rest of this -- thank the gods they left it until the end. Yeah, you need this if you care about the influence of '60s groove at all. After all, Busta Rhymes did -- check out the sample of MacDermot's "Space" on the rapper's "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check."

by Thom Jurek

Tracks
Shapes Of Rhythm 1966
1. Lady, You Look Good To Me - 3:03
2. Farmland - 2:57
3. Coffee Cold - 3:25
4. Marsh Gas - 2:26
5. If Our Love Is Real - 3:02
6. Mouse Roared - 2:25
7. Tender Meeting - 2:43
8. M'Babam - 1:59
9. Field Of Sorrow - 3:55
10.Alive In Dar-Es-Salaam - 2:19
11.Spanish Nights - 2:26
12.I'm Through With You - 2:36

Woman Is Sweeter 1969
13.Tango - 4:02
14.Fragments 1A - 1:51
15.Fragments 1B - 2:58
16.Fragments II - 1:35
17.Bass - 2:12
18.Cathedral - 2:14
19.Woman Is Sweeter - 2:29
20.Moving Clothes - 2:23
21.Bathtub - 2:45
22.Radio Rock - 3:50
23.Princess Gika - 2:10
24.Merry-Go-Round - 2:54
25.Space - 1:54
26.Perfume Bottles - 2:08
27.Coffee Cold - 1:27
All compositions by Galt MacDermot

Musicians
Galt MacDermot and his Mid-Manhattan Rhythm Section Tracks 1-12
*Galt MacDermot - Piano
*Bernard Purdie - Drums
*Jimmy Lewis - Bass
*Napolean "Snag" Allen - Guitar
Tracks 13-26
*Galt MacDermot - Piano, Rockischord
*Bernard Purdie - Drums (Tracks 13-19)
*Idris Muhammad - Drums (Tracks 20-26)
*Jimmy Lewis - Bass
*Charlie Brown - Guitar, Violin
*Fergus MacRoy - Vocals
Unknown violin on "Princess Gika"

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Saturday, August 8, 2026

rep>>> Buffalo - Dead Forever (1972 australia, powerful hard proto metal, 2006 digipak remaster and expanded)

I remember when I first bought this album. It would have been around 1974 or '75 on my first visit to Sydney's famous Ashwoods Records in Pitt Street (RIP). Being a poor high school student, the idea of cheap second-hand albums was cool beyond words! For about $2-3 each I scored Slade "Slayed", "Black Sabbath Vol 4" and, of course, Buffalo’s debut LP "Dead Forever".

I remember thinking the cover was very evil ..and that these guys were proberly worshippers of some sick Satanic cult! There's even a photo on the inside gate- fold of the band (complete with Amps and P.A) playing a gig in a graveyard. Having said that, I'm sure the boys had good religious beliefs (while still enjoying the indulgences of non-prescription medications and having “relations" with young ladies to whom they were not married)

Now, over 30 years later, Aztec Music has reissued this proto-stoner gem. This is a great crunching 1972 heavy rock album which still wipes the floor with its contemporaries. The interesting thing about this line-up of Buffalo is that the band had two lead vocalists, however this was not uncommon for the time (think the Mamas and the Pappas, Blood Sweat and Tears and the aura of the Beatles, which was still lurking around).

The opening track “Leader” kicks off very doomily, with a droning acoustic guitar and vocals before building into a frantic heavy metal ending! “You...yes YOU are the Leader”. Very way out (man).

"Suzi Sunshine" was an early hit single for the band is a great piece of heavy melodic rock with some neat slide guitar from John Baxter. Two cover versions follow, Blues Images’ "Pay My Dues" (which shows the band's early progressive hippy roots) and a 10-minute version of Free's "I’m a Mover" which starts off faithful to the original but quickly builds into some manic jamming rivalling the Stooges and The MC5 ! I can imagine this track hitting the 30 minute mark in a live setting.

