Sid Rumpo – First Offense (1974 aussie, fine hard blues rock with psych and prog shades)

The Sid Rumpo album 'First Offense' was released in 1974. By this time my guitar playing was getting stronger, I almost felt I could play. Somehow this band just evolved. We started talking about in 1971 but two of the guys were students finishing off degrees.

When we eventually gathered together late in 1971 at a house in Mount St, Claremont, we were Bob Searls - guitar and vocal, Ken Wallace - piano and percussion, Owen Hughes (ex Jellyroll Bakers) - bass, and myself on guitar and harmonica. We were lacking a drummer. I think we tried out a few local guys and either we didn't like them or they didn't like us. This led to placing an ad in the musical section of the local Sunday paper. 

The results were well worth it. The day Noel Herridge walked though the door it was a dream come true. He been driving around Australia in a Kombi and just happened to be in Perth at the right time. He had great experience playing with Broderick Smith and Paul Lever in blues bands in Melbourne. He had an awesome feel, just what we were after so it became Noel Herridge - drums.

To cut a long story short, we were very successful in Perth. We were lucky to have three of us who were constantly writing songs; Bob, Ken and myself. We played a lot of gigs and I think opened up the rock scene in Perth to the extent that more venues were booking more rock bands. We won a Hoadley's Battle Of The Bands (not too sure if I should have mentioned that), and in November 1972 we moved to Melbourne to try out in the "big smoke". 

We arrived in Melbourne late in 1972 and quickly went about trying to become established in the local scene. We were signed by Mushroom pretty quickly and appeared at Sunbury1973. We also recorded some live gigs at the Garrison. 

 A trip back to Perth allowed us to be the support band for John Mayall at the WACA. I got to talk with his drummer Keef Hartley, who made some fabulous albums with his own band. In our early days, we did a couple of his tracks. His first few albums are just great, I still listen to them.

By about August 1973 I was pretty burned out or freaked out or whatever and decided to return to Perth. I was a partner in 78 Records and went straight back into the business.

The guys picked up a great new guitarist, Mick Elliot, who I think was a better fit than I was. I wanted to improvise and the other guys wanted to rock a lot more. Mick was a great rock guitar player and the band progressed to recording an album, known as First Offense that charted. They also played Sunbury 1974. 

by John Hood

Tracks
1. Spotlight - 5:56
2. Breakin' My Back - 4:14
3. Spider Curry - 1:43
4. Sailing - 8:31
5. The Riddle - 5:14
6. Don't Bug Me Boogie - 3:59
7. Song With No Trees - 8:13
8. Poor Man's Orange - 2:00
All songs by Sid Rumpo

Sid Rumpo
*Mick Elliot - Guitar, Vocals
*Robert "Rob" Searls - Guitar, Vocals
*Ken Wallace - Piano, Percussion
*Noel Herridge - Drums, Percussion
*Owen Hughes - Bass
*John Hood - Guitar

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Jaklin - Jaklin (1969 uk, magnificent hard psych blues rock)

Variety within the somewhat strict framework of the btues format is something fate and elusive, and although musicians aspire to it and audiences long for it, failure and disappointment are usually their respective regards. Yet unlike so many other musical forms, Variety Mithin btues does not necessarily mean an excess of complexity, sophistication, poetry or melody: it is the continuity of blues and genuine personal feelings that constitutes the prime essential for without it everything doiVn to the most basic twelve bar becomes inherently meaningless. 

This first album by Jaklin demonstrates hour a young composer and singer with an ingrained feeling for contemporary btues manages to produce songs which are both emotionally evokative yet simple enough to be tremendously vehicular - just take a listen to the leaving and pounding, the blending and harmony of the instrumentation on most of the tracks on this LP.

Particularly interesting is the rolling arrangement on "Song To Katherine", a piece with a strong New Orleans atmosphere, or as a contrast the tinkling piano on the mellow "I Can't Go On". As a performer Jaklin sets a high standard of variety - this set kicks off with "Rosie", a raunchy adaptation of an African tribal number that Nina Simone once recorded as "Be My Husband", while in absolute contrast an acoustic guitar opens "Look For Me Baby", a folk-based blues. 

"Early In The Morning" had Jaklin demonstrating a blues shouting technique that merges subtly into the jazz vocal field, and many of the instrumental passages on the LP consist of basic improvisations. In a lighter mood, "Going Home" could easily be a John Lee Hooker song and arrangement from the late fifties or early sixties utith the inspirational influences of rock'n'roll rhythms stamped out all over it. 

