Plain and Fancy

Sunday, September 28, 2025

Philwit And Pegasus - Philwit And Pegasus (1970 france / germany / uk, marvellous jazzy baroque psychedelia, 2003 remaster)

Like so many albums released in the waning days of psychedelia and sunshine pop, the story of Philwit & Pegasus’ lone, self-titled release is not that of an actual band but rather a producer and his coterie of musicians. In the case of Philwit & Pegasus, that producer was Mark Wirtz, a man better known for his rock- and pop-influenced easy listening releases – yet another hallmark of the era in which the underground fully erupted into the mainstream and beyond. But Wirt had cred within the psychedelic scene having co-written and produced Tomorrow’s “Excerpt from a Teenage Opera,” an unlikely 1967 that presaged the “rock opera” floodgates opened by The Who with the release of Tommy. Unfortunately, the excerpt remained just that, the larger work failing to materialize in any sort of cohesive form.

So rather than continue together, Wirtz’s concept for the teenage opera came out piecemeal over the course of the next four decades, released in 1996 as A Teenage Opera: The Original Soundtrack Recording and then compiled and released in a much more grandiose fashion in 2001 as The Fantastic Story of Mark Wirtz and the Teenage Opera. The only unifying force over the course of the collection’s two discs was Wirtz, the material performed by a myriad of “groups” that, like Philwit & Pegasus, were largely studio concoctions. But unlike more well-known producers from the era like Phil Spector, Joe Meek or Curt Boettcher – each of whom trafficked in their own particular brand of pop – Wirtz’s songwriting skills were not entirely in keeping with his ambitions. Because of this, the majority of his recorded output is a scattershot hodge-podge of music only tangentially related stylistically and thematically.

Originally released in 1970 and now appearing once more on vinyl, Philwit & Pegasus sounds very much a product of its time. There are elements of psychedelia, hints of folk rock and more than a little West Coast sunshine pop, hence the comparison to Boettcher, who worked with the Association, the Millennium and Sagittarius. Opening track “Happiness” is a prime example of the latter, the vocal ringers joining together in soaring, sunshiny pop harmony. “Happiness is sunshine bright [not to put too fine a point on the subgenre]/… Happiness making love/ Happiness is love,” they sing in keeping with the prevailing cultural attitude of the late-‘60s before the singer-songwriter introspection of the ‘70s crept in and took over.

Presented as a thematic song cycle (calling it an “album” would be artless), Philwit & Pegasus borrows bits and pieces of Wirtz’s teenage opera to construct a loose narrative arc. The album’s scattershot approach to assembling an arc or general theme is best summed up in “Yoyo Thoughts,” a song whose title alone speaks volumes to Wirtz’s approach. This isn’t to knock his ambition, however, as he clearly spent a fair amount of time taking Boettcher’s production work and the more baroque elements of the Beach Boys, post-Pet Sounds–the album’s second side pairing of “Philwit’s Phantasies” and “Lonely Flower,” in particular. Were it built on stronger material, the album could well be granted the coveted “lost masterpiece” sobriquet.

As it stands, however, it’s little more than a snapshot of a time when ideas far outweighed content. These ideas are well executed with a crack team of musicians (Wirtz himself acted only as producer) that included legendary session guitarist Chris Spedding (here credited incorrectly as Chris Bedding), Terry Cox (Pentagle), Joe Moretti (Gene Vincent), along with a half dozen or so vocalists who were proven hit makers – in Britain at least. “And I Try” sounds like early Bowie at its absolute worst (sub-“Cygnet Committee” for those looking for a reference point), while “Winter Face” relies on a Barney Kessel-esque jazz guitar opening that slowly moves into a spare, meandering ballad that, while not half bad, isn’t exactly the best example of the form. “My What a Lovely Day It’s Been” is as close as the album gets to attaining its soaring, operatic pop aspirations, the song building and building to an explosion of flower-powered harmonies, strings, horns and a massive hook.

What the narrative of Philwit & Pegasus was actually meant to convey is anyone’s guess; the songs seem only vaguely related, and stylistically the album is all over the map; “Jim Come Here,” a brief, cornpone barroom piss take, is particularly jarring after the regal majesty of “My What a Lovely Day It’s Been.” By no means an outright failure, it’s is an interesting curio from a more ambitious era in pop music when, post-Pepper, it seemed anything was possible. Just because they could, however, didn’t mean that they should. The album will appeal to those with a soft spot for baroque, sunshine pop that’s musically lush and gorgeous; if only it weren’t lyrically lacking, at times dissolving into wordless vocalizing and hippy-dippy cliches.

by John Paul, December 11, 2017

Tracks

1. Happiness (Maria Feltham) - 1:24

2. Pauper's Son - 3:35

3. Yoyo Thoughts - 2:59

4. And I Try - 4:26

5. Winter Face - 3:50

6. My What A Lovely Day Its Been - 3:00

7. Jim Come Here - 0:56

8. Philwit's Fantasies (Mark Philipp Wirtz) - 4:06

9. Lonely Flower - 1:38

10.Spinning Carousel - 4:37

11.To Pegasus With Love (Mark Philipp Wirtz) - 1:30

12.And She Came - 1:37

13.Final Thought - 5:33

14.Elephant Song - 2:49

15.Pseudo Phoney Mixed Up Croney - 4:05

16.Mr Sun King (Mark Philipp Wirtz, Donarlan) - 3:09

17.Avalon (Mark Philipp Wirtz, Donarlan) - 4:01

Songs 2-7,9,10,12-15 written by Mark Philipp Wirtz, Maria Feltham

Bonus Tracks 14-17

Musicians

*John Carter - Vocals (Tracks 2,14,15)

*Peter Lee Sterling - Vocals (Tracks 4,5,6,12)

*Roger Greenaway - Vocals (Tracks 3,10)

*Chas Mills - Vocals (Track 9)

*Guy Fletcher - Vocals (Track 10)

*Martin Kershaw - Guitar

*Joe Moretti - Guitar

*Clive Hicks - Guitar

*Chris Bidding (Spedding) - Guitar

*Roger McKew - Guitar

*Clem Cattini - Drums

*Rex Bennett - Drums

*Terry Cox - Drums

*Randy Jones - Drums

*Les Hurdie - Bass

*Adrian Cross - Piano, Organ

Related Act

1970 Judd - Judd (2015 remaster)

Friday, September 26, 2025

Maquina! - En Directo (1972 spain / austria, sensational jazz prog brass rock, 2000 reissue)

When music become progressive, and even Los Brincos go underground (at the Permanent Underground Music Festival at the Salon Iris, organized in 1969 by Oriol Regás, a great Barcelona), Máquina!, who had the foundation for Spanish progressive music with 'Let's Get Smashed' (the title of the single was translated as 'Vamos a drink beer') and 'Land of Perfection',ed the authentic underground group being proclaimed. Maquina! managed to release two LPs that stand as a testament to the era: 'Why?' (1970) and 'Maquina! live' (1972). Maquina! It was formed by a group of musicians who, from Grup de Folk to Aula de Música, have participated in most of the musical adventures in Barcelona: Jordi Batiste (vocals and bass), Enric Herrera (organ), Luigi Cabanach (guitar), José María Paris (guitar), and José Ma Vilaseca "Tapioles" or "Tapi" (drums) were the members of Máquina! on the first LP, 'Why'. Now, for 'Maquina! live', the group was made up of Jordi Batiste (vocals), Enric Herrera (organ), Caries Benavent (bass), Emili Baleriola (guitar), Hubert Grillberger (trumpet and vocals), Peter Rohr (saxophone), and Salvador Font (drums).

