Blues Dimension - B.D. Is Dead, Long Live B.D. (1969 holland, splendid jazz blues psych brass rock, 2014 remaster)

One of the most underrated Nederpop bands from the 60s was the Zwolle band Blues Dimension . A unique band because she was one of the first to join a brass section. Originally the band played rhythm ‘n’ blues but their influence widened from psych and jazzy tunes.

In the three years of existing, members changed. At the time of they third and last album “B.D. Is Dead, Long Live B.D.” in 1969, band consisted of saxophonist Rudy van Dijk, drummer Herman van Boeijen, bassist Jaap van Eik, singer Leen Ripke, keyboardist Helmig van der Vegt, bassist Herman Deinum, guitarist Cees de Best and trumpet player Michel Sardoen .

The album opens with the beat ballad Stay with flowing organ and piano playing by van der Vegt. What is particularly striking in this song is how underrated guitarist Cees de Best is. His beautiful game is very reminiscent of Eelco Gelling's. Singer Leen Ripke also appears to be an excellent bluesy singer. The role of the blazers is meager because they are added at the end of the song. The wind instruments can hardly be heard on this album.

Battlefield Of Love was the last single from the band and did not get much of sales, even so this ballad can still be counted as one of the pearls of the Nederpop,. vory Tower Of Utopia is also a psychedelic ballad with a bluesy touch by the vocals of Ripke.

Supernatural Powers is an up-tempo funky blues rocker with excellent bass from Deinum and bluesy piano. In the cover of Willie Dixon's I Ain't Superstitious  you can hear the pure blues side of Blues Dimension. Here again the Muskee-like vocals of Ripke stand out. Society's Child is also a cover by Janis Ian, a psychedelic funky song.

The title track “BD Is Dead, Long Live BD” is  an instrumental song. This jazzy song focuses on saxophonist Rudy van Dijk. The cover of the Yardbirds song Shapes Of Things sounds like it is being sung by Rod Stewart. In the blues rocker Cornflakes, the driving bass from Vaninum and guitarist Cees de Best steal the lead roles. Final song of the album, is the up-tempo psych pop “Drift Into Space”.

by Peter Marinus

Tracks
1. Stay (Helmig K. Van Der Vegt, Leendert Ripke) - 3:30
2. Battle-Field Of Love (Helmig K. Van Der Vegt, Rudy Van Dijk, Leendert Ripke) - 4:43
3. Ivory Tower Of Utopia (Jaap Van Eik, Leendert Ripke) - 3:12
4. Supernational Powers (Helmig K. Van Der Vegt, Leendert Ripke) - 2:41
5. I Ain't Superstitious (Willie Dixon) - 4:45
6. Society's Child (Janis Ian) - 4:50
7. B.D. Is Dead, Long Live B.D. (Jaap Van Eik, Leendert Ripke) - 3:35
8. Shapes Of Things (Jim McCarty, Keith Relf, Paul Samwell-Smith) - 4:40
9. Cornflakes (Helmig K. Van Der Vegt, Leendert Ripke) - 3:48
10.Drift Into Space (Helmig K. Van Der Vegt, Leendert Ripke) - 2:27

Blues Dimension
*Cees de Best - Guitar
*Herman van Boeyen - Drums
*Helmig van der Vegt - Keyboards
*Jaap van Eik - Bass
*Leen Ripke - Vocals
*Michel Sardoen - Trumpet
*Rudy van Dijk - Saxophone
*Herman Deinum - Bass

1968-69 Blues Dimension - Blues Dimension (2014 remaster) 

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Shotgun - Dallasian Rock (1974-76 us, straight up rock and roll hard edged boogie rhythms with guitar flash, 2014 remaster)

