Gypsy - In The Garden (1971 us, incredible progressive rock with jazz elements)

 

 

This was Gypsy's second album and their  the most collectable. The song "As Far As You Can See (As Much As You Can Feel)" is a 12 minute epic which is probably their best song from all of their albums. This song also received the most radio airplay from this album.

The band has matured greatly with this album. The basic music is structured much like their first LP, but the sound is more together and the organ, played by Jimmy Walsh, seems to be the focal point of the group's maturity. "As Far As You Can See" is an enchanting education; while the second side of the LP contains one view of paradise entitled "Here in the Garden," and two other explicitly religious tunes.
Gypsy-official 

Tracks
1. Around You – 5:27
2. Reach Out Your Hand – 2:33
3. As Far As You Can See (As Much As You Can Feel) (Rosenbaum, Lordan, Walsh) – 12:09
4. Here In The Garden I – 6:43
5. Here In The Garden Ii – 3:07
6. Blind Man – 3:59
7. Time Will Make It Better (Walsh) – 2:53
All Songs By Enrico Rosenbaum except as noted

Gypsy
*Enrico Rosenbaum - Guitar, Vocals
*James Walsh - Keyboards, Vocals
*James Johnson - Guitar, Vocals
*Bill Lordan - Drums
*Willie Weeks - Bass
*Joe Lala - Percussion

1970  Gypsy (1st Album)

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Chico Magnetic Band - Chico Magnetic Band (1971 france, violent trashy and stoned as hell heavy psych)

Formed in Lyon in 1969 as Chico & The Slow Death because they meant it (man), the following year they renamed themselves Chico Magnetic Band and comprised Chico on death throttle vocals; Patrick Garel on pounding dunderhead drums; Alain Mazet on Richter scale raising bass and Bernard Monneri on howlingly fierce shred guitar with attached fuzz/wah hardwired directly into his frontal lobes. 

And what this crew laid down was a freewheeling and loose mess that created its own language, cycling as it does through a back catalogue of the collective id, the rejected odd and the accepted stinky: as though every emotion every uttered for generations and every symbolic thrust of the battering ram against the gates of nothingness have touched down all on one album with an overdose of ESP.

Released on the tiny Disques Vogue subsidiary label Box Office, “Chico Magnetic Band” was recorded at two different Parisian studios: Europa Sonor (where Magma recorded their first album and Aphrodite’s Child laid down their classic “666” double album) and Wagram Studios. And judging the results of those last two named records, Europa Sonor had some uniquely sounding rooms on their premises, which carried over with the widest sonic spectrum onto “Chico Magnetic Band.” 

Producer Jean-Pierre Rawson boisterously captured the group’s thunder live in the studio as clear as an unmuddied lake while also resounding with an unstoppable fury. These sounds are everything I search for in rock’n’roll. It’s tripped out. It’s psychedelic. It’s heavy. It’s very heavy. It roots me to the ground AND it’s got experimental electronic freak outs as well as moments of chilling acoustic introspection that can only portend heavy shit raining down and they never made an umbrella THIS strong to withstand such a torrent. 

It’s heavy to the soul as well as to the ears, and its not only as bold as love but it’s bolder than fuck and although it only lasts for a half an hour look out because there’s a fire in the hole cause Chico and The Magnetic hommes are not only coming through, but coming through in the biggest way possible.

by The Seth Man

Tracks
1.Explosion - 5:48
2.Pop Pull Hair - 2:41
3.Lot Of Things - 4:38
4.We All Come And Go - 3:11
5.To Where I Belong - 6:14
6.My Sorrow - 3:05
7.Crosstown Traffic (Jimi Hendrix) - 3:13
8.Pop Orbite - 3:44
All songs by Mahmoud Ayari, Patrick Garel except where indicated.
Tracks 2 and 8 Effes technique by Jean Pierre Massiera

Chico Magnetic Band
*Mahmoud Ayari "Chico" - Vocals
*Bernard Lloret - Guitar
*Patrick Garel - Drums
*Alain Fabrègue - Bass

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Gypsy - Gypsy (1970 us, strong progressive qualities, blended voices and excellent instrument parts)

Progressive rock outfit Gypsy began its existence as the Minneapolis-based pop band the Underbeats, formed in 1964 by guitarist James Johnson, bassist Doni Larson, and drummer Tom Green. 

