If - Europe '72 (1972 uk, sparkling jazz prog rock, Repertoire issue)

The "Europe ’72" album serves as both a timely reminder of a great band and also fills the gap left by the studio albums. "Our performance on those albums was never quite right. We'd record a new song but they'd only start to develop once we’d played them on gigs." Jim agrees: "This captures the essence of the 'live' band. There's one track on here that Dick wrote called "What Did I Say About The Box Jack?" that we used to play at every gig. On this CD it goes on for about twenty minutes. We used to tag things on and it became longer and longer!" The strange title comes from an episode when the band were recording the song for their first studio album. Lew Futterman's friend Jack McDuff was in the control booth and they were having a heated discussion. 

Lew's voice suddenly came over the PA saying: "What did I say about the box, Jack?" Well, you work it out. Some of the songs like "Waterfall" were first heard on the album "If 4" but these are all different 'takes.' The band's main soloists are featured in turn. Dick plays an extended flute solo on "Waterfall" and John Mealing plays piano on "The Light Still Shines" followed by Morrissey on soprano sax; Terry Smith gets stuck into an angular guitar solo on "Sector 17" and Dick plays tenor on "Throw Myself To The Wind" and more flute on "I Couldn't Write And Tell You".  John Mealing switches to organ for "Your City Is Falling" which also provides a drum feature for Dennis Elliott. Everyone gets to shine on "What Did I Say About The Box Jack?" which also has a powerful blues vocal from John Hodkinson. The demise of the original If was hastened when Dick Morrissey became ill in the Summer of 1972 and the band came off the road.

Dennis Elliott went on to join Foreigner which became hugely successful, while Mealing and Richardson left to pursue separate careers. John Hodkinson sang with Darryl Way's Wolf ("Night Music" LP, 1974). He later returned to his home in Manchester where he still sings locally. Jim played in the house band at London's Talk Of The Town venue for a few years, and also toured with Georgie Fame. 

Dave Quincy formed new group Zzebra with Terry Smith which included Loughty Amao (flute and tenor sax), Gus Yeadon (piano and vocals), Liam Genockey (drums) and John McCoy (bass). They released the "Zzebra" album in 1974, then Terry left to go to Sweden with Dick where they lived with their families for a while. Dick later revived If for the final albums "Double Diamond" (1973), "Not Just Another Bunch Of Pretty Faces" (1974), and "Tea Break Is Over, Back On Your Heads" (1975). The following year Dick began working with guitarist Jim Mullen in Morrissey/Mullen. Dick also did some work with Herbie Mann and the Average White Band in New York.

by Chris Welch, London, 1997 

Tracks
1. Waterfall (D. Morrissey, B. Morrissey) - 4:40
2. The Light Still Shines (Quincy, Humphrey) - 5:00
3. Sector 17 (Quincy) - 8:06
4. Throw Myself To The Wind (D. Morrissey, B. Morrissey) - 4:01
5. I Couldn't Write And Tell You (Quincy) - 9:45
6. Your City Is Falling (Quincy) - 5:47
7. What Did I Say About The Box, Jack? (D. Morrissey) - 20:20

If
*Dennis Elliott – Drums
*JW Hodkinson – Lead Vocals, Percussion
*John Mealing – Keyboards, Backing Vocals
*Dick Morrissey – Tenor, Soprano Saxophones, Flute
*Dave Quincy – Tenor, Alto Saxophones
*Jim Richardson – Bass
*Terry Smith – Guitar

1970  If - If (Repertoire remaster)
1970  If - If 2  (Repertoire remaster)
1971  If - If 3 (Repertoire remaster)
1972  If - If 4 (Repertoire remaster)
1972  Waterfall (Repertoire remaster)
Related Acts
1968  Terry Smith - Fall Out
1974  Zzebra - Zzebra

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Shag - Shag (1969 us, groovy heavy fuzz psych blues rock, 2005 Gear Fab edition)

First based in Milwaukee band, The Shag released, over the 60’s two punk/garage singles (the first one under the name The Shags), which are to be found on various compilations.

In 1969 the final version of the group, which now had moved to California also have recorded a full album of material at “PHR” at the open hours when Grateful Dead were not recording and creating their “Working Man’s Dead”. Although the recordings were promising they never got a record deal with it and they remained unknown and unreleased until now.

Here the group plays hard, mostly bluesy, psychedelic rock with great fuzz guitars and a good rhythm section, as perfect music for night club performances, not only suitable to get drunk on beer to. “Gypsies on the Forest” is my favourite track, -a classic if you ask me, a bit reminiscent of Rufus Zuphall-, which is very rhythmic-melodic and has great rocking flute.

“Mad Matter” has a great late night fuzz jam rock drive, and some mad laughter on the background. “Riddle” is a harder rock song, while “Anyone’s Song” is an ok common ’baby' rock song. “Cold Duck Wino” continues this way slightly more calmy rocking, with fine fuzz solos. "Lavender Tab, Ooh dilly dilly" is like the first track, has again a partial rhythmical-melodic partly song drive, while "Lovely Lady" rhythmically is a calmer rock song with some more fuzz. 

