West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band - Companion (1960-71 us, garage beat, psychedelic acid folk rock, 2011 Sunbeam issue)

 There are few groups as enigmatic, as mysterious as The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band. The prime mover in the band was Bob Markley, born in Oklahoma and the son of an oil tycoon. He moved to Los Angeles early in the 1960's, and in late 1961 he began his recording career with "It Should've Be Me" / 'Summers Comin' On", released on Warner Bros.

Both sides were pure teen doo-wop, giving little indication what would follow. Markley remained involved in music, and three years later he met up with two brothers, Shaun and Danny Harris, whose interest in music seemed inevitable as their father was a renowned classical composer and their mother a concert pianist.

In 1964 Shaun and Danny formed a group The Snowmen, with two musicians who would go on to form The Sunrays and score 1967 hits with 'Andrea' and 'I Live For The Sun'. Later, with the group now split, Shaun and Danny were studying at the Hollywood Professional School where they met Michael Lloyd, leader of yet another local band, Laughing Wind, who had cut some tracks for Tower Records. With Bob Markley and John Ware, a friend of the family, they started a new group.

In 1966 the line-up was Dan Harris (lead guitar), Shaun Harris (bass), Michael Lloyd (guitar), John Ware (drums), and Bob Markley who became the inspirator of the band. They band played around all the Sunset Strip clubs and "every freakout that ever happened at the Hollywood Palladium" (to quote Ware).

Few 60s artists have attracted such mystique or so devoted a cult following as The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band. This fascinating compilation draws together many of the rare recordings made by its members before, during and after their existence.

Taking in pop, garage, folk-rock, psych, the avant-garde and more, the set highlights the disparate elements that fused to create their extraordinary and enigmatic music, and comes complete with rare pictures and comprehensive notes by the world’s leading WCPAEB authority.

Tracks
1. Bob Markley - Will We Meet Again? - 2:35
2. Bob Markley - Tia Juana Ball - 1:57
3. Bob Markley - Summer's Comin' On - 2:23
4. Bob Markley - It Should've Been Me - 1:57
5. Lucifer & The Peppermints - The Green Itch Got The Bear - 2:41
6. Lucifer & The Peppermints - Money Back Guarantee - 2:18
7. Bobby Rebel - Valley Of Tears - 2:32
8. Bobby Rebel - Teardrops From My Eyes - 2:21
9. Judy Brown - I'm Such A Fool - 2:25
10. Sonny Knight - A Swingin' Door - 1:45
11. Sonny Knight - If You Want This Love - 2:04
12. The Rogues - Wanted: Dead Or Alive - 2:28
13. The Laughing Wind - Good To Be Around - 2:53
14. The Laughing Wind - Don't Take Very Much To See Tomorrow - 1:54
15. The Laughing Wind - John Works Hard - 2:07
16. The Laughing Wind - The Bells - 2:27
17. The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band - Sassafras - 2:02
18. The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band - I Won't Hurt You - 2:11
19. Neo Maya - I Won't Hurt You - 2:30
20. Boystown - Hello Mr. Sun - 2:17
21. Boystown - End Of The Line - 2:32
22. California Spectrum - She May Call You Up Tonite - 2:30
23. Rockit - Blame It On The Pony Express - 2:55
24. Rockit - Amblin' - 2:05
25. Brigadune - I'll Cry Out From My Grave (God I'm Sorry) - 2:50
26. Brigadune - Misty Mornin' - 3:10
27. Brigadune - My Wife Likes To - 2:14
28. California - Spectrum Rainbo - 2:07
29. Halim El-Dabh - Leiyla & The Poet - 7:32

Musicians
*Bob Markley - Vocals
*Shaun Harris - Bass
*Danny Harris - Guitar, Vocals
*Michael Lloyd - Guitar, Vocals
*Ron Morgan - Guitar
*John Ware - Drums

1965-67   Volume One
1967  Part One
1967  Volume Two
1968  Volume Three

Related Acts

1969  Markley - A Group

1973  Shaun Harris - Shaun Harris (2005 remaster)

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The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band - Volume III A Child's Guide To Good And Evil (1968 us, magnificent psychedelia, Sundazed issue)

The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band was a psychedelic rock band from Los Angeles active during the late 1960s. Formed by the son of an Oklahoma oil tycoon and two aspiring surf rockers, TWCPAEB released their paramount release A Child’s Guide To Good And Evil in 1968. Taking a more rock n’ roll oriented sound than the folkier San Francisco scene, while still remaining poppy and psychedelic as any other group, the band manages to create a unique release that stands out in the horde of similarly veined releases of the ‘60s.

