Monday, December 9, 2024

The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band - A Door Inside Your Mind (1966-68 us, impressive colorful psychedelia, 2023 four disc box set remaster)



The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band released three albums in 1967 and 1968 on the Reprise Records label, blending straightforward late-'60s L.A. rock with dark, often surreal lyrics and psychedelic soundscapes.  All of these psychedelic platters have been collected on A Door Inside Your Mind: The Complete Reprise Recordings 1966-1968 in both stereo and mono, along with a bonus disc of previously unreleased alternate versions and mixes; single edits; and a radio spot.

The band coalesced when wealthy Los Angeles bachelor and sometime-race car driver Bob Markley was introduced by Kim Fowley to young musician Michael Lloyd - whose many credits include production for Shaun Cassidy, Barry Manilow, and Belinda Carlisle - and brothers Shaun and Danny Harris.  Despite little obvious talent, Markley wanted to join a band, and offered to bankroll such an operation with his new, clearly talented friends.  With the addition of drummer John Ware (later of Michael Nesmith's First National Band), the band launched.

Their first LP, on the small Fifo label, featured Michael and Shaun on a set of folk-rock and garage-rock.  Before they were signed to Reprise, guitarist Ron Morgan had joined the group.  Part One was on an establishment label with an establishment producer (Jimmy Bowen, who had helmed Frank Sinatra albums for Reprise) but was a decidedly non-establishment album.  Alongside more-or-less conventional songs by Baker Knight, P.F. Sloan, and Van Dyke Parks tunes, the group covered Frank Zappa and provided somewhat sinister originals that handily out-weirded Zappa.  Still, Lloyd and the Harris brothers' beautiful harmonies shone through, as did the musicianship of all members except Markley, who supplied bizarre spoken word.

Tired of Markley's machinations, Michael Lloyd left TWCPAEB prior to the recording of 1967's Vol. 2. (With the band splintering, Markley also formed an alternate, touring version of the band with future Three Dog Night member Jimmy Greenspoon among its members; the whole madcap story is beautifully told in Alec Palao's liner notes.)  The album took a big step further into the realm of the outré, with the liner notes promising, "Every song in this album has been written, arranged, sung and played by the group. No one censored us. We got to say everything we wanted to say, in the way we wanted to say it."  With protest songs surrounded by macabre ditties and Markley's increasingly disturbing odes to young women, Vol. 2 also included arguably the group's most famous song.  Markley and Morgan's "Smell of Incense" (covered the next year in a moderate hit version by Texas band Southwest F.O.B.) was a haunting and delicate psych-folk nugget that stands among the best of the era.

TWCPAEB was down to a trio (Markley, Morgan, Shaun Harris) by the time they entered the studio for Vol. 3: A Child's Guide to Good and Evil, a loose concept album about the corruption of innocence.  Markley's often strange and unsettling lyrics were contrasted by Shaun's strong vocals and Morgan's varied guitar.  With dollops of effective Vietnam-era protest (including a closing track consisting solely of silence) and offbeat, dreamlike twists on fairy tales, Vol. 3 is the band's most memorable record if certainly not one for everybody; Palao quotes one critic upon its release who called it "sick."

Though Reprise dropped the band, Jimmy Bowen brought them over to his new Amos label where they reunited with Michael Lloyd on 1969's Where's My Daddy?  The original foursome of Lloyd, Markley, and the Harrises brought TWCPAEB to a close in 1970 on Lloyd's friend Mike Curb's Forward label; that album was entitled Markley - A Group as Bob's ego reportedly swelled once again.  Freed from Markley's grasp (and his cringeworthy predilection for songs about young girls), Lloyd continued to collaborate with the Harris brothers under a variety of names.  He also produced Shaun's solo album for Capitol in 1973.

Disc Four of Grapefruit's box is a real treasure trove for collectors, with 18 rarities and previously unreleased tracks mixed in 2006 by Andy Zax and Brian Kehew for an abortive Rhino Handmade release.  Liner notes author Alec Palao has remastered all audio to the highest standard.  Each disc within the clamshell case is housed in a mini-sleeve replica of the original album, and the custom CD labels utilize Reprise-style designs.  A 40-page booklet with artwork by Andy Morten is an essential component of the package, and Palao's notes put the band's complicated legacy into perspective.

