Monday, February 26, 2024

Thee Sixpence - Step By Step (1966-67 us, rough garage rock, Akarma issue)



Thee Sixpence was a garage rock/psych band that released a few singles in 1966-7 before recording "Incense And Peppermints", changing their name to Strawberry Alarm Clock, and achieving a fluke #1 hit. Most of the key musicians in the latter band were members at least part of the time in Thee Sixpence.

Beginning with "Long Days Care" b/w "Can't Explain" in the summer of 1966, Thee Sixpence went on to release a total of ten songs in roughly as many months. The last two of these, "The Birdman Of Alkatrash" b/w "Incense And Pepermints" [sic], were re-released by Uni after the band had changed their name to Strawberry Alarm Clock; the a- and b-sides of the record were also reversed, reflecting the rapidly growing popularity of the original single's b-side. All of Thee Sixpence's 45s were released on the small All American label, though at least one, "Fortune Teller" b/w "My Flash On You", was also released on Dot.

Musically, Thee Sixpence was a rambunctious garage/punk band in the mold of the Leaves, the Standells, and early Love. In fact, the band recorded two of Arthur Lee's songs from Love's eponymous 1966 debut LP, "Can't Explain" and "My Flash On You". (Another Thee Sixpence recording, of "Hey Joe", may be seen as a de facto third Love cover.) The ten songs available by Thee Sixpence show obvious and remarkable progress over the band's short career; where their first single is exciting but just manages to hold things together, by the end Thee Sixpence was experimenting with daring arrangements, varied song structures, and much more assured playing.

Along the way, Thee Sixpence also released a real lost psychedelic classic, the haunting, horrifying "In The Building". Strawberry Alarm Clock themselves rarely exceeded the weirdness of this piece, and although the recording is somewhat crude in a late-66 kind of way, "In The Building" benefits from its earnest, untutored performance.

Thee Sixpence eventually added Mark Weitz on keyboards, and the Strawberry Alarm Clock sound proper was borne. The band brought in Randy Seol on drums, and along with long-time members Ed King, Lee Freeman, and Gary Lovetro, the Clock was set and worldwide fame, not to mention further audacious musical explorations, were continued right under the noses of listeners everywhere.
TheSixpense
Tracks
1. Long Days Care (Gale Stedge) - 2:01
2. Can't Explain (Arthur Lee, John Echols, John Fleckenstein) - 2:14
3. Fortune Teller (Neville Minute) - 2:17
4. My Flash On You (Arthur Lee) - 1:57
5. In The Building (Gegast, Lamito) - 2:58
6. Hey Joe (Billy Roberts) - 2:32
7. Heartfull Of Rain (Bill Holmes) - 2:15
8. First Plane Home (Ray Davies) - 1:57
9. Incense And Peppermints (Ed King, John Carter, Mark Weitz, Tim Gilbert) - 2:49
10.Birdman Of Alkatrash (Mark Weitz) - 2:11
11.The World's On Fire (Bill Holme, Ed King, Mark Weitz) - 8:25

Thee Sixpence
Lee Freeman - Lead Vocals (1,2,4,6,8), Rhythm Guitar (7,9-11), Harmonica (8)
Steve Rabe - Lead Guitar (1-6, 8)
Ed King - Rhythm Guitar (1-6,8), Lead Guitar (7,9-11)
Mike Luciano - Lead Vocals (3,5), Tambourine (1,6)
Gary Loverto - Bass
Gene Gunnels - Drums (1-9)
Greg Munford - Organ (7,9-11), Lead Vocals (9)
Mark Weitz - Lead Vocals (7, 10), Tambourine (10)
Randy Seol - Drums (10-11), Lead Vocals (11)
George Bunnell – Flute (11)
Randy Seol - Vibraphone (11)
George Bunnell – Bass (11)

Related Acts
1968  Strawberry Alarm Clock - Wake Up...It's Tomorrow
1968-69  Strawberry Alarm Clock - The World In A Sea Shell / Good Morning Starshine
1969  Strawberry Alarm Clock - Good Morning Starshine

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Saturday, February 24, 2024

Songs - Vertigo (1973-75 us, exceptional west coast acid folk psych rock, 2023 remaster)



Bob Hardy and Cristopher Quinn met at River Junior College in Sacramento in the late sixties and formed Good Medicine in 1969, with which they played in their area and on the radio. Years later they joined Tim Timmermanns in 1973 (drums, flute, guitar...) and created Songs. Bob played guitar, bass, synthesizer, and sang, and Christopher Quinn was lead vocals. This trio recorded these songs between 1973 and 1975, which are collected for the first time on an album, released by Guerssen with the generic title of "Vertigo". 