Psych-music

Tracks
1. Gypsies In The Forest - 03:06
2. Mad Hatter - 02:58
3. Riddle - 02:47
4. Anyone's Song - 02:46
5. Cold Duck Wino - 06:17
6. Lavendar Tab, Ooh Dilly Dilly - 07:26
7. Lovely Lady - 04:08
All song by Shag

Shag
*Gordon Elliott - Lead Guitar, Lead Vocals, Harmonica, Conga Drums
*Don Luther - Bass Guitar, Vocals, Percussion
*Green Greenwald - Alto, Soprano Flutes, Sax, Drums, Wurlitzer Piano, Vocals, Percussion
*Michael Lamers - Rhythm Guitar, Drums, Autoharp, Vocals, Theremin, Whistles, Gongs, Percussion

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Pearls Before Swine - Beautiful Lies You Could Live In (1971 us, gorgeous sensitive progressive folk rock)

In the late Summer of 1971, I was off on the first of my life's big adventures. It was time to leave the safety of my parents' home, and venture off to college. Higher education, they say, and living on my own for the first time in my life. I was armed with "beautiful lies." One, metaphorical; the dream and promise that the rest of my existence would be filled with successes and happiness, always. The other, a new record album by one of my revered favorites, Tom Rapp and Pearls Before Swine. It was a very different kind of album from the Pearls' previous recordings, it kind of "rocked" a little, you know? The harmonies were tighter, there were electric guitars and drums, and, it got your attention. 

From the very beginning, I learned that the bright and happy future I had always been taught lay before me, may not be so simply found. "All the things she'd left behind, must make her lonely. We must touch each other, in our blindness." Hmm... Something to ponder here, for sure. This "life" thing may just be tougher than I thought. However, the inspiration and cautions I'd needed were right there on this wonderful 33 1/3 rpm creation. Finding the critical ones took years, over thirty of them to date. "The clock has metal hands. It throws the hours down, on the ground, with a thud."

As a college freshman at a communications college in the City of Boston, I found many avenues of entertainment. The wide variety of venues for music of the day was of specific interest to me. It was just before my first Christmas break that Pearls Before Swine was coming to the city for a performance. Two nights at Club Passim in Cambridge, and three of my new college friends and I jumped right on the "T" and got over there for advance tickets for both nights the day the ad first appeared in the Boston Phoenix.

This was an event of a lifetime, as I would finally get to see one of my life's musical heroes, live and in person, and hopefully performing songs from his extraordinary latest collection. I also secretly hoped to meet him, and tell him of his influence on my own music career, which was just taking shape. "We must touch each other in our blindness." The big night arrived, and we were sure to get seats right in front of the stage in the tiny, legendary Folk shrine. I honestly don't remember too much about the actual performance, except for being in a state of humbled awe for the privilege of being there. 

About all I can recall, was that Tom's scruffy trio opened with "Snow Queen", which seemed to take on an "other-worldly" mood. Perhaps it was the hallowed room in which it was performed? Perhaps this Rapp guy was something even more special than I thought? At the end of an hour or so of a meticulous guided tour of the recorded catalog of Pearls Before Swine, the band was finishing the first show of the night with "Everybody's Got Pain", leaving the crowd stomping and crying. Powerful stuff, this was. 

"Sometimes you get blinded by the freedom in your own eyes But freedom, just ain't freedom unless you spread it wide. Because if everybody doesn't have it, yours is just a looser chain." I knew, just KNEW, that this was the stuff of which anthems, and epitaphs, were made Fortunately, for me, it was an extremely cold and snowy night in Cambridge, and the crowd for the second show of the night was small. The audience from the first show was invited to stay. This, of course, was a mixed serendipity, as it would also mean that by the time the second show was over.

Boston's primary public transportation, the subway system, would be closed for the night. (This was 1971, and Boston pretty much shut down at 11 o'clock back then.) It would be a very long cold walk from Harvard Square to Kenmore Square, but hey. I was seeing legendary Tom Rapp and Pearls Before Swine. It would be worth it, and, to paraphrase another gem from the album, 'the morning sun would indeed shine, like a promise in my eyes." My companions opted to go back to our dormitory during the intermission, as they had had their fill of the "Pearls" of wisdom. I was evidently an insatiable lad. full of a mysterious "wonder", which I wouldn't fully understand for several years until I, too, was making my living as a working singer/songwriter.

It was an equally magnificent second show, and when the audience was dismissed from the venue, I hung around the door outside, with wet feet freezing in the snow, waiting. Waiting for a bold opportunity to actually speak with the man who created the work that had shaped my attitudes and perspective over the last several years. Someone whose written work I placed alongside Dylan, Cohen and Townes Van Zandt. I did speak to the mercurial Mr. Rapp briefly, and we engaged in an innocent chat about guitar strings, of all things. He told me what brand and gauge he preferred, I told him my preference, then the conversation had to be unfortunately cut short. 

The band was hungry, and they were anxious to retire for the day. Besides, it was extremely cold and beginning to snow heavily outside 47 Palmer Street. However, Tom and I made a date for lunch the next day. Strangely, I felt as if I knew him all my life, and the barriers of the imposed perception of celebrity were broken, ".and the time goes by..." The songs of "Beautiful Lies" were still playing in my brain over again, as I began the cold, snowy three hour walk back to my bed. I never made it, though, as I stopped into an allnight deli and ran into one of my classmates. 

