Curt Boettcher - Another Time (1969 us, remarkable orchestrated sunny psych, 2013 Blu Spec, fourth part of eight discs box set)

Based around the ’69 recordings for the supposed solo album on his own Together label, co-owned with soulmates and collaborators Gary Usher and Keith Olsen, Another Time is quite possibly the closest you’ll get to an actual Curt Boettcher album, even though there was an official one soon to follow.

The Spector-cular opener Baby It’s Real is a song rescued from the Millennium days, the title song is a stripped down acoustic arrangement of the Sagittarius classic followed by the “hurdy-gurdy” piece of psych called Lament Of The Astral Cowboy, given away to Curt’s Ballroom bandmate Michele O’Malley, just as was the “misty” popsike ballad Misty Mirage, considered one of his highlight performances.

That’s The Way It’s Gonna Be is, of course, his second attempt at the Phil Ochs/Bob Gibson-written shoulda-been HIT song, already recorded with Lee Mallory, which is as psychedelic and jazzy as bubblegum could ever get, while Tumbling Tumbleweeds is another sparkling cover, turned into a SMiLE-ing Americana.

Also present is Curt’s softish country sophistication Share With Me, coupled with Sometime for a Together single release, as well as a pair of songs from another aborted solo album sessions, 1973’s Chicken Little Was Right, recently also reissued by Sonic Past Music. The first of these, Louise, is probably among the closest Curt got to the traditional folky sound after his GoldeBriars days, while the other one is a perfect slice of country bubblegum called Rest In Peace.

The furthest you’ll get into the past is through a bunch of groovy high quality ’67 demos of songs, later recorded by either Millennium, Sagittarius, Sunshine Company or Eternity’s Children, of which at least one not only matches but outshines the officially released version (If You Only Knew), and as a special bonus, there’s also the ’65 demo acetate of Along Comes Mary, featuring Curt on vocals, backed by the author Tandyn Almer on piano and The Association’s own Gary Alexander on guitar, along with an unknown drummer.

Considering the amount of unreleased Boettcher-related material that has re-surfaced in the recent years, it seems as if “another time” might as well be the subtitle to each one of his recording, foreseeing the date of its release.

by Garwood Pickjon

Tracks
1. Baby It's Real (Curt Boettcher, Michael Fennelly, Sandy Salisbury) - 2:43
2. Another Time - 2:40
3. Lament Of The Astral Cowboy - 2:16
4. I Just Want To Be Your Friend - 2:21
5. Louise (Jerry Netkin) - 2:41
6. Share With Me (Lee Mallory, Joey Stec, Gary Usher) - 3:06
7. Along Comes Mary (Tandyn Almer) - 2:39
8. Sometimes (Curt Boettcher, Lee Mallory) - 2:58
9. That's The Way It's Gonna Be (Bob Gibson, Phil Ochs) - 3:30
10.The Know It All - 2:07
11.Misty Mirage - 4:15
12.If You Only Knew - 2:39
13.Rest In Peace - 2:40
14.Tumbling Tumbleweeds (Bob Nolan) - 3:50
15.You Know I've Found A Way (Curt Boettcher, Lee Mallory) - 1:52
16.Another Time (Curt Boettcher, Lee Mallory) - 2:59
17.Meanwhile Back At The World - 2:53
All songs by Curt Boettcher except where noted

Musicians
*Curt Boettcher - Guitars, Vocals, Bass, Harmony Vocals
*Lee Mallory - Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
*Doug Rhodes - Piano
*Sandy Salisbury - Vocals
*Ron Edgar - Drums
*Jerry Scheff - Bass
*Ben Benay - Guitar
*Mike Melvoin - Piano, Organ
*Toxie French - Percussion, Vibes, Marimba
*Red Rhodes - Pedal Steel
*Waddy Wachtel - Electric Guitar

1965-68  The Millennium - Voices Of The Millennium (2013 Blu Spec)  

1967-68  The Millennium - Pieces (2013 Blu Spec)
1968  The Millennium - Begin (2013 Blue Spec edition)
1966-68  Sagittarius - Present Tense
1967-72  Michael Fennelly - Love Can Change Everything (2013 release)
1970  Crabby Appleton - Crabby Appleton 
1971  Crabby Appleton - Rotten To The Core
1973  Michael Fennelly - Lane Changer (2015 issue)

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The Millennium - Voices Of The Millennium (1965-68 us, bautiful sunshine psychedelia. 2013 Blu Spec issue, third part of eight discs box set)

The Voices Of Millennium are actually telling us about how some of the band members were spending their time after The Millennium break-up (if there ever was one) towards the end of the decade. Though it might not be as adventurous as it was while they were only just “begin-ining”, these sessions show that they were still spending some quality time together.

Some of the tracks, with an almost baroque country feel, with the kind of a Wilson-ian touch too, like I Still Can See Your Face and Will You Ever See Me, as well as the chamber-psych The Blue Marble, later surfaced on Gary Usher’s sophomore Sagittarius release of the same title, while another easy country piece, Share With Me, graced the sunny side of Curt Boettcher’s Together single.

Along with the Spector-ized opener Come To Me Baby, the ones contributing to the more cheery side of the album, are mostly the songs coming from the pen of Sandy Salisbury, with or without a collaborator.

His Measure Of A Man is another piece of more innocent sounding country, as if done by Herman’s Hermits, Navajo Girl adds a bit of a bubblegummy flavour too, with an additional eastern touch through the sitar solo, while the yummy sounding Gouldman-like Together In The End and Little Lost & Found continue to blow the same bubbles, and Midnight Sun is a piece of popsike Monkee-business.

Hear the Voices Of The Millennium and let yourself be taken back to the “sonic past” … once again!

by Garwood Pickjon

Tracks
1. Come To Me Baby (Wilson) - 2:44
2. I Still Can See Your Face (Gary Usher) - 3:02
3. Measure Of A Man (Sandy Salisbury) - 2:26
4. Magic Island (Lee Mallory, Curt Boettcher) - 3:14
5. Will You Ever See Me (Gary Usher) - 2:17
6. The Blue Marble (Gary Usher) - 3:01
7. Together In The End (Curt Boettcher, Sandy Salisbury) - 2:33
8. Share With Me (Curt Boettcher, Joey Stec, Gary Usher, Lee Mallory) - 3:12
9. Midnight Sun (Gary Usher, Sandy Salisbury) - 2:09
10.Little Lost And Found (Sandy Salisbury) - 1:56
11.Navajo Girl (Sandy Salisbury, Gary Usher) - 2:33
12.Keep On Dreamin' (AKA There Is Nothing More To Say) (Curt Boettcher, Michael Fennelly, Lee Mallory, Sandy Salisbury) - 2:07

