Over the course of about five years beginning in late 1968, several musicians living in eastern Missouri rocked the area clubs and festivals with a mix of cover and Heavy original songs. The band’s name, Parchment Farm, came from a song on Blue Cheer’s debut LP, “Vincebus Eruptum.”
With several changes in their lineup during the years, they supported some of the top names from late sixties to mid seventies. Their sound is underground bluesy psych rock. Parchment Farm disbanded round 1974.
Lifemask was an emotional if not musical rebirth for Roy Harper, who nearly lost his life in 1972 due to a rare congenital circulatory disorder. When the album was released in early 1973, it showed Harper refining the acoustic music he had perfected on 1971's Stormcock. Some of the songs on the album previously appeared in a motion picture entitled Made, but the sound is nonetheless consistent throughout. "Highway Blues" and "South Africa" are the best-known songs on this set, and have remained concert mainstays for many years.
The former is a strong opener and added a touch of synthesizer to Harper's instrumental stable, while the latter was a political comment on apartheid in the guise of a touching love song. "Little Lady" and "Bank of the Dead" (featuring Jimmy Page) are fairly similar in sound and context, but remain pleasant, if not classic, cuts anyway. The album-closing "The Lord's Prayer" is quite possibly the most confounding piece in Harper's catalog. It has all the benchmarks of one of his classics -- epic, album-side length, poetically obscure lyrics, many musical movements, and, as usual, guitar help from Jimmy Page. However, despite its potential, the song's a bit boring and doesn't approach Harper's former or future epics in terms of listenability. Despite that, Lifemask remains a strong album from Harper's progressive folk period, even if it is a notch below its predecessor, Stormcock.
On her ’69 sophomore longplayer, Dana takes over the songwriting credits, taking full advantage of it. With Savoy Brown behind her, and Mike Vernon in the producer’s chair, one would guess that the result must’ve been as blue as blues can get, while it’s just as stylistically varied as Foolish Seasons.
With the above personnel made obvious only by the title tune, there’s also at least two tracks (Like I’m A Clown, I Was A Book) worthy of the mod-stompin’ shoulda-been-a-hit tag , already stuck firmly onto previous year’s You Just Gotta Know My Mind.
She revisits the acid folk of the debut LP’s title tune, and gets even moodier with the pair of ballads recalling The Zombies (When Darkness Fell), or The Swinging Blue Jeans’ take on You’re No Good with and additional Eastern touch to it (I Would Cry).
As a bonus, we get four sides of pre-debut singles, of which Page’s freaked-out fuzz solo in ‘65’s Thank You Boy makes the addition worthwhile on it’s own.
by Garwood Pickjon
Tracks
1. Box of Surprises - 4:26
2. Like I'm a Clown - 2:16
3. Taffy - 3:13
4. When Darkness Fell - 4:21
5. For David, The Nest Day - 4:29
6. If You're Dreaming - 2:13
7. Foolish Seasons - 2:30
8. Grecian Ode - 3:34
9. By Chasing Dreams - 3:06
10.I Was a Book - 2:03
11.Describing You - 3:04
12.I Would Cry - 4:41
13.Thank You Boy (Barry Mason, John Carter, Ken Lewis) - 2:05
14.You're a Heartbreak Man - 2:20
15.Pay You Back With Interest (Allan Clarke, Graham Nash, Tony Hicks) - 2:50
16.Adam Can You Beat That - 1:53
All compositions by Dana Gillespie except where stated
Flat Baroque and Berserk' was the first record of mine to go into the charts. For the first time in my recording career, proper care and attention was paid to the presentation of the song. Peter Jenner was assigned by EMI Records to produce the recording. Peter and I got on really well and he was a better overseer of my work than anyone I have been involved with before or since. I had also had a Studio upgrade. EMI Studios, Abbey Road was at that time the most advanced studio in Europe, and over the next ten years I was to record in near-perfect conditions.
Over those years, the studio buzzed with four separate Beatles, some Stones, The Pink Floyd, Cliff and the Shadows, Gracie Fields, three of four musical knights, Kate Bush, Olivier Newton-John, The Hollies, Yehudi Menuin, Stefan Grapelli, The Plastic Ono Band, Eric Clapton; you name them, they were all there. Jimmy Page and I were in there three or four times together.It was a creative hotbed where the technical staff, headed by Ken Townsend, were second to none.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I was very pleased with my first record made in such elevated surroundings. The song that I was best known for in those days, 'I Hate the White Man,' was recorded live for this album, and still stands as a testament to my lifelong devotion to espousing equal rights for all humans. I have long since wondered about the wisdom of stating that you have more than the capacity to hate your own race for it's misdemeanors, but as a polemic it has been both an effective tool and somewhere of a place to stand.
