John And Beverley Martyn - The Road To Ruin (1970 uk, sensational jazzy folk rock, 2005 bonus track remaster)

The posthumous release of guitarist/vocalist/songwriter John Martyn's Heaven And Earth (Hole In The Rain, 2011)—the basic tracks extensively overdubbed, though not edited, by producers Garry Pollitt and Jim Tullio following Martyn's death in 2009—is welcome. Compositionally, it is not one of Martyn's greatest albums, but it contains enough gritty blues/rock guitar, and retentions of the spacey vocal style with which Martyn forged some of his reputation, to satisfy his longtime followers. More than anything though, Heaven And Earth serves to remind us of Martyn's multifaceted 40-year discography, and the above-average proportion of masterworks within it.

Key among those masterworks is 1970's The Road To Ruin. This was the second, and final, album Martyn made with his wife, vocalist/songwriter Beverley, and followed the duo's Stormbringer (Island), released earlier the same year. A more genuinely collaborative effort than Stormbringer, the nine tracks which made up the original LP release of The Road To Ruin include one written by Beverley ("Primrose Hill") and three others jointly composed by Beverley and John ("Auntie Aviator," "Sorry To Be So Long," "Say What You Can"), on all four of which Beverley takes lead vocals. It is these tracks, along with Paul Wheeler's "Give Us A Ring," written for singer/songwriter Nick Drake and the only track on the album not composed by the Martyns, which give the album so much of its affective power and historical resonance. About this, more in a moment.

The other characteristic which distinguishes The Road To Ruin, and made it so adventurous for its time, is the instrumentation. In essence, the music is a folk/rock hybrid played by an acoustic (guitar and bass guitar aside) jazz lineup. The band included three of London's ranking jazz saxophonists: Ray Warleigh, Lyn Dobson (also heard on flute) and South African émigré Dudu Pukwana, each given ample solo space. They are heard alongside John Martyn on guitars (and the Echoplex introduced on Stormbringer), John and Beverley on vocals, pianist and co-arranger Paul Harris, drummers Wells Kelly and Mike Kowalski, and conga player Rocky Dzidzornu. Three bassists are variously employed, including, on one track, "New Day," acoustic player Danny Thompson, on the first of his studio recordings with Martyn.

Much of the horn work was added by producer (and folk/rock Svengali) Joe Boyd after the basic tracks were laid down. Pukwana, for instance, recorded a second solo on top of his extended primary solo on "Road To Ruin," consciously recreating a traditional African call and response pattern. Martyn later expressed reservations about this aspect of the album, saying the overdubs undermined the organic, in-the-moment feel he wanted. The criticism, however, was likely prompted by some other dispute Martyn was having with Boyd at the time, for The Road To Ruin, post-production and all, still sounds as in-the-moment as it gets. It reeks of atmosphere, one laden with incense, herbal aromas and a sense of community.

Which brings us to the historical resonance mentioned above. In commercial terms, The Road To Ruin was small fry: Martyn's breakthrough came a little later, with Bless The Weather (Island, 1971) and Solid Air (Island, 1973). But the album (with its pitch perfect Max Ernst front cover illustration) was common currency among London's counterculture, in no small part because of the Martyns' well known enjoyment of hash and weed, which seeps out of every groove and which is explicitly referenced in "Primrose Hill," "Auntie Aviator" and "Give Us A Ring." In its own, more pastoral way, "Auntie Aviator"—which starts unremarkably, but rapidly evolves into something mysterious and other, via the lyrics, Beverley's vocal delivery and John's theremin-like guitar lines—was in Britain as much of a psychedelic rallying cry as Grace Slick's "White Rabbit," from the Jefferson Airplane's album Surrealistic Pillow (RCA Victor, 1967), had been three years earlier. Martyn continued to enjoy dope for the rest of his life, and went through the statutory cocaine binge; the damage was done later by alcohol addiction.