With a rocking sound heavily laden by a fuzzy guitar, and the world music influence (specifically Indian) that inflected the styles of many bands in that era, TWCPAEB leads you through their acid soaked world through infectious melodies, perfectly placed guitar chords, and nonsensically hippie lyrics. Instrumentally sounding like The Doors with an extra member who alternates between sitar and a heavily distorted guitar, the album is perfect for sitting on long green grass on a beautiful day, or journeying through a psychedelic forest, and doesn’t let up with its trip-induced melodies for its short duration (around a half hour). The vocal style alternates between a kind of staccato singing and almost disturbing Talking Tina-esque narration of visions giving another unique aspect to the band’s music.

All the songs are great (besides the worthless closer “Anniversary of World War III,” which is two minutes of silence), with a few top notch entries such as “Eighteen Is Over The Hill,” “Watch Yourself,” the fuzzy “In The Country,” and the eastern influenced “Ritual” tracks. “Eighteen Is Over The Hill” is one of the folk influenced tracks, opting for a softer sound through serene guitars, and a chorus that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Simon and Garfunkel album, while “In The Country” is the polar opposite, a true ancestor to fuzz rock.

The live track “Watch Yourself” is probably the best here, combining all the aspects that made the other tracks great: folky acoustic guitars, fuzz, and catchy vocals, not to mention a sufficient dose of drug-induced psychedelia.

A largely forgotten gem in the mines that are psychedelic rock, A Child’s Guide To Good And Evil should not be overlooked, and if prospective listeners are turned off by the rumors of common lyrics about infatuation with young girls, fear not, for those are fairly quarantined to the band’s sophomore release. A must listen for fans of the genre, and a good listen regardless of your preferences, The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band created a quirky, unique, and most importantly, satisfying release in the field of psychedelic rock.

by  Tarkus

Tracks
1. Eighteen Is Over The Hill (Bob Markley, Ron Morgan) - 2:42
2. In The Country (Markley, Shaun Harris, Terry Kath) - 2:03
3. Ritual #1 (Markley, Harris, John Ware) - 2:09
4. Our Drummer Always Plays In The Nude (Markley, Harris) - 2:45
5. As The World Rises And Falls (Markley, Morgan) - 4:52
6. Until The Poorest People Have Money To Spend (Markley, Harris) - 2:18
7. Watch Yourself (Buddy Guy, Robert Yaezel) - 5:52
8. A Child's Guide To Good And Evil (Markley, Harris) - 2:29
9. Ritual #2 (Markley, Harris) - 2:04
10.A Child Of A Few Hours Is Burning To Death (Markley, Morgan) - 2:41
11.As Kind As Summer (Markley, Harris, Roger Bryant) - 1:10
12.Anniversary Of World War III (Markley) - 1:36
13.Shifting Sands (Single Mix) (Baker Knight) - 3:54
14.1906 (Single Mix) (Markley, Morgan) - 2:17

The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band
*Bob Markley - Vocals
*Shaun Harris - Vocals, Bass
*Ron Morgan - Guitar
*Jim Gordon - Drums
*Hal Blaine - Drums

1965-67   Volume One
1967  Part One
1967  Volume Two

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John Mayall Bluesbreakers With Eric Clapton (1966 uk, masterpiece, japan SHM double disc set)

 Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton was Eric Clapton's first fully realized album as a blues guitarist -- more than that, it was a seminal blues album of the 1960s, perhaps the best British blues album ever cut, and the best LP ever recorded by John Mayall's Bluesbreakers.

Standing midway between Clapton's stint with the Yardbirds and the formation of Cream, this album featured the new guitar hero on a series of stripped-down blues standards, Mayall pieces, and one Mayall/Clapton composition, all of which had him stretching out in the idiom for the first time in the studio. This album was the culmination of a very successful year of playing with John Mayall, a fully realized blues creation, featuring sounds very close to the group's stage performances, and with no compromises.