Jaklin's Vocals are consistent throughout - the voice itself is a typical piece of British blues workmanship, urith the influence of Alexis Korner coming through strongly certainly Korner's "The Same For You" could Well be a track from an Alexis LP. 

Both sides are rounded off iVith tuVetVe bar numbers ana* "Catfish Blues" which ends the set is undoubtedly one of the most powerfully uncompromising ethnic blues cuts on a British LP today. At 24, Jaklin has been living and playing the blues for many years. This LP marks an important phase not only in his career but in the British blues movement in general.

by Norman Jopling, 1969 (Liner notes from the original album)

Tracks
1. Rosie (Traditional arr, by T, Eyre) - 2:01
2. Song To Katherine - 5:14
3. Look For Me baby - 3:06
4. Early In The Morning (Traditional arr, by T, Eyre) - 2:48
5. Just Been Left Again - 4:50
6. The Same For You (Alexis Korner) - 3:12
7. I Can't Go On - 4:49
8. Going Home - 2:42
9. I'm Leaving - 3:44
10.Catfish Blues (Traditional arr, by T, Eyre) - 4:34
All songs by Jaklin except ehere indicated

Jaklin
*Tommy Eyre - Piano, Organ
*Jaklin - Vocals, Guitar
*Andy Rae - Bass
*John Pearson - Drums

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The Flow - The Flow's Greatest Hits (1972 us, terrific rough psych jam rock, Shadoks release)

In the late 1960's I went to Brooklyn Technical High School in New York City. For me. musk was already much more important than school, and when I befriended a guitarist in my class, named Monte Farber, it was to become a long lasting, close and productive relationship. A half-hour subway ride away, Monte had a couple of friends who got together at his house to play musk. My first trip there introduced me to Steve Starer. a talented drummer and fellow hippie, as well as to Bruce Sirota, who took on Bass guitar responsibilities in our newly-born ensemble The bond was called Drunken Dog.

I had been writing original songs on my 12-strinq guitar and I was now inspired to write pieces that the band could play, along with the cover tunes we were doing. Monte wrote a couple of songs, too. It was a wild time- Vietnam protests, LSD, the birth of progressive rock and roll and new ideas. We shared a lot of emotionally and spiritually meaningful experiences, including a two day, drug-induced concert in the auditorium of Baruch College during a student protest. I remember falling asleep on the grand piano afterwards, in a large darkened auditorium, with hallucinations still keeping me company.

In those rebellious and psychedelic times, we all decided to move into a large loft apartment, at the comer of Grand and Mulberry Streets, in the heart of Little Italy in lower Manhattan. We struggled to survive in the real world, barely earning enough to pay for food at times, while developing our musical horizons. We also started recording our jam sessions. I am amazed we survived those days, although I am not sure if Bruce did. He started going his own way and hanging with a crowd that was even too extreme for the rest of us. 

Eventually, Monte moved to Bass and we became a 3 piece band- the FLOW. We rented a room at 10 East 23rd Street from Michael Chassid, who owned the building and Jams rehearsal studios. Also renting a room was Wicked Lester, a band later to be known as KISS Managing the rehearsal studio allowed us to use the space for our own musical explorations, and many great, late night jams occurred in that sacred room. At the same time, we met a guitar teacher, Paul Avakian, who loved our musk and helped promote us in N.Y.C. We actually took the drapes off the balcony windows and wrapped them around us , like robes, for an album photo.

This ted to our playing in bed sheet "robes" at our next few concerts, as captured on the cover photo, which is from a concert near the Fulton Street Rsh Market. I can still smell the fish! We used to hang out at Paul's high scale apartment and sneak pot out of his dad's dresser draw to catch a buzz! Paul helped us produce an album. At his house there was a very primitive synthesizer with all sorts of knobs and patch cables. I used this keyboard to add strange tones to the FLOW album. Our state of the art recorder was all of 4 tracks! We mode the most of it, however.

To get the most out of this early effort, we went to a very talented engineer, Frank Kulaga, whom I had met through a summer job at a recording studio. He helped us mix the tracks With our very limited funds, we could only complete half the project so we released the record with one blank side! Later on, we remastered it with more material. The two sided album is very difficult to find nowadays!