But you don't have to have been there to enjoy it. The Road To Ruin, with all its historical baggage—societal and, informed as it so pervasively was by the Martyns' lifestyle, domestic—still sounds as exalted as it ever did.

by Chris May

Tracks
1. Primrose Hill (Beverley Martyn) - 2:53
2. Parcels - 3:24
3. Auntie Aviator (John And Beverley Martyn) - 6:00
4. New Day - 3:56
5. Give Us A Ring (Paul Wheeler) - 3:50
6. Sorry To Be So Long (John And Beverley Martyn) - 4:40
7. Tree Green - 3:08
8. Say What You Can (John And Beverley Martyn) - 3:02
9. Road To Ruin - 6:21
All tracks composed by John Martyn, except where indicated

Musicians
*John Martyn - Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica, Keyboards
*Beverley Martyn - Vocals, Guitar
*Dudu Pukwana – Saxophone
*Lyn Dobson - Flute, Saxophone
*Dave Pegg - Bass
*Rocky Dzidzornu - Congas
*Paul Harris - Keyboards
*Wells Kelly – Drums, Bass
*Mike Kowalski - Drums
*Alan Spenner - Bass
*Ray Warleigh - Saxophone
*Danny Thompson - Double Bass

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Mouse And Traps - Fraternity Years (1965-68 us, smashin' garage psych folk rock, Big Beat release)

There are some who say that this early 1966 masterpiece does Dylan's 'Highway 61' period better than the master himself, said Lenny Kaye of "A Public Execution" in the liner notes to the epochal Nuggets compilation album from 1972. In the small but fiercely contested kingdom of Dylan imitators Texas' Mouse 'n' The Traps stand tallest due to Execution. 

It was only a medium-sized hit in the United States back in the 1960s but has become renowned the World over in the years since, as one of the best records of its kind. In truth, while Ronnie 'Mouse' Weiss and his gang of Texas buddies would never deny the influence of Dylan's classic folk-rock, A Public Execution - shaped into a Dylan cop more by the studio machinations of producer Robin Hood Brians than anything else - was merely one facet of a band that could cover all the bases. 

Along the way, they made some of the most enduring rock and pop records of the decade. If nothing else, they should be remembered for the raging follow-up 'Maid Of Sugar-Maid Of Spice', a record so violent that the grooves of the original 45 could barely contain it (hear it off master tape for the first time since release on The Fraternity Years, but remember, Big Beat Records accepts no liability for damage caused to your loudspeakers). The Traps formed in late 1965 from a pool of hot pickers and teenage musicians centred around Robin Hood's studio in Tyler, Texas. 

With his strong voice and offbeat demeanour Mouse became the defacto leader of the band that cut Execution purely for fun, and then realised they had a regional hit on their hands. Ken Murray and David Stanley headed up the solid rhythm section, the underrated Buggs Henderson strangled the guitar and the Traps went through keyboard players like margaritas on a hot Tyler night. 

The group toured all over the Southern midwest in the mid to late 1960s and had a considerable following, thanks to their wild act. Unfortunately, the Traps never succeeded in capitalising on their live popularity, despite a slew of excellent releases for the Fraternity label. Like I Know You Do, Promises Promises and Cryin' Inside were all state-of-the-art pop gems, as was Sometimes You Just Can't Win, an almost-but-not-quite smash with an expert arrangement. 

Looking to broaden their commercial potential, the band even flirted with psychedelic pop, their Look At The Sun and I Satisfy being two fine examples of the genre. But it's gritty garage rock'n'roll that was the forte of Mouse & The Traps, as it should be for any Texan outfit worth their enchiladas. Hear 'em wail on previously unissued versions of I'm A Man and You Don't Love Me, as well as the oft-covered flip Lie Beg Borrow and Steal. "The Fraternity Years" collects together every worthwhile moment of Mouse & The Traps' glory years, with the usual Big Beat attention to detail, in one helluva rockin' package. 