Credit has to go to producer Mike Vernon for the purity and simplicity of the record; most British producers of that era wouldn't have been able to get it recorded this way, much less released. One can hear the very direct influence of Buddy Guy and a handful of other American bluesmen in the playing.

And lest anyone forget the rest of the quartet: future pop/rock superstar John McVie and drummer Hughie Flint provide a rock-hard rhythm section, and Mayall's organ playing, vocalizing, and second guitar are all of a piece with Clapton's work. His guitar naturally dominates most of this record, and he can also be heard taking his first lead vocal, but McVie and Flint are just as intense and give the tracks an extra level of steel-strung tension and power, none of which have diminished across several decades.

by Bruce Eder



 Tracks

Disc 1
1. All Your Love (Otis Rush) – 3:36
2. Hideaway (Freddie King, Sonny Thompson) – 3:17
3. Little Girl (Mayall) – 2:37
4. Another Man (Mayall) – 1:45
5. Double Crossing Time (Clapton, Mayall) – 3:04
6. What'd I Say (Ray Charles; Interpolating Day Tripper By John Lennon, Paul McCartney) – 4:29
7. Key To Love (Mayall) – 2:09
8. Parchman Farm (Mose Allison) – 2:24
9. Have You Heard (Mayall) – 5:56
10.Ramblin' On My Mind (Robert Johnson, Traditional) – 3:10
11.Steppin' Out (James Bracken) – 2:30
12.It Ain't Right (Little Walter) – 2:42  
13.All Your Love (Otis Rush) – 3:36
14.Hideaway (Freddie King, Sonny Thompson) – 3:17
15.Little Girl (Mayall) – 2:37
16.Another Man (Mayall) – 1:45
17.Double Crossing Time (Clapton, Mayall) – 3:04
18.What'd I Say (Ray Charles; Interpolating Day Tripper By John Lennon, Paul McCartney) – 4:2
19.Key To Love (Mayall) – 2:09
20.Parchman Farm (Mose Allison) – 2:24
21.Have You Heard (Mayall) – 5:56
22.Ramblin' On My Mind (Robert Johnson, Traditional) – 3:10
23.Steppin' Out (James Bracken) – 2:30
24.It Ain't Right (Little Walter) – 2:42
Tracks 1-12 Original Album in Mono
Tracks 13-24 Original 1969 Album in Stereo

Disc 2
1. Crawling Up A Hill (Mayall) – 2:08
2. Crocodile Walk (Mayall) – 2:23
3. Bye Bye Bird (Sonny Boy Willamson, Willie Dixon) – 2:49
4. I'm Your Witchdoctor (Mayall) – 2:11
5. Telephone Blues (Mayall) – 3:57
6. Bernard Jenkins (Clapton) – 3:49
7. Lonely Years (Mayall) – 3:19
8. Cheatin' Woman (Mayall) – 2:03
9. Nowhere To Turn (Mayall) – 1:42
10.I'm Your Witchdoctor (Mayall) – 2:10
11.On Top Of The World (Stereo Mix) (Mayall) – 2:34
12.Key To Love (Mayall) – 2:02
13.On Top Of The World (Mayall) – 2:34
14.They Call It Stormy Monday (T-Bone Walker) – 4:35
15.Intro Into Maudie (John Lee Hooker, Mayall) – 2:27
16.It Hurts To Be In Love (Dixon, Toombs) – 3:22
17.Have You Ever Loved A Woman (Myles) – 6:44
18.Bye Bye Bird (Williamson, Dixon) – 3:51
19.Hoochie Coochie Man (Dixon) – 3:53
Tracks 1-3 BBC Saturday Club Session
Tracks 4-7 appeared as singles
Tracks 8-10 BBC Saturday Club Session
Track 11 unreleased stereo mix
Tracks 12-13 BBC Saturday Club Sessiong
Tracks 14 from Lookin Back
Tracks 15-19 appeared on Primal Solos with Jack Bruce on bass