Bob Markley's sickening interest in underage girls would eventually lead to numerous brushes with the law, and a period in which he fled the United States.  He died, institutionalized, in 2003.  Ron Morgan passed away in 1989 and Danny Harris in 2012.  Michael Lloyd and Shaun Harris remain friends today.  This box set is the ultimate tribute to a band that managed to leave behind some worthy and fascinating music despite the darkness surrounding them.
by Joe Marchese, December 7, 2023
Tracks
Disc 1 Part One 1967
1&12. Shifting Sands (Baker Knight) - 3:55
2&13. I Won't Hurt You (Shaun Harris, Michael Lloyd, Bob Markley) - 2:24
3&14. 1906 (Bob Markley) - 2:21
4&15. Help, I'm a Rock (Frank Zappa) - 4:26
5&16. Will You Walk With Me (Dan Harris) - 3:01
6&17. Transparent Day (Shaun Harris, Bob Markley) - 2:18
7&18. Leiyla (Shaun Harris, Bob Markley) - 2:55
8&19. Here's Where You Belong (P.F. Sloan) - 2:50
9&20. If You Want This Love (Baker Knight) - 2:52
10&21.'Scuse Me Miss Rose (Bob Johnston) - 3:03
11&22.High Goin' (Van Dyke Parks) - 2:04
Tracks 1-11 Stereo Recordings
Tracks 12-22 Mono Recordings
Disc 2 Vol. 2 1967
1&11. In The Arena - 4:10
2&12. Suppose They Give A War And No One Comes (Bob Markley, Roger Bryant) - 3:38
3&13. Buddha - 2:05
4&14. Smell Of Incense (Bob Markley, Ron Morgan) - 5:47
5&15. Overture / Wcpaeb Part II - 1:28
6&16. Queen Nymphet - 2:19
7&17. Unfree Child - 3:58
8&18. Carte Blanche - 2:42
9&19. Delicate Fawn - 2:30
10&20.Tracy Had A Hard Day Sunday - 4:35
All songs written by Bob Markley, Shaun Harris except where indicated
Tracks 1-10 Stereo Recordings
Track 11-20 Mono Recordings
Disc 3 Vol. 3 - A Child's Guide To Good And Evil 1968
1&13. Eighteen Is Over The Hill (Bob Markley, Ron Morgan) - 2:42
2&14. In The Country (Bob Markley, Shaun Harris, Terry Kath) - 2:03
3&15. Ritual #1 (Bob Markley, Shaun Harris, John Ware) - 2:09
4&16. Our Drummer Always Plays In The Nude (Bob Markley, Shaun Harris) - 2:45
5.&17 As The World Rises And Falls (Bob Markley, Ron Morgan) - 4:52
6&18. Until The Poorest People Have Money To Spend (Bob Markley, Shaun Harris) - 2:18
7&19. Watch Yourself (Buddy Guy, Robert Yaezel) - 5:52
8&20. A Child's Guide To Good And Evil (Bob Markley, Shaun Harris) - 2:29
9.&21 Ritual #2 (Bob Markley, Shaun Harris) - 2:04
10&22.A Child Of A Few Hours Is Burning To Death (Bob Markley, Ron Morgan) - 2:41
11&23.As Kind As Summer (Bob Markley, Shaun Harris, Roger Bryant) - 1:10
12&24.Anniversary Of World War III (Bob Markley) - 1:36
Tracks 1-12 Stereo Recordings
Tracks 13-24 Mono Recordings
Disc 4 Outtakes, Alternative Versions & Singles 1966-68
1. I Feel Sorry For You (Dan Harris) - 3:20
2. I Feel Sorry For You  (Dan Harris) - 3:22
3. A Child Of A Few Hours Is Burning To Death  (Bob Markley, Ron Morgan) - 3:00
4. A Child's Guide To Good And Evil  (Bob Markley, Ron Morgan) - 2:49
5. Ritual #1  (Bob Markley, Shaun Harris, John Ware) - 2:33
6. Ritual #2 (Bob Markley, Shaun Harris) - 2:25
7. Watch Yourself (Robert Yaezel) - 5:02
8. Watch Yourself  (Robert Yaezel) - 5:23
9. Eighteen Is Over The Hill  (Bob Markley, Ron Morgan) - 2:43
10.Until The Poorest People Have Money To Spend  (Bob Markley, Shaun Harris) - 2:24
11.In The Country  (Bob Markley, Shaun Harris) - 2:04
12.As Kind As Summer  (Bob Markley, Roger Bryant) - 2:02
13.As The World Rises And Falls  (Bob Markley, Ron Morgan) - 5:16
14.Our Drummer Always Plays In The Nude  (Bob Markley, Shaun Harris, Roger Bryant) - 3:00
15.Help, I'm A Rock (Frank Zappa) - 2:21
16.Smell Of Incense  (Bob Markley, Ron Morgan) - 2:26
17.Unfree Child  (Bob Markley, Shaun Harris) - 2:56 
18.A Child's Guide To Good And Evil (Radio Spot) - 0:5

The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band
*Bob Markley - Vocals
*Shaun Harris - Vocals, Bass
*Ron Morgan - Guitar
With
*Michael Lloyd - Guitar, Vocals (Discs 1-2)
*Hal Blaine - Drums (Disc 2-4)
*Jim Gordon - Drums (Discs 3-4)
*Kenny Bobo - Vocals (Disc 2)

Related Act
1973  Shaun Harris - Shaun Harris (2005 remaster)

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Sunday, December 8, 2024

Bryan MacLean - Candy's Waltz (1971-84 us, euphoric guitar heartstopping melodies, 2000 remaster)



There's so much music out there that's not only indifferent but so finely worked or rather overworked that to hear aged, sparse demos of this quality is a breath of Alpine air. Candy's Waltz is not outakes from the great ifyoubelievein CD from two years ago (see CWAS#3) but further revelations from similar sources. Indeed it may be an overall stronger and more even collection. The vocals are fuzzy at the edges belying the tapes thirty years existence in damp or dusty garages and the songs are probably one takes. And it's great. 

All the observations I made about the former collection remain relevant here: the Crosby inspired jazz/folk guitar with its Spanish tinges; the flighty Tim Buckley exuberance of the vocals, so rich and romantic, so much rounder and bigger than Arthur Lee's often mumbled delivery. Again it is a matter of taste if one prefer Bryan's idiosyncratic phrasing or Arthur's more normal arrangements. Probably a band arrangement could not handle such enormous and sudden changes in tempo and phrasing and, anyway, the daCapo Love could bring a warm sunshine to Bryan' music. Well whatever here's seventeen new Bryan Maclean songs! Assuming Arthur had it in him to write another Forever Changes (and it seemed not) Bryan could have submitted about half a dozen Candy songs. 

