rep>>> Diane Hildebrand - Early Morning Blues And Greens (1969 us, gorgeous songwriter with a strong and expressive voice across a number of styles, 2006 remaster)

In the late 1960s, Elektra Records was rapidly expanding from its folk base into folk-rock, psychedelia, pop, and combinations thereof all at once. As exciting a time as it was for the label, almost inevitably, some artists in its cluster of new signings got somewhat lost in the shuffle. Few of its albums from the time are as obscure as the sole LP by Diane Hildebrand, Early Morning Blues and Greens. A low-key cross between folk-rock, pop, and the emerging singer-songwriter movement, it made little impact upon its release. Hildebrand remains most known not for this album, but for the material she wrote in the same era for the Monkees, who covered the title song of the LP.

Prior to recording the album, Hildebrand had been working as a staff writer at Screen Gems Music Publishing. Screen Gems supplied much of the material covered by the Monkees, generating songs from composing teams like Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, and Carole King and Gerry Goffin. Another Brill Building veteran at Screen Gems was Jack Keller, co-writer (with Howard Greenfield) of  Connie Francis's huge 1960 hits "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" and "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own," Jimmy Clanton's "Venus in Blue Jeans," and the themes for the television series Bewitched, Gidget, and Hazel. Keller was involved with the Monkees virtually from the group's inception, co-producing several songs on their debut album.

For their follow-up LP More of the Monkees, Keller teamed up with Hildebrand to write "Your Auntie Grizelda," and the pair also penned "Early Morning Blues and Greens" for the third Monkees LP, 1967's Headquarters. Outside of the Monkees' orbit, Hildebrand and Keller were responsible for the theme to The Flying Nun; working independently of Keller, Diane contributed lyrics to the Monkees' collective group composition "Goin' Down," which originated as a studio jam and (as the B-side of their chart-topping "Daydream Believer") would become one of their hardest-rocking and best recordings. Though she was just one of numerous names on Monkees songwriting credits, such was the group's fame in 1967 and 1968 that she didn't escape attention from the band's more devoted fans. "Diane was always getting calls from Monkees fans who wanted to know all about Peter [Tork] or Micky [Dolenz]," says Colin Cameron, Hildebrand's boyfriend of the time. "I really learned the value of an unlisted phone number!"

On bass, electric guitar, and acoustic guitar (as well as the co-writer of one track), Cameron was also an important contributor to the Early Blues and Greens album, which showed a fuller and more serious side of Hildebrand than the Monkees' interpretations of her compositions had. Cameron had met Hildebrand while working as a session musician on Screen Gems demos, and the two were soon living together in the heavily musician-artist-populated Beechwood Canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles. Early Blues and Greens came about when Diane got a one-album deal for an LP of her own on Elektra, to be co-produced by David Anderle (who was producing fellow notable Elektra singer-songwriters Judy Collins and David Ackles in the same era) and Russ Miller. Cameron's friendship with Anderle, in fact, led to work for the musician as a bassist on Collins's "Chelsea Morning" single and Scott McKenzie's Stained Glass Morning album.

"The choice of musicians for the sessions was Diane's," remembers Cameron. "I was doing demo sessions for Screen Gems writers, Diane among them, as well as other recording projects; my reputation as a session musician was on the rise; and Diane and I were a couple at the time, so it seemed logical" for him to play on the LP as well. Colin was already well acquainted with one of the other musicians, Tony McCashen (who contributed electric guitar, acoustic guitar, banjo, bass, and harmonica), as they'd been friends in San Diego before relocating to Los Angeles. In fact McCashen and another San Diego buddy, Don Dunn, were also Screen Gems staff writers.

As for the other musicians, adds Cameron, "Tony, me, Russ [Russell White, piano and harpsichord], Mac [Malcolm Eisensohn, drums], and a young gangly lead guitarist who later became quite famous had an eclectic little band known as Mobius which played various venues in Southern California. The guitarist was Kenny Loggins. We weren't able to use Kenny on the sessions (I'm not sure why), but Diane invited the rest of us to take part in the recordings.  We were all very good friends at the time. Later on when Tony and Don got their own contract to record for Capitol Records, I offered to back them up just as a sideman so that I could continue to pursue my session man ambitions. The band, Dunn & McCashen, put out two albums, some of which I played on, and we were the opening act for Sly & the Family Stone and the Rascals at various major concerts."

Another sideman of note on Early Morning Blues and Greens was autoharpist David Dawson from the early country-rock group Hearts & Flowers, several of whose members Cameron jammed with around this period. Organist Fred Myrow also handled the horn arrangements (and arranged and conducted the second album by David Ackles, Subway to the Country, around the same time). Myrow had been a composer-in-residence under Leonard Bernstein at the New York Philharmonic, but by the late 1960s was scoring an experimental movie for former UCLA film student-turned-rock-star Jim Morrison, Highway. Myrow would go on to discuss a creating a musical with Morrison, with Myrow doing the music and Morrison the text and lyrics, although those plans were scrapped after the Doors' singer's death in 1971. Fred subsequently scored several movies, most famously Phantasm, before dying in 1999.

