There are hints of girl group pop and more than a hint of the Rolling Stones, but The New York Dolls doesn't really sound like anything that came before it. It's hard rock with a self-conscious wit, a celebration of camp and kitsch that retains a menacing, malevolent edge. The New York Dolls play as if they can barely keep the music from falling apart and David Johansen sings and screams like a man possessed.
The New York Dolls is a noisy, reckless album that rocks and rolls with a vengeance. The Dolls rework old Chuck Berry and Stones riffs, playing them with a sloppy, violent glee. "Personality Crisis," "Looking for a Kiss," and "Trash" strut with confidence, while "Vietnamese Baby" and "Frankenstein" sound otherworldly, working the same frightening drone over and over again. The New York Dolls is the definitive proto-punk album, even more than anything the Stooges released. It plunders history while celebrating it, creating a sleazy urban mythology along the way.
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracks
1. Personality Crisis - 3:43
2. Looking For A Kiss - 3:20
3. Vietnamese Baby (Johansen) - 3:39
4. Lonely Planet Boy - 4:10
5. Frankenstein (Orig.) ( Johansen, Sylvain) - 6:00
6. Trash (Johansen, Sylvain) - 3:09
7. Bad Girl - 3:05
8. Subway Train - 4:22
9. Pills (Bo Diddley) - 2:49
10.Private World (Johansen, Arthur Kane) - 3:40
11.Jet Boy - 4:40
The New York Dolls
*David Johansen - Vocals, Harmonica, Gong
*Arthur "Killer" Kane - Bass Guitar
*Jerry Nolan - Drums
*Sylvain Sylvain - Rhythm Guitar, Piano, Vocals
*Johnny Thunders - Lead Guitar, Vocals Additional Musicians
*Todd Rundgren - Piano, Keyboards, Moog Synthesizer
*Buddy Bowser - Saxophone
*Alex Spyropoulos - Piano
From the ashes of the band "Red Mountain" rose Born Again. Originally from Marin
County in Northern California the band traveled to Los Angeles to try to find
fortune and fame. Local producer Roger Dollarhide took the boys under his wing
and recorded tracks with them in late '69 and early '70 at Sun West Studios in
Hollywood. Led by the tasteful guitar playing of Larry Otis and the soulful
vocals of Bryce Sullivan, Born Again was a very versatile band that created a
hybrid style all their own.
Whether it's a country tinged ballad ala KAK
("She's Gone") or an eerie guitar psych instrumental ("Laura's Waltzing" from
the 1970 Film Soundtrack from "The Velvet Vampire") these boys were one tight
unit that delivered the goods.
Some people will say there is just so much good music from the '60s you can reissue, although the small community of collectors just doesn't seem to care. And then, there are those gems that were recorded but never released at the time.
by Adamus67
These are the most cutthroat projects for a record label: no previous market, no "rarity" cult status, nothing but the sole strength of the music to carry the album. Well, in this case Shadoks can say "mission accomplished." It's hard to say what would have happened of Born Again, had Pagan been released in 1971.
What is easy to state, though, is that singer Brice Sullivan and guitarist Larry Otis made quite an efficient songwriting team. Their brand of blues-rock shows the influence of West Coast psychedelic rock (Iron Butterfly, specifically), but also the rootsier leanings of Savoy Brown. Otis was not a guitar hero, but he had a good sound, strong chops, and a twist in his playing that would have made him recognizable after two or three LPs. That said, the band's strongest asset was Sullivan's strong voice, a soaring blues tenor with a lot of soul. The album proper (the 11 tracks recorded in Los Angeles in 1969-1971 that were first released as an LP by Rockadelic in 2001) deserves to be heard, if only for "Sand Castle," "Radio X," and "Boiling Point," all very good songs.