A few of the tracks following this have a distinctively heavy, progressive "San Francisco-meets-Quicksilver-Messenger-Service" vibe before returning with some powerful riff-o-mania rockin' on the five-minute title track, which again shows Buffalo's ability to do some great jamming (no doubt picked up from playing countless shows around the Sydney Town hall dances and nightclub scene)

Bonus tracks include some early 7" inch cover version B-sides which more than anything display the bands early high energy rhythm and blues/rock 'n' roll roots. Also included is an ultra rare early pre–Buffalo 1971 single by the band Head (featuring three members of Buffalo in Tice, Baxter and Wells) which reminds me of Eric Burdon and The Animals or early Cream

As with all Aztec releases this re-release comes a great 22 page colour booklet featuring some jaw-dropping early photos, gig posters and magazine adverts. The early photo of Dave Tice and Pete Wells in 1967 looking very Carnaby Street is worth the cost of the album alone.

by Steve Danno-Lorkin

Tracks

1. Leader (Dave Tice, John Baxter, Peter Wells) - 6:03

2. Suzie Sunshine (Peter Brett, John Baxter) - 2:53

3. Pay My Dues (Joe Lala, Mike Pinera) - 5:34

4. I'm A Mover (Paul Rodgers, Andy Fraser) - 10:46

5. Ballad Of Irving Fink (Alan Milano, John Baxter) - 4:30

6. Bean Stew (Dave Tice, John Baxter) - 7:05

7. Forest Rain (Dave Tice, John Baxter) - 6:30

8. Dead Forever (Dave Tice, John Baxter) - 5:39

9. Hobo (Dave Tice, John Baxter) - 2:48

10.Sad Song, Then (John Baxter) - 2:37

11.No Particular Place To Go (Chuck Berry) - 4:53

12.Just A Little Rock And Roll (A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues) (Terry Thompson) - 2:24

13.Barbershop Rock (John Baxter) - 5:07

Bonus Tracks 9-13

Tracks 9,10 recorded as The Head

Buffalo
*Dave Tice - Lead Vocals
*Alan Milano - Lead Vocals
*Peter Wells - Bass
*John Baxter - Guitar
*Paul Balbi - Drums

1974 Buffalo - Only Want You For Your Body (Aztec 2005)

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rep>>> Buffalo - Only Want You For Your Body (1974 australia, pure energy hard tough 'n' roll, 2005 dig pak remaster)

Aztec Music once again have done a brilliant job with great remastering, a massive booklet with liner notes, band interviews and tons of photos. Plus 2 rare bonus tracks (a 7” edit/mix of "What’s Going On" and a live GTK recording of "United Nations"). Aztec have done such a good job that the bootleggers have actually had the nerve and audacity to cry unfair...Ha! Maybe the bootleggers should pay the band some royalties first, before complaining too much.

This the band's third album and is a big leap forward in terms of songwriting and production. Where, on Buffalo's previous albums, the vibe on songwriting seemed to be "smoke a bunch of pot, turn the amps up full blast and see what happens", there's a different approach on "Only Want You for Your Body". The tunes are still riff-heavy, loud and dynamic, but the song arrangements are more traditional i.e. they actually have verses and choruses (shock!) Production-wise, it’s also a progression with double tracked guitars and vocals, backing vocals (more shock horror!), percussive and sound effects, which add up to make this probabl0y Buffalo's best album.

The band's endless touring prior to this albums recording sessions had tightened the musicianship considerably.Pete Wells (who sadly passed away on 27 March 2006, was slide guitarist with Rose Tattoo, Lucy De Soto + the Handsome Devils and The Pete Wells Band) can take a bow: His bass playing was incredible! All budding bassists should check out his playing on this album. Guitarist John Baxter proves to be the heaviest and wildest guitarist in the country at the time, drummer Jimmy Economou is aggressive and hard-hitting but never self-indulgent. Frontman Dave Tice‘s vocals alone are more powerful then most bands at the time.

Ok, you ask: Why wasn’t this album a multi-million selling album it deserved to be? Well, at the time Australian radio was extremely conservativeand it was almost impossible to sell a lot of records without airplay. Buffalo probably weren’t doing themselves any favours by having a front cover featuring a semi-naked young girl tied up on a torture rack. Songs like "I'm a Skirt Lifter, Not a Shirt Raiser" and "Kings Cross Ladies" were unlikely to be played on Catholic church-owned radio station 2SM. However, the band probably took a perverse delight in all this.So folks - have a listen to this and see what all of the fuss is about.