While Hildebrand wrote about half of the material on Early Morning Blues and Greens on her own, she also continued to work with songwriting partners. The title track was a reprise of the song she'd composed with Jack Keller for the Monkees, of course, and Keller was also the co-writer on another of the LP's tracks, "Come Looking for Me." Jim Horn, who'd played saxophone on some Monkees records, co-penned "Thumbin'," and Don Lottermoser got the co-credit for "And It Was Good." The album closer, "Given Time," was the only songwriting collaboration between Hildebrand and Cameron.

"We were a couple and I think Diane wanted to involve me as much as possible in her life and work," reflects Colin. "It was the only song I ever completed with her. I've written only a handful of published songs since then, and don't regard myself as a songwriter. Truthfully, when Diane asked me if I'd like to write with her she chose a song that was probably 50% complete, and my contribution was just a few words and notes here and there. We played our two guitars in the living room of our cottage home in Beechwood Canyon one afternoon and finished the song pretty much that day. She was very generous to offer me co-writer credit. I will say this about her— she wrote from the heart and with a clarity that I don't see in many other writers to this day." Plus, Cameron adds, "Just like she did with the musicians, Diane chose the songs that she liked for the recordings. As far as I know, she had free rein in artistic choices like this when it came to the album."

Surveying the LP as a whole, Colin muses, "I don't believe that Diane ever made a conscious attempt to be a part of any songwriter or musical movement. She was a thoroughly liberated and independent person who could write songs on assignment for projects given her, or write just for her own pleasure. I think the album was more of the personal pleasure sort. I know she admired other singer/writers like Judy Collins and Joni Mitchell, but I never saw her attempt to emulate their style or sound. The greatest possible weakness might be that the recordings were not geared to be 'commercial' or fit a particular radio format, and radio programmers probably had a difficult time deciding where it fit in (if at all). The great strength was, as I mentioned, the honesty and purity of her songs, and also of her voice and the band's performance."

Early Morning Blues and Greens, however, did not find a wide audience, perhaps because it was neither too "underground" nor too pop. It wasn't heavily promoted by either the label or the artist, either. "Our collaboration with several friends resulted in a pleasant 'folkie' record that was probably bought mostly by family, friends, and Monkees fans," summarizes Cameron. "I don't believe much was done to promote her album. Actually, Elektra had a pretty big roster at the time—many of their artists were commercial successes and probably got the big push from the company, but there were other lesser-knowns whose records were mostly relegated to low visibility catalog and word-of-mouth promotion. Diane didn't seem to have aspirations to do concerts or clubs, at least not in the time I knew her. As time has proven, maintaining a high visibility with the public through live performances can sustain and build a music career."

Cameron went on to tour and record with dozens of notable artists, his lengthy career including work with Burt Bacharach, Joan Baez, Cher, Jackie DeShannon, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, Charlie Rich, the Righteous Brothers, Tina Turner, and many others (for more information on his past and present activities, see his website, www.colincameronbass.com). Hildebrand did not record another LP for Elektra or anyone else, though she did have a big success with another Hildebrand-Keller composition, "Easy Come, Easy Go," which was a Top Ten hit for Bobby Sherman in 1970. "I can't honestly say for sure why there were no other albums forthcoming," observes Cameron. "Whatever she's doing now, I would expect her to be involved with the same warmth, kindness, and concern for others that I saw in the time I knew her."

by Richie Unterberger

Tracks

1. Jan's Blues - 2:56

2. Thumbin' (Diane Hildebrand, Jim Horn) - 2:22

3. From Rea Who Died Last Summer - 2:14

4. There's A Coming Together - 2:43

5. And It Was Good (Dan Lottermoser, Diane Hildebrand) - 3:01

6. Gideon - 1:56

7. Early Morning Blues And Greens (Diane Hildebrand, Jack Keller) - 3:10

8. The Reincarnation Of Emmalina Stearns - 3:21

9. You Wonder Why You're Lonely - 3:51

10.Come Looking For Me (Diane Hildebrand, Jack Keller) - 2:10

11.Given Time (Colin Cameron, Diane Hildebrand) - 3:17

All Music and Lyrics by Diane Hildebrand except where indicated

Musicians

*Diane Hildebrand - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar

*Colin Cameron - Bass, Acoustic, Electric Guitars

*Tony McCashen - Electric, Acoustic Guitars, Banjo, Bass, Percussion

*Russell White - Harpsichord, Piano 

*David Dawson - Autoharp

*Malcolm Elsensohn - Drums, Bongos, Percussion

*James Decker - Horns 

*Sheridon Stokes - Horns 

*Fred Myrow - Organ

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rep>>> Linda Perhacs - Parallelograms (1970 us, gorgeous divine folk, 2008 bonus tracks remaster)

This unique and fascinating album has belatedly garnered a considerable following in recent years as a result of the new interest in what is nowadays referred to as Acid Folk. In reality it’s finely-structured acoustic folk-rock, but with strong elements of psychedelic studio treatment and twentieth-century avant-garde classical and choral music. Until now it’s only rated a couple of oblique references in these pages; now it’s time to give it the full exposure it deserves.