The tunes really get inside you. Opener I can'tremember was written, like Orange Skies in 1966 age 17 and is similarly effortlessly inspired. I had to find this and several other beautiful tunes like Always I Wanted, Claudia and the title track on the piano to marvel at the Brian Wilson-like complexity of the melodies. It has been suggested that Arthur, though passing over many BM songs took more than a little inspiration from them. Castle Waltz from 1966 bears a huge resemblance to DaCapo's The Castle. A 1969 tune Father and Husband conversely sounds like several Forever Changes epic passages. There are two live songs replete with charming banter and track 20 is a telling BM radio interview for all Love fans. For many of us this album will again open the overgrown door to the magic garden.
by Stephen Ridley, Spring 2001
Tracks
1. I Can't Remember - 3:36
2. Most Of Us - 3:47
3. Special Joy - 3:27
4. Love Will Be Here - 3:14
5. Candy's Waltz - 3:59
6. Always I Wanted - 2:05
7. Castle Waltz - 2:15
8. Hip-Hip Hooray - 2:38
9. Claudia (version 2) - 3:21
10. Husband And Father - 3:58
11. If This Is Love - 3:34
12. Claudine's Samba - 2:08
13. Candy's Waltz (live) - 4:33
14. Kathleen (live) - 2:53
15. You Could Be Here - 3:01
16. Soon - 3:05
17. Darlin' - 3:34
18. Love In The End - 3:05
19. We'll Be Together Again - 4:14
20. Bryan MacLean Interview (January 13, 1998) - 13:41
Music and Lyrics by Bryan MacLean

*Bryan MacLean - Acoustic Guitar, Vocals

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Friday, December 6, 2024

Little Feat - Feats Don't Fail Me Now (1974 us, fastball rock, curveball boogie, knuckleball blues, dangerous forkball funk, 2024 three disc box set remaster)



Inside the twenty-page booklet enclosed within the Feats Don't Fail Me Now (Deluxe Edition), an erudite essay by esteemed author/biographer Dennis McNally gives due recognition to artist Neon Park's outlandish front cover image for Little Feat

's fourth longplayer. As with the other imagery of this artist that adorns the group's various longplayers, it is a thought-provoking yet unsettling combination of humor and cultural commentary that deserves the insightful notation, so, like the period photos of the musicians adorning the triple-fold package, the prose composed by the long-time media maven for the Grateful Dead is directly in line with the best of the wealth of music herein.

In fact, the remaster of the original album is only slightly less tantalizing than the rare and/or unreleased material accompanying it. Like their expertise with the other recordings here, Dan Hersch and Bill Inglot's engineering of the 1974 studio album reveals an almost granular level of detail. Accordingly, the minutiae of the mix highlights, on this title song among others, reveals keyboardist Bill Payne's uncanny ability to fill holes in the sound—and not just on his own composition "Oh Atlanta." Equally nuanced in that regard is the way Paul Barrere's and Lowell George's guitars snake in, out and around the other instruments during, for instance, "Skin It Back."

Eight cuts in the three-to-four minute range formulate a continuity comparable to the live material included in this package. Yet it also enhances how the studio track sequencing so accurately captures the dynamics of the sextet, including the odd imagery in the song lyrics: especially in Lowell George material like "Down The Road," the verbal wordplay piques the curiosity as much as the instrumental interplay. And those virtues coincide with the imagination evident in arrangements such as the earthy horn charts from Tower of Power on "Spanish Moon." The production on such a take, courtesy of titular bandleader George, along with his non-conformist kindred spirit Van Dyke Parks (plus Erik Jacobsen), nevertheless lent itself handily to stage performance.

While Electrif Lycanthrope: Live at Ultra-Sonic Studios, 1974 (Rhino Records, 2021) remains the definitive demonstration of Little Feat's shared instincts at this juncture of its career, the concert content contiguous with this reissue reaffirms the various bonds of the band in the spirit of the moment on stage. Each performance, in fact, is remarkable in its own way and no less so on the complete show from l'Olympia in Paris, France on 2/1/75, despite a sound quality that, in contrast to its corollary, captures as much of the room as the sound of the band.

Beginning with Allen Toussaint's "On Your Way Down," the sextet builds momentum almost imperceptibly over the course of its fifty-four some minutes, picking up the pace through "Rock And Roll Doctor" (a tribute to the author of the aforementioned song). The frenzied finish that is "Teenage Nervous Breakdown" carries all the more impact precisely because it follows the subdued take on "Willin'" (the song that purportedly moved Frank Zappa to ask author George to leave The Mothers of Invention).

Equally edifying in its own way is a limited edition compact disc (available separately through the Rhino label) containing more previously unreleased performances. Recorded at The Rainbow Theatre in London in January of the same year as its companion piece, the sextet's musicianship flows effortlessly after its fade-in. The shared gusto of Little Feat makes room for multiple impromptu jams over the course of its slightly less than half-hour duration before the coy denouement "Bag of Reds" (a play on the Gene Chandler's "Duke of Earl").