He was a shy, quiet guy. Which worked out good for him as he was Andy Kaufman's roommate. This put the concept of balance in perspective. I told him I met Tom Rapp. he was in awe of the prospect. We went back to his room, and listened. "Butterflies are very strong, they only cry when they're called upon." We cried and held each other through the Boston sunrise. So much life yet to come: marriages, children, friends, pain. 'Everybody's got pain. Listen for your brother." It was almost Christmas, so I sought out a gift to bring to my new friend, Tom, for our lunch date. A package of guitar strings of the exact brand and type he mentioned in passing the evening before. I still remember much of what we discussed that day at a Cambridge cafe, during that four hour lunch, "in a man's body is where the time goes, and the time goes by." Intricate analysis of dreams, the future, family, our past lives, beliefs, and possibilities.

The elements of which long friendships and brotherhoods, are created Ours has been a friendship that has weathered over 30 years worth of new beginnings, false hopes, and the flame of love. Always with the promise of love, sometimes elusive; sometimes obvious, and sometimes even within reach. When we were lucky. "The things we see make love hard. We make blessings in runaway miracles."

I gave Tom his gift of guitar strings. He made a big deal out of it, and I humbly diminished my gesture as a 'simple thing'. "Someone to love, someone's child, are simple things it's true." He played on them that night in a beautiful performance for the ages. "God appears often, and if He were lies, I'd promise you beautiful lies you could live in." Thank you, Thomas Dale Rapp, my precious friend, for opening the many doors of "Beautiful Lies". I think I now know "where all the butterflies must go."

by Joe Phillips, November. 2002

Tracks
1. Snow Queen - 4:00
2. A Life - 2:57
3. Butterflies - 2:46
4. Simple Things - 2:55
5. Everybody's Got Pain - 2:47
6. Bird On A Wire (Cohen) - 3:33
7. Island Lady - 4:01
8. Come To Me - 2:57
9. Freedom [2]- 3:03
10.She's Gone - 2:11
11.Epitaph (Housman, Elisabeth Rapp) - 1:24
Words and Music by Tom Rapp unless as else stated.

Musicians
*Tom Rapp - Vocals, Guitar
*Morrie E. Brown - Bass
*Steve Alan Grable - Piano, Organ
*Jon Tooker - Guitar
*Elisabeth Rapp - Vocals
*Gordon Hayes - Bass
*Michael Krawitz - Piano
*Billy Mundi - Drums
*Bob Dorough - Piano
*Stu Scharf - Electric Guitar
*Grady Tate - Drums
*Amos Garrett - Electric Guitar
*Herb Lovell - Drums
*Gerry Jermott - Bass

Pearls Before Swine
1967 One Nation Underground (Japan remaster)
1968  Balaklava (Japan remaster) 
Tom Rapp
1972  Tom Rapp - Stardancer (2009 Lemon edition)
1973  Sunforest (2009 Lemon edition)

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Highway - Highway (1975 us, excellent hard prog rock with psych traces)

The History of the band starts in 1965 when two Fairmont bands, The Pacers and The Corvairs, joined together and formed The Epicureans. Eventually The Epicureans became Highway in 1972 and have evolved into The Murphy Brothers Band today. 

The all original album "Highway" was recorded in the spring of 1975 at Westminster Studio just outside Fort Dodge, Iowa. 500 copies were pressed and released in the mid-west. In 1985, Highway guitarist Steve Murphy got his first call from a collector in the Chicago area, who expressed sincere interest and praise.

Since then Steve Murphy has received letters and phone calls from around the United States and other countries looking for original copies and information on the band.

During that time the album was bootlegged out of Indiana. 300 copies were made and distributed which further spread the legacy. The bootleg looks exactly like the original, but it was made from a copy of the album and all song writing and musician credits were removed. 

After several offers to re-release the album, and requests for additional songs and pictures, the new "Highway" compact disc is now complete. Includes four previously unreleased songs and never before seen pictures. "This has been a labor of love putting this together." says guitarist Steve Murphy. ""I really felt because I wrote and performed the songs that I needed to be involved in the remake."

Highway-band

Tracks
1. Too Many Changes - 5:30
2. Look Away - 5:48
3. Pegasus - 5:46
4. Seems To Me - 5:20
5. It Won't Last Long - 5:05
6. Days Go By - 4:43
7. Bright Side - 4:29
8. Meadow - 8:41
9. Slip Away - 6:40
10.Tomorrow - 6:17
11.Lady Luck - 6:56
12.My Music - 4:08
All songs by Steve Murphy

Highway
*Dan Cammarata - Drums, Vocals
*Eric Bannister - Bass, Vocals
*Steve Murphy - Guitar, Vocals

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Dave Cousins - Two Weeks Last Summer (1972 uk, spectacular prog folk rock, 2019 remaster and expanded)

Dave Cousins' long awaited solo album, Two Weeks Last Summer, was released in mid-October 1972, on the same day the Strawbs single "Lay Down" was released (see a 25th anniversary special feature). The album had been recorded before the band went off to undertake their first US tour in 1972. Cousins headed for Richard Branson's recently-opened Manor Studios in Oxfordshire, taking with him guitarist Miller Anderson, bassist Roger Glover from Deep Purple and drummer Jon Hiseman (Colosseum, later Tempest). Rick Wakeman guested on two tracks and, more significantly, on "I'm Going Home", the Cousins rock'n'roll song which became a Strawbs live set encore favourite, was joined by guitarist Dave Lambert, who masqueraded in the cover credits of Two Weeks as "Lampoon".

