Warren Zevon - Preludes Rare And Unreleased Recordings (1969-76 us, beautiful outtakes and demos from a great singer songwriter, 2007 release)

You don't have to be terribly familiar with the works of Warren Zevon to surmise that he was the kind of guy to whom the idea of a series of posthumous closet-cleaning releases would have seemed pointless and idiotic, an eye-roll-worthy annoyance, a stupid trick at the bar. Even a casual fan could theorize that the man who wrote acerbic, near-freeze-dried death-related songs like "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner" and "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" would have met the idea of such a suggestion with a smack to the face, or, if you were lucky, a mumbled joke to his tablemates at your expense.

Happily for Zevon, who succumbed in 2003 to a form of lung cancer, this is no such project. Preludes isn't the product of label guys sniffing around Zevon's vaults to fulfill some second-quarter sales projections, or, apologies to Johnny Cash and Ray Charles, to spot-capitalize on the novelty of his fresh corpse (waiting four years after Zevon's death to release such a record lends the project extra weight and lessens the uncomfortable post-mortem cash-in vibe considerably, although it is being released around the same time as a biography by Zevon's wife, Crystal).

Rather, Preludes was assembled by Zevon's son Jordan, who discovered the tracks herein in one of Zevon's old storage spaces -- more romantically (the story goes anyway), he found them in a suitcase full of old reel-to-reel tapes, a treasure haul that yielded six CDs and 126 songs, all of which hailed from before 1976. Tellingly, there were no accompanying notes.

Just 16 of those demos made it to Preludes, and of those, only six are unreleased compositions, and all are pretty damned good, rosy nostalgia or not. (Although the nostalgia counts for more than you might think: "Ain't life strange, ain't it funny," sings the ghost of Zevon in the record's first notes, and even if the song ends up being a piano weeper starring whiskey and cigarettes and sidewalks and abject loneliness, of course, it's impossible to not be chilled by the introduction.)

Zevon fans should be highly pleased with the volume of curious here: There's a loose, drinky-sounding, is-this-thing-on? take on "Werewolves of London", that sports a reggae twist and a line from "Hamlet" for some reason; a dirty-blues riff "Join Me in L.A." that's just Zevon, guitar, harp and attitude; a soft, rough "Hasten Down The Wind" whose unpolished sound lends its story extra heartbrokenness; a "Tule's Blues" that finds Zevon going all juke-joint on the keys; a 3 a.m. house-party take on "Poor Poor Pitiful Me" and a piano-only "Studebaker" whose piano jumps off even the lo-fi recording.

Preludes is heavy on material from that last category; it uses the considerable emotional weight of its backstory to successfully throw light on the lesser-known of Zevon's persona; not the arch pirate behind "Lawyers Guns and Money" but the piano balladeer who evidently spent more time than we might have suspected absorbing Tom Waits and Billy Joel (a second bonus disc comprises a 2000 interview and a smattering of live performances, including a heartbreaking-in-retrospect version of "Don't Let Us Get Sick" and a funny tale about an encounter with Joel that compelled him to -- wait for it -- temporarily abandon the piano.)

Preludes does precisely what it sets out to do -- paint a fuller portrait of a talent who remains underrated despite it all. Once again we can assume that Zevon's not the kind of guy who would want people thumbing through his notebooks. But he also can't be the kind of guy who kept only one of these crates lying around.

by Jeff Vrabel, 24 May, 2007

Tracks
Disc One
1. Empty Hearted Town - 3:04
2. Steady Rain - 4:18
3. Join Me In L.A. - 2:27
4. Hasten Down The Wind - 2:30
5. Werewolves Of London (LeRoy Marinell, Waddy Wachtel, Warren Zevon) - 3:36
6. Tule's Blues - 3:02
7. The French Inhaler - 3:31
8. Going All The Way - 2:15
9. Poor Poor Pitiful Me - 3:09
10.Studebaker - 2:34
11.Accidentally Like A Martyr - 3:05
12.Carmelita - 3:56
13.I Used To Ride So High - 2:43
14.Stop Rainin' Lord - 2:11
15.The Rosarita Beach Café - 4:08
16.Desperados Under The Eaves - 3:44
All songs by Warren Zevon except where noted

Disc Two
1. I Was In The House When The House Burned Down - 3:02
2. Warren Speaks On Songwriting And The Early Days Of His Career - 7:14
3. Musings On Mortality, Song Noir And The King Of Rock N' Roll - 5:07
4. A Chat About Producers And The Stark Sounds On The Album Life'll Kill Ya - 5:09
5. Back In The High Life Again (Will Jennings, Steve Winwood) - 3:11
6. Warren's Take On Winwood's Classic And Warren's Inspirations - 3:58
7. Talk Of Tv, Movies, Acting And Performing - 5:14
8. Don't Let Us Get Sick (Solo Acoustic) - 3:10
Track 8 Recorded live December 3, 1999 at Austin City Limits Studios for 107.1 KGSR Radio Austin 9th Anniversary Concert

*Warren Zevon - Vocals, Guitar, Piano

1969  Warren Zevon - Wanted Dead Or Alive

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Home - Live BBC Sessions (1972-73 uk, great prog rock)

Home was a relatively obscure British group most closely associated with the progressive rock movement of the early 1970s, but their lasting legacy has had less to do with their music than as serving as a proving ground for several musicians who would go on to find much greater success with future bands.