Much of the rect of the record is on a gentler level, although 'Hells Angels,' recorded with 'The Nice,' is just as raw and was very eventful.'Another Day' is one of the best love songs I ever wrote and the overall balance of the record is very good.
by Roy Harper
Tracks
1. Don't You Grieve - 5:44
2. I Hate The White Man - 8:04
3. Feeling All The Saturday - 1:56
4. How Does It Feel - 6:27
5. Goodbye - 5:47
6. Another Day - 2:58
7. Davey 1:32
8. East Of The Sun - 3:04
9. Tom Tiddler's Ground - 6:49
10.Francesca - 1:22
11.Song Of The Ages - 3:54
12.Hell's Angels - 6:55
Music and Lyrics by Roy Harper
Personnel
*Roy Harper - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar (Track 12)
Tir Na Nog expanded their horizons on their 1972 sophomore release by adding drums (Barry DeSouza) and bass (Larry Steele), as well as some effective string arrangements. Produced by the legendary Tony Cox (Caravan, Francoise Hardy, Family), A Tear and a Smile retained all of Sonny Condell and Leo O'Kelly's offbeat phrasing, playful melodic deviations, and pastoral balladry, while subtly turning an eye to the prospects of a little commercial appeal.
The easy folk-rock of O'Kelly''s "When I Came Down" and "The Same Thing Happening" wouldn't have sounded out of place on the country-rock-heavy airwaves of U.S. radio, and even though Condell's lighthearted Noel Coward imitation on the bouncy "Bluebottle Stew" is like listening to a half-baked Monty Python skit, it works because -- like everything on A Tear and a Smile -- it's executed so sincerely. Tir Na Nog were more than mediocre, but a few songs shy of great, and fans of Ralph McTell, the Dransfields, and Cat Stevens will find common ground and much to love here.
by James Christopher Monger
The second album A Tear and a Smile takes the first steps in a more rock-oriented direciton with the addition of the rhythm section of Larry Steele (bass) and Barry DeSouza (drums). Producer Tony Cox who'd previously worked successfully with Family and Caravan adds string arrangements to some songs and there are subtle developments suggesting stronger commercial appeal. Sales remained modest but the album did manage to secure a release in the USA, with some tracks substituted for with songs from the debut. The single preceeding the album "The Lady I Love" was Melody Maker Single Of The Week!
Listening to this album solidly for the past few months it surprises me that I could have been so absentminded as to forget to include it in my Early 70’s Proto-Metal Baker’s Dozen. Its’ always a challenge to compile those kinds of lists as there’s inevitably someone who you’re going to kick yourself for not including!
Randy Holden started his career in the early part of the 1960’s and was a member of; The Fender IV (Surf-Rock), Sons of Adam (Surf Rock/Psych), The Other Half (Psych/Garage Rock – Mr Pharmacist was later covered by The Fall), followed by a short stint in Blue Cheer on the record New! Improved! before going solo and launching his debut album, 1970’s Population II.
Population II is a reference both to there being 2 members in the band (Randy – guitar/vocals and drummer/keyboardist Chris Lockheed) and an astronomical term denoting a star cluster with heavy metals present – how apt! The album cover is of the duo stood in front of such a cluster in a valley as seen through a telescopic lens. The album is considered one of the earliest examples of Doom Metal and coincidentally was released in the same year as the first two Sabbath albums. The album has been reissued by RidingEasy Records who have some form when it comes to somewhat obscure 70’s Rock thanks to their superlative Brown Acid compilation series.
The record starts with Guitar Song that features some playful guitar histrionics before a slow, sludgy riff, which could be described as Sabbathesque, descends and Randy singing ‘I love the sound of a guitar playing, I love the way it makes me feel inside’, we would never have guessed. The theme of the song is so simple it’s beautiful, a man’s dedication to his craft. Fruit & Icebergs is a track that featured on the Blue Cheer record Holden guested on, and man, this version is infinitely a lot heavier and doomier, in fact you get the distinct impression that the version you hear here is how Randy intended it to be all along.
Next are 2 short numbers, the first of which Between Time reminds me of the Rolling Stones (Keith Richards was an influence) meets Blue Cheer. The other, Fruit & Icebergs (Conclusion) is er, a conclusion of the earlier track of the same name. Blue My Mind has a definite cool Hendrix vibe before the longest track on the album, the simply amazing 10 minute Keeper Of My Flame which concludes the album, a track that is both melodic and airy yet also grinding and devastating, there is some amazing playing on here, it’s progressive in scope but never self-indulgent or tiresome.