The 2005 Shadoks reissue on CD adds seven bonus tracks that are less interesting, although the three home demos from 1972 show that the Otis/Sullivan partnership would have had more to offer, given the chance.
by Francois Couture
Tracks
1. Barnyard Blues - 4:22
2. Radio X (Brice Sullivan) - 4:39
3. No Good Reason - 4:00
4. Boiling Point (Brice Sullivan) - 3:11
5. Three Pipers (Dollarhide) - 1:59
6. Laurie Waltzing (Larry Otis) - 2:30
7. Sand Castle - 3:52
8. Good Blues - 2:30
9. She's Gone (Brice Sullivan) - 4:46
10. Comin' Back Strong (Brice Sullivan) - 5:20
11. Lie Me Down (Brice Sullivan) - 4:21
12. Velvet Vampire Radio Spot 1971 - 0:58
13. Laurie Waltzing (Larry Otis) - 3:08
14. Sand Castle (Alt. Mix) - 4:07
15. Om Namah Shivaya (Larry Otis) - 6:09
16. Milk & Honey - 3:41
17. In That Day - 3:20
18. You Let Yourself In - 4:32
All songs by Larry Otis and Brice Sullivan except where noted.
Bonus tracks from 12-18.
Day Blindness came together in 1968 from a pair of competing bands at Jefferson High School in California's San Mateo county. One of the bands was a trio led by guitarist Gary Pihl -- from nearby Santa Clara High -- and included Felix Bria on keyboards and Dave Neuman on drums. This unit ran across one of its rivals, the Dimensions, at a county battle-of-the-bands competition at which both were short-listed. the Dimensions were made up of the Tabucci brothers, Mark and Charles, on saxophones; lead guitarist Ken Starr (younger brother of a Ventures member); Roy Garcia behind the drums; John Vernaza on rhythm guitar; and bass player Ramos Ramirez. So impressed were Pihl and Bria by Garcia's drumming abilities upon seeing the band play that they soon asked him to replace Neuman. The resulting trio officially became Day Blindness in the summer of 1968.
Over the next year, Day Blindness played gigs at many of the most notable venues throughout the Bay Area, even landing an opening slot for Sly & the Family Stone, both locally and on tour. By 1969, Mark Tabucci, who had also become a behind-the-scenes supporter of the band during the Dimensions swap, began to construct a small studio at 10 Claude Lane, funded by local backers and sponsors, in anticipation of the recording of an album. Once Studio 10 was ready, Day Blindness, with new skinsman Dave Mitchell in Garcia's old spot, set about working on that debut record. During the sessions, both Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin stopped by to submit a variety tips, including song titles and artwork. Soon thereafter, Day Blindness was released, though to little fanfare.
The band started to come apart almost immediately after the album's release. Producer and engineer Tom Press used some of his proceeds from the album to buy a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and disappear into the '70s. Tabucci became an automobile repairman for the Jefferson Airplane. Drummer Mitchell went on to produce and engineer for other acts, including Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Pihl later turned up in platinum-selling rock band Boston, then went on to play with Sammy Hagar in the 1990s. Day Blindness, not a big seller upon its release, took on a life of its own in collector's circles.
by Stanton Swihart
Tracks
1. Still Life Girl - 6:23
2. Jazz Song - 2:20
3. Middle Class Lament - 3:39
4. I Got No Money - 4:31
5. House and a Dog - 2:01
6. Live Deep - 2:48
7. Young Girl Blues - 4:22
8. Holy Land - 12:22
Day Blindness
*Felix Brian - Bass, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
*David Mitchell - Drums, Vocals
*Gary Pihl - Guitar, Vocals
A popular support act for some of the biggest names in the underground music scene of the late 1960s, Blonde on Blonde were no shrinking violets when it came to holding their own beneath the staccato glare of the polychromatic liquid lights.
Signed to Pye Records, they released their debut Contrasts in 1969 – a collection of psychedelic proto-prog songs, with a couple of souped up cover versions thrown in for good measure.In doing so, they perfected a blend of guitars, sitars, abstract percussion, flute and the ever-faithful keyboard contingent.