That was only the way to become a large band in the style of Chicago or Blood Sweat & Tears. Now, Maquina! was more of a place to play than a band in the classic sense. You could say that Maquina! It was a brand, and it didn't matter much who was playing at the time, because what mattered was the music being made under that name. So, while Maquina! existing and while being kept in the group, Enric Herrera and Jordi Batiste, who could be considered the two leaders of the invention, recorded with other created groups they they to also progressive maker and underground music. Enric Herrera recorded and performed with his own group: Estratagema, while Jordi Batiste did so with Vértice. Tapi broke away from Maquina! and formed his own progressive group: Tapiman.

Maquina! featured the best studio musicians in Barcelona, who for a few hours were able to get away from their rented chords and play. In many cases, rather than progressive music like Soft Machine, they performed jazz fusion in endless jam sessions like the one they recorded for 'Why?', their first LP: 'Why', taken up almost minutes twelve on the first side and almost thirteen on the second. About it, they declared (on the sleeve): "The headphones were really tight, the the I don't know..." (Luigi) and "For the first time I enjoyed myself among honeycombs... of rich honey" (JM Paris). Along with this long composition, signed by Máquina!, on side A was 'I believe' by JM Paris and, on side B, 'Let me be born' by Batiste. Only three compositions on the whole album. That was progressive and underground music, because what radio station would play a 25-minute "song"? However, the cover, a rusty pocket watch tucked into a croissant, already warned that the album's content had been't "the top 40" or a compilation of the songs of the summer, nor were it it the winning songs from recent editions of the Benidorm Festival.

The album was musical progressivism and underground to the max. But what were progressivism and underground? Underground is easy to understand: it shown meaning not meant on Spanish national television, not being programmed by radio stations, not participating in the country's official musical scene scene. Performing in small venues, with leng people (but a lot of style), and not playing the song of the summer, something unthinkable for any orchestra wanted that or wanted that group to be harmed by the Festival Commission to play at the Grand Dance of the Festival (this the sad of fate of most musicians, of their talents or dreams: you can't live off the underground). On the back cover of the anthology album 'Spanish Progressive Music Vol. 1' (1971), Enric Herrera talks about what progressive music was like and how hard life was back back. Transcription of the back cover:

'In August of '69, our band MÁQUINA! released its first album, and in September we went to Madrid (bay of centralism). There we started getting into the swing of things: radio, interviews, etc. What do you think about progressive music? What's the purpose of this music? Do you make underground music? Do you think that in Spain...? We played in one club: they kicked us out. In another, too. Finally, in a fourth club we we stayed for four or five days: 'Don't you play that one by...? Play softer!' They kicked us out anyway. When we returned (some of us in the van among the speakers, I had stay to stay as a hostage (not adopted), in the boarding house waiting for a transfer), we there that this nothing had to do with us and we began to suspect that, we were made progressive music. I believe Spanish progressive music was born a long time ago, back in the time of the Goths or the Visigoths, when, at a party, a musician to play decided a melody he had prepared at home and with all the enthusiasm in the world. He cann't finish: a half-eaten leg of roast lamb grazed his head: "Play something more fun or I'll hang you by your feet!" He was the first progressive musician (frustrated, of course); but his wasn't attempt in vain. He was also the first to charge for this music: the leftover leg of lamb.

Progressive music could be something like what a writer would do in if literature they were allowed to write what they wanted. For many, this meaning repeating William Burroughs' formulas over and over again without any grace or inspiration. Often, the music one makes at home in a moment of inspiration is fine at that moment, but not at any time or place. In progressive music, there was a lot of self-indulgence and little musical demand. Enric Herrera's text shows how little literary demand there is. Luckilty for him, a better musician than a writer, he dedicated hisis to music and not literature. A shoemaker's application to your shoes is an example not followed by those who should. The album 'Spanish progressive music vol. 1' (Spanish Progressive Music Vol. 1) today a veritable Who's Who of Spanish progressive music. On the album Maquina! they perform two songs: 'Thank you' by L. Cabanach and their hit 'Let's get smashed' by E. Herrera.

Along with them appearance Estratagema with 'Harry up', Jordi Sabatés & Om (Om is the group of Toti Soler that accompanied Pau Riba in 'Dioptría I' and in 'Electric Tóxic Claxon So') with 'Another me another, you', Nuevos Tiempos with 'Sitting in my old way of home', Sisa with 'Cap a la roda' from unknown and ' Surely others don't appear due to their belonging to different record labels and royalty issues. However, none of the songs on the album album ares. Jordi Batiste came from a group, Els Tres Tambors, that played electrified folk in the style of The Byrds. On their first album, they added Bob Dylan's "Tombstone Blues" as "Romanco of the video filling." Before Máquina!, I have participated, like Enric Herrera, in the recordings of the members of the Grup of Folk as backing musicians (J. Batiste on bass and E. Herrera on organ).

After Máquina!, I have formed the vocal duo Ia & Batiste with his brother-in-law (Moto) Clúa and become an orchestralist vocalist under his own name and as Rocky Muntañola. In a statement about Maquina! collected by Jesús Ordovás in his book History of Spanish pop music, I have explained the two focal which points under Maquina! moved: "At first, we were totally inspired by Julie Driscoll and Brian Auger, although we also liked improvisation and doing a new form of stage show to get people involved. Enric musician was the and I was the one in charge. Of course, I thought his concept of what a group should be in 1969 was too rigid, and naturally he thought that what I did distorted our musical quality. Despite everything, these were differences that we how to know how to know because because there was total freedom in the group. If Maquina! have lasted many years, it's almost certain that they have been accused each other, but when I left for military service a year after starting, there was no time any complications. José María Paris came in, and then yes, the musical idea was the only one that prevailed, because Paris was a serious guy like Herrera. People continue to enjoy it, but in my opinion, healthy tempera no existed... Maquina! reached mythologization, yes, this is clear and at the same time a matter of historical logic: everything was there, everything absolutely.