Have a soft spot for vintage Doobie Brothers, Foghat, James Gang, Cactus, and Grand Funk Railroad? Can't get enough blistering lead guitar work, instantly memorable choruses, and grooves that just get stuck in your head for hours on end? Then wait till you get a load of Dallasian Rock, a collection of recordings from little known Texas act Shotgun. The folks at ShroomAngel Records have painstakingly remastered a full 1976 recording session, as well as a host of demo & live bonus tracks, to give this exceptional band the 'offical release' they never had. Though Shotgun proved to be a popular act on the Dallas-Fort Worth club circuit, mainstream success evaded them, and after listening to Dallasian Rock you'll wonder just how the hell that ever happened. This is incredible material that should have been huge back in the day, and the amazing thing is it still sounds fresh and exciting here in 2014. The ShroomAngel team have done a wonderful job on the remastering, so be prepared for a killer listening experience.

Shotgun were Guy Houston on drums, Hugh Coleman on bass, John Michael Soria on lead guitar, Russ Skarsten on keyboards, and Billy Metcalf on lead vocals. Though they only had a run of a few years, it sounds here like a band that had been together for much longer, a well oiled machine that is firing on all cylinders. Two energetic heavy boogie numbers kick things off, "Rock Star Queen" and "In the Music", each one full of hooks and addicting grooves. "Seems Like You Would Understand" wouldn't have sounded out of place on an old James Gang album, with Metcalf's vocals falling somewhere in between Tom Johnston of the Doobie Brothers, Grand Funk's Mark Farner, and Joe Walsh. Lots of hard rock/funk guitar licks, tasty keyboards, and tricky rhythms on this one. "Play The Game" again has that early '70s Doobies sound down quite well, the funky keyboards and heavy riffs supporting those soaring vocals quite nicely. 

The atmospheric rocker "Last Night" is another catchy piece, again reminding of Walsh era James Gang, while the raunchy "Mercy" ups the hard rock ante, complete with sizzling licks from Soria. There's more of an atmospheric blues feel to "Feelin' Good", but I love how the band throw in these wonderful vocal harmonies that almost come from a different planet (reminds of Styx) to add plenty of uniqueness to the song. "Straight Out" again takes us down James Gang avenue, this time the Tommy Bolin era, and you could actually say there are some Deep Purple Come Taste the Band styled flavors going on here as well thanks to the swirling keyboards, bluesy vocals, and stinging guitar licks. A fine, fine song. "Keep A Steady High" is straight forward, hard rockin' boogie, and the title track is a just a solid example of catchy, '70s hard rock & boogie, a tune with a great hook that should have seen radio play back in the day. The regular part of the album ends with the moody, almost prog-meets-Southern Rock track "Leavin' On A Train", as atmospheric & melodic musical passages mix with scorching slide guitar and heavy riffs, Metcalf again impressive with some powerful vocals. If you love those blazing slide guitar runs of the late Rod Price of Foghat, check this tune out. I have to mention again the great sound quality of these songs-a killer job was done on the remastering here.

That takes us over to the wealth of bonus material included on Dallasian Rock. Most of the demo tracks were recorded in 1974, and feature earlier songs that are no less spectacular in reality, probably more in the Southern Rock & Boogie vein but the talents of the band still shine through. "We Are the Stars" has a certain Foghat or Lynyrd Skynyrd flair to it, and "You Won't See Me Again" again ups the boogie ante, with driving riffs and organ really moving this upbeat piece. Mournful slide guitar and a rootsy vibe permeate the Southern Rock styled "Cold Sunday" (lots of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Allman Brothers Band, and Marshall Tucker Band elements here), while the heavy rocking, guitar/organ barn burner ""I Never Wanted You to Know" is a must hear for all the Deep Purple and Uriah Heep lovers out there. 

The band dives into prog rock on the dreamy "The Way It's Supposed To Be", as lovely keyboard textures from Skarsten and some tasty Carlos Santana/Mick Taylor styled lead guitar work from Soria just infiltrate your brain. A great song. "Silver Bullets" is another Purple/Heep influenced heavy rocker featuring big guitar & organ riffs...this is early '70s heavy rock baby! The few live tracks are also quite good, with "I Know What You're Saying" being another great early song, a groove laden Grand Funk Railroad styled thumper that sees Soria delivering some scalding riffs & solos. A few of the other tunes are also pulled off spectacularly by the band, showing that their intricate songs transferred quite nicely to the stage as well.