‘Ride with Captain Max’ is a powerful start to Contrasts with breakneck guitars and a rhythm section playing as though the devil’s at its heels; giving way to mellow lyrical passages of acid-infused ponderings on “flying high”. This is quickly followed by the flute and sitar-charged, kaleidoscopic playground that is ‘Spinning Wheel’, a lysergic single malt distilled into a bottle of less than three minutes. And that’s just for starters.
Want more? Then the third track is a bracing version of the Incredible String Band’s ‘No Sleep Blues’. Yes, you read that right, the dreaded ISB. It seems that if you remove their tuneless whine and slapdash playing from the equation, there’s a half-decent song just screaming to be set free. But this is neither the time nor place for Incredible String Band bashing, there’s plenty of that elsewhere on HFoS. Blonde on Blonde’s rendering is hearty stuff and one of the highlights of Contrasts.
There’s also a cover version of The Beatles’ hymn of loneliness, ‘Eleanor Rigby’, on hand, substituting the orchestral accompaniment of the original for a stirring horn section. The Elizabethan-style olde-worlde psych of ‘Island on an Island’ is another notable example of the many pleasures that Contrasts has to offer.
Blonde on Blonde would jump ship to the Ember label and released two more albums of a more progressive nature, but it’s their debut that offers the most memorable moments and as such is a fine addition to the psych/proto-prog stylings that were doing the rounds as the 60s conceded defeat to the 70s.
Oh, and did I mention that the band took their name from the 1966 album of the same name by Bob Dylan? No? Ah well.
The Who Sell Out was originally released as Track 612 002 (mono), 613002 (stereo) on December 15th, 1967. It reached #13 in the U.K. Released in the U.S. as Decca DL 4950 (mono), DL 74950 (stereo), it reached #48.
[The concept for The Who Sell Out came from Pete and Who manager Chris Stamp. Stamp tried to interest advertisers in paying for the adverts inserted by The Who on the record but, with only 50,000 copies of the album expected to be printed, none of the companies would buy. The U.S. LP hit the Billboard charts on January 6th. It was undoubtedly released prior to that date, maybe as early as the last week of December 1967.
The stereo mix was completed at De Lane Lea Studios, London, on October 30. The mono master was completed at the same studio November 2nd. The mono "Our Love Was" track has a different guitar part from the stereo and features a "flanging" effect throughout. "Odorono" lost its guitar part, "Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand," "Tattoo" and "Relax" have slightly different mixes and the bass was more prominent throughout. This mix was released on SHM-CD in Japan in 2009.
The Who Sell Out is the third album by the English rock band The Who, released in 1967. It is a concept album, formatted as a collection of unrelated songs interspersed with faux commercials and public service announcements. The album purports to be a broadcast by pirate radio station Radio London (Radio London being a famed "pirate" radio station of the era - so called because it literally transmitted from a ship floating in international waters to get around broadcasting restrictions!).
Part of the intended irony of the title was that The Who were actually making commercials during that period of their career, some of which are included as bonus tracks on the remastered CD. The album's release was reportedly followed by a bevy of lawsuits due to the mention of real-world commercial interests in the faux commercials and on the album covers, and by the makers of the real jingles (Radio London jingles), who claimed The Who used them without permission. (The jingles were produced by PAMS Productions of Dallas, Texas, which created thousands of station ID jingles in the 1960s and 1970s.) In 2003, the album was ranked number 113 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
