Brownsville Station - A Night on the Town (1972 us, tough hard boogie roots 'n' roll, 2005 edition)

Why do so many people react with a sniff of the upturned runny nose when Detroit bands are mentioned, and why do Detroit bands come on so macho-honk self-conscious? Brownsville Station are from Ann Arbor, not Detroit, but they have always been lumped with the shortlived Detroit Bands hype, this despite the fact that most of the Detroit bands snubbed ’em mercilessly.

Why were they snubbed? Because Brownsville didn’t put on any badass streetpunk revolutionary airs, that’s why. They were just kids from the duplexes of America, not the belly of the beast, and cared shit less about politix and just wanted to rock ‘n’ roll. The Frut, good reviews of whose first album inspired a record number of why – did – you – fucking – critics – con – me – into – buying – this – piece – of – shit? letters to rock magazines around the country but were liked ’cause they played their part in the Detroit scene, once said that “We’re the guys who used to beat up Brownsville Station in the parking lot.” Maybe so, but Brownsville Station are the guys who right now will blow Frut right off the stage.

Still, I gotta admit that their new album ain’t as good as their first one, which is mainly a production problem, but so what? Their first, released on Warners nearly two years ago, was a monster, and there’s enough monstro moves in here to make this well worth shelling out a few sheckels for, in this day when most of the stuff on the radio is shit and you don’t know who to trust anymore and even the Rolling Stones have fucked up.

“Rack with the Music” isn’t particularly original, but it’ll get you off your ass. It sounds like Creedence and Sly together, but both of them are great and declining now along with lotsa other heavies, and besides, if you ever once heard Brownsville Station in your life and Leonard Feather hit you with this in a Blindfold Test you’d tag it right snappy.

“Mister Robert,” drives full throttle from here cross every dragstrip coast to coast, and is every bit as good as the fastest, furiousest things on the first Moby Grape album, and has a secret message. One thing I can tell you, it ain’t about Bob Dylan. And the lazied-back Rock Prince it’s addressed to (“Get up off your ass and move!”) could well be taken as Everystar who ever lost his fire in the fog of fame, but that ain’t quite the truth either. So listen and puzzle over it awhile, and if you’re really buffaloed you can write me a letter and I’ll tell you.

“Wanted (Dead Or Alive)” starts out with a riff so banal it took some nerve for Cub Koda to pick it up when he wanted to write a song one day, but that makes it even better, the gall and glee of that is what all this noise’s been about for most of our lifetimes now, and besides it gets into something a little more “inventive.” “Country Flavor” is currently the highlight of their live show, because it’s catchy as a bitch and has an indestructible hook and they always get the whole audience to clap and sing along and not a cynical zhlub in the house refuses, they’re that infectious. “Leavin’ Here” is Motown raved-up neat as Rod Stewart ever did and less axes to grind too, and “The Man Who Wanted More” is, believe it or don’t, a high energy takeoff on “When the Saints Go you know what.” And “Jonah’s Here To Stay” even has a fine soprano sax solo out of the Coltrane fakebook by lead singer Mike Lutz, and that takes care of side two making it 100 percent good, so what are you waiting for? The pick of the litter.

by Lester Bangs, July 6, 1972

Tracks
1. Rock With the Music (Michael Lutz) - 3:22
2. I Got Mine (Michael Lutz) - 2:46
3. Lovin' Lady Lee (Tony Driggins) - 3:33
4. Mad for Me (Pookie Shark) - 2:39
5. Mister Robert (Pookie Shark) - 4:06
6. Wanted (Dead or Alive) (Cub Koda) - 3:28
7. Country Flavor (Tony Driggins) - 4:27
8. Jonah's Here to Stay (Michael Lutz) - 6:48
9. Leavin' Here (Brian Holland, Edward Holland, Jr., Lamont Dozier) - 3:04
10.The Man Who Wanted More (Saints Rock 'n' Roll) (Traditional) - 2:13

Brownsville Station
*Cub Koda - Lead Guitar,Vocals,Harmonica
*Michael Lutz - Lead Vocals,Guitar,Kaeyboards
*Tony Driggins - Bass,Vocal
*David Henri Weck - Drums

1970  Brownsville Station - No BS
1974  Brownsville Station - School Punks 

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Renaissance - Illusion (1970 wonderful prog rock, 2010 bonus tracks remaster)

Although perhaps less adventurous, Illusion was on a par with its predecessor, being more disciplined and tunefully stronger, sign posting later Renaissance albums and the growing maturity of Relf and McCarty as songwriters. Unsurprisingly given its title, the opening song Love Goes On is a straight forward ballad with a chorus that’s both compelling and hypnotic. Golden Thread harks back to the first album with an extended piano intro although it’s more melodic in its structure. It develops into another memorable choral chant, with lead vocals by McCarty, interspersed with intimate piano moments that put me in mind of very early Genesis.

Love Is All echoes the sentiments of the opening song with a very similar feel whilst Mr. Pine is the track recorded with the Dunford/Crowe/Korner/Slade line-up. Written by Dunford, it’s arranged in three separate sections. The short opening song is folky and engaging, the mid-section more strident with echoes of King Crimson and Hawken (uncharacteristically) playing Hammond which he swops for harpsichord when the song returns to the mellow opening.

The tranquil Face Of Yesterday shows how Jane has developed as a vocalist, sounding more confident for the most delicate song recorded by the line-up thus far with beautiful instrumental work from Hawken, Cennamo and Relf. It’s a perfect foil for the bands lengthiest piece to date, Past Orbits Of Dust which follows. The edgy atmosphere is characterized by the rhythmic electric piano of guest keyboardist Don Shin and although very well played, for my money the more refined playing of Hawken is sadly missed. It also drags on longer than necessary with much self indulgent soloing contributing to the tracks length.

