The V.I.P's - The Complete V.I.P's (1965-67 uk, spectacular mod beat rhythm 'n' blues, 2006 Repertoire double disc remaster)

The story begins in summer 1963, in Carlisle, Cumbria, in the far North-West of England. Jimmy Henshaw (guitar, keyboards), Walter Johnstone (drums), Frank Kenyan (guitar) and former export clerk Mike Harrison (vocals) formed a beat combo, and dubbed themselves The VIPs. Johnston and Kenyan had previously been in The Teenagers; not long after forming the band, The VIPs added Greg Ridley on bass, who had previously lined up with Dino & The Danubes, and The Dakotas and The Ramrods, together with Harrison. 

They scored a record deal with RCA, who put out their debut single, "She's So Good" / "Don't Keep Shouting At Me" in 1964, both sides being penned by Henshaw. The single is a great slice of sneery Brit R&B, and is now an ultra-rare collector's favourite. From 1965 to 1966 the band were a top club attraction in London, and gigged regularly at the Star Club in Hamburg, garnering a sizeable cult following,

The original VIP's line-up recorded three more singles ("Wintertime" as The Vipps for CBS, plus "I Wanna Be Free" / "Don't Let It Go" and "Straight Down To The Bottom" / "In A Dream" for Island, produced by Island stalwart Guy Stevens) before disbanding. Henshaw, Johnstone and Kenyan were replaced by Luther Grosvenor (guitar), Mike Kellie (drums), and Keith Emerson (keyboards). Emerson had previously been a member of Gary Farr & The T-Bones; this variant of The VIPs gigged for only three months, before Emerson upped and formed The Nice, with Brian "Blinky" Davidson, Lee Jackson and Davy O'List. 

The remaining quartet changed their name from the by then somewhat anachronistic VIPs, to simply Art-Worcester-born Grosvenor had played guitar for The Hellians, whose 1964 single, "Daydreaming Of You", released on Pye subsidiary Piccadilly, was produced by maverick West Coast genius / madman /charlatan Kim Fowley. The Hellians, if I may digress still further, boasted the nascent talents of both Dave Mason and Jim Capaldi, who would, of course, go on to form Island mainstays Traffic with Steve Winwood, and a young Poli Palmer, who latterly rattled the Joanna for Family. The Hellians in turn mutated into Deep Feeling.

Mike Kellie, originally from Birmingham, had drummed for second city band Locomotive, who also featured sax and flute player Chris Wood, who joined Traffic in 1967. There. See how incestuous this little scene was? Anyway, Locomotive would go on to enjoy a UK Top 30 hit with the ska-rhythmed "Rudi's 1? Love" (unusually enough, the band were very heavily ska and bluebeat driven), and in 1969 put out the awesome latterday psychedelic gem "Mr. Armageddon".

Spooky-bio

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Don't Keep Shouting At Me - 2:24

2. She's So Good - 2:20

3. Mercy Mercy - 2:46

4. That's My Woman - 2:10

5. Wintertime - 2:09

6. Anyone - 2:16

7. I Wanna Be - 3:13

8. Don't Let It Go - 2:36

9. Straight Down To The Bottom - 2:08

10.In A Dream - 2:24

11.Smokestack Lightning - 6:42

12.Back Into My Life Again - 2:32

13.Every Girl I See - 2:53

14.Stagger Lee - 3:13

15.Rosemarie - 3:19

16.Late Night Blues - 5:36

CD 2
1. I Wanna Be Free - 3:13
2. Smokestack Lightning - 6:42
3. You Don't Know Like I Know - 2:30
4. Stagger Lee - 3:26
5. No Use Crying - 3:31
6. I Wanna Be Free - 3:10
7. Grapes Of Wrath - 3:13
8. Fannie Mae - 3:36
9. Talk About My Babe - 3:42
10.I Got A Woman - 6:34
11.Blue Feeling - 2:32
12.Sad Story - 2:24
(There's a little mess in the track list between "Grapes of Wrath" and "Fannie Mae", I presume it's label's fault, because it's listed incorrectly.)