It's also available on LP as well (minus the bonus tracks), so pick your choice, but either way this is astounding stuff from a band that, quite frankly, should have been a household name back in the '70s. 

by Pete Pardo

Tracks
1. Rock Star Queen (John Michael Soria) - 3:09
2. In The Music (Guy Houston, John Michael Soria) - 4:13
3. Seems Like You Would Understand (John Michael Soria) - 2:38
4. Play The Game (John Michael Soria) - 3:30
5. Last Nite (John Michael Soria) - 3:04
6. Mercy (John Michael Soria) - 4:05
7. Feelin' Good (John Michael Soria) - 3:48
8. Straight Out (Guy Houston, John Michael Soria) - 4:19
9. Keep A Steady High (Guy Houston, John Michael Soria) - 2:17
10.Dallasian Rock (John Michael Soria) - 3:38
11.Leavin' On A Train (John Michael Soria) - 3:58
12.We Are The Stars (John Michael Soria) - 2:27
13.You Won't See Me Again (Guy Houston, John Michael Soria) - 2:43
14.Cold Sunday (Guy Houston) - 3:22
15.I Never Wanted You To Know (Guy Houston) - 3:09
16.The Way It's Supposed To Be (Guy Houston, Russ Skarsten) - 4:19
17.Keep A Steady High (Guy Houston, John Michael Soria) - 2:35
18.Silver Bullets (Hugh Coleman) - 3:44
19.I Know What You're Sayin' (Guy Houston, John Michael) - 4:23
20.The Way It's Supposed To Be (Guy Houston, John Michael Soria) - 4:31
21.Silver Bullets (Hugh Coleman) - 4:27
22.Leavin' On A Train (John Michael Soria) - 4:24
Bonus Tracks 12-22
Tracks 12-18 1974 4 Track Demos
Track 19 Live KZEW FM 1976
Tracks 20-22 Live AWHQ 1976

Shotgun
*Guy Houst - Drums
*Hugh Coleman - Bass
*John Michael Soria - Lead Guitar
*Russ Skarsten - Keys
*Billy Metcalf - Lead Vocals

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Think - We'll Give You A Buzz (1976 new zealand, elegant melodic prog rock, 2008 digipak remaster)

Prog rock band Think were the first New Zealand act signed to WEA, releasing We’ll Give You A Buzz on Atlantic in 1976. Phil Whitehead and Don Mills came from the disbanded Beam, with Phil actually having had a short stint with Human Instinct in-between. They produced an album in 1976 called "We'll Give You A Buzz" and a single "Arrived In Time"/"Big Ladies" the following year. One further single came in 1979 with "Good Morning"/"Peanut Joe". After struggling in Australia through 1977 they found themselves in the offices of Mushroom Records, being given assurances they would be a priority act if they could just hold on a bit longer.

They couldn’t, but as a revamped version of the band was grinding to a halt back in New Zealand at the end of 1979, their original guitarist Kevin Stanton, the man who had come up with the Think vision, was riding high in the Australian charts with his new band Mi-Sex and a collection of songs he’d written in reaction to his unsavoury departure from Think.

by Glen Moffatt 

Tracks
1. Light Title 4:09
2. Look What I've Done 8:33
3. Rippoff 5:34
4. Stringless Provider 10:25
5. Big Ladies 4:01
6. Our Children (Think About) 6:28
All songs written by Alan Badger, Neville Jess, Don Mills, Phil Whitehead

Think
*Alan Badger - Bass
*Neville Jess - Drums
*Don Mills - Keyboards
*Ritchie Pickett - Vocals
*Phil Whitehead - Guitar

Related Act
1975  Human Instinct - Peg Leg / The Lost Tapes 

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H.P. Lovecraft - Live May 11 (1968 us, trippy killer acid psych rock)