The Bluesbreakers
*John Mayall – Lead Vocals, Piano, Hammond B3 Organ, Harmonica
*Eric Clapton – Guitar, Lead Vocals On "Ramblin' On My Mind"
*John McVie – Bass Guitar
*Hughie Flint – Drums
Additional Musicians
*Alan Skidmore – Tenor Saxophone
*John Almond – Baritone Saxophone
*Derek Healey – Trumpet
*Jack Bruce – Bass (Disc Two Tracks 14-19, Not Featured On Original Album)
*Geoff Krivit – Guitar (Disc Two Tracks 8-10, Not Featured On Original Album)

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Various Artists - Downer Rock Genocide (1970-73 uk, ultra heavy underground early downer rock)

 Definitely any lover of early '70s proto-metal heaviness needs to put this on their wish list. Downer Rock Genocide is a collection of super rare tracks by some really obscure heavy psych/prog acts who kicked around the same scene as early Black Sabbath. And it's pretty darn killer.

Too many gems here to talk about 'em all, but i will mention a few... Flying Hat Band (2 tracks from them, from a never released 1973 album) was where Glenn Tipton slung his axe before joining up with Judas Priest.No wonder they hired him! If you have never heard FHB's stuff before then this comp is worth it just for the badass rockin' doom of their first cut, "Seventh Plain". It's like Comus meets Judas Priest! Clear Blue Sky, who also contribute two demo tracks(their album is a Sabbathy treat). And Sabbath lovers will really want this for "Nightjar" by the Tony Iommi produced Necromandus, easily that band's heaviest and best track. So good.

What else? The Iron Maiden on here is NOT the Iron Maiden you're familiar with, it's another, earlier band with the same name but a much doomier disposition. Actually who they really sound like is Wishbone Ash, Argus-era, all folky and epic. Gnidrolog is another killer act who are a great, super dramatic prog act in the vein of Van Der Graaf Generator who offer up their doomiest "Long Live Man Dead".

Red Dirt are a gruff slice of raw, primitive bluesy heaviness.Iron Claw kick out the jams big time on"Lightning" from a 1971 cassette only release, Egor tear it up on the blown-out live track "Street" also from '71, Hackensack deliver some wild fuzzed out soloing and wailing vocals on their kick ass cut "River Boat" circa '72, and Bum bring us the pagan "God Of Darkness" from way back in '68. Did Sabbath hear these guys? All of it good stuff!
Doommancia

Artists - Tracks
1. Flying Hat Band - Seventh Plan - 3:03
2. Clear Blue Sky – Veil Of The Viken - 7:22
3. Necromandus – Nightjar - 4:15
4. Egor – Street (Live) - 7:55
5. Monument – Dog Man - 3:13
6. Iron Maiden – Falling - 6:00
7. Flying Hat Band – Reaching For The Stars - 4:32
8. Gnidrolog – Long Live Man Dead - 3:57
9. Iron Claw – Lightning - 3:35
10.Red Dirt – Death Letter - 3:08
11.Clear Blue Sky – Spooky - 3:24
12.Slowbone – Quicksand Dream (Live) - 3:01
13.Bram Stoker – Extensive Corrosion - 4:16
14.Hackensack – River Boat - 3:33
15.Bum – God Of Darkness - 4:16
16.Writing On The Wall – Lucifer Corpus - 5:44
17.Unknown Artist – Untitled - 0:52

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Hackensack - Give It Some (1969-72 uk, gunsmokin' downer blues rock)

Formed by Nicky Moore in 1969, Hackensack was considered one of the UK ’s heaviest live bands of their day. They only released one album ( Up The Hard Way , 1974, on Polydor) during their lifetime. Playing more than 270 gigs, they built up a small but loyal following but weren`t able to generate sufficient revenue to continue as a viable project.

Their sound was a heavy blues/rock mix; Up the Hardway is highly regarded amongst collectors. Pye Records recorded a live album at the Cavern Club, Liverpool in 1973 but it remains unreleased to this day. Give It Some is an album of previously unreleased studio material that predates their official 1974 album. Fans of Iron Claw, Leafhound, Incredible Hog, and Budgie take note.

This is said to be heavier than Up The Hard Way (as this is sealed I can’t offer a firsthand opinion). Vocalist, Nicky Moore later formed Tiger and also sang with Samson. Simon Fox went on to play with Be-Bop Deluxe. Paul Martinez went on to Paice, Ashton, and Lord. He was also in Chicken Shack and Stretch, at various times. Ray Smith had previously been with Heads, Hands, And Feet and Poet And The One Man Band.