The Flow played many gigs in and around N.Y.C. including a concert before thousands in Central Park, sharing the billing with another, wonderful progressive instrumental bond, Wolfbane, but we never recorded another album. The band got more and more into extended, experimental jamming, and the instrumental {am included on this CD, Baghdad Express, (which I supplied as an afterthought) is one rare recorded testimony to that.

Our paths have diverged over the years, initiated by my moving to Tucson in the early 70's. Monte Farber continued to explore the spiritual seeking that had informed The Flow's music and went on to become, with his artist wife, Amy Zerner, one of the world's foremost experts on tarot, astrology, and other metaphysical subjects and now has over one million copies of his fifteen books in print in nine languages, most notably "The Enchanted Tarot," "The Instant Tarot Reader," "Karma Cards," "The Psychic Circle," and "Gifts of The Goddess Affirmation Cards." They also share the secrets of their legendary twenty-eight year marriage in "Love, Light, and Laughter." 

Their website is: www.TheEnchantedWorld.com He still plays music for fun and just bought a five-string Lakland Skyline bass, which he loves. Steve Starer became a computer expert and is married with two children, Marcy and Zach. Last time I spoke to him he said he hadn't touched a drum in ages. I loved his playing, but everyone follows his own path. Monte, Steve and I have taken three different roads since then, but in many ways I still consider them my brothers.

Since moving to Tucson I have fronted my own fusion groups over the last two decades, including Beyond Words, and prior to that shared songwriting, and played lead guitar with Mark Wolfe and Northstar, and international recording artist, Louis Vine Blanche. More recently I performed concerts of Jimi Hendrix's musk, with Hendrix 2000, and composed and performed several pieces for orchestra, most notably my Concerto for Electric Guitar and Orchestra, performed with the Catalina Chamber Orchestra in 1999. The past decade has also brought me to fruition as a sitarist and serious performer of classical music of India. 

I have a wonderful twenty-seven year old son. Tree, who is a superb guitarist and musician in his own right. It's been a great musical journey, and it continues still, stronger than ever at age fiftythree. Through it all, I have never forgotten the great music the Flow made, and the closeness we shared as friends. I am very pleased that people are still listening and enjoying the fruits of that collaboration after thirty years.

by Pete Fine, May, 2003

Tracks
1. It Swallowed The Sun - 4:55
2. Searchin' - 3:09
3. Funny Funkin' Woman - 3:18
4. Mediations - 3:16
5. Toccata (Bach) - 2:57
6. Bijinkes - 2:39
7. Mousely - 2:07
8. Troubadour Between Sets - 2:44
9. Third Movement - 1:52
10.Get Up & Smile - 2:13
11.Sunday Night Randoms (Flow) - 0:50
12.I Saw A Dog - 0:31
13.Insanity Creeping - 5:01 -
14.Things We Said Today (Flow) - 4:07
15.Baghdad Express (Flow) - 3:45
16.Wynds - 3:50
All songs by Pete Fine unless as else stated
Bonus tracks 14-16

The Flow
*Pete Fine - Guitars, Vocals, Synthesizer
*Monte Farber - Armstrong Bass, Vocals
*Steve Starer - Drums, Waterpipe

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Souls Of Inspyration - The Souls Of Inspyration (1970 canada, a melodic bridge between late psych and early prog)

Red Lake, Ontario soft-psych rockers the Souls of Inspyration made the requisite bar slog across Central Canada before setting up shop in Sherbrooke, Quebec in late 1968. There, they recruited keyboardist Raymond Cloutier, morphed their sound into a murkier psychedelic mix and toured Quebec with the likes of Vanilla Fudge and Tommy James and the Shondells, thus solidifying their fan base across the belle province. A battle-of-the-bands competition at Montreal's Man and His World exposition in July 1970 won the band a fortnight slot at the Canada pavilion at Expo 70 in Osaka, Japan. 

by Michael Panontin

Their sole LP released, for the Canadian branch of Columbia Records. As with labelmates Jarvis Street Revue and It's All Meat, press runs for these LP's numbered in the four-digit range at best, nowhere near the quantities US counterparts The Byrds or Mitch Miller (or heck, even Hampton Grease Band) commanded, and all have become sought-after psychedelic arty-facts. So, what about the music you ask? A melodic bridge betwixt late psych and early prog, with a solid foundation of organ and driving rhythm, well-placed stinging guitar leads, and forceful vocals saying everything and nothing simultaneously. 33 minutes, seven tracks and not a loser in the bunch. From the mastertape, original cover artwork and liner notes preserved for the ages."