Labeled Hotcakes, Outtakes, Rarities, the second compact disc of the set features eight previously unreleased tracks that, combined with some culls from the similarly-titled four compact disc set released in 2000, give a glimpse of future Little Feat albums (it might well have been disc three of the set for that reason). An outtake of "All That You Dream" (from The Last Record Album (Warner Bros., 1975) and an alternate version of "Front Page News" (only ever released on the compilation issued after George's passing Hoy-Hoy (Warner Bros., 1981) suggests how the creative axis of the band was shifting.

Payne composed the former with Barrere and the latter with George. Meanwhile, an unfinished and abbreviated version of "Day At The Dog Races"—eventually issued on Time Loves A Hero (Warner Bros., 1977) is credited to everyone in the band except the latter (who would leave the stage in subsequent years when the finalized arrangement of this fusion-oriented instrumental was played).

Little Feat's preternatural grasp of groove otherwise abides throughout the dozen tracks. It is nothing less than remarkable how, even at the halting tempo Feats apply to Hank Williams' "Lonesome Whistle," Richie Hayward sounds like more than a single drummer. And it is only a little less fascinating to hear how percussionist Sam Clayton and bassist Kenny Gradney Jr. find places for themselves to play in the midst of the late co-founding member's deceptively casual and altogether dense motion around his kit.

As much through the sonic detail as the writing and playing, the uniformity of Feats Don't Fail Me Now renders the original thirty-four minutes-plus, recorded at engineer George Massenburg's Blue Seas studio in Maryland, a virtual template for Little Feat 2.0 (the band was originally a quartet). It was thus poetic justice indeed for the record to excel in the commercial marketplace, even if it is less of an adventurous creative statement than the album from the preceding year Dixie Chicken (Warner Bros., 1973).

Produced by Jason Jones with a team of admirable curators, this third Little Feat Deluxe Edition is a labor of love as affectionate in its own way as the devoted loyalty of the group's longstanding fan base. Like the prior deluxe editions of Sailin' Shoes (Warner Bros., 1972) and the aforementioned third album of the group's (originally issued the next year), this collection serves to further illuminate the attractions of one of the most eccentric bands in rock history. 
by Doug Collette, June 28, 2024
Tracks
Disc 1  Feats Don't Fail Me Now 1974
1. Rock And Roll Doctor (Lowell George, Martin Kibbee) - 2:57
2. Oh Atlanta (Bill Payne) - 3:28
3. Skin It Back (Paul Barrere) - 4:11
4. Down The Road (Lowell George) - 3:45
5. Spanish Moon (Lowell George) - 3:06
6. Feats Don't Fail Me Now (Lowell George, Martin Kibbee, Paul Barrere) - 2:27
7. The Fan (Bill Payne, Lowell George) - 4:28
8. Medley: Cold Cold Cold / Tripe Face Boogie (Bill Payne, Lowell George, Martin Kibbee, Richie Hayward) - 9:57
Disc 2  Hotcakes, Outtakes, Rarities
 1. Brickyard Blues (Allen Toussaint) - 3:00
 2. Feats Don't Fail Me Now (Lowell George, Martin Kibbee, Paul Barrere) - 2:30
 3. Rock And Roll Doctor (Lowell George, Martin Kibbee) - 3:24
 4. Spanish Moon (Lowell George) - 3:44
 5. Skin It Back (Paul Barrere) - 4:34
 6. Oh Atlanta (Bill Payne) - 3:36
 7. All That You Dream (Bill Payne, Paul Barrere) - 3:33
 8. Front Page News (Bill Payne) - 4:57
 9. Long Distance Love (Lowell George) - 2:53
 10. Lonesome Whistle (Hank Williams, Jimmie H. Davis) - 3:47
 11. Day At The Races (Bill Payne, Ken Gradney, Paul Barrere, Richie Hayward, Sam Clayton) - 3:12
 12. Spanish Moon (Lowell George) - 2:41
Disc 3  If You Got It, A Truck Brought It: Live At The L’Olympia, Paris, France, 2/1/75
 1. On Your Way Down (Allen Toussaint) - 6:51
 2. Skin It Back (Paul Barrere) - 5:30
 3. Fat Man In The Bathtub (Lowell George) - 5:55
 4. Rock And Roll Doctor (Lowell George, Martin Kibbee) - 4:05
 5. Oh Atlanta (Bill Payne) - 3:55
 6. Medley: Cold Cold Cold / Dixie Chicken / Tripe Face Boogie (Bill Payne, Lowell George, Martin Kibbee, Richie Hayward) - 19:52
 7. Willin’ (Lowell George) - 4:15
 8. Teenage Nervous Breakdown (Lowell George) - 3:44

Little Feat
*Paul Barrere - Guitar, Vocals
*Sam Clayton - Percussion, Vocals
*Lowell George - Vocals, Guitar
*Kenny Gradney - Bass
*Richie Hayward - Drums, Vocals
*Bill Payne - Keyboards, Vocals
With
*Gordon DeWitty - Clavinet 
*Fred White - Drums 
*Emmylou Harris - Backing Vocals
*Bonnie Raitt - Backing Vocals
*Fran Tate - Backing Vocals
*Tower Of Power - Horns
*Lenny Pickett - Alto Saxophone
*Steve "Doc" Kupka - Baritone Saxophone
*Emilio Castillo - Tenor Saxophone 
*Greg Adams - Trumpet, Horn Arrangement 
*Mic Gillette - Trumpet, Trombone


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Thursday, December 5, 2024

Aztec Two-Step - Aztec Two-Step (1972 us, fabulous folk soft rock, 2008 remaster)