The three bonus tracks included by Esoteric are not in reality Renaissance material but are worthy additions anyway. These include two songs composed by McCarty and recorded in September 1970 for the soundtrack of the film ‘Schizom’. The dreamlike Prayer For Light is reminiscent of KC’s Epitaph although taken at an even slower pace and Walking Away continues in a similar vein with some lovely classical guitar playing. The last track All The Fallen Angels is a demo assembled by Keith Relf in April 1976 for a new band Illusion which was to feature the original Renaissance line-up. His voice seems to have deserted him on this occasion although the Mellotron backdrop and Cennamo’s poignant bass compensate. Sadly Relf was the victim of a fatal heart attack the following month after he was electrocuted at home playing guitar.

Possibly due to the fractured recording of the Illusion album it was only initially released in mainland Europe, Renaissance fans in the UK had to wait until 1976. In the meantime Michael Dunford assumed leadership of the band and the departure of Jane Relf soon after opened the door for Annie Haslam to begin another chapter in the bands history. But that’s another story, for now these two excellent releases, restored to pristine condition by Esoteric, are here to enjoy. 

by Geoff Feakes, 2011

Tracks
1. Love Goes On (Keith Relf) - 2:50
2. Golden Thread (Jim McCarty, Keith Relf) - 8:15
3. Love Is All (Jim McCarty) - 3:39
4. Mr. Pine (Michael Dunford) - 6:59
5. Face Of Yesterday (Jim McCarty) - 6:05
6. Past Orbits Of Dust (Jim McCarty, Keith Relf) - 14:43
7. Prayer For Light (From The Film "Schizom") (Jim McCarty) - 5:27
8. Walking Away (From The Film "Schizom") (Jim McCarty) - 4:19
9. All The Fallen Angels (Jim McCarty, Keith Relf) - 5:27
Tracks 1 - 6 recorded at Olympic Studios, Barnes, London and Island Studios, Basing Street, London.
Track 7,8 recorded at Advision Studios, London for the soundtrack to the film "Schizom" in September 1970.
Track 9 recorded during the Illusion demo sessions in April 1970.

Renaissance
*Jane Relf - Vocals, Percussion
*Keith Relf - Guitars, Vocals
*John Hawken - Keyboards, Piano
*Louis Cennamo - Bass
*Jim MCcarty - Drums, Vocals
With    
*Terry Crowe - Lead Vocals (Track 4)
*Michael Dunford - Guitars (Track 4)
*Neil Korner - Bass (Track 4)
*Terry Slade - Drums (Track 4)
*Don Shinn - Keyboards (Track 6)

1969  Renaissance - Renaissance (2008 remaster) 

1974  Renaissance - Turn Of The Cardss
Related Acts
1977  Illusion - Out Of The Mist (2011 remaster)
1978  Illusion – Illusion (2011 remaster) 
1963-68  The Yardbirds - Glimpses (five disc box set, 2011 release)
1964  The Yardbirds - Five Live Yardbirds (2007 Repertoire digi pack with extra tracks)
1965-68  The Yardbirds - Live At The BBC (2016 double disc remaster)  
1968  The Yardbirds - Live Yardbirds! (2008 edition) 

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Alan Bown - Outward Bown (1968 uk, remarkable swinging psych rock r 'n' b, 2011 extra tracks remaster)

Outward Bown is the first album by the R&B/psych-pop ensemble led by English trumpeter Alan Bown, recorded in 1967 and released in 1968 on Music Factory.

One of the most popular club bands of the Swinging London era, the Alan Bown Set abruptly changed direction in the Summer of 1967, shedding their soul/R&B togs to reinvent themselves as flower power pop merchants the Alan Bown! Under this new guise, they cut one of the lost jewels of the British psychedelic pop scene, the magnificent Outward Bown. 

In this release features the original album plus obscure B-sides and alternative single versions. Pieced together from recording sessions that spanned the summer of 1967 to spring 1968, Outward Bown deftly embraces all points of the psychedelic pop compass, taking in proto-hard rock, blue-eyed mod soul and, perhaps most notably of all, the voguish toytown pop sound.

Tracks
1. Toyland (Tony Catchpole, Jess Roden) - 2:32
2. Magic Handkerchief (Alan Bown, Jeff Bannister, Tony Catchpole, Jess Roden) - 3:16
3. Mutiny (Alan Bown, Jeff Bannister) - 2:59
4. All Along The Watchtower (Bob Dylan) - 3:09
5. Sally Green (Alan Bown, Jeff Bannister) - 3:18
6. Penny For Your Thoughts (Alan Bown, Jeff Bannister) - 3:38
7. Story Book (Alan Bown, Jeff Bannister) - 3:09
8. Technicolor Dream (Alan Bown, Jeff Bannister) - 2:51
9. Love Is A Beautiful Thing (Lee Pearl, Lewis Bellin, Harvey Pearl) - 3:31
10.Violin Shop (Tony Catchpole) - 2:59
11.You're Not In My Class (Alan Bown, Jeff Bannister) - 3:33
12.My Girl The Month Of May (Dion DiMucci) - 2:45
13.Little Lesley (Single B Side,1968) (Tony Catchpole, Jess Roden) - 2:10
14.We Can Help You (Single A Side,1967) (Alex Spyropoulos, Patrick Campbell-Lyons) - 2:25
15.Toyland (Single A Side,1967, Mono Mix) (Tony Catchpole, Jess Roden) - 2:53
16.Technicolor Dream (Single B Side 1967, Mono Mix) (Alan Bown, Jeff Bannister) - 2:52
17.Penny For Your Thoughts (BBC Session, September 1967) (Alan Bown, Jeff Bannister) - 2:41
18.Technicolor Dream (BBC Session, September 1967) (Alan Bown, Jeff Bannister) - 2:59
19.My Girl The Month Of May (BBC Session, September 1967) (Dion DiMucci) - 3:06
20.Pandora's Golden Heebie Jeebies (BBC Session, November 1967) (Gary Alexander) - 2:56
21.Toyland (BBC Session, November 1967) (Tony Catchpole, Jess Roden) - 2:32
22.Love Is A Beautiful Thing (BBC Session, Novovember 1967) (Lee Pearl, Lewis Bellin, Harvey Pearl) - 2:26
23.Magic Handkerchief (BBC Session, July 1968) (Alan Bown, Jeff Bannister, Tony Catchpole, Jess Roden) - 3:17
24.All Along The Watchtower (BBC Session, July 1968) (Bob Dylan) - 3:13
25.Gypsy Girl (BBC Session, June 1969) (Alan Bown, Jeff Bannister) - 2:02
26.Movie Star Baby (BBC Session, June 1969) (Tony Catchpole, Jess Roden) - 2:47
Bonus Tracks 13-26