Forced-Exp

Tracks
1. Pursuit (Marc Paradis) -  2:40
2. Stranger (John Maciejewski) - 2:59
3. Sunshines In Winter - 3:10
4. Dil Kusha (Hearts Happiness) - 6:42
5. Of Lambs And Wolves - 6:10
6. Eyes Of Nature - 3:29
7. Seasons Of Change -  5:18
8. Brand New Day - 1:58
All song by Marc Paradis, John Maciejewski except where indicated

The Souls Of Inspyration
John Maciejewski  - Lead Guitar, Lead Vocals
Raymond Cloutier  - Hammond Organ, Piano, Vocals
Marc Paradis  - Drums, Vocals
Don Wilson  - Bass

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The Herd - The Complete Herd (1965-71 uk, multi blend psychedelia with young P. Frampton, 2005 remaster, digi pack two disc set)

The Herd were formed at the height of the Mod boom in 1965, joining the scores of groups playing rock and R&B around the London clubs. They quickly made a name for themselves as a tight and exciting on-stage unit, and particular note was taken of both the photogenic good looks and guitar prowess of Frampton. His previous band, The Preachers, had made a single for EMI's Columbia label.

The Herd signed to EMI in the spring of 1965, and a single, "Goodbye Baby", was released on Parlophone in June of that year. It made very little impact however, and neither did two follow-up releases, and EMI dropped the band.

They were still popular on stage and soon came to the notice of Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley, the songwriting team who were riding high with the successes of Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich. Howard and Blaikley became the Herd's managers, got them signed to Fontana and took over the writing of their material.

The first single under this new arrangement, the catchy "I Can Fly", failed to enter the charts, but of their other efforts, "From The Underworld" made No. 6 in '67, while "Paradise Lost" and "I Don't Want Our Loving To Die" reached Nos 15 and 5 respectively in 1968.

The group's teen appeal was largely attributable to Peter Frampton, voted 'the face of 1968' in the music journals. But after the failure of the "Sunshine Cottage" Frampton left the group. He resurfaced later in the decade alongside Steve Marriott (ex Small Faces) in the hard-rocking "supergroup" Humble Pie.

This superb double disc set has a wealth of tracks that coverstheir career, featuring early single releases from 1965 as well as hits from 1967-68, tracks from their ‘Paradise Lost’ album and other earlyrecordings. Peter Frampton recalls the story of The Herd in an exclusive interview for liner notes and discusses the origins of the songs and the band’s distinctive style.