Tracks
1. Good Old Days - 3:38
2. Winter-Hearted Woman - 3:16
3. Praye - 4:27
4. River Boat - 3:35
5. Generation(Falling Down) - 4:59
6. Downtown Traffic - 3:46
7. The Hustler - 3:32
8. Calendar - 8:56
9. Rock And Roll Woman - 3:18
10.Travelling Man - 3:03
11.Gloria - 4:55
12.No Last Verse - 5:03
13.Black-Witch Woman - 5:46
14.Heartbreak Hotel - 3:18
15.Tomorrow - 3:19

Hackensack
*Simon Fox - Drums
*Paul Martinez - Bass
*Nicky Moore - Vocals
*Ray Smith - Guitar

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Phafner - Overdrive (1971 us, raw hard blues with fierce fuzz guitar, Akarma edition)

 

 

 In 1969 Phafner was born. The group released this record in 1971. The only problem was that they produced only fifty copies of the album. Recently this LP sold for $3000.00. 

 

This group was an advanced psychedelic-rock unit. Their sound was not given its due on this recording however. The sound is in fact, below average. The music is allowed to drown out the vocals, and by and large it sounds like it was recorded in a tin can. With a little loving care, and another good mix down, this album would sound incredible.

 

I must give full credit to the group…musically they were absolutely excellent. I think with another shot in the studio to remaster this recording, Phafner could be appreciated as a legend of psychedelic rock as they so justly deserve.
by Keith Hannaleck

Tracks
1. Plea From The Soul (Dale Shultz) - 5:30
2. Uncle Jerry (G. Smith, S. Smith) - 4:32
3. Wiskey Took My Woman (Phafner) - 5:38
4. Rock and Roll Man (D. Shultz, J. R. Shultz, G. Smith, S. Smith) - 2:59
5. Red Thumb (Phafner) - 4:22
6. Overdrive (Phafner) - 2:50

Phafner
*Tommy Shultz - Bass
*Steve "Gus" Gustafson - Drums
*Dale Shultz - Guitar, Vocals
*Steve "Spider" Smith - Lead Guitar
*Greg "Smitty" Smith - Vocals, Harmonica

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Warlord - Warlord (1974-77 uk, heavy downer rock, 2002 edition)

 Heavy downer rock band, formed in mid seventies. Ivan Coutts (a keyboard player), when he split the Blacksmiths, in search of new blood to take it a step further, he met John Alexander a guitarist who was in a band called The Falling Leaves along with vocalist Richard Roffey.

Although their sound was a dark doom metal in likes of Black Sabbath or Black Widow, they did't have the chance to release a full length album, some recordings made between 1974-1977 and saw the light of day in 2002 by this specific issue.

Tracks
1. Jasmin Queen - 4.26
2. Explorer - 5.51
3. Face Of The Sun - 6.10
4. Warlord - 3.48
5. Lady Killer - 5.10
6. (as The Blacksmiths) - To The Devil A Daughter - 3.29
7. Devil Drink - 4.23
8. Wild Africa - 7.05
9. I See The Warlord - 4.47
10.Face Of The Sun - 4.45
11.The Ring - 4.12
12.Warlord Part II - 2.19

Warlord
 1974-76
*John Alexander - Guitar
*Andy Dunlop - Bass, Acoustic Guitar
*Paul Cantwell - Drums
*Ivan Coutts - Keyboard, Vocals
*Richard Roffey - Vocals
 1977
*John Alexander - Guitar, Vocals
*Andy Dunlop - Bass, Acoustic Guitar
*Paul Cantwell - Drums
The Blacksmiths 1974
*Ivan Coutts - Keyboards, Vocals
*Dave Smith - Lead Guitar
*Chris Pritchard - Rythm Guitar
*Andy Harsent - Bass
*Kip - Drums

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The Fallen Angels - The Roulette Masters Part 2 (1967 us, marvelous garage psych)

 Released within a matter of months of the debut, "It's a Long Way Down" proved an even better effort.  With managers Traynor and Seidal again co-producing, musically the album wasn't a major stylistic change from the debut offering up another mix of folk rock, pop and psych moves. 