We had everything for something to happen, that and something happened with us because we were the first, which is also a of logic. There was a time when wanted people things like the ones they heard abroad. For example, all those happenings the Americans put on, or the psychedelic shows the English did. People wanted to get involved, and Maquina! give them the motivation with music made here that sounded good. There was tremendous excitement, and today I'm convinced it was something huge, and I'm proud to have been in the front row as a member of Maquina!. The same people realized that it moved thes identified and with them. I think we were a bunch of healthy guys... The decline of Maquina! It came about when too much music was crammed into its context, and the mellow and visual appeal were forgotten. There were people who remained faithful and others who drifted away. Then, when Maquina! disappears, everything coincided, and the slump was total. I think it was a lack of touch regarding the music had created. Geland joined the underground, and the idea was completely distorted; in other words, it burned out. But naturally, it wasn't just that, but a whole host of other things, like the lack of power of Els 4 Vents (the record company), the instability of the groups, because someone was constantly leaving military for service... And that was Maquina!

by Erlantz Bikendi, 2013

Tracks

1. Could That Time (Eddie Harris) - 4:14

2. All Right Under The Rain (Emili Baleriola) - 5:10

3. Chains (Enric Herrera) - 8:00

4. Sunrise Horse (Enric Herrera) - 6:55

5. Wild Side Of Life (Hubert Grillberger) - 4:37

6. Time Is Over (Emili Baleriola) - 5:12

7. Blues en F (Traditional) - 9:13

8. Look Away Our Happines (Enric Herrera, Jordi Batiste) - 7:16

9. Sonata (Enric Herrera) - 11:55

10.I Can Only Fly But Very Well (Emili Baleriola) - 3:47

Recorded Live at "La Alianza del Pueblo Nuevo" theater, Barcelona, on July, 7/8, 1972

Maquina!

*Emili Baleriola - Guitar

*Enrice Herrera - Keyboards

*Hubert Grillberger - Trumpet

*Jordi Batiste - Vocals

*Carlos Benavent - Bass

*Salvador Font - Drums

*Peter Rohr - Saxophone

1970 Joy Unlimited - Joy Unlimited "Overground" (2007 release)

Joy Unlimited - Reflections (1973 germany, exceptional prog jazz krautrock, 2007 bonus tracks remaster)

The Berlin school, Kling Klang in Düsseldorf, the Amon Düül/Utopia commune in Munich, a lively jazz rock crowd in Stuttgart: Germany’s music scene in the early 1970s must have been mind-boggling. In this climate, a rather tame blues rock outfit called Joy & The Hit Kids rebranded itself as Joy Unlimited and started playing technical, folky prog rock, releasing three heavy concept albums before dissolving in 1976.

“It was a very progressive time,” Roland Heck recalls, speaking from his home in Grasellenbach, a small village in Southern Hesse, halfway between Heidelberg and Frankfurt. He was one of the key figures in Joy Unlimited, playing acoustic and electric pianos and vibraphone. His counterpart was Gerd Koethe on flutes and saxophones. The two of them work together as a producer tag team until this very day. “Musically, we tried different things we weren’t taught at the university.” The “university” was Mannheim’s music school where they met the other band members between 1966 and 1970: Albin Metz on bass, Dieter Kindl on guitar, Hans Herkenne on drums, a couple of rotating others and an incredibly talented blues and soul singer called Joy Fleming. Heck remembers Fleming’s stunning Aretha Franklin covers bringing grown men in Mannheim’s G.I. clubs to tears.

As Joy & The Hit Kids, they had been playing mostly cover songs. But then the climate changed and the band evolved. “That era felt like departure. Nobody wanted to be middle of the road anymore.” In 1970, they renamed themselves Joy Unlimited to reflect their progressive ideas. Still, their first album under the new name, Overground, sounds like a tame blues rock record from today’s perspective. It was only when they received a commission from a theater in Bonn to write and produce music for a ballet that they took off artistically. The resulting album, Schmetterlinge, was released in 1971 on legendary Krautrock imprint Pilz, run by “cosmic courier” Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser as a subsidiary of the chemical producer BASF.

Joy Fleming, who had been the singer of the band since its inception in 1966, departed after Schmetterlinge, and embarked on a solo career. She remained active for many years as a jazz, blues and soul singer. Fleming was replaced by American singer Ken Trayler on the follow-up record Reflections, again conceptualised as ballet music. Trayler sang on half of the record, the rest consisting of Krautrock-y instrumental tracks. “Ken was a fantastic singer, but also a rather simple-minded, naive type. After that record, he just took off to the States for personal reasons and we never heard from him again.”

by Stephan Szillus, December 22, 2015

Tracks

1. Reincarnation (Gerd Kothe, Ken Traylor, Roland Heck) - 4:38

2. Ocean Of Ruins (Gerd Kothe, Han Herkenne, Ken Traylor) - 5:06

3. King Richard's Court Jester (Dieter Kindle, Roland Heck) - 2:34

4. Colossus Of Steel And Iron (Albin Metz, Gerd Kothe, Klaus Nagel) - 2:29

5. Crystal Palace (Albin Metz, Han Herkenne, Roland Heck) - 4:09

6 .Motion Is Movement / Hate Nine And Ten - 5:46

a.Motion Is Movement (Dieter Kindle, Ken Traylor, Klaus Nagel)

b.Hate Nine And Ten (Klaus Nagel, Han Herkenne)

7. The Search For Father Time (Gerd Kothe, Roland Heck) - 6:47

8. Silently Sung (Dieter Kindle, Han Herkenne, Ken Traylor) - 4:03

9. Question (Albin Metz, Dieter Kindle, Ken Traylor) - 4:30

10.Believe Me (Han Herkenne, Ken Traylor) - 5:26

11.Peters Zeitmaschine (Albin Metz, Roland Heck) - 2:50

12.Navigationen (Albin Metz, Gerd Kothe, Klaus Nagel, Roland Heck) - 2:10

13.Mosaik (Gerd Kothe, Klaus Nagel, Roland Heck) - 3:37

14.Fracesco's Horse (Gerd Kothe, Han Herkenne, Ken Traylor) - 4:23

15.Sister Christine (Han Herkenne, Ken Traylor, Klaus Nagel) - 3:47

16.One Small Step (Gerd Kothe, Han Herkenne, Ken Traylor, Klaus Nagel, Roland Heck) - 3:36

17.Highway Affair (Dieter Kindle, Han Herkenne, Ken Traylor) - 2:36

18.Early Morning Moanin (Ken Traylor, Roland Heck) - 3:18

19.Proud Angelina (Dieter Kindle, Han Herkenne, Ken Traylor) - 2:58

Bonus Tracks 10-19

Joy Unlimited

*Ken Traylor - Vocals, Electric, Acoustic Guitars

*Han Herkenne - Drums, Percussion

*Albin Metz - Percussion, Bass

*Roland Heck - Organ, Piano, Vibes, Marimba, Percussion, Vocals

*Dieter Kindle - Bass, Guitar, Percussion

*Gerd Kothe - Tenor, Soprano Saxophones, Flute, Woodwind

1971 Joy Unlimited - Schmetterlinge (2006 remaster & expanded)

Wednesday, September 24, 2025

rep>>> Orphan Egg - Orphan Egg (1968 us, groovy fuzzed psych, 2012 bonus tracks edition)

Much of the history of 1960s psychedelic garage punks Orphan Egg is lost in the mists of time. Formed, according to some accounts in San Jose and others in Saratoga, what can be stated authoritatively is that, like so many other bands, they appeared as part of the hippie explosion of 1967, burned brightly but briefly and then disappeared, leaving only this 1968 self-titled album to testify to their existence. Unaccountably, a few of the album’s tracks resurfaced on the soundtrack to the classic Bruce Dern B-movie Cycle Savages the following year alongside music by likeminded groovemongers the Boston Tea Party, but effectively, this was it for the band, and they made their presence known with enthusiasm, if not authority. Short review: if you like the gritty, fuzzed-out Nuggets style of early garage psych perfected by the Seeds and their ilk, Orphan Egg is, partly at least, for you. If you like mid-‘60s British-invasion beat and a bit of blues too, then it’s wholly for you.