Musicians
*Curt Boettcher - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
*Lee Mallory - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
*Sandy Salisbury - Guitar, Vocals
*Ben Benay - Lead Guitar
*Chuck Girard - Vocals
*Jerry Scheff - Bass
*Gary Usher - Vocals
*Skip - Drums

1967-68  The Millennium - Pieces (2013 Blu Spec)  

1968  The Millennium - Begin (2013 Blue Spec edition)
Related Acts
1966-68  Sagittarius - Present Tense
1967-72  Michael Fennelly - Love Can Change Everything (2013 release)
1970  Crabby Appleton - Crabby Appleton 
1971  Crabby Appleton - Rotten To The Core
1973  Michael Fennelly - Lane Changer (2015 issue)

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The Millennium - Pieces (1967-68 us, brilliant baroque sunny psych, 2013 Blu Spec part of eight discs box set)

There's an old L.A. music biz tale that details a stunned Brian Wilson accidentally overhearing a recording session down the hall from his own. As the story goes, Wilson was hanging at Studio Three West with Pet Sounds collaborator Gary Usher in the spring of 1966 when he caught snippets of a recording conducted by 21-year-old wunderkind Curt Boettcher. Boettcher, fresh from producing The Association's first record, and with something of a rare talent for soaring, angelic vocal arrangements along the lines of Wilson's very own, took Wilson and Usher by complete surprise. In fact, legend has it that Boettcher's ability to produce majestically layered instrumental and vocal pieces seemingly at the drop of a hat threw Wilson for a loop, and is rumored to have started the breakdown that would ultimately destroy his Smile project, and indeed his life ever after.

Even if you don't buy the story, Boettcher's effect on L.A. pop cannot be denied. Usher would soon pull him in as a collaborator on what would later become Present Tense by Sagittarius, a psych-pop outfit whose only LP is one of the great, lost classics of "sunshine pop." Boettcher's other major projects in the 60s were work with his own band The Ballroom, and later, a curiously overlooked record by songwriter supergroup The Millennium. In addition to his love of exquisite harmony vocals, Boettcher's stereo productions were remarkably crisp for the time-- certainly more so that Wilson's concurrent adventures in mono. I'd say Boettcher's own songs (and that of most sunshine pop artists) usually weren't of the same depth as Wilson's, but that's another argument.

The Millennium was comprised of several successful songwriters and musicians living and working in Los Angeles in the mid-60s, including Lee Mallory, Sandy Salisbury and Joey Stec. All had worked with or around Boettcher and Usher, and proved themselves capable of delivering on what would become the largest recording budget in Columbia Records' history to that point. Their result was 1968's Begin, and though it's probably the single greatest 60s pop record produced in L.A. outside of The Beach Boys, it (like Wilson's music) found itself very much outside the times that year. After Begin tanked, the band was dropped from Columbia-- setting up the perfect cult record years later. Of course, the band had planned to make many more albums, and Pieces collects demos intended for their follow-up.

Anyone hip to The Millennium or other Boettcher projects might recognize many of the songs here, as they've been released before as Again, though Pieces includes many tracks that failed to make that compilation. Most importantly, almost all of these songs will be of interest to folks looking for perfect pop in the mold of The Association, Beach Boys and even into the budding country-rock of The Byrds. "I Just Don't Know How to Say Goodbye" is an almost perfect realization of the styles of each of those artists, though the tune and loose, gentle optimism of Salisbury's vocal give it a strength to stand on its own. The song, with rising, major-key guitar figures and a folkish bent (much of this music could have worked in a completely acoustic setting) did show up on Salisbury's 1968 solo LP.

"Can You See" is one of many Stec/Michael Fennelly songs (the pair was also responsible for the magnificent "To Claudia on Thursday" from Begin), and is a typically upbeat, sunny tune that might pass for The Monkees were it not for its surprisingly down-to-earth lyrics lamenting love lost over material concerns. The strength of the writing throughout the album is such that the band's failure to break through is a little shocking. "How Much I Love You" is a tender acoustic ballad also penned by Stec and Fennelly, and though it probably helped give birth to Jewel mk. I, it's nonetheless at once achingly melancholy and performed with professionalism that could have made it a hit in another universe. The same goes for the pair's "Sometime or Another", though this actually approaches indie-torch song along the lines Uncle Tupelo.

Although not every song on Pieces matches up with the band's best, none of it ever really betrays its origination as demo recordings. Boettcher obviously had some hand in this, though since all of the band were insiders to some degree, it's not surprising they had access to studios and engineers no other similarly unknown band could ever dream of. Song like "Suspended Animation" (first rate country-pop with a strange sci-fi theme) or the Beatlesque "It's You" sound better than 90% of the music to actually chart in 1968. The latter song in particular, with its pristine harmony vocals and chugging, "Baby You're a Rich Man" bass work, makes it hard to believe Clive Davis never saw anything in these guys.

If all of this is news to you, my advice is to run out in grab a copy of Begin. After that, check out Sagittarius and Boettcher's other projects. And then, when you think you've run out of sugary fun-time pop with a faint dejected edge, head here. The Millennium deserved better way back when, but anyone interested in 60s pop and folk-rock should have no problem digging them now.

by Dominique Leone

Tracks
1. Prelude (Ron Edgar, Doug Rhodes) - 1:04
2. To Claudia On Thursday (Michael Fennelly, Joey Stec) -  2:51
3. Baby It's Real (Curt Boettcher, Michael Fennelly, Sandy Salisbury) - 2:37
4. It's You (Michael Fennelly, Joey Stec) - 2:48
5. I Just Don't Know How To Say Goodbye (Sandy Salisbury, Joey Stec) - 2:04
6. Good People (Michael Fennelly, Joey Stec) - 3:07
7. Can You See (Michael Fennelly, Lee Mallory) - 2:24
8. How Much I Love You (Michael Fennelly, Joey Stec) - 4:06
9. The Blues Is Just A Good Woman Gone Bad (Michael Fennelly, Lee Mallory) - 2:39
10.Once Upon A Time (Curt Boettcher, Lee Mallory) - 2:27
11.Dying With You (Michael Fennelly, Joey Stec) - 2:14
12.The Word (Lee Mallory) - 3:02
13.Share With Me (Lee Mallory, Sandy Salisbury, Joey Stec, Gary Usher) - 3:06
14.Something Or Another (Michael Fennelly, Joey Stec) - 3:41
15.A Younger Me (Michael Fennelly, Lee Mallory) - 2:54
16.I Need To Be By Your Side (Michael Fennelly, Joey Stec) - 1:51
17.Sunshine Girl (Michael Fennelly, Joey Stec) - 2:41
18.Suspended Animation (Curt Boettcher, Lee Mallory, Sandy Salisbury, Joey Stec) - 3:11
19.The Ways I Love You (Michael Fennelly, Joey Stec) - 2:07
20.The Hills Of Vermont (Michael Fennelly, Lee Mallory, Sandy Salisbury) - 3:13
21.It Won't Always Be The Same (Michael Fennelly, Joey Stec) - 3:09