by Adamus67
Tracks
Disc 1
1. Armenia City In The Sky (John Keen) - 3:51
2. Heinz Baked Beans (John Entwistle) - 1:00
3. Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand - 2:34
4. Odorono - 2:35
5. Tattoo - 2:54
6. Our Love Was - 3:25
7. I Can See For Miles - 4:05
8. I Cant Reach You - 3:31
9. Medac - 0:57
10.Relax - 2:38
11.Silas Stingy - 3:04
12.Sunrise - 3:03
13.Real (1 & 2) - 5:39
14.Real Naive - 0:59
15.Someone's Coming (John Entwistle) - 2:36
16.Early Morning Cold Taxi (Roger Daltrey, Dave Langston) - 2:59
17.Jaguar - 2:58
18.Coke After Coke - 1:05
19.Glittering Girl - 3:00
20.Summertime Blues (Eddie Cochran, Jerry Capehart) - 2:35
21.John Mason Cars (Entwistle, Moon) - 0:39
22.Girls Eyes (Moon) - 2:52
23.Sodding About (Entwistle, Moon, Townshend) - 2:47
24.Premier Drums (Full Version) - 0:42
25.Odorono (Final Chorus) - 0:24
26.Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand (US Mirasound Version) - 3:22
27.Things Go Better With Coke - 0:30
28.In The Hall Of The Mountain King (Grieg, arranged by the Who) - 4:23
29.Top Gear - 0:50
30.Real (1 & 2) (Remake Version) - 6:37
Disc 2
1. Armenia City In The Sky (John Keen) - 3:47
2. Heinz Baked Beans (John Entwistle) - 0:58
3. Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand - 2:34
4. Odorono - 2:30
5. Tattoo - 2:48
6. Our Love Was - 3:23
7. I Can See For Miles - 4:02
8. I Cant Reach You - 3:27
9. Medac - 0:56
10.Relax - 2:36
11.Silas Stingy - 2:58
12.Sunrise - 3:00
13.Real (1 & 2) - 5:48
14.Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand (US Single Version) - 3:16
15.Someones Coming (UK Single Mix) - 2:31
16.Relax (Early Demo Stereo) - 3:21
17.Jaguar (Original Mono Mix) - 2:51
18.Glittering Girl (Unreleased Version) - 3:17
19.Tattoo (Early Mono Mix) - 2:46
20.Our Love Was (Take 12 Unused Mono Mix) - 3:16
21.Rotosound Strings (With Final Note Stereo) - 0:12
22.I Can See For Miles (Early Mono Mix) - 4:00
23.Real (Early Mono Mix) - 10:49
All songs by Pete Townshend excpet where noted.
The Who
*Roger Daltrey - Lead, Backing Vocals, Percussion
*John Entwistle - Bass Guitar, Backing, Lead Vocals, Horns
*Pete Townshend - Guitar, Backing, Lead Vocals, Keyboards, Pennywhistle, Banjo
*Keith Moon - Drums, Backing Vocals, Percussion, Lead Vocals On "Jaguar" And "Girl's Eyes" Additional Musicians
*Al Kooper - Keyboards, Organ
*John Keen - Lead Vocals (Shared With Daltrey) On "Armenia City In The Sky"
With three full-time electric guitarists, a piano player and a fireplug of a lead singer who looks like Robert Blake's Baretta in a hippie disguise, Georgia's Lynyrd Skynyrd presents an unusually broad front line. And the band's live grand finale ("Our tribute to Du-ane"), the relentlessly ascending "Free Bird," is rock & roll at its most classically enveloping — a must see. On record, Skynyrd, with the aid of producer Al Kooper, approximates its hot live sound by limiting overdubbed extras (with three guitars and a keyboard, overdubbed parts are hardly necessary) and — partly through extensive room miking — by enclosing the band in a natural ambience.
Nuthin' Fancy maintains the feel, sonically and stylistically, of the first two albums but much of it seems stiff next to its direct predecessor, the tough but neighborly Second Helping. Singer Ronnie Van Zant's lyrics, so lucid and sly on the last album (especially in "Workin' for MCA" and "Sweet Home Alabama") are now sometimes hackneyed ("Railroad Song") or heavy-handed ("Saturday Night Special"). And the playing on a good half of the album sounds studiedly awkward compared to live renditions of the same songs. In particular, new drummer Artimus Pyle comes across much stronger onstage than on the record.
