Elvin Bishop - Live! Raisin' Hell (1977 us, splendid blues rock funk roots 'n' roll, 2012 remaster edition)

Growing up in the 1940s on a farm in Iowa with a loving but non-musical family, Elvin seldom heard music as a kid. “This was before TV,” Elvin says, “and on the radio you got a lot of Frank Sinatra and ‘How Much Is That Doggie In the Window’ type of stuff.” The family moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, when Elvin was 10, in 1952. Tulsa was “totally segregated,” says Elvin, “I mean, hard core.” However, “the one thing they couldn’t segregate was the airwaves. When rock and roll started up, in the mid-’50s, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino and Little Richard showed up on white radio.”

And then, late one night when Elvin was 14 or 15, the atmospheric conditions a little rough, Jimmy Reed’s harmonica came cutting through the static from WLAC in Nashville, and Elvin Bishop’s life was changed. The song was “Honest I Do.” “That piercing harp came through, cutting in like a knife, and I said, ‘Oh, man, that’s it.’ I found out that blues was where the good part of rock and roll was coming from.”

And about that time, he started trying to play guitar. “I wanted to play it from the beginning,” Elvin says. “I kept trying and then quitting it. Hurtin’ my fingers, playing those old pawn-shop guitars with the strings two inches off the fret board. Nobody I knew played.” But he kept after it. “Not being able to dance, and seeing how the musicians did with the girls, and loving the music, I finally stuck with it.”

Hooked on the sounds emerging from the radio, Elvin had to find out where they were coming from and who was responsible. When he was awarded a National Merit Scholarship in 1959, he could have gone to pretty much any college he wanted, but chose The University Of Chicago, because that’s where the blues were. And so he landed in the middle of one of the richest and most vital scenes in blues history. “Any night of the week you could hear Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Howlin’ Wolf, Hound Dog Taylor, Otis Rush, Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, Magic Sam, Bobby King, Eddie King, Little Smokey, Big Smokey, and a whole ton of people you never heard of.”

His first week in Chicago, he came across Paul Butterfield, who was sitting on some steps drinking beer and playing blues on guitar. “We fell together right away,” says Elvin. “I was amazed to find other white guys into blues.” After playing with a lot of different people, including J.T. Brown, Hound Dog Taylor and Junior Wells, Elvin hooked up with Butterfield to form the legendary Paul Butterfield Blues Band, with bassist Jerome Arnold and drummer Sam Lay, who’d been Howlin’ Wolf’s rhythm section. Producer Paul Rothchild of Elektra Records encouraged them to add guitarist Michael Bloomfield. “I’d met Bloomfield before, in a pawn shop,” says Elvin, “when I was looking for guitars. We got to talking. He got a guitar out, started playing circles around the world.”

In 1965 the Butterfield band went into the studio and recorded The Paul Butterfield Blues Band album, which turned out to be a sea-change record for thousands of rock fans and musicians. An integrated band playing blues music in 1965 was unheard of. It introduced a lot of people to the blues, and to the musicians who had influenced the Butterfield band. After several more albums with Butterfield, including the pivotal genrebending East West, Bishop took off on his own. “I wanted to stretch out, see how far I could take it on my own,” says Elvin. Bishop had visited San Francisco with the Butterfield band during the Summer of Love in 1967. “I loved the people, the weather, and not having to watch my back all the time.” And like several other Chicago musicians he ended up moving to the Bay Area.

The 70’s saw Elvin hit the charts with solo tracks like “Travelin’ Shoes,” “Sure Feels Good” and what would become his biggest hit, “Fooled Around and Fell in Love,” with a powerful vocal by Mickey Thomas (later of Jefferson Starship). During the 1980’s, Elvin spent most of his time on the road, “entertaining the people and maybe having a little too much fun myself.” Later in the decade he hooked up with Alligator for a number of excellent albums that grew right out of his blues roots.

"Live! Raisin' Hell' was recorded between March 1976 and February 1977 initially as a gig in Georgia, and subsequently at four shown in California, was released in late summer 1977, and became Bishop's second US Top 40 album, spending three months in the chart. He does not appear to have subsequently worried mainstream chart compilers, although he remained with Capricorn for two more albums, 1978's "Hog Heaven" on which Amos Garrett and Maria Muldaur guested, and 1979's "Best Of Elvin Bishop".