Personnel
*Curt Boettcher - Vocals, Guitar
*Ron Edgar - Drums, Vocals
*Michael Fennelly - Guitar, Vocals
*Lee Mallory - Vocals
*Doug Rhodes - Horn, Keyboards, Vocals
*Sandy Salisbury - Guitar, Vocals
*Joey Stec - Guitar

1968  The Millennium - Begin (2013 Blue Spec edition)
Related Acts
1966-68  Sagittarius - Present Tense
1967-72  Michael Fennelly - Love Can Change Everything (2013 release)
1970  Crabby Appleton - Crabby Appleton 
1971  Crabby Appleton - Rotten To The Core
1973  Michael Fennelly - Lane Changer (2015 issue)

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The Mystery Trend - So Glad I Found You (1966-67 us, marvelous folk psych garage rock, extra tracks edition)

If the Airplane and the Dead were the Beatles and Stones of San Francisco's mid-1960s rock heyday, then the Mystery Trend were its Zombies or Left Banke, peddling craftsmanship and high quality pop songs in an era of burgeoning indulgence. Ahead of anyone else except perhaps the Charlatans, the Trend was the first alternative rock group in the Bay Area, debuting in May 1965.

Unlike the ex-folkies and beatniks that comprised the rest of the scene, the group, led by keyboardist and songwriter Ron Nagle, were older and came from an art school background, eschewing the jams and free-form modality of other local groups for concise ensemble arrangements. "The kind of writing that was going on in San Francisco then, to me, it was dogshit" says Nagle."Everyone was into this wankingsoloingpsychedelic-droneout. It was very uncool to play three minute pop songs." Nagle and guitarist Bob Cuff were turning out gems like Carl Street and Words You Whisper by the dozen, to the general indifference of crowds at countercultural hotspots like the Matrix or Fillmore.

Consequently, the Trend was a neurotic, uptight set of individuals who lent their quirky pop a garage-band edge. Shows were few and far between for these musical outcasts who preferred cocktails to acid, and Burt Bacharach to Ravi Shankar. In late 1967, while all around were being signed up in a major label feeding frenzy, the group quietly broke up. Nagle went on to release the classic cult album "Bad Rice" before pursuing his chosen vocation as a world-renowned ceramic artist.

The combo's sole vinyl legacy was the barnstorming 1967 single Johnny Was A Good Boy, but for years rumours have persisted of an unreleased album recorded for Kingston Trio manager Frank Werber's Trident Productions. So Glad I Found You finally uncovers these legendary sessions to reveal what could have been, and it's a remarkable batch of material. The bright Spoonful-esque jangle of Ten Empty Cups and One Day For Two reflects an innate pop sensibility that is in stark contrast to fuzz-toned neuroses- laid-bare like Mercy Killing and What If I. There's eclectic covers like Smiley Lewis' Shame Shame Shame and the Who's Substitute, majestic mood music with the bossa nova Mambo For Marion, and a forgotten masterpiece in the epic So Glad I Found You.

And in addition to collecting together the Mystery Trend's entire studio recordings, all resplendent in crystal-clear stereo from the original master tapes, So Glad I Found You adds a brace of illuminating demo cuts, including the cryptic Wake Up Cryin' and erstwhile guitarist Larry West's bewitching Lose Some Dreams, to fully tell the story of this unique group. In tried-and-tested Nuggets fashion, there's the usual bevy of pictures and memorabilia, to illustrate a lengthy sleeve note that draws upon the recollections of several band members. With this long-awaited compilation, a significant chapter, not just in the San Francisco 1960s chronology but in pop music history in general, has finally been closed.

by Alec Palao

Tracks
1. Carl Street (Ron Nagle) - 2:50
2. So Glad I Found You (Bob Cuff, Ron Nagle) - 2:20
3. Words You Whisper (Bob Cuff) - 2:23
4. Johnny Was a Good Boy (Bob Cuff, Ron Nagle) - 2:44
5. One Day for Two (Bob Cuff, Larry Bennett, Ron Nagle) - 2:08
6. Carrots on a String (Bob Cuff, Ron Nagle) - 1:57
7. Ten Empty Cups (Bob Cuff, Ron Nagle) - 2:21
8. Mercy Killing (Ron Nagle) - 3:02
9. Mambo for Marion (Bob Cuff, Ron Nagle) - 2:03
10.Substitute (Pete Townshend) - 3:00
11.There It Happened Again (Bob Cuff, Ron Nagle) - 2:28
12.Shame, Shame, Shame (Miss Roxie) (Ken Hopkins, Reuben Fisher) - 2:26
13.House on the Hill (Bob Cuff, Ron Nagle) - 2:22
14.From the Collection of Dorothy Tate (Ron Nagle) - 2:14
15.Carrots on a String (audition version) (Bob Cuff, Ron Nagle) - 2:05
16.What If I (Ron Nagle) - 2:46
17.Wake Up Cryin' (Ron Nagle) - 3:00
18.Lose Some Dreams (Larry Walorny) - 3:03
19.Empty Shoes (Bob Cuff, John Luby, Ron Nagle) - 4:08
20.Let Me See with My Eyes (Bob Cuff) - 5:51
21.Carl Street (audition version) (Ron Nagle) - 2:36

The Mystery Trend
*Larry Bennett - Bass
*John Luby - Drums, Vocals
*John Gregory - Guitar
*Ron Nagle - Vocals, Clavinet, Piano, Organ
*Bob Cuff - Vocals, Guitar
*Larry West - Guitar (Tracks 17-19)

Related Act
1971  Stoneground - Stoneground

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Rock Workshop - Rock Workshop (1970 uk, exciting jazz blues prog rock, 2002 bonus tracks remaster)

Formed in 1970, this fluid but short-lived jazz rock group formed by Ray Russell (guitar) and featured several of the UK’s leading young jazz musicians, and originally included Harry Beckett (trumpet/flugelhorn), Bob Downes (saxophone), Bud Parkes (trumpet) and Tony Roberts (trumpet/woodwind), Derek Wadsworth (trombone) Alan Greed (vocals) and Brian Miller (keyboards), Daryl Runswick (bass), Alan Rushton and Robin Jones (drums).

Several were involved in other, simultaneous projects, notably solo albums by Downes and Russell and session appearances for albums at that time by Jack Bruce, Keef Hartley and Harvey. Wadsworth and Parkes appeared on the latter’s solo album, Roman Wall Blues, and Harvey who appears on just four of the eight songs on its debut album, but the presence of both a couple of subsequently familiar songs and a vocal workout to rival anything on Framed or Next establish them among his finest performances.