Founded in London in 1970 by singer/guitarist Mick Stubbs, guitarist Laurie Wisefield, bassist Cliff Williams, and drummer Mick Cook, who eventually attracted some label interest and wound up signed to CBS Records, releasing three albums over the next three years. 1971's Pause for a Hoarse Horse came first with keyboard player Clive John fleshing out the group's relatively understated progressive rock aspirations, which were tempered with elements of the period's easygoing California rock sound and driven primarily by Wisefield's distinctive guitar work. 

Tracks
1. How Would It Feel (Mick Stubbs) - 6:27
2. Red E. Lewis And Red Caps (Mick Stubbs) - 7:40
3. Dreamer (Mick Stubbs, Mick Cook, Laurie Wisefield, Cliff Williams) - 5:13
4. My Lady Of The Birds (Mick Stubbs, Mick Cook, Laurie Wisefield, Cliff Williams) - 8:30
5. In My Time (Mick Stubbs, Mick Cook, Laurie Wisefield, Cliff Williams) - 8:33
6. Schooldays - 3:03
7. The Old Man Dying - 3:26
8. Time Passes By - 1:37
9. The Old Man Calling - 3:06
10.The Disaster - 2:41
11.The Sun's Revenge - 6:01
12.A Secret To Keep - 1:15
13.The Brass Band Played - 0:26
14.Rejoicing - 2:40
15.The Disaster Returns - 8:07
16.Death Of The Alchemist - 4:36
17.The Alchemist - 3:41
Tracks 6-17 written by Mick Stubbs, Mick Cook, Laurie Wisefield, Cliff Williams, David Skillin

The Home
*Mick Stubbs - Vocals, Guitar, Piano
*Laurie Wisefield - Acoustic Guitar, Steel Guitar, Vocals
*Cliff Williams - Bass, Vocals
*Mick Cook - Drums, Percussion
*Jim Anderson - Piano, Organ, Mellotron, Synthesizer, Vocals, (Tracks 6-17)

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Hot Tuna - Hoppkorv (1976 us, forceful hard blues rock, 2012 remaster)

Begun as an acoustic spinoff of the Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna eventually became the full-time focus of founding members Jack Casady and Jorma Kaukonen, emerging as a popular touring act of the 1970s. The two were lifelong friends, growing up together in Washington, D.C., and playing in the group the Triumphs. After high school, guitarist Kaukonen and his government-service parents relocated to the Philippines, but he returned to the U.S. in time for the advent of psychedelia, landing in San Francisco and co-founding the Airplane in 1965. Bassist Casady joined not long after, and together they helped lead the group to massive success during the late '60s. 

Hot Tuna -- originally dubbed Hot Shit, much to the chagrin of their label, RCA -- first began taking shape in 1969, while both Casady and Kaukonen were still active members of the Jefferson Airplane; in fact, their first performances were sandwiched between regular Airplane gigs. As a trio rounded out by harmonica player Will Scarlet (and occasionally including Airplane members Marty Balin and Spencer Dryden).

Unlike recent Hot Tuna albums, Hoppkorv found the group acting less as a mouthpiece for guitarist Jorma Kaukonen's compositions and more as a heavy rock cover band, handling such familiar material as Buddy Holly's "It's So Easy" and Chuck Berry's "Talkin' 'Bout You," although "Watch the North Wind Rise" was one of Kaukonen's better tunes. Even on the originals, the tempo had picked up, the arrangements were shorter; nothing here ran as long as five minutes, and the sound had been filled out by the occasional addition of keyboards, second guitar, and background vocals.

by Jason Ankeny and William Ruhlmann

Tracks
1. Santa Claus Retreat (Jorma Kaukonen) - 4:10
2. Watch the North Wind Rise (Jorma Kaukonen) - 4:38
3. It's So Easy (Buddy Holly, Norman Petty) - 2:33
4. Bowlegged Woman, Knock-Kneed Man (Bobby Rush, Calvin Carter) - 3:05
5. Drivin' Around (Nick Buck) - 2:53
6. I Wish You Would (Billy Boy Arnold) - 3:16
7. I Can't Be Satisfied (McKinley Morganfield) - 3:50
8. Talkin' 'Bout You (Chuck Berry) - 3:23
9. Extrication Love Song (Jorma Kaukonen) - 4:13
10.Song from the Stainless Cymbal (Jorma Kaukonen) - 4:00

Hot Tuna
*Jorma Kaukonen - Vocals, Guitar
*Jack Casady - Bass
*Bob Steeler - Drums, Percussion
Additional Musicians
*Nick Buck - Keyboards
*John Sherman - Guitar
*Karen Tobin - Background Vocals

Related Acts
1969  Country Joe And The Fish - Live! Fillmore West 
1973  Paul Kantner, Grace Slick, David Freiberg - Baron Von Tollbooth And The Chrome Nun

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18 Karat Gold - All-Bumm (1973 germany, fine melt of krautrock glam and spacerock, 2017 remaster)

An early supergroup borne out of the prolific Munich scene fronted by American-German Klaus Ebert featuring studio musician Keith Forsey on drums (Hallelujah/Amon Düül II), bass genius Lothar Meid (Amon Düül II), Jörg Evers (guitar) from Embryo. 