Tracks

Disc 1

1. I Can Fly (Howard, Blaikley) - 3:13

2. Diary Of A Narcissist (Howard, Blaikley) - 2:11

3. From The Underworld (Howard, Blaikley) - 3:16

4. Sweet William (Bown, Frampton) - 2:19

5. Paradise Lost (Blaikley) - 3:33

6. Come On - Believe Me (Taylor) - 2:50 

7. I Don't Want Our Loving To Die (Howard, Blaikley) - 2:59

8. Our Fairy Tale (Bown, Frampton) - 2:40

9. Sunshine Cottage (Bown, Frampton) - 3:03

10.Miss Jones (Taylor) - 3:21

11.Game (Findon, Shelley) - 2:56

12.Beauty Queen (Filthy) - 1:55

13.You've Got Me Hanging From Your Lovin' Tree (Ford) - 3:06

14.I Don't Wanna Go To Sleep Again (Hammond, Hazlewood) - 2:13

15.Understand Me (Bown, Frampton) - 2:29

16.Follow The Leader (Hammond, Hazlewood) - 2:15

17.Charlie Anderson (Martin, Coulter) - 2:56

18.Bang! (Martin, Coulter) - 2:28

19.Mother's Blue Eyed Angel (Bown, Frampton) - 2:59

20.Laugh And Dance And Sing (Bown, Frampton) - 2:05

21.Sugarloaf Mountain (Taylor) - 2:23

22.Fare Thee Well, Instrumental Reprise (Half Of Me) (Steele) - 1:31

23.Sweet William (Bown, Frampton) - 2:10

24.I Don't Want Our Loving To Die (Howard, Blaikley) - 2:59

25.Game (Findon, Shelley) - 2:55

Disc 2
1. From the Underworld (Howard, Blaikley) - 3:17
2. On My Way Home (Bown, Frampton) - 2:03
3. I Can Fly (Howard, Blaikley) - 3:12
4. Goodbye Groovy (Howard, Blaikley) - 2:45
5. Mixed Up Minds (Bown, Frampton) - 2:39
6. Impressions of Oliver (Bown, Frampton) - 4:47
7. Paradise Lost (Howard, Blaikley) - 3:36
8. Sad (Howard, Blaikley) - 3:15
9. Something Strange (Howard, Blaikley) - 2:55
10.On Your Own (Frampton) - 3:18
11.She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not (Bown, Frampton) - 2:59
12.Fare Thee Well (Steele) - 3:58
13.Come On - Believe Me (Taylor) - 2:51
14.Our Fairy Tale (Bown, Frampton) - 2:39
15.You've Got Me Hanging from Your Loving Tree (Ford) - 3:05
16.I Don't Wanna Go to Sleep Again (Hammond, Hazlewood) - 2:25
17.Goodbye's Baby (Baby Goodbye) (Rusell, Farell) - 3:34
18.Here Comes the Fool (Martin, Peujahn) - 3:20
19.She Was Really Saying Something (Holland, Whitefield, Stevenson) - 2:45
20.It's Been a Long Time Baby (Galf, Callier) - 2:15
21.Too Much in Love (Jagger, Richards) - 2:15
22.This Boy's Always Been True (Taylor, Bown) - 2:53
23.Good Citizen (Bown, Frampton) - 2:49

The Herd
*Peter Frampton - Guitar, Vocals (1967-68)
*Andy Bown - Keyboards, Bass, Vocals (1965-69)
*Gary Taylor - Bass, Guitar, Vocals (1965-69)
*Andrew Steele - Drums, Vocals (1966-69)
*Tony Chapman - Drums (1965-66),
*Terry Clark - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals (1965-66),
*Henry Spinetti - Drums (1969)

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Amazing Blondel - Blondel (1973 uk, marvelous progressive folk rock, with S. Winwood, P. Rodgers a.o.)

In the broad brush world of progressive rock and its many sub genres, the transitional album is a fascinating beast. Some of the best offerings in history could be so described, as the band has its feet in two eras, the one past and well documented, the other in a yet unrealized future.

In the realm of these denizens, "Blondel" is the representative from Amazing Blondel and, depending on your taste, you might regard it as their best. Because it is not quite as unique as their previous efforts, I cannot quite succumb to such platitudes, but suffice to say it is definitely up there.

Without the minstrel John Gladwin himself, AB could have easily packed it in. He really was their sound in so many ways. He wrote most of the songs and did most of the singing, but instrumentally they were group efforts, and Baird and Wincott had to be influenced in the songwriting department by Gladwin's legacy.

I would not be surprised to learn that they had actually written quite a bit in the preceding 3 years, because what is presented on "Blondel" is like what came before, except that it sounds influenced by 300 year old music rather than the real deal.

Even the subject matter has not changed that much, except that the focus is more on boy-girl romance rather than love of countryside. It's all romance anyway. The harmonies, acoustic instrumentation, heavenly melodies and earnest demeanour all remain. This version may not be as idiosyncratic, but it is just as authentic.

One other characteristic has been inherited - the tendency to front load albums. The components of Side 1 are all breathtaking, enhanced by judicious orchestral introductions and energetic and optimistic verses and choruses.

The one that holds up best is "Young Man's Fancy", with its upbeat yet soothing approach and lovely fadeout, but both "Leaving of the Country Lover" and the Paul Rodgers backed "Easy Come Easy Go" are both fluid and captivating.

The latter could have been a hit single in its day, and is the first recorded association with Free/Bad Company personnel. Side 2 does contain several gems - "Sailing" and the melodically innovative "Festival".

In retrospect, these modest fellows need not have implied that they were no longer amazing when they labelled this disk.

It is of typically high quality and warrants a place in your collection if you ever thought of including soft rock on your top shelf 

by Keneth Levine

Tracks
1. Prelude - 2:19
2. Leaving Of The Country Lover - 4:15
3. Young Man's Fancy - 5:18
4. Easy Come, Easy Go - 3:30
5. Solo - 2:38
6. Sailing - 4:32
7. Lesson One - 3:00
8. Festival - 4:25
9. Weaver's Market - 3:44
10.Depression - 3:25
All songs written by Eddie Baird