Tracks
1. Raisin‘ Hell - 2:51
2. Rock My Soul - 4:54
3. Sure Feels Good - 4:49
4. Calling All Cows (Earley Drane) - 6:20
5. Juke Joint Jump - 4:12
6. Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey (E. Bishop, Mickey Thomas, Phillip Aaberg) - 3:21
7. Joy - 4:11
8. Stealin‘ Watermelons - 4:49
9. Fooled Around And Fell In Love - 5:33
10.Little Brown Bird (McKinley Morangfield) - 6:06
11.Yes Sir - 4:23
12.Struttin‘ My Stuff - 3:40
13.Give It Up (William Slais, M. Thomas) - 3:44
14.Travelin‘ Shoes - 7:17
15.Medley - 13:01
.a.Let The Good Times Roll (Leonard Lee)
.b.A Change Is Gonna Come (Sam Cooke)
.c.Bring It On Home To Me (Sam Cooke)
All songs by Elvin Bishop except where stated

Band
*Elvin Bishop - Vocals, Lead, Rhythm, Slide Guitars
*Don Baldwin - Drums, Percussion, Vocals
*Micheal "Fly" Brooks - bass
*Debbie Cathey - Vocals
*Melvin Seals - Synthesizer, Organ, Piano, Clavinet
*Bill Salis - Alto, tenor Saxophones, Clavinet, Synthesizer, Organ
*Reni Slais - Vocals
*Mickey Thomas - Vocals
*Johnny Vernazza - Lead, Rhythm, Slide Guitars, Vocals
*Chuck Brooke, Bob Claire, Dave Grover, Bill Lamb - Horns
Guest Musicians
*Mic Gillette, Steve Kupka, Greg Adams - Horns

Related Acts
1966-68  The Paul Butterfield Blues Band - Strawberry Jam

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Maypole - The Real (1970-71 us, outstanding hard psych, 2005 issue)

The Story of Maypole was about freedom, people being natural, true to themselves and the others around them. We told the truth about things and what we saw. The beauty, the ugliness, the injustice, of the times.The plight of hungry hearts on their journey seeking to find true happiness. Maypole was not a typical group. Our approach was artistic and on a spiritual level. 

Demian's guitar style has been compared to Jimi Hendrix,Frank Marino, and Carlos Santana. The reality is, that Demian was playing just as long as the afore mentioned players. His influences were what was going on around him. The hardships of his early life made him sensitive and thoughtful about life.He was run over by a bus in Baltimore when he was just 4 years old and suffered severe injuries. Long rehabilitation helped to build his concentration, endurance and his character. His ability to make his guitar sound in so many different ways is what made the guitar interesting for him. A way to express himself with no boundaries.He lives in Germany at the moment,where his new version of The Maypole is based.

Dennis Tobell- Under the stage name of Denny Romans, later to be known as Demian Bell. Principle writer and Lead Guitarist and Vocals. Born near Chicago, to a show business Father and Mother, grew up in Maryland, Ohio, and California. First started piano at age 7, then guitar at 13. First professional gig at 14, with 'The Rogues' at the Gold Horse Saloon in Folsom California. He was a member of 'The Moss' a Baltimore Blues band that won many competitions known as 'Battle of The Bands' at 15. He founded the 'Psychedelic Propellor' at 16, in Baltimore Md. Played with 'Van Morrison' and 'Moulty and the Barbarians' at 18 and 'Maypole' when 20, with Paul Welsh.

Paul Welsh- Drummer and writer and co-founder with Dennis Tobell. Born in Frankfurt Germany, to a French mother and American father. Raised in Towson , Maryland. A brilliant student in History, Literature, Languages and music. His first love was music as he saw it, as a tremendous way to communicate with the masses. Playing drums since age 10, he first played with 'The Paupers', 'Daddy Warbucks'and then with 'Maypole' Paul commited suicide in 1988.