The V.I.P.s
*Frank Kenyon - Rhythm Guitar
*Jimmy Henshaw - Lead Guitar
*Mike Harrison -  Vocals
*Walter Johnstone -  Drums
*Mike Kellie -  Drums
*Keith Emerson -  Keyboards
*Greg Ridley -  Bass, Guitar

1966  The V.I.P's - Beat Crazy
1967  Art - Supernatural Fairy Tales

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Fraction - Moon Blood (1971 us, stunning raw garage psych, extra tracks issue remaster)

Based in LA, Fraction was a ragged collection of working-class musicians–the line-up was ringleader Jim Beach–vocals; Don Swanson–lead guitar, Curt Swanson–drums, Victor Hemme–bass, and Robert Meinel–rhythm guitar. Beach himself describes those early days: “The guys met through various acquaintances that we had in LA. All of us had been in bands before, but were seeking something with more teeth. We had a small studio in an industrial complex in North Hollywood and started practicing sometimes as early as 4:30 AM. We all had day jobs, so we did what we could.” Amazingly the recording sessions for the album were recorded similarly on the fly, as Beach further states: “The Moonblood recording took place at Whitney’s Studio in Glendale, CA, early in 1971. On a strict budget, these songs were recorded in less than three hours””all of them “one takes.” We played, all 5 of us, simultaneously– there were no studio effects, no overdubbing or any additional sound effects added. Basically what you hear is considered ‘old school’ recording.”

This workmanlike description in no way prepares one for the pure tortured genius the session wrought. Particularly noteworthy is Beach’s vocals””as commonly stated, the spirit of Jim Morrison is conjured in his deep baritone, which gives way to unparalleled pained howls, at times bathed in delay which trails into the abyss. Fascinatingly enough, Beach cites the much punker Love as his fave LA band over the Doors, and also gives influence-nods to proto-everything rockers The Yardbirds and to Dylan, whose dark word tapestries surely inspired Beach’s lyrics (though lines from The Doors’ “L’America” pop up on the LP) Whatever the case, the man clearly has a vision, as even the stark sleeve concept is Beach’s own.

Equally as integral to the Fraction sound is lead guitarist Don Swanson””his blown-out fuzz riffs set a template for what is now commonly known as “stoner rock” or “acid punk,” and his solos consist of jagged, wah-wah-ed shards of notes, with his amplifier clearly pushed to the limit. Beach says: “Don’s guitar was always my driving force and he did everything he could to keep it over the top. You’d never know that (his sound) was coming from an old, broken down Esquire. Don kept it alive!” The other members contributions shouldn’t be underappreciated though– drummer Curt Swanson keeps things at a constant simmer, and then boils over when the whole band launches into snarling glory. The band and LP as a whole equals something indescribably intense from start to finish””comparisons to the Detroit late 60s high-energy bands like The Stooges and MC5 abound, as well as the sort of late 60s damaged spirit lurking in biker clubs and disgruntled Vietnam vets.

Mexican-summer

Tracks

1. Sanc Divided (Robert Meinel, Jim Beach) - 3:53

2. Come Out of Her (Jim Beach) - 5:02

3. Eye Of The Hurricane (Jim Beach, Don Swanson, Curt Swanson, Victor Hemme, Robert Meinel) - 9:07

4. Sons Come To Birth (Jim Beach, Don Swanson) - 5:32

5. This Bird (Sky High) (Robert Meinel, Jim Beach) - 8:16

6. Prisms - 4:23
7. Dawning Light - 4:40
8. Intercessor's Blues - 3:58
Bonus Tracks 6-8

Fraction
*Jim Beach - Lead Vocals
*Don Swanson - Lead Guitar
*Curt Swanson - Percusion
*Victor Hemme - Bass Guitar
*Robert Meinel - Rhythm Guitar

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Wazoo - Wazoo (1970 us, great progressive experimental avant garde rock, 2006 World In Sound issue)

This group from the Detroit area is probably the weirdest experimental psych outfits from 1970. Originally the band was hired by “Zig Zag Records” to record cover tunes and easy listening, with the intention, “We’re just doing whatever we want,” the result was an overdosed rock concept album… “to give the music back to the people”. 