The album was the product of a chance conversation between Los Angeles periodontist Linda Perhacs and one of her patients, film score composer Leonard Roseman. Perhacs had written the songs as a hobby sideline, composing with just modally-tuned acoustic guitar and her own beautifully clear voice. Stimulated by Perhacs’s own graphic visualisation of her composition “Parallelograms” as “visual music sculpture” encompassing light, form and colour as well as sound, Roseman offered to develop her songs into an album, arranging and enhancing them in George Martin fashion and utilising the services of his studio’s state-of-the-art technology plus session musicians including guitarist Steve Cohn and percussionists Milt Holland and Shelley Manne. The stunning results found a release on Kapp records, but there the interest stalled; the label pressed the songs out of sequence with dull AM-friendly equalisation on poor quality vinyl, and then proffered no publicity for it, and the brashly commercial Los Angeles AM radio stations refused to play it. When what would become her first and only album in almost four decades tanked, Perhacs went back to the day job. 

Over thirty years later she was alerted to the fact that the new generation of Acid Folk musicians such as Devendra Banhart were drawing inspiration from her long-lost work. Reissued by Wild Places in 1996 and by Sunbeam in 2008, the currently-available CD is correctly sequenced, beautifully remastered and comes with eight bonus demos, alternative versions and unreleased songs plus a superb booklet history by Perhacs herself. Perhaps best of all, its belated success has induced Perhacs to start creating music again and she’s issued two albums of new music in partnership with musician/producer Ben Watt of Everything But The Girl since 2007.

The quirky acoustic guitar tunings of Parallelograms may suggest early Joni Mitchell and the clear, crystalline vocals similar-period Joan Baez, but on this album Linda Perhacs utterly transcends both with her dazzling originality. The gently-rippling guitar arpeggios and cascading multi-tracked harmonies of the opening “Chimacum Rain” set out the collection’s predominant motifs, but the following “Paper Mountain Man” is surprisingly funky and blues-inflected with its jazzy percussion and distant, ethereal harmonica, and the wonderfully ironic critique of South Californian society marital celebrations, “Porcelain Baked-Over Cast-Iron Wedding”, rocks along similarly on oriental percussion and delightfully atonal 12-string. 

Head and shoulders above the rest, the title track even eschews proper lyrics, the singer’s tongue playing mischievously with the syllables of the title and the names of other geometric forms in a sinuous flow of sound, broken by a Gyorgy Ligeti-like musique concrete interlude, all being the product of Roseman’s realisation of Perhacs’s original scroll-like pictorial depiction of the song. “Moons And Cattails” and “Morning Colours” are similarly, though slightly less, experimental, the former again utilising superbly melismatic vocals and the latter glorious electronically-processed flute obbligati. The rest is more conventional, but still well to the left of the field. As with the avant-garde music that largely inspired it, this is an album to be listened to, not merely heard.

by Len Liechti

Tracks
1. Chimacum Rain - 3:33
2. Paper Mountain Man - 3:13
3. Dolphin - 2:56
4. Call Of The River - 3:51
5. Sandy Toes - 3:00
6. Parallelograms - 4:36
7. Hey, Who Really Cares? (Linda Perhacs, Oliver Nelson) - 2:44
8. Moons And Cattails - 4:09
9. Morning Colors - 4:48
10.Porcelain Baked-Over Cast-Iron Wedding - 4:01
11.Delicious - 4:08
12.If You Were My Man (Demo) - 3:30
13.If You Were My Man (Alt. Take) - 2:59
14.Hey, Who Really Cares? (With Intro) (Linda Perhacs, Oliver Nelson) - 3:01

15.Chimacum Rain (Demo) - 3:45
16.Spoken Intro To Leonard Rosenman - 2:19
17.Chimacum Rain (Demo With Sounds) - 4:13
18.BBC Interview - 5:52
19.I Would Rather Love - 3:06
All tracks composed and written by Linda Perhacs, except where noted.

Personnel
*Linda Perhacs - Vocals, Guitar, Electronic Effects
*Leonard Rosenman - Electronic Effects
*Steve Cohn - Electric, 6-String, 12-String, Lead Guitar
*John Neufield - Flute, Saxophone
*Milt Holland, Shelley Mann - Percussion
*Reinie Press - Electric Bass, Fender Guitar
*"Tommy" - Harmonica
*Brian Ingoldsby - Amplified Shower Hose For Horn Effects
*"Fleetfoot" Of Laurel Canyon - Guitar

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rep>>> Morka - There Was A Time... (1971-74 greece, marvelous folk psych with acid drops, 2006 expanded Vinyl limited edition)

During the difficult years of the dictatorship in Greece (1967-1974), a band was formed which was the origin of Morka. This group, founded in late 1970 by John Jungemann and Dorian Kokas, was called Stone Deep. It set the trend of the basic characteristics of Morka, which was a four-part harmony band.