In promotional material for the Bursting At The Seams US tour, Cousins commented that the different styles of the musicians used for the solo album added "a totally new dimension to the songs and further added to the rock train of thought, considerably influencing the new songs I was writing."

After the tour, Cousins had returned to the studio, wanting to re-mix a couple of tracks on his solo album. He recalled:

"When I first made it I was delighted with it ... the remixes weren't as successful as my first attempts. I should have stuck with it as it was and put it out. Now I can listen to side one and I'm deliriously happy with that side two isn't so good. But all in all, I'm quite happy with it."

The title track has had a lengthy history. First recorded in the Sandy Denny sessions back in 1968, in what is for me a rather unsatisfactorily hasty version, it was later recorded by Sandy with her own band Fotheringay, for which session Dave was asked to write an extra verse.

Unfortunately it didn't make the album Fotheringay either (though there have been rumours that Jerry Donahue is trying to put together a release for the second album), and only emerged on the majestic Sandy Denny retrospective set Who Knows Where The Time Goes. On Two Weeks, Cousins plays guitar and piano (and something coyly labelled "tinklies" - presumably chimes of some sort), and Tom Allom plays organ over the top of Roger Glover's sweeping bass notes.

"October To May", as noted earlier, was based on the tune of a Russian folk song sent to Cousins via Sonet in Denmark. A version with a guitar backing appears on Preserves Uncanned. Here it is delivered accapella, with Cousins solo voice capturing the sense of winter cold over multi-tracked backing vocals (Dave Lambert, Tom Newman and Tom Allom - under the guise of the "Kidlington Kossacks").

Cousins' tour de force on the album is however the three part "Blue Angel", a song which became a regular for the Cousins and Willoughby duo, but only joined the Strawbs repertoire for the 1993 Silver Anniversary tour. Cousins is once again supported by Glover, joined now by Rick Wakeman, Jon Hiseman and Miller Anderson. The first section of the suite, "Divided", opens with a gentle Cousins acoustic guitar phrase, before building up speed into some exciting guitar breaks from Anderson until the first appearance of the anthemic chorus which links the sections.

The second section "Half Worlds Apart" is dominated by some characteristic Wakeman piano runs, over paradox laden Cousins lyrics - "A man of honour has no secrets, How can I be a man of secrets". The final section moves into a major key, for the reassuring "At Rest", before the chorus takes us to the fade. The track is for me one of Cousins most impressive compositions, and it alone would justify [has justified!] the album's re-release on CD. "Blue Angel" can also be found on the UK 2LP "Best Of The Strawbs" as the only representative included from the solo album. The song was re-recorded by the 1976 band (Cousins, Lambert, Cronk, Combes, Mealing and Kirby) in the initial Deep Cuts sessions, which also spawned "Beside The Rio Grande" and "Hard Hard Winter".

However, those sessions with Tom Allom were abandoned, and "Blue Angel" in that format has never seen the light of day (though performances of the song live by the band in the 90s clearly draw on that arrangement).

[A version of the song, which is closer to the 1976 version than the original, was recorded by the 1993 line-up and was released on Blue Angel in 2003.

The closing track on side one is "That's The Way It Ends", where an attractive Robert Kirby brass arrangement makes it quite difficult to hear Cousins' vocals. Side two opens in fine form with "The Actor", Cousins' voice electronically distorted over searing wah wah guitar from Anderson, joined now by Lambert with Townshend-like thrashing chords. The track features an extended fade out with the two guitarists trading phrases over a heavy rock backing from Glover and Hiseman - unusually strong stuff for Cousins, but picked out by Cousins for inclusion on By Choice, the A&M retrospective used to fill time between Bursting At The Seams and Hero and Heroine.

"When You Were A Child" is a touching piano/vocal solo by Cousins regretting the passing of childhood, and is followed by the second most frequently performed track on the album, the country-style "Ways And Means". Built up from a Cousins acoustic guitar run, it features guitar from Anderson and more fluid Wakeman keyboard work (he in particular excels). Cousins has suggested that he would like the verse which appears on the front cover of the album:

"I am as the world forever spinning

Rekindled by the early rising sun

I am as the road that's ever winding

A never ending journey just begun"

to be his epitaph, wryly adding that it would probably cost too much to be inscribed. The song was another number written in the Devon hideaway caravan, which around this time was replaced by a cottage in the village of Alfington.

"We'll Meet Again Sometime" , which Plummer in his Melody Maker review, reminds us was the Strawbs old show-opener, appears officially on vinyl for the first time here, in a heavily countrified version with Cousins vocals and a acoustic/slide guitar duet with Miller Anderson. It was recorded more or less in the open air in the grounds of the Manor, complete with birdsong and passing cars. 