Blessed with one of the best live recording qualities one can hear from '60s efforts -- especially considering that H.P. Lovecraft was never a major success -- Live May 11, 1968 provides a reasonable alternate way for the curious to find out what the shouting was all about. Split almost evenly between first and second album material, and featuring then-new bassist Jeff Boyan (brought in to replace Jerry McGeorge), this release shows that the quintet certainly had something. If there are plenty of moments where the addictive blend of garage jamming and mindblown psychedelia seems on the verge of collapsing into noodling or bad Doors imitations, there's enough of H.P. Lovecraft's own particular approach to justify a listen by anyone into exploratory late-'60s rock. 

Certainly once or twice the band ends up sounding remarkably prescient -- the opening of "Wayfaring Stranger" calls to mind the blend of propulsion and trance Can would shortly make its own in Germany, with Tegza's tight beats leading the way. Plenty of other examples can be noted, with the transferred tape itself further suggesting the European group's approach -- check the midsection of "The Drifter," where only Michaels' keyboards steer away from the driving rhythm. Edwards and Michaels' lead vocals work great together live -- their training and earlier studio experience showing well -- and the whole band tackles the spirit of the times to a T. Two standout performances are the one-two punch of "The White Ship" and "At the Mountain of Madness," both of which also make for the perfect tribute to the original Lovecraft himself. Occasional introductory comments surface from Edwards, but otherwise the five just get it all together and take off -- and do so quite well.

by Ned Raggett

Tracks
1. Wayfaring Stranger (Traditional) - 10:24
2. The Drifter (Tim Edmundson) - 8:24
3. It's About Time (Terry Callier) - 4:55
4. The White Ship (George Edwards, Dave Michaels, Tony Cavallari) - 7:02
5. At The Mountains Of Madness (George Edwards, Dave Michaels, Tony Cavallari) - 4:33
6. That's The Bag I'm In (Fred Neil) - 3:35
7. I've Been Wrong Before (Randy Newman) - 2:54
8. Country Boy And Bleeker Street (Fred Neil) - 3:46

H.P. Lovecraft
*George Edwards - Vocals, Guitar
*Dave Michaels - Vocals, Organ
*Jeffery Boyan - Bass, Vocals
*Tony Cavallari - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Michael Tegza - Drums

1967-68  H.P. Lovecraft - Dreams In The Witch House (2005 remastered and expanded) 

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H.P. Lovecraft - Dreams In The Witch House (1967-68 us, worderful folk psych rock with baroque tinges, 2005 remastered and expanded)

Nearly 40 years after H.P. Lovecraft's brief heyday, its two albums, H.P. Lovecraft and H.P. Lovecraft II, are combined on this release, with British reissue label Rev-Ola licensing the contents of the original LPs and some singles tracks from the Universal Music Group, which controls the catalog of Philips Records, the Mercury Records subsidiary that issued them initially. The Chicago-based psychedelic rock group was formed in the spring of 1967, releasing H.P. Lovecraft that November, and broke up around the time that H.P. Lovecraft II appeared in September 1968. The band is remembered fondly by many as a "could have been" success that just didn't happen. As heard on these discs, its music is very much in the style of the San Francisco rock of the period, particularly the exploratory folk-rock of Jefferson Airplane, and the double-vocal style of guitarist George Edwards and organist Dave Michaels is particularly suggestive of the combination of Marty Balin and Grace Slick, while the two groups even share some repertoire "Let's Get Together," "High Flying Bird". 

But H.P. Lovecraft also sounds a bit like Quicksilver Messenger Service and It's a Beautiful Day, San Francisco rock groups that, to be fair, it preceded into record stores. A big influence is folk-blues performer Fred Neil, two of whose songs appeared on H.P. Lovecraft, with other songs, notably "Mobius Strip" on H.P. Lovecraft II, sounding like his languid style. The first album remains the keeper, especially because of "The White Ship," the six-and-a-half-minute tribute to the horror writer whose name the band adopted for its own. (Among the bonus tracks is a three-minute single edit of the song.) The rushed second album is, if anything, a bit more psychedelic, but certainly more padded than its predecessor, with even new bassist Jeff Boyan (who replaced the first album's Jerry McGeorge) getting to contribute a song, "Blue Jack of Diamonds." And then Michaels quit and the group broke up, though the name resurfaced for later projects featuring different members. 