That said, the overall results were far more consistent and tighter than the debut, the band having apparently gained considerable confidence in the studio.  Adding Jack Lauritsen to the songwriting collective, ballads such as the acid soaked 'Horn Playing on My Thin Wall', 'Look to the Sun' and the heavily orchestrated 'One of the Few Ones Left' were to-kill-for numbers showcasing the band's commercial side. 

Elsewhere, material such as the lead off track 'Poor Old Man', 'Something You Can Hide In' and 'I'll Drive You from My Mind' underscored the band's trippier edge with great fuzz guitar, stabbing organs and droning vocals.  All told it's easy to see why this one's become a sought after and high priced collectable. 

Unfortunately, unhappy with the band's harder edged sound and ongoing lack of sales Roulette quickly dropped them from its recording roster and by the end of 1969 the members had called it quits.  (The album was originally released with a gatefold sleeve.)

Bad-Cat

Tracks
1. Poor Old Man (J. Bryant, H. Danchik, J. Lauritsen) - 3:41
2. Horn Playing On My Thin Wall (J. Bryant, J. Lauritsen) - 4:25
3. Something You Can Hide In (J. Bryant) - 3:59
4. Tell Me A Story (H. Danchik) - 0:22
5. Silent Garden (H. Danchik) - 1:54
6. Look To The Sun (J. Bryant, J. Lauritsen) - 3:46
7. Left (J. Bryant) - 2:50
8. I Really Love My Mother (H. Danchik) - 1:07
9. Look At The Wind (J. Bryant, J. Lauritsen) - 4:04
10.Didn't I (J. Bryant) - 2:55
11.It's A Long Way Down (J. Bryant) - 2:45
12.I'll Drive You From My Mind (J. Bryant) - 4:19

The Fallen Angels
*Jack Bryant - Vocals, Bass, Kazoo
*Wally Cook - Guitar
*Howard Danchik - Keyboards, Flute
*Richard Kumer - Drums, Percussion 
*Jack Lauritsen - Guitar, Sitar, Vibes

1965-66 The Mad Hatters Meet The Fallen Angels
1967  The Roulette Masters Part 1

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The Fallen Angels - The Roulette Masters Part 1 (1967 us, rouch garage psych)

 Based in Washington, D.C., guitarist Wally Cook had been a member of The Young Rabbits.  In 1965 he hooked up with singer/bassist Jack Bryant and Charlie Jones to form The Disciples.  Within a matter of months they became The Uncalled, followed by a shift to The Fallen Angels. 

The name changes were accompanied by a series of personnel changes, resulting in a line up consisting of Bryant, Cook, keyboardist Howard Danchik, drummer Richard Kumer and guitarist Jack Lauritsen.  Under the tutelage of managers Barry Seidel and Tony Traynor (who'd previously managed Kumer in The Mad Hatters) 1967 saw the group signed by Laurie Records.

Switching to the New York based Roulette Records, saw the band release their first LP -  1968's "The Fallen Angels".  For their part Roulette executives were probably hoping to repeat their Tommy James and the Shondells successes. Boy were the in for a rude surprise. With Seidel and Traynor producing, the band turned in an overlooked psychedelic classic.

Largely written by Bryant and Danchik, material such as "Room At the Top", "Introspective Looking Glass" and "Your Friends Here In Dundeville" was full of hazy lyrics, weird timings, fuzz guitar and sound effects - simply too progressive for mainstream consumption. Mind you, the set wasn't perfect. Bryant's voice was best described as anonymous. 

Also of concern, at this point in time the trippy lyrics weren't likely to do much for radio airplay.  Add to that the fact Seidel's horn arrangements were dull, needless and distracting. Still, the overall results were well worth hearing.

Bad-Cat

Tracks
1. Room At the Top (J. Bryant) - 2:35
2. Love, Don't Talk To Strangers (J. Bryant, H. Danchik) - 1:52
3. Your Friends Here In Dundeville (J. Bryant) - 2:23
4. I've Been Thinking (J. Bryant, H. Danchik) - 1:46
5. It Might Be Easier To Stay Home (J. Bryant, H. Danchik) - 2:07
6. Most Children Do (J. Bryant, H. Danchik) - 3:10
7. Introspective Looking Glass (H. Danchik) - 2:25
8. I Don't Want To Fall (J. Bryant, H. Danchik) - 2:18
9. No Way Out (J. Bryant, H. Danchik) - 2:39
10.Painted Bird (J. Bryant, H. Danchik) - 2:20
11.Your Mother's Homesick Too (G. Meler Jr., R. Decker) - 2:17
12.You Have Changed (H. Danchik) -2 :27