With the subsequent addition of singer/guitarist Enrico Rosenbaum, the group regularly performed throughout the Twin Cities circuit, scoring a handful of local hits including "Footstompin'," "Annie Do the Dog" and "Book of Love." Keyboardist James "Owl" Walsh was recruited after Johnson was drafted for military service in 1969; upon his discharge, Johnson returned to the Underbeats lineup, and the quintet relocated to Los Angeles soon after, where they landed a gig as the house band at the famed Whiskey-a-Go-Go. 

Rechristened Gypsy, they began pursuing a heavier, more complex sound inspired by the rise of British progressive rock, though often compared to the music of Santana. After replacing Green with drummer Jay Epstein, the band signed to the Metromedia label, issuing their self-titled double-album debut in 1970 and earned considerable FM airplay with the tracks "Gypsy Queen" and "Dead and Gone." 

Larson and Epstein exited Gypsy prior to recording the follow-up, 1971's In the Garden, cut with bassist Willie Weeks -- who later resurfaced in the Doobie Brothers -- and drummer Bill Lordan. Randy Cates assumed bass duties for 1972's Antithesis, Gypsy's first album for new label RCA; however, upon releasing 1973's Unlock the Gates, the group dissolved, reforming just long enough to play the Super Jam '77 concert at St. Louis' Busch Stadium. 

A year later Walsh formed a new Gypsy lineup, issuing The James Walsh Gypsy Band on RCA to little notice; in 1996 -- once again the sole original member -- he assembled another Gypsy unit, releasing 20 Years Ago Today. While Lordan went on to play with Robin Trower, Rosenbaum died September 10, 1979 after a long battle with drug abuse; he was just 36 years old. 

by Jason Ankeny

Tracks
1. Gypsy Queen Part 1 - 4:21
2. Gypsy Queen Part 2 - 2:33
3. Man Of Reason (James C. Johnson) - 2:59
4. Dream If You Can (E. Rosenbaum, Jay Epstein) - 2:48
5. Late December - 4:12
6. The Third Eye (James Walsh) - 4:55
7. Decisions - 8:16
8. I Was So Young - 4:00
9. Here In My Loneliness - 3:10
10.More Time - 5:35
11.The Vision - 7:30
12.Dead And Gone - 11:07
13.Tomorrow Is The Last To Be Heard - 5:48
All compositions by Enrico Rosenbaum except where noted

Gypsy
*James Walsh - Vocals, Keyboards, Percussion,
*Enrico Rosenbaum - Vocals, Guitars, Percussion,
*Jay Epstein - Drums,
*James C. Johnson - Vocals, Lead Guitar,
*Doni Larson - Bass

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Alvin Lee - Still on the Road to Freedom (2012 uk, classic rock)

"I decided to take the road to freedom rather than the road to fame and fortune"

Alvin Lee

Lee wrote all of the songs on the album, but he's quick to acknowledge influences from a varied group of artists and genres, from R’n’B icon Chuck Berry to ex-King Crimson drummer Ian Wallace. This isn't surprising, since TYA's music, although predominantly hard rock, had significant blues and jazz influences. 

Lee began writing songs for Still on the Road to Freedom in 2008. By the time he was ready to go into the studio, he had 33 potential tracks in hand. After wrestling unsuccessfully with trying to consider all of them, he finally isolated his favorites (a little less than half of the total) and worked them into "an entity in itself with a beginning, a middle and an end." 

And somehow, the mixture of arena rock, blues, bebop, country rock and folk does seem natural. Lee's guitar work, be it electric or acoustic, is as good as ever. His voice, never known for its "polish" (which is a good thing) is still natural and vibrant.