Steve Mace- Writer, singer and second guitarist. Born in Baltimore, raised in Towson , Paul and Steve were next door neighbors all their lives. He also was a member of the 'Paupers', 'Daddy Warbucks', before joining 'Maypole'

Kenny Ross- Singer, songwriter. Born in Baltimore and grew up in the Govans area of Baltimore. Kenny was also a member of 'The Paupers' with Paul and Steve. Kenny passed away in May 2005.

John Nickel- Bass Guitar was born in Baltimore, was from the Essex area of Baltimore, and played in many area bands before joining 'Maypole'.

We could give a hoot about making a hit single and even though they tried to push us to do it. It was the music we felt and believed in. We weren't concerned with song lengths and snappy hook lines , we were searching for a whole new way to express ourselves.We played with power and conviction, inside of many new styles. Some of these things are universal. Genres are nonsense. Music is music, and you'd be amazed at all the ways there are to play it. Why limit yourself? That's a form of slavery."

Demian and Paul had met in 1966 while both playing on the same bill together in different bands at a local Baltimore teen center. Demian in the "Psychedelic Propellor" and Paul in "The Paupers". They liked each others playing, became friends, and had many occasions to talk about music and to jam together. In late 1969 after Demian returned from Boston, they decided to form a new group. 

They would call it "Maypole" after the famous story by Nathaniel Hawthorne called the "Maypole of Merry-Mount" which describes how some Puritans went off into the woods to erect a Maypole and danced around it in complete violation of the rules of the day. They were arrested and punished for the crime of dancing and basically having a good time. They saw the parallel to the times they were living and the principle of freedom that it represented.

After some session they fired their manager. Their new managers were London Records promo men who knew how to get airplay and did a great job. The band did dozens of interviews on the air and played concerts to try and promote an album that had no company behind it. because Colossus went bankrupt. Without the support of a solvent record company the record could go no farther. They did several TV shows in the Baltimore Washington area. 

The high points were, that they could push any button on the car radio and a "Maypole" song was playing at the same time in the Baltimore, Washington, and Virginia area. The review by legendary record-rater Bill Gavin, spoke of a "Great Band". "The American Led Zeppelin"as he called them. Dave Marsh of "Rolling Stone Magazine" spoke well of their record. They did some local and national TV shows.They toured with Bob Seeger, Nils Lofgren and Grin, Elephant's Memory,and several other acts. There was no one to distribute the album. It showed up in cut-out bins years later.But the music refused to die. It became a collectable. Showing up in record collecting guides throughout the 80's and 90's Finally reaching upwards of $250.00 usd per copy on EBay.

Then we had a chance to re-issue the legal versions. In early 2006 it was released on Gear Fab on CD, and later in October 2006 on Anopheles on Clear Vinyl with the sound and artwork restored to better than original condition.

by Dennis Tobell

Tracks
1. Glance at the Past (Welsh) - 1:25
2. Show Me the Way - 2:09
3. Henry Stared - 6:32
4. Changes Places - 3:40
5. Under a Wave (Welsh) - 5:46
6. Look at Me - 4:24
7. Johnny (Mace) - 4:26
8. Comeback - 4:24
9. You Were (Welsh) - 2:51
10.In the Beginning (Ross) - 4:37
11.Dozy World - 3:06
12.Stand Alone - 7:11
13.Who Was She - 3:12
14.All in the Past - 5:41
All songs by Dennis Tobell except where indicated
Bonus tracks 13-14

Maypole
*Dennis Tobell - Guitar, Vocals
*Paul Welsh - Drums
*Steve Mace - Vocals, Guitar
*Kenny Ross - Vocals
*John Nickel - Bass
With

(On bonus tracks only)
*Carey Altshuler - Keyboards
*Chuck Burke - Bass, Vocals
*Alan Wall - Drums
*Guille Garcia - Percussion

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Water - Damburst (1976 dutch, beautiful prog rock with jazz drops)

Damburst seems to be some sort of concept album about a struggle between man and nature. The band that made the album is named Water, and they include among their personnel ex-members of the old 60's proto-prog band Sandy Coast.

Also, they include a harmonica player, unusual for a prog band. The gentle flute playing, churning string-synths and sustain-filled guitar-solos on tracks like "Sail away" remind me mostly of Camel.