The two LPs remain tantalizing evidence of a potentially important psychedelic act of the ‘60s that couldn't hold together. They have been reissued before, but this version is notable for the thorough liner notes by Nick Warburton and for the inclusion of the non-LP single "Anyway That You Want Me"/"It's All Over for You," which actually preceded the formation of the group proper, featuring Edwards, Michaels, and members of the local Chicago band the Rovin' Kind. The single is reminiscent of the Dylan-ish sound of 1965 folk-rock even though it was recorded in February 1967. 

by William Ruhlmann

Tracks
1. Wayfaring Stranger (Traditional) - 2:39
2. Let's Get Together (Chet Powers) - 4:38
3. I've Been Wrong Before (Randy Newman) - 2:47
4. Drifter (Travis Edmonson) - 4:14
5. That's The Bag I'm In (Fred Neil) - 1:46
6. White Ship (George Edwards, Dave Michaels, Tony Cavallari) - 6:35
7. Country Boy And Bleeker Street (Fred Neil) - 2:38
8. Time Machine (George Edwards, Dave Michaels) - 2:08
9. That's How Much I Love You Baby (More Or Less) (George Edwards, Dave Michaels, Tony Cavallari) - 3:57
10.Gloria Patria (Traditional) - 0:30
11.Spin, Spin, Spin (Kent Foreman) - 3:23
12.It's About Time (Kent Foreman, Lydia Wood) - 5:19
13.Blue Jack Of Diamonds (Jeff Boyan) - 3:08
14.Electrollentando (George Edwards) - 6:36
15.At The Mountains Of Madness (George Edwards, Dave Michaels, Tony Cavallari) - 4:59
16.Mobius Trip (George Edwards) - 2:44
17.High Flying Bird (Billy Ed Wheeler) - 3:24
18.Nothing's Boy (Ken Nordine) - 0:42
19.Keeper Of The Keys (Mike Brewer, Tom Shipley) - 3:08
20.Anyway That You Want Me (Chip Taylor) - 2:40
21.It's All Over For You (Lovecraft) - 2:37
22.White Ship (Single Edit) (George Edwards, Dave Michaels, Tony Cavallari) - 2:55
23.Keeper Of The Keys (Single Mix) (Mike Brewer, Tom Shipley) - 2:56
Tracks 1-10 from LP "H.P. Lovecraft" 1967
Tracks 11-19 from LP "H.P. Lovecraft II" 1968
Bonus Tracks 20-23

H. P. Lovecraft
*George Edwards – Vocals, Acoustic, Electric Guitar, Guitarrón, Bass
*Dave Michaels – Vocals, Organ, Piano, Harpsichord, Clarinet, Recorder
*Tony Cavallari – Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Michael Tegza – Drums, Percussion, Timpani, Vocals
*Jerry McGeorge – Bass, Vocals (Tracks 1-10)
*Jeff Boyan – Bass, Vocals (Tracks 11-19)
Additional Musicians (Tracks 1-10)
*Bill Traut – Bells, Percussion
*Len Druss – Piccolo Flute, English Horn, Saxophones
*Jack Henningbaum, Paul Tervelt – French Horn
*Bill Traub – Reeds
*Herb Weiss, Ralph Craig – Trombone
*Clyde Bachand – Tuba
*Eddie Higgins – Vibraphone, Horn Arrangements

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Mad Dog - 617 (1977 us, heavy power blues with smoking leads and a punkish sludge sound, 2005 remaster)

Formed in Bay City, Michigan, in the early 1970s, the power trio Mad Dog developed its unique style of hard rock in the basement of a family home and later in a rented warehouse near the banks of the Saginaw River. Although their only vinyl release was an independently released album, the band played its original material regularly at clubs, bars, road houses, high school dances, and festivals for a decade before finally disbanding. 