Stone Deep comprised a group of fellow-students at ACS (American Community School). They released a private-pressed single containing the mellow electric folk songs “Winter’s here” and “Judy“.

Dorian Kokas and Mike Moraitis formed Morka after the other members of Stone Deep returned to their homes in the USA. The name MORKA comes from MORaitis-KokAs and the duet continued the tradition of melody and harmonies, adding more psychedelic tinges.

In late-1971, Polydor released a 33 rpm EP containing both the Stone Deep tracks as well as two new duet’s songs : “I see” and “She shouts“. For these specific tracks german drummer Reiner Rathe participated as a session musician. All four tracks appeared under the Morka moniker.

That same year, after the departure of Moraitis, Kokas kept the Morka name alive with the participation of Michalis Orphanides, George Tambre, Antonis Bravos, Paul Papadeas and Pamela Leake. With this line up was that Morka became recognized by the public and took a turn in a more professional innovative direction. Many appearances followed in the clubs of Athens and endless gigs with other important bands of the greek underground scene.

In 1972, the single “Giati? (=Why?) / And so she flies“, also released by Polydor. The first track was the lone attempt by the American, Canadian and English members to sing in Greek.

In the first weeks of 1973, Morka recorded a demo-tape distinctively more mature, still emphasizing the importance of their mellow psychedelic folk roots but in a more progressive music style. No doubt, Morka was ahead of its time.

Shortly after this recording, the band broke-up, following the fate of the Greek rock bands of that era. The material of the demo-tape had never been released to this day.

In 1986, there was an ephemeral reformation of Morka with the basic line up of founder member Kokas and Orphanides and Leake. They recorded one more demo tape and afterwards the final split came.

2006 and Anazitisi Records, officially released all the recordings of Morka in a limited, to 400 copies, vinyl album entitled “There was a time…”.

Morka

Tracks
1. Fair Lady Of 1860 - 6:04
2. Fourteen Young Children - 2:36  
3. I See (Dorian Kokas, Mike Moraitis) - 2:17  
4. And So She Flies - 2:03  
5. Squeezing Pimples (Paul Papadeas) - 1:14
6. Winter's Here (Dorian Kokas, John Jungemann) - 3:17
7. Disassociation - 1:05
8. Judy (Dorian Kokas, John Jungemann) - 3:51
9. Avenue Winter - 5:28
10.She Shouts (Dorian Kokas, Mike Moraitis) - 2:09
11.Ann - 1:44
12.Looking For The Past - 2:08
13.Giati? (Why?) - 2:18
14.Just Like Ann - 4:14
All compositions by Dorian Kokas except where stated.
Tracks 6 and 8 as the Stone Deep

Musicians
*Dorian Kokas - Vocals, Guitar, Piano
*John Jungemann - Vocals, Guitar
*Bill Harrell - Vocals, Guitar
*Kirk Esco - Flute
*Chris Olsen - Vocals
*Randa Salameh - Vocals
*Mike Moraitis - Vocals, Organ
*Reiner Rathe - Drums
*Michalis Orphanidis - Drums, Percussion, Guitar, Keyboards
*George "Tambre" Tambakopoulos - Vocals
*Leigh Sioris - Bass
*Kostas Anadiotis - Keyboards
*Antonis Bravos - Bass
*Paul Papadeas - Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica, Bass
*Pamela Leake - Vocals, Effects
*Antonis Manolatos - Bass

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rep>>> The Parlour Band - Is A Friend (1972 uk, beautiful prog silk rock, 2010 remaster with extra track)

The Parlour Band have the dubious honour of being the first band from the small English Channel island of Jersey to be signed by a major UK label (Decca) and put into a studio to record an album. This was in late 1971 after Decca had been impressed by some very basic demos submitted the previous year by Peter Filleul, the band's song writer, lead vocalist and keyboard player. At the time, the band was based in Leicester as the group's drummer (Jerry Robins) and one of the guitarists (Jon 'Pix' Pickford) were studying at the local polytechnic (also the venue for the group's first mainland concert). 

The other two group members were brothers Craig and Mark Anders (guitar and bass, respectively), and the five of them shared two low-rent houses typical of the squalor fit only for habitation by mice and students! However, the accommodation did give the band space to practice and Leicester was a fairly convenient location to travel from to get to gigs, although after signing a deal the band relocated to London to be nearer the hub of the English music industry.

From the opening Hammond riff of Forgotten Dreams with its accompanying layered vocals there is no mistaking that Is A Friend? is a product of the 70s. A fantastic opening which surprisingly leads into the more mellow Pretty Haired Girl. The harmony vocals are spot on and the twin lead guitars provide a gloriously melodic interlude. What is essentially a superior pop song breaks with conformity with a guitar solo which stridently leads the listener directly into Spring's Sweet Comfort. And so it goes on, song after song of melodic glory that effortlessly combines prog stylings, pop overtones and west Coast US harmonies. 