Strawbs-web

Tracks

1. Two Weeks Last Summer - 3:09

2. October To May - 2:29

3. Blue Angel: Divided/Half Worlds Apart/At Rest - 9:53

4. That's The Way It Ends - Including "The World" - 3:03

5. The Actor - 4:34

6. When You Were A Child - 3:04

7. Ways And Means - 4:23

8. We'll Meet Again Sometime - 4:51

9. Going Home - 3:28

10.The Actor - 4:42

11.Ways And Means - 4:20

12.I've Been My Own Worst Friend - 3:02

13.See How They Run - 2:43

14.The Rip Off Blues - 2:32

All Songs by Dave Cousins

Bonus Tracks 10-14

Musicians
*Dave Cousins - Vocals, Guitars, Piano, Tinklies
*Dave Lambert - Guitars, Backing Vocals
*Miller Anderson - Lead Guitar, Slide Guitar
*Jon Hiseman - Drums, Percussion
*Roger Glover - Bass
*Tom Allom - Organ, Backing Vocals
*Rick Wakeman - Piano, Organ
*Tom Newman - Backing Vocals
*Robert Kirby's Wind Septet - Wind Instruments

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If - Waterfall (1972 uk, awesome jazzy brass prog rock, Repertoire remaster)

The Idea was to record the album “Live” in front of an invited audience to capture the spontaneity and the excitement of concerts, where the musicians were usually at their best. Rooted in the traditions of Jazz they loved to improvise. The results were epic like “Sector 17” an extended performance that features som amazing dazzing guitar. 

However the adherence to the If concept performing well structured songs was maintained on the attractive “Waterfall” sung here with soulful enthusiasm by J.W. Hodkinson. Vocals are also placed on lyrics, Waterfall stands out as the most commercial song on the album. With both single and radio station versions included here among the bonus tracks. The first three album tracks were recorded “Live” at the Command Studios in London, in February 1972 and the remaining three numbers were done at Morgan Studios in July the same year.

Some line up changes were made during the period “Waterfall” was recorded. If had been on the road for a couple of years and needed a boost, changes didn’t really made that much difference, but the album was good and has some fine moments.

If Played eleven tours of the States and one show they played in front of 32.000 people. If was a well-respected band and made some great music. That’s the way it should be remembered.

by Chris Welch, London, January 2003

Tracks
1. Waterfall (D. Morrissey, B. Morrissey) - 5:42
2. The Light Still Shines (Quincy, Humphrey) - 5:06
3. Sector 17 (Quincy) - 8:00
4. Paint Your Pictures (D. Morrissey, B. Morrissey) - 5:18
5. Cast No Shadows (Davies) - 7:30
6. Throw Myself To The Wind (D. Morrissey, B. Morrissey) - 4:42
7. You In Your Small Corner (Humphries, Quincy) - 3:28
8. Waterfall (D. Morrissey, B. Morrissey) - 4:02
9. Waterfall (D. Morrissey, B. Morrissey) - 4:00

If
*Cliff Davies - Drums
*Dennis Elliott - Drums
*J.W. Hodgkinson - Vocals, Percussion
*John Mealing - Piano, Organ
*Dick Morrissey - Saxophones, Flute, Vocals
*Dave Quincy - Saxophones
*Jim Richardson - Bass
*Terry Smith - Guitar
*Dave Wintour - Electric, Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Vocals

1970  If - If (Repertoire remaster)
1970  If - If 2  (Repertoire remaster)
1971  If - If 3 (Repertoire remaster)
1972  If - If 4 (Repertoire remaster)
Related Acts
1968  Terry Smith - Fall Out
1974  Zzebra - Zzebra

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Tabaco - Desintegracion (1971 spain, trippy psych blues rock, double disc edition)

Tabaco originally hailed from Barcelona, more precisely from the area known as El Valles - with the capitol Sabadell. Jordi Molet (drums), Eduardo Gonzalez (bass guitar / organ) and Josep M. Abella (guitar, vocals), better known as "Los Duendes". as they called themselves when they first appeared on a stage, made little more history than playing a few local gigs and smashing one curious world record that until then was held by a Swedish rock outfit in June 71 Los Duendes played a 27 hour non-stop music gig (the Swedish record was 26 hours of non-stop rock and roll). 

This bizarre adventure earned them some publicity in the local newspapers. It was probably an amazing experience, but it did little else for them. Actually that was to be the last live appearance of Los Duendes as such, as the incorporation of a new member in May 1971 would see new influences thrown in the combo's sound and therefore a new name was chosen: Tabaco.

Mariano Escria (guitar) joined the band and brought with him his devotion for progressive music. Back in the sixties and seventies the hotels from the Spanish coast were always contracting bands to play at the hotels night clubs in order to attract the younger tourists coming from all parts of Europe -and due to their new style of music Tabaco were hired for a season at the Hotel Corona in Calella de la Costa. 

In October, the outfit entered the studio to record what was to be their first LP. Although very few months had passed since Mariano joined in. the album shows clearly the new direction the band was taking. Such classics as 'Desintegracion' were created during this period.