This is one of those relatively rare albums that is a good listen all the way through, with no need to skip tracks to hear the good ones. But, naturally, there are some I do like to go back to, like the percussion-driven "Listen to Your Radio Station," the catchy "Midnight Creeper," the instrumental "Down Line Rock" and "Love Like a Man 2" (a new version of a track originally on TYA's 1970 Cricklewood Green album.) 

Lee plays multiple instruments on the album, which he also recorded and mixed. Other band members include two longtime associates -- Pete Pritchard on bass and Richard Newman on drums -- and keyboardist Tim Hinkley. 

TYA (minus Lee) re-formed in 1988, but there are a lot of fans who are loyal to the original (1966-1974) lineup. If you're among them, you should put this album on your "get" list. If you're unfamiliar with either TYA or Alvin Lee, the album is a good listen just for the musicianship, and for the concept of creative freedom that drives it. 

You might also be able to relate to the philosophy that accompanies a painting by Lee that appears on the CD and in the liner: "There are many forks on the road to freedom and the road to nowhere is one of them." 

by Dave White

Although I don't usually post releases produced and recorded outside the golden era of Rock 'n' Roll (60's-70's) sometimes I make exceptions, this is one of these, dedicated to the memory of Alvin Lee, some forty years now (since I was in my early teen years) he's filling, my soul and my sentinmets, with his amazing guitar, his voice and his songs.

From the bottom of my heart, Thank you Very much Alvin Lee.

Tracks
1. Still On The Road To Freedom - 4:23
2. Listen To Your Radio Station - 2:22
3. Midnight Creeper - 4:10
4. Save My Stuff - 4:02
5. I'm A Lucky Man - 3:27
6. Walk On, Walk Tall - 3:17
7. Blues Got Me So Bad - 2:09
8. Song Of The Red Rock Mountain - 2:04
9. Nice And Easy - 3:07
10. Back In 69 - 2:35
11. Down Line Rock - 2:29
12. Rock You - 1:32
13. Love Like A Man 2 - 6:52
All songs by Alvin Lee

Musicians
*Alvin Lee - Bass, Drums, Guitars, Harmonica, Keyboards, Paintings, Vocals
*Trevor Morais - Drums
*Richard Newman - Drums
*Pete Pritchard - Bass, Double Bass
*Ed Spyra - Artwork
*Ian Wallace - Drums
*Alexander Wolfe - Keyboards
*Alvar Brune - Vocals
*Tim Hinkley - Keyboards

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Alvin Lee And Mylon Lefevre - On The Road To Freedom (1973-74 uk/us, stimulating soothing guitar rock with country folk tinges)

‘Freedom is a heady wine’, they say, and guitar hero Alvin Lee certainly tasted plenty when he teamed up with American singer Mylon LeFevre to create this excellent 1974 album.

Alvin had spent many years performing heavy rock’n’roll with Ten Years After before he took the plunge and headed in a more soulful musical direction. With Mylon taking lead vocals on some of the tracks and writing fresh material, the album has a different, more relaxed feel that coaxed new sounds out of Alvin. He was also encouraged by a plethora of guest stars, notably Stevie Winwood on piano, Jim Capaldi on drums and Tim Hinkley on organ. There is even an appearance by one ‘Hari Georgeson’ who seems to perform George Harrison’s ‘So Sad (No Love Of His Own)’ with special feeling!….

This 12 track album is boosted by the inclusion of an extra bonus A-side single version of ‘So Sad’, and it also has comprehensive CD liner notes by Chris Welch, detailing the evolution of the album and Alvin’s blossoming solo career.

Guitar hero Alvin Lee headed in a more soulful musical direction on this 1974 album, with Mylon taking lead vocals on some of the tracks and writing fresh material. The album has a different, more relaxed feel that coaxed new sounds out of Alvin.

Features a stellar line up of guest musicians, including Stevie Winwood, Jim Capaldi, Tim Hinkley, Ron Wood with special guest appearance by George Harrison.