Already in the eighties, Chris and Bob were part of bands called The Impulse or The Power. Tim continued to collaborate with Craig Chaquico’s band and John Cipollina in the late seventies. Hardy is currently recording songs under the name Forth Dimension Meditations Sounds that you can hear on his bandcamp while he claims to recover his beginnings. The Songs album is remastered from the original tapes, with photo inserts and liner notes.

Album begins with “Vertigo” between sound effects that lead us to a display of acoustics, powerful drums and enveloping vocals halfway between folk and acid rock with an abrasive guitar solo. Next, we hear “No Time Out For Blues” with Arthur Juncker on piano. Song with a notable presence of guitar plus voice dialogue with lysergic phrasing with the support of drums and bass. “Songs (for Chris)” follows with a moving piano entry plus synthesizer covering a passionate lead voice that is supported by the flute and the plucking of the acoustic. A more progressive part with flute solo is included. The side ends with “We Are” based on an atmospheric synthesizer and ethereal vocal games that fill the space with sound beauty with a rough guitar ending.

“Too Much, Too Fast” with Bob Bryzandine on bass. A tough psychedelic song with powerful guitars, an intense solo, great voices, sound effects and sharp drums. It continues with the melodious “Song For Me” with acoustic guitar, voice and flute accompaniment. The drums incorporate a jazzy air that is perfectly complemented by the folk, vocal and instrumental arrangements. There is also no shortage of acid guitar phrasings that perfect, even more so, such a suggestive song. The album closes with “On This Day”, a sensitive framework of synthesizer, guitar plucks, effects and ethereal voices that are combined with great skill and abundance of emotion. A song that advances inexorably with the refined presence of the flute, the flowing lines of the synthesizers, the weightless vocal experiments, and the ingenious rhythm of the percussion.
Guerssen
Tracks
1. Vertigo (Craig Chaquico, Tim Timmermans) - 3:41
2. No Time Out For Blues (Arthur Juncker) - 2:03
3. Songs (For Chris) - 4:14
4. We Are - 5:04
5. Too Much, Too Fast (Chris Quinn, Bob Hardy) - 5:07
6. Song For Me - 4:39
7. On This Day - 7:29
Songs written by Tim Timmermans except where stated

Musicians
*Christopher Quinn - Vocal
*Tim Timmermans - Acoustic Guitar, Flute, Drums, Piano, Vocal, Bells
*Bob Hardy - Electric Guitar, Bass, Vocal, Synthesizer, Effects
*Arthur Juncker - Piano
*Bob Byzandine - Bass

Related Acts

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Friday, February 23, 2024

Black Widow - The Ultimate Sacrifice (1969-70 uk, terrific heavy psych prog rock, 2004 remaster and expanded edition)



Black Widow may have enjoyed a reasonably long and defiantly varied career. But to anyone who cares, they will be remembered for just one song, "Come to the Sabbat" -- not a hit single, but a standout on a cheapo label compilation in the early '70s, and destined to live on for decades after the band. Naturally, the accompanying Sacrifice album has bounced along in its wake, first as an increasingly expensive vinyl collectors' item, more recently as a regular on the CD reissue circuit, and here it comes again, this time bearing more primal Black Widow than you could ever have dreamed of hearing. 

Ultimate Sacrifice: One opens, naturally, with the original seven-song album. More fascinating, however, is the chance to hear five of the seven ("Way to Power" and "Attack of the Demon" are absent) in their original demo form, where they are revealed, if anything, to be even more dramatic than on the final vinyl. "In Ancient Days" in particular profits from the looseness of the performance, while "Come to the Sabbat" packs a feel of abandonment that makes the familiar version seem quite sedate. Of course, the bonus tracks are really only of interest if you truly worship the original record, and, once past "Come to the Sabbat," there probably aren't many people who feel that strongly. But the liners tell the band's tale well, the remastering is impressive, and if you're not doing anything next weekend, you might well want to drop by Black Widow's house. They've got somebody visiting, you know. In 2004, Castle reissued Sacrifice on CD with five bonus tracks, retitling it Ultimate Sacrifice: One.
by Dave Thompson
Tracks 
1. In Ancient Days - 7:36
2. Way To Power - 4:05
3. Come To The Sabbat - 4:51
4. Conjuration - 5:41
5. Seduction - 4:31
6. Attack Of The Demon - 3:48
7. Sacrifice - 11:09 - 
8. In Ancient Days - 9:27
9. Come To The Sabbat - 4:07
10.Conjuration - 5:49
11.Seduction - 4:38
12.Sacrifice - 10:52
All songs by Jim Gannon except traks 3,9 co-written with Clive Jones
Bonus Tracks Demo recordings 8-12