But there are some specific grabbers to make up for the problem areas. "On the Hunt," dominated by Gary Rossington's whip-snap guitar work, crackles with the dark eroticism of Free (Kooper cites that band as a favorite of Skynyrd's) and is as good as anything the group has put on record; "Cheatin' Woman" works, if not as a serious angry song, at least as an accurate Gregg Allman sendup, with Van Zant doing the vocal slurs and Kooper supplying the organ line; Rossington and Ed King give the second half of "Saturday Night Special" an exciting power assist; and "Am I Losin'" features Van Zant's most personal writing and singing (Van Zant's lyric writing may be erratic but his vocals are always on target).
by Bud Scoppa, “Rolling Stone” June 19, 1975
Tracks
1. Saturday Night Special (E. King, R. Van Zant) - 5:08
2. Cheatin' Woman (R. Van Zant, G. Rossington, A. Kooper) - 4:38
3. Railroad Song (E. King, R. Van Zant) - 4:14
4. I'm A Country Boy (A. Collins, R. Van Zant) - 4:24
5. On The Hunt (A. Collins, R. Van Zant) - 5:25
6. Am I Losin' (G. Rossington, R. Van Zant) - 4:32
7. Made In The Shade (R. Van Zant) - 4:40
8. Whiskey Rock-A-Roller (E. King, R. Van Zant, B. Powell) - 4:33
9. Railroad Song (Live) (E. King, R. Van Zant) - 5:27
10.On The Hunt (Live) (A. Collins, R. Van Zant) - 6:10
Lynyrd Skynyrd
*Ronnie Van Zant - Lead Vocals
*Allen Collins - Gibson Firebird Guitar
*Ed King - Fender Stratocaster And Gibson Sg Guitar
*Gary Rossington - Gibson Les Paul Guitar
*Billy Powell - Keyboards
*Leon Wilkeson - Bass Guitar
*Artimus Pyle - Drums, Percussion Additional Musicians
*Barry Harwood - Dobro, Mandolin
*Jimmy Hall - Harmonica
*David Foster - Piano
*Bobbye Hall - Percussion
Lynyrd Skynyrd wrote the book on Southern rock with their first album, so it only made sense that they followed it for their second album, aptly titled Second Helping. Sticking with producer Al Kooper (who, after all, discovered them), the group turned out a record that replicated all the strengths of the original, but was a little tighter and a little more professional.
It also revealed that the band, under the direction of songwriter Ronnie Van Zant, was developing a truly original voice. Of course, the band had already developed their own musical voice, but it was enhanced considerably by Van Zant's writing, which was at turns plainly poetic, surprisingly clever, and always revealing.
Though Second Helping isn't as hard a rock record as Pronounced, it's the songs that make the record. "Sweet Home Alabama" became ubiquitous, yet it's rivaled by such terrific songs as the snide, punkish "Workin' for MCA," the Southern groove of "Don't Ask Me No Questions," the affecting "The Ballad of Curtis Loew," and "The Needle and the Spoon," a drug tale as affecting as their rival Neil Young's "Needle and the Damage Done," but much harder rocking.
This is the part of Skynyrd that most people forget -- they were a great band, but they were indelible because that was married to great writing. And nowhere was that more evident than on Second Helping.
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracks
1. Sweet Home Alabama (Ed King, Gary Rossington, Ronnie Van Zant) - 4:43
2. I Need You (King, Rossington, Van Zant) - 6:55
3. Don't Ask Me No Questions (Rossington, Van Zant) - 3:26
4. Workin' For Mca (King, Van Zant) - 4:49
5. The Ballad Of Curtis Loew (Allen Collins, Van Zant) - 4:51
6. Swamp Music (King, Van Zant) - 3:31
7. The Needle And The Spoon (Collins, Van Zant) - 3:53
8. Call Me The Breeze (J. J. Cale) - 5:09
9. Don't Ask Me No Questions (Single Version) (Rossington, Van Zant) - 3:31
10.Was I Right Or Wrong (Demo) (Rossington, Van Zant) - 5:33
11.Take Your Time (Demo) (Van Zant, King) - 7:29
Bonus tracks 9-11, appears only on the Japanese edition.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
*Ronnie Van Zant - Lead Vocals
*Gary Rossington - Rhythm, Acoustic Guitar
*Allen Collins - Guitar
*Ed King - Guitar, Slide Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Bass
*Billy Powell - Keyboards, Piano On "Sweet Home Alabama"
*Leon Wilkeson - Bass
*Bob Burns - Drums Except "I Need You" Additional Musicians
*Mike Porter - Drums On "I Need You"
*Clydie King, Sherlie Matthews - Background Vocals On "Sweet Home Alabama"
*Merry Clayton And Friends - Background Vocals On "Sweet Home Alabama"
*Bobby Keys, Trewor Lawrence , Steve Madiao - Horns
*Al Kooper - Backing Vocals, Piano
The Allman Brothers came first, but Lynyrd Skynyrd epitomized Southern rock. The Allmans were exceptionally gifted musicians, as much bluesmen as rockers. Skynyrd was nothing but rockers, and they were Southern rockers to the bone.