Original copies are rare and pretty unknown among psych collectors until now! The 7 songs with an average length of 7 mins combine different styles of music, from heavy garage rock to bluesy westcoast, drifting into various tripped-out, funk, jazz, fusion elements with humorous/social comments. Structure, feeling and complexity can be compared to experimental Krautrock, while the group´s basic sound is represented better by end-60s US

Hippie Rock as Country Joe & the Fish or The Head Shop (WIS-1024) with its excessive fuzz guitar work, Farfisa organ, amazing vocals by Cleveland´s “Bocky” and several additional instruments, sax, harpsichord, cello, percussion, bells…. 

Studio work is pretty tricky, lots of unexpected mixing and experiments, with flashes of UK´s legendary "White Noise". – This issue contains a 12 p. colour booklet with a band´s bio, and the cool original album design, made by John Williams who also worked for Zappa - so it can be assumed which influences Zappa used for his 1972, “Grand Wazoo” album?!? Wazoo presents at the highest level of musicianship free & atmospheric rock - a unique kind of musical renaissance!

World In Sound

Tracks
1. The Beginning / Grand Ol' Land - 8:30
2. Slip On (Jim Finnan, Robert DiPasquale) - 4:50
3. The Way I See It (Felix McDaniel) - 11:18
4. Sleep On  (Jim Finnan, Robert DiPasquale) - 7:33
5. Concert - 1:40
6. Arnie Funny Far Fackor -  5:00
7. BH Man -  9:47
8. Grand Ol' Land -  7:21
All songs by Robert "Rocky" DiPasquale, Jim Finnan, John Fraga, George (Konstantine) Katsakis, Felix McDaniel, Vince Scalabrino except where noted.

Wazoo
*Robert "Rocky" Dipasquale (Aka Bocky)  - Vocals, Percussion
*Jim Finnan  - Keyboards, Trumpet
*John Fraga  - Bass
*George (Konstantine) Katsakis  - Sax, Vocals
*Felix McDaniel  - Guitar, Vocals
*Vince Scalabrino  - Drums, Vocals

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Touch - Touch (1968-73 us, impressive proto prog experimental rock, 2012 Esoteric remaster and expanded)

Touch’s sole album was released in early 1969. Prior to that, the band’s leader, Don Gallucci, had been in the Kingsmen and later on with Don and the Good Times. With the Kingsmen ,he co-wrote and played electric piano on Louie Louie, the most legendary of junk rock classics. Don and the Good Times were a Portland based rock & roll/pop-rock group who had a few small local hits in the mid 60′s. In 1967 the band’s old school style of pop had become passe, a change was needed, and in a fit of inspiration Gallucci wrote Seventy Five. This track would prove to be the centerpiece on Touch’s only album.

The lineup that recorded Touch was Don Gallucci (vocals, keyboards), Jeff Hawks (vocals), Bruce Hauser (vocals, bass), Joey Newman (vocals, guitars) and John Bordonaro (vocals, percussion). The group rented a castle in the Hollywood Hills in which they would rehearse and invite interested record company executives who would see them play live. With numerous record companies competing for a contract, Coliseum/London Records finally won the bid with a record breaking $25,000 advance. The band began recording at Sunset Sounds but sessions were soon plagued with hype and out of control partying. Word quickly spread about the mind blowing music Touch had been recording at Sunset Sounds. Grace Slick, Mick Jagger, and the great Jimi Hendrix stopped by the studio to witness Touch in action. What they heard on those sessions was thankfully put down to wax and released at the tail end of the decade.