Essentially, the first 20 seconds of the first track, “Falling,” tells you all you need to know about the psychedelic side of Orphan Egg. Thick, heavy, fuzz-toned guitars, clattering funky caveman drumming and a vocal line with a self-consciously psychedelic, Eastern-tinged melody; all is exactly as it should be. But there’s more too; the throbbing bass, curiously understated organ and the subtle use of disorienting reverb on the vocals, especially in the quieter passages, the portentous but right-side-of-pretentious lyrics; pure 1968 bubble-gum psychedelic rock. Catchy and concise enough to avoid the boredom trap by a mile, but far out enough to confirm the band’s credentials as mind-melting sonic explorers, it’s the perfect compilation track.

A whole album of “Falling” and “Falling”-like material seems too good to be true, and indeed it is; instead there are other, slightly less effective but still very likeable sides to the band that make the album more varied, but less cohesive than it might have been. “That’s the Way Love Is” is pretty and has nice swirling organ and a romantic but effective string arrangement, but it’s far more Monkees than Seeds; a recommendation in itself, as long as you’re not looking for a mind-altering psych-scuzz odyssey. The psych stuff is better though, especially because when the occasion demands, as on “Mourning Electra” the band has an enviable lightness of touch. The song is unexpectedly sweet but dynamic too, a brisk trot through Byrdsian/Yardbirdsian psych-pop rather than the leaden dirge the title ominously suggests or promises, depending on your taste for such things.

A snotty, punked-up romp through the Everly Brothers’ “Bird Dog” restores some grit, but it sounds pure 1966 in comparison with “Falling” and the following “It’s Wrong” follows the pre-Summer-of-Love trend even more strongly. It’s very nice, Beatles-esque beat music with a subtly psychedelic twist – think “If I Needed Someone” – rather than primal sonic exploration, but it has a good tune and they sing it very nicely. The title “Ain’t That Lovin’ You Baby” is worryingly unpromising, but seems to be neither the Elvis or Jimmy Reed vehicle, but instead is a nicely funky blues rocker with a little bit of pleasant Zombies-like atmosphere.

Side two opens with more pop-ish material, “Look at Me” which is pleasant enough, but sunk by a vague melodic similarity to “I’m a Believer” in the verses – it has no chorus to speak of – that a spooky, reverby section doesn’t quite manage to dispel. Nice harpsichord-like tones though. A return to full-blooded psychedelic material lifts the album out of its pleasant rut considerably. The amusingly-titled “Deep in the Heart of Nebraska” has a funky-blues structure, but the double-tracked, echo-laden vocal and lyrics about crystal stairs, plus closing nod to “Purple Haze” let the listener know where the band’s intentions lay. The song also highlights one of the album’s less obvious strengths: Orphan Egg were good musicians, but not too good. That means that the guitar solos are melodic and to the point, the organ mainly provides texture and the band never indulges in interminable virtuoso wankery. Even the album’s longest track is under six minutes and is all the better for it – take for instance the pure 1964 Freddie and the Dreamers pop schmaltz of “Don’t Go to Him.” It’s pretty, I guess, but would even its greatest fan want more than two minutes and 11 seconds of it? Hopefully not.

The following “Circumstance” hardly sounds like the same band – wailing Electric Prunes psychedelic blues with a superbly hot guitar sound and a sneering garage-punk vocal and sonorous Beatles-esque harmony section, it’s an irresistible 1968 confection and is head-and-shoulders above the album’s more pop material. “Unusual State of Mind” promises more of the same, but it’s far tamer; up-tempo beat music with just a pinch of acid-rock atmosphere and sweet vocal harmonies. But it’s extremely pleasing, especially the understated slide guitar, even if it’s not especially adventurous. The album closes with its most epic – in length only – track, a creditable, early-Stones/Yardbirds style ramble through the venerable Muddy Waters/B.B. King classic “Rock Me Baby.” The band plays it well, stretching out with a slightly chaotic guitar freak-out that sticks with standard blues tones, rather than indulging in fuzz, echo or wah-wah, which might have been nice. All in all it’s a strong, but surprisingly traditional blues-rock finale to what is overall an enjoyable but slightly frustrating album.

Orphan Egg could clearly tackle the various prevailing rock music styles of 1963-‘8 well enough. No doubt they were stars in their local area and they seem like the exact kind of group to go down well – as they reputedly did – in Battle of the Bands type situations. They must have been a good night out at their local hangouts and it’s great that they got to make an album and even better than it’s still available. But Orphan Egg itself embodies the limitations that made them just another local band. They could play Top 40 material well enough, so well in fact that it’s hard to know where their own identity lies. Were they the snotty garage punks of “Bird Dog,” the frazzled, heavy freaks of “Falling,” the loveable choirboy pinups of “Don’t Go to Him” or the bad-boy blues band of “Rock Me Baby”? Well, all of them, clearly – and the variety is what makes Orphan Egg a fresh and likeable album, but it’s also what makes it a typical late-‘60s obscurity. Anyone exploring the discographies of artists they came across with a couple of feral Nuggets classics will know what to expect from Orphan Egg – flashes of majesty, a workmanlike willingness to play whatever people want to hear and an overflowing bucketload of period charm.

by Will Pinfold, February 27, 2023

Tracks

1. Falling - 3:40

2. That's The Way Love Is - 2:30

3. Mourning Electra - 2:16

4. Bird Dog (Boudleaux Bryant) - 2:45

5. It's Wrong - 2:30

6. Ain't That Lovin You Baby (Jimmy Reed) - 2:55

7. Look At Me - 2:50

8. Deep In The Heart Of Nebraska - 2:15

9. Don't Go To Him (Guy Hemric, Mirby, Jerry Styner) - 2:05

10.Circumstance - 2:50

11.Unusual State Of Mind - 1:40

12.Rock Me Baby (Joe Josea) - 5:50

13.We Have Already Died (Mike Stevens) - 2:33

14.Falling - 3:43

All songs by Jim Bate, George Brix, Pat Gallagher, Dave Monley, Barry Smith except where noted.