It should be noted that since the band split back in the mid '70s, Buffalo have picked up a fairly impressive world wide following. Members of Soundgarden were fans , a European stoner rock band Colour Scheme covered a Buffalo song on one of their albums and the Hoodoo Gurus use to play Buffalo over the P.A before going on stage. Sheek The Shayk (ED: Who?) paid tribute to the band on their debut CD. Murray Shepherd (Monarchs , Ride Ons , Funthings etc) is a huge fan, and Cosmic Psychos released a version of "Sunrise". Hey...maybe we should petition the Homebake organisers and try and get a reunion show happening (although realistically this is unlikely to happen).

by Steve Danno-Lorkin

Tracks
1. I'm A Skirt Lifter, Not A Shirt Raiser - 4:53
2. I'm Coming On (Alvin Lee) - 3:39
3. Dune Messiah - 4:32
4. Stay With Me - 3:37
5. What's Going On - 3:58
6. Kings Cross Ladies - 7:27
7. United Nations - 6:18
8. What's Going On (Single Version) - 3:25
9. United Nations (Live At Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, April 1974) - 7:51
All tracks written by Dave Tice and John Baxter except track #2
Bonus tracks 8-9

Buffalo
*Dave Tice - Lead Vocals
*Peter Wells - Bass
*John Baxter - Guitar
*Jimmy Economou - Drums

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rep>>> Karen Beth - Harvest 1970 us, peaceful, light and pleasant folk country rock)

Karen Beth's wide range voice and fragile songs on her second LP "Harvest", focused on the effect of words and music as sound as often as on meaning and the result is most pleasing to ear.

Tracks

1. Like Wine To Me - 4:00

2. Last Time - 2:39

3. Sometimes True - 4:10

4. The Way Back - 4:02

5. Hard Luck Mama - 2:10

6. Hold Tight - 2:21

7. Gentle Place - 4:22

8. I'm No Good For You - 2:47

9. No Apologies - 2:56

10.Ribbon - 1:22

11.Up To My Neck In High Muddy W - 2:48

Music and Lyrics by Karen Beth

Musicians

*Karen Beth - Voclas, Acoustic, Electric Guitar, Piano, Autoharp

*Joey Bell - Lead Guitar, Bass, Trumpet

*Pogp - Drums

*Bill Lavorgan - Drums

*Allan Schwartzberg - Drums

*Don Brocks - Harmonica

*Pat Rebillot - Organ, Celeste

1969 Karen Beth - The Joys Of Life

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Friday, August 7, 2026

rep>>> Karen Beth - The Joys Of Life (1969 us, gorgeous haunting aethereal folk)

The Joys of Life is Karen Beth’s best early album which was released off Decca in 1969. Beth was not a popular artist so it was strange when this underground record peaked at #171 in Billboard’s Top 200 in 1969. The good thing about The Joys of Life is that it’s a strong record without a steep price tag and easy to find on vinyl – just check your local record dealer or better yet, ebay.

Beth’s vocals are a mixture of Karen Dalton and Buffy Sainte-Marie and the album is a beautiful blend of rural folk, lite psychedelia, and the more downer elements of the singer-songwriter genre. The album opener It’s All Over Now has one too many horns and is by far the lp’s weakest track. After this, there are no false starts or wasted notes; this album is completely solid all the way thru. The title track is an unsettling acid folk masterpiece that begins to rock about mid way thru and is highlighted by organ and vibes. Song to a Shepard is an impressive, stark vocal that sounds centuries behind, similar to what the English folk-rock groups were doing from around the same time. Other tracks reach into deeper, darker moods, just listen to Something to Believe In and the excellent Nothing Lasts. The former is a disturbing slice of spooky folk-jazz paranoia while the latter is a majestic, melancholy folk-rocker. White Dakota Hill, another great track, is wistful with a slight C&W feel that gives this album variety and substance.