Black Widow
*Bob Bond - Bass
*Jim Gannon - Lead, Spanish Guitars, Vibraphone, Vocals 
*Kip Trevor - Lead Vocals, Guitar
*Clive Box - Drums, Percussion
*Zoot Taylor - Organ, Piano
*Clive Jones - Clarinet, Flute, Saxophone, Wind


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Thursday, February 22, 2024

Shiva's Headband - Take Me To The Mountains..Plus (1969 us, remarkable mixture of country blues psych rock roots 'n' roll, 2006 reissue)



Back in the '60s, when every town in America seemed to have its own burgeoning music scene, Austin was strangely quiet. Long before the city became filled with clubs and began its hosting of the SXSW music festival, there wasn't much happening on the cool Texas plateau. Not much at all -- save for one group that all but dominated the scene from the late '60s to the early '70s. 

That group was the eclectic, country-fried psychedelic outfit known as Shiva's Headband. Leader, violinist, guitarist, and vocalist Spencer Perskin was (and still is) the quintessential Austin hippie, who not only lobbied for city-based cultural support for local artists (and succeeded, by founding the Armadillo World Headquarters) but also put Austin on the world-wide music map with the release of Shiva's first major-label effort, Take Me to the Mountains on Capitol (the first ever major-label release by an Austin band). 

The album is formidable, and its influence on the "galactic cowboy" genre was as great as, say, Love's Forever Changes was to the West Coast rock scene. It laid the groundwork for psychedelic twang and brought the world's attention to the creatively diverse (yet firmly rooted) music that was beginning to blossom back in those Texas heyday. Unlike their peers the 13th Floor Elevators, Shiva's Headband never took off into the stratosphere completely, though. Their rock was honest country-rock all the way, but not to the point that it was ever just a pedestrian rehash. Songs like "My Baby" and "Kaleidescoptic" may feature sawing violin and Texas drawl, but there's no denying that their main trajectory is rock. 
by J. Scott McClintock
Tracks
1. My Baby - 3:30
2. Take Me To The Mountains - 3:33
3. Homesick Armadillo Blues (Susan Perskin) - 2:37
4. Ripple (Shawn Siegel) - 3:55
5. Song For Peace - 4:31
6. Ebeneezer - 2:54
7. North Austin Strut - 3:01
8. Come With Me - 5:04
9. Good Time (Kenny Parker) - 2:59
10.Kaleidoscoptic - 3:30
11.Lose The Blues - 2:47
12.Lose The Blues - 4:55
13.Hi Love - 17:12
All songs by Spencer Perskin except where indicated
Bonus Tracks 11-13

The Shiva's Headband
*Spencer Perskin - Fiddle, Guitar, Vocals, Harmonica, Recorder 
*Susan Perskin - Vocals
*Shawn Siegel - Keyboards, Vocals, Harpsichord, Kazoo (Tracks 1-10,12,13)
*Kenny Parker - Vocals, Guitar, Bass
*Robert Gladwin - Guitar, Bass (Tracks 1-10,12,13)
*Richard Finnell - Drums (Tracks 1-10,12,13)
*Jerry Barnet - Drums (Track 11)


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Monday, February 19, 2024

The Blue Jays - Nascence (1970 us, awesome funky groovy brass rock)