Ace-recs

Tracks
1.  A Public Execution (Knox Henderson, Ronnie Weiss) - 2:49
2.  Maid Of Sugar, Maid Of Spice (Knox Henderson, Ronnie Weiss) - 2:40
3.  Nobody Cares (Randy Fouts, Ronnie Weiss) - 2:44
4.  Cryin' Inside (David Stanley, Ronnie Weiss) - 2:33
5.  I'm A Man (McDaniel) - 2:25
6.  Lie Beg Borrow And Steal (Ronnie Weiss) - 2:35
7. (as Chris St John) - I've Got Her Love (Mack Barton, Robin Hood Brians) - 2:15
8.  I Am That One (Mack Barton, Robin Hood Brians) - 2:26
9.  Like I Know You Do (Knox Henderson, Ronnie Weiss) - 2:25
10.Sometimes You Just Can't Win (Knox Henderson, Robin Hood Brians) - 2:57
11.All For You (Knox Henderson, Ronnie Weiss) - 2:47
12.Do The Best You Can (Robin Hood Brians) - 2:25
13.Look At The Sun (Tim Gillespie) - 2:41
14.You Don't Love Me (You Don't Care) (Willie Cobbs) - 2:09
15.Promises Promises (Dale Payne, Robin Hood Brians) - 2:24
16.I Satisfy (David Stanley, Ronnie Weiss) - 3:47
17.Requiem For Sarah (David Stanley, Ronnie Weiss) - 3:19
18.L.O.V.E. Love (Knox Henderson, Ronnie Weiss) - 2:31
19.Ya Ya (Clarence Lewis, Lee Dorsey, Morgan Robinson) - 1:57
20.Good Times (David Stanley, Ronnie Weiss) - 2:31
21.Hand In Hand (David Stanley) - 1:59
22.You Are My Sunshine (Charles Mitchell, Jimmie Davis) - 2:23
23. I Wonder Where The Birds Fly - 1:57
24.Mohair Sam (Dallas Frazier) - 2:14
25.(as Chris St John) - As Far As The Sea (Mack Barton, Robin Hood Brians) - 2:39

Mouse And Traps
*Mouse - Vocals, Guitar
*Ken Murray - Drums
*David Stanley - Bass
*Bobby Delk - Keyboards
Additional Musicians
*Don Levi Garrett - Drums
*Bugs Henderson - Guitar, Banjo, Vocals
*Doug Rhone - Guitar, Vocals
*Randy Fouts - Keyboards
*Tim Gillespie - Keyboards
*Robin Hood Brians- Keyboards, Strings Arrangments
*H L Voelker - Vocals

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Bachdenkel - Stalingrad (1975-76 uk, fragile atmospheric gentle progressive rock, SPM bonus tracks edition)

The second album called "Stalingrad" (in cyrillic letters) was recorded and released in 1977. in the mean time BACHDENKEL toured small venues through europe (mostly France). BACHDENKEL started as a Flower Power psychedelic rock band (Pink Floyd, Soft Machine, Beatles, Procol Harum), but developed towards a more symphonic/melodic progstyle for their second album. Their sound is dominated by guitar and drums, with great vocals and occasional keyboard passages.

Tracks

1. The Whole World (Looking Over My Shoulder) - 3:37

2. After The Fall - 4:27

3. Seven Times Tomorrow - 3:56

4. For You To Live With Me - 3:23

5. The Tournament - 2:52

6. (It's Always) Easy To Be Hard - 4:46

7. Xenophon - 4:51

8. Ctalingpad - 3:30

9. Stalingrad - 4:33

10.You Lied About Your Age - 3:11

11.Ring Of Truth - 2:55

12.Sirocco -  2:58

13.Ctalingrad - 3:23

14.After The Fall - 5:35

15.For You To Live With Me - 4:38

16.Seven Times Tomorrow - 6:50

17.Through The Eyes Of A Child - 4:01

18.An Appointment With The Master - 3:39

19.Bo Bo's Party (Melanie Safka) - 6:11

Tracks 1,5,6,13,15,18  by Peter Kimberley, Karel Beer

Tracks 2,3,7,8,11,14,16 by Colin Swinburne, Karel Beer

Tracks 4,10,17 by Colin Swinburne, Peter Kimberley, Karel Beer

Tracks 9,12 by Peter Kimberley, Colin Swinburne

Bachdenkel 
*Colin Swinburne - Guitar, Organ, Piano
*Peter Kimberley - 6 String Bass, Piano
*Brian Smith - Drums
With
*Karel Beer - Electric 12-String Guitar, Slide Guitar
*Irv Howray - Vocals
*Andy Scott - ARP Synthesizer