Anyone into Margo Guryan or Linda Perhacs is strongly urged to track this record down. The Joys of Life really deserves a first time cd or vinyl reissue as it’s a pretty unique record that needs to be heard by more people.

by Jason Nardelli

Tracks

1. It's All Over Now - 2:44

2. In The Morning (Karen Beth, Alan Jarosz) - 3:19

3. I Know That You Know (Karen Beth, Alan Jarosz) - 2:42

4. The Joys Of Life - 4:36

5. Something To Believe In - 2:23

6. April Rain - 2:20

7. White Dakota Hill (Karen Beth, Alan Jarosz) - 2:54

8. Come December (Karen Beth, Karen Haber) - 5:30

9. Song To A Shepherd - 2:41

10.Nothing Lasts - 5:27

11.Tomorrow's A New Day - 2:33

All songs by Karen Beth except where noted

*Karen Beth - Vocals, Guitar

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Thursday, August 6, 2026

rep>>> Deerfield - Nil Desperandum (1971 us, exceptional folk psych rock, varried instrumentation cool songs and harmonies, 2000 reissue)

Texas had the knack in the late '60s and early '70s for birthing excellent rock bands -- whether they were psychedelic, blues-rock, pop/rock, or some oddball hybrid -- that were, first and foremost, exceedingly heavy. Loud was the rule rather than the exception, and incendiary guitar work and thundering drums the hallmark of the sound, even as each band found individual ways of utilizing the volume. On their 1971 debut, Nil Desperandum, Deerfield occasionally show the vaguest hints of heaviness -- white-lightning guitar runs, for instance -- but mostly follow a decidedly divergent path, one that emphasizes a laid-back charm and textured group harmonies. The album is a smiling, fresh-faced effort, permeated by a good-time communal vibe so full of country goodwill that it melts away any possibility for cynicism.

While Nil Desperandum is without question a rock & roll album, roots music is an important formative influence on the record -- and not just the normal, blues-based infatuation most of Deerfield's Lone Star peers favored. This is unequivocally American music, bursting at the seams with references to, and borrowed tricks from, California country-rock, folk-rock, and bluegrass. Its rootsy amalgam strongly recalls the Grateful Dead, and, indeed, there are strong strains of Workingman's Dead and American Beauty on the loping title track, the effervescent "Kitty Is a Lady," and "Me Lovin' You" that rarely sound like affectations. Sunny, CSNY/America-like harmonies pop up on occasion, and there are fingerprints of Buffalo Springfield all over the songwriting. The band also toss in the odd British touch (the offbeat, English music-hall feel of "Magapolis/Out Without") and a bit of Bob Dylan's spicy humor, as well.

Many of their contemporaries couldn't shoehorn such overt influences into a personal hybrid, but there's something singularly appealing about Deerfield's music. There are missteps along the way, to be sure: The playing can occasionally drag, while "Riverside" and "Do You Believe in Words," attempts to write epic Neil Young/Crazy Horse-style tracks, are only partly successful. But surprises such as the funky, wah-wah-laced "Better Way" and "The Great Rio Grande Border Run," with its hayseed guitar picking and farmyard languidness, easily trump any criticisms that can be leveled at this sweetheart of an album.

by Stanton Swihart

Tracks
1. Nil Desperandum (Steve Coleman, John Guerry) - 3:16
2. Man From Barnaby (Charlie Bickley) - 2:51
3. Kitty Is A Lady (Michael Hickman) - 3:35
4. Family Comfort (John Guerry) - 3:08
5. The Great Rio Grande Border Run (Michael Hickman, Steve Coleman) - 2:36
6. Better Way (Dennis Hansen) - 3:06
7. Megopolis/Out Without (Charlie Bickley, John Guerry) - 3:14
8. The Trilogy: Do You Believe In Words/Sing Together/Relax (Enjoy Your Friend) (John Guerry, Steve Coleman, Michael Hickman) - 12:18
9. Me Lovin' You (John Guerry, Steve Coleman) - 2:37
10.Riverside (John Guerry) - 6:29

Deerfield
*Steve Coleman - Vocals, Lead Guitar, Pedal Steel Guitar
*John Guerry - Piano, Organ, Bass, Vocals
*Michael Hickman - Guitar, Piano, Auto Harp, Vocals
*Dennis Hansen - Drums, Vocals
*Charlie Bickley - Bass, Vocals, Mandolin

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rep>>> Deep Feeling - Deep Feeling (1971 uk, marvelous mix of folk prog baroque beat, 2018 remaster and expanded)

The complete recorded works of the Harmony Pop/Prog Rock band Deep Feeling, including their sole album and single sides…Ian Canty wonders how a band could combine two seemingly disparate styles into a pleasing whole….