There are also some more mainstream rock pieces, but they aren't really offensive enough to make me skip them, though most of them aren't especially exciting or distinctive. The vocals are occasionally memorable, resembling Roger Daltrey on "Damburst II" 

by Mike Ohman

Tracks
1. What Happened To Your Dreams - 3:15
2. Whisper Of Doom - 1:02
3. Damburst I - 2:10
4. Feeling's Real - 5:52
5. Up The Ladder - 4:45
6. Message - Don't Break Me - 4:55
7. Aggression - 2:49
8. Water - 3:51
9. Sail Away - 5:09
10.Last Seagull - 4:21
11.Damburst II - 3:10
12.It's Over - 4:43

Water
*Boris Farberow - Bass, Vocals
*Allaert Troost - Guitar, Slide Guitar
*Jan Van Dijk - Flute, Guitar, Vibraphone, Vocals
*Martin Van Hilst - Percussion, Drums
*Ron Westerbeek - Organ, Vocals, Piano

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If - Not Just Another Bunch Of Pretty Faces / Tea Break Over (1974-75 uk, nice jazzy prog blues rock)

After switching label for the fourth time in just as many years, If released their sixth album with "Not Just Another Bunch of Pretty Faces". The fact that the keyboardist, guitarist and bassist had been replaced once again revealed that If now was a loosely based project with Morrisey as the main member. The album was closer to the style of the original If than what "Double Diamond" had been, but the sound was slicker and more mainstream. Having said that, most of the material on the album is decent enough.

My favourite is probably "Chiswick High Road Blues". It's based in a very simple but beautifully efficient organ-riff that lays the foundation for the rest of the song. "In the Winter of Your Life", "Still Alive" and the instrumental "Follow That With Your Performing Seals" are all good tracks that partly tries to bring the band back to the If-style of old. "Borrowed Time" is the slickest song on the album, although the flute-solo in the middle makes up for some of it. The closer "I Believe in Rock and Roll" was catchy enough to be chosen as If's fourth, and to my knowledge, last single.

If's final album continued in the polished and funky vein of "Not Just Another Bunch of Pretty Faces". My personal favourite is "Don Quixote's Masquerade", a delicious piece of laidback and atmospheric jazzy '70s rock. The opener "Merlin the Magic Man" is very typical for this version of If, complete with funky rhythm guitar and the obligatory jazzy horn riffs. 

"Ballad of the Yessirrom Kid" is of the more straightforward and rocking kind, listenable but not fantastic. But the band would always shine in their instrumental numbers, and "Song for Alison" and "Raw Sewage" is no exceptions to that rule. The title-track is on the other hand a bit harder to make stick to the ears, at least mine. "Tea-Break Over - Back on Your 'Eads" is overall a respectable offering and the band could have closed their career in a far worse way, but the real and true If was in my opinion the first version of the band that lasted from 1970-1972. 

Vintage-prog

Tracks
Not Just Another Bunch Of Pretty Faces 
1. In The Winter Of Your Life (Whitehorn, Davies) - 5:01
2. Stormy Every Weekday Blues (Davies) - 6:09
3. Follow That With Your Performing Seals (D. Morrissey) - 5:53
4. Still Alive (D. Morrissey, B. Morrissey) - 4:31
5. Borrowed Time (Davies) - 4:32
6. Chiswick High Road Blues (Davies) - 5:19
7. I Believe In Rock & Roll (Davies) - 4:55
Tea Break Is Over-Back On Your 'Eads 
8. Merlin The Magic Man (Davies) -  5:07
9. I Had A Friend (Davies) -  4:31
10.Tea-Break Over-Back On Your 'Eads (Whitehorn, Davies, Monaghan) -  6:07
11.Ballad Of The Yessirrom Kid (Davies) -  5:20
12.Raw Sewage (Davies) -  5:46
13.Song For Alison (D. Morrissey) -  3:57
14.Don Quixote's Masquerade (Davies) -  7:52

If
*Cliff Davies - Drums, Synthesizer, Vocals
*Gabriel Magno - Keyboards
*Walt Monaghan - Bass Guitar, Vocals
*Dick Morrissey - Saxes, Flute
*Mike Tomich - Bass Guitar
*Geoff Whitehorn - Guitars, Vocals