Aztec Two-Step found their name in a poem by Lawrence Ferlinghetti: waltz into this place/and a couple of Papish cats/is doing an Aztec two-step. They found each other in Boston where each was individually working the local coffee-house circuit. They met one fateful hoot night, decided to join forces on the spot and were playing their first combined gig less than a week later. After two months in Boston, they headed for New York to seek fame, fortune and a record contract.
But to re-trace steps:

Aztec Two-Step consists of Rex Fowler and Neal Shulman, and each progressed in his own way before they met. Rex was born in Kansas City, Mo., but moved with his family to Maine at an early enough age to lay claim to the title of "Maine's only rock and roll star." At age 17, Rex started to play guitar and write songs and briefly appear with college friends in a now-defunct rock group called The Second Phlore. By the time he went to Boston to play his music as a career, he had been to college, dropped out, drop- ped back in and written about 80 songs. Rex calls himself an "evolutional writ- er." The songs take time to mature and grow. But when they're done, they're fine.

Neal Shulman is an absolutely indigenous New Yorker. Born and raised in Manhattan, he is the child of folk music devotees who taught him all the trad- itional songs, which became part of his arsenal in clubs. He started to play guitar and sing when he was "13, no 12 years old." Writing songs came later, at age 15. Neal, too, had a brief encounter with college, odd jobs in book and record stores and a trip to Europe. It was on his return from that trip that he went to Boston to study music, play guitar and meet Rex Fowler.

Once the move to New York had been made (in May 1971), the two spent six months playing clubs such as the Gaslights Au Go-Go and II and Folk City and concerts with Don McLean and Seals And Crofts. When they had nowhere else to play, they took themselves to Central Park to do open-air sets. And it was in the park that they met the man who brought them to Elektra where they were audi- tioned and signed. A debut album was made early in 1972 and released in June o that year. Titled, simply, Aztec Two-Step.

No amount of words or background information can adequately explain the quality of their music. Not many chance meetings are likely to produce the song and performance of the Aztec Two-Step, which are truly a joy. Their guitar playing (Neal on lead, Rex on rhythm), their singing (Rex sings lead most of the time and Neal harmony), even their personalities have that magic quality of mesl ing and complementing each other that is a sure sign of talent and professional- ism. And each contributes his share of songs---Neal, the younger of the duo, has two on the album, while Rex wrote the other nine. They all share in common the uncommon trait of being good. Pick a song, any song, and be guaranteed of fine music and lyrics that range from funny to philosophical.
Aztec Two-Step is a funny name that means beautiful music.
Original Liner Notes
Tracks
1. Baking - 2:42
2. Killing Me - 3:58
3. The Persecution & Restoration Of Dean Moriarty (On The Road) - 4:16
4. The Infidel - 4:40
5. So Easy (Neal Shulman) - 1:48
6. Prisoner - 4:32
7. Strangers - 5:13
8. Almost Apocalypse - 3:53
9. Dancers All (Neal Shulman) - 3:23
10.Cockroach Cacophony - 4:40
11 Highway Song - 6:07
All songs by Rex Fowler except where stated

Musicians
*Rex Fowler - Guitar, Vocals
*Neal Shulman  - Guitars, Vocals
*Bobby Torres - Congas
*David Vaught - Bass
*Dennis Witcher - Vocals
*Doug Dillard - Banjo
*Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane - Vocals
*Jerry Yester - Autoharp, Banjo, Celeste, Piano, Producer, Strings, Vocals
*John Sebastian - Harmonica, Horn
*John Seiter - Drums, Vocals
*Peter Klimes - Banjo
*Randy Benson - Vocals

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Saturday, November 30, 2024

James Griffin - Just Like Yesterday The Solo Anthology (1974-77 us, remarkable blend of country folk rock with baroque and power pop tinges, 2013 remaster)



David Gates got all the attention but James Griffin stood proudly as his cohort during the early days of Bread. Once Bread crumbled, Gates also had hits but Griffin didn't, despite developing a strong body of work that finally gets anthologized via Hux's 2013 compilation, Just Like Yesterday: The Solo Anthology 1974-77. During these four years, Griffin released just two albums -- 1974's Breakin' Up Is Easy and 1977's eponymous LP -- and both records are here, along with the bonus tracks of "Just Like Yesterday" and "She Knows," the latter coming from a May 1974 performance on the Old Grey Whistle Test. 

Compared to Gates, Griffin isn't quite as buttery: his voice is fine-grain sandpaper and he is sometimes happy enough to skirt the boundaries of soft rock, particularly on his 1974 debut. His 1977 album is softer and sweeter, an exemplary specimen of late-'70s SoCal soft rock, where the professionalism is as alluring as the songcraft. Often, Griffin excelled at the veneer, not the structure; his songs aren't memorably melodic but his albums are welcoming and warm, delivering a distinctly '70s soundscape that captures the era while eluding the specificity of its time. 