1968-70/73  Bachdenkel - Lemmings 

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Bachdenkel - Lemmings (1968-70/73 uk, fantastic progressive rock, 2007 Ork extra tracks issue)

Bachdenkel started out life as the U NO Who.  This late 60s group had been active on the Birmingham scene for some time and played psychedelic pop.  They recorded a handful of respectable tracks which were pitched to the Beatles’ Apple label but no deal ever materialized.  The U NO Who would go on to become Bachdenkel at the end of the decade.  Bachdenkel’s lineup looked something like this:  Colin Swinburne on vocals, guitar, piano, organ and harpsichord, Peter Kimberley on vocals, bass and piano, Brian Smith on drums, and Karel Beer on Organ.

Bachdenkel would relocate to France and record the great Lemmings album in 1970.  Although the LP was completed by the summer of 1970, Phillips didn’t release Lemmings until 1973 - released throughout Europe but not in the UK.  This really sealed this unique British group’s fate – unfairly so because they were very talented.  I believe a UK reissue/rerelease appeared in the late 70s (maybe 1978) but by that time Bachdenkel had ceased to exist.    The group released another solid progressive album titled Stalingrad (1975) and toured Europe in 1976 before breaking up.

And as for the Lemmings LP? It’s one of the best 70s progressive rock albums out there.  The musicians here keep their egos in check and know when to end a song, unlike Yes or ELP.  To me this is a much better (and more interesting) album than anything Yes or ELP would ever release.  The ringing guitars dominate Bachdenkel’s sound but there are tasteful keyboards as well.  Some people have linked Bachdenkel’s sound to Caravan, Abbey Road era Beatles, and King Crimson.  

These are all valid comparisons – think of Bachdenkel as a missing link between the Beatles and the mighty Crimso, progressive guitar pop with a slight psychedelic hangover.  “An Appointment With The Master”, the LP’s most popular song, is a lost classic that might be what the Beatles would have sounded like had they lasted into the progressive rock era.  Crashing drums and superb psychedelic guitar work give this cut a fresh edge.  “Translation” and “Equals” are also outstanding dark mood pieces that sound completely modern by today’s standards – this LP has not dated one bit.  

All of Lemmings 7 tracks are excellent, whether it be the 11 minute epic “The Settlement Song” or the shorter, tuneful tracks like “Long Time Living” – every works beautifully.  So…interesting arrangements that take chances (unique twists and turns), a dark aura, rock solid songwriting, Caravan-like vocals, and great musicianship unify this very special musical statement.  Any fan of classic rock needs to own this essential masterpiece.

Jason Nardelli

Tracks

1. Translation (Colin Swinburne, Karel Beer) - 4:17

2. Equals (Peter Kimberley, Karel Beer) - 1:51

3. An Appointment With The Master (Peter Kimberley, Karel Beer) - 5:15

4. The Settlement Song (Colin Swinburne, Peter Kimberley, Brian Smith, Karel Beer) - 11:26 

5. Long Time Living (Colin Swinburne, Peter Kimberley, Karel Beer) - 2:17

6. Strangerstill (Colin Swinburne, Peter Kimberley, Brian Smith, Karel Beer) - 6:51

7. Come All Ye Faceless (Colin Swinburne, Peter Kimberley, Brian Smith, Karel Beer) - 9:06

8. The Slightest Distance (Colin Swinburne, Peter Kimberley, Karel Beer) - 6:09

9. Donna (Peter Kimberley, Karel Beer) - 4:15

10.A Thousand Pages Before (Colin Swinburne, Karel Beer) - 6:35

11.Through The Eyes Of A Child (Peter Kimberley, Colin Swinburne, Karel Beer) - 4:01