A savage rearrangement of the traditional "Wade in the Water" and his own (with fellow Workshop-per Ray Russell) "Hole in Her Stocking" are both bruising R&B stampers, punctured by howling horns and a guitar riff, in the first-named case, that could have escaped from "Walk Don't Run," Blood, Sweat & Tears-style. Harvey himself is in breathtaking form, utterly undistinguishable from the showman who brought listeners "Vambo," and the only regret is that he is confined to just the four songs -- the remainder of Rock Workshop, while certainly a blistering blur of hot and sweaty jazz-soul-boogie, also sinks into anonymity by comparison, just another white English fusion band honking and stomping around the room. Indeed, there are moments when the sound effects that open and link the songs are more interesting than the songs themselves.

Nevertheless, Rock Workshop remains a key passage in Alex Harvey's career, all the more so in its 2002 CD incarnation, where the original LP is appended by half a dozen bonus tracks, including alternate takes of "Hole in Her Stocking" and "Born in the City," plus a couple of songs that didn't make the album itself. (Despite the track listing's claims to the contrary, incidentally, Harvey does not sing the prettily Traffic-like "Primrose Hill.") 

by Dave Thompson

Tracks
1. Ice Cold (R. Shepherd, Ray Russel) - 2:58
2. Wade In The Water (Traditional) - 3:45
3. Hole In Her Stocking (Alex Harvey, Ray Russel) - 4:09
4. He Looks At Me / Mooncross Grove - 10:19
5. Spine Cop - 3:47
6. Born In The City - 3:01
7. Theme For Freedom - 7:34
8. You To Lose (R. Cameron, Ray Russel) - 6:41
9. Spine Cop (Alt Version) - 3:50
10.Hole In Her Stocking (Alt Version) (Alex Harvey, Ray Russel) - 5:31
11.Born In The City (Alt Version) - 2:47
12.You To Lose (Alt Version) - 5:25
13.Primrose Hill (R. Shepherd, Ray Russel) - 5:41
14.Return Of The Goddess - 5:40
All songs by Ray Russell except where noted
Bonus Tracks 9-14

Personnel
*Harry Beckett - Horn
*Bob Downes - Wind
*Alan Greed - Keyboards, Vocals
*Alex Harvey - Vocals
*Robin Jones - Drums
*Brian Miller - Keyboards
*Tony Roberts - Wind
*Daryl Runswick - Bass
*Alan Rushton - Drums
*Ray Russell - Guitar
*Derek Wadsworth - Trombone

Related Acts
1969-71  Paul Korda - Passing Stranger (2012 remaster and expanded)
1973  Mouse - Lady Killer  

1972-73  The Sensational Alex Harvey Band - Framed / Next 
1974-75  The Sensational Alex Harvey Band - The Impossible Dream / Tomorrow Belongs to Me
1975-76  The Sensational Alex Harvey Band - Live / The Penthouse Tapes
1976-78  The Sensational Alex Harvey Band - Stories / Rock Drill
1969  Keef Hartley Band - The Battle Of North West Six (2008 remaster) 
1969  Sweet Pain - Sweet Pain

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Gulliver - Gulliver (1969 us, charmy sunny folk blue eyed soul with young Daryl Hall, 2002 remaster)

Brought together by manager/producer John Madara, Gulliver was one of the first shots at corporate music. With a line up consisting of Temple University student/vocalist Daryl Hall, drummer Jim Helmer, bassist Thomas Sellers and guitarist Tim Moore, the group had more than it's share of talent quickly attracting the attention of Elektra. 

Largely penned by Moore, the album found the quartet trying to find a path between conventional rock ("I'm Really Smokin'" and "Flogene") and early stabs at blue-eyed Philly soul ("Every Day's a Lovely Day" and "Over the Mountain"). On the other hand, Hall's voice was instantly recognizable and most of the songs sported decent melodies ("Lemon Road").

The album proved a commercial flop and the group quickly disbanded, though not before recording a couple of demos with guitarist John Oates. Hall went on to enjoy gigantic success as a member of Hall and Oates.

Bad-cat

Tracks
1. Everyday's A Lovely Day (Tom Sellers, Tim Moore, Daryl Hall) - 2:49
2. I'm Really Smokin' (Jim Helmer, Daryl Hall) - 2:28
3. Christine (Barry, Tom Sellers, Daryl Hall) - 1:51
4. Rose Come Home (Jim Helmer, Daryl Hall) - 3:41
5. Enough / Over The Mountain (Tim Moore) - 4:33
6. Angelina (Tim Moore) - 3:13
7. Flo Gene (Tim Moore) - 2:23
8. Lemon Road (Tim Moore) - 3:09
9. Seventy (Tom Sellers, Tim Moore) - 3:14
10.A Truly Good Song (Tim Moore) - 4:33

The Gulliver
Tom Sellers – Bass, Keyboards
Jim Helmer – Drums
Tim Moore – Guitar, Vocals
Daryl Hall – Keyboards, Vocals

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H.Y. Sledge - Bootleg Music (1971 us, fine hard rock, psych, and gentle ballads, 2015 edition)

Calling Valparaiso, Florida home, H.Y. Sledge featured the talents of singer/keyboardist Michael Ewbank, multi-instrumentalist Billy Jones, former Wilkinson Tri-Cycle guitarist Richard "Dickie Porter, bassist Jan Pulver, and drummer Monte Yoho.  Pulver had previously been a member of Those Five, while Jones and Yoho had been members of the Tampa-based Dave Graham Band.  Interestingly, only credit Ewbank, Porter, and Pulver were credited on the album liner notes, which also fail to provide any writing credits.

Signing a recording contract with Shelby Sumpter Singleton Jr.'s SSS International label, the group made their debut with 1971's "Bootleg Music". Co-produced by Ewbank and Porter, the album wasn't  the most original collection you've ever heard.  The band were certainly talented with a couple of decent singers and an excellent bassist.

Their sole album was originally issued in the summer of 1971.

Bad-cat

Tracks
1. Citation On Liberty - 5:21
2. Such An Easy Day - 3:01
3. Canadian Exodus - 7:39
4. Cellophane Lady / Nowhere To Go - 3:54
5. Ride The Waves - 4:06
6. I'm Your Brother  - 3:28
7. Tamara - 2:18
8. Day Of Realization - 2:06
9. It's In The Air  - 4:46
10.Finding It - 2:28
All songs by Michael Ewbank, Richard Porter, Jan Pulver

The H.Y. Sledge
*Michael Ewbank - Vocals, Keyboards
*Billy Jones - Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards
*Richard "Dickie Porter - Vocals, Lead  Guitar, Keyboards
*Jan Pulver - Vocals, Bass, Percussion
*Monte Yoho - Drums, Percussion

1969  Wilkinson TriCycle - Wilkinson TriCycle (2007 reissue) 
1973  Outlaws – Anthology / Live 'n' Rare (2012 four disc set) 

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J.J. Cale - In Session At The Paradise Los Angeles Featuring Leon Russell (1979 us, excellent classic blues roots rock, 2003 remaster)

Almost like a fly on the wall, we are witness to the young J.J. Cale and Leon Russell, stretching out among friends in Russell’s Paradise Studios in Los Angeles, in June of 1979. In a 21 song set, they are having the time of their lives, and we are left to watch in wonder. Joining Cale and Russell are his wife, Christine Lakeland, along with Marty Green, Nick Rather, Jimmy Karstein, Bill Boatman and Ambrose Campbell.

by Keith Hannaleck

There isn't a bad track on this album. The playing is way more muscular than on his records. The band just lays right into it from the opening track Nowhere to Run and never lets up. You will not believe the bass pouring out of your speakers. The beat is big thumping tremendous and propels the whole album. The drums and guitars are crisp. The solos are tasty. The mood is very relaxed and the band is having a great time. 