Blue Jays were a US band, their sole LP "Nascence" recorded November 1970 on Map City Label (same as Purple Image and Yesterday's Children). Funky rock record with "Wahka, Wahka" a downtempo and moody cut & "Independent Man" a midtempo, edgy, funky tune. Collector's item with the Supa good "What Do You Want From Me Woman" sampled by "Large Professor" for "Nas" Rapper "It Ain't Hard To Tell".An essential LP with superb gatefold cover. After this release they changed the name to White Water and released "Out Of The Darkness" in 1973 on RCA label. John Vastano former lead singer/song writer of the Blue Jays/White Water, passed away September 21, 2018.  
Tracks
1. Hey Little Lady - 3:37
2. What Do You Want From Me Woman - 3:40
3. Freedom - Where Have You Gone - 3:35
4. Reason To Cry - 4:06
5. Independant Man - 3:29
6. Wahka Wahka (Dick Domane) - 5:40
7. Jackson (Billy Edd Wheeler, Jerry Leiber) - 3:23
8. Beg Borrow And Steal - 3:08
9. Hard Thing To Accept - 3:13
All songs by John Vastano except where stated

The Blue Jays
*Bob Fiocco - Bass, Trombone
*Conrad Catalano - Drums, Percussion
*John Emma - Tenor, Alto Saxophones
*John Vastano - Guitar, Vocals
*Richard Domane - Organ, Trumpet


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Zazu - Zazu (1975 us, beautiful soft prog rock with jazzy aspects, 2008 digipak remaster)



Chicago based Zazu released this only album which quickly fell out of site due to their label’s  lack of promotion. Music is Symphonic prog rock, nice guitars and lot of keyboards, good vocals and all -except one- are original compositions. The record label disinterested in anything the band did and a second album never released as well as Zazu’s guitarist ending up in a 'Hospital' years later.
Tracks
1. Country Eyes (Randy Curlee, Paul Ripurero) - 3:41
2. Upon The Island Unisphere (John Melnick, Randy Curlee) - 6:41
3. Just Friends (John Melnick, Bill Traut) - 3:48
4. Midnight Train (Rick Marotta, Stu Woods, Tom Cosgrove) - 3:59
5. Ittsanottasonatta, But It's Close (John Melnick, Paul Ripurero, Mickey Lehockey, Randy Curlee) - 10:23
6. Morning Rain (John Melnick, Mickey Lehockey) - 6:16

Zazu
*Randy Curlee - Bass, Vocals 
*Mickey Lehockey - Drums 
*John Melnick - Keyboards, Vocals
*Paul Ripurero - Guitars, Vocals

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Sunday, February 18, 2024

The Crimson Bridge - The Crimson Bridge (1972 us, nice mixture of jazz funk blues brass rock with spiritual references, 2004 reissue)



Latin rock jazz progressive fuzz acid folk oughta describe this. God knows who was running the Myrrh-Label in 1972 but they score an authentic winner with this horn-based band. Vocals remind greatly of David Clayton Thomas and arrangements of Blood Sweat & Tears - a huge band at the time of this album. Gary Rand-composer of the ambitious side-long 'Suite In Three Parts' - will surface with an album of worship choruses in the 80's. Touches of scatting Swingle Singers, Elton John, Santana, and Broadway are in here. Much better than most major label stuff and not too hard to find. Awful cover. Crimson Bridge also had a 45 out; Livin' In The Love O' The Lord/Now Is The Time.
Liner-notes
Tracks
1. Better Times (Russ Gregory) - 3:15
2. Easy Ways (Russ Gregory) - 2:34
3. Comin' (Terry Winch) - 4:07
4. He's Alive (Terry Winch) - 4:10
5. Birthright (Russ Gregory) - 3:45
6. First Suite: First Movement (Searching in Reality) (Gary Rand) - 6:16
7. First Suite: Second Movement (Experience) (Gary Rand) - 5:26
8. First Suite: Third Movement (The Beginning of Joy) (Gary Rand) - 8:26

The Crimson Bridge
*Norm Bakker - Trumpet
*Dave Dyer - Bass
*Russ Gregory - Guitar, Vocals
*Carol Healy - Flute, Vocals
*Roger Heuser - Trombone
*Trish Rattan - Vocals
*Carolyn Shafer - Keyboards, Vocals
*Gary Shafer - Drums
*Terry Winch - Trumpet

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Friday, February 16, 2024

Steve Davis - Music (1970 us, marvelous blend of jazz, funk soul, folk, psych rock)



Steve Davis’s Music (1970) is appropriately named – this LP contains sounds that range from acoustic folk all the way to hard bop.  Davis shows his versatility as a composer on this record; it is exploratory and delves into a variety styles.  Many of these tunes utilize a typical jazz structure, providing a great deal of freedom for experimentation and soloing within the music.  Everyone in the band is given a chance to express themselves during the solo sections of Davis’s musical landscapes, allowing for the technical ability of his ensemble to really shine.  Ultimately, Music is a great example of how jazz can be stylistically implemented within a variety of genres.