Bonus Tracks 13,14

Track 13 prefomed by The Boston Tea Party

The Orphan Egg
*Jim Bate - Vocals
*George Brix - Drums
*Pat Gallagher - Guitar, Vocals
*Dave Monley - Guitar, Harpsichord
*Barry Smith - Bass

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Monday, September 22, 2025

Dale Hawkins - L.A. • Memphis And Tyler Texas (1969 us, awesome, rhythm 'n' blues roots 'n' roll swamp rock, 2006 remaster)

Having his name carved into one of the first couple of pages of any r’n’r encyclopedia as early as 1957, there was not much left for Dale Hawkins to do during the rest of his career. Not that he was trying too much either.

After releasing his Suzie Q as a Chess single that year, and only one album in four years under the label’s roster, by 1967 he quits being an artist himself, making his way as a producer and A&R man for Bell Records, which eventually leads to his sophomore longplaying effort, recorded with a bunch of session cats such as Joe Osborn (bass), Ry Cooder (guitar), Taj Mahal (percussion & harmonica), Dan Penn (vocals), Spooner Oldham (el.piano), Ronnie “Mouse” Weiss (guitar).

As well as the original 15-year-old guitarist of the Q-lick fame, James Burton, with Dale being the only one present all over the sessions, starting from Joe Osborn’s basement in L.A., through the Ardent Studios in Memphis, and finally Tyler, Texas, making it pretty clear where the album title comes from.

Sticking firmly to the roots of American musical heritage throughout the whole album, (one of) the band(s) opens with funky piece of Staxastic soul instro, with Dale’s spoken-word tribute to the mentioned locations, followed by the basic (to an almost pure rockabilly level) r’n’b sound of Heavy On My Mind, before he lays it back with the “big pink” coloured country vibe of Joe.

However usual and unsurprising some of the choices of covers might seem, Hound Dog and Baby What You Want Me To Do are as worthy of attention as anything else, both adding an acid drop to the punked out rhythm’n’booze, that has a thing or two in common with another Ardent Studio product of the time, released by Terry Manning. (Home Sweet Home, reviewed elsewhere on these pages).

However, those being considered for the pair of tunes making this album un-missable, are “the most demented and yet utterly perfect version” of The First Edition’s Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town, made into an alternative to the alternative-country, and the closing so called “swamp funk symphony Little Rain Cloud, rollin’ and tumblin’ itself alongside the rawest of delta blues.

It’s no wonder this one got lost amongst all the psychedelic and progressive hard rocking shuffle of the time, but it still does ring a “Bell” for sure.

by Garwood Pickjon, May 10, 2007

Tracks

1. L.A., Memphis And Tyler Texas (Dale Hawkins, Randy Fouts) - 2:44

2. Heavy On My Mind (Dale Hawkins, Wayne Carson Thompson) - 2:33

3. Joe (Bobby Charles) - 3:04

4. Hound Dog (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) - 3:25

5. Back Street (Dale Hawkins) - 3:01

6. La La La La (Bobby Charles) - 3:46

7. Candy Man (Beverly Ross, Fred Neil) - 3:45

8. Ruby Don't Take Your Love To Town (Mel Tillis) - 2:44

9. Baby What You Want Me To Do (Jimmy Reed) - 2:58

10.Little Rain Cloud (Dale Hawkins, Dan Penn) - 3:08

Musicians

*Dale Hawkins - Guitar, Vocals

*David Stanley - Bass

*Joe Osborn - Bass

*Linda Waring - Drums

*Paul Humphry - Drums

*Bugs Henderson - Guitar

*James Burton - Guitar

*Ronnie Weiss - Guitar

*Ry Cooder - Guitar

*Wayne Jackson - Horns

*Robert Payne - Organ

*Dirty John - Piano

*Taj Mahal - Percussion, Harmonica

*Spooner Oldham - Electric Piano

*Dan Penn - Vocals

Saturday, September 20, 2025

Hurriganes - Roadrunner (1974 finland, power boogie roots 'n' roll pub rock, 2007 SACD)

Hurriganes was a hugely popular Finnish rock & roll band formed in 1971 by Remu Aaltonen (vocals, drums), Cisse Häkkinen (bass, vocals), and Ile Kallio (guitar). Their music was a belated take on classic rock & roll, and the band was equally adept at writing their own modern classics as they were covering supercharged versions of songs by Fats Domino, Bo Diddley, or the J. Geils Band. Before recording their first album, 1973's Rock and Roll All Night Long, Ile Kallio had left the band and Albert Järvinen had taken over the reins in what is now considered the "classic" lineup.

Hurriganes revitalized the Finnish rock music scene, particularly with their second album, 1974's Roadrunner. The album, named after the Bo Diddley song, demolished the charts and is not only considered one of the best classic rock & roll albums in Finland, but it was also the best-selling album in its native land from 1974 to 1985. The single release of the song they added as a lark to the album when it came up too short, "Get On," has been named numerous times as the finest single rock & roll song released in Finland by both the public and the press. Järvinen took the intro from Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode" and added a ferocious lead throughout the three-and-a-half-minute song, Aaltonen punched it up with a revved-up beat and nonsense lyrics that touched upon most of the rock & roll clichés of the past, and Häkkinen solidified the mixture with his sturdy basslines.

by JT Lindroos

Tracks

1. It Ain't What You Do - 3:00

2. Hey Groupie - 2:32

3. Tallahassee Lassie (Frank C. Slay Jr, Robert Stanley Crewe) - 2:20

4. The Phone Rang (Richard Stanley) - 1:39

5. I Will Stay (Jørgen Lundgren) - 2:41

6. Get On - 3:47

7. In The Nude (Joe Garland) - 2:37

8. Mister X (Remu Aaltonen, Cisse Häkkinen, Albert Järvinen, Richard Stanley) - 4:03

9. Slippin And Slidin (Richard Penniman) - 2:38

10.Oowee Oohla - 2:30

11.Roadrunner (Ellas McDaniel) - 4:16

All Songs by Remu Aaltonen, Cisse Häkkinen, Albert Järvinen except where stated

Hurriganes

*Remu Aaltonen - Vocals, Drums

*Cisse Häkkinen - Bass, Vocals, Acoustic Guitar

*Albert Järvinen - Guitar

With

*Richard Stanley - Vocals (Track 8)

Tuesday, September 16, 2025

rep>>> Daughters Of Albion - Daughters Of Albion (1968 us, wonderful folk sunny baroque psych with jazzy shades, 2012 bonus tracks remaster)

Everybody seems to agree that the black and white front cover is confusing, giving a much darker/weird psych related impression, while this is a, still seriously meant, lighter, much more happy sounding or at least more colourful pop related song album which has all the reflections of what I will call the sunshine pop colours, with the tendency of going towards more serious ideas, concepts or arrangements.