Although identifiable as being from the 1970s, it is not surprising that the album failed to capture the imagination of the masses. Sure the players are technically very proficient and the song writing is first class, but the album lacks the bombast of an out-and-out progressive album of the era and is crushed in comparison to the glam rock that occupied the singles charts. Filleul's writing was not entirely unaffected by the contemporary influences as evidenced by tracks such as Evening and the closing suite, Home which provides a light prog finale to the album, and also the rather enigmatic album title (the lyrics include the line: Home is a friend).

I am sure a lot of people would dismiss this album as lightweight and somewhat inconsequential. However, I have to state that I seriously love all of the songs; from the uplifting Little Goldie, through the melancholy of Don't Be Sad to the harder Early Morning Eyes. The killer vocals get to me, the playing is concise and precise, the tunes are memorable and the production (by Nick Tauber) is crystal clear. With Esoteric's precision remastering the sound of the album is perfect and at last there is an informative booklet, written by band member Craig Anders, with information on the band and what they are up to these days. As we have come to expect, the album also features a bonus rarity, Runaround, a horn embellished rocker, the number shows a different side to the band that is not so evident from the 10 core album tracks.

The Parlour Band only released the one album under that moniker but didn't split when the album failed to sell. Instead they changed their name, first to A Band Named O and then simply The O Band, and released four more albums, albeit on a different label. The style of music also changed, taking on a harder edge with Filleul's songwriting dominance usurped. Being a long-time fan of Is A Friend?, this remasterered version is a treat to behold and will no doubt provide me many hours of late night enjoyment. This is an album I would unfailingly recommend to anyone based purely on my own love of the music. However, being somewhat more objective, the progressive elements of the album are rather thin on the ground and, as such, may not find much appeal with our readership. Of course, that doesn't mean that it is not a worthwhile album to possess... 

by Mark Hughes

Tracks
1. Forgotten Dreams - 2:42
2. Pretty Haired Girl - 2:51
3. Spring's Sweet Gomfort - 5:05
4. Early Morning Eyes - 3:52
5. Follow Me - 4:56
6. Evening - 4:58
7. Don't Be Sad - 3:19
8. Little Goldie - 3:20
9. To Happiness - 2:59
10.Home - 7:38
11.Runaround - 4:26
All Words and Music by Peter Filleul

The Parlour Band
*Peter Filleul - Lead Vocals, Keyboards, Rhythm Acoustic
*Pix - Vocals, Wah Wah Gibson
*Craig Anders - Vocals, Electric, Acoustic , Slide Guitar
*Mark Ashley Anders - Vocals, Bass
*Jerry Robins - Percussion

Related Act

1974  A Band Called O - "O" (2019 Big Pink Korea)
1975  A Band Called O - Oasis (2019 Big Pink Korea)

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The Blue Jays - Nascence (1970 us, awesome funky groovy brass rock)

Blue Jays were a US band, their sole LP "Nascence" recorded November 1970 on Map City Label (same as Purple Image and Yesterday's Children). Funky rock record with "Wahka, Wahka" a downtempo and moody cut & "Independent Man" a midtempo, edgy, funky tune. Collector's item with the Supa good "What Do You Want From Me Woman" sampled by "Large Professor" for "Nas" Rapper "It Ain't Hard To Tell".An essential LP with superb gatefold cover. After this release they changed the name to White Water and released "Out Of The Darkness" in 1973 on RCA label. John Vastano former lead singer/song writer of the Blue Jays/White Water, passed away September 21, 2018.  

Tracks

1. Hey Little Lady - 3:37

2. What Do You Want From Me Woman - 3:40

3. Freedom - Where Have You Gone - 3:35

4. Reason To Cry - 4:06

5. Independant Man - 3:29

6. Wahka Wahka (Dick Domane) - 5:40

7. Jackson (Billy Edd Wheeler, Jerry Leiber) - 3:23

8. Beg Borrow And Steal - 3:08

9. Hard Thing To Accept - 3:13

All songs by John Vastano except where stated

The Blue Jays

*Bob Fiocco - Bass, Trombone

*Conrad Catalano - Drums, Percussion

*John Emma - Tenor, Alto Saxophones

*John Vastano - Guitar, Vocals

*Richard Domane - Organ, Trumpet

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rep>>> Montrose - Montrose (1973 us, awesome hard rock, 2017 deluxe double disc remaster)

While not exactly a commercial success in their heyday, cult hard rock band Montrose has been hugely influential on a number of artists; their debut album from 1973 took thirteen years to go platinum and in the interim, it seems they have been all but forgotten again. The people at Audio Fidelity Discs are doing their best to rectify that situation as they have given the svelte gold disc treatment to this somewhat neglected classic.

Listening to the album today, I come away amazed that it didn't sell like a typical outing from AC/DC, Kiss or Aerosmith. As cheerfully brainless as any of those bands, but just as much fun, Montrose deserved stadium rock band status. From the first note to the last, the music is as punch drunk energetic as a high school keg party.