The record begins with Destination Altitude – an assertive introduction which features a thumping horn section over Davis’s Hammond  licks and driving vocal line.  Percussionist Karl Himmel anticipates Davis’s tempo changes before he even plays them, allowing Bentley Smith to accentuate his guitar solo over the newly altered beat with ease.  Himmel breaks the beat in half for the guitarist, who shreds a Hendrix-esque solo over the colorful organ chords.

Space is one of the album’s more striking tracks, particularly because of its seamless transition from a hard-rock style refrain into a slow-swinging jazz section.  The aggressive tone of Bentley Smith once again takes charge, yet he steps aside for both the cosmic tones of Davis’ vibraphone and young saxophonist Billy Harper (who would later play with the great Elvin Jones) during the jazzier passage.  The best way to describe this section of Space would be to imagine dimly lit, smoky jazz club.

Davis steps aside as lead vocalist for It’s All Because She’s Gone and is replaced by Jim Hurt, the ensemble’s bassist.  The track begins with Hurt’s serenading vocal line on top of swinging instrumentation courtesy of Davis, Harper, and Kimmel.  This tune, being the longest cut on the album, is appropriately separated in two parts.  The latter features a lengthy solo by Bentley Smith, played in a similar vein to Grant Green or Wes Montgomery.  He plays with a dynamic intensity that shows his ability to remain subdued in tone while at the forefront of the group.

Lalune Blanche is my favorite cut off of this record.  It contains Davis’s best vocals; he sings beautifully melodic phrases (“Emily” is credited for Davis’s French lesson on this one) while playing wonderfully voiced chords on his B-3.  Harper and Kimmel are the supporting facets of Davis’s performance, backed by Hurt’s baselines which never cease to stop moving.  In addition, Billy Harper rips a lengthy solo towards the middle of the tune, in the vein of Tom Scott.  Of all the chances he has to shine on this date, Lalune Blanche is the one that Harper truly takes advantage of.  It is the most conversational of his solos thus far; he establishes a clear dialogue with Davis, Hurt,  and Kimmel.  Harper reacts incredibly well to the movements that the other musicians make, and this part of the tune amounts to wonderfully executed 4-part improvisation between bass, drums, saxophone, and organ.

I only have a minute complaint about the record; it seems to lack consistency.  There are very short, folky tracks on the album that seem out of place within the scope of the project.  That being said, these tracks are both wonderful and brief enough to be considered secondary.  They don’t do anything to take away from the album as a whole, and only after several listens do they really seem out of place.

Overall, Music is a great accomplishment.  For 1970 it’s far ahead of its time, and Davis’s compositions should be considered progressive to say the least.  That being said, he never oversteps any boundary that might take away from the seriousness of this work, and some of the tunes on here are really far-out.  It’s clear that a great deal of thought and conceptualization went into this recording; Davis managed to through eight songs together that sound nothing alike, and maintains a common overtone throughout.  From the folksy to psychedelic sounds, it’s pretty clear that the guys playing on this record are rooted in jazz.  I get the feeling that Davis’s had a clear intention with this project, and it seems like he may have tailored his compositions for a particular sounding group; one that would be able to apply jazz in a wide range of musical contexts.
The Vinyl Station, June 10, 2014
Tracks
1. Destination Altitude - 4:04
2. Poor Child Of The Street - 6:47
3. Space - 4:05
4. Please Come Back Home - 3:17
5. On A Sad Day - 2:01
6. It's All Because She's Gone - 8:21
7. My Life Could Be Better Without You - 4:01
8. Lalune Blanche - 5:27
All compositions by Steve Davis

Musicians
*Steve Davis - Organ, Chimes, Vibes, Lead Vocals
*Bentley Smith - Guitar
*George Clinton - Piano, Back Vocals
*Willliam Harper - Sax
*Harvey Thompson - Flute
*Wayne Hill, Trumpet - Flügelhorn
*Jim Hurt, Vocal - Bass 
*Wayne Butler - Alto Saxophone
*Karl Himmel, Drums, Percussion 
*Norm Ray - Baritone Sax, Flute
*Bill Pippin - Trumpet, Flügelhorn 
*Dick Miller - Trumpet, Flugelhorn

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Thursday, February 15, 2024

Stow Lake - Flite (1970-71 us, impressive brass acid psych rock, 2023 release)

 



Studio/live recordings from 1970-71 by this lost Bay Area band. A superb cool blend of acid-rock, psychedelia and brass-rock with some outstanding guitar leads, Hammond organ and a tight rhythm section. Stow Lake was a seven piece group (named after the lake in Golden Gate Park) comprised of well-seasoned musicians from the original San Francisco psychedelic/fusion scene.