Griffin is appealing: as a frontman, he has a casual touch, something that may have kept him from the charts but is nevertheless charming, as there's an ease to his delivery that accentuates the mellowness of the two albums. Perhaps he could've stood to be a little more forceful -- and the 1977 LP does show more muscle than its predecessor -- but what gave Griffin his identity was his slight ragged, ultimately smooth delivery; he wasn't as seamless as Gates but he followed the same path and found equally interesting detours, all of which are collected on this de facto two-fer. 
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracks
1. Breakin' Up Is Easy (Robb Royer) - 3:52
2. Someday (James Griffin) - 3:54
3. Love You Till The Cows Come Home (James Griffin) - 2:59
4. She Knows - 2:27
5. Father And Son - 4:31
6. You'll Get Along (James Griffin) - 5:12
7. Lifeline - 3:41
8. Goin' Back To Boston - 3:42
9. Only Now - 2:36
10.Love To Light The Way - 2:53
11.Laura Lee (David Paich) - 3:29
12.Hanalei - 4:03
13.Goin' Back To Tennessee (James Griffin) - 3:45
14.Blood From A Stone - 4:20
15.How Do You Say Goodbye (James Griffin) - 2:35
16.Treat Her Right (David Paich) - 3:07
17.That's All I Need (Robb Royer) - 3:44
18.My Love Is Mine (James Griffin) - 3:03
19.I Repent (James Griffin) - 4:57
20.Just Like Yesterday (James Griffin) - 2:28
21.She Knows - 2:57
All songs by James Griffin, Robb Royer except where noted 
Tracks 1-10 from "Breakin' Up Is Easy" 1974
Tracks 11-19 from "James Griffin" 1977
Bonus Tracks 20,21

Musicians
*James Griffin - Vocals, Bass, Drums, Guitar, Piano
*David Gates - Bass, Guitar
*Larry Knechtel - ARP Synthesizer, Bass, Guitar, Piano
*Mike Botts - Drums
*Jim Horn - Woodwind, Horn
With 
 (Tracks 1-10)
*Leland Sklar - Bass
*Robb Royer - Guitar, Piano
*Russ Kunkel - Drums
*Jeff Baxter - Steel Guitar
*Curtis Amy - Horn 
*John Miles - Horn
*Dean Parks - Guitar
 (Tracks 11-19)
*Barry Byrdton - Guitar
*Carol Carmichael - Vocals 
*Dave Bundameyer - Bass
*Andre Love - Horn
*David Patch - Piano
*Denny Lardin - Guitar
*Ed Logan - Horn
*Jack Hale - Horn
*James Mitchell - Horn
*Jim Gordon - Drums
*Joe LeManno - Bass
*Wayne Jackson - Horn

Related Act

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Friday, November 29, 2024

Edgar Winter - Jasmine Nightdreams (1975 us, groovy funky blues jazz rock)



With his long mane of white hair, Edgar Winter has long cut one of the most striking profiles in rock.  Like his older brother Johnny, Texas-born Edgar was steeped in the blues.  Emerging onto the scene with the 1970 Epic album Entrance, Winter fused blues with many of the styles with which he would become known, including rock, pop, soul, and jazz. 

"Jasmine Nightdreams" is Edgar's 1975 album "co-created" with his frequent collaborator, Dan Hartman.  In addition to singer-songwriter-musician Hartman, the album also featured Johnny as well as the brothers' Blue Sky Records labelmate Rick Derringer.  The soaring Hartman/Winter title co-write epitomized smooth mid-'70s pop-rock, but strains of danceable funk, gospel, and blues rock weren't far beneath the surface.
by Joe Marchese, March 2, 2018
Tracks
1. One Day Tomorrow (Dan Hartman, Edgar Winter) - 3:13
2. Little Brother - 4:08
3. Hello Mellow Feelin' - 2:47
4. Tell Me A Whisper (Dan Hartman, Edgar Winter) - 3:25
5. Shuffle-Low - 4:19
6. Keep On Burnin' - 4:13
7. How Do Like Your Love - 3:04
8. I Always Wanted You - 3:22
9. Outta Control - 4:09
10.All Out - 5:11
11.Sky Train - 2:16
12.Solar Strut - 5:11
All songs by Edgar Winter except where indicated

Personnel
*Edgar Winter - Vocals, Saxophone, Keyboards, Synthesizer
*Johnny Winter - Slide Guitar, Harmonica
*Rick Derringer - Guitar
*Dan Hartman - Bass Guitar, Vocals
*Chuck Ruff - Drums
*Rick Marotta - Drums

Related Acts

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Wednesday, November 27, 2024

First Aid - Nostradamus (1977 uk, fine prog rock, 2013 Flawed Gems remaster)



First Aid were an English symphonic-rock band that released the album Nostradamus on Decca in 1976. The album was based on prophesies of the famed seer, including his prediction that the world would end in 1986, ten years on from the album’s release.

irst Aid featured drummer Dave Freeman, who played in the 1969 jazz-rock one-off ‘Igginbottom with a young Allan Holdsworth. The other members of First Aid — guitarist/singer Alan Wormald, bassist Norrie Tennet, and keyboardist Keith Parkinson — were relative newcomers. Working with conceptualist and producer Jimmy Parsons, Wormald and Parkinson composed an album of material based on 16th century French seer Nostradamus.