Repertoire recs

Tracks
1. On The Road To Freedom (Alvin Lee) - 4:13
2. The World Is Changing (I Got A Woman Back In Georgia) (Lee, Mylon Lefevre) - 2:45
3. So Sad (No Love Of His Own) (George Harrison) - 4:34
4. Fallen Angel (Lee) - 3:20
5. Funny (Lee) - 2:48
6. We Will Shine (Lefevre) - 2:37
7. Carry My Load (Lee) - 2:58
8. Lay Me Back (Lefevre) - 2:53
9. Let 'Em Say What They Will (Ron Wood) - 2:52
10.I Can't Take It (Lefevre) - 2:51
11.Riffin' (Lee, Lefevre) - 3:31
12.Rockin' 'Til The Sun Goes Down (Lee, Lefevre) - 3:08
13.So Sad (No Love Of His Own) (Single Version) (George Harrison) - 3:00

Musicians
*Alvin Lee – Vocals, Electric And Acoustic Guitars, Bass, Sitar
*Mylon Lefevre – Vocals, 12-String Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Percussion, Backing Vocals
*George Harrison – Dobro, Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Backing Vocals
*Ron Wood – 12-String Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Drums
*Steve Winwood – Piano
*Tim Hinkley – Piano, Organ, Backing Vocals
*Boz Burrell – Bass, Backing Vocals
*Bob Black – Steel Guitar
*Andy Stein – Fiddle
*Jim Capaldi – Drums
*Reebop Kwaku Baah – Congas
*Mick Fleetwood – Drums
*Ian Wallace – Drums
*Mike Patto – Percussion, Backing Vocals

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Gentle Soul - Gentle Soul (1968 us, charming baroque folk psych, Sundazed expanded remaster)



Sundazed have done a fantastic job in reissuing the lost 1960s folk rock gem that is The Gentle Soul. Thriving in the vibrant mid to late 1960s folk rock movement, Pamela Polland and Rick Stanley of The Gentle Soul hung out with the likes of Neil Young, Jackson Browne (there's an early tune written by him as one of the bonus tracks here), The Byrds, and Tim Buckley, and worked with the likes of Terry Melcher, Jack Nitzsche, Ry Cooder (whose incredible guitar playing is throughout this cd), Van Dyke Parks, Larry Knechtel, Jerry Cole and Hal Blaine. Amongst this incredible scene of creativity, The Gentle Soul released one album and a handful of singles, but never had the push they needed or any luck with sales. Their recordings became more and more scarce through the years, the album even becoming a collector's item with a 3 figure price tag.

Thanks to Sundazed, we've got the entire recorded output of The Gentle Soul, as well as three previously unissued sides all on cd for the very first time. The cd has the entire album first, then the singles and unreleased tracks, so it doesn't play chronologically. The singles (tracks 12-14, 17-18) have a slightly more rocking sound then the gently orchestral album, but the singles are by no means rock-n-roll.

Tell Me Love is an incredible single which has an alternate take too, both arranged magically by Jack Nitzsche. Both mixes are quite different and shed a different feel on the melodic celtic lilt. The single mix has a harder hitting sound, but the alternate version has a fuller, modern sound. The first single's b-side, You Move Me, has that coffee house folk rock sound and Mamas and Papas styled harmonies and is tremendous.

The second single, Our National Anthem should've been a hit, and it's a astonishing it was not. It's also got that Mamas and Papas anthemic folk rock feel, but maybe it's the fact that the chorus is not as out right sing-a-long-able is what kept it off the charts. It's still a catchy as heck folk rock number. Song For Three, its b-side has a Dylanesque melody about a girl named Wendy. The final single, 2:10 Train has a more country folk sound and is a bit meandering, sort of like Linda Ronstadt and The Stone Poneys.

The Gentle Soul album (tracks 1-11) are wonderful orchestrated folk rock. Pamela Polland and Rick Stanley combine incredible vocal harmonies with some great original tunes, which are only improved upon thanks to the production of Terry Melcher and instrumentation from the likes of Ry Cooder and Van Dyke Parks. Songs like Renaissance or Love Is Always Real (which also has an alternate take as a bonus track) are baroque and orchestrated with harpsichords and flutes.