Among them, we can find ace guitar player Bob Hardy (previously of hard psych group The Osgoode/Asgard); the tandem of Jeff Ervin (sax, flute) and Jean Hintermann (trumpet), both later on Aura, Bill Whiter's backing band and Hot Cider (with Dennis Geyer of A.B. Skhy); child prodigy Larry Mallarino on trombone and bass player Dave Dunaway (later of jazz fusion band Listen). Not forgetting powerful singer/organist Bob Staley.

Unreleased until now, the recordings contained here were registered at top studios like McCune and Golden State Recorders. Also including are a couple of excellent quality live tracks recorded at the legendary Fillmore West in 1971, showing the band at their peak with an impressive jamming/acid-rock sound.
Tracks
1. Flite (Bob Staley) - 7:24
2. Time (Bob Staley, Bob Hardy, Jeff Ervin, Jean Hintermann, Dave Dunaway, Larry Mallarino, Bill Thomas) - 5:04
3. Two Hats In One (Bob Hardy, Harkens, Bob Styler) - 6:41
4. Goodbye (Bob Staley) - 2:45
5. Jam 1 (Jeff Ervin) - 8:38
6. Truth (Bob Staley, Bob Hardy, Jeff Ervin, Jean Hintermann, Dave Dunaway, Larry Mallarino, Bill Thomas) - 12:08
7. Mountains (Jeff Ervin) - 3:56
8. Flite (Bob Staley) - 5:58

Stow Lake
*Bob Staley - Organ, Folk Guitar, Lead Vocals
*Bob Hardy - Electric Guitar, Vocals 
*Jeff Ervin – Sax, Flute
*Jean Hintermann - Trumpet
*Dave Dunaway - Bass Guitar, Harmony Vocal
*Larry Mallarino - Trombone
*Bill Thomas - Drums

Related Act

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Wednesday, February 14, 2024

The Finchley Boys - Everlasting Tributes (1967-72 us, remarkable psych blues rock, 2016 double disc remaster and expanded)



Chicago, the capital of the state and of the Urban Blues. It is with the greatest ease that in January 1968, Garrett Oostdyk (guitars), George Faber (vocals, harmonica), Tabe (eight string bass) and J. Michael Powers (percussions), four local youngsters share their bluesman apprentice's talent and form the Finchley Boys. But in 1968, psychedelic fever has spread in all the recesses of the American territory sprinkling madness in the most proven structures, making them explode accompanied by a great many fuzz, distortion and various other rummage about The Finchley Boys were not spared the epidemic and will transfigure their basic blues to a furious lyrical epic et transfigureront leur blues basique en une furieuse epopee lyrique under the impulse of a remarkable guitarist-producer, Garrett Oostdyk. For this last task, he finds the help of Genevra Shirley, also featuring in the backing vocals. 

Their album "Everlasting  Tributes  unique concrete trace of their existence, is released in 1972 on Golden Throat Records, a Californian label (?) and is already presented as a posthumous work. It gathers together recordings carried out in specific places, the Chess studios (in Chicago) and the Golden Voice studios (in California ?) at various periods : the first in September 1968 ("Hooked"), the second in February 1969 ("Outcast") and the last in May ("Who's Been Talkin'" "I'm Not Like Everybody Else") and June 1969 ("Swelling Waters", "Once I Was A Boy", "It All Ends". "Restrictions"). We also assume that (at least for the first ones), these tracks were actually demo tapes destined to get the attention of the major companies s managers, up to that moment not much inclined to hang around in the lost clubs of the Middlewest in order to discover talents yet unknown. 