"Rock the Nation", "Bad Motor Scooter", "Good Rockin' Tonight" and "One Thing on My Mind" are rock and roll simplicity personified, very American, very loud and brutish. You can't listen to these songs without wanting to crank the volume! "Space Station #5" is a bona fide classic, Ronnie Montrose's spacey introductory guitar effects giving way to the best song Led Zeppelin never wrote. "Rock Candy" is arguably Sammy Hagar's crowning achievement, delivering lyrics such as "'Cos you're rock candy baby/You're hot, sweet and sticky" with just the kind of swagger they deserve. Denny Carmassi's drums cut through this track with unbelievable groove and power.

While Van Halen certainly deserve credit for creating a number of exciting albums, there are several eerie coincidences served up just five years later on that band's legendary debut: Van Halen recruited Montrose's producer, engineer and many elements of the Montrose sound (not to mention their singer in later years!), albeit with far more emphasis on the histrionics and took that formula all the way to the bank.

Audio Fidelity's recent remaster is an absolute must for Montrose fans. It's a vast improvement over the more readily available CD version on Warner Brothers. No, you don't get bonus tracks or fancy packaging. Yes, you'll have to pay a little more for the gold disc. So scoop one up fast before you have to pay top dollar on Ebay for these collectible limited editions. 

by Steve Pettengill, February 12th 2006

The 2017 Deluxe edition with remastered sound, includes liner notes and a bonus disc made up of demos and a live radio recording made before the band even had a name. It was taped in April of 1973 for radio station KSAN when the group were last minute fill-ins for Van Morrison. They rip through a ten song set of originals and covers, with Ronnie Montrose sounding like a beast on guitar. Also on the disc are six demos cut in 1973, with a speeded up early version of "Rock Candy" and one song, "Shoot Us Down," that didn't make the final cut. These extras help make a classic album even more of one.

by Eduardo Rivadavia

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Rock The Nation (Ronnie Montrose) - 3:03

2. Bad Motor Scooter (Sammy Hagar) - 3:43

3. Space Station #5 (Sammy Hagar, Ronnie Montrose) - 5:17

4. I Don't Want It (Sammy Hagar, Ronnie Montrose) - 2:59

5. Good Rockin' Tonight (Roy Brown) - 2:59

6. Rock Candy (Denny Carmassi, Bill Church, Sammy Hagar, Ronnie Montrose) - 5:05

7. One Thing On My Mind (Sammy Hagar, Ronnie Montrose, J. Sanchez) - 3:41

8. Make It Last (Sammy Hagar) - 5:33

Disc 2

1. One Thing On My Mind (Sammy Hagar, Ronnie Montrose, J. Sanchez) - 3:40

2. Shoot Us Down (Ronnie Montrose) - 4:32

3. Rock Candy (Denny Carmassi, Bill Church, Sammy Hagar, Ronnie Montrose) - 3:55

4. Good Rockin' Tonight (Roy Brown) - 3:20

5. I Don't Want It (Sammy Hagar, Ronnie Montrose) - 3:07

6. Make It Last (Sammy Hagar) - 4:06

7. Intro 0:54

8. Good Rockin' Tonight (Roy Brown) - 3:55

9. Rock Candy (Denny Carmassi, Bill Church, Sammy Hagar, Ronnie Montrose) - 4:46

10.Bad Motor Scooter (Sammy Hagar) - 5:01

11.Shoot Us Down (Ronnie Montrose) - 4:54

12.One Thing On My Mind (Sammy Hagar, Ronnie Montrose, J. Sanchez)  - 3:27

13.Rock The Nation (Ronnie Montrose) - 4:55

14.Make It Last (Sammy Hagar) - 6:04

15.You're Out Of Time (Ronnie Montrose) - 3:35

16.Roll Over Beethoven (Chuck Berry) - 4:53

17.I Don't Want It (Sammy Hagar, Ronnie Montrose) - 3:55

Tracks 1-6  Demo Recordings

Tracks 7-17 KSAN Radio Sessions at Record Plant, Sausalito, CA - April 21, 1973

Montrose

*Sammy Hagar - Lead vocals

*Ronnie Montrose - Guitar

*Bill Church - Bass

*Denny Carmassi - Drums

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rep>>> Bent Wind - Sussex (1969 canada, rough heavy fuzzed psych rock, bonus tracks 2001 digipak remaster)

Phenomenally rare, with those surviving copies fetching upwards of 3000 bucks a pop, the 1969 acid rock raver Sussex had its origins in a drug-addled house in Toronto's Annex neighbourhood. As guitarist Marty Roth "recalls" on his blog, "Myself and another friend from schooldays were running a boutique/headshop at the corner of Sussex and Robert. And, every so often...I'd hear a faint blur of something, close to what some might consider music. It was emanating from the basement of one of the houses beside the lane at 57 Sussex Avenue, almost a block away. 

As it turned out, the guitarist was Gerry Gibas, a close friend who I'd been jamming with while writing original tunes any chance we could. He dropped by the shop during their break and told me to drop over. That's where I met Eddie Thomas Majchrowski, the drummer. His mother owned the house at 57 Sussex Avenue and all the rooms on all three floors were rented out to a mix of students, freaks, druggies and musicians. To my surprise, the bass player was Sebastian Pelaia, a classmate from high school, two years earlier."