Guy Darrell was a very talented singer and recorded extensively in the 1960s (see here for a review of the compilation of his solo singles entitled I’ve Been Hurt), mainly in a Soul vein. As the new decade arrived his latest outfit, the Guy Darrell Syndicate, changed both their name and their modus operandi. Darrell reverted to his real name John Swail and the band was remodelled in a more “progressive” style and renamed Deep Feeling. Guitarist Martin Jenner, Dave Green on bass, drummer Dave Clare and Derek Elson on keys made up the rest of the band. For the first two this change meant they could finally have a chance to flex their considerable songwriting muscles. To make the break with the past complete, no reference was made to Darrell’s past career in any of the Deep Feeling publicity material.

The first recording that emerged on the Page One label in 1971 showed the strengths of the newly retitled act. The single’s top side was a cover of the old Contours/Berry Gordy number Do You Love Me? and this record and subsequent singles would have more in common with the kind of symphonic, beautifully sung Pop Music the Bee Gees had perfected during the latter half of the 60s, than anything much to do with the Prog Rock explosion. There is a lovely warmth to this, they tease out feeling from the song and accompany the great vocals appropriately. There’s not much of the instrumental grandstanding that you might have expected, but this offering is all the better for the treatment applied. The band nudged at the lower end of the UK charts, though it was a shame such a pristine Pop nugget did not go higher.

The flipside Move On could have comfortably fitted into Darrell’s mid-60s Mod Soul set – very danceable indeed, with a real groove. The follow up was Skyline Pigeon, an Elton John/Bernie Taupin song that Darrell had cut previously for Pye Records way back in 1968. It didn’t achieve anywhere near the success of the debut single, this was of course just before Elton John made his breakthrough – timing was everything and on this occasion they missed the window of opportunity and the record flopped. After this slight setback the band moved onto the DJM imprint and for their first waxing with the new label they went back to the template of their debut. They slowed the pace of Bobby Freeman’s R&B favourite Do You Wanna Dance to a tranquil trot replete with heavenly harmonies – it was another minor marvel and restored them to the edge of the charts again, just falling short of scoring that elusive big hit single.

The self-titled debut album (also sometimes called “Guillotine” after the sleeve cover) arrived in the Winter of 1971. It certainly had much more of a progressive tint than anything the band had set down on tape previously, but still the material is darn catchy in its own long-winded way. The front cover of the sleeve was plain black with a small cartoon Guillotine in the bottom right corner and inside was a creepy drawing with photos of the bands’ heads growing out of a tree branch. So far, so early 70s Rock. Even so the opener Welcome For A Soldier has the kind of choral approach that wasn’t a million miles away from the dreamy harmonies of the Beach Boys, not a typical gambit in the Prog world. They paint a luscious landscape despite the fatalistic nature of the lyrics.

The album’s centrepiece is the band’s version of Classical Gas. It is certainly their most Prog moment, long and full of changes of emphasis and time plus some natty instrumental set-pieces. This is right in the Prog-riffing mode, but the light touch Deep Feeling possessed means the 8 minute running time does not seem that long at all. Probably better that you listen to this than I describe it, so there you go.

A shortened version of Country Heir, a piece of self-explanatory Country Rock, was extracted from the LP as a single, with the slowie We’ve Thrown It All Away on the b-side. Meeting with little in the way of success, it would be almost a full year before Deep Feeling were heard from again. Switching labels to Phillips, they reappeared with the Sunday Morning Leaving single in October 1972. This one was another strong offering, a fluid guitar line and again some traces of Country in the outro. Though again appealing, it disappeared without trace and the band busied themselves recording under a variety of aliases (including the National Shinguard Company!)

