The Shamrocks - The 60's Beat (1966 uk, smashing blues mod beat)

Great tough 60s R and B, the lone LP by this formation was recorded and released in Germany only.  The band was founded  1962 on the Isle Of Wight first with Ricky Shane or Roger Card on vocals, both had left till 1963. In 1964 the band went professional, even opened for the Rolling Stones. By end of 1964 they left their small Island to find luck in Germany. They played at well known 60s Clubs in Berlin and recorded the 1st LP in early 1965.  Together with a first 45 Shame Shame Shame the LP was released in march 1965. Now with a keyboarder in their lineup, they toured through Germanys  bigger halls, together with some other bands like The Mozarts (NL) and Die Hexer (Germany) promoted under The Beat Monster Show. It lasted the whole year and even got continued in 1966 in Hof /Saale The Freiheitshalle furniture got  nearly destroyed. 

In 1966 they opened for the Hollies at Cirkus Krone in Munich, afterwards they jammed together at the PN-Club. A new hard driven R&B  single : Midnight Train - Crossbow, produced by Drafi Deutscher reached  the shops in 1966, this time on the Hansa label (19186AT). In 1967 the band split. Their leader Gary Cowtan (now playing guitar) stayed in Berlin, did sessions for Marianne Rosenberg or Peter Maffay among many others. As a member of the group Wednesday 2LPs got released in late 70s. He opened his own studio in Berlin and produced and did lyrics for Marc Seaberg,  "Looking for Freedom" reached the top of the charts with an interpretation by baywatcher.

Tracks
1. Shame, Shame, Shame (W. J. Reed) - 2:12
2. Down Home Special (Mc Daniel) - 3:25
3. What's All This (Cowtan) - 1:53
4. Dusty Road (John Lee Hooker) - 2:11
5. Rocks In My Bed (Johnson, Vogian) - 5:22
6. Sticks And Stones (Turner, Bevry) - 2:10
7. Road Runner (McDaniel) - 2:36
8. Howling For My Baby (Burnett) -  1:46
9. Big Boss Man (W. J. Reed) - 2:28
10. Nursery Rhyme (Hurner) - 2:58
11.I' m Mad (Jacobs, Agoin) - 2:15
12. Walking The Boogie (John Lee Hooker) - 2:37
13. Smoke Stack Lightning (Burnett) - 4:25
14. Got My Mojo Working (Preston Foster) - 2:29
15. Shame Shame (Mono Single) (W. J. Reed) - 2:12
16. Down Home Special (Mono Single) (Mc Daniel) - 2:26
17. Crossbow (Mono Single) (Cowtan) - 2:28
18. Midnight Train (Mono Single) (Cowtan) - 2:48

The Shamrocks
*Gary „Gordon“ Cowtan - Bass, Vocals
*Dave Eaglen - Guitar, Vocals
*Bern Roberts - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Pete Channing - Drums
*Barry Millership - Bass (1964-3/1965)
*Dave Allen - Keyboards (1965-1967)

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Plastic Penny - Two Sides Of Penny (1968 uk, remarkable psychedelic rock, Repertoire extra tracks edition)

Plastic Penny originally came together in the summer of 1967 when ex Universals members vocalist Brian Keith, organist Paul Raymond and bassist Tony Murray decided to form a new band with guitarist Mick Grabham and drummer Nigel Olsson. The Universals had released two singles on producer Larry Page's Page One Records ("I Can't Find You" and "Green Veined Orchard") before disbanding and so it was to Mr. Page that the newly named Plastic Penny turned to form a contract. 

The band's debut single was "Everything I Am No Pleasure Without Pain" (POP 051). Released in December 1967 the A side was a cover of a song originally released by The Box Tops and Plastic Penny took it straight into the UK top ten, reaching Mo. 6 and spending ten weeks in the charts. However, the follow up single "Nobody Knows" (written by Bill Martin and Phil Coulter)/"Just Happy To Be With You" (POP 052) failed to chart and the various members began to indulge in other activities. 