With the nucleus of Bent Wind now in place, the lads consumed copious amounts of acid, hawked psychedelic candles at the infamous hippie residence Rochdale College, gigged around the corner at several U of T frat parties, and somehow managed to record these eight stoner nuggets. Roth: "Until we finally made it to recording an LP, all of our songs were without real words. We would use a sort of skat gibberish that sounded similar to words but were muffled by the way we used the microphone and echo effects. Nobody cared." With the rock world in flux - Led Zeppelin had already played sold-out shows at the Rockpile venue in February and August of 1969 - the plodding, freeform guitar workouts and soaring harmonies on Sussex would have been standard-issue cool at the time, bridging the Woodstock nation with the brave new heavy-metal world to come. But the band was essentially broke (Roth: "You have to remember, we were "hippies". We didn't have or need any money."), so it is little wonder that even the well-crafted songs sound somewhat amateurish. 

The heavier tracks like 'Mystify', 'Riverside' and 'Hate' come off better here, cutting through with muscular chords and airy vocals, whereas the flowery ballad 'Look at Love', though well-intended, seems to lug its psychedelic baggage a little too awkwardly. Still, in a Toronto awash in hippies and draft-dodgers, with a little spit and polish - not to mention some financial backing - Sussex could have been a contender. 

by Michael Panontin

Tracks
1. Touch Of Red (Marty Roth) - 3:14
2. Riverside (Jerry Gibas, Marty Roth) - 6:13
3. The Lions (Jerry Gibas, Marty Roth) - 5:29
4. Going To The City (Jerry Gibas) - 2:52
5. Hate (Marty Roth) - 5:23
6. Look At Love (Jerry Gibas) - 4:02
7. Mystify (Jerry Gibas) - 3:38
8. Sacred Cows (Jerry Gibas) - 4:10
9. Riverside (Jerry Gibas, Marty Roth) - 6:20
10.Bent Wind (Marty Roth) - 4:01

11.The Chant (Marty Roth) - 3:45

12.Castles Made Of Man (Marty Roth) - 3:26
13.Sacred Cows (Jerry Gibas) - 2:23
Tracks 1-8 Original Album
Tracks 9-11 Unreleased
Tracks 12-13 Rare Single

Bent Wind
*Jerry Gibas - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Eddie Thomas -  Drums   
*Sebastian Pelaia - Bass Guitar
*Marty Roth - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
Tracks 9-11
*Marty Roth - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
*Michael George Jones - Lead Guitar
*Bill Miller - Bass
*John Butt - Drums

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rep>>> Rough Diamond - Rough Diamond (1977 uk, good classic rock, feat. David Byron from Uriah Heep fame)

Sometimes it is all about timing. In 1977 all the music press was interested in was Punk and New Wave. Only Sounds (the UK Music Paper) was still rallying around rock music and the old guard. Even so, young rock fans (like me) were also very careful with our money. Albums were very expensive and could be a large percentage of your apprenticeship wages back then.

So hearing that David Byron the ex lead vocalist from Uriah Heep had formed a super group and was signed to Island records, was not really hot news.

David Byron had been sacked from Uriah Heep the year before for substance abuse (although musical differences was the reason back then). The last album High & Mighty had been seen as a very lightweight album and had been panned everywhere. I am sure Island Records (who had also signed the Ian Gillan Band) were thinking lets not spend too much on this.

It is a competent rock album from a bunch of musicians who obviously felt they had paid their dues. You can sense the bitterness in the lyrics from Byron in the opening track called Rock n Roll where he references his previous band. He was determined to get back in the rock first division, but alcohol and playing small venues with smaller audiences and press indifference would see the band fold before their star could shine.

The album actually cracked the Billboard top 200 in the USA, so the interest was there, but they never got the chance. I also feel the album was sequenced very badly. In the 1970s it was more common than you think to keep the best tracks until the end of side two. in more modern times you open with your strongest songs, not then. The last two tracks ‘The Link’ and ‘End Of The Line’ are epic, full of atmosphere and PROG overtones. David Byron is in fine voice throughout and he remains a very underated vocalist.

The interplay between keyboard player ‘Damon Butcher’ and Clem Clempson is terrific. Clem Clempson had auditioned for Deep Purple before this. The real find was Damon Butcher on Keyboards, this guy could really play. I do not own this on CD and I played it today to see if I should try and upgrade it, and my decision is made. I will.

by Phil Aston, 31st August 2019

Tracks

1. Rock 'n' Roll (David Byron, Geoff Britton, Martin Rushent) - 3:28

2. Lookin' For You (Clem Clempson, Damon Butcher, David Byron) - 4:06

3. Lock And Key (Clem Clempson, David Byron) - 4:59

4. Seasong (Clem Clempson, David Byron) - 7:35

5. By The Horn (Clem Clempson, David Byron) - 3:13

6. Scared (Clem Clempson, Damon Butcher, David Byron, Geoff Britton, Willie Bath) - 5:33

7. Hobo (Clem Clempson, Damon Butcher, David Byron, Geoff Britton, Willie Bath) - 5:45

8. The Link (Damon Butcher) - 2:19

9. End Of The Line (Clem Clempson, Damon Butcher, David Byron, Geoff Britton) - 5:46

Rough Diamond

*Clem Clempson - Guitar

*Damon Butcher - Keyboards

*David Byron - Lead Vocals

*Geoff Britton - Drums

*Willie Bath - Bass

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rep>>> Hookfoot - Communication (1972 uk, excellent classic rock with prog shades, 2005 reissue)

Communication is the 3rd album from Hookfoot, recorded in 1972 and relased early 1973. With a new bass player Fred Gandy who replaced Mick Grabham. 