The idea behind 18 Karat Gold seems to have been to present Krautrock in a commercial dilute form to the pop public.

Much of the time 18 Karat Gold made their living by working as pop singer Peter Maffay's backing band. Their sole album contained a few minor surprises.

Tracks
1. Going Home - 4:47
2. Come On Monday - 2:05
3. Flying - 5:18
4. Goldrush - 2:57
5. Star-Eyed - 4:31
6. Dr.Stein (5%) - 3:47
7. Elektric Infected - 5:10
8. I Am Just A Man - 3:02
9. See Me In Your Dreams - 4:00
10.If My Guru Would Know (Lothar Meid, Klaus Ebert, Jörg Evers) - 3:36
11.Cool - 2:49
All songs by Keith Forsey, Lothar Meid, Klaus Ebert, Jörg Evers except Track #10

18 Karat Gold
*Jörg Evers - Guitar
*Keith Forsey - Drums
*Klaus Ebert - Guitar
*Lothar Meid - Bass Guitar

1974  Sameti - Hungry For Love (2010 digipak remaster)

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Warren Zevon - Wanted Dead Or Alive (1969 us, interesting debut a mix of acid psych rock blues and folk)

Recorded in 1969, Wanted Dead or Alive is a very different Warren Zevon than the one who emerged in the late ‘70s as one of Los Angeles’ premier singer-songwriters. The voice is still deep and foreboding.

“She Quit Me” is an acoustic demo that’s part blues, part harmonica-folksinger. “Hitchhikin’ Woman” is tough hard rock. “Calcutta” is tougher barroom rock ‘n’ roll. The title track and the country-tinged “A Bullet for Ramona” come closest to the film-noir horrors of Zevon’s most notable works.

The electric guitars are supersized in comparison with Zevon’s later work. “Tule’s Blues” is excellent and would be reworked at a later date but not officially released until the expanded and deluxe editions of his catalog began appearing. Zevon himself expressed little interest in this set, but it has its fans.

In 1981, Warren Zevon told a reporter from Rolling Stone about the strange genesis of his first album: "In 1969, [producer] Kim Fowley called me up one day and asked very simply, 'Are you prepared to wear black leather and chains, f---- a lot of teenage girls and get rich?' I said yes." Zevon had been bouncing around the margins of the L.A. rock scene for several years as a songwriter and would-be pop star when Fowley (at that point best known as the man who wrote, sang, and produced "Alley Oop" by the Hollywood Argyles) offered him a record deal.

Tracks
1. Wanted Dead Or Alive (Kim Fowley, Martin Cerf) - 2:36
2. Hitch Hikin' Woman - 2:16
3. She Quit Me - 4:48
4. Calcutta - 2:19
5. Iko-Iko (Jessie Thomas, Joe Jones, Marilyn Jones, Sharon Jones, Joan Marie Johnson, Barbara Ann Hawkins, Rosa Lee Hawkins) - 1:54
6. Traveling In The Lightning - 3:05
7. Tule's Blues - 3:32
8. A Bullet For Ramona (Warren Zevon,  Paul Evans) - 3:50
9. Gorilla - 3:23
10.Fiery Emblems (Bonus Track) - 3:15
All songs by Warren Zevon except where noted

Personnel
*Warren Zevon - Bass, Guitar, Piano, Percussion, Harmonica, Vocals
*Skip Battin - Bass
*Drachen Theaker - Drums
*Jon Corneal – Drums, Percussion (Tracks 2, 7, 10)
*Toxey French - Drums (Track 8)
*Brent Seawell - Bass (Track 8)
*Sweet Trifles - Background Vocals
*Shutter Ed Caraeff - Maracas (Track 2)

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Maria Muldaur - Waitress In The Donut Shop (1974 us, magnificent melt of blues jazz folk rock and traditional elements)

Best known for her seductive '70s pop staple "Midnight at the Oasis," Maria Muldaur has since become an acclaimed interpreter of just about every stripe of American roots music: blues, early jazz, gospel, folk, country, R&B, and so on. While these influences were certainly present on her more pop-oriented '70s recordings (as befitting her Greenwich Village folkie past), Muldaur came into her own as a true roots music stylist during the '90s, when she developed a particular fascination with the myriad sounds of Louisiana. On the string of well-received albums that followed, Muldaur tied her eclecticism together with the romantic sensuality that had underpinned much of her best work ever since the beginning of her career.