The Charlebois brothers, Joe (1954) and Bob (1957) were born at Mercy Hospital in Bay City, the very same hospital where singing star Madonna was born in 1958. The brothers grew up in the Banks area on the city’s West Side. Although their parents did not play musical instruments, they listened to records of popular singers like Frank Sinatra, so there was always music around the Charlebois house. 

Mad Dog’s heyday was during the time when 18-year-olds could drink legally. On January 1, 1972, Michigan had passed the law to align the legal drinking age with the new voting age law. The band played a lot of original materials during their performances, the idea being that they weren’t going to get very far just playing covers. It was a ballsy move since most bar owners preferred bands that played covers of the hits of the day. The strategy seemed to work for Mad Dog, however, and they were soon making twice as much money playing in bars as they could make working in a factory. They started out renting trucks to bring their equipment to gigs, but when the price of gas rose dramatically, they purchased a new Chevy van and trailer.

Bob and Don went to New York after it was completed to shop the recording to major labels in an attempt to attract interest. With the album in hand, they plotted out the companies they wanted to visit, including Atlantic Records and Led Zeppelin’s Swan Song imprint, but they were unsuccessful in getting a deal.

Their hopes dashed, the band ended up forming its own label, Fish Head, and releasing the “617” album independently in 1977. They also came up with a unique plan after Joe got ahold of a copy of Broadcasting Yearbook, which listed all of the Album-Oriented Rock stations across the country as well as Canada and even the Caribbean. The band sent out 500 copies of the album to the AOR stations in the hope that it would garner airplay.

It was a gutsy move, but the considerable investment was only semi-successful as the album was picked up and added to the playlists of numerous college radio stations but none of the big commercial stations. The “617” LP ended up being most important as something they could sell at gigs and use to promote the band.

by Gary Johnson

Tracks
1. Goodnight - 3:46
2. Cold Steel - 6:02
3. Detroit Rambler - 6:22
4. Strange - 6:11
5. We'll Try - 2:05
6. Can You See - 8:34
7. Morroco - 4:48
8. Climbing - 5:20
All songs by Robert Charlebois, Joe Charlebois, Don Langenburg

Mad Dog
*Robert Charlebois - Lead Vocals, Guitar, Piano, Harp, Sax
*Joe Charlebois - Drums, Backing Vocals
*Don Langenburg - Bass

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Tongue - Keep On Truckin´ With Tounge (1969 us, rough blues psych rock, 2000 expanded issue)

Founded in 1967 at the University of Wisconsin-Stout by singer/guitarist Paul Rabbitt and bass player Bob ‘Hippie’ Collins, the group was originally known as the Tennis Shoe Tongue Band. … (The band) quickly became student body favorites for its blues-based hard rock sound and ferocious live shows. …

“Tongue toured extensively with another Wisconsin band, Soup, and opened shows for many headliners on the Midwest concert circuit. Tongue toured with the Cleveland-based rock band James Gang, featuring Joe Walsh, and played with Chuck Berry, Cheap Trick, Michigan’s own Ted Nugent and Alice Cooper. … After gigging around the Midwest for a decade, the Tongue called it quits in 1976.