The melodies they came up with just enhance the whole proceedings. Generally speaking the songs with Pamela singing come out on top and remind me at times of the Michelle album Saturn Rings. At times this album reminds me of Belle and Sebastian or their side project Gentle Waves (rather fitting) - if they were more inspired by traditional folk music instead of Nick Drake. If you want to hear Ry Cooder at his most pronounced, check out the instrumental album opener Overture or the haunting song Reelin'. If I were to pick a favorite song, it would have to be See My Love - which to me sounds like it could be straight off a Belle and Sebastian album with it's melody, piano and Pamela's light as air lead vocals. It's the closest they come to rocking out.

I was very glad when I learned that Sundazed were going to reissue The Gentle Soul album. I'm glad that more than just the collectors can hear the magic held in this delightful folk rock album. Hopefully, it can find a place in your collection too.

by Patrick Gullbuy

Tracks
1. Overture - 4:34
2. Marcus (Pamela Polland) - 2:54
3. Song for Eolia - 2:16
4. Young Man Blue (Rick Stanley) - 2:34
5. Renaissance - 3:14
6. See My Love (Song for Greg) (Pamela Polland) - 3:59
7. Love Is Always Real - 2:59
8. Empty Wine (Woods of a Song) - 2:39
9. Through a Dream - 4:00
10.Reelin' (Pamela Polland) - 3:20
11.Dance (R. Stanley, N. Wynn) - 3:27
12.Tell Me Love (Rick Stanley) - 2:27
13.Song for Three (P. Polland, G. Copeland) - 3:00
14.2:10 Train (T.C. Campbell) - 2:55
15.Flying Thing (Jackson Browne) - 3:18
16.God Is Love - 2:22
17.You Move Me (Pamela Polland) - 2:16
18.Our National Anthem (Pamela Polland) - 2:31
19.Tell Me Love (Rick Stanley) - 2:26
20.Love Is Always Real (Pamela Polland) - 3:05
All songs by Pamela Polland and Rick Stanley except where indicated

Musicians
*Pamela Polland - Vocals, Guitar
*Rick Stanley - Vocals, Guitar
*Tony Cohan - Tabla
*Ry Cooder - Guitar, Mandolin
*Mike Deasy - Guitar
*Van Dyke Parks - Harpsichord
*Paul Horn - Flute
*Sandy Konikoff - Drums
*Larry Knechtel - Organ
*Gayle Levant - Harp
*Ted Michel - Cello
*Bill Plummer - Bass
*Riley Wildflower - Guitar
*Jerry Cole - Guitar
*Joe Osborne - Bass
*Hal Blaine - Drums

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Bob Smith - The Visit (1970 us, mystical atmospheric psych with hard rock, upbeat folk and jazzy experimentation)

Singer guitarist Smith was apparently a member of various Los Angeles-based bands including The Lid and Silverskin.  It would also be interesting to learn how he came to be signed by the L.A.-based Kent Records which was better known for it's R&B recording roster.

  

Although 1970's "The Visit" featured support from eight musicians (including Darryl Dragon (credited as Captain Keyboard)) and Mothers of Invention keyboardist Don Preston), the focus was clearly on namesake Bob Smith.  In addition to handling all of the vocals and lead guitar, Smith wrote all 14 tracks, arranged, directed, and along with Mark Taylor, co-produced the album.

Musically the set was quite diverse, taking credible stabs at pop, blues ('Source You Blues'), hard rock, psych, jazz ('Ocean Song') and even occasional detours into outright experimentation. 

Luckily aural experiments such as the instrumental 'Indian Summer' were far and few between, leaving most of the set with a surprisingly commercial sheen.  Exemplified by tracks like the harpsichord-propelled 'Please' and 'The Wishing Song' Smith had one of those flexible and likable voices that allowed him to find a nice balance between commercial and non-commercial moves. 