Muldaur was born Maria D'Amato on September 12, 1943, in New York. As a child, she loved country & western music and began singing it with her aunt at age five; during her teenage years, she moved on to R&B, early rock & roll, and girl group pop, and in high school formed a group in the latter style called the Cashmeres. Growing up in the Greenwich Village area, however, she naturally became fascinated with its booming early-'60s folk revival and soon began participating in jam sessions. She also moved to North Carolina for a while to study Appalachian-style fiddle with Doc Watson. Back in New York, she was invited to join the Even Dozen Jug Band, a revivalist group that included John Sebastian, David Grisman, and Stefan Grossman; they had secured a recording deal with blueswoman Victoria Spivey's label and she wanted them to add some sex appeal. The young D'Amato got a crash course in early blues, particularly the Memphis scene that spawned many of the original jug bands, and counted Memphis Minnie as one of her chief influences.

Elektra Records bought out the Even Dozen Jug Band's contract and released their self-titled debut album in 1964; however, true to their name, the band's unwieldy size made them an expensive booking on the club and coffeehouse circuit and they soon disbanded. Many of the members went off to college and, in 1964, D'Amato moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, home to another vibrant folk scene. She quickly joined the Jim Kweskin Jug Band and began an affair with singer Geoff Muldaur; the couple eventually married and had a daughter, Jenni, who would later become a singer in her own right. When the Kweskin band broke up in 1968, the couple stayed with their label (Reprise) and began recording together as Geoff & Maria Muldaur. They moved to Woodstock, New York to take advantage of the burgeoning music scene there and issued two albums -- 1970's Pottery Pie and 1971's Sweet Potatoes -- before Geoff departed in 1972 to form Better Days with Paul Butterfield, a move that signaled not only the end of the couple's musical partnership, but their marriage as well.

With Maria initially unsure about her musical future, her friends encouraged her to pursue a solo career, as did Reprise president Mo Ostin. Muldaur went to Los Angeles and recorded her debut album Maria Muldaur in 1973, scoring a massive Top Ten pop hit with "Midnight at the Oasis." Showcasing Muldaur's playfully sultry crooning, the Middle Eastern-themed song became a pop radio staple for years to come and also made session guitarist Amos Garrett a frequent Muldaur collaborator in the future. Three more Reprise albums followed over the course of the '70s, generally with the cream of the L.A. session crop, "Waitress In The Donut Shop" includes her second (and final) hit single "I'm a Woman" and presents a pleasant folk-blues mixture of material including everything from contemporary songs by Wendy Waldman and Anna McGarrigle to Skip James blues tunes and Fats Waller's "Squeeze Me," all given Muldaur's earthy, enthusiastic treatment. 

Apple MR

Tracks
1. Squeeze Me (Clarence Williams, Thomas Waller) - 3:21
2. Gringo En Mexico (Wendy Waldman) - 3:20
3. Cool River (McGarrigle, Audrey Bean) - 2:51
4. I'm A Woman (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) - 4:09
5. Sweetheart (Ken Burgan) - 3:05
6. Honey Babe Blues (Clarence Ashley) - 3:06
7. If You Haven't Any Way (Skip James) - 2:46
8. Oh Papa (David Nichtern) - 3:19
9. It Ain't The Meat It's The Motion (Henry Glover, Lois Mann) - 3:02
10.Brickyard Blues (Allen Toussaint) - 4:32
11.Travelin' Shoes (Traditional) - 2:26

Musicians
*Maria Muldaur - Vocals
*Elvin Bishop - Electric Guitar
*George Bohannon - Trombone
*James Booker - Keyboards, Piano
*Joe Boyd - Producer
*Ray Brown - Bass
*Dennis Budimir - Guitar
*Ken Burgan - Composer
*Paul Butterfield - Harmonica
*Red Callender - Bass
*Rosendo Cervantes - Trumpet
*John Collins - Guitar
*Rosendo Covanties - Trumpet
*Dr. John - Keyboards, Marimba, Piano
*Jose Ordaz Durante - Trumpet
*Harry "Sweets" Edison - Trumpet
*Terry Evans - Vocals, Vocals
*Freebo - Bass
*Amos Garrett - Bass, Guitars, Vocals
*Lowell George - Guitar
*Jim Godron - Drums
*Jim Gordon - Drums
*David Grisman - Mandolin
*Jeff Gutcheon - Keyboards, Piano
*Bobbye Hall - Percussion
*Paul Harris - Keyboards, Piano
*Milt Holland - Percussion
*Paul Humphrey - Drums
*Plas Johnson - Tenor Saxophone
*Mark T.  Jordan - Keyboards, Piano
*John Kahn - Bass
*Ellen Kearney - Vocals
*Roger Kellaway - Keyboards, Piano
*Bobby King - Vocals
*David Lindley - Guitar
*David Lynley - Guitar
*Tommy Mcclure - Bass
*Anna McGarrigle - Vocals,
*Kate McGarrigle - Vocals
*Abe Most - Clarinet, Alto Saxophone
*David Nichtern - Guitar, Piano
*Spooner Oldham - Keyboards, Piano
*Larry Packer - Viola, Violin
*Earl Palmer - Drums
*Bob Porter - Percussion
*Greg Prestopino - Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
*Mac Rebennack - Marimba, Piano
*Emil Richards - Percussion
*Alvin Robinson - Electric Guitar
*Linda Ronstadt - Vocals
*Bud Shank - Alto Saxophone
*Sahib Shihab - Baritone Saxophone
*Fred Staeble - Drums, Percussion
*Fred Staehle - Drums
*Tommy Tedesco - Guitar, Requinto
*Doc Watson - Guitar
*Merle Watson - Guitar
*Snooky Young - Trumpet