by Steve Seymour

Tracks
1. Homely Man Blues (Paul Rabbitt) - 3:44
2. Get Your Shit Together (Paul Rabbitt) - 2:28
3. The Earth Song (Paul Rabbitt, Bob Collins) - 7:00
4. The Prophet (Paul Rabbitt) - 3:45
5. Sidewalk Celebration (Paul Rabbitt) - 3:13
6. Slap Her Down Again Paw (Alice Cornett, Eddie Asherman, Polly Arnold) - 0:26
7. Every Time (Mick Larson, Paul Rabbitt) - 3:02
8. Get Down (Dick Webber, Paul Rabbitt, Bob Collins, Mick Larson) - 3:00
9. Morning Dew (Bonnie Dobson) - 7:29
10.Jazz On The Rag (Paul Rabbitt) - 2:39
11.Keep On Truckin' (Donovan Leitch) - 3:20
12.Hashish (Paul Rabbitt) - 0:04
13.Stained Glass Window (Paul Rabbitt) - 4:43
14.Hey Hey Moma (Paul Rabbitt, Mick Larson, Bob Collins) - 2:13
Bonus Tracks 13-14

Tongue
*Bob "Hippie" Collins - Bass, Vocals
*Paul Rabbitt - Vocals, Guitar
*Mick Larson - Keyboards
*Dick Webber - Drums

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Pacific Gas And Electric - P G & E (1971 us, remarkable funky blues rock, 2007 reissue)

A really strong set with great rock & soul groove in the best style of some of the other Bay Area crossover groups from the time! The line up here is augmented by some positively soaring backing chorus vocals credited to the Blackberries – a nice counterpoint to the grittier lead vocals of Charlie Allen. The tunes range from an emotive rock & soul vibe to more of a chugging rock groove. Overall it's got some heavy guitar with good wah-wah moments, rock-oriented vocals with a soulful sound! Tracks "When The Sun Shines", "See The Monkey Run", "Short Dogs & Englishmen", "Recall", "Death Row #172", and "The Time Has Come (To Make Your Piece)" and more.

Tracks
1. Rock And Roller's Lament (Charlie Allen) - 3:15
2. Recall (Charlie Allen, Frank Petricca) - 4:24
3. One More River To Cross (Daniel Moore) - 2:42
4. Death Row #172 (Charlie Allen, Frank Cook, John Hill) - 5:33
5. Short Dogs And Englishmen (Charlie Allen) - 6:30
6. See The Monkey Run (Steve Beckmeier) - 2:34
7. The Time Has Come (To Make Your Peace) (Ron Woods) - 3:14
8. Thank God For You Baby (Charlie Allen, John Hill) - 6:54
9. When The Sun Shines (Ken Utterback) - 4:10

Pacific Gas And Electric
*Ken Utterback - Lead Guitar
*Frank Petricca - Bass
*Jerry Aiello - Organ
*Ron Woods - Drums
*Joe Lala - Conga, Timbales
*Alfred Gallegos -Tenor Sax
*Virgil Gonsalves - Baritone Sax
*Stanley Abernathy - Trumpet
*Charlie Allen - Vocals
*The Blackberries - Background Vocals

more Gas
1968  Pacific Gas And Electric - Get It On / The Kent Records Sessions (2009 extra tracks remaster) 
1969-70  Pacific Gas And Electric / Are You ready
1970  Live 'N' Kicking At Lexington

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Ten Years After - The Cap Ferrat Sessions (1972 uk, superb classic blues rock, 2017 remaster part of a 10 disc box set)

The Cap Ferrat Sessions – exists thanks to Alvin Lee’s wife, who discovered a box of recordings in their house in Spain. Chris Kimsey recorded and engineered these tracks originally (they formed part of the Rock N Roll Music To The World sessions) which is why Chrysalis Records turned to him to mix them for the first time. Cap Ferrat is in the South of France, situated between Nice and Monaco.

Kimsey has set the record straight in terms of the quality of these newly-found tracks: “Alvin and the band were incredibly creative and abundant during this period. These re-discovered recordings were not rough demos, not rehearsals, but completed masters that did not make the album due to the time limitations of vinyl at the time. So these gems were left off. Mixing this in 2017 I began to study the parts, the playing, the response of each musician. It was amazing! It is what all great recordings are made of.”

by Paul Sinclair

The Cap Ferrat Sessions, which contains five tracks laid down in 1972 – but were later forgotten.

Drummer Ric Lee says: “We recorded in the south of France using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio, in a villa in Cap Ferrat.