The Touch album is graced with the adventurous spirit of the 60s, a record overflowing with ideas, killer musicianship, and great performances. It’s one of America’s first progressive rock albums albeit one that still has a strong psychedelic hangover. The above mentioned track, the nearly 12 minute Seventy Five is one of the great early progressive rockers with a fabulous guitar solo and a wonderful, atmospheric vocal performance from Jeff Hawks. Seventy Five is often described as a theatre-of-the-mind epic but is by no means an overblown ELP keyboard extravaganza. Two straight ahead rockers, We Feel Fine and Miss Teach, are really good and distinctive too, with confident vocals, great guitar work, and well written lyrics. Other songs are more psychedelic like the piano dominated Friendly Birds, the classically influenced ballad Alesha and Others, and the experimental Down At Circe’s Place. Down At Circe’s Place is an underrated psychedelic classic with flanged vocals, a great spaced out guitar solo, powerful drum work, trippy sound fx ,and noisy keyboard work – it’s got everything you’d want from an album like this.

Touch hangs together as an album quite well and never succumbs to endless jamming or unfinished ideas. This is a great album and one that deserves its classic status. Gallucci would go on to produce the Stooges’ Funhouse but Touch is probably his finest hour as a musician. Touch has been repressed numerous times but the best reissues in recent years have been by Wild Places and Eclectic.

by Jason Nardelli

Tracks
1. We Feel Fine - 4:40
2. Friendly Birds (Don Gallucci) - 4:53
3. Miss Teach (D. Gallucci, J. Hawks) - 3:29
4. The Spiritual Death Of Howard Greer - 8:52
5. Down At Circe's Place (D. Gallucci, J. Newman, J. Hawks) - 4:00
6. Alesha And Others - 3:05
7. Seventy Five - 11:12
8. We Finally Met Today (D. Gallucci, J. Hawks) - 3:43
9. Alesha And Others (D. Gallucci, J. Hawks) - 3:17
10.Blue Feeling (J. Bordonaro, D. Gallucci, J. Hawks) - 11:46
11.The Spiritual Death Of Howard Greer - 8:07
12.The Second Coming Of Suzanne - 12:20
All compositions by Don Gallucci, Joey Newman except where stated.
Bonus tracks 8-12

Touch
*John Bordonaro - Percussion, Vocals
*Don Gallucci - Keyboards, Vocals
*Bruce Hauser - Bass, Vocals
*Jeff Hawks - Vocals
*Joey Newman - Guitars, Vocals
*Roger Johnson - Guitar (Track 12)
*Trey Thompson - Bass (Track 12)
*Jim Varley - Drums (Track 12)

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CMU - Space Cabaret (1973 uk, exceptional prog space rock, japan remaster)

Only the Odell-couple and Ian Hamlett remained from the first album. Mortimer, Gordon and bassist Ed Lee had been replaced by Richard Joseph on vocals and acoustic guitar, Steve Cook on bass and finally Leary Hasson on keyboards. The latter one had earlier played in Marsupilami, and was undoubtedly the most exciting of the new members. "Space Cabaret" is musically quite different from the debut. 

The bluesy tendencies were gone, and the band went instead for a more symphonic and spacey kind of progressive rock with some slight folk-influences and overall far more complex material. The lyrics were also considerably more far out and dreamy than on the debut, fitting well to the new musical direction. The 17-minute title-track in four parts is probably the best thing the band ever did. Hasson introduced Mellotron, el-piano and some spacey synths to the band's sound, and Joseph are allowed to sing a lot more along with Odell than what Gordon ever was on the debut. 

The melodies are thoroughly strong and the arrangements have a spacey sweep and atmosphere to them. The first side closes with the short and acoustic "Doctor Am I Normal?". This charming folk-song seems to be a bit out of place from the rest of the record's space-concept, but is still a good tune. The second side is taken up by two complex 10-minute pieces. First out is "Dream" that starts slow and gloomy, but quickly picks up the pace in the funky mid-part that finally leads out into a quite heavy finale. The closer "Light Shine" is, despite several vocal-passages, mostly a showcase for Hasson and his various sounds, climaxing in a fine jam between his organ and Hamlett's guitar. 