This didn't just mean that they were rednecks, but that they brought it all together -- the blues, country, garage rock, Southern poetry -- in a way that sounded more like the South than even The Allmans. And a large portion of that derives from their hard, lean edge, which was nowhere more apparent than on their debut album, Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd. Produced by Al Kooper, there are few records that sound this raw and uncompromising, especially records by debut bands.
Then again, few bands sound this confident and fully formed with their first record. Perhaps the record is stronger because it's only eight songs, so there isn't a wasted moment, but that doesn't discount the sheer strength of each song. Consider the opening juxtaposition of the rollicking "I Ain't the One" with the heartbreaking "Tuesday's Gone." Two songs couldn't be more opposed, yet Skynyrd sounds equally convincing on both. If that's all the record did, it would still be fondly regarded, but it wouldn't have been influential.
The genius of Skynyrd is that they un-self-consciously blended album-oriented hard rock, blues, country, and garage rock, turning it all into a distinctive sound that sounds familiar but thoroughly unique. On top of that, there's the highly individual voice of Ronnie Van Zant, a songwriter who isn't afraid to be nakedly sentimental, spin tales of the South, or to twist macho conventions with humor. And, lest we forget, while he does this, the band rocks like a motherf*cker. It's the birth of a great band that birthed an entire genre with this album.
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracks
1. I Ain't The One (Gary Rossington, Ronnie Van Zant) – 3:53
2. Tuesday's Gone (Allen Collins, Rossington, Van Zant) – 7:32
3. Gimme Three Steps (Collins, Van Zant) – 4:30
4. Simple Man (Rossington, Van Zant) – 5:57
5. Things Goin' On (Rossington, Van Zant) – 5:00
6. Mississippi Kid (Al Kooper, Van Zant, Bob Burns) – 3:56
7. Poison Whiskey (Ed King, Van Zant) – 3:13
8. Free Bird (Collins, Van Zant) – 9:18
9. Mr. Banker (Demo) (Rossington, Van Zant, King) – 5:23
10.Down South Jukin' (Demo) (Rossington, Van Zant) – 2:57
11.Tuesday's Gone (Demo) (Rossington, Collins, Van Zant) – 7:56
12.Gimme Three Steps (Demo) (Collins, Van Zant) – 5:20
13.Free Bird (Demo) (Collins, Van Zant) – 11:09
Lynyrd Skynyrd
*Ronnie Van Zant – Lead Vocals, Lyrics
*Gary Rossington – Lead Guitar , Rhythm Guitar, Slide Guitar
*Allen Collins – Lead, Rhythm Guitar
*Ed King – Bass, Lead Guitar On "Mississippi Kid”
*Billy Powell – Keyboards
*Bob Burns – Drums
*Leon Wilkeson – Bass Guitar Additional Musicians
*Al Kooper – Bass, Mellotron, Back-Up Harmony, Mandolin, Bass Drum, Organ, Mellotron
*Robert Nix – Drums On "Tuesday's Gone"
*Bobbye Hall – Percussion On "Gimme Three Steps", "Things Goin' On"
*Steve Katz – Harmonica On "Mississippi Kid"
The Who's debut album "My Generation"
features 48-tracks digitally remastered 2-disc SHM-CD album set - perhaps the
definitive release of this landmark 1965 album. Includes the original 1965 mono
mix (--1st time on CD!), B-sides, outtakes and demos from the LP sessions,
plus Shel Talmy's 2002 stereo remix....An explosive debut, and the hardest mod
pop recorded by anyone.