Musicians
*Alan Bown (Alan James Bown) - Trumpet
*Jess Roden - Vocals
*John Anthony Helliwell - Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet, Recorder
*Jeff Bannister - Organ, Piano
*Tony Catchpole - Lead Guitar
*Stan Haldane - Bass Guitar
*Vic Sweeney - Drums

1965-67  The Alan Bown Set - Emergency 999 

1969  The Alan Bown! (2010 Esoteric remaster)
1970  Listen (2010 Esoteric remaster)
1971  Stretching Out (2010 Esoteric remaster)
Related Acts
1970-71 Bronco - Country Home / Ace Of Sunlight (2010 remaster)
1972 Keef Hartley - Lancashire Hustler (2009 esoteric remaster)
1974-80  Jess Roden - The Best Of (2009 remaster)

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Jefferson Airplane - Takes Off (1966 us, classic debut, 2003 expanded edition)

Marty Balin and Paul Kantner met during 1965 and their resultant musical relationship would lead to the creation of the Jefferson Airplane. This influential and successful American rock ‘n’ roll band would eventually be elected to the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. While there would be several personnel changes early in their existence, by the time of their first album release, guitarist Jorma Kaukonen, bassist Jack Casady, drummer Skip Spence, and co-lead singer Signe Anderson had all joined the band. Spence and Anderson would soon give way to Spencer Dryden and Grace Slick.

Jefferson Airplane Takes Off, released during 1966, is an album that often slides under the radar. It failed to crack the Billboard Magazine Album Chart top 100 and is frequently overshadowed by the brilliance of the releases that would follow. This is unfortunate as it is an album that can stand on its own merits.

The group’s early sound has been classified as folk-rock, but it also contains the beginnings of American psychedelic music. They would take the sound of such early psychedelic practitioners as The Holy Modal Rounders and the 13th Floor Elevators and refine and expand it until the experience was just as important as the music. This was especially true live, as the Airplane quickly became an innovative and popular concert draw.

Signe Anderson may have only recorded this one album with the group, but in some ways she was a good fit for Marty Balin. They tended to support one another rather than challenge each other, as would happen when Grace Slick joined the band following Anderson’s departure. “Bringing Me Down” is a good example of this supportive style. Anderson’s best moments come as the lead vocalist on “Chauffeur Blues” where her powerful voice just soars.

Takes Off is in many ways a Marty Balin album. The Paul Kantner-Grace Slick axis did not exist as yet, and the other group members had not begun to assert themselves. As such, Balin wrote or co-wrote eight of the eleven songs. His “Blues From An Airplane” is the first track on the album and was a great way to kick off a recording career. His performances on “It’s No Secret” and the cover song “Let’s Get Together” show his versatility and the purity of his voice. He and the band even manage to pull off an interesting version of the often-recorded “Tobacco Road.” It would be a Balin-Kantner collaboration, “Come Up The Years,” that would point the way toward the group’s future.

Jefferson Airplane Takes Off remains a formidable debut album from a group that would form an important part of the American rock heritage from 1965-1974. It is an excellent and interesting listen 50-plus years after its initial release.

by David Bowling, 11/15/2010

Tracks

1. Blues From An Airplane (Marty Balin, Skip Spence) - 2:10

2. Let Me In (Marty Balin, Paul Kantner) - 2:56

3. Bringing Me Down (Marty Balin, Paul Kantner) - 2:22

4. It's No Secret (Marty Balin) - 2:36

5. Tobacco Road (John D. Loudermilk) - 3:27

6. Come Up The Years (Marty Balin, Paul Kantner) - 2:30

7. Run Around (Marty Balin, Paul Kantner) - 2:36

8. Let's Get Together (Chester Powers) - 3:33

9. Don't Slip Away (Marty Balin, Skip Spence) - 2:32

10.Chauffeur Blues (Memphis Minnie, Ernest Lawler) - 2:25

11.And I Like It (Marty Balin, Jorma Kaukonen) - 3:15

12.Runnin' Round This World (Marty Balin, Paul Kantner) - 2:25
13.High Flying Bird (Billy Edd Wheeler) - 2:17
14.It's Alright (Marty Balin, Skip Spence) - 2:17
15.Go To Her (Paul Kantner, Irving Estes) - 4:09
16.Let Me In (Marty Balin, Paul Kantner) - 3:31
17.Run Around (Marty Balin, Paul Kantner) - 2:35
18.Chauffeur Blues (Memphis Minnie, Ernest Lawler) - 2:49
19.And I Like It (Marty Balin, Jorma Kaukonen) - ) - 8:16
20.Blues From An Airplane (Marty Balin, Skip Spence)- 2:10
Tracks 1-11 Original Album 1966 "Takes Off"
Tracks 12-14 from "Early Flight"
Track 15 from"Jefferson Airplane Loves You"
Tracks 16-17 Uncensored Versions
Tracks 18-19 Alternate Versions
Track 20 Instrumental Hidden Track

Jefferson Airplane 
*Marty Balin - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
*Signe Toly Anderson - Vocals, Percussion
*Jorma Kaukonen - Lead Guitar
*Paul Kantner - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
*Jack Casady - Bass Guitar
*Skip Spence - Drums
*Spencer Dryden - Drums