Vintage-prog

Tracks
1. Space Cabaret - 1:56
2. Archway 272 - 6:18
3. Song From The 4th Era - 2:21
4. A Distant Thought, A Point Of Light -  6:49
5. Doctor, Am I Normal? - 4:56
6. Dream (Ian Hamlett) - 9:42
7. Lightshine (Leary Hasson) - 10:26
All compositions by Richard Joseph except where stated

CMU
*Ian Hamlett - Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar
*Larraine Odell - Vocals
*Leary Hasson - Keyboards
*Richard Joseph - Vocals, Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
*Roger Odell - Drums

1971  Open Spaces (2008 Esoteric remaster)

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Warren S. Richardson Jr. - Warren S. Richardson Jr. (1969 us, stunning hard psych, 2008 RDI remaster)

In 1967 Richardson-nee Spooner contributed lead guitar to Michael Condello's "Condello" LP (see separate review).  A couple of years later Condello apparently repaid the favor by producing 1969's cleverly-titled "Warren S. Richardson Jr.".  Recorded at Richardson-nee-Spooner was credited with penning all six tracks and material like 'Reputation'' and 'Shady Lady' offered up a pretty good set of fuzz-propelled hard rock.  

Spooner had a voice that was well suited to the genre and this was one of those rare albums that actually seemed to benefit from the addition of horns (courtesy of Owen Eugene Hale, Richard Lewis and Joseph Ray Trainer).  In case anyone cared, perhaps because it strayed a little bit from the predominantly hard rock formula, excluding the needless and seemingly endless drum solo, the psych-tinged 'Wind and Rain' struck me as the standout effort on the album.

Bad-cat

Tracks
1. Reputation (Traditional arr. by Warren S. Richardson Jr.) - 6:38
2. Easy Rider (Warren S. Richardson Jr.) - 2:57
3. Shady Lady (Warren S. Richardson Jr.) - 6:54
4. Wind And Rain (Warren S. Richardson Jr.) - 10:27
5. Stella (Warren S. Richardson Jr.) - 3:18
6. Goin' Home (Warren S. Richardson Jr.) - 3:04

Personnel
*David Birkett - Bass
*Mickey Mcgee - Drums
*Owen Eugene Hale - Sax
*Richard Lewis - Keyboards, Horns
*Warren S. Richardson Jr. (Aka Bill Spooner) - Vocals, Guitar
*Joseph Ray Trainer - Sax

Related Act
1968  Condello - Phase I

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Moby Grape - The Place And The Time (1967-68 us, sensational westcoast psych, demos and outtakes, 2009 Sundazed release)

Despite a myriad of obstacles, Moby Grape managed to persevere and create a potent and enduring body of recorded work, recording four albums during its original 1967–1969 lifespan. While 1967’s Moby Grape is widely acknowledged as a classic (and one of rock’s greatest debut albums), the subsequent Wow, Moby Grape ’69 and Truly Fine Citizen are all underrated gems with much to recommend them. It’s a measure of the musicians’ abundance of talent and creativity that, despite the multiple roadblocks that they confronted, Moby Grape recorded prolifically and cut a wealth of originally unreleased material. The Place and the Time offers a scintillating assortment of rare tracks cut during the band’s heady 1967–1968 heyday. Encompassing audition recordings, album outtakes, alternate versions, live material and more, the recordings offer a powerful testament to the remarkable rapport that made Moby Grape such a unique force.

The fact that music this stunning and original sat on the shelf for so long is just another in the litany of injustices that haunt the Moby Grape story. But the band’s majestic recorded legacy has outlasted the bad luck, bad choices and bad vibes. The music remains as fresh and inspiring as ever, and the vintage material featured in this collection constitutes a crucial addition to Moby Grape’s already monumental body of work. 

Sundazed

San Francisco's Moby Grape remains a prototype: a hard rocking quintet, all monster singers, top-shelf instrumentalists and skilled songwriters. These auditions, demos, outtakes, alternate and extended versions, and live recordings from 1967-8 have the loose vibe and flubs that prevented them from being deemed releasable at the time, but the imperfections accentuate Grape's never-played-safe, gutsy rock'n'roll. There are moments when it sounds like the music is going to explode into chaos, but these professionals could take it to the edge and pull it back at the abyss. Jerry Miller is a guitar god, Peter Lewis a folk-rock master, Bob Mosley a muscular bassist and blue-eyed soulman extraodinaire, Don Stevenson a driver of a drummer and more, and Skip Spence is a one of rock's most original madmen. Why they don't make 'em like Moby Grape any more is arguable- but they don't.