Amazing Blondel
*Eddie Baird - Vocals, Guitar
*Terry Wincott - Vocals , Guitar, Percussion, Flute, Crumhorn, Piano, Recorders
Guest Musicians
*Paul Rodgers - Vocal
*Steve Winwood - Bass
*Sue Glover - Vocal
*Sunny Leslie - Vocal
*Simon Kirke - Drums
*Adrian Hopkins - Harpsichord, String Arrangements

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John Dummer Blues Band - Cabal / John Dummer Band (1969 uk, stunning blues rock. 2010 double disc remaster)

The debut album “Cabal” owes more than a bit to the Kelly offspring, Dave and Jo Ann. Whose folks - affectionately known as Flo and Andy - run Dan's Cafe at Morden and serve the best soul food in South London Except Andy's superlative bread pudding is no more since a geezer started coming in who likes crusts - and it's not worth wasting the middle of the loaf on bread pudding.

Dave began playing guitar and singing blues round folk clubs after he came back from the States in 1966 He had knocked about with (well met, anyway) Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker in New York and when he got home says he couldn't face jobbing nine to five. Instead he soon built up a strong following in the clubs, and in 1967 made a big impression at the Dutch Blues Festival.

When he joined the band two years ago he hadn't played amplified blues at all, and his powerful guitar and vocal style today owe a lot to those early years of country blues playing. Dave's sister Jo Ann is undoubtedly the finest female blues artist in the country today. But along with her rare talent goes a strong fear of being manipulated and tied down. So she regularly turns down contractual offers from record companies even declined an invitation to join Canned Heat when they were over here recently.

T.S. McPhee - "Mac" to his mates sometimes conies up with staccatto monologues of disjointed words and phrases that can be as moving as his brilliant guitar playing But you'll probably only hear him on guitar Mac was the original guitarist with John Lee's Groundhogs. Has hacked lohn Lee Hooker, Little Walter, Lddie Boyd and limmy Reed during then British tours, and worked with lohn Mavall lorn time. John O'Leary  whom Champion Jack Dupree once called 'the best harp player since Sonny Boy Williamson was a founder member of Savov Brown Blues Band. And has an amazing collection of post-war blues records and old out-ol-ume harps which he doesn't use any more.

On rhythm section there's lain 'Thumper" Thomson on lender Precision hass. who just got his decree in sociology despite spending all his waking hours with the hand. And me - ot assorted multi-coloured drum kit. Backing on piano was supplied by Steve Miller, and Keith Tillman added his bass to “I Need Love” “Just A feeling” . 'Siting And Thinking. 'When You Got A Good Friend’  and “Hound Dog”.  The recording itself was patiently produced by Brian Shepherd and beautifully engineered by Dave Voyde in Mercury's London studios To all - our thanks.

by John Dummer, original "Cabal' liner notes

Tracks

Cabal 

1. I Need Love (Dave Kelly) - 2:40

2. Just A Feeling (Jacobs) - 2:53

3. No Chance With You (Kelly) - 3:13

4. Young Fashioned Ways (Dixon) - 3:12

5. Sitting And Thinking (Morganfield) - 4:02

6. Low Down Santa Fe (Kelly) - 5:39

7. When You Got A Good Friend (McPhee, Kelly) - 3:27

8. Welfare Blues (Thimpson) - 4:10

9. Hound Dog (Otis) - 3:02

10.Blue Guitar (Hooker) - 5:48

11.After Hours (Paige) - 2:36

12.Daddy Please Don’t Cry (Kirkland) - 3:37

The John Dummer Band
13.Few Short Lines (Traditional arr. Kelly) - 3:48
14.Bullfrog Blues (Traditional arr. Kelly) - 3:43
15.Try Me One More Time (Kelly) - 3:02
16.Money And Fame (Ryga) - 2:35
17.Reconsider Baby (Fulson) - 4:53
18.Riding At Midnight (Burnett) - 3:20
19.Ain’t Gonna Work No More (Kelly) - 5:31
20.Big Feeling (Kelly) - 2:30
21.Memphis Minnie (Traditional arr. Kelly) - 2:54
22.Birds And Booze Blues (Kelly) - 4:56
23.Skin Game (Traditional arr. Kelly) - 3:58

The John Dummer Blues Band 
*Dave Kelly - Bottleneck Guitar, Vocals, Kazoo
*T.S. McPhee - Guitar, Vocals (on "Cabal" Album Only)
*John O'Leary - Harmonica
*Thumper Thomson - Bass
*John Dummer - Drums
*Jo Ann Kelly – Vocals
*Adrian Pietryga – Guitar (on 2nd Album only)
*Bob Hall – Piano

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Vivian Stanshall - Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead (1974 uk, inspired multi styles eccentric prog rock, feat. S. Winwood, J. Capaldi a.o.)