Related Acts
1972  Hot Tuna - Burgers (2012 audiophile Vinyl replica) 
1976  Hot Tuna - Hoppkorv (2012 audiophile Vinyl replica)
1973  Paul Kantner, Grace Slick, David Freiberg - Baron Von Tollbooth And The Chrome Nun 
1968  Alexander Lee Spence - AndOarAgain (2018 three disc remaster)

1966-69  Moby Grape - Live (Sundazed digipack issue)
1967  Moby Grape - Moby Grape (2007 remaster)
1967-68  Moby Grape - The Place And The Time (2009 Sundazed release)
1969  Moby Grape - Wow (Sundazed Issue)
1969  Moby Grape - Moby Grape 69' (2007 remaster and expanded)

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Luv Machine - Turns You On (1970-71 barbados, excellent rough hard psych rock with prog elements, 2006 bonus tracks remaster)

Luv Machine were victims to the classic business meets artist rip off paradigm and the band disintegrated almost as quickly as they came together. Thankfully they were able to record this wonderful album on the way and RAR deserve credit for bringing to our ears. The album is a wonderful boogie down fuzzed out rock feast. It combines elements of the sounds of Cream, 10 Years After and touch of Santana (during their initial psych-boogie incarnation). The music is punchy and filled with urgent soulful vocals and great harmonies. Main-man Michael Bishop wrote all of the songs and they manage to channel a funkified blend of Traffic era Steve Winwood with the propulsive rock of the aforementioned Cream. 

The disc is a treat from beginning to end. It leaves you wondering why these songs weren't instant classics of the era and didn't propel the band to superstardom. In particular tracks such as Lost and My Life is Filled with Changes present the diverse punch of the bands sound. The densely packed booklet that comes with this reissue is full of pictures of the band and a wonderfully complete bio written by Lee Dorian.

Luv Machine might have not scaled the heights of glory during their brief career but as this CD proves financial success doesn't necessarily equate with artistic mastery. Ultimately this thoroughly enjoyable CD leaves the listener wondering what other dusty gems are out there in the dust bins of history waiting to be discovered. It also gives us caution to pay attention to current underground acts due to the fact that we just might be ignoring a contemporary masterpiece.

by Keith Boyd, Feb.27.2007

Tracks
1. Witches Wand - 2:49
2. You're Surprised - 2:47
3. It's Amazing - 3:27
4. Happy Children (Errol Bradshaw, Michael Bishop) - 3:19
5. Everything (Martin Hall) - 3:20
6. Maybe Tomorrow - 4:20
7. Reminiscing (Vernon Pereira) - 2:56
8. Change Your Mind - 2:59
9. Corupt One - 3:50
10.Lost - 3:09
11.My Life Is Filled With Changes - 3:08
12.Portrait Of Disgust - 4:58
13.Don't Let The Blues Take Over Part 1 (Early Demo Version) - 2:58
14.In The Early Hours (Single B-Side) - 3:29
15.Dark Clouds (Early Demo) - 2:33
16.Do You Want My Love? (Unreleased Single B-Side) - 3:07
17.Break The News Gently (Post LP Line Up Demo) - 2:51
18.Don't Let The Blues Take Over Part 2 (Unreleased Single A-Side) - 2:45
All titles by Michael Bishop except where stated
Tracks 1-12 from original album " Luv Machine" 1970

Luv Machine
*Michael Bishop - guitar, vocals
*Bob Bowman - guitar, vocals
*Errol Bradshaw - drums, vocals
*John Jeavons - bass, vocals

1970  Luv Machine - Luv Machine

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Wishbone Ash - Wishbone Ash (1970 uk, solid hard blues rock, 2001 japan remaster)

For a band that quickly evolved into a radio-friendly prog-leaning outfit, it's a wonder that Wishbone Ash started out as the boogie and blues-based group that this debut reveals. If the term "jam band" existed in 1970, Wishbone Ash surely would have been a major player in that genre. As it was, this album stacked up nicely when compared with other British hard rock releases that year.

The dual lead guitar attack of Andy Powell and Ted Turner was a component that none of the above bands possessed, but unfortunately their (shared) lead vocals lacked the punch and authority necessary for hard rock bands to be taken seriously. So while they could rock as loudly and convincingly as virtually anyone, their lead singers, perhaps, held them back from being the force they should have been.

The follow-up, Pilgrimage, took steps to rectify Wishbone Ash's odd position, but this album nevertheless opened eyes and ears and revealed to the rock & roll community a band with incredible potential and talent. 

by Dave Sleger

Tracks
1. Blind Eye - 3:45
2. Lady Whiskey - 6:12
3. Errors Of My Ways - 6:57
4. Queen Of Torture - 3:25
5. Handy - 11:35
6. Phoenix - 10:27
All songs by Andy Powell, Martin Turner, Steve Upton, Ted Turner

The Wishbone Ash
*Martin Turner - Bass, Vocals
*Andy Powell - Guitar, Vocals
*Ted Turner - Guitar, Vocals
*Steve Upton - Drums

1970  Wishbone Ash - First Light (2007 release)
1972-2001  Wishbone Ash - Tracks (2001 double disc release) 
1972  Wishbone Ash - Argus (2013 SHM remaster) 
1973  Wishbone Ash - Wishbone Four (2015 audiophile remaster)
1973  Wishbone Ash - Live Dates (2013 double disc audiophile remaster)
1974  Wishbone Ash - There's the Rub (2013 SHM remaster)

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Terry Reid - Original Album Series (1968-91 fantastic box set, an amalgam of acid rock blues folk classic rock, 2015 five discs edition)

British rock singer Terry Reid could have been a lot more famous if he had been able to accept the slot of lead singer for the New Yardbirds in 1968. That slot, of course, went to Robert Plant, and the New Yardbirds became Led Zeppelin. Unlike Plant, Reid was also a guitarist, and the opportunity to head his own group no doubt played a part in his decision to gun for a solo career. Leading a guitar-organ-drums power trio, he recorded a couple of respectable, though erratic, hard rock albums while still a teenager in the late '60s. Some bad breaks and creative stagnation combined to virtually bring his career to a halt, and he never cashed in on the momentum of his promising start.