Material like 'Constructive Critique' and 'Source Your Blues' also demonstrated Smith was quite an accomplished guitarist.  Personal favorites included the opener 'Please', 'Don't Tell Lady Tonight' and the scorching rocker 'Can You Jump Rope'.   (Anyone seen the John Kress poster insert that came with the album?  It's supposedly quite cool.)    Bottom line; this one's a keeper that should be in every psych collector's stash.  
Bad-cat

Tracks
1. Please - 2:08
2. Don't Tell Lady Tonight - 3:10
3. Constructive Critique - 4:40
4. Ocean Song - 4:50
5. The Wishing Song - 5:04
6. Can You Jump Rope - 5:48
7. Latter Days Matter - 3:29
8. Indian Summer  (Instrumental - 7:55
9. Source You Blues - 6:02
10.Sunlight Sweet - 3:04
11.Of She, Of Things - 3:16
12.Mobeda Dandelion - 3:13
13.The Path Does Have Force - 5:23
14.Try, Try To Understand Yourself - 4:14
All compositions by Bob Smith

Musicians
*Bob Smith - Vocals, Guitar
*Mike Degreve - Guitar
*Larry Chapman - Violin
*Stan Keiser - Flute
*Dan Preston - Mellotron, Keyboards
*Skip Schneider - Drums
*John Latini - Bass
*Darryl Dragon - Keyboards, Vibes

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String Driven Thing - The Early Years (1968-72 uk, lovely psychedelic folk pop)

Collection of songs from 1968 onwards from Scottish folk rockers String Driven Thing. This charts their transition from the three-piece band of Chris Adams (vocals guitar), Pauline Adams (tambourine, vocals) and John Mannion (guitar) to the addition of Grahame Smith on violin and Colin Wilson on bass guitar, which, after John Mannion left, would form the basis of the line-up that signed to Charisma for the two classic albums and the legendary sacking off the Genesis' Foxtrot tour for going down better than the main band (Genesis).

This release fills in the gap between the band forming in 1968 and the four other String Driven Thing CD albums on Ozit-Morpheus Records, "In the Studio '72", "The Machine That Cried", "Suicide Live In Berlin) and Chris Adams' "The Damage").

The Early Years plunders both the LP and the demos to paint a vivid picture of the group's development over that period. Ten tracks are lifted from String Driven the rest are acoustic demos  that leave the story poised on the edge of the band's major-label promotion.

Tracks
1. July Morning - 02:23
2. Say what You Like - 02:38
3. Magic Garden - 03:06
4. Wonderful Places - 03:00
5. I Don't Wanna Wake Up - 02:54
6. City Man - 03:02
7. Another Night in this Old City - 03:05
8. That's My Lady - 02:51
9. Catch as Catch Can - 03:40
10.No More You and I - 02:34
11.Lie Back and Let It Happen - 03:23
12.One of the Lonely People - 04:34
13.Winter Is Coming - 04:14
14.Regent St. Incident - 04:03
15.Jack Diamond - 03:57
16.Argyle St. - 03:55
17.Old Love New Love - 03:27
All song by Chris Adams
Bonus Tracks 13-17

String Driven Thing
*John Mannion - Guitar, Vocals, Bass
*Chris Adams - Guitars, Vocals
*Pauline Adams - Vocals Percussions

String Driven Thing
1972/74  String Driven Thing / Please Mind Your Head
1973  The Machine That Cried (Japan remaster)
1975  Keep Yer 'And On It

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Lazy Smoke - Corridor Of Faces (1967-69 us, floating airy mistdrenched psych)

Rising above any number of recently unearthed late-60s anglo-pop platters, the sole offering from small town Massachuesetts phenomenon Lazy Smoke is a cohesive, solid, classic album in every sense.

While bands like The Beatles and The Left Banke were singing about love, lament and hallucinated travel experiences, the songs on "Corridor Of Faces" get sincerely dark right away.

One of the biggest collectables of the late-80s. This record is good enough that it's become the shorthand everyone uses when describing any 60s record that's remotely hazy.