Not much different musical directions, classic four piece rock, a little bit more progressive, some more mellow, but still Caleb Quaye's guitar play is spellbiding.  This release comes with five extra tracks.

Tracks
1. Crazy Day Running Around (Ian Duck) - 5:31
2. They'll Never Find Us Up There (Ian Duck) - 4:34
3. To Stay Would Bring Me Down (Caleb Quaye, Ian Duck) - 3:37
4. Forty Winks (Caleb Quaye) - 2:27
5. Oh Joanna (Caleb Quaye) - 5:28
6. Here I Come (Caleb Quaye) - 4:51
7. And Nothing Changes (Caleb Quaye) - 4:41
8. Cruisin' (Ian Duck, Fred Gandy, Roger Pope, Caleb Quaye) - 5:27
9. The Love That You Saved (Caleb Quaye) - 2:19
10.Just A Little Communication (Caleb Quaye) - 5:28
11.Flying In The U.S.A. (Caleb Quaye) - 4:20
12.Is Anyones There (Ian Duck, Fred Gandy, Roger Pope, Caleb Quaye) - 4:08
13.Slick's Blues For Jumbo (Caleb Quaye, Ian Duck) - 1:45
14.Look To Your Churches (Caleb Quaye, Ian Duck) - 2:39
15.Good Times A' Comin' (Ian Duck, Fred Gandy, Roger Pope, Caleb Quaye) - 6:18
Bonus Tracks 11-15

The Hookfoot
Caleb Quaye - Electric, Acoustic Guitars, Keyboards, Pianos, Organ, Percussion, Tambourine, Vocals
Ian Duck - Electric, Acoustic Guitars, Harp, Percussion, Tambourine, Vocals
Roger Pope - Drums, Percussions, Tambourine, Cow-Bell
Fred Gandy - Bass, Percussion
With
Dave Glover - Bass Guitar (Tracks 11-15)

1969  Hookfoot - A Piece Of Pye (2010 japan Remaster)
1971  Hookfoot - Hookfoot (2010 japan remaster)  
1972  Hookfoot - Good Times A'comin ( japan 2010 bonus track remaster)
1973  Hookfoot - Roaring (2005 expanded edition)

1975  Hookfoot - Headlines (2015 Double Disc)

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Eyes Of Blue - In Fields Of Ardath (1969 uk, excellent prog psych rock, 2012 remaster and expanded)

Their second album is more progressive. The best tracks are Merry Go Round (from the 'Toy Grabbers' Soundtrack), which is a keyboard-dominated progressive piece with some good guitar breaks and much classical influence; Graham Bond's Spanish Blues, with some jazzy organ; Door, with its spooky vocals, which along with the dreamy title cut indicated the band's interest in the supernatural and the occult (especially reincarnation).

There was a native sensuality in their playing. Eyes Of Blue was musically curious - In Fields of Ardath is now regarded as a classic album of the era and is much sought after by collectors.

Phil Ryan later played in Man, whilst Weathers went onto play with Pete Brown and Piblokto! and Gentle Giant. Ritchie Francis later made a solo album in 1971. The band later recorded as Big Sleep and aided Ancient Grease on their sole album.

Tracks
1. Merry Go Round - 9:07
2. The Light We See (Gary Pickford Hopkins) - 2:13
3. Souvenis (Django Reinhardt, Stéphane Grappelli) - 2:42
4. Ardath (John "Pugwash" Weathers) - 2:36
5. Spanish Blues (Graham Bond) - 4:00
6. Door (Phil Ryan, R. Bennett) - 6:47
7. Little Bird - 2:32
8. After The War (John "Pugwash" Weathers) - 3:31
9. Extra Hour (Phil Ryan) - 2:39
10.Chances - 2:51
11.Apache '69 (J. Lordan) - 4:27
12.QIII (B-Side single) (L. Glas) - 2:31
13.Largo (A-side of Spanish single, released as Big Sleep) (George Frideric Handel) - 3:33
All songs by Ritchie Francis except where indicated

The Eyes Of Blue
*Phil Ryan - Organ, Piano
*Ritchie Francis - Bass, Piano, Vocals
*John "Pugwash" Weathers - Drums, Vocals
*Raymond "Taff' Williams - Guitar
*Gary Pickford Hopkins - Vocals, Guitars

Related Acts
1971  Big Sleep - Bluebell Wood (2007 remastered edition)
1972  Man - Be Good To Yourself At Least Once A Day (2007 remaster with extra tracks)

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