1973  Maria Muldaur - Maria Muldaur
Related Acts
1967  Geoff And Maria Muldaur - Pottery Pie
1972  Nick Gravenites And Mike Bloomfield - Steel Yard Blues (2015 remaster)

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Doris Troy - Doris Troy (1970 uk, wonderful groovy rhythm and blues with some folk shades, 2010 extra tracks remaster)

Doris Troy is a rollicking party album, and this particular party included Harrison, labelmate Billy Preston, Eric Clapton, Stephen Stills, Peter Frampton and Klaus Voormann! All of those estimable talents, however, took a back seat to the lady with the smoky voice which could be gritty one minute, velvety the next.

It was clear that Troy had evolved musically since the days of “Just One Look.” Harrison’s powerful electric guitar licks on “Give Me Back My Dynamite” couldn’t be further removed from that soul classic. Yet Troy didn’t turn her back on those halcyon days of just a few years earlier; she revisited “Hurry,” which she first recorded at Atlantic, for Doris Troy. If “Dynamite” is rocking soul, Stephen Stills’ “Special Care” was reworked from Buffalo Springfield’s folk-psych into pure R'n'B heaven. 

On Doris Troy, the singer treats all songs with equal respect, regardless of origin; the Dorothy Fields/Jimmy McHugh standard “Exactly Like You” is taken to the same gospel church as her cover of Joe South’s “Games People Play.” (Spiritual “Jacob’s Ladder” even closes the album on a rousing high note.) On “Gonna Get My Baby Back,” Troy jams with two Beatles (Harrison and Starkey) and Stills for a track that would make a great sing-along, if only one could possibly keep up with Doris’ insistent vocals!

The original CD release boasted five bonus tracks; all five have been retained, and are supplemented with one additional cut, an alternate version of “All That I’ve Got.” Troy sings “You Give Me Joy Joy” (another Troy/Harrison/Starkey/Stills co-write!) on the album, but joy – singly or doubly – is assuredly what this album will bring to any classic soul fan.

by Joe Marchese

Tracks
1. Ain't That Cute (George Harrison, Doris Troy) - 3:50
2. Special Care (Stephen Stills) - 3:00
3. Give Me Back My Dynamite (George Harrison, Doris Troy) - 4:56
4. You Tore Me Up Inside (Doris Troy, Ray Schinnery) - 2:33
5. Games People Play (Joe South) - 3:06
6. Gonna Get My Baby Back (George Harrison, Richard Starkey, Doris Troy, Stills) - 2:20
7. I've Got To Be Strong (Jackie Lomax, Doris Troy) - 2:36
8. Hurry (Doris Troy, Greg Carroll) - 3:13
9. So Far (Klaus Voormann, Doris Troy) - 4:28
10.Exactly Like You (Jimmy Mchugh, Dorothy Fields) - 3:10
11.You Give Me Joy Joy (George Harrison, Starkey, Doris Troy, Stephen Stills) - 3:42
12.Don't Call Me No More (Doris Troy, Ray Schinnery) - 2:07
13.Jacob's Ladder (Traditional Arranged George Harrison, Doris Troy) - 3:21
14.All That I've Got (I'm Gonna Give It To You) (Billy Preston, Doris Troy) - 4:19
15.Get Back (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 3:08
16.Dearest Darling (Doris Troy) - 3:04
17.What You Will Blues (Doris Troy) - 5:07
18.Vaya Con Dios (Larry Russell, Inez James, Buddy Pepper) - 3:33
19.All That I've Got (I'm Gonna Give It To You) (Alternative Version) (Billy Preston, Doris Troy) - 3:24
Bonus Tracks 14-19

Musicians
*Doris Troy - Vocals, Piano
*George Harrison - Electric Guitar
*Klaus Voormann - Bass
*Ringo Starr - Drums
*Billy Preston - Piano, Organ, Electric Piano
*Stephen Stills - Electric Guitar, Piano, Vocals
*Peter Frampton - Electric Guitar
*Alan White - Drums
*Eric Clapton - Electric Guitar
*Delaney Bramlett - Percussion
*Bonnie Bramlett - Percussion
*Leon Russell - Keyboards
*Bobby Whitlock - Vocals
*Jim Gordon - Drums
*Rita Coolidge - Vocals
*John Barham - String, Brass Arrangements