At the time of its release, it also had the most
ferociously powerful guitars and drums yet captured on a rock record. Pete
Townshend's exhilarating chord crunches and guitar distortions threaten to leap
off the grooves on "My Generation" and "Out in the Street"; Keith Moon attacks
the drums with a lightning, ruthless finesse throughout. Some "Maximum R&B"
influence lingered in the two James Brown covers, but much of Townshend's
original material fused Beatlesque hooks and power chords with anthemic mod
lyrics, with "The Good's Gone", "Much Too Much", "La La La Lies", and especially
"The Kids Are Alright" being highlights. "A Legal Matter" hinted at more
ambitious lyrical concerns, and "The Ox" was instrumental mayhem that pushed the
envelope of 1965 amplification with its guitar feedback and nonstop crashing
drum rolls.
While the execution was sometimes crude, and the songwriting not as
sophisticated as it would shortly become, the Who never surpassed the pure
energy level of this record.
by Adamus67
Tracks
Disc 1 (Mono)
1.Out In The Street - 2:33
2.I Don't Mind (James Brown) - 2:37
3.The Good's Gone - 4:02
4.La-La-La Lies - 2:16
5.Much Too Much - 2:47
6.My Generation - 3:20
7.The Kids Are Alright - 3:07
8.Please, Please, Please (James Brown, John Terry) - 2:46
9.It's Not True - 2:33
10.I'm A Man (Ellis McDaniel) - 3:23
11.A Legal Matter - 2:50
12.The Ox (John Entwistle, Keith Moon, Nicky Hopkins, Pete Townshend) - 3:53
13.I Can't Explain - 2:07
14.Bald Headed Woman - 2:11
15.Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere (Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey) - 2:43
16.Daddy Rolling Stone (Otis Blackwell) - 2:49
17.Anytime You Want Me (Garnet Mimms, Jerry Ragovoy) - 2:37
18.Shout And Shimmy (James Brown) - 3:19
19.Circles - 3:14
20.Leaving Here (Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Edward Holland Jr.) - 2:48
21.Lubie (Come Back Home) (Mark Lindsay, Paul Revere) - 3:36
22.(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave (Brian Holland-Lamont Dozier-Edward Holland Jr.) - 2:41
23.Motoring (Ivy Hunter, Phil Jones, William "Mickey" Stevenson) - 2:49
24.Circles (Alternate Mix) - 3:12
All songs written by Pete Townshend except where noted
Disc 2 (Stereo)
1.Out In The Street - 2:34
2.I Don't Mind (Full Length Version) (James Brown) - 3:44
3.The Good's Gone (Full Length Version) - 4:30
4.La-La-La Lies - 2:18
5.Much Too Much - 2:45
6.My Generation - 3:21
7.The Kids Are Alright - 3:10
8.Please, Please, Please (James Brown, John Terry) - 2:46
9.It's Not True - 2:34
10.I'm A Man (Ellis McDaniel) - 3:23
11.A Legal Matter - 2:54
12.The Ox (John Entwistle, Keith Moon, Nicky Hopkins, Pete Townshend) - 3:58 13.I Can't Explain - 2:04
14.Bald Headed Woman - 2:32
15.Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere (Alternate Version) (Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey) - 2:43
16.Daddy Rolling Stone (Otis Blackwell) - 2:56
17.Anytime You Want Me (Garnet Mimms, Jerry Ragovoy) - 2:38
18.Shout And Shimmy (James Brown) - 3:20
19.Circles - 3:13
20.Instant Party Mixture - 3:24
21.Leaving Here (Alternate Version) (Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Edward Holland Jr.) - 2:51
22.Lubie (Come Back Home) (Mark Lindsay, Paul Revere) - 3:40
23.(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave (Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Edward Holland Jr.) - 2:41 24.Motoring (Ivy Hunter, Phil Jones, William "Mickey" Stevenson) - 2:49
All songs written by Pete Townshend except where noted
"On The Boards" the Taste's second LP was issued in 1970 and was a much more satisfying affair than their debut. In fact this record was a favorite of mine as a stoned teenager in the 70's, I've recently revisited "On The Boards" and it still sounds pretty damn good. The record opens with the Taste show stopper "What's Going On" a powerful electric blues raveup with some stinging Gallagher guitar work. "Railway and Gun" is a folkish blues not too far removed from early Thin Lizzy. "It Happened Before, It'll Happen Again" is a remarkable number that really stretches out, Rory plays some really thoughtful runs on guitar and even plays some useful Alto Sax in the mid section.