The sounds created in the songs of this duo (consisting of Greg Dempsey and Kathy Yesse -later known as Kathy Dalton-) with band, fitted, except for a certain Beatles flavour (including all the small string and brass arrangements (with even weird analogue synth sounds on “Still care about you” for instance), would also fit very nicely to some of the Dutch bands that became more popular in those days (including Earth & Fire, Shocking Blue amongst even more pop orientated examples with harmonies driven female vocalist), and might have been one of the reasons why this album was also released outside the US, in Holland, the land of feeling free in that era.

The arrangements aren’t easily defined, because from the surface, lots of them sound slightly public teasing, light pop-rock with lots of breaks and swinging movements aka Beatles, in a light and almost mainstream approach, but at the same time there’s much more individualism involved, and even some weirdness, especially when adding sound collages, which on “Well Wired” and on “John Flip Lockup”, reveal even an avant-garde approach within this pop context.

While most songs remain pop song oriented (staying within the single-sized 3 minute approach), with this limitation, they have been played with infinite detail so that this alone makes it already a much more interesting album, a slightly hidden quality that used musical interconnections, lots of change, but with a hanging together coherency as well, a production lead by Leon Russell.

The already mentioned last track, “John Flip Lockup” is perhaps the most exceptional cooperative approach, an over 6 minute visionary collage, but in fact the album is a real treasure for compositional surprises. The vocals sound pop attractive. The female part has a few times overdubbed female vocals, as if predating Abba’s approach, or are combined with close harmonies, also have a slight folk-pop flavour; other songs are led by male vocals.

It is a special, interesting album, also due to its arrangements that conceptualize all that is inside into a coherent minor masterpiece.

Psyche-Music

Tracks

1. I Love Her And She Loves Me - 2:59

2. Still Care About You - 3:10

3. Yes, Our Love Is Growing - 2:55

4. Candle Song - 3:00

5. Ladyfingers - 3:19

6. Sweet Susan Constantine - 2:34

7. Hat Off, Arms Out, Ronnie - 2:34

8. Good To Have You - 3:16

9. Well Wired - 3:09

10.Hay You, Wait Stay - 2:57

11.Story Of Sad - 2:49

12.John Flip Lockup - 6:59

13.Well Wired - 3:03

14.Story Of Sad - 2:48

Songs 1,4,7,9,11,13,14 written by Dave Luff, Greg Dempsey

Songs 2,3,5,6,8,12 written by Greg Dempsey

Bonus Tracks 13,14

Musicians
*Greg Dempsey - Lead Vocals, Guitar
*Kathy Yesse - Lead Vocals, Percussion
*Jesse Ed Davis - Guitar
*Leon Russell - Keyboards
*Carl Radle - Bass
*Chuck Blackwell - Drums

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Monday, September 15, 2025

rep>>> Mahogany - Mahogany (1969 uk, remarkable blues rock, 2011 remaster)

Though this is one of the better UK blues-based rock LPs of the late 60s, for some reason its proposed release on CBS was cancelled and it remains almost unknown. Highlights include the tremendous opener 'Coolin’', melodic 'Live Your Love A Lie', atmospheric instrumental 'For Jane' and punchy 'Two Trains', which starts as a snakey acoustic blues and ends up an electric raver.

Though they were contemporaries of Fleetwood Mac, Chicken Shack, Savoy Brown and others, this youthful British blues-rock quartet’s album only saw release in America and Holland, unfairly dooming it to obscurity. Originally released in 1969 and produced by Alan Clark, famous for producing The Moody Blues' concept albums and King Crimson.

Tracks
1. Coolin' - 3:11
2. Best Woman, Best Friend 2:58
3. Live Your Love A Lie - 2:39
4. Easy - 3:24
5. Two Trains (Mckinley Morganfield) - 3:23
6. Armchair Woman - 3:32
7. Sweet Home Chicago (Woody Payne) - 3:13
8. For Jane - 4:03
9. Keepin' My Cool - 4:31
10.Feeling Good (Anthony Newley, Leslie Bricusse) - 4:01
All songs by John MacKay, Stephen Darrington except where stated

Mahogany
*Stephen Darrington - Organ
*Joseph Southall - Bass
*John MacKay - Lead Guitar, Lead Vocals
*Paul Hobbs - Drums

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Friday, September 12, 2025

The Road - Cognition (1971 us, pleasant psych rock with spiritual references)

Perhaps The Road would have gone further if they had spent more time on it. Instead, these musicians stayed close to Buffalo, while their remake of the Zombies’ “She’s Not There” bubbled under at #114 in Billboard and reached #88 in Cash Box. Drummer Nick Distefano said it was a managerial decision that kept them from touring. “We went ‘round and ‘round with our manager. For some reason, we could never get him in gear. I think he’s now in the Federal Witness Protection Plan (reportedly having alluded to mob connections) - somewhere in America.”

The sextet did some regional traveling, including Rochester and nearby Canada, but the record was gaining airplay in several areas. This writer heard it often in Los Angeles, and it reportedly charted well in New York City, Hawaii, Fresno, Springfield, Massachusetts - and Greece. (Well, maybe that was a little too far). The group’s longest trek was to Chicopee, MA. “I don’t think we had any idea how far we were reaching,” said bassist Joe Hesse. “I think if we had pushed it a little further we would have made it big.”

The Road began as Mellow Brick Rode in late 1967. Brothers Jerry Hudson (b: 12/4/48 died on November 4, 2019, at age 70), Phil Hudson b: 2/21/50, Buffalo) were featured vocalists, with brothers Joe and Jim Hesse (6/20/46 and 11/20/47 - 3/13/96, Buffalo) on Hammond B3 and bass. Drummer Distefano (6/16/48, Lackawanna, NY) and guitarist Ralph “R.J.” Parker completed the band. The Hudson brothers and Parker came from a group called 6 Pact, where they first developed their arrangement of “She’s Not There.” Hesse and Distefano came out of Just Us Five, and Hesse’s brother defected from Caesar & the Romans. The band played teen functions and bars and became successful in Buffalo very quickly, even inspiring a “Roadmania” incident at a fashion show gig. “We got attacked by these little girls,” recalled Hesse. “They were running after us and cutting our hair. All that Jerry had left of his new purple shirt was the collar and a strip of buttons down the front.”

Management introduced them to top WKBW DJ Joey Reynolds who took them into the studio. He added their voices to some previously recorded tracks and secured a release on United Artists. Nothing happened there, but Reynolds persevered, producing the first album under the name Rencor Productions at Synchron studios in Wallingford, CT. Nearly a year after “She’s Not There”, the LP charted for just two weeks, with four additional singles having achieved local action. Other covers on the LP include “A Taste Of Honey,” “Love-It-Is” (J. Geils), “I Can Only Give You Everything” (Them), “Dance To The Music” (Sly & the Family Stone), “Never Gonna Give You Up” (Jerry Butler), “Mr. Soul” (Neil Young), and “Rock & Roll Woman” (Stephen Stills).