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Web - I Spider (1970-71 uk, exceptional prog rock, 2008 remaster)

Like many others I became acquainted with the music of keyboardist and vocalist Dave Lawson with the release of the debut Greenslade album in 1973. A dual keyboard led quartet, the band also included Dave Greenslade, Tony Reeves and Andrew McCulloch. Whilst I was aware of his colleague’s pedigree having come by way of bands like Colosseum and King Crimson, I was unfamiliar with Lawson’s background. Thanks to Esoteric and the re-release of this 1970 album from Web and the 1971 Samurai set (see review below) which followed, my education is now complete in that department. As with all of Esoteric’s retrospective releases this album has been lovingly remastered, on this occasion by Lawson himself.

When Lawson joined Web, a then soul influenced band, they already had several recordings under their belt but this proved to be their last. Up to that point he had been a member of Episode Six, a band best known for once having Ian Gillan and Roger Glover amongst its ranks before they found fame and fortune with Deep Purple. Taking over sole song writing duties he transformed Web into a jazz-rock outfit with progressive rock and blues leanings. What attracted Lawson to the band in the first place was the dual drumming of Kenny Beveridge and Lennie Wright. Completing the line-up for the recording was Tom Harris (saxophones and flutes), Tony Edwards (electric and acoustic guitars) and John Eaton (bass guitar).

They nail their new colours to the mast by opening the album with Concerto For Bedsprings, a ten minute opus in five contrasting parts. I Can’t Sleep is a suitably strident and atmospheric introduction with heavy sax and organ underpinning the imposing vocal which is unmistakably Lawson. A spooky repeated organ motif rather like the vintage Twilight Zone TV theme leads into Sack Song a melodic jazzy instrumental with buoyant piano and sax. In keeping with its title Peaceful Sleep finds the band in gentle mode with a plaintive vocal resting on a light piano, flute and sax backing. In contrast the up-tempo You Can Keep The Good Life has an aggressive edge aided by a pounding piano riff. During the stark chorus Lawson’s voice it at its most strained and in my opinion least appealing. A strong sax solo continues the mood although it’s a tad overlong and begins to drag long before it ends. Loner returns briefly to the earlier mood to provide a peaceful close.

The title track I Spider is another lengthy piece although with less contrast in mood than its predecessor. Slow and moody for the most part it has a thoughtful vocal with a delicate organ backing and a spiralling sax motif. The edgy guitar punctuations sound very Peter Banks ala Yes’ version of Everydays from Time And A Word released the same year. A soaring sax break proves to be the most uplifting part. Love You opens with the rare use (for Lawson) of Mellotron with acoustic guitar and a reflective vocal which is Lawson sounding at his best. The mood and tempo abruptly changes as menacing sounding sax and guitar erupt. Mellotron and tympani are used to good effect here to sustain an air of tension and the whole thing reminded me of Van Der Graaf Generator. A heavy and bluesy guitar solo rounds off what is thus far for me the albums best song.

The curiously titled Ymphasomniac is an urgent sax led instrumental with a thumping piano backing. The eerie underscoring of Mellotron and the busy drum work is strongly reminiscent of early King Crimson. A lengthy percussion only section gives both drummers a chance to hit everything in sight before building into a bombastic piano, organ and sax coda driven by monumental drumming. Although the coda feels somewhat over extended it’s a cracking instrumental nonetheless. Always I Wait is an OK closer but is about three minutes longer than it needs to be. The trebly staccato guitar punctuations have a Hendrix influence whilst Lawson sings impossibly high joined by restless sax and organ. A fuzzed organ solo brought back memories of Tony Kaye’s work in Yes mark 1 whilst the vocals here sound very like Andy Tillison at times.

With the original album clocking in at less than forty minutes, which was about average for the time, two bonus tracks have been included. Both were recorded live in 1971 in Sweden, a country where the band seemed to find particular favour. As live recordings go they are both excellent in terms of clarity and musicianship. Here the instruments seem more pronounced in Concerto For Bedsprings. This is especially true of bass and organ which when combined with sax recalls the Mike Ratledge and Elton Dean partnership from Soft Machine. Love You skips the mellow intro of the studio version and compensates with an extended and excellent guitar solo. It’s supported by animated organ playing and together they build to a potent climax. Superb stuff making both tracks an essential addition.