“Each of the instruments were recorded in a different room – the drums were in the ballroom. Between our engineer, Chris Kimsey, and me, we managed to get one of the best drum sounds on any Ten Years After recording.

“The tracks were originally planned for the Rock & Roll Music To The World album, but due to vinyl restrictions of the time, they weren’t included.”

Kimsey was 21 years old when he first worked on the Cap Ferrat tracks – but 45 years later, and with a career that includes collaborations with the Stones, Bad Company and Peter Frampton among his credits, he went back to work on them.

“Alvin and the band were incredibly creative and abundant during that period,” Kimsey says. “These rediscovered recordings were not rough demos or rehearsals, but completed masters that did not make the album.

“Mixing this in 2017 I began to study the parts, the playing, the response of each musician. It was amazing – it’s what all great recordings are made of.”

by Martin Kielty

Tracks
1. Look At Yourself - 4:20
2. Running Around - 5:34
3. Holy Shit - 3:01
4. There's A Feeling - 3:32
5. I Hear You Calling My Name - 11:11
All songs by Alvin Lee

Ten Years After
*Alvin Lee - Guitar, Vocals
*Leo Lyons - Bass
*Ric Lee - Drums
*Chick Churchill - Organ

Related Acts
1973-74  Alvin Lee And Mylon Lefevre - On The Road To Freedom
1974  Alvin Lee - In Flight 
2012  Alvin Lee - Still on the Road to Freedom

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Rare Earth - Willie Remembers (1972 us, exceptional groovy classic rock, 2017 audiophile remaster)

Rare Earth's “Willie Remembers” (again co-produced by Baird and the band) hit the charts on 25 November 1972, peaking at a disappointing #90 while charting for 20 weeks.  Michael Urso (bass and vocals) replaced original member John Persh.  For the first time, the band put out an album of almost entirely original material.  Unfortunately, the album did not sell, despite having many good moments.  The album had two singles “Good Time Sally” and “We’re Gonna Have A Real Good Time” but neither sold well, topping out at #67 and #93 respectively.  

The band’s fortunes were fading.  Fortunately for collectors both single edits are included on “Anthology” and serve notice that although the band’s singles were no longer top 10 or even top 20 smashes, they were certainly worthy efforts.  But the times had changed.  Music headed in a more progressive direction, and the band’s brand of psychedelic rhythm and blues turned breezy, good time music waned in favor. Motown thought it was ‘too white’ and refused to promote it. 

by Kevin Rathert

Tracks
1. Good Time Sally (Tom Baird) - 2:53
2. Every Now And Then We Get To Go On Down To Miami (Dino Fekaris, Nick Zesses) - 3:11
3. Think Of The Children (Ray Monette, Mark Olson, Pete Rivera) - 5:36
4. Gotta Get Myself Back Home - 3:02
5. Come With Your Lady - 5:47
6. Would You Like To Come Along - 2:48
7. We're Gonna Have A Good Time - 3:25
8. I Couldn't Believe What Happened Last Night - 12:29
All sons by Gil Bridges, Eddie Guzman, Ray Monette, Mark Olson, Pete Rivera except where noted

Rare Earth
*Pete Hoorelbeke – Drums, Percussion, Lead Vocal
*Gil Bridges – Woodwinds, Percussion, Vocal
*Mike Urso – Bass Guitar, Vocal
*Ray Monette – Lead Guitar
*Mark Olson – Keyboard, Vocal
*Ed Guzman – Congas, Percussion

1968  Dreams/Answers (2017 audiophile remaster)
1969-74  Fill Your Head (three cds box set, five studio albums plus outtakes and alternative versions)
1971  One World  (2015 audiophile remaster)
1971  In Concert (2017 Audiophile) 
1974  Live In Chicago (2014 audiophile remaster)
1976/78  Midnight Lady / Band Together (2017 digipak remaster)
1975/77 Rare Earth - Back To Earth / Rare Earth (2006 remaster)

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