A teen prodigy of sorts, Reid had turned professional at the age of 15 to join Peter Jay & the Jaywalkers. His first couple of singles as a headliner found him singing in a sort of poppy blue-eyed soul vein. But by the time of his 1968 debut Bang, Bang You're Terry Reid, produced by Mickie Most, he'd switched to more of a hard rock approach. Most was also handling Donovan and the Jeff Beck Group at the time, and similarities to both of those acts can be heard in Terry Reid's first two albums -- proto-hard rock on the louder tunes, sweeter folk-rock on the mellow ones (Reid in fact covered a couple of Donovan compositions, although he wrote most of his own material). Reid's high voice was reminiscent of Robert Plant's, though not nearly as shrill, and his folky numbers especially are reminiscent of Led Zeppelin's most acoustic early cuts.

Reid, oddly, was considerably more well-known in the U.S. than the U.K. His first album, very oddly, was not even issued in Britain, although it made the American Top 200. It's been reported that he at least in part declined Jimmy Page's offer to join Led Zeppelin owing to his contractual commitments to record for Mickie Most as a solo artist, and to perform as an opening solo artist on the Rolling Stones' late-'60s U.S. tour. He did influence Led Zeppelin's history in a big way by recommending Plant and drummer John Bonham as suitable candidates for the group's lineup, after Plant and Bonham's pre-Led Zep outfit (the Band of Joy) played support at one of Reid's early gigs. Reid felt confident enough in his solo prospects to also turn down an offer to join Deep Purple (Ian Gillan was recruited instead).

An opening spot on the Rolling Stones' famous 1969 tour of America seemed to augur even brighter prospects for the future, but this is precisely where Reid's career stalled, at the age of 20. First he became embroiled in litigation with Mickey Most, which curtailed his studio activities in the early '70s. After a couple of personnel changes, he disbanded his original trio, leading a group for a while that included David Lindley and ex-King Crimson drummer Michael Giles (this quartet, however, didn't release any records). He moved to California in 1971 and signed to Atlantic, but his long-delayed third album didn't appear until 1973. Reid would release albums for other labels in 1976 and 1979, but none of his '70s recordings were well-received, critically or commercially (though 1976's Seed of Memory did briefly chart). He rarely recorded, though he did play some sessions and The Driver appeared in 1991.

Reid's catalog was reissued on various labels in the 21st century, and there was a resurgence of interest in his music as well. The Raconteurs recorded "Rich Kid Blues" for inclusion on 2008's Consolers of the Lonely, and made it a centerpiece of their live shows. He provided three songs to the soundtrack for Rob Zombie's horror film The Devil's Rejects. In 2009, he played the Glastonbury and WOMAD festivals. Two years later, he toured Ireland for the first time in 30 years and released the Live in London; it included performances of several new songs.

In 2012, Reid was invited to play London's most famous jazz club, Ronnie Scott's, in celebration of their 50th anniversary -- he sold out three nights. He also returned to Glastonbury and played the Isle of Wight Festival for the first time since 1971. Reid's songs gained traction with 2000s pop artists. Rumer featured "Brave Awakening" on her charting Boys Don’t Cry album. America’s Got Talent winner Michael Grimm included "Without Expression" on his album Gumbo. DJ Shadow collaborated with Reid, who wrote lyrics for "Listen" that appeared on Reconstructed: The Best of DJ Shadow.

Reid toured the U.K. in 2013 and 2014, and performed the whole of Seed of Memory at the Borderline. In April 2016, the Washington Post ran a story about Reid working in Johnny Depp's home studio with Aerosmith's Joe Perry on a song for the guitarist's forthcoming solo album. The same month, Light in the Attic announced the release of The Other Side of the River, a collection of unreleased material and alternate takes from the 1973 album sessions for the twice-recorded River -- some that Reid didn't even remember. It was released in May. 