Vocalist Brian Keith already had a lot of session experience and he left in mid 1968, later turning up in Congregation, Big Balls and The Great White Idiot and Screaming Lord Sutch amongst others. The remaining members soldiered on, with Raymond taking on vocal duties. In mid 1968 they released the album "Two Sides Of A Penny" (POL 005) and followed it with the single "Your Way To Tell Me To Go/Baby You're Not To Blame" (POP 079). November 1968 saw a cover of Leiber/Stoller's "Hound Dog/Currency" (POP 107) followed by "She Does/Genevieve" (POP 146) in mid 1969 by which time the group existed only in name as the various members decided to go their separate ways. 

Tony Murray joined The Troggs and also contributed bass to Elton John's "Empty Sky" album. Paul Raymond joined Chicken Shack for two years and then played with Savoy Brown between 1971-76. Heavy Metal band U.F.O. was his next step between 1977-79 and he was also a member of the Michael Schenker group. Mick Grabham formed Cochise with Rick Willis, released a solo LP "Mick The Ladd" in 1972, and was a member of Procol Harum between 1973-77. Since then he's been an in demand session guitarist working with the likes of Bandit, The Dukes, Yvonne Elliman, Dave Greenslade and Micky Jupp amongst others. Nigel Olsson's post Plastic Penny career reads like an A-Z of Rock! 

He provided the drums for Uriah Heep's debut LP "Very 'Eavy Very 'Umble" and then worked with Elton John on a permanent basis between 1969-74. He also released five solo albums ("Drum Orchestra", "Nigel Olsson", "Drummers Can Sing Too", "Changing Tides" and "Nigel") and has worked with the likes of Eric Carmen, Spencer Davis, Kiki Dee, Randy Edelman, Linda Ronstadt, and the Who to name but a few. History may remember Plastic Penny as 'one hit wonders' but there's no doubting the excellent musicians training ground it provided!

by Mark Brennan

Tracks
1. Everything I Am (D. Penn, S. Oldham) - 2:26
2. Wake Me Up (B. Keith, P. Raymond) - 3:09
3. Never My Love (D. Addrisi, D. Addrisi) - 2:23
4. Genevieve (P. Raymond, T. Murray) - 2:08
5. No Pleasure Without Pain My Love (B. Keith, P. Raymond) - 2:42
6. So Much Older Now (P. Raymond, T. Murray) - 2:36
7. Mrs. Grundy (B. Keith, P. Raymond) - 5:16
8. Take Me Back (B. Keith, P. Raymond) - 2:20
9. I Want You (John Group) - 3:25
10. It's A Good Thing (B. Keith, P. Raymond) - 2:47
11. Strawberry Fields Forever (J. Lennon, P. McCartney) - 4:27
12. Nobody Knows It (B. Martin, P. Coulter) - 2:31
13. Happy Just To Be With You (B. Keith, P. Raymond) - 2:57

Plastic Penny
*Michael Graham - Guitar
*Brian Keith  - Vocals
*Tony Murray - Bass
*Nigel Olsson - Drums
*Paul Raymond - Organ, Piano

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New York Dolls - In Too Much Too Soon (1974 us, 2nd classic album, exciting proto punk, glam rock, japan edition)

After the clatter of their first album failed to bring them a wide audience, the New York Dolls hired producer Shadow Morton to work on the follow-up, Too Much Too Soon. The differences are apparent right from the start of the ferocious opener, "Babylon." Not only are the guitars cleaner, but the mix is dominated by waves of studio sound effects and female backing vocals. 

Ironically, instead of making the Dolls sound safer, all the added frills emphasize their gleeful sleaziness and reckless sound. the Dolls sound on the verge of falling apart throughout the album, as Johnny Thunders and Syl Sylvain relentlessly trade buzz-saw riffs while David Johansen sings, shouts, and sashays on top of the racket. Band originals -- including the bluesy raver "It's Too Late," the noisy girl-group pop of "Puss N' Boots," and the Thunders showcase "Chatterbox" -- are rounded out by obscure R&B and rock & roll covers tailor-made for the group. Johansen vamps throughout Leiber & Stoller's "Bad Detective," Archie Bell's "(There's Gonna Be A) Showdown," the Cadets "Stranded in the Jungle," and Sonny Boy Williamson's "Don't Start Me Talkin'," yet it's with grit and affection -- he really means it, man! 