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)
1972  If - Europe '72 (Repertoire remaster)
1973  Double Diamond (2010 reissue)
Related Acts
1968  Terry Smith - Fall Out
1974  Zzebra - Zzebra

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Quill - Quill (1970 us, fine psych experimental early prog rock, 2010 issue)

This one came as a total surprise package to this reviewer. On reading their unexpectedly extensive Wikipedia entry I found that they’d played at Woodstock despite being an unrecorded act; that they were a popular regional attraction around Boston and the northeast; and that virtually all of them were multi-instrumentalists with a penchant for swapping the instruments around onstage: guitarists and keyboardists switching to horns, woodwind or cellos at the drop of a setlist.

The Woodstock slot came courtesy of a well-received appearance in NYC, and on hearing of their impending festival appearance with its film and live album potential, Ahmet Ertegun signed Quill to Atlantic’s Cotillion subsidiary in the summer of ’69. 

The non-appearance of the band’s set in the Woodstock movie contributed to the label losing interest and the band’s insistence on producing the debut album themselves didn’t particularly help their cause with Ertegun either. Although it was released the following year it received next to no corporate support and quickly stiffed. Like many another unsuccessful opus of the period it lay doggo for decades until resuscitated for CD reissue by the excellent Wounded Bird imprint in 2010.

The music itself is also surprising, distinctively and wilfully strange, somewhere between the Doors and early British prog-rock. The band members are all credited under wigged-out pseudonyms, Beefheart-style, and the compositions themselves have similarly wacky titles. Sonically, it’s sparsely realised despite the multifarious talents of the musicians, populated by barely-audible organs and pianos and mixed-back guitars and drums – the most prominent instrument is often the bass guitar. 

The arrangements are of the apparently loose, adlibbed type that can only result from the most meticulous orchestration and rehearsal. The lyrics are far from the usual hippie abandon of the day, laden with social commentary, and the backings are full of irregular chord sequences and modulations. There’s no telling where it’s going from one track to the next, or sometimes within any given track.

After an unpromising raggedy-ass intro, the opening “Thumbnail Screwdriver” builds around a catchy Hendrixoid guitar riff and features a chiming solo by harmonised guitars. The nine-minute “They Live The Life” is a minimalist shuffle with warped Moody Blues harmonies and a sparse drum solo which builds into a collapsing cacophony of chanting and percussion, apparently a favourite concert closer. 

“BBY” showcases the alternative horn skills of the players and comes over like Zappa bowdlerising Chicago, while “Yellow Butterfly” uses only flanged, wah-ed guitar and sparse bass and has ghostly vocals redolent of Syd Barrett. The closing “Shrieking Finally” opens with a droll mock Gregorian chant which leads into a fragmented prog workout with distinctive piano trimmings. Although all the musicianship is excellent, it’s probably Roger North’s inventive and technically adroit drumming that stays longest in the memory.

It’s all wacky and it all works. You won’t whistle the melodies as you walk down the street, but without doubt this is another rarity that deserves its rediscovery.

by Len Liechti

Tracks
1. Thumbnail Screwdriver - 5:22
2. Tube Exuding - 3:47
3. They Live The Life - 9:16
4. Bby - 4:58
5. Yellow Butterfly - 4:09
6. Too Late - 3:52 (Norm Rogers)
7. Shrieking Finally - 7:30
All songs composed by Jon and Dan Cole, unless otherwise noted.


Quill
*Dan Cole  - Vocals, Guitar, Trombone
*Norm Rogers  - Guitar, Bass, Cello, Vocals
*Jon Cole  - Bass, Guitar, Vocals
*Phil Thayer  - Keyboards, Bass, Saxophone, Vocals
*Roger North  - Drums, Vocals

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Pearls Before Swine - City of Gold (1971 us, fabulous progressive folk rock)

I dropped out with Tom Rapp, at his invitation, somewhere around the time I discovered his first ESP-disk in a Luv Summer suburban shopping center, drawn to his Elizabethan (even his wife was named Elisabeth) idealism and agape in a land of mammon. He had set up shop in the city of pyrite, fool's gold, and transmuted it.