Mojo

Tracks
1. Indifference (Columbia Audition Recording) - 2:53
2. Looper - 2:37
3. Stop (Demo Recording) - 2:21
4. Rounder (Instrumental Outtake) - 2:02
5. Sweet Ride (Never Again) (Unedited Version) - 5:56
6. Loosely Remembered (Demo Recording) - 3:26
7. The Place And The Time (Alternate Version) - 2:25
8. Bitter Wind (Demo Recording) - 2:48
9. Seeing (Alternate Version) - 5:12
10.What's To Choose (Alternate Version) - 2:01
11.Soul Stew (Outtake Recording) - 2:19
12.If You Can't Learn From My Mistakes (Demo Recording) - 1:25
13.You Can Do Anything (Demo Recording) - 3:37
14.Skip's Song (Demo Recording) - 3:29
15.It's A Beautiful Day Today (Demo Recording) - 4:14
16.What's To Choose (Demo Recording) - 3:21
17.Hoochie (Demo Recording) - 3:20
18.Big (Demo Recording) - 2:31
19.Rounder (Live Recording) - 2:02
20.Miller's Blues (Live Recording) - 6:07
21.Changes (Live Recording) - 4:18
22.Looper (Demo Recording) - 2:08
23.Soul Stew (Instrumental Outtake) - 2:20
24.Cockatoo Blues (Tongue-Tied) (Demo Recording) - 3:41

Moby Grape
Peter Lewis – Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
Bob Mosley – Bass, Vocals
Jerry Miller – Lead Guitar, Vocals
Skip Spence – Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
Don Stevenson – Drums, Vocals

1966-69  Live (Sundazed digipack issue)
1969  Wow (Sundazed Issue)

Related Act
1972  Bob Mosley - Bob Mosley
1974-77  Bob Mosley - Never Dreamed

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Van Morrison - Veedon Fleece (1974 ireland, remarkable folk jazzy rock, 2008 japan SHM remaster)

By 1974, Van Morrison was probably exhausted. During the past ten years, the Irish troubadour had morphed from a garage rock king (as the leader of Them) to a pop hit machine to the craftsman of such landmark albums as Astral Weeks and Tupelo Honey. His eighth album, Veedon Fleece, hit stores in late 1974, shortly after the release of those instantly accessible masterpieces — and it was greeted by a collective shrug by the rock critical establishment. Time has proven them wrong. 

The album is the grand culmination of Morrison's work over the past decade, combining R'n'B with celtic music, country and traditional rock and roll. At the center of it lies "You Don't Pull No Punches, But You Don't Push The River" — a wildly ambitious, nearly nine-minute song filled with piano, soprano saxophone and flute, where Morrison sings about the quest for the mysterious "veedon fleece" — an elusive treasure that's never quite defined. Repeated references to "William Blake and the Sisters of Mercy" may leave you scratching your head, but it's clear this album finds Morrison at the absolute top of his game. "Streets of Arklow," a tribute to the historic Ireland town, is another stunning beauty featuring Morrison singing in top form, complimented by a string section. 

This reissue includes a scant two bonus tracks and no liner notes, but it's still worth the price for the improved sound. After Veedon Fleece, a drained Morrison took the longest break of his career, not emerging until 1977. He's released many wonderful albums since, but he's never again hit the majestic heights of this one.

by Andy Greene

Tracks
1. Fair Play – 6:14
2. Linden Arden Stole The Highlights – 2:37
3. Who Was That Masked Man – 2:55
4. Streets Of Arklow – 4:22
5. You Don't Pull No Punches, But You Don't Push The River - 8:50
6. Bulbs - 4:18
7. Cul De Sac - 5:51
8. Comfort You - 4:25
9. Come Here My Love - 2:21
10.Country Fair - 5:42
11.Twilight Zone (Alternative Take) - 5:48
12.Cul De Sac (Alternative Take) - 2:54
All songs written by Van Morrison.