"If The Day Was Any Longer" is a pretty laid back song that's almost folk-rock, Rory plays some nice Mel Lyman style harp on this one. "Morning Sun" is a full out rocker again recalling fellow Irishmen Thin Lizzy.
Side two opens with another blistering raver called "Eat My Words" the group is really clicking on this one Richard McCracken's plays lead bass right in your face ala Andy Fraser, Rory plays some razor sharp bottleneck lines while John Wilson plays the Ginger Baker part on drums. The title track "On The Boards" is a very interesting one that uses space to great effect, Rory's guitar sounds very San Francisco-ish like he just got done jamming with Barry Melton.
"If I Don't Sing I'll Cry" is a blues rock stomper in the Savoy Brown mold and may be seen as a throwaway but nothing too bad. "See Here" is a beautiful solo acoustic song by Rory, kinda like Danny Kirwan's contributions to Fleetwood Mac's classic "Then Play On" album.
"On The Boards" finishes with "I'll Remember" which is the best song on the album, the arrangement is great, the band are totally in sync and they rock like there is no tomorrow. "On The Boards" is a tight well played album that is filled with great songs with no frills just the way Rory liked it.
Taste split after this album but Rory put together another trio very much in the same mold as Taste. He made many worthwhile records in the 70's, "Deuce" being my favorite. Before punk happened his records were the only thing that got me through the wasteland of the mid 1970's. I had a chance to meet him after a concert in the 70's and he was a true gentleman. A great man who will be sorely missed.
by Dave Furgess
Tracks
1. What's Going On - 2:48
2. Railway and Gun - 3:38
3. It's Happened Before, It'll Happen Again - 6:33
4. If the Day Was Any Longer - 2:10
5. Morning Sun - 2:39
6. Eat My Words - 3:47
7. On the Boards - 6:02
8. If I Don't Sing I'll Cry - 2:40
9. See Here - 3:05
10. I'll Remember - 3:02
All compositions by Rory Gallagher
Taste
* Rory Gallagher - Guitars, Vocals, Saxophone, Harmonica
* Richard "Charlie" McCracken - Bass Guitar
* John Wilson - Drums
At the time of its release, it also had the most ferociously powerful guitars and drums yet captured on a rock record. Pete Townshend's exhilarating chord crunches and guitar distortions threaten to leap off the grooves on "My Generation" and "Out in the Street"; Keith Moon attacks the drums with a lightning, ruthless finesse throughout. Some "Maximum R&B" influence lingered in the two James Brown covers, but much of Townshend's original material fused Beatlesque hooks and power chords with anthemic mod lyrics, with "The Good's Gone", "Much Too Much", "La La La Lies", and especially "The Kids Are Alright" being highlights. "A Legal Matter" hinted at more ambitious lyrical concerns, and "The Ox" was instrumental mayhem that pushed the envelope of 1965 amplification with its guitar feedback and nonstop crashing drum rolls.
While the execution was sometimes crude, and the songwriting not as sophisticated as it would shortly become, the Who never surpassed the pure energy level of this record.