Nostradamus was released in 1976 on Decca (UK, Portugal) and the following year on London Records (Japan). Original vinyl copies are housed in a gatefold sleeve with Dada visuals by one Paul Redway. The album was recorded at Decca Studios and engineered by Alan Leeming (Caravan, Spriguns, Wolf, Patrick Moraz) and Martin Haskell, who also worked on the 1977 children’s narration album The Sly Cormorant by Brian Patten.
Jazz-Rock-Soul
Tracks
1. Visions - 3:52
2. Nostradamus - 6:02
3. The Awful Truth - 2:38
4. By Royal Appointment - 1:17
5. Catherine - 3:18
6. Two Brothers - 6:46
7. Visions (Reprise) - 2:56
8. The Shape Of Things To Come - 12:43
Tracks 1,3,7 by Keith Parkinson
Tracks 4,5,6,8 by Alan Wormald
Track 2 by Alan Wormald, Jimmy Parsons

First Aid
*Alan Wormald - Guitar, Vocals
*Keith Parkinson - Keyboards
*Norrie Tennet - Bass
*Dave Freeman - Drums, Percussion
With
*Richard Hewson - Orchestral Arranger, Conductor
*Raymond Hardy - Narration


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Monday, November 25, 2024

Richard Torrance - Bareback (1977 us, elegant smooth rock, 2021 korean remaster)



Released in 1977 and recorded at Sunset Sound Studios in Los Angeles, "Bareback" was my first album with Capitol Records after leaving Shelter Records with whom I had three releases. You can't imagine the excitement I was experiencing. Here I was, a small town boy, rubbing elbows with some of the finest studio musicians Los Angeles had to offer.

What could be better than working with Bill Payne at my producer's home in the Hollywood Hills writing out charts and arrangements while discussing who would be a better drummer for this particular song, Jeff Porcaro or Harvey Mason. It was like finally having enough money to buy a top of the line vehicle and now having to decide between a Mercedes or BMW. So, I got both!

The sessions were absolutely mind blowing. How fast and tight these players worked together and how supportive and positive they were will always be a pleasant memory.
by Richard Torrance
Tracks
1. Moonlight Trippin' (Troy Seals, Eddie Setser) - 4:31
2. Stay Young (Benny Gallagher, Graham Lyle) - 2:50
3. Lovin' Good - 4:13
4. Tender Memory (Tom Jans, Will Jennings) - 3:45
5. Circle Of Confusion - 4:08
6. Rio De Janeiro Blue (Richard Torrance, John Haeny) - 4:36
7. So Sad (Randy Bishop) - 2:59
8. Leave My Love Behind - 3:49
9. Under Your Spell - 4:16
10.Alley Cat Jack (Jim Frank) - 3:52
Lyrics and Music by Richard Torrance except where stated

Musicians
*Richard Torrance - Vocals, Guitar
*Fred Tackett - Guitar
*Jeff Porcaro - Drums
*Harvey Mason - Drums 
*Sam Clayton - Percussion 
*David Hungate - Bass
*Wilton Felder - Bass
*Bill Payne - Piano, Grand Piano, Oberheim Synthesizer
*Ernie Watts – Horns, Alto Flute 
*Pete Christlieb - Horns  
*George Bohannon - Horns 
*Buddy Collette - Horns 
*Bob Findley - Horns
*Venette Fields - Backing Vocals 
*Maxine Willard Waters - Backing Vocals
*Julia Tillman Waters - Backing Vocals
*Thomas Righter Snow - Harmony Vocals


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Sunday, November 24, 2024

Shango - Trampin' (1970 us, excellent melange of funk latin west coast folk psych rock)



Shango, known for having Tommy Reynolds, known for Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds, and T-Bones, in their band, released their great second album in 1970. A mighty cool group who mixed in all sorts of hip elements into more straightforward west coast rock modes! There's a bit less of a global impulse here than on the group's debut, but it's still there in the mix – and served up with really cool arrangements from Jimmie Haskell, who ups some slight funky currents in the rhythms – which are then knocked out of the park by the excellent production on the album by Steve Barri! Titles include "Walkin In The Sunshine", "That's My Bag", "Maybe I Can Find A Way", "Brotherhood", "Have You Seen The Morning", "The Time Has Come", and "Some Things A Man's Gotta Do".
Tracks
1. Some Things A Man's Gotta Do (Richie Hernandez, Lynn Lundgren) - 3:19 
2. The Time Has Come (Richie Hernandez, Joe Barile) - 4:30
3. Walkin' In The Sunshine (Joe Barile) - 2:08 
4. Maybe I Can Find A Way (Richie Hernandez, Lynn Lundgren) - 3:30
5. That's My Bag (Tommy Reynolds) - 2:40
6. Have You Seen The Morning (Richie Hernandez, Joe Barile) - 4:08
7. You Got Somethin' (Richie Hernandez, Joe Barile) - 3:46
8. Can't Stay Away From You (Tommy Reynolds) - 3:10
9. Blue One, Blue Two (Richie Hernandez) - 2:44 
10. Brotherhood (Tommy Reynolds, D. Reynolds) - 3:23

Shango
*Joe Barile Drums
*Malcolm Evan Bass
*Richie Hernandez Guitar
*Tommy Reynolds Keyboards, Organ, Percussion, Piano, Flute
With
*Jimmie Haskell - Horns Arranger

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Thursday, November 21, 2024

Gentle Giant - In A Glass House (1972 uk, extraordinary prog rock, 2005 anniversary extra tracks edition)



In 1972, American television viewers were able to watch a new made-for-TV movie called The Glass House. Based on a story by Truman Capote, this film about the horrific conditions inside a maximum security prison starred Alan Alda, Vic Morrow, and Billy Dee Williams. The next year, Gentle Giant released In a Glass House, a concept album about the life and thoughts of a convict. American music fans had to hunt for it, however, since Columbia Records, in all its wisdom, decided it was not commercial enough to release in the US. No matter, hundreds of thousands of Giant fans in the ensuing years were not to be denied. It is now easily available on CD. It is also, in my opinion, the very best album Gentle Giant ever made.