Following the albums release and a string of live dates supporting the likes of Yes, Hawkwind and Manfred Mann, Web decided to call it a day. This was prompted by a lack of finance and also frustration over their name constantly being misspelt on billings. They didn’t so much disband however as evolve into the band Samurai. With I Spider they have left behind a worthy legacy and it’s not hard to see why Esoteric decided to give it a new lease of life. If you’re familiar with Greenslade then you will appreciate that Lawson’s vocals are an acquired taste, sitting somewhere between Andy Tillison and Patrik Lundstrom. Stylistically the music occupies the same area as Soft Machine, Colosseum, King Crimson and Van Der Graaf Generator from the same era with overtones of the Canterbury style. Well worth a dabble especially for those that recall early 70’s UK prog-jazz with affection. 

by Geoffrey Feakes

Tracks
1. Concerto For Bedsprings Including I Can't Sleep / Sack Song / Peaceful Sleep / You Can Keep The Good Life / Loner - 10:19
2. I Spider - 8:38
3. Love You - 5:32
4. Ymphasomniac - 6:52
5. Always I Wait - 8:22
6. Concerto For Bedsprings Including I Can't Sleep / Sack Song / Peaceful Sleep / You Can Keep The Good Life / Loner - 10:40
7. Love You - 4:22
All compositions by Dave Lawson

The Web
*Dave Lawson - Vocals, Keyboards, Piano, Organ, Mellotron, Harpsichord
*Lennie Wright - Drums, Percussion
*Kenny Beveridge - Drums, Percussion
*Tom Harris - Tenor, Soprano Sax, Concert, Alto Flute, Tambourine
*Tony Edwards - Electric And Acoustic Guitars
*John Eaton - Bass, Cabassa

1968  The Web - Fully Interlocking (2008 remaster) 
1970  Web - Theraphosa Blondi (2008 remaster) 
Related Act
1971  Samurai - Samurai (2008 Esoteric remaster) 

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Web - Theraphosa Blondi (1970 uk, beautiful jazz brass rock, 2008 remaster)

This reissue is the second of three albums The Web recorded before evolving into Samurai for one eponymous album. The Web’s last album I Spider and the Samurai album (reviewed here) both feature a pre-Greenslade Dave Lawson on keyboards and are well worth investigating for Greenslade, VDGG and early English progressive rock fans. 

Admirably wanting to move away from their soul band roots, they start off OK with the strident Like The Man Said and keep up the momentum with a fair cover of Sunshine Of Your Love, shoehorning some jazzy variations into the middle of the song. Unfortunately, the wheels come off the wagon here and you will have to make it past a version of Gilbert O’Sullivan’s overwrought and melodramatic 'Til I Come Home Again; a couple of novelty pieces – the percussive Bewala and the execrable Kilimanjaro, not to mention the hideous crooning of One Thousand Miles Away, before you reach the climactic pairing of Tobacco Road / America which, thankfully is not bad at all, if hardly an original choice of song to cover.

The two bonus tracks are a bit more like it, in an Afro/Jazz rock vein and quite enjoyable too.When the band are on form, as on the first two tracks and the last three, they manage to present a competent if unspectacular jazz rock blend, strong on saxes and flutes and with powerful vocals, and with the merest hint of the progressive direction they went on to pursue.

by Dave Sissons

Tracks
1. Like The Man Said (Lennie Wright) - 7:06
2. Sunshine Of Your Love (Pete Brown, Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce) - 6:47
3. 'til I Come Home Again Once More (Gilbert O'Sullivan) - 3:01
4. Bewala (John L. Watson, John Eaton, Tony Edwards, Tom Harris, Dick Lee-Smith, Kenny Beveridge, Lennie Wright) - 2:31
5. One Thousand Miles Away (John Eaton) - 4:29
6. Blues For Two T's (Tom Harris) - 2:50
7. Kilimanjaro (John Eaton, Lennie Wright) - 3:49
8. Tobacco Road / America (John D. Loudermilk, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim) - 5:39
9. Afrodisiac (John L. Watson, John Eaton, Tony Edwards, Tom Harris, Dick Lee-Smith, Kenny Beveridge, Lennie Wright) - 3:20
10.Newspecs (Tom Harris) - 3:47
Bonus Tracks 9-10

The Web
*John L. Watson - Vocals
*John Eaton - Electric, Acoustic Guitars, Tambourine, Cabasa, African Drum
*Tony Edwards - Electric, 12-String Guitars, Military Bass Drum
*Tom Harris - Flutes, Tenor, Baritone Saxes, Bass Clarinet, Marimba
*Dick Lee-Smith - Bass, Chinese Tom Tom, Drums
*Kenny Beveridge - Drums, Percussion, African Drum
*Lennie Wright - Vibes, Congas, Claves, Marimba, Varitone, Drums, Xylophone

1968  The Web - Fully Interlocking (2008 remaster) 
Related Act
1971  Samurai - Samurai (2008 Esoteric remaster)

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The Yardbirds - Live At The BBC (1965-68 uk, influential rhythm and blues, 2016 double disc remaster)

A selection of the Yardbirds BBC key live recordings, assembled with the assistance of the Yardbirds and the BBC, with several tracks now all together the first time on this newly restored and remastered 2LP set.

Many tracks have been expertly repaired from rare,hard-to-find and archive sources and now feature for the first time on these best available recordings in LP format.