Despite this unexpected and cahotic gestation, unlike most compilations "Everlasting Tributes" bears a unity in the tone, a great attraction force and a puzzling ensemble sound. Garrett Oostdyk's guitar in particuliar does wonders here and astonishes us in solos staggering with virtuosity and feeling not only in classic blues songs like "Who's Been Talkin'", signed Chester  Howlin' Wolf  Burnett but also in great covers such as the Kinks' "I'm Not Like Everybody Else" (a fetish song for a great number a Amercian psychedelic bands)or in wonderful psychedelic original compositions such as "Swelling Waters", "Hooked", Vnce I Was A Boy" et le great "It All Ends". I hope that the release of this compact disc will also give you the opportunity to share my enthousiasm for a formation that remained anonymous for a long time and for an album that has become very hard to find. 

A few years ago, EVA Records released "Practice Sessions" which offered four tracks of the existing album qui proposait quatre litres de I'album existent plus cinq autres (among which the famous "Finchley Boys Blues") taken from an unreleased tape probably dating from the same periods (from September 1968 to June 1969). The avantage (the only one ?) of this cold and technological object which is th C.D. resides in a great capacity of absorption and a better quality of playing than the LP. That way, Eva records can offer us on the same medium the entire Finchley Boys' recordings and even if the previously unrealeased tracks may not be of the most irreproachable quality of sound and of in inspiration topping pieces like "It All Ends", we will listen to them with interest and with the rares pleasure of discovery only bitterly regretting that Garrett Oostdyk did not carry out the carreer that his talent deserved.
by P. Thieyre
Auteur du  Rock Psychedelique American! 1966/1973, Editions Librairie Parallels 1991/1993
Tracks
Disc 1 
1. Who's Been Talkin' (Chester Burnett) - 4:30
2. Swelling Waters - 3:56 
3. Outcast (Eddie Campbell, Ernie Johnson) - 2:37
4. I'm Not Like Everybody Else (Ray Davies) - 4:46 
5. Hooked - 4:14
6. Once I Was A Boy - 4:33
7. It All Ends - 4:00
8. Restrictions - 3:39
Music written by George Faber, Garret Oostdyk, J. Michael Powers, Tabe, Lyrics Larry Tabeling, George Faber except where indicated
All songs from "Everlasting Tributes" 0riginally released by Golden Throat Records 1972, except Tracks 1,4 recorded 1969 Golden Voice Studios Pekin, Illinois.
Disc 2
1.  Outcast (Eddie Campbell, Ernie Johnson) - 2:39
2.  Hooked - 3:56
3.  Suffering Servant - 3:50
4.  Jack Rabbit Jump - 4:18
5.  Who Goes There? - 9:02
6.  Hell Fire And Brimstone - 5:14
7.  Sweathog Blues - 6:13
8.  Cry Cry Cry - 5:19
9.  On A Better Day - 3:00
10.Only Me (Let Your Mind Be Free)  (Mark Warwick) - 4:56
Music written by George Faber, Garret Oostdyk, J. Michael Powers, Tabe, Lyrics Larry Tabeling, George Faber except where noted
Track 1 was recorded at Chess Studio in Chicago, Illinois, 1969.
Tracks 2,3,9 were recorded at Golden Voice Studios, 1968-1969 
Track 4 was recorded in San Francisco, 1971
Tracks 5,6,7,8 were recorded live at In Stiches in Champaign, Illinois, June 1971
Track 10 was recorded live at the University of Illinois' Illini Union, Urbana, Illinois, January 1967

Finchley Boys
Disc 1
*George Faber - Vocal, Harp
*Garret Oostdyk - Guitar
*J. Michael Powers - Drums, Percussion
*Tabe - 8 String Bass, Vocals
*Genevra Shirley - Vocals (Tracks 6, 8)

Disc 2
*Garrett Oostdyk - Guitars (Tracks 1-9), Backing Vocals (Tracks 2 , 4)
*George Faber - Vocals, Harp
*Tabe - 8-String Bass (Tracks 1-3, 9), 4-String Bass (Tracks 4-8, 10), Backing Vocal (Tracks 2, 4)
*J. Michael Powers - Percussion (Tracks 1-3, 9)
*Billy Shaw - Percussion (Tracks 4-8)
*Genevra Shirley - Backing Vocal (Track 4)
*Jim Cole - Guitar, Backing Vocals (Track 10)
*Mark Warwick - Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals (Track 10)
*Glen Cronkite - Percussion (Track 10)

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