12.An (Other) Appointment With The Master (Peter Kimberley, Karel Beer) - 3:42

13.Strange People (Peter Kimberley, Karel Beer) - 3:20 

Bachdenkel 
*Colin Swinburne - Guitar, Organ, Piano, Vocals
*Peter Kimberley - Bass, Piano, Vocals
*Brian Smith - Drums
*Karel Beer - Organ

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Sperrmüll - Sperrmüll (1973 germany, hard rock with some prog and psych shades, 2005 digi pak edition)

Sperrmüll is a German rock band founded in Aachen in the early 70s.
In 1971, Harald Kaiser and Reinhold Breuer decided to form a trio. His name sperrmüll. Then one day, Helmut Krieg arrives with his guitar and arrangements and the group is started. From that time, the group became a quartet with the involvement of Peter Schneider to play keyboards. The group's name is somewhat obscure because "Sperrmüll" is a German expression that means garbage in bulk.

They recorded one album for the label Brain in a very limited edition in 1972, in a manner also quite anonymous Dieter Dierks studio in Stommeln produced by a Chazadu surely a pseudonym.A test similar to the very successful early Deep Purple in Nosferatu and even Rufus Zuphall, This album has long been a precious rarity vinyl

Sperrmüll offers a burly album called simply "Sperrmüll" songs are in English and not overloaded instrumentally speaking, but the group actually plenty to offer. Mainly Heavy Rock, but with many additions musiqu progressive, guitar as well as the organ.

The original LP consists of 6 songs, then later be digitally added two songs ("You Have To Leave" and "To Be Satisfied").The set is however complex and dynamic improvisations in between some vagueness (many Hammond organs and guitars Heavy catchy) arrangements and folk epic flute.

The opening track is a pop folk entitled "Me And My Girlfriend" controlled first by mandolin and piano, lead, little by little, through the organ and synthesizer to an end much more Heavy Blues. "No Freak Out", Prog majestically, is the song of the group's most famous because it is found on most long compilations of Krautrock for several years. A good choice because it is a good mix of psychedelic ingredients in a style close to Pink Floyd combined with a monotonous rhythm. "Rising Up" is a bit more spacy sometimes reminiscent of Deep Purple, Eloy or even Grobschnitt.

The Hard Rock "Right Now", an epic nine minutes begins some unusual way, because only bursts of guitar and drums hell are dueling for a moment. After several minutes, the song turns into a calmer perfectly structured piece with a jazzy piano and a powerful bass, and finally ending in Hard Rock again. Perhaps the best part, because of these innovations varied.

The last two tracks "Land Of The Rocking Sun" and "Pat Casey" are not really important, because they are typically Rock songs, while the second has a more pronounced rhythm style Boogie Woogie.

by Adamus67

Tracks
1. Me An My Girlfriend - 5:05
2. No Freak Out - 6:43
3. Rising Up (Harald Kaiser) - 6:32
4. Right Now - 9:09
5. Land Of The Rocking Sun - 4:30
6. Pat Casey - 3:20

All compositions by Helmut Krieg except where stated

Sperrmull
*Helmut Krieg - Guitar, Mandolin, Vocals
*Harald Kaiser - Bass, Vocals
*Reinhold Breuer - Drums, Percussion
*Peter Schneider - Organ, Electric Piano, Synthesizer

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Classical M - Bad Guys The Complete Collection (1967-70 france, delirious provocative psych rock, 2005 release)

Classical M could have made a great album if given the chance. As it is, the songs contained on this disc make for a stunning collection, with the band’s psychedelic flourishes, outrageous melodies, and fantastic attention to production detail evident throughout. 

This profoundly original music was made in three short years (1967-1970): twenty-four delirious and provocative songs that establish Classical M as perhaps the best, and certainly the most intriguing French band of all time. 