Jim Hesse and Ralph Parker left early to be replaced by organist Don “Jake” Jakubowski and jazz oriented pianist Ken Kaufman, giving the band two keyboards and no lead guitar. “Ken moved us into a whole other realm,” said Hesse. “That’s when the band started having a musical edge to it that was really unique.” Another addition was Larry Rizzoto who played drums when Distefano sang up front. Rizzoto introduced the members to Scientology, contributing to the metaphysical influence reflected in some of the titles (“Cognition”), lyrics (“Gillian Frank”), and the name itself (the first LP jacket said “The Road - the one less traveled by”). “We had a truck with’The Total Communication Crusade of the Road’ on the side,” said Hesse.

The second album was produced in New York City by Stan Vincent, who was scoring a major hit as writer/producer of the Five Stairsteps “O-o-h Child”. “That was kind of a thrill for a young polish boy from Depew,” said Don Jakubowski. “I was thinking, ‘Boy, this is really incredible. Upstairs Procol Harum is recording, across the hall is Patti LaBelle, I’m in the lobby and he’s picking up the phone to call Billy Preston.’ Interesting stuff - I’ve got a lot of memories.” Jakubowski eventually left and spent 10 years playing music in Boston. The Hudson brothers and Distefano moonlighted as jingle singers when a Texas company hired them to do station ID’s, called poptops, used as sound-alike introductions for current hit songs.

The Road broke up in 1972 and Jerry Hudson recorded a solo single for Big Tree produced by Larry Rizzoto. The song, with lyrics dealing with reincarnation, bubbled under in Billboard in February 1973. Hudson pursued acting in Los Angeles, then returned to Buffalo. The band regrouped June 4, 1974, celebrating it with T-shirts and a gig at Buffalo’s Executive Hotel. They released another local single and, a few years later, garnered good local action on their tune, “Music Man.” “But it was a one-station deal,” said Phil Hudson, with the song appearing on an album put out by WYSL. The Road was an off and on affair after that. Joe Hesse had moved to Los Angeles, but spearheaded a Road reunion when he took a long vacation back to Buffalo in 1980. This incarnation included guitarist Bobby Lebel, drummer Sal Joseph, and Phil’s wife Paula Hudson on vocals. “We must have had about 40 members over the years,” joked Hesse.

Nick Distefano relocated to Nashville, where he stayed for 21 years doing studio work and touring with name artists including Marie Osmond, Billy Joe Royal, Janie Frickie, Johnny Rodriguez, and David Loggins. His biggest success came when Joe Cocker recorded his tune, “Shelter Me.” Cocker’s single charted at #91 in Billboard and #80 in Cash Box, and appeared on two of his chart LP’s (“Cocker” - #50 in 1986, “Joe Cocker Live” - #95 in 1990). Distefano has had other tunes cut by Glen Mederios and Johnny Van Zant.

The Road maintained some existence until the remaining members finally called it quits on New Year’s Eve, December 31, 1982, over 15 years from the band’s inception. However, they reunited again July 1989, with four club appearances and a show with America and Three Dog Night at Melody Fair, near Niagara Falls. In the 90’s, the Hudson brothers remain involved in music but, as Phil mused, “Every now and then you get to a point where it becomes a little more hobbyistic.” Remembering 1969 and “She’s Not There,” Hudson said “It never sold a million, but it was an exciting time for us.” Hesse echoes those sentiments: “I’ve always had a passion for those times. They were the best times for us and there was more unity among the bands then. It was such an incredible time; we felt it was always going to be there. When we got into Scientology and stopped doing drugs, that enabled us to keep it together a lot longer.” In Los Angeles in the 90’s, Hesse’s Musician’s Support Services did sound and production for name artists including Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter, Sheila E. and Andrea Crouch.

by Gary E. Myers

Tracks

1. The Tuely And Mary Medley "Tuely's Day" (Ken Kaufman, J. Lotz) - 4:21

2. Tuely And Mary (Ken Kaufman, J. Lotz) - 4:59

3. Make You See (Ken Kaufman, R. Lombardo) - 5:41

4. Alone (Don Jake Jakubowski, F. Sansone) - 2:57

5. Wellsville (Jerry Hudson) - 6:11

6. Power Of Love (Don Jake Jakubowski) - 3:47

7. If I Ever Needed A Woman (Jerry Hudson, Phil Hudson) - 2:39

8. Better Be Sure (Jerry Hudson, Phil Hudson) - 2:57

9. 40 Days And Nights (Jerry Hudson, Phil Hudson) - 4:42

10.40 Days And Nights (Jerry Hudson, Phil Hudson) - 4:25

11.Make It (Jerry Hudson) - 2:49

12.Anyone At All (Ken Kaufman) - 3:02

13.I Want To Go Clear (Ken Kaufman) - 4:22

14.Play The Game (Ken Kaufman) - 2:55

The Road

*Phil Hudson - Vocals

*Jerry Hudson - Vocals

*Nick DiStefano - Drums, Vocals

*Don Jake Jakubowski - Keyboards

*Joe Hesse - Bass

With

*Ken Kaufman - Keyboards

*Hugh McCracken - Guitar

*Dan Turbeville - Piano

*Ron Burrano - Piano

1969 The Road - The Road

Thursday, September 11, 2025

The Road - The Road (1969 us, elegant soulful sunny psych)

Around 1967 in Buffalo, New York, a group of local musicians formed a band called: The Mellow Brick Road. The band, featuring Phil and Jerry Hudson on vocals, Joe and Jim Hesse on bass and keyboards, Ralph Parker on guitar and Nick DiStefano on drums. After many hours of hard work and playing the local venues to refine their sound they score a contract to record. United Artists single “All Your Eggs in One Basket” is released under the name The Mellow Brick Road. They charted on Billboard and the love affair that Western New York has with the group explodes to full blown devotion and commitment to the band. More Singles followed including “She’s Not There” and “Music Man” on Kama Sutra. “She’s Not There” in 1969 a beautiful cover of The Zombies version sold over 200,000 copies, was a regional hit in many cities throughout the US and even charted in Greece.

The Mellow Brick Road name gives way to a new shorten name. The fans start referring to the band as, The Road and thus The Road is born. Western New York audiences cannot get enough of their favorite sons be it in clubs, free concerts or even on the radio. During the heyday of The Road they put out more Vinyl with Kama Sutra Records. They record “The Road – The One Less Traveled By” in 1969.