You can hear a sense of joy from Randy Holden on this record, free from the constraints of being in bands where he was given no control, he was determined to make the most of it here. Unlike the likes of Joe Satriani and self-proclaimed genius Yngwie Malmsteen, this is a guitar orientated record you can enjoy, with no over the top shredding, instead it feels grounded and unpretentious.
Much like Hendrix the words/lyrics are largely functional with the focus instead on the amazing music. Sadly, due to record company woes, Randy went into hibernation for the best part of 2 decades before re-emerging, but thanks to the ever-excellent RidingEasy Records hopefully one of rock’s most overlooked guitar heroes will at last get the kudos he so richly deserves. Stoner and doom metalheads will now be able to experience one of the most important documents in the development of the genre we dearly love.
by Reza Mills, 27th February 2020
After the recording of "Population II" in 1970, Randy Holden quit the music business never to be heard from again....until the release of this album in 1996 (in a limited Japanese edition). Sought out by long time fan Randy Pratt (executive producer for this project) and joined by Paul Whaley (prior to recording Guitar God Holden and Whaley, former Blue Cheer drummer, had not seen or spoken to each other for over two decades), and Robert Bauer, Randy delivers an extravagant album full of double and triple tracked guitar. Only one instumental on the album, Randy demonstrates his singing and song writing as well as his guitar prowess.
The album opens with Dark Eyes which contains as heavy a riff as can be found on Population II. The tempo speeds up with Wild Fire, No Trace, and Got Love. Pain In My Heart has a return to heavy. Blue My Mind is redone from the Population II days with a fuller sound. Must be listened to with headphones for the full experience. Randy is definitely having fun here, exploring his whole pallette of pyrotechnics.
Post Pearls Before Swine work from Tom Rapp – a record that has him stepping out as a solo act, but with a feel that's quite similar to his recordings with the group! The mood here is laidback and slightly folksy – but also augmented more by piano than by guitar, and recorded with a watery style that works wonderfully with Rapp's sad-tinged vocals. A number of the songs appear to be remakes of versions from earlier years – and titles include "Snow Queen", "The Jeweler", "Rocket Man", "Sail Away", "Full Phantom Five & I Shall Not Care", "These Things Too", and "Grace Street".
Tracks
1. Grace Street - 3:10
2. The Jeweler - 3:28
3. Rocket Man - 3:04
4. Snow Queen - 3:45
5. If You Don't Want To (I Don't Mind) - 3:17
6. Charley And The Lady - 3:22
7. Margery - 3:12
8. Medley: Full Phantom Five / I Shall Not Care - 2:57
9. These Things Too - 3:37
10.Sail Away - 3:46
All Music and Lyrics by Tom Rapp
Except "Full Phantom Five" from a William Shakespear poem
Leigh Ashford founders Waszek and Agnello knew each other as members of G.W. And The Demons at Riverdale High School in Toronto. Fresh out of high school Agnello joined The Ambassadors and Waszek joined the Lee Ashford Blues Band. When the Lee Ashford Blues Band folded Waszek and keyboardist Newton Garwood joined Agnello and new drummer David Cairns (Tom And Ian And The Soul Set) as sidemen for The Spirit Revue. By early 1967 the four had grown tired of the suits and the restricting etiquette of the Spirit Revue and revived the name Lee Ashford as Leigh Ashford – complete with a fictitious biography that painted Ashford as a turn of the century prostitute.
After playing around the growing Toronto rock scene for two years Guess Who producer Jack Richardson signed the act to his own Nimbus Records. Studio sessions were initiated for an album but collapsed when Cairns took ill. He was replaced in the studio for the bed-tracks by Wally Cameron (A Passing Fancy) and one useable track resulted in the long forgotten single “Country Place”. An attempt to get Cairns back on track faltered and Lance Wright (Terry & The Pyrates) filled in on drums until permanent replacement, Craig Kaleal, (Witness Inc.) was enlisted. A new vocalist, Buzz Shearman (Shearman & Peabody), was brought in to give the act a harder edge.
In 1969 the band opened for the Vanilla Fudge at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto and later on that year, for the Who at the Rockpile in Toronto.With a release from their Nimbus deal, the band kept busy in the clubs, and occasional studio work, and as 1970 wore on, Garwood was replaced by Bruno Weckerle on keyboards. In 1971, Mort Ross’ Revolver Records picked up the band and took them into the RCA Studio in Toronto to produce the ‘Kinfolk’ album.While in New York, Leigh Ashford would do opening slots for The Who (at The Rockpile) and Vanilla Fudge.