Their offbeat sense of rhythm and harmony, the complex intertwining of voices, and perhaps more than anything, their unusual practice of trying to play all sorts of instruments—be they electronic or traditional—these elements make the music of this odd French trio unique and very special. 

by Vincent Tornatore

Tracks
1. Love, Love Is There - 2:42
2. Gog Demagog (Pipo, G. Maruani, A. Maruani) - 2:53
3. Bad Guy - 4:02
4. The Way I Do Love You - 2:50
5. Such a Lovely Voice - 5:49
6. Once in a While (Demo Version) (G. Maruani, A. Maruani, H. Bratter) - 2:35
7. Music of the Rain (A.K.A. Mélodie de La Pluie) - 3:08
8. Decomplexion (Classical M) - 9:03
9. Ugly Room - 1:51
10.Ever Be My Friend? - 2:29
11.Paris Est une Ville d'Alcooliques - 4:39
12.J'Ai Décidé - 3:02
13.Le Romancier Tchèque - 3:10
14.J'Entends Les Étoiles (G. Maruani, A. Maruani, H. Bratter) - 4:06
15.Sisyphe - 2:06
16.C'est La Guerre (G. Maruani, A. Maruani, H. Bratter) - 2:16
17.Pauvre Cobaye (A.K.A. Cow-Boy) (G. Maruani, H. Bratter) - 1:40
18.Une Rivière Qui S'Égare (G. Maruani, H. Bratter) - 2:43
19.Un Jour de Chance (Demo Version) - 2:29
20.Love You One Another (G. Maruani, A. Maruani, H. Bratter) - 3:11
21.Marouanabab (Classical M) - 3:15
22.Love, Love Is There (Live) - 3:34
23.Le Métro (Live) - 2:17
24.Pop Club Session (Live) - 3:17
All songs by Guy Maruani and Andre Maruani except where indicated.

Classical M
*Guy Maruani - Lead Vocals, Flute, Harmonica, Percussion
*Andre Maruani - 12 string Guitar, Oud, Violin, Keyboards, Vocals
*Henri Bratter - Lead Guitar, Percussion

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Cochise - Cochise (1970 uk, fine country folk rock with BJ Cole, Rick Wills pre-Foreigner and Mick Grabham from Procol Harum, Kissing Spell edition)

There was a lot of talent involved in the making of Cochise's debut album. Guitarist Mick Grabham went on to play in Procol Harum; bassist Rick Wills would later join Foreigner; B.J. Cole would be an in-demand pedal steel player on many sessions over the next few decades; drummer Willie Wilson would play with Pink Floyd; Dick Taylor, who'd just left the Pretty Things, produced; and Storm Thorgerson of Hipgnosis (famous for working on Pink Floyd LP covers) designed a striking and, for the period, daring cover of a woman's unadorned breasts. 

The credits on a resume don't always guarantee an outstanding album, however, and Cochise is one of those '60s-turning-into-'70s records that treads an uneasy line between eclectic diversity and a lack of direction. It's so-so period 1970 British rock, distinguished just slightly by a more country-ish flavor than the norm, courtesy of Cole's pedal steel. It's not country-rock, however, and some of the songs in fact owe little or nothing to the form. 

Numbers like "Painted Lady" and "Moment and the End" are tense, meandering hard rock tunes; the latter cut, in fact (as well as sections of some others, like "Velvet Mountain") sounds kind of like late-'60s/early-'70s Guess Who LP filler. There's a wistful rural feel to parts of the material that suggests some promise, but that mood's shattered by an unnecessary, pedestrian heavy rock cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "59th Street Bridge Song." 

by Richie Unterberger

Tracks
1. Velvet Mountain (Mick Grabham) - 3:26
2. China (Grabham)-3:55
3. Trafalgar Day (B. J. Cole) - 5:08
4. Moment And The End (Cole) - 5:58
5. Watch This Space (Stewart Brown) - 3:56
6. 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) (Paul Simon) - 3:39
7. Past Loves (Brown) - 3:38
8. Painted Lady (Grabham) - 7:03
9. Black Is The Colour (Traditional) - 0:56