Musicians
*Van Morrison - Vocal, Guitar
*Ralph Walsh - Guitar
*John Tropea - Guitar
*David Hayes - Bass
*Joe Macho - Bass
*Dahaud Shaar (David Shaw) - Drums
*Allan Schwartzberg - Drums
*Nathan Rubin - Violin
*Terry Adams - Viola
*James Rothermel - Flute, Recorder
*Jack Schroer - Soprano Saxophone
*James Trumbo - Piano
*Jef Labes - Piano

1967  Blowin' Your Mind! (extra tracks edition)
1971  Tupelo Honey (Japan SHM remaster)
1974  It's Too Late To Stop Now (Japan SHM remaster)

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Van Morrison - It's Too Late To Stop Now (1974 ireland, gorgeous folk rock jazz r 'n' b, 2008 japan SHM remaster)

Named for the mighty Belfast singer's exhortation at the close of his song, Into The Mystic, It's Too Late…is oft-referred to as one of the greatest live albums ever recorded. Included in the first batch of remasters of the 'Man''s back catalogue, now’s your chance to argue the toss again.

When Morrison hit the road in the Summer of 1973 -ITLTSN collects material from gigs in LA, Santa Monic and London - he'd not only notched up a run of six absolutely flawless collections of what would probably now be referred to as 'soul jazz', but he'd also assembled a team of players that were the equal of his own perfectionism. Such was this perfectionism that the original running order was shorn of his most widely-known tune, Moondance, due to one bum guitar note. In other words this is one of the few live albums you'll ever hear with NO overdubs.

When you hear ITLTSN you realise why this had to be the case: Morrison’s blend of his own classics along with a fair smattering of tracks that influenced him is delivered with such passion, and belief that any studio tinkering would be like throwing a tin of paint over the Mona Lisa. In a live setting all the hyperbole about Morrison's blend of genres into one Celtic, mystic vision makes perfect sense. This is soul music in a very real sense.

It was also a sign of how Van had matured that he can deliver classics like Ray Charles' I Believe To My Soul or Sonny Boy Williamson's Help Me and make them his own. Not only this he improves on his own compositions. Cypress Avenue, complete with the strings of the Caledonian Soul orchestra may even be better than the original on Astral Weeks. Quite a feat. And just listen to how playful Morrison is on the improvised breaks (''You say in France!''): grunting, wailing, going beyond mere words in his striving to convey the heart of this music. This is a master live performer at work. And enjoying it.

With just one bonus track (a version of Brown Eyed Girl) this polished edition gives you the chance to hear one of the best bands and their genius of a singer deliver the goods one more time, 40 years on. It's never too late…

by Chris Jones

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Ain't Nothin' You Can Do (Joseph Scott) - 3:44

2. Warm Love - 3:04

3. Into The Mystic - 4:33

4. These Dreams Of You - 3:37

5. I Believe To My Soul (Ray Charles) - 4:09

6. I've Been Working - 3:56

7. Help Me (Sonny Boy Williamson Ii, Ralph Bass, Willie Dixon) - 3:25

8. Wild Children - 5:04

9. Domino - 4:48

10.I Just Want To Make Love To You (Willie Dixon) - 5:16

Disc 2
1. Bring It On Home To Me (Sam Cooke) - 4:42
2. Saint Dominic's Preview - 6:18
3. Take Your Hand Out Of My Pocket (Sonny Boy Williamson II) - 4:04
4. Listen To The Lion - 8:43
5. Here Comes The Night (Bert Berns) - 3:14
6. Gloria - 4:16
7. Caravan - 9:20
8. Cyprus Avenue - 10:20
9. Brown Eyed Girl (Bonus Track) - 3:24
All songs by Van Morrison except where noted

Musicians
*Van Morrison - Vocal
*Nathan Rubin - First Violin
*Tom Halpin, Tim Kovatch - Violins
*Nancy Ellis - Viola
*Teressa Adams - Cello
*Bill Atwood - Trumpet, Backing Vocals
*Jack Schroer - Alto, Tenor, Baritone Saxophones, Tambourine, Backing Vocals
*Jef Labes - Piano, Organ
*John Platania - Guitar, Backing Vocals
*David Hayes - Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals
*Dahaud Shaar (David Shaw) - Drums, Backing Vocals