Meanwhile, Darrell/Swail’s 1966 recording of I’ve Been Hurt was starting to played to wild reaction on the Northern Soul scene, resulting the record being re-released. It made number 12 in the charts and he and the band ending up appearing on Top Of The Pops in 1973. Boosted by this success, Darrell resumed his solo status, which effectively ended the career of Deep Feeling. As a postscript there was a final single by the band, a cover of the Stones’ Lets Spend The Night Together, treated in much the same, slowed down way as the debut single. It was another sparky bit of Pop but didn’t make any headway. The flipside Avalon was dramatic treat though and showed that the band could always pen a decent tune themselves – a great Jenner/Green original.

The vocal abilities of Deep Feeling set them apart from the great-coated Prog hordes and they were dab hands in the art of constructing stately Pop music pieces. In reality, they weren’t a Progressive band in the true sense of the word, but they did manage to assemble a concoction that was novel and sometimes quite beautiful. For me the singles are the pick here, but for anyone more Prog minded, the album is a peach. Sadly only Derek Elson is still with us from the band to see their oeuvre finally gain a re-release – hopefully people hearing this for the first time will listen to what Deep Feeling had to offer – a potent and bewitching brew indeed.

by Ian Canty, May 15, 2018

Tracks

1. Welcome For A Soldier - 5:58

2. Old People's Home - 3:53

3. Classical Gas (Mason Williams) - 8:16

4. Guillotine - 9:02

5. Country Heir - 5:47

6. Lucille (Albert Collins, Richard Penniman) - 5:28

7. Do You Love Me? (Berry Gordy Jr.) - 3:26

8. Move On (Roger Easterby, Desmond Herbert Champ) - 2:19

9. Skyline Pigeon (Elton John, Bernie Taupin) - 3:21

10.We've Thrown It All Away (Jennifer De Vigne, Lynn Webster, Marie Cumiskey) - 2:41

11.Do You Wanna Dance (Robert Freeman) - 3:04

12.The Day My Lady Cried (Jennifer De Vigne, Lynn Webster, Marie Cumiskey) - 2:58

13.Sweat Dust And Red Wine (Dave Green, Derek Elson, Graham Jarvis, John Swail, Mart Jenner) - 3:13

14.Turn Around - 4:03

15.Country Heir (Edited Single Version) - 3:22

16.Sunday Morning Leaving - 3:22

17.Why, Lady Why? - 3:35

18.Let's Spend The Night Together (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards) - 3:22

19.Avalon - 2:36

All compositions by Mart Jenner, Dave Green except where indicated

Bonus tracks 7-19

Deep Feeling

*John Swail - Lead Vocals, Guitar

*Mart Jenner - Lead Guitar, Pedal Steel, Vocals

*Dave Green - Bass Guitar, Flute, Vocals

*Derek Elson - Keyboards, Vocals

*Graham Jarvis - Drums, Percussion, Vocals

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Wednesday, August 5, 2026

rep>>> Full Moon - Full Moon (1972 us, wonderful fusion jazz rock with sharp guitars, 2005 japan remaster)

In 1972 the New York born guitarist Howard Feiten who had previous played with Paul Butterfiled for their 1969 "Keep On Moving", met Neil Larsen who was born in Cleveland, Ohio, together they formed the band Full Moon along with Gene Dinwiddie, Philip Wilson who both also had been in the Butterfield band. The LP was on an obscure label, never charted, and was relegated early on to the cut out bins. Even though the sound was an excellent amalgam of fusion “feel good” jazz rock.

Buzz Feiten with Butterfield, toured internationally and played at the Atlantic City Pop Festival and the Woodstock Festival, he was lead guitarist for The Rascals on their albums "Peaceful World" and "Island of Real". Feiten worked with many artists such as Gregg Allman, The Brecker Brothers, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Michael Franks, Al Jarreau, Rickie Lee Jones, Chaka Khan, Dave Koz, Kenny Loggins, Bette Midler, Olivia Newton-John, Wilson Pickett, David Sanborn, James Taylor, Stevie Wonder,Etta James, Dave Weckl and Don McLean.

Neil Larson was briefly a member of the Soul Survivors, later he began touring as a member of Gregg Allman's band in 1975. He also collaborated with many musicians. From 2008, he had toured and recorded as a member of Leonard Cohen's band.