Cochise
*Stewart Brown - Guitar, Vocals
*B.J. Cole - Dobro, Guitar, Pedal Steel, Cello, Steel Guitar
*Mick Grabham - Organ, Guitar, Piano, Keyboards, Vocals
*Rick Wills - Bass, Vocals
*John Sly Wilson - Percussion, Drums, Vocals

1970-72  Cochise – Velvet Mountain An Anthology (2013 remaster)

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Harlem River Drive - Harlem River Drive (1971 us, awesome latin jazz funky psych)

The reason this record is "legendary" is because it marks the first recorded performances, in 1970, of Eddie and Charlie Palmieri as bandleaders. The reason it should be a near mythical recording (it has never been available in the U.S. on CD, and was long out of print on LP before CDs made the scene), is for its musical quality and innovation. 

The Palmieris formed a band of themselves, a couple of Latinos that included Andy Gonzales, jazz-funk great -- even then -- Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, and some white guys and taught them how to play a music that was equal parts Cuban mambo, American soul via Stax/Volt, blues, Funkadelic-style rock, pop-jazz, and harmonic and instrumental arrangements every bit as sophisticated as Burt Bacharach's or Henry Mancini's or even Stan Kenton's. 

One can hear in "Harlem River Drive (Theme)" and "Idle Hands" a sound akin to War's on World Is a Ghetto. Guess where War got it? "If (We Had Peace)" was even a model for Lee Oskar's "City, Country, City." And as much as War modeled their later sound on this one record, as great as they were, they never reached this peak artistically. But there's so much here: the amazing vocals (Jimmy Noonan was in this band), the multi-dimensional percussion section, the tight, brass-heavy horn section, and the spaced-out guitar and keyboard work (give a listen to "Broken Home") where vocal lines trade with a soprano saxophone and a guitar as snaky keyboards create their own mystical effect. 

One can bet that Chick Corea heard in Eddie's piano playing a stylistic possibility for Return to Forever's Light As a Feather and Romantic Warrior albums. The band seems endless, as if there are dozens of musicians playing seamlessly together live -- dig the percussion styling of Manny Oquendo on the cowbell and conga and the choral work of Marilyn Hirscher and Allan Taylor behind Noonan. Harlem River Drive is a classic because after 30-plus years, it still sounds as if listeners are the ones catching up to it. It's worth every dime you pay for it, so special order it today. 

by Thom Jurek

Tracks

1. Harlem River Drive (Theme Song) (Calvin Clash, Eddie Palmieri) - 4:11

2. If (We Had Peace Today) (Jimmy Norman, Al Taylor) - 3:02

3. Idle Hands (Marilyn Hirscher, Bob Bianco) - 8:29

4. Broken Home (Calvin Clash, Eddie Palmieri, Charlie Palmieri) - 10:37

5. Seeds of Life (Calvin Clash, Eddie Palmieri) - 5:09

Musicians
*Randy Brecker  - Trumpet
*Burt Collins  - Trumpet
*Ronnie Cuber  - Brass Arrangement, Saxophones
*Cornell Dupree  - Guitar
*Reggie Ferguson  - Drums
*Bruce Fowler  - Trombone
*Andy González  - Bass
*Gerald Jemmott  - Bass
*Bob Mann  - Guitar
*Nicky Marrero  - Drums, Timbales
*Dick Meza  - Tenor  Sax
*Jimmy Norman  -   Vocals
*Manny Oquendo  - Congas, Cowbell, Timbales
*Eddie Palmieri  - Piano
*Charlie Palmieri  - Organ
*Eladio Perez  - Congas
*Dean Robert Pratt  - Drums
*Bernard "Pretty" Purdie  - Drums
*Barry Rogers  - Trombone
*Allan Taylor  - Choir, Chorus
*Marilyn Hirscher  - Choir, Chorus
*Victor Venegas  - Bass

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Human Beinz - Live In Japan (1968 us, great garage 'n' beat, extra studio tracks issue)

Youngstown, OH's the Human Beinz were one-hit wonders in the United States, their cover of the Isley Brothers' "Nobody But Me" being their only major chart success, but they fared better in Japan, where they topped the charts with their versions of "Hold on Baby" and "Turn on Your Love Light." the Human Beinz had already broken up when "Hold on Baby" became a sensation in Japan in the spring of 1969, but they were persuaded to reunite to play a string of shows in the Land of the Rising Sun, and to the surprise of the group one of their shows at Tokyo's Shibuya Public Hall was recorded and released as a live album in Japan. 