Four years out of the Bonzo Dog Band, Viv Stanshall's debut album arrived more than two years after he first started work on it, a long gestation that even he acknowledged was punctuated by some dark droughts of inspiration. "It's all about frustration," he continued, "It's one long squawk." The scars did not, however, show. From the moment the single, the Afro-centric "Lakonga," hit the airwaves, it was clear that Stanshall's characteristic eye for both intriguing melody and infuriating experimentation had not been diminished. 

The key to the album was the opening "Afoju Ti Ole Riran (Dead Eyes)," a painfully personal tirade directed against the music business. Despite his fame and reputation, Stanshall continued to be marginalized by the industry at large, at the same time as he himself hated the demands that it made upon him. "Truck Track," an ode to the weary life on the road, and "Red-Eye," sketching some of the less pleasant characteristics of his own industry associates, make that very plain. 

More traditional territory is stalked by the blues "Yelp Bellow Rasp Et Cetera," with its helpful lexicon of bluesy language, but still a wary eye focuses cynically on his audience -- "don't fade me out, you b-b-b-beasts. I intended to mention disappearing tigers and commitment" -- while the lackadaisically Caribbean "How the Zebra Got It Spots" would probably have made an excellent novelty hit, but for Stanshall's decision to rhyme "let-it-be-ness" with "a certain penis." "Dwarf Succulents," too, cannot resist lunging for the ribald jugular, with its easy listening analysis of the post-coital afterglow; the punch line comes from the breathy girl chorus with whom Stanshall has been trading back and forth throughout the song. "How was it for you?" he asks, once he's finished elucidating his own satisfaction. "Oh," they trill. "So-so." 

The album closes with the booze-soaked "Bout of Sobriety" and a final song that, were one to feel especially portentous, could be described as Stanshall's own "Jugband Blues," the merciless self-analysis of "Strange Tongues" ("Fear follows in the wake of sleepless days, foul yellow fright as thick as mayonnaise"). It's a haunting song, and a slightly frightening one, all the more so since Stanshall's delivery, as always, is poised so close to the edge of parody that it's easy to believe that he's telling a joke. Unfortunately, he isn't. 

For all its darkness, though, Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead is an easy album to love, all the more so since Stanshall made so few attempts to follow it up. Of the three solo albums that he subsequently cut, only Teddy Boys Don't Knit ventured into the same musical waters as Umbrellas. Pair them together, and you would truly have an album for the ages. 

by Dave Thompson

Tracks
1. Afoju Ti Ole Riran (Dead Eyes) (V. Stanshall, Caspar Lawal) - 3:51
2. Truck-Track - 4:48
3. Yelp, Bellow, Rasp Et Cetera - 1:01
4. Prong - 5:08
5. Redeye - 4:50
6. How The Zebra Got His Spots - 2:09
7. Dwarf Succulents - 2:49
8. Bout Of Sobriety - 1:42
9. Prong & Toots Go Steady - 6:57
10.Strange Tongues - 3:42
11.Baba Tunde (Single B-Side) (V. Stanshall, Caspar Lawal) - 5:08
12.Lakonga (Single A-Side) (V. Stanshall, Caspar Lawal) - 3:25
All muck written by Vivian Stanshall except where noted.

Musicians
*Vivian Stanshall - Vocals, Recorder, Euphonium, Ukulele, Chelonian Pipes
*Anthony "Bubs" White - Electric Guitar
*Steve Winwood - Bass Guitar, Organ
*Caspar Lawal - Talking Drums, Congas, Xylophone, Drum
*Neil Innes - Piano, Slide Guitar,
*Jim Capaldi - Drum Kit, Lesser Log
*Deryk Quinn - Cabassa, Nigerian Coffee Tables, Greater Log
*Ric Grech - Violin
*Reebop Kwaku Baah - Congas
*Doris Troy, Madeline Bell, Barry St. John - Backing Vocals
*Ayus Ape, Gani, Caspar Lawal - Male Yoruba Chorus
*Winwood's West Indian Taxi Driver - Bass Guitar (tracks 11, 12)
*Winwood's West Indian Taxi Driver's Friend - Drum Kit (tracks 11, 12)

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Key Largo - Key Largo (1970 uk, fine blues rock with jazzy mood, 2004 remaster)

"Key Largo may best be described as a group of musicians seeking to create something fresh and unique within the supposed musical boundaries of what most people would simply term blues" state the sleeve notes to their album. In fact what's on offer is pretty British blues rock produced by Mike Vernon, and released through the Blue Horizon label. with lots of harmonica, percussion and brass arrangements in places. The album includes cover versions of Willie Dixon, Alain Toussaint, B.B.King and P. Mayfield songs. 