Their unorthodox play and takes on classics like "Lady Samantha" as well as their own compositions such as "She Everything she is” or "Dia sin luz" make the album to this day a classic and a collector's item. As far as the band was concerned, the album didn't bring them fame or fortune, but they had the chance to promote it. 

They shared the stage with some of the biggest Spanish names on the band circuit, among them Los Canaries, Mustang, Strex and Brincos. just to name

a few. They also won a second residence in the Hotel Corona for the summer of 1972. Tabaco kept playing until they called it a day in 1973.

Mariano quit the music business. Eduardo still plays to this day. Jordi joined a jazz hand. Josep M* reformed Los Duendes. with a totally new line-up that keeps the spirit of the original group. They are playing hits of The Shadows. CJiff Richard and rock and roll classics in Barcelona night clubs.

CD Liner-notes

Tracks

Disc 1

1.Desintegracion - 5:11

2.Tabaco - 3:23

3.Dia Sin Luz - 3:58

4.She - 3:25

5.Born To Be Free - 4:43

6.Lady Samantha - 3:06

7.I Feel Glad - 2:52

8.Rollin' My Thing - 2:48

9.Fredom Blues - 4:34

10.Dia Sin Luz (Acustic) - 3:47

11.Rolling My Thing (Diferent Version) - 2:56

12.Lady Samantha (Instrumental) - 3:06

13.Reedom Blues (Instrumental) - 4:30

Disc 2
1.She (Instrumental) - 3:25
2.Born To Be Free (Instrumental) - 5:02
3.Dia Sin Luz (Instrumental) - 4:23
4.Lady Samantha (Diferent Version) - 3:05
5.I Feel Glad (Diferent Version) - 2:52
6.Freedom Blues (Diferent Version) - 4:33
7.She (Diferent Version) - 3:25
8.Born To Be Free (Diferent Version) - 5:02
9.Dia Sin Luz (VDiferent Version) - 4:17
10.Desintegracion, Part II - 4:49
11.Desintegracion, Part III - 4:51
12.Tabaco (Diferent Version) - 3:19

Tabaco
*Jordi Molet Marles - Drums
*Eduardo Gonzalez Ponsa – Bass, Organ
*Josep M. Abella Prats - Guitar, Vocals
*Mariano Escria Sole - Guitar

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Fat Mattress - Fat Mattress II (1970 uk, exceptional psych rock, Sequel bonus track issue)

Not many people know that Noel Redding once shared a twobedroom flat off the Fulham Road with Jim Leverton, who played bass on the Walker Brothers classic The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore; that Eric Dillon is now an airline pilot in the Isle of Man, or for that matter that Fat Mattress sold over 500,000 copies of its first album in the States.

Born of frustration in November 1968, Fat Mattress survived for barely a year. They never quite came to terms with their meteoric success and the end was almost inevitable. Folkestone in the early '60s was the focus of the Kent music scene, a magnet for young musicians like Redding, Leverton, singer Neil Landon, and drummer Pete Kircher — later to play with Status Quo — who performed in bands like The Lonely Ones and The Bufnettes, and were regular favourites on the club scene.

When Redding left home to join the Jimi Hendrix Experience, nothing was ever quite the same again. The old schoolmates from Harvey and Dover Grammar School, however, never lost touch. Landon joined the Ivy League, who then became The Flowerpot Men. Remember Let's Go To San Francisco? Leverton even risked loosing face amongst his peers by joining the backing band for Englebert Humperdinck, nonetheless, it served its purpose, for Leverton met Eric Dillon, a young musician from' Wiltshire, who was later to become the drummer of Fat Mattress.

Then came the call from Redding. The graduates of the Folkestone music scene decided to record their own album. The name was suggested by a friend who had been in the merchant navy. Redolent of the easy life, it had nothing to do with drugs, as some suggested at the time. For Redding it was to be the antidote to working with Hendrix.

For Leverton and Dillon a chance to escape the hideous Humperdinck band. Landon couldn't wait to clamber out of his flowerpot and join the party. Redding had managed to secure some studio time from Warner Brothers at Olympic in Barnes. 'It was winter. We didn't see the light of day for almost two weeks', recalls Leverton. Redding put everyone up in his flat in Thurloe Court where they lived on 'porridge and potatoes'. Noel, the only one with any spare money, would sometimes treat the others to an Indian meal at the local Tandoori.

'It was great to be free spirits again', recalls Redding. The first album. Fat Mattress One, emerged smiling and innocent into the sunlight. 'Even the technicians were impressed'. The following year, whilst being wooed by both Warner and Polydor, Fat Mattress supported the Jimi Hendrix Experience tour in the States. Redding would play guitar with Fat Mattress, then take the stage in his familiar role as bassist with The Experience.

They returned to find two contracts on the table. There was no contest. Polydor's offer, up front with the promise of singles and two albums a year was too good to refuse. The money was incredible for the time. Polydor set up offshore bank accounts for each of them. 'They even gave us a Coutts cheque book', recalls Landon.  The first album was released in the Autumn of '69 and rose to number 17 in England and 30 in the States. Magic Forest, the single, was No. 1 for a time in Holland. The band played the Isle of Wight Festival that summer, with Bob Dylan topping the bill. In December they went to the States in their own right and with a second album in the pipeline.