The standout track for me is Going Down  where they, ahem, take it up a notch. The energy on that track is just phenomenal, which is saying something since we've already heard the band in a rip-snorting version of JJ's signature song Cocaine. Studio owner, Leon Russell, lets it rip on piano and kinda snarls out of the side of his mouth. Then the saxes take over with a wailing chorus the whole backed up with fer-ro-cious rhythm guitar. It ain't all up-tempo though, JJ can sing a ballad with the best of ‘em viz Sensitive Kind.

by Ray Chowkwanyun

Tracks
1. Nowhere To Run - 2:43
2. Cocaine - 2:58
3. Ten Easy Lessons - 4:20
4. Sensitive Kind - 3:33
5. Hands Off Her - 3:39
6. Louisiana - 2:38
7. Going Down (Don Nix) - 5:14
8. Roll On - 2:51
9. No Sweat - 3:13
10.Crazy Mama - 3:13
11.Fate Of A Fool - 2:55
12.Boilin' Pot - 3:36
13.After Midnight - 4:13
14.Same Old Blues - 2:55
15.Don't Cry Sister - 3:05
16.Call Me The Breeze - 3:22
17.Ever Lovin' Woman - 2:34
18.Katy Kool Lady - 2:39
19.Lies - 3:19
20.Don't Wait (Christine Lakeland Cale) - 3:31
All songs written by J.J. Cale except where stated

Personnel
*J.J. Cale - Guitar, Vocals
*Leon Russell - Piano, Organ, Vocals
*Christine Lakeland - Guitar, Harmonica, Backing Vocals
*Larry Bell - Piano
*Marty Grebb - Horn
*Nick Rather - Bass
*Jimmy Karstein - Percussion, Drums
*Bill Boatman - Guitar
*Ambrose Campbell - Percussion, Drums
*Pat ‘Taco’ Ryan - Brass
*Shamsi Sarumi - Percussion

Related Acts
1968  The Asylum Choir - Look Inside (2007 remaster)
1972  Leon Russell - Carney

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Christine Perfect - The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions (1969 uk, beautiful blues melodic rock, 2008 remaster)

Christine McVie (nee Perfect) is one of the great unsung talents of British blues and pop. Her work with Fleetwood Mac is often overshadowed by her more showy counterparts, Lindsay Buckingham, Peter Green or Stevie Nicks. She provided the spine to their material, and especially added a consistency during the group's wilderness years between 1970 and 1975 (for those of you who haven't had the pleasure, check out her contributions to 1973's Mystery To Me album).

This release is her oft-reissued Christine Perfect album, recorded for Mike Vernon's Blue Horizon label in the period between her leaving Chicken Shack and before she joined her husband-to-be John McVie in Fleetwood Mac. McVie herself has frequently played down the record. Although certainly not a major work, it is a pretty textbook example of pleasant blues rock as the 60s became the 70s. To be honest, her tracks sound pretty much like later Fleetwood Mac album material, which given the presence of John McVie on bass and Danny Kirwan on guitar, is fairly understandable. Her version of Kirwan's When You Say is a standout, easily giving Fleetwood Mac's Then Play On version a run for its money. Perfect's piano work here strives to distil the very essence of the blues.

It is the additional material that highlights her at her best: the demo, Tell Me You Need Me, that was also demoed by Fleetwood Mac is by far and away the best track here. The song underlines the pleasure of her best work; languid, expressive, soulful. With three BBC session recordings here as well, The Complete Blue Horizon Recordings, although hardly essential, is a very welcome listen. 

by Daryl Easlea

Tracks
1. Crazy 'Bout You Baby (Walter Jacobs) - 3:01
2. I'm On My Way (Deadric Malone) - 3:08
3. Let Me Go (Leave Me Alone) - 3:34
4. Wait And See - 3:13
5. Close To Me (Christine Perfect, Rick Hayward) - 2:39
6. When You Say (Danny Kirwan) - 3:14
7. And That's Saying A Lot (Chuck Jackson, W. Godfrey) - 2:57
8. No Road Is The Right Road - 2:48
9. For You - 2:45
10.I'm Too Far Gone (To Turn Around) (Album Version) (Clyde Otis, Belford Hendricks) - 3:25
11.I Want You (Tony Joe White) - 2:23
12.Tell Me You Need Me (Previously Unreleased) - 3:20
13.I'm Too Far Gone (To Turn Around) (Single Version) (Clyde Otis, Belford Hendricks) - 3:16
14.Hey Baby (Previously Unreleased BBC Sessions) - 2:33
15.It's You I Miss (Previously Unreleased BBC Sessions) - 3:44
16.Come Into The Sun (Previously Unreleased BBC Sessions) - 2:43
All songs by Christine Perfect except where stated

Personnel
*Christine Perfect - Organ, Piano, Vocals
*Martin Dunsford - Guitar
*Chris Harding - Drums, Flute, Percussion
*Rick Hayward - Guitar
*Danny Kirwan - Guitar, String Arrangements
*John Mcvie - Bass
*Terry Noonan - Horn Arrangements, Trumpet
*Andy Silvester - Bass
*Top Topham - Guitar
*Derek Wadsworth - Horn Arrangements, Trombone
*Bud Parkes - Trumpet
*Geoff Drixcoll - Tenor Sax
*Dave Coxhill - Baritone Sax

Related Acts
1968  Chicken Shack - 40 Blue Fingers, Freshly Packed And Ready To Serve (2013 extra tracks reissue)  
1968-71  Fleetwood Mac - The Best Of Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac

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Leon Russell - Carney (1972 us, fascinating fairly straightforward roots rock and twisted psychedelia, japan issue)

What Leon has given us is a song cycle that eloquently elaborates the daily vicissitudes of his fulfilled dream of popstardom. While the 8 1/2 motif is hardly new to rock, no one, with the exception of the Dylan of Blonde On Blonde, has captured the ambivalence inherent to the pop hero's situation any more sagaciously or incisively than Russell.