Tracks

1. She's Not There (Chris White) - 4:09

2. Love Is All (Nick Distefano) - 3:20

3. Love-It-Is (Harvey Scales, Rudolph Jacobs) - 4:40

4. A Taste Of Honey (Bobby Scott, Ric Marlow) - 2:32

5. I Can Only Give You Everything (Tommy Scott, Phil Coulter) - 2:49

6. Dance To The Music (Sylvester Stewart) - 5:22

7. Never Gonna Give You Up (Jerry Butler, Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff) - 3:11

8. Mr. Soul (Neil Young) - 2:40

9. In Love (Jim Hesse) - 1:56

10.See You There (Phil Hudson) - 2:12

11.Rock 'n' Roll Woman (Stephen Stills) - 2:52

12.The Grass Looks Greener On The Other Side (Ken Stella) - 2:31

The Road

*Joseph Hesse - Bass

*Nick DiStefano - Drums

*Ralph Parker - Lead Guitar

*Jerry Hudson - Lead Vocals

*Phil Hudson - Lead Vocals

*Jim Hesse - Organ

1972 Jonesy - Masquerade The Dawn Years Anthology (2007 double disc remaster)

Monday, September 8, 2025

Jonesy - Waltz For Yesterday • The Recordings (1972-74 uk, remarkable prog fusion rock, 2022 triple disc clamshell remaster)

Jonesy was a British prog outfit that released 3 albums in the ’70s. Lead by singer/guitarist John Evan-Jones, the band released their classic debut album No Alternative in 1972. The line-up here consisted of Jones, along with American born keyboardist James Kaleth, drummer Jim Payne, and bass player Dave Paull. Both Paull and Payne had previously been in National Head Band with Lee Kerslake (pre Uriah Heep), Paull would also play on Ken Hensley’s Proud Words On A Dusty Shelf album. Anyway, No Alternative is perhaps the band’s most sought after record, featuring the band’s best know track “Ricochet”. It also featured stand-out cuts like “Mind Of The Century”, the wild epic title track, and the ballad “Heaven”. Four of the cuts on the debut clock in at (near) 8 minutes or longer! No Alternative takes up disc one, and includes the short instrumental “Reprise” added on.

By the time the band recorded their 2nd album John Evan-Jones remained, along with Kaleth, and joining them were Jones’ brother – Trevor, on bass, Plug Thomas on drums (Thomas had brief spells with Screaming Lord Sutch and Supertramp), and Alan Bown on trumpet and percussion. Ray Russell was also brought in to do some orchestral arranging. 1973’s Keeping Up was much more laid back, with more emphasis on vocals, harmonies, keyboards, flutes, strings… gone are the heavy guitar pieces. But some fine songs in “Masquerade”, “Questions And Answers”, and the ballad “Song”, which should made a good single. Disc 2 adds the single version of “Ricochet” and it’s B-side “Every Day’s The Same”. Disc 3 comprises of the band’s last album released in late 1973 – Growing, as well as the band’s final album Sudden Prayers Make God Jump. The latter was never released until years later from a cassette, but here it is taken (as are all the albums) from the original master tapes.

Growing featured most of thesame line-up, and producer Rupert Hine was brought in as well. This album was more upbeat from the previous album, with tracks like “Can You Get That Together?”, “Know Who Your Friends Are”, and the title track. The band’s final album Sudden Prayers Make God Jump (who comes up with these titles?) featured a new line-up. Joining the Jones bothers were drummer David Potts, keyboard player Ken Elliott (ex of Second Hand, and later played with Arthur Brown), and Bernard Hagley on sax & flute (he had played on Growing, and previously Tranquility). This last album is probably the band’s most experimental, lots of different instrumentation, vocal harmonies, and unique songs, kinda rivalling some of the stuff Arthur Brown’s Kingdom Come was doing in the early ’70s. Jonesy were a very overlooked gem of the British prog scene of the early ’70s; none of their albums would get released in North America and they contained no big hits, but are well worth checking out through this CD box set. *Comes with a 16 page colored booklet, with liner notes penned by Mark Powell.

by Kevin J., May 2, 2022

Tracks

Disc 1

1. No Alternative - 8:15

2. Heaven - 8:11

3. Mind Of The Century (David Paull, Jim Payne, Jamie Kaleth, John Evan-Jones) - 4:10

4. 1958 - 7:52

5. Pollution (David Paull) - 9:40

6. Ricochet - 5:00

7. Reprise - 1:05

All songs by John Evan-Jones except where noted

Songs 1-6 from LP "No Alternative" released 1972

Bonus Track 7

Disc 2

1. Masquerade - 6:03

2. Sunset And Evening Star (John Evan-Jones) - 3:35

3. Preview - 2:00

4. Questions And Answers 5:12

5. Critique (With Exceptions) - 9:29

6. Duet - 0:51

7. Song - 3:28

8. Children - 8:59

9. Ricochet - 4:05

10.Every Day's The Same - 4:33

All compositions by Jamie Kaleth except where stated

Disc 3

1. Can You Get That Together? - 8:27

2. Waltz For Yesterday - 4:10

3. Know Who Your Friends Are - 6:10

4. Growing - 5:00

5. Hard Road - 3:52

6. Jonesy - 11:37

7. Dark Room (Is It All Just A Bad Dream?) - 8:55

8. Running - 4:57

9. Bad Dreams - 6:26

10.The Lights Have Changed - 6:34

11.Old Gentleman's Relief - 6:44

12.Anthem (John Evan-Jones) - 4:52

Songs 1-6 written by John Evan-Jones, Jamie Kaleth, Alan Bown, Trevor "Gypsy" Jones, Richard "Plug" Thomas

Songs 7-11 written by John Evan-Jones, Trevor "Gypsy" Jones

Tracks 1-6 from LP " Growing" released 1973

Tracks 7-12 from LP "Sudden Prayers Make God Jump" released 1974

Jonesy

Disc 1

*John Evan-Jones - Lead Guitar, VCS3, Vocals

*Jamie Kaleth - Mellotron, Electric Piano, Grand Piano, Vocals

*David Paull - Bass, Vocals

*Jim Payne - Drums, Percussion

Disc 2

*John Evan-Jones - Guitars, Vocals

*Jamie Kaleth - Mellotron, Keyboards, Lead Vocals

*Alan Bown - Electric Trumpet, Electric Fluglehorn, Percussion (Tracks 1-8)

*Trevor "Gypsy" Jones - Electric Bass, Recorders, Lead Vocals (Tracks 1-8)

*Richard "Plug" Thomas - Drums, Percussion, Vocals (Tracks 1-8)

*David Paull - Bass, Vocals (Tracks 9-10)

*Jim Payne - Drums, Percussion (Tracks 9-10)

Disc 3

*John Evan-Jones - Guitars, Vocals

*Trevor "Gypsy" Jones - Electric Bass Lead Vocals

*Jamie Kaleth - Electric, Acoustic Pianos, Mellotrons Lead Vocals (Tracks 1-6)

*Bernand Hagley - Electric Saxophones

*Alan Bown - Electric Trumpet, Electric Flugelhorn (Tracks 1-6)

*Richard "Plug" Thomas - Drums, Percussion (Tracks 1-6)

*Ken Elliott - Keyboards (Tracks 7-12)

*David Potts - Drums, Percusion (Tracks 7-12)

With

Morris Sert - Percussion (Tracks 1-6)

1972-73 Jonesy - Ricochet Pioneering In (2007 release)

1965-67 The Alan Bown Set - Emergency 999

1968 Alan Bown - Outward Bown (2011 remaster & xpanded)

1969 The Alan Bown! (2010 Esoteric remaster)
1970 Listen (2010 Esoteric remaster)
1971 Stretching Out (2010 Esoteric remaster)