by Richie Unterberger

Tracks

Disc 1 Bang, Bang You're Terry Reid 1968

1. Bang, Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) (Sonny Bono) - 4:15

2. Tinker Tailor - 2:55

3. Erica - 3:52

4. Without Expression – 4:47

5. Sweater - 2:06

6. Something's Gotten Hold Of My Heart (Roger Cook, Roger Greenaway) - 5:02 

7. Season Of The Witch (Donovan Leitch) - 10:09

8. Writing On The Wall / Summertime Blues (Terry Reid / Eddie Cochran, Jerry Capehart) - 10:14

9. When You Get Home - 3:40

10.Loving Time (Eric Leese, Terry Reid) - 3:40

All compositions by Terry Reid except where noted

Disc 2 Terry Reid 1969 

1. Superlungs My Supergirl (Donovan Leitch) - 2:41

2. Silver White Light - 2:54

3. July - 3:32

4. Marking Time - 3:48

5. Stay With Me Baby (George David Weiss, Jerry Ragovoy) - 4:12

6. Highway 61 Revisited / Friends (Bob Dylan / Terry Reid) - 7:59

7. May Fly - 3:42

9. Rich Kid Blues - 4:14

All titles by Terry Reid unless as else written

Disc 3 River

1. Dean - 4:45

2. Avenue - 5:08

3. Things To Try - 4:25

4. Live Life - 5:11

5. River - 5;45

6. Dream - 5:20

7. Milestones - 5:52

All Music and Lyrics by Terry Reid 

Disc 4 Rogue Waves

1. Ain't No Shadow - 3:39

2. Baby I Love You (Phil Spector, Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry) - 3:52

3. Stop And Think It Over - 3:40

4. Rogue Wave - 5:42

5. Walk Away Rene (Bob Calilli, Mikel Brown, Tony Sansone) - 4:18 

6. Believe In The Magic - 6:32

7. Then I Kissed Her (Phil Spector, Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry) - 4:44 

8. Bowangi - 4:014

9. ll I Have To Do Is Dream (Boudleaux Bryant) - 5:26 

All tracks by Terry Reid except where indicated

Disc 5 The Driver
1. Fifth Of July (Louise Goffin, Reid Savage) - 5;11
2. There's Nothing Wrong - 5:05
3. Right To The End (Gerard McMahon) - 4:55
4. The Whole Of The Moon (Mike Scott) - 4:13
5. Hand Of Dimes - 3:04
6. The Driver (Part I) (Hans Zimmer, Terry Reid, Trevor Horn) - 0:45
7. If You Let Her - 4:28
8. Turn Around - 3:49
9. Gimme Some Lovin' (Muff Winwood, Spencer Davis, Steve Winwood) - 4:19
10.Laugh At Life - 4:48
11.The Driver (Part II) (Hans Zimmer, Terry Reid, Trevor Horn) - 4:37
All songs by Terry Reid except where stated

Musicians
*Terry Reid - Guitar, Vocals
*Keith Webb - Drums (Discs 1, 2)
*Eric Leese - Keyboards (Disc 1)
*Pete Solley - Keyboards (Disc 2)
*Leo Miles - Bass (Discs 3, 4)
*Conrad Isidore - Drums (Disc 3)
*David Lindley - Steel Guitar, Slide Guitar, Electric Guitar (Disc 3)
*Douglas Rodriguez - Guitar (Disc 4) 
*John Siomos - Drums, Percussion (Disc 4)
*James E. Johnson – Organ (Disc 4)
*Sterling Smith - Organ (Disc 4) 
*Terrence James - String Arrangements (Disc 4) 
*Dyanne Chandler - Vocals (Disc 4)
*Maxine Willard Waters - Vocals (Disc 4)
*Dennis Williams - Vocals (Disc 4)
*Joe Walsh - Guitar (Disc 5) 
*Jackie Lomax - Guitars (Disc 5)
*Brian Auger - Keyboards (Disc 5)
*Timothy B. Schmit - Bass (Disc 5)
*Alan White - Drums (Disc 5)
*Stewart Copeland - Drums (Disc 5)
*Jack Lancaster - Sax (Disc 5)
*Howard Jones - Keyboards (Disc 5)
*Enya - Vocals (Disc 5)

1966-69  Terry Reid - Superlungs / The Complete Studio Recordings (2004  two disc set) 
1974  Terry Reid - Seed of Memory (2004 remaster) 

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Claire Hamill - Stage Door Johnnies (1974 uk, delicate folk soft rock, 2006 japan issue)

Claire Hamill was born in Middlesborough in Northern England and has been in the music business since she was 17. In 1970 she was launched as one of Britain's first singer songwriters and seen by many commentators as in the vein of Joni Mitchell.

The album was "One house left standing" which showed the singer in a backdrop of her home town and a year later she went on her first U K tour supporting John Martyn.Up to 1973 she toured the USA with Procol Harum and Jethro Tull and came back to Britain to record her next album "October" at the same Manor studio of Richard Branson which Mike Oldfield was using to make what became "Tubular Bells".Her next tour support was for King Crimson.

In 1973 Claire Hamill met Ray Davies who signed her to his Konk label for her 3rd album "Stage Door Johnnies" an album which included her first covers. We Gotta Get Out Of This Place – (Mann, Weil) – the Animals worldwide hit from 1965, nothing can top that but this is suitably agrressive and angry.  

Oh Daddy (Blues) (You Don't Have No Mamma At All) – (Herbert, Russell) – First recording by Ethel Waters, Cordy Williams' Jazz Masters (1921)  but associated with  Bessie Smith (Clarence Williams at the Piano) from 1923. It has been done by a lot of folk blues jazz types in both instrumental and vocal versions. This is a good version and not dissimilar to what Ray was doing on some tracks of the Kinks "Muswell Hillbillies" (1971) album. All The Cakes She Baked Him – very Joni Mitchell but very good. Trying To Work It Out – more Joni. Geronimo's Cadillac – (C. Quarto, M. Murphy) – Co-written and recorded by American country singer Michael Martin Murphey in 1972 (also the title cut of his 1972 debut album) the song went to #37 in the US pop charts. The song has been often covered. Here, it sounds like a sister piece (in mood) to The Kinks' circa 1971. Very good. 

You Know How Ladies Are – quite beautiful with a touch of Ray Davies. Luck Of The Draw – very good with some nice up front twangy guitar and some hard lyrics. Stage Door Johnnies – Ray would love this … and so do I. Stage Door Johnnies was a English theatre reference to wealthy gentlemen who would wait outside the stage door hoping to escort chorus girls hem to dinner. The attract for the girls was (hopefully) marriage into the upper class, society and nobility.

With a little help from Frank...

Tracks
1. We Gotta Get Out Of This Place (Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil) - 3:20
2. Oh Daddy (Blues) (You Don't Have No Mamma At All) (Ed Herbert, William Russell) - 3:44
3. All The Cakes She Baked Him - 3:21
4. Trying To Work It Out - 3:32
5. Geronimo's Cadillac (Michael Martin Murphey, Charles John Quatro) - 4:22
6. Something To Believe In (Steve Miller) - 4:09
7. You Know How Ladies Are - 2:44
8. You Take My Breath Away - 2:34
9. Go Now (Larry Banks, Milton Bennett) - 3:36
10.Luck Of The Draw - 3:10
11.Stage Door Johnnies - 2:07
All tracks composed by Claire Hamill except where indicated

Personnel
*Claire Hamill - Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
*Phil Palmer - Lead Guitar
*Roy Neve - Guitar
*Nick South - Bass
*Paul Westwood - Bass
*Phil Chen - Bass
*Dave Rowberry - Keyboards
*Clem Cattini - Drums
*Jim Frank - Drums
*Neil McBain - Drums
*Laurie Brown - Trumpet
*Ray Davies - Backing Vocals
*Diz Disley - Guitar
*Tim Hinkley - Keyboards
*Alan Holmes - Flute
*Lew Warburton - String Arrangements

1971  Claire Hamill - One House Left Standing (2008 remaster with extra tracks)
1972  Claire Hamill - October (2008 remaster)
1975  Claire Hamill - Abracadabra (2006 japan remaster)

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Claire Hamill - Abracadabra (1975 uk, beautiful folk funky soft rock, 2006 japan remaster)

On her fourth album Abracadabra (1975) Claire Hamill, covered The Kinks’ `Celluloid Heroes’, Ian Anderson’s `Your Dear’, Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke’s `I Love You So’ and the traditional `Jamaica’, although once again the buying public showed little interest. In 1976, she had a brief stint as the vocalist with Ric Grech’s S.D.M. (Square Dance Machine), but this proved to be unfruitful and she retired for a while.