Carney (carnival barker) is certainly Leon's most gentle and personal statement, in which even the hardest rocker ("Roller Derby") seems tame when compared to earlier efforts like "Roll Away the Stone" or "Pisces Apple Lady." Like "8 1/2," the record is as much a view of one small, often ugly corner of contemporary society as it is an interior monologue. Leon touches upon a first love lost to junk ("Me And Baby Jane"), prying grafters from a certain prominent periodical ("If the Shoe Fits"), a pasquinade that sounds like an Asylum Choir number and confusion over whether or not the show must, indeed, go on ("Tightrope").

Leon's marble-mouthed, drawling vocals are a joy throughout, which comes as quite a treat to one who thoroughly detested much of his previous caterwauling (such as his Godawful mistreatment of George Harrison's "Beware Of Darkness"). He renders selections like "Tightrope" and the double-tracked vocal on "Out In The Woods" with just the right amount of tension and "Manhattan Island Serenade" and "This Masquerade" (a lovely melody whose tonic is the same as the Matt Dennis-Earl Brent chestnut, "Angel Eyes") with unabashed, yet understated tenderness. There is none of the cloying quality in Russell's voice and phrasing that somewhat marred his delicate "A Song For You," which was on the first solo album and is the most poignant lyric he has penned to date.

The production is hardly lavish, considering Leon's penchant for doing the large-scale gospel-influenced numbers, and the instrumental backing by this Shelter people troupe (which might be considered to be Russell's repertory company) is superbly subtle, especially John Gallie's organ work.

Like Fellini's Guido, Leon Russell will continue to partake in "the lonely game" he plays because it is his lifeblood, not to mention that he has managed to play it with consummate skill and shrewdness. Perhaps Carney is no more than another cool calculation on the part of its creator, but one comes away from the album secure in the knowledge that Leon is capable of exuding more wit, charm and candor than almost anyone else working in his medium.

by James Isaacs, 9-14-1972 

Tracks
1. Tight Rope - 2:59
2. Out In The Woods - 3:35
3. Me And Baby Jane - 3:52
4. Manhattan Island Serenade - 3:25
5. Cajun Love Song - 3:08
6. Roller Derby - 2:22
7. Carney - :47
8. Acid Annapolis (Leon Russell, Don Preston) - 2:47
9. If The Shoe Fits - 2:21
10.My Cricket - 2:55
11.This Masquerade - 4:22
12.Magic Mirror - 4:56
All songs composed by Leon Russell except where indicated

Musicians
*Leon Russell - Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Piano
*Don Preston - Guitar, Vocals
*Joey Cooper - Guitar
*Carl Radle - Bass
*Chuck Blackwell - Drums
*Jim Keltner - Drums
*John Gallie - Organ

1968  The Asylum Choir - Look Inside (2007 remaster)

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T.I.M.E. - T.I.M.E. (1968 us, great psych classic rock, 2012 extra track remaster)

T.I.M.E. stands for Trust In Men Everywhere. Debut album of this underrated US psychedelic band ( which evolved out of a very fine, garage-pop psych band Hardtimes ) was released in 1968 by Liberty Records in attractive die-cut, gatefold cover. It contained great mixture of very catchy and memorable songs based on rich vocal harmonies and strong guitar-organ interplay and being somewhere between garage rock and pop-psych.

The music itself was very diverse, ranged from dark, atmospheric heavier tracks to much lighter sounds. It´s worth noting that the main influences to the band were The Beatles, The Byrds, The Hollies and Buffalo Springfield. 

Tracks
1. Tripping Into Sunshine - 2:20
2. Label It Love - 2:28
3. Finder's Keepers - 3:13
4. Love You, Cherish You - 2:32
5. Make It Alright - 2:02
6. Let The Colors Keep On - 2:11
7. You Changed It All - 2:31
8. I Really Love You - 2:38
9. Make Love To You - 3:37
10.I Can't Find It - 2:59
11.What Can It Be - 2:20
12.Take Me Along - 3:07
13.What Would Life Be Without It (Single) - 2:32

T.I.M.E.
*Larry Byrom - Guitar
*Bill Richardson - Guitar
*Nick St. Nicholas - Bass
*Steve Rumph - Drums.

1969  T.I.M.E.- Smooth Ball (2010 remaster)
Related Act
1969  Steppenwolf - Monster (2013 japan SHM issue)
1970  Steppenwolf - 7 (2013 japan SHM remaster)
1970  Steppenwolf - Live (2013 japan SHM bonus tracks remaster)

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Larry Coryell - Coryell (1969 us, impressive hard guitar jam psych prog jazz rock)

Issued in 1969 on Vanguard Records (mostly known as a folk label) this was Coryell’s second solo release. “Coryell” has also been decades out-of-print on vinyl, though reissued overseas (several times) on CD.

“Sex” opens the album with Coryell’s unusual vocal style though it is immediately apparent that the band is percolating with Rainey’s popping bass lines and Purdie’s poundings, Coryell’s solo is generational but very tasteful, as are his piano comps. “Beautiful Woman” is as ballad like as you could expect from Coryell, especially during his vocal passages, the tune moderately upshifts into appealing landscapes as Coryell (and Ron Carter’s bass) lead the proceedings with a smart and sparky jam; (*) note how Coryell really lifts off during the outro fade. 

On the LP version “The Jam with Albert” is an instrumental extravaganza closing side one: It’s rhythmic, melodic, and chaotic in a good way. Purdie’s and Stinson’s bass are not only locked tight, they are intertwined setting the foundation for Coryell’s bombastic rock-jazz guitar explorations that are borderline psychedelic and hypnotic; it’s a killer 9:20 track! “Elementary Guitar Solo #5” originally opened side two’s LP, draws from J.S. Bach’s classical origins.

Shortly after the theme is initiated, Rainey, Purdie and Mike Mandel’s piano veer towards improvisational rock, (note Rainey’s bass lines – wow), as Coryell gradually pushes the pedal and accelerates. At the end there is a fitting (second) nod to Bach, too. Julie Coryell’s “No One Really Knows” brings back husband Larry’s singing, but it doesn’t last long with an (instrumental) directional deviation as a nice (somewhat spacey) jam unravels. 

“Morning Sickness” originates as a fascinating instrumental that finds Rainey and Purdie in familiar surroundings setting their funky and signature styles – becomes unhinged when Coryell rips into another creative guitar solo in tandem with the famous rhythm section. The finale is the second Julie Coryell inclusion, this time instrumentally, it is the first time I noticed Jim Pepper’s flute; “Ah Wuv Ooh” is a very well written well thought out song that is also pretty and bright.

by Bob Putignano

Larry Coryell died Sunday, February 19th 2017, in New York City. Coryell, 73, passed away in his sleep at his hotel from natural causes. He’d performed his last two shows on Friday and Saturday, February 17 and 18, at the Iridium in New York City.