The album’s first single, “Dickens”, began gaining attention and upon returning to Canada they performed at the Strawberry Fields Festival in Mosport, Ontario. But, typical creative differences broke the band up by 1972. Waszek continued to work for Mort Ross and Revolver Records as Ross’ cash cow, Motherlode, was refit for a third incarnation headed by Waszek and featuring ex-Chimo! vocalist Breen LeBoeuf, future Triumph bassist Mike Levine and former Leigh Ashford bandmates Wally Cameron and Newton Garwood. After one failed Motherlode single, Waszek revived Leigh Ashford with Buzz Shearman, Cameron, Garwood and bassist Don Elliott (ex-Mandala).
Mort Ross had another subsidiary label on the go, Hopi, and grabbed Leigh Ashford for one under-achieving single of Waszek originals – “Workin’ All Day” b/w “The Country’s Got A Soul Of Its Own”. With the departure of Elliott (with Doni Underhill taking over), the Leigh Ashford name was retired and they became Burgundy before, it too failed to chart a single. Waszek and Underhill decided to jump ship at this point and joined Fludd in 1974. Buzz Shearman kept the band and its name going for another two years before finally evolving into the hit recording act Moxy and helping future metal chanteuse Lee Aaron launch her solo career.
Shearman would die tragically in a motorcycle accident in the early ’80’s; Agnello continued on as bassist for many showcase R & B acts around Toronto including Chuck Jackson; Underhill would eventually leave Fludd to reform the band Fingers with Waszek before moving on to stint with Trooper; Elliott went on to be an audio technician and cameraman; Waszek, meanwhile, did session work with the likes of Triumph (on “Just A Game”) and would spend a good part of the late ’80’s with Bobby Dupont and in the ’90’s as alternate lead guitar with Eagles tribute band Desperado which featured former members of Refugee. He is now a fully retired postal worker living in the USA; Bruce Weckerle died July 10, 2004 of complications from a stroke in 2003; Newton Garwood died of cancer November 4, 2005. Bill Wade succumbed to cancer July 27, 2001 at the age of 53; Terry Juric passed away July 18, 2023.
These music students from the city of Bonn made forays into various musical styles. Listening to tracks as diverse as the title track, which is a psychedelic masterpiece in the Pink Floyd vein, the heavy "Rock ’n’ roll chillun", the blues "Stranger in your town" or the slightly shallow "Last night in Verona" you realize they really know their job. The tracks were recorded in 1975 in the posh London Decibel studios and planned for release on LP but nothing came of it. Twilight’s only releases were two singles on New Blood. The label’s documents, which had been acquired by a collector, were the starting point for tracking down the band as well as the master tape, which they have carefully kept safe until the late 90's, and in 2000 it was officially released on cd. Αfter leaving Twilight, guitarist and singer Volkmar Kramarz joined Arktis and later took over a WDR radio programme.
Tracks
1. Day And Night - 8:30
2. Country Waltz - 3:43
3. Leaving In The Morning - 5:50
4. Rock ‘n’ Roll Chillun - 4:42
5. Stranger In Your Town - 7:18
6. White Queen Boogie - 4:01
7. Last Night In Verona - 2:34
8. Ships Sailing On Sea - 5:27
All compositions by Volkmar Kramarz, Jürgen Bieler, Ulrich Hülder, Roland Glässer
After the artistic peak of Who Cares, it would have been tough for Goddo's singer, bassist, and chief songwriter Greg Godovitz to top himself. Wisely, he doesn't even try on his power trio's third album, An Act of Goddo. Recorded in the vacation environs of Florida and mixed at the Bee Gees Miami studio, An Act of Goddo is appropriately a looser, more relaxed outing that emphasizes meat-and-potatoes songcraft, big swaggering riffs, spacious arrangement, lengthy solos, and, oddly, a more reflective lyrical tone over the ambition and excess of its predecessor.
It still rises to the occasion at points. "So Walk On" and "Work it Out" are arena rockers with ringing, canyon-sized guitar lines from Gino Scarpelli and solid back beats from Doug Inglis. "Rosie (Just Hang On)" and "The Verdict's In" shake, rattle, and roll to grooves that gene-splice rubberlegged rockabilly to '70s guitar rock.
Godovitz indulges his continuing classical aspirations with the palindromically titled "Anacanapanacana," an overture combining melodies from several cuts. And he offers up a pair of wistful ballads in the bilingual Left Bank ode "Chantal" and the urgent guitar-strummer "Take Care." Ultimately, though, the most meaningful song on An Act of Goddo may have been "Sign on the Line." Inspired by the bite-the-hand-that-feeds-you nihilism of punk, Godovitz penned this anti-music biz screed about "record executive lies" and shipped it to his label. Surprise! Goddo was soon shopping for a new deal, and this album lapsed out of print for years before being reissued on CD in 2000 on Canadian label Bullseye.