The whole record collapses with the scathing "Human Being," on which a bunch of cross-dressing misfits defiantly declare that it's OK that they want too many things, 'cause they're human beings, just like you and me. Three years later, the Sex Pistols failed to come up with anything as musically visceral and dangerous. Perhaps that's why the Dolls never found their audience in the early '70s: Not only were they punk rock before punk rock was cool, but they remained weirder and more idiosyncratic than any of the bands that followed. And they rocked harder, too. 

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Tracks
1. Babylon - 3:31
2. Stranded in the Jungle (James Johnson, Ernestine Smith, Al Curry) - 3:49
3. Who Are the Mystery Girls? - 3:07
4. (There's Gonna Be A) Showdown (Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff) - 3:37
5. It's Too Late - 4:35
6. Puss 'N' Boots (Johansen, Sylvain Sylvain) - 3:06
7. Chatterbox (Thunders) - 2:26
8. Bad Detective   (Kenny Lewis) - 3:37
9. Don't Start Me Talkin'   (Sonny Boy Williamson II) - 3:12
10.Human Being - 5:44
All songs written and composed by David Johansen and Johnny Thunders, except as indicated.

The New York Dolls
*David Johansen - Lead Vocals, Harmonica, Gong
*Arthur "Killer" Kane - Bass Guitar
*Jerry Nolan - Drums
*Sylvain Sylvain -Guitar, Piano, Bass, Vocals
*Johnny Thunders - Lead Guitar, Vocals, Lead Vocals On "Chatterbox"
Additional Personnel
*Peter Jordan - Bass
*Alex Spyropoulos - Piano

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New York Dolls - New York Dolls (1973 us, powerful proto punk, glam rock, japan remaster)

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

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Born Again - Pagan (1969-71 us, significant heavy psych with west coast traces)

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.

Born Again
*Brice Sullivan - Vocals, Harmonica, Keyboards
*Larry Otis - Guitar
*Steve Avery - Guitar
*Stuart Ramsay - Bass
*Rod Moxie - Bass Guitar
*Lloyd Wick - Drums

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Day Blindness - Day Blindness (1969 us, terrific heavy acid psych)

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

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Blonde on Blonde – Contrasts (1969 uk, bright psych with fuzz guitar and progressive drops, 2010 Esoteric bonus tracks issue)

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.

by Nick James, Head Full Of Snow

Tracks
1. Ride With Captain Max (Ralph Denyer, Les Hicks, Richard Hopkins, Gareth Johnson) - 5:23
2. Spinning Wheel (Gareth Johnson) - 2:48
3. No Sleep Blues (Robin Williamson) - 3:23
4. Goodbye (John Godfrey, Barry Murray) - 2:13
5. I Need My Friend (Ralph Denyer) - 3:14
6. Mother Earth (Gareth Johnson) - 5:04
7. Eleanor Rigby (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 3:19
8. Conversationally Making the Grade (Ralph Denyer) - 4:15
9. Regency (Richard Hopkins, Gareth Johnson) - 1:58
10.Island On an Island (Gareth Johnson) - 3:03
11.Don't Be Too Long (Ralph Denyer) - 2:38
12.Jeanette Isabella (Ralph Denyer) - 3:56
13.All Day, All Night (Simon Lawrence) - 3:36
14.Country Life (John Godfrey, Barry Murray) - 3:37

Blonde On Blonde
*Gareth Johnson - Lead Guitar, Sitar, Lute, Electronic Effects
*Ralph Denyer - Vocals, Guitar
*Richard Hopkins  - Bass, Keyboards
*Les Hicks - Drums, Percussion

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The Who - Sell Out (1967 uk, superb album, double disc japan SHM expanded edition)

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"

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Lynyrd Skynyrd - Nuthin' Fancy (1975 us, classic 3rd album, japan extra tracks issue)

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

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Lynyrd Skynyrd - Second Helping (1974 us, classic 2nd album, 24karat Gold CD and japan expanded edition)

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

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