An unlikely survivor of the most avant label of the avant-sixties. City of Gold (his fifth album, and third for Reprise) is two or three strands of tangling appalachia, the olde English ballad and the fiddle and the waltz; always the waltz. "Thomas" sings Shakespeare, Leonard Cohen, the autobiographical Judy Collins, and Brel-McKuen; but mostly it's his quavery midwest twang telling tales of a land "I don't mean here", but everywhere. His songs reconcile eras, mingling harpsichords and harmonicas, string quartets and dobros. 

He stands outside lime even as it passes, a Christ's span of years showing these pearls of wisdom to he a milky strand of dream, the dangling participle of the last song's title , the question continuing on and on, until you wake.

by Lenny Kaye, December 2002

Tracks
1. Sonnet #65 (William Shakespeare, Tom Rapp) - 0.49
2. Once Upon A Time - 2.40
3. Raindrops - Feat. Elisabeth - 2.05
4. City Of Gold - 3.09
5. Nancy - 4.50 - Leonard Cohen
6. Seasons In The Sun (Jacques Brel, Rod McKuen) - 3.24
7. My Father - 2.22 - Judy Collins
8. The Man - 2.30
9. Casablanca - 2.33
10.Wedding - 1.42
11.The Flower - Did You Dream Of Unicorns? - 2.49
All songs Written by Tom Rapp except where otherwise noted

Musicians 
*Tom Rapp - Vocals, Guitar
*Elisabeth Rapp  - Vocals
*David Noyes - Vocals
*Charles McCoy - Dobro, Guitar, Bass, Harmonica
*Norbert Putnam - Bass
*Kenneth A. Buttrey - Drums
*Buddy Spicher - Violin, Cello, Viola
*Mac Gayden - Guitars
*David Briggs - Piano, Harpsichord
*John Duke - Oboe, Flute
*Hutch Davie - Keyboard
*Bill Pippin - Oboe, Flute

Pearls Before Swine
1967 One Nation Underground (Japan remaster)
1968  Balaklava (Japan remaster) 
1971  Beautiful Lies You Could Live In
Tom Rapp
1972  Tom Rapp - Stardancer (2009 Lemon edition)
1973  Sunforest (2009 Lemon edition)

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Hannibal - Hannibal (1970 uk, outstanding heavy prog jazz rock, 2009 digi pack remaster)

Hannibal came together, from a band called Bakerloo around Birmingham that featured a guitarist called Clem Clemson, Clem Clemson was a brilliant young musician who went on to work with John Highsman in Coliseum and became a big session guitarist, with his manager Jim Simpson from Birmingham, Jim had funded an album for Bakerloo and shortly after, virtually at the same time, Clem Clemson left to do other things so Jim Simpson had got this album that he wanted promoting in Germany so they actually did a tour of Germany under that name - Bakerloo, before changed the name to Hannibal.

With some member changes the band found the spot to record an album that was  based around the guitarist Adrian Ingram, who -before Hannibal- had a three piece blues band that were known locally, a fantastic guitarist and although he hadn’t got any education or musical qualifications then, but  did get a load, and went on Guitar Chair at the Leeds School of Music for Jazz he's a brilliant jazz guitarist, he does Jazz gigs now over here and the states and has written books on Wes Montgomery and various guitarists so a very accomplished musician, Adrian Ingram was the main feature of the band, all the tracks were written by him. Their horn player and keyboardist Bill Hunt was a member of Breakthrou and later joined Jeff Lynne’s Move. 

As a seminal and jazzy prog-rock band from the late '60s, Hannibal shared stages with Free, Black Sabbath, Pato, ELO and Johnny Winter.  Their album is jam packed with early cutting-edge examples of Jazz-rock fusion guitar playing together with Adrian Ingram's quirky Zappaesque compositions. Hannibal was ahead of its time and eventually became a much sought-after prog, collectors item.

Tracks
1. Look Upon Me - 6:38
2. Winds Of Change - 7:29
3. Bend For A Friend - 10:29
4. 1066 - 6:31
5. Wet Legs - 4:47
6. Winter - 8:22
All songs by Adrian Ingram

Hannibal
*Alex Boyce - Vocals
*Jack Griffiths - Bass
*Bill Hunt - Keyboards, Horns
*Adrian Ingram - Guitar
*John Parker - Drums

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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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