While their hit singles were blue-eyed R'n'B workouts, on their albums the Human Beinz revealed they were clearly more interested in hard rock and the occasional psychedelic freakout, and they try to have it both ways on Human Beinz in Japan; all three hits are here, but the bandmembers attack them with significantly more force than they did in the studio, and they take the opportunity to run through some of their more idiosyncratic material, such as the tough rockin' "I've Got to Keep on Pushin'," the eccentric "My Animal," the concisely titled "Boogie," and some strong versions of tunes by Jimi Hendrix ("Foxy Lady"), Buffalo Springfield ("Mr. Soul"), and the Rolling Stones ("I'm All Right"). 

John "Dick" Belley and Ting Markulin's guitars offer a lot more bark on-stage than they did in the studio, Markulin is a passionate vocalist, and Mel Pachuta and Mike Tatman make for a fine, propulsive rhythm section. In Japan may have been something of an afterthought for the Human Beinz, but it offers proof they were a better live band than most short-lived acts of the era, and it certainly deserves a hearing in the group's homeland. 

by Mark Deming

Tracks
1. Hold On Baby - 2:30
2. Foxy Lady - 4:24
3. This Lonely Town - 2:25
4. My Animal - 2:34
5. Turn On Your Love Light - 3:33
6. Two Of A Kind - 3:02
7. Mr.Soul - 2:14
8. Boogie - 2:45
9. I've Got To Keep On Pushin' - 2:48
10.Dance On Through - 2:58
11.I'm All Right - 5:48
12.Nobody But Me - 3:36
13.The Piper - 2:07
14.My Generation - 4:49
15.Gloria - 2:25
16.Times Are Changing - 2:02
17.Nobody But Me (Different Version) - 2:14
18.Evil Hearted You - 2:11
19.Little Girl Of Mine - 2:15
20.I've Got To Keep Pushin - 2:39
Bonus tracks 13-20, studio outtakes not including on their previous releases.

The Human Beinz
*John "Dick" Belley - Guitar, Vocals
*Ting Markulin - Guitar, Vocals
*Mel Pachuta - Bass, Vocals
*Mike Tatman - Drums

1968  The Human Beinz - Nobody But Me / Evolutions 

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The Hook - Will Grab You (1968 us, hard’n’heavy treasure unearthed)

Formed in 1968 by onetime members of LA’s Leaves, The Hook were one of the first power trios to start working similar blues-based territory mapped out by Cream and The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Well connected to the Vox amplifier company, they were, by all accounts, loud and gutsy on the West Coast ballroom circuit – though such power doesn’t always translate well on this, their first album.

The group’s driving force was undoubtedly guitarist Bobby Arlin, whose attacking playing utilised many of the new studio effects that had become available, with the rhythm section giving him a frame to climb around. The band weren’t averse to the odd quiet moment either, as with Everything’s Groovy and the somewhat incongruous addition of a glockenspiel on You Know I Do.

by Kingsley Abbott

This is actually their first album released 1968, Lizard label by mistake credit it as 1970 release.

Tracks
1. Homes - 3:50
2. Lookin' For You - 3:00
3. You Know I Do - 2:30
4. Turn Your Head - 3:17
5. Son Of Fantasy - 2:30
6. Dr. B & His Friends - 3:52
7. Plug Your Head In - 2:50
8. Everything's Groovy - 1:47
9. Garbage Man - 2:15
10.Dimples (J.L. Hooker) - 2:51
All tracks by Bobby Arlin and Buddy Sklar except where noted

The Hook
*Buddy Sklar - Bass
*Craig Boyd - Drums
*Bobby Arlin - Guitar

1968  Hooked

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