The Fallen Angels
*Jack Bryant - Vocals, Bass, Kazoo
*Wally Cook - Guitar
*Howard Danchik - Keyboards
*John "Thumper' Molly - Drums
*Jack Lauritsen - Guitar, Sitar, Vibes

1965-66 The Mad Hatters Meet The Fallen Angels

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The Amazing Rhythm Aces - Stacked Deck / Too Stuffed To Jump (1975-76 us, fascinating drifting country roots 'n' roll melted with blues and jazzy harmonies)

 The Amazing Rhythm Aces were formed in Memphis in 1974 by bassist Jeff Davis and drummer Butch McDade, who had earlier recorded and toured with the great singer/songwriter Jesse Winchester. After striking out on their own, Davis and McDade enlisted vocalist/guitarist Russell Smith, keyboardist Billy Earheart, Dobro player Barry Burton, and pianist James Hooker to develop a sound composed of equal parts pop, country, and blue-eyed soul.

Their debut album is an edgy effort, rooted in a purer Southern sound, and embracing a soulfulness that their West Coast rivals lacked. The country gospel tune "Life's Railway to Heaven," the funky "The 'Ella B'," the stomping "Hit the Nail on the Head," and the soulful "The Beautiful Lie" would never have been done in as raw, intense, or bracing a fashion by their rivals.

Russell Smith brings a vocal performance to Charlie Rich's "Who Will the Next Fool Be" that sounds like he's channeling the ghost of Sam Cooke. And between those album highlights and the hits "Third Rate Romance" and "Amazing Grace (Used to Be Her Favorite Song)," the group works in a sweetly nostalgic piece called "King of the Cowboys," all about movie and television heroes.

The groups second album is only slightly less inventive than its first, still very countrified compared to most country-rock, and more soulful than most of the competition. The numbers range from rocking stompers like "Typical American Boy" to the lyrical "If I Just Know What to Say," with room in between for some fine western numbers ("The End Is Not in Sight," "Out of the Snow") -- the former a Grammy-winning country tune, the latter a beautiful mandolin workout -- and novelty songs ("A Little Italy Rag").

by Jason Ankeny and  Bruce Eder

Tracks
1. Third Rate Romance - 3:17
2. The 'Ella B' - 4:33
3. Life's Railway To Heaven - 4:20
4. The Beautiful Lie (Butch Mcdade) - 2:54
5. Hit The Nail On The Head - 2:22
6. Who Will The Next Fool Be (Charlie Rich) - 2:48
7. Amazing Grace (Used To Be Her Favorite Song) - 3:17
8. Anything You Want (Russell Smith, James H. Brown Jr.) - 3:48
9. My Tears Still Flow - 3:25
10.Emma Jean - 2:47
11.Why Can't I Be Satisfied - 3:03
12.King Of The Cowboys (Russell Smith, James H. Brown Jr.) - 4:01
13.Typical American Boy (Russell Smith, James H. Brown Jr.) - 3:30
14.If I Just Knew What To Say (Stuart Wright) - 2:06
15.The End Is Not In Sight (The Cowboy Tune) - 3:51
16.Same Ol' Me (Butch Mcdade) - 2:24
17.These Dreams Of Losing You (Russell Smith, James H. Brown Jr.) - 3:29
18.I'll Be Gone - 2:54
19.Out Of The Snow - 3:39
20.Fool For The Woman - 2:43
21.A Little Italy Rag - 2:21
22.Dancing The Night Away (Russell Smith, James H. Brown Jr.) - 5:38
All tracks written by Russell Smith unless stated

The Amazing Rhythm Aces
*Barry Burton - Dobro, Guitars, Mandolin,  Vocals
*Jeff Davis - Bass, Vocals
*Billy Earheart - Keyboards, Organ, Piano
*James Hooker - Clavinet, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals
*Jim Kershaw - Guitar
*Butch Mcdade - Drums, Percussion, Vocals
*Russell Smith - Guitars, Harmonica, Vocals

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