In my reviews, I haven't been mentioning album covers or packaging at all. Suffice to day, In a Glass House thrills even before one listens to it. It's a brilliant cover concept and all CD versions have fortunately sought to reproduce it faithfully. Enough said about that.

The album begins with a bang. And a crash. And several more bangs and crashes, until the random destruction becomes a driving rhythm, and the driving rhythm becomes a dynamic start to an stunning song called "The Runaway." Ray and John are chained together in a tight groove, Gary plays the rapid theme flawlessly, and Derek's vocals are given a hint of echo that adds considerable drama. This song pulls out all the stops: recorders, vibes, acoustic and electric guitars, cool vocal arrangements, multiple keyboards voiced perfectly (as usual) by Kerry, and a long middle section in which Kerry gets to show off both the upper and lower ends of his vocal range, and the band explore successive thematic and solo sections. It's an explosive tour de force, one of the finest single compositions in the Giant canon.

"An Inmates Lullaby" is a monologue of sorts by someone who is criminally insane. The lyrics are perfect for someone in such a condition (and sung by Kerry, whose lead voice is highly processed, while the harmony vocal is kept clear), and the music is absolutely uncanny. Employing just percussion instruments, the music creates almost a claustrophobic feel, as if the walls are moving ever closer. Peter Gabriel did a similar kind of song in 1980 called "Lead a Normal Life" and while it's also very effective, it doesn't come close to "An Inmates Lullaby."

"Way of Life" kicks it up a dozen or so notches. "Go!" someone yells at the start (Gary?). The theme and melody are stated and supported by Kerry, Gary, and Ray in an amazing display of tightness and virtuosity. This is a great headphones song - there is so much going on. John's precision is incredible as well. A quiet section, with organ, violin, recorder, and Kerry's lovely voice, ends emphatically and triumphantly with John and Kerry taking its theme to a whole other dynamic level that will re-emerge near the end. Gary does a short, jazzy solo, which gives way to some nice John fills, then the last verse and the later theme repeated. The end of the song is a bit of a disappointment, just a simple, repeating organ chord going on and on for about two minutes, ending on a single held note.

A song that expertly employs space, silence, and a wide dynamic range, "Experience" opens softly with a brilliant theme played by Kerry. His vocal enters, supported by Gary on acoustic and Ray on bass. John lays down a bouncy snare-less beat and Ray's bass is perfect. The dynamic and sudden shifts from bass and organ to drums and electric guitar, matched by the shift from Kerry's gentle vocal to Derek's wailing, are jarring but exciting. As usual, John is the rock that keeps it all together. Gary hits a hot solo, and the band come together for a final play at the theme.

Six songs total, three on each side, with the middle song being the mellowest. That is the roadmap for the album, and the mellow song on Side 2, "A Reunion," is gorgeous - and too short. Violin and cello, acoustic guitar and bass, and Kerry's vocal applied to a bright though bittersweet melody results in a very affecting performance. Sadly, it doesn't go on longer, but what's there is perfect.

The last cut, "In a Glass House," goes through multiple sections, and just about every instrument in the arsenal gets played at some point. Fleet and fluid acoustic guitar from Gary and Ray open the tune, then John and Ray lay down a rollicking rhythm. Kerry's synth introduces Derek's vocal, and both acoustic and electric guitar extend the theme. It even sounds like there is a mandolin in there. You have to check out John's bass drum foot during the "Standing on the ice believing all I'm searching for" verse - it's intense! Derek blows some sax on top. Then, at the half-way point, everything stops and Gary lays down a heavy riff that introduce a new section, featuring ballsy vocals from Derek. But then the acoustic guitar and Kerry's voice return - but then it's back to electric and Derek again. It's almost like the band is fighting itself - or, more accurately, that the character in the song is at a crossroads and trying to find his way. Gary and John have a short but neat unison section that leads to the end, where John gets to play fills during the fade out. The album ends with a short snippet from each of the six tracks, then the last smash goes back and forth from left to right, like the end of ELP's "Karn Evil 9."

On In a Glass House, Gentle Giant stretched themselves to the limits. Never again were they as dauntingly complex in the studio. And they had plenty to prove, too, for this was the first album without Phil. In my opinion, the compositions, performances, and the execution of the concept were done to such a high level that on the whole In a Glass House stands as their single finest work. Others may disagree, but there is no question that this album is an incredible achievement. Shame on Columbia Records.
by Jason Rubin
Tracks
1. The Runaway - 7:15
2. An Inmate's Lullaby - 4:40
3. Way Of Life - 7:52
4. Experience - 7:50
5. A Reunion - 2:11
6. In A Glass House - 8:26
7. The Runaway/Experience (Live In Dusseldorf, Sept/23/76) - 10:01
8. In A Glass House (Live In Munster April/5/74) - 9:49
All songs by Derek Shulman, Ray Shulman, Kerry Minnear

Gentle Giant
*Gary Green - 6, 12 String Guitars, Mandolin, Percussion, Alto Recorder
*Kerry Minnear - Keyboards, Tuned Percussion, Recorder, Vocals
*Derek Shulman - Vocals, Alto Sax, Soprano Sax, Recorder
*Ray Shulman - Bass Guitar, Violin, Acoustic Guitar, Percussion, Backing Vocals
*John Weathers - Drums, Percussion


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