Tracks include the soul/funk orientated “Give It Up” with a brass arrangement; the slow number “As The Years Go Passing By”, which features some good blues guitar work, and “Come On And Get It Baby”, written by thirties English pianist Stanley Black - an instrumental with jazzy electric piano, sharp guitar chords and percussion by Kenny Lamb who later went on to Jellybread.

by Costas Arvanitis

Tracks
1. Big Chief - 1:27
2. Axe And The Wind - 1:38
3. Give It Up - 2:42
4. What Do I Do With It - 1:54
5. Stranger In My Own Home Town - 2:54
6. That Did It - 5:01
7. Big Chief (Part 2) - 2:21
8. Come On And Get It Baby (If You Want It) Bit One - 3:03
9. Get In It - 2:08
10.Come On And Get It Baby (If You Want It) Bit Two - 1:03
11.O. S. Blues (Otis Spann) - 3:17
12.Wrapped Up In Love Again - 2:15
13.Biscayne Bay - 1:54
14.As The Years Go Passing By - 5:31

Key Largo  
*Pat McAuliffe - Vocals
*Laurence 'Laurie' Garman - Harmonica
*Laurie Sanford - Guitar
*Bob Savage - Keyboards
*Tom Stead - Bass
*Kenny Lamb - Drums

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Foghat - Fool For The City (1975 uk, classic hard boogie 'n' roll, 2008 ultradisc MFSL)

After building a solid core audience through relentless touring and a string of hard-rocking albums, Foghat finally hit the big time in 1975 with Fool for the City. It still stands out as the best album in the group's catalog because it matched their road-tested abilities as hard rockers to a consistent set of tunes that were both well-crafted and ambitious.

The tone for the album is set by its title track: This hard-rocking gem not only pairs riff-driven verses with an effective shout-along chorus, but also throws in a few surprising moments where the guitars are taken out of the mix completely and Nick Jameson's bass is allowed to take the lead in a funky breakdown. Fool for the City also produced an enduring rock radio favorite in "Slow Ride," a stomping rock tune that transcends the inherent cliches of its "love is like a car ride" lyrics with a furious performance from the band and a clever arrangement that works in well-timed automotive sound effects during the verses and plays up the band's ability to work an R&B-styled groove into their hard-rocking sound (again, note the thumping bassline from Jameson).

Further radio play was earned with "Take It or Leave It," an acoustic-based ballad that worked synthesizers into its subtle yet carefully layered arrangement to become one of the group's finest slow numbers. The album's other songs don't stand like the aforementioned selections, but they all flow together nicely thanks to a consistently inspired performance from the band and clever little arrangement frills that keep the group's boogie-oriented rock fresh (example: the witty spoken word bit at the end of "Drive Me Home"). All in all, Fool for the City is both Foghat's finest achievement in the studio and one of the high points of 1970s hard rock.

by Donald A. Guarisco

Tracks

1. Fool for the City (Peverett) – 4:31

2. My Babe (Hatfield) – 4:34

3. Slow Ride (Peverett) – 8:07

4. Terraplane Blues (Robert Johnson) – 5:40

5. Save Your Loving (For Me) (Price, Peverett) – 3:31

6. Drive Me Home (Peverett) – 3:52

7. Take It or Leave It (Jameson, Peverett) - 4:54

Foghat

*Lonesome Dave Peverett - Lead Vocals, Guitar

*Rod "The Bottle" Price - Guitar, Slide, Steel Guitar , Vocals

*Roger Earl - Drums, Percussion

*Nick Jameson -Bass, Keyboards, Guitar, Vocals

Foghat

1972  Foghat (1st Album, Japan remaster)

1973  Rock And Roll (Japan remaster)

1974  Energized (Japan remaster)

1974  Rock And Roll Outlaws (Japan remaster)

Related Acts

1967-68  Savoy Brown - Shake Down / Getting To The Point

1969-70  Savoy Brown - Raw Sienna / Looking In

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