In America the Mattress disintegrated. Jim and Noel fell out. The band played just 5 of the 30 dates before returning home. 'We just weren't ready to be a headline act', Jim remembers ruefully. 'It was all just meant to be a bit of fun.' The second album took three months to cut. There was talk of a third album, but it came to nothing. The inspiration was drying up. Landon is now 'somewhere in Germany', still singing 'like the old trouper he is'; Redding, whose career needs no introduction, lives in Ireland; Dillon flies Cessnas to the Isle of Man, while Leverton is back in his native Kent and still a working musician, playing bass, most recently with the late Steve Marriott's Packet of Three.

This album, re-released after all these years brings with it the unmistakable whiff of lost youth, kaftans and some remarkable musicianship from the band that flourished briefly in that golden summer long ago.

by Adrian Morgan, 1992

Tracks
1. The Storm  (Neil Landon, Jimmy Leverton) - 4:13
2. Anyway You Want (Neil Landon, Jimmy Leverton) - 3:47
3. Leafy Lane (Neil Landon, Jimmy Leverton) - 2:50
4. Naturally (Neil Landon, Jimmy Leverton) - 3:03
5. Roamin' (Neil Landon, Jimmy Leverton) - 4:25
6. Happy My Love (Neil Landon, Jimmy Leverton) - 3:43
7. Childhood Dream (Neil Landon, Jimmy Leverton) - 3:20
8. She (Neil Landon) - 2:36
9. Highway (Neil Landon, Noel Redding) - 4:24
10.At The Ball (Neil Landon, Noel Redding) - 4:13
11.People (Neil Landon, Noel Redding) - 4:00
12.Hall Of Kings (Neil Landon) - 5:32
13.Long Red (West, Pappalardi, Landsberg, Ventura) - 4:21
14.Words (Neil Landon, Jimmy Leverton) - 4:12
15.The River (Neil Landon, Jimmy Leverton) - 17:09

Fat Mattress
*Neil Landon - Vocals
*Jimmy Leverton - Bass, Vocals
*Eric Dillon - Drums
*Steve Hammond - Guitar
*Mick Weaver - Keyboards
Additional Musician
*Noel Redding - Guitar

Related Act
1967  Flower Pot Men - Let's Go To San Francisco
1972  Road - Road

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If - If 4 (1972 uk, splendid jazz rock, Repertoire remaster)

Pioneering British jazz rock outfit IF compromise some of the finest musicians in England, including tenor sax virtuoso Dick Morrissey and guitar star Terry Smith. They were well received in America and hugely popular throughout Europe during their heyday in the early seventies.

If was unusual in writing original songs and arrangements, giving their music a much broader appeal than most instrumental jazz groups. With powerful singer J. W. Hodkinson at the helm, and a rich variety of styles from soul to funk, the band had the opportunity to shine an exotic range of settings.

Despite their success as a “Live” act, a hit single eluded them and this didn’t help the band’s long term future. Indeed their fourth album  “IF4” was the last by their original line up. Thereafter, If underwent conclusions that led to their break up. While IF4 is a diverse collection of performances, every track has its delights and surprises. Some of the tracks on IF4 were included on the now legendary “Waterfall” album that was released in the US by Metro Media Records. 

The end of the first chapter of IF came after a strenuous European tour in August 1972. They were schedule to fly to L.A. the following September to play at the Whiskey A Go Go.  However Dick ended up in hospital, and the whole tour was cancelled. That’s when the band split up. Dave Quincy and Terry Smith got involved in a group called Zzebra, later Dick reformed IF with Cliff Davies and did some more albums.

In transpired that Dick was under contract to Lew Futterman for five years, which didn’t run out until 1975. Once he gained his freedom, Dick went to New York and was involved with the Average White Band for a while. That’s where he met Jim Mullen and they formed a band, which played together for many years. Sadly Dick-a much- admired musician- died after a long illness in the year 2000 aged 60.

by Chris Welch, February 2007

Tracks
1. Sector 17 (Quincy) – 10:34
2. The Light Still Shines (Quincy, Humphrey) – 5:06
3. You In Your Small Corner (Quincy, Humphrey) – 3:49
4. Waterfall (D. Morrissey, B. Morrissey) – 5:27
5. Throw Myself To The Wind (D. Morrissey, B. Morrissey) – 4:51
6. Svenska Soma (Jonsson, Smith) – 7:09

If
*Dennis Elliott - Drums
*J.W. Hodgkinson - Vocals, Percussion
*John Mealing - Keyboards
*Dick Morrissey - Saxophones, Flute
*Dave Quincy - Saxophones
*Jim Richardson - Bass
*Terry Smith - Guitar

1970  If - If (Repertoire remaster)
1970  If - If 2  (Repertoire remaster)
1971  If - If 3 (Repertoire remaster)
Related Acts
1968  Terry Smith - Fall Out
1974  Zzebra - Zzebra

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Fleetwood Mac - The Vaudeville Years (1968-70 uk, classic blues jam rock, two disc set)

The first four recordings heard here are "liveish" BBC style recordings that although they sound like they are in mono, are good listening especially "Love that burns" as it's stripped free of it's horn section which was included on the "Mr. wonderful" version and tended to be slightly intrusive but one can now appreciate the song even more here. However, a minor complaint is that the "Intro" part of "Intro/Lazy poker blues" is nothing more than a snippet from "Oh well (part 2)" which is rather redundant. 