Tracks
1. Sex - 3:51
2. Beautiful Woman - 4:32
3. The Jam With Albert - 9:20
4. Elementary Guitar Solo #5 - 6:49
5. No One Really Knows (Julie Coryell) - 5:07
6. Morning Sickness - 5:20
7. Ah Wuv Ooh (Julie Coryell) - 4:22
All songs by Larry Coryell except where noted

Musicians
*Larry Coryell - Guitar, Vocals, Piano
*Bernard Purdie - Drums
*Albert Stinson - Bass
*Ron Carter - Bass, Guitar
*Chuck Rainey - Bass, Guitar
*MIke Mandel - Organ, Piano
*Jim Pepper - Flute

Related Act
1968  The Appletree Theatre - Playback (2009 remastered)  

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T.I.M.E.- Smooth Ball (1969 us, fantastic heavy psych classic rock, 2010 remaster)

Hard Times was a 1960s psychedelic garage rock band originally featuring Rudy Romero (vocals), Lee Keifer (vocals, guitar), Bill Richardson (lead guitar), Bob Morris (bass guitar), and Paul Wheatbread (drums). After relocating to L.A. to work with manager Florence Stanley, they made frequent appearances on Dick Clark's local TV show Where The Action Is and were the house band for a time at the Whisky A Go-Go.

They signed with World Pacific Records (a division of Liberty Records) in 1966, releasing several singles. Lee Keifer departed for a solo career (replaced by Larry Byrom) before their debut (and only) album Blew Mind was released by World Pacific in 1967.

After Bill Richardson quit, with only singer Rudy Romero, bassist Bob Morris, and drummer Paul Wheatbread remaining from Hard Times, the group released a single under the name New Phoenix, "Give To Me Your Love" b/w "Thanks" (World Pacific, 1968), produced by Mama Cass. After Rudy Romero left to launch his own solo career, the band split for good. Drummer Paul Wheatbread became a founding member of Gary Puckett and the Union Gap.

Guitarist Bill Richardson joined fellow former Hard Times player Larry Byrom in a psychedelic rock band named T.I.M.E. (Trust In Men Everywhere), alongside former Sparrows (aka Steppenwolf) member Nick St. Nicholas and drummer Steve Rumph.

Signed to the Hard Times' old label World Pacific Records, T.I.M.E. released a debut self-titled full-length in 1968, promoted with singles for "Make It Alright" and the non-album track "What Would Like Be Without It." After its release, St. Nicholas quit to rejoin the Sparrow (by then renamed Steppenwolf) and was replaced by Richard Tepp (Richard and the Young Lions), while Steve Rumph was replaced by Pat Couchois.

A sophomore album recorded with producer Al Schmidt, Smooth Ball, was released by Liberty Records in 1969. More psychedelic and hard rock than their debut effort, the album is highlighted by the ten-minute jam track "Morning Come."

Bill Richardson, who also managed local movie theaters, later became known as lounge singer and OB karaoke host Jose Sinatra.

SD-r

Tracks
1. Preparation G - 0:52
2. Leavin' My Home - 3:07
3. See Me As I Am - 5:46
4. I Think You'd Cry - 4:20
5. I'll Write A Song - 4:20
6. Lazy Day Blues - 1:44
7. Do You Feel It - 2:30
8. Flowers - 2:39
9. Morning Come - 10:03
10.Trust In Men Everywhere - 5:01
All songs arranged by T.I.M.E.

The T.I.M.E.
*Bill Richardson - Acoustic, Electric Guitars, Vocals
*Larry Byrom - Acoustic, Electric Guitars, Vocals
*Pat Couchois - Drums
*Richard Tepp - Bass Guitar

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Magna Carta - Magna Carta / Times Of Change (1969 uk, bright gifted harmonically psych folk)

In progressive rock circles, Magna Carta are a bit like the Little Engine That Could -- from relatively modest beginnings in 1969, they've endured across 36 years and counting, even as their louder, more heavily amplified rivals from the same era have long since been consigned to history. Acts such as King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer may be better (and much more widely) known, but Magna Carta have stayed together, making music decades longer. 

The group was founded in 1969 by Chris Simpson (who also sang) and Lyell Tranter on acoustic Gibson guitars and Glen Stuart singing harmony. Formed in London, they made their debut at the Coalhole Folk Club in Cambridge, and coming off of the enthusiastic response to the ten songs they did that night, Magna Carta were rolling. They were not, strictly speaking, a pure folk group even then, but utilized folk and traditional elements very heavily in their songwriting and sound, in a manner similar to that adopted by John David Gladwin and Terry Wincott of the Amazing Blondel at approximately the same time. 

by Bruce Eder

Tracks
1. Times Of Change - 2:50
2. Daughter Daughter - 4:08
3. Old John Parker - 2:47
4. I Am No More - 4:14
5. Ballad Of Francis Alabadalejo - 5:22
6. Spinning Wheels Of Time - 3:23
7. Romeo Jack - 3:39
8. Mid Winter - 3:35
9. Shades Of Grey - 3:13
10.Emily Thru' The Window Pane - 3:31
11.Sea And Sand - The Isle Of Pabay - 3:25
12.Seven O'Clock Hymn - 6:18
13.Seven O'Clock Hymn / Mid Winter (Live) - 12:50
All Music and Lyrics by Chris Simpson

The Magna Carta
*Glenn Stuart - Vocals
*Chris Simpson - Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
*Lyell Tranter - Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
Additional Musicians
*Harold Mcnair - Flute
*Johnny Van Derek - Fiddle
*Danny Thompson - String Bass
*Frank Hedges - Percussion
*Tony Carr - Percussion
*Spike Heatley - String Arranger

1969-2006  Magna Carta - Tomorrow Never Comes-The Anthology (2007 double disc remaster)

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Paul Jones - Crucifix In A Horseshoe (1971 uk, amazing psych soft rock with prog and glam tinges)

As lead singer of Manfred Mann during their early run of hits such as "Doo Wah Diddy Diddy," "Pretty Flamingo," and many, many others, Paul Jones was far more influential than people realize. Artists such as Arthur Lee have cited him as a primary influence, and for that fact alone, he should be recognized. After leaving Mann in 1966, Jones made one of the greatest cult films of all time, 1967's Privilege. 

This, though, his solo debut, is another step altogether. Always one of the more literate rockers of his era, Jones spends most of his time on this album making fun of stardom and all that goes with it. Hotel rooms, groupies, and the general grind of it all is the subject matter here, and it's all quite a bit of fun. As far as the music goes, much of it is more laid-back than anything Jones did with Manfred Mann, with a lot of country leanings.