1967  Blowin' Your Mind! (extra tracks edition)
1971  Tupelo Honey (Japan SHM remaster)
1974  Veedon Fleece (2008 Japan SHM remaster)

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Van Morrison - Tupelo Honey (1971 ireland, superb folk rock jazz r 'n' b, 2008 japan SHM remaster)

Now known more for his fearsome reputation as a curmudgeonly r&b shouter in a hat, at one point in the dim and distant past, Van Morrison was, well… a happy curmudgeon. In the early '70s his magnificent voice and mystic vision were wedded to an idyllic private life and final acceptance within a music industry that had consistently dealt him a bad hand. Many of his fans regard 'The Man' as hitting his artistic peak around this point. Certainly, between the late '60s and mid-'70s he amassed a body of work that remains peerless in the pantheon of blue-eyed soul. Tupelo Honey is, perhaps the most approachable of all these remarkable albums, now included in the first batch of this year's remasters.

Having moved to the States under the management of Bert Berns as early as 1967, by 1970 the Belfast Cowboy was living in the hippy haven of upstate New York in Woodstock; next door neighbour to The Band amongst others. Having set out his stall – the richly varied fare of soul, jazz, r&b, and Celtic folk - on his previous three albums, he now could call on Warner’s new staff producer, Ted Templeman. He also used a studio band that drew on those who’d helped make Astral Weeks such a sonic milestone (Connie Kay on Drums) as well as a host of seasoned players including his regular right hand man, Jack Schroer on horns, Ronnie Montrose on guitar, and - giving the album its more bucolic vibe - John McFee on pedal steel.

Wrapped in a cover showing Van exploring the rural heaven of his farm along with, then wife, Janet Planet, horse and even cat (!) TH is full of sweetly autobiographical songs detailing the joys of nuptial bliss (You're My Woman, Old Old Woodstock, Starting A New Life, Tupelo Honey) as well as the kind of raucous shouters and jaunty, countrified numbers that always translated into brilliant live vehicles (Wild Night, Moonshine Whiskey, (Straight To Your Heart) Like A Cannonball). It's a mellow stew, mostly recorded live and guaranteed to brighten up anyone weary of the blues-by-numbers approach he seems to have adopted of late.

With this new edition boasting an alternative take of the single, Wild Night, as well as an unreleased version of Down By The River Side, this is finally the CD release of TH that the fans deserve. Anyone else would be crazy to stay away too…

by  Chris Jones, 2008 

Tracks
1. Wild Night - 3:33
2. (Straight To Your Heart) Like A Cannonball - 3:41
3. Old Old Woodstock - 4:15
4. Starting A New Life - 2:09
5. You're My Woman - 6:43
6. Tupelo Honey - 6:55
7. I Wanna Roo You (Scottish Derivative) - 3:25
8. When That Evening Sun Goes Down - 3:02
9. Moonshine Whiskey - 6:45
10.Wild Night (Alternative Take) - 5:37
11.Down By The Riverside (Traditional) - 3:54
All compositions by Van Morrison except where noted.

Musicians
*Van Morrison - Rhythm Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals, Backing Vocals
*Ronnie Montrose - Electric, Acoustic Guitars, Mandolin, Backing Vocals
*Bill Church - Bass
*Rick Shlosser - Drums
*Connie Kay - Drums
*Jack Schroer - Alto, Tenor, Baritone Saxophones
*Mark Jordan - Piano, Electric Piano
*Gary Mallaber - Percussion, Vibraphone
*John McFee - Pedal Steel Guitar
*Ted Templeman - Organ On
*Bruce Royston - Flute
*Luis Gasca - Trumpet
*"Boots" Houston - Flute, Backing Vocals
*Ellen Schroer - Backing Vocals
*Janet Planet - Backing Vocals

1967  Blowin' Your Mind! (extra tracks edition)

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