Claire Hamill subsequently started writing for a few rock groups, even joining Wishbone Ash for one 1982 album, `Two Barrels Burning’.

Tracks
1. Rory - 2:50
2. Forbidden Fruit - 3:00
3. One Sunday Morning - 3:30
4. I Love You So (Paul Rodgers, Simon Kirke) - 3:16
5. For Sailors - 4:22
6. Jamaica (Traditional Arranged By Claire Hamill) - 2:14
7. Under A Piece Of Glass - 3:11
8. You Dear (Ian Anderson) - 3:18
9. Maybe It Is - 4:00
10.In So Deep - 3:51
11.Celluloid Heroes (Ray Davies) - 5:00
All songs by Claire Hamill except where indicated

Personnel
*Claire Hamill - Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
*Phil Palmer - Guitar
*Phil Chen - Bass
*Jon Hartman - Keyboards
*Gary Ray - Drums
*Mel Collins - Saxophone
*Vicki Brown - Background Vocals
*Doreen Chanter - Background Vocals
*Jean Roussel - Piano, Orchestral Arrangements
*Tom Robinson - Vocals
*Raphael Doyle - Vocals
*Hereward Kaye - Vocals

1971  Claire Hamill - One House Left Standing (2008 remaster with extra tracks) 
1972  Claire Hamill - October (2008 remaster) 

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Big Star - #1 Record / Radio City (1972/74 us impressive power pop indie rock, 2004 SACD)

In the past, if you wanted to buy either of Big Star’s #1 Record or Radio City on CD you had to buy them together. While previously available individually on vinyl, the pair of albums were glued together in a two-for-one compact disc. Truthfully, while getting both albums at once was gratifying (because, really, you need both, along with Third/Sister Lovers), and it was probably cheaper to get a two for one deal, the end of #1 Record segueing into Radio City was messy at best. Thankfully, both albums are now back in print individually (sans bonus tracks), and are sourced from the original analog master tapes. One has to wonder, though, if the real reason behind these reissues is not to get the albums back into the hands of fans on CD in the proper format, but rather as a shot at Sony Music, who last year issued the godawful compilation album Playlist: The Very Best of Big Star (1972 – 2005). See, the problem with that disc was two-fold. The first is that the first three Big Star albums are Greatest Hits albums. They’re that necessary. Secondly, Sony got around the thorny issue of not having the rights to the original recordings by loading up songs on the tracklist from 1993’s Columbia: Live at Missouri University, 4/25/93. Basically, you would have been better off just buying the live album, as all that’s missing from it is a handful of songs from the original albums that the Best of album culls from. The 2013 Greatest Hits disc is, thus, that inconsequential.

While I cannot comment on the audiophile quality of these reissues for I was given access to a private stream, and we all know streams have their share of wow and flutter, the sound does manage to shine through. As do the songs themselves. Basically, if you don’t have either of these albums and have no idea of what I’m talking about, go. Just go, stop reading, and buy these records, especially if you want to see how this group essentially helped to invent the concept of ‘70s power pop, and would go on to influence countless bands from the Replacements, Teenage Fanclub, R.E.M. (whose Automatic for the People is essentially Third/Sister Lovers reimagined for the ‘90s) and, yes, Counting Crows, who have tucked a Big Star reference inside some live performances of their hit "Mr. Jones". As well, I’m not sure if it’s really worth giving more than a thumbnail sketch of the band’s history, because, chances are, if you’re reading this, you already know it and not much can be added or taken away from what you already know.

Still, here goes: Big Star was a group founded by Alex Chilton, formerly of the Box Tops, and also featured Chris Bell, drummer Jody Stephens and bassist Andy Hummel. (Stephens, incidentally, is the sole remaining original member still alive and kicking.) The group released #1 Record in 1972. The critics loved it, but, due to poor distribution problems with the record label, the album stiffed commercially, making the album title rather ironic (aside from the fact that it was, indeed, their number one record in order of release). Bell left the band and the remaining group, give or take a member or two depending on the song, went on to record 1974’s Radio City. The same result occurred: lavish critical praise, monumental commercial dud at the cash register.

Even if you haven’t heard of Big Star, you’ve heard Big Star. If you watched TV’s That ‘70s Show, well, the theme song is "In The Street" from #1 Record, only covered by Cheap Trick. For a band that sold a paltry number of records in its heyday, the cultural legacy of Big Star looms large. Without them, the Replacements wouldn’t have written their homage to "Alex Chilton". Without them, a large swath of alternative and indie rock would debatably cease to exist, or at least exist in some other unrecognizable format. Maybe indie kids today would have thought polka music was the hippest thing without Big Star. So this is a very monumental band, and, as I’ve said, if you don’t have these two albums, your record collection has a massive hole. You’re missing out on some of the finest music of the ‘70s, music that, in large part, remains timeless and even sounds much more relevant today than it did back then. That’s how ahead of the curve Big Star was.