Thomas Jefferson Kaye's production is a bit heavy-handed -- which is not much of a suprise. But in the end, it is an interesting record, sounding very much like a roots-oriented David Bowie record, slashing the tires of a car named "stardom." 

by Matthew Greenwald

Tracks
1. Life After Death (Paul Jones) - 3:21
2. Motel Blues (Loudon Wainwright III) - 4:00
3. And You Say I'm Too Dependent On My Mind (Paul Jones) - 6:01
4. Construction Worker's Song (Paul Jones) - 5:30
5. Song (For Stan Stunning And The Noodle Queen) (Paul Jones) - 3:40
6. The Pod That Came Back (Paul Jones) - 4:13
7. The Mighty Ship (Artie Resnick, Pat Poor) - 3:40
8. Who Are The Masters (Kris Resnick, Paul Jones, Rupert Holmes) - 3:32
9. Strangely Human Sound (Kris Resnick, Rupert Holmes) - 3:47

Musicians
*Paul Jones - Vocals
*Joy Askew - Vocals
*Roy Babbington - Bass
*Bobby Bloom - Vocals
*Gary Boyle - Guitar
*Buzz Brauner - Oboe
*Charlie Brown - Guitar
*Garnett Brown - Trombone
*Selwart Clark - Viola
*Bert Collins - Trumpet
*Don Corrado - French Horn
*Richard Crooks - Percussion, Vocals
*Joe Grimaldi - Tenor  Sax
*Jim Herd - Viola
*Artie Kaplan - Baritone Sax
*Thomas Jefferson Kaye - Acoustic  Guitar, Vocals
*Nisar Ahmad "George" Khan - Alto  Sax
*Kenneth Kosek - Fiddle, Acoustic  Guitar
*Martin Kupersmith - Acoustic  Guitar
*Weird Harold Liberman - Trumpet
*Dave Macrae - Keyboards
*Gene Mcdaniels - Vocals
*Roy O'temro - Drums
*Graham Preskett - Violin
*Robert Rizzo - Bass
*Vicki Sue Robinson - Vocals
*Kenith Vance - Vocals
*Joanne Vent - Vocals
*Ted Wender - Piano

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Magna Carta - Tomorrow Never Comes-The Anthology (1969-2006 uk, brilliant melodic melt of silky rock folk and blues, 2007 double disc remaster)

Magna Carta was founded in April, 1969, and is one of the longest running bands in the world today.

The band has seen a number of personnel changes, but the common factor has always been Chris Simpson. Song writer, poet, accoustic guitar player and vocalist, he has been largely responsible for the band's unique sound, and has had uncanny success in gathering high quality musicians around him. He founded the band with Lyell Tranter, guitarist, and Glen Stuart, vocalist extraordinaire, and their first professional gig was at the Cambridge Folk Festival. A year later the band cut the first of their 30 odd albums, six of which have gone Gold, and three Silver.

The essence of Magna Carta for the last twenty years has been Chris Simpson and Linda Simpson. Chris has been singing with Linda since 1984. They have been joined in recent years by Matt Barnhoorn, an outstanding Dutch fiddle player. In concert and on record they play with a variety of fine musicians, some of whom have been associated with Magna Carta for a long time. They continue to tour extensively.

MagnaC-history

This lavishly packaged, sprawling anthology is a fitting summary of Magna Carta’s varied discography. In the late 60s there were several approaches to folk music. Some, such as Fairport Convention, mined the traditional music of the past to reveal the rough vitality at its heart.

Others used the style and instrumentation - acoustic guitars, mandolins to create what was really soft-focus pop. This is not to denigrate the music that they created: those who took the latter course, like Magna Carta, had a lasting impact which can still be heard in the music of artists from David Gray to Badly Drawn Boy. Magna Carta’s early music was extremely pretty and indebted to Simon & Garfunkel and even Peter, Paul & Mary, but Chris Simpson’s songwriting always has a distinctive English flavour and, even when almost insufferably twee - Autumn Song, delights with its period charm and ravishingly beautiful warm sound.

The music ranges from folk-pop to rock and blues, and although the 80s pick offer some distractingly period keyboards, this carefully compiled selection provides an excellent overview of a songwriter quietly dedicated to his art.
by William Pinfold

Tracks
Disc 1
1. Midwinter - 3:32
2. Airport Song - 3:43
3. Elizabethan - 2:38
4. Autumn Song/Epilogue - 4:14
5. Time For The Leaving - 4:09
6. Sponge (Davey Johnstone) - 2:22
7. Wayfarin' - 3:47
8. Roll On - 3:07
9. Wish It Was - 3:35
10.Two Old Friends - 3:35
11.Father John - 6:43
12.Isn't It Funny - 2:34
13.Nothing So Bad - 3:50
14.Mixed Up Sensations/Old Man - 5:38
15.I'm Gonna Take You Down - 3:22
16.You Are Only What You Are - 3:43
17.Stop Bringing Me Down - 3:48
18.One Man's Heaven - 4:30
19.You And I - 4:27
20.Forever - 2:56
Words and Music by Chris Simpson except where stated

Disc 2
1. Slowbone - 3:01
2. Love On The Wire - 4:17
3. Visions In A Crowd - 5:00
4. Putting It Back Together - 3:15
5. Highway To Spain - 3:54
6. Danny - 3:05
7. Wild Geese - 4:21
8. Sting Of The Gin - 3:18
9. Wind On The Water - 5:03
10.Midnight Blue - 4:14
11.Blues For A Long Road Home - 3:50
12.For The Gypsy - 3:56
13.Pictures In My Pillow - 4:19
14.No Truth In The Rumour - 4:11
15.Winterlude/Ulysses - 7:02
16.Greenfields - 4:48
17.Columbus - 5:35
18.Seasons In The Tide - 4:52
Lyrics and Music by Chris Simpson

Personnel
*Chris Simpson - Vocals, Guitar
*Rick Wakeman - Keyboards
*Glen Stuart - Vocals
*Lyell Tranter - Guitar, Vocals
*Davey Johnstone - Guitar, Vocals
*Stan Gordon - Guitar, Vocals
*Tom Hoy - Guitar, Mandolin, Vocals
*Nigel Smith - Bass, Keyboards, Vocals
*Graham Smith - Vocals, Bass
*Pick Withers - Drums
*Robin Thyne - Vocals, Guitar, Percussion
*Lee Abbot - Bass, Vocals
*Tom Mcconville - Fiddle, Vocals
*George Norris - Guitar, Vocals
*Al Fenn - Guitar, Vocals
*Doug Morter - Guitar, Vocals
*Paul Burgess - Drums
*Matthew Letley - Drums
*Linda Taylor - Vocals, Guitar
*John Carey - Fiddle
*Simon Carlton - Guitar, Vocals
*Gwyn Hughes Jones - Keyboards, Vocals
*Matt Barnhoorn - Violin, Mandolin, Guitar

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