Tracks
1. All These Years - 3:28
2. How Was Your Day Last Night? - 1:51
3. Come With The Day - 2:49
4. Salty People - 4:39
5. Jackie-Marie - 2:58
6. Under Skys - 4:16
7. Sarah Saturday 2:47
8. There Was A Time - 2:01
9. Am I Wrong? - 3:37
10.How Did You Die? - 3:16
11.I Don't Need The Sun - 1:19
12.Changing The Time - 1:36
13.I Could Fall Asleep - 1:14
14.Wait Till You See - 2:57 
15.Scarecrow - 2:08 
16.All These Years - 2:46
17.Come With The Day - 2:15
18.Salty People - 3:16
19.Jackie-Marie - 2:56
20.There Was A Time - 1:38
21.Sarah Saturday - 2:14
22.Am I Wrong? - 3:24
Tracks 11-22 Unplugged Demos

Lazy Smoke
*John Pollano - Vocals, Guitar, Piano
*Ralph Mazzotta - Guitar, Vocals
*Bob Door - Bass
*John Villanucci - Piano
*Ray Charron - Drums

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Jack Bruce - Out Of The Storm (1974 uk, stimulated progressive rock with fusion traces, extra tracks issue)

Out Of The Storm is Jack Bruce yet again taking a different path. No one can accuse this man of being redundant as he leaves behind the hard rock of Whatever Turns You On from his 1973 work with West, Bruce & Laing and takes on Steely Dan with a track like "Keep On Wondering."

The problem with West, Bruce & Laing is that they should have been the back-up band providing Jack Bruce the vehicle to express his artistry. "Keep It Down" would have been a tremendous track for WBL, and Lou Reed/Alice Cooper guitarist Steve Hunter provides the tasteful licks which Leslie West would've used a sledgehammer to find. The title track is real introspection with more "I" references than found on a page in a Marie Osmond autobiography.

Bruce uses the rock format to sing the poetry that he and long time collaborator Peter Brown have crafted here. When played next to his other albums, from Things We Like to Monkjack, as well as the aforementioned Leslie West collaborations, the indellible voice of Jack Bruce is found to belong, not to a chameleon, but to a true changeling. In an industry that resists change, his music evolves in relentless fashion, switching formats as efficiently and quickly as he switches record labels.

While Eric Clapton achieves the acclaim, it is Jack Bruce who delivers a novel and totally original title like "One" with a vocal that moves from cabaret to blues to soul. The man has one of the most powerful and identifiable rock & roll voices, and his body of work is overpowering. "One" has the drums of Jim Gordon and another venture into the Procul Harum sound Bruce has toyed with over various albums in different ways.

Out Of The Storm is another excellent chapter with Steve Hunter showing proficiency and remarkable restraint. Robin Trower, Mick Taylor, Leslie West, Eric Clapton and so many other guitar greats have put their sound next to Jack Bruce's voice, and this is Steve Hunter aiding and abetting, but not getting in the way of Bruce's creative pop/jazz.

by Joe Viglione

Tracks
1. Pieces Of Mind - 5:39
2. Golden Days - 5:14
3. Running Through Our Hands(Jack Bruce, Janet Godfrey)  -  4:14
4. Keep On Wondering - 3:10
5. Keep It Down - 3:46
6. Into The Storm - 4:45
7. One - 5:03
8. Timeslip - 6:33
9. Pieces Of Mind - 3:34
10.Keep On Wondering - 3:15
11.Keep It Down - 4:26
12.Into The Storm - 5:42
13.One - 4:57
All lyrics written by Peter Brown, Music by Jack Bruce except where indicated

Musicians
*Jack Bruce - Bass Guitar, Piano, Clavinet, Vocals, Electric Piano, Organ, Harmonium, Harmonica
*Jim Gordon - Drums
*Jim Keltner - Drums
*Steve Hunter - Guitar

more Jack
1969  Songs For A Tailor
1971  Harmony Row
with Cream
1967  Disraeli Gears

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