Sourced from the BBC, this double LP covers numerous songs - including smash hits such as For Your Love , Heart Full Of Soul and Yardbirds classic stage favourites Too Much Monkey Business , Smokestack Lightning ,I'm A Man and Train Kept A-Rollin.

Guitar legends Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page feature alongside front man Keith Relf, Paul Samwell-Smith and Jim McCarty in these sessions, recorded by the world renowned broadcasting organisation for radio transmission and our LPs feature a selection of the best available Yardbirds BBC Radio One output from 1965-1968.

Authoritative sleeve notes contain new quotes from Yardbirds Jim McCarty and Paul Samwell-Smith. McCarty also adds his exclusive personal introduction for this set, looking back at those BBC years.All tracks recorded in Mono.

Tracks
Disc 1
1. I Ain't Got You (Calvin Carter) - 1:58
2. Interview, Keith Relf - 0:56
3. For Your Love (Graham Gouldman) - 2:22
4. I'm Not Talking (Mose Allison) - 2:32
5. I Wish You Would (Billy Boy Arnold) - 2:39
6. Interview, Paul Samwell-Smith - 0:59
7. Heart Full Of Soul (Graham Gouldman) - 2:27
8. I Ain't Done Wrong (Keith Relf) - 2:32
9. Heart Full Of Soul (Alternate version) (Graham Gouldman) - 2:24
10.Too Much Monkey Business (Chuck Berry) - 2:34
11.Love Me Like I Love You (Chris Dreja, Jeff Beck, Jim McCarty, Keith Relf, Paul Samwell Smith) - 2:54
12.I'm A Man (Ellas McDaniel) - 2:31
13.Evil Hearted You (Graham Gouldman) - 2:32
14.Interview, Paul Samwell-Smith - 0:52
15.Still I'm Sad (Jim McCarty, Paul Samwell Smith) - 3:01
16.Hang On Sloopy (Bert Russell, Wes Farrell) - 3:46
17.Smokestack Lightning (Chester Burnett) - 5:03
18.Interview, The Yardbirds - 0:47
19.You're A Better Man Than I (Brian Hugg, Mike Hugg) - 3:15
20.The Train Kept A-Rollin' (Howie Kay, Syd Nathan, Tiny Bradshaw) - 2:43
21.Smokestack Lightning (Edited version) (Chester Burnett) - 3:34

Disc 2
1. Shapes Of Things (Chris Dreja, Jim McCarty, Keith Relf, Paul Samwell Smith) - 2:29
2. Dust My Broom (Elmore James) - 2:34
3. You're A Better Man Than I (Brian Hugg, Mike Hugg) - 3:05
4. Baby, Scratch My Back (James Moore) - 3:18
5. Interview, Keith Relf - 0:48
6. Over, Under, Sideways, Down (Chris Dreja, Jeff Beck, Jim McCarty, Keith Relf, Paul Samwell Smith) - 2:15
7. The Sun Is Shining (Edited version) (Elmore James) - 2:46
8. Interview, Keith Relf - 1:21
9. Shapes Of Things (Alternate version) (Chris Dreja, Jim McCarty, Keith Relf, Paul Samwell Smith) - 2:21
10.The Sun Is Shining (Elmore James) - 3:34
11.Over, Under, Sideways, Down (Original TV version) (Chris Dreja, Jeff Beck, Jim McCarty, Keith Relf, Paul Samwell Smith) - 2:10
12.Comment, Jeff Beck's Guitar Playing - 0:16
13.Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine) (Bob Dylan) - 2:55
14.Little Games (Harold Spiro, Phil Wainman) - 2:27
15.Drinking Muddy Water (Chris Dreja, Jimmy Page, Jim McCarty, Keith Relf, Paul Samwell Smith) - 2:44
16.Think About It (Chris Dreja, Jimmy Page, Jim McCarty, Keith Relf, Paul Samwell Smith) - 3:13
17.Interview, Jimmy Page - 1:47
18.Goodnight Sweet Josephine (Tony Hazzard) - 2:36
19.My Baby (Jerry Ragovoy, Mort Shuman) - 2:51

The Yardbirds
*Jim McCarty - Drums
*Keith Relf - Lead Vocals, Harmonica, Guitar
*Chris Dreja - Rhythm Guitar, Bass
*Paul Samwell Smith - Bass
*Jeff Beck - Lead Guitar
*Jimmy Page - Lead Guitar, Bass

1963-68  Glimpses (five disc box set, 2011 release) 
1964  Five Live Yardbirds (2007 Repertoire digi pack) 
1968 The Yardbirds - Live Yardbirds! (2008 edition)
Related Acts 
1969 Jeff Beck Group - Beck-Ola (2006 remaster and expanded)
1970 Jeff Beck - Rough And Ready (Japan remaster)
1969 Renaissance - Renaissance (2008 remaster) 
1974  Renaissance - Turn Of The Cards
1977  Illusion - Out Of The Mist (2011 remaster)
1978  Illusion – Illusion (2011 remaster) 

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