So what of the albums themselves then? While both are in Rolling Stone’s 500 "Greatest Albums of All Time" list, #1 Record has the highest highs and the lowest lows. Had "The India Song" been swapped out its place at the end of Side One in favour of "When My Baby’s Beside Me", you would have had an argument for rock’s greatest Side One in the history of all music. That side would include the magnificent "The Ballad of El Goodo", the aforementioned "In the Street", the bluesy swagger of "Don’t Lie to Me", and the transcendent, touching ballad of first love "Thirteen". Even though the album does boast its share of filler ("ST 100/6" anyone?), the peaks are so towering that mere words cannot convey the brilliance. Plus, the album sounds like a group having a blast in the recording studio, unaware of the commercial disappointment that awaited them around the corner. The harmonies and the songwriting have been oft compared to Lennon/McCartney, and for a good reason. This stuff is just as good, if not better, than that of their predecessors. While #1 Record is slightly flawed, you could say that too about any Beatles album, and we all know that Revolver has the top spot generally on All Time Greatest Records lists. There is no such thing as outright perfection.

But then you have Radio City.

Radio City is outright perfection.

The album, which sees Bell get unofficially songwriting credit on just two songs ("O My Soul" and "Back of a Car"), is a sonic blast from start to finish. It’s rougher and bleaker than its predecessor, which presaged the harrowing decent into the tortured psyche of Third / Sister Lovers, but the songs themselves shine together with an overall consistency, even if there are gems within gems in the bunch. Do you remember the first time you heard the chiming riff to "September Gurls"? (And it had better not have been the Bangles’ absolutely atrocious butchering of the song.) Do you remember the first time you heard the sweet, affecting album closer "I’m In Love With a Girl"? Honestly, I bet you do. The album, and each song on it, is that memorable. I once made a mixed tape with the entirety of this record (and it was a record, I own a mint 1974 original pressing of the disc that set me back a pretty penny) on one side for a friend, who, upon listening to it, dubbed it "cottage rock". You know, the sort of thing you would have blasting at a keg party. That may sound like a reductive statement, but there’s a grain of truth to it. Radio City should be the summer album that everyone has, even if it is a little bit off-kilter and is the sound of a group trying to keep it together while falling apart. The songs are just stellar. Simple as that. Not a bad one in the bunch, not even the 87-second piano interlude “Morpha Too”.

While Radio City is, hands down, the stronger of the two discs, it is stronger by only a smidge. You need #1 Record, too, just for the group’s shot at familiarity and pseudo-hit making. Both albums are what we critics would dub essential. And, while you’re at it, try and score a copy of Third / Sister Lovers, too, as that album completes the trilogy. Listening to this all over again, one has to wonder if there was a better band during the tumultuous ‘70s than Big Star. At a time when prog rock was all the rage, Big Star was stripping rock music down to its poppy elements, setting the stage for a generation of bands who would pick up the mantle and run with it during the next few decades. While Bell and Chilton (and Hummel) are no longer with us, their legacy more than lives on with what the label is calling the "definite" digital masters of these albums. And, sure, there are no bonus tracks or outtakes, but these records don’t need them. They are as perfect or as near perfect as records come, and I’m pretty sure that I haven’t heard, in my entire lifetime, a record that is as flawless as Radio City, an album I always play front to back without skipping over any tracks.

So what on earth are you waiting for? Regardless if you have these records or not, you need them. Buy them again, if necessary. Trust me, the money will go to the enduring legacy of Big Star, and foster more bands that will head their path and blaze new trails in modern music. That’s not hyperbole, that’s just the plain truth. So go. Now. Get on your way to your nearest record store and pick these two stellar albums up before, you know, someone decides to pull them out of print as individual albums again.

by Zachary Houle, 02 Oct 2014

Tracks
#1 Record 1972
1. Feel - 3:35
2. The Ballad Of El Goodo - 4:22
3. In The Street - 2:57
4. Thirteen (Chris Bell, Alex Chilton, Mal Waldron) - 2:37
5. Don't Lie To Me - 3:10
6. The India Song (Andy Hummell) - 2:22
7. When My Baby's Beside Me - 3:26
8. My Life Is Right (Chris Bell, Thomas Dean Eubanks) - 3:09
9. Give Me Another Chance - 3:29
10.Try Again - 3:34
11.Watch The Sunrise - 3:46
12.St 100/6 - 1:01
Radio City 1974
13.O My Soul (Alex Chilton) - 5:40
14.Life Is White (Alex Chilton, Andy Hummell) - 3:20
15.Way Out West (Andy Hummell) - 2:52
16.What's Going Ahn (Alex Chilton, Andy Hummell) - 2:43
17.You Get What You Deserve - 3:10
18.Mod Lang (Alex Chilton, Richard Rosebrough) - 2:48
19.Back Of A Car (Alex Chilton, Andy Hummell) - 2:48
20.Daisy Glaze (Alex Chilton, Andy Hummell, Jody Stephens) - 3:51
21.She's A Mover (Alex Chilton) - 3:15
22.September Gurls (Alex Chilton) - 2:50
23.Morpha Too (Alex Chilton) - 1:30
24.I'm In Love With A Girl (Alex Chilton) - 1:47
All songs by Chris Bell, Alex Chilton axcept where stated

Big Star
1972  #1 Record
*Chris Bell - Guitar, Vocals
*Alex Chilton - Guitar, Vocals
*Andy Hummel - Bass
*Jody Stephens - Drums
1974  Radio City
*Alex Chilton - Guitar, Vocals
*Andy Hummel - Bass
*Jody Stephens - Drums
Guests
*Chris Bell - Guitar, Vocals
*Danny Jones - Bass
*Richard Rosebrough - Drums

1968-75  Big Star - Keep An Eye On The Sky (2009 four discs box set)
Related Acts
1967-69  The Box Tops - The Original Albums (two disc set, 2015 issue) 

1967-70  The Box Tops - The Best Of Box Tops
1970  Alex Chilton - Free Again: The 1970 Sessions (2012 release)
1972-76  Chris Bell - I'm The Cosmos (two disc set) 
1970  Terry Manning - Home Sweet Home (2006 Sunbeam)

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