I would've preferred it just to have started with "Lazy poker blues" without that tagged onto the beginning. The studio recordings start with a bang. Just when we seemed to be lead to believe that the infamous EP of Jeremy's that was to accompany "Then play on" to compensate for his lack of an appearance on that album was nothing more than a rumor and that it was in fact his solo album that was to be the accompanying item, here's the lost EP, in all it's glory. 

Without giving away too much of the surprise, Jeremy starts each song with a funny introduction and he mocks flower power rock and John Mayall among others. It works just as well as those songs recorded for his debut solo album. Fans of that album will love this. Later, you get to hear the unedited "Someone's gonna get their head kicked in tonight" which doesn't fade and has a few bodily noises and four letter words that were not considered acceptable for a single at the time and that would probably apply these days too. 

Peter has got two great versions of "Show biz blues" albeit with different titles as well as an early instrumental workout of "Before the beginning" billed here as "Blues in B flat minor" which is most haunting. Danny is not to be forgotten either as on disc two, he's featured on "Farewell" which sounds like an early demo of "Earl Grey", "Love it seems" which has a "When you say" feel, "Tell me from the start" is a big band style whimsical tune and two exciting jams billed as "October jam (1 & 2)" the latter is a short but rocking straightforward number while the former is a lot looser and has a news bulletin jingle rhythm style but that's some news I wouldn't mind hearing! 

There's alot of Green greatness on disc two as well. "The Madge sessions - 1" is an uncut tape which includes most of what ended up as "Searching for Madge" & "Fighting for Madge" but at least half of which has not been heard previously. Intriguing that at approximately the 1249 mark, when one of the familiar "Searching for Madge" sections ends, one can hear what is known in the taping world as a "punch out" in the tapes. One easily imagines that this was the tape Peter used to decide what would make the final cut for "Then play on" from these jams and the tape was probably stopped and left there for many years causing the deterioration in the tape. Maybe not, but it's fascinating to ponder such legends. This is just as exciting to hear in it's entirety after all these years as is the complete 16 minute "Underway". 

This tape shows how hard it must have been to decide which portions of it to use originally. Surprisingly, "The Madge sessions - 2" is a quiet two minute instrumental doodle which is not what one would expect from the title especially after hearing the white noise of number 1 but still keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout. There are many other great recordings available on here, I've just tried to highlight a few wonderful moments. This is great classic early Mac that never "was", but now can "be" in your collection. An essential purchase for those who want the early Mac to play on. They do here in style. 

by John Fitzgerald, June 27th, 2005

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Intro / Lazy Poker Blues (Peter Green, Clifford Adams) - 3:48

2. My Baby's Sweeter (Willie Dixon) - 3:53

3. Love That Burns (Green, Adams) - 4:15

4. Talk To Me Baby (Elmore James) - 3:37

5. Everyday I Have The Blues #1 (John Chatman) - 4:13

6. Jeremy's Contribution To Doo-Wop (Jeremy Spencer) - 3:34

7. Everyday I Have The Blues #2 (Chatman) - 4:23

8. Death Bells (Lightnin' Hopkins) - 5:05

9. (Watch Out For Yourself) Mr Jones (Spencer) - 3:35

10.Man Of Action (Spencer) - 5:21

11.Do You Give A Damn For Me (Green) - 3:45

12.Man Of The World (Green) - 3:28

13.Like It This Way (Danny Kirwan) - 3:17

14.Blues In B Flat Minor (Green) - 4:16

15.Someone's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonight (Spencer) - 2:58

16.Although The Sun Is Shining (Kirwan) - 2:24

17.Showbiz Blues (Green) - 6:51

Disc 2
1. Underway (Green) - 16:15
2. The Madge Sessions #1 (John Mcvie, Mick Fleetwood) - 17:21
3. The Madge Sessions #2 (McVie, Fleetwood) - 2:42
4. (That's What) I Want You To Know (Spencer) - 3:54
5. Oh Well (Green) - 2:47
6. Love It Seems (Kirwan) - 2:39
7. Mighty Cold (Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman) - 2:28
8. Fast Talking Woman Blues (Green) - 4:02
9. Tell Me From The Start (Kirwan) - 2:02
10.October Jam #1 (Kirwan, Green, McVie) - 5:01
11.October Jam #2 (Kirwan, Green, McVie, Fleetwood) - 1:57
12.The Green Manalishi (With The Two-Prong Crown) (Green) - 4:43
13.World In Harmony (Kirwan, Green) - 3:28
14.Farewell (Kirwan) - 2:18

Fleetwood Mac
*Peter Green – Guitar, Vocals
*Jeremy Spencer – Guitar, Vocals
*Danny Kirwan – Guitar, Vocals
*John McVie – Bass Guitar

1967-71  Live At The BBC
1968-70  Show Biz Blues
1968-71  The Best Of Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac
1969  Shrine '69
1969  Then Play On  (Deluxe Expanded 2013 edition) 

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