October Country ‎– October Country (1968 us, elegant sunny psychedelia)

October Country was a six-piece, Los Angeles-based harmony pop group. They are probably best-remembered for their association with producer/composer/songwriter Michael Lloyd. Lloyd was already an accomplished songwriter by age 13, signing a publishing deal with L.A. producer Kim Fowley, who later introduced him to entertainment mogul Mike Curb. Fowley hoped that Curb would use some of Lloyd's songs in the "teensploitation" films he was producing at the time. Instead, Curb gave Lloyd the opportunity to produce a handful of groups for his Tower imprint and its Sidewalk subsidiary, including one of Lloyd's own groups, the Laughing Wind. Lloyd was 15 when his first single produced by Fowley was issued in 1966 (a few years later this same group -- which featured Stan Ayeroff on guitar and Steve Baim on drums -- released several "songbook" albums, including the Cream Songbook, although they were credited to "the Rubber Band" at the time). 

Meanwhile, Lloyd's profile in the L.A. music community was in ascendance and brought him new opportunities. He was soon offered the chance to produce a We Five-ish folk-rock group, led by a pair of singing siblings: Caryle De Franca (real name Carol De Franca) and her brother Joe. The group had already performed on the Sunset Strip scene, where they backed groups like the Rivingtonsand the Coasters. They assembled at Columbia Records and, under Lloyd's supervision, recorded the Lloyd-penned "October Country." (After they left the studio, however, Lloyd overdubbed himself playing on many of the instruments, replacing their poorer performances). 

The group adopted the name October Country thereafter, and signed with Epic Records, which released that first single in late 1967. By the spring of 1968, the group's second single, "My Girlfriend Is a Witch," was released, followed a few months later by a third single, "Cowboys and Indians." A self-titled LP was released that same year, but the group's records failed to catch on outside of the L.A. area. Curb was nonetheless impressed with what he heard and gave Lloyd free reign of his Hollywood Boulevard Studios for the next six months, where he and two other musicians composed, performed, and recorded an entire album of similar Laurel Canyon-esque psych-folk for his Sidewalk Productions, this time releasing the material under the name the Smoke, a band featuring Lloyd and the other members of the studio group previously known as the Rubber Band. Meanwhile, in 1969, Curb and Lloyd produced bubblegum rock for a cartoon program called Cattanooga Cats, which featured a pop-punk version of "My Girlfriend Is a Witch," reputedly with Rupert Holmes (of "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" fame) on lead vocals. 

by Bryan Thomas

Tracks
1. October Country - 2:38
2. Painted Sky (M. Lloyd, J. Greenspoon) - 3:11
3. Little Boy Smiling - 2:24
4. She's Been Away - 1:54
5. Good To Be Round - 2:28
6. I Wish I Was A Fire - 1:53
7. Cowboys And Indians - 2:14
8. I Just Don't Know (B. Wian) - 2:23
9. End Of The Line - 2:17
10.My Girlfriend Is A Witch - 2:06
11.Caryle's Theme - 1:52
12.Baby What I Mean (F. Hamilton, E. Sheldon) - 1:51
13.October Country (45 Mono Mix) - 2:24
14.I Just Don't Know (45 Mono Mix) (B. Wian) - 2:11
15.I Wish I Was A Fire (45 Mono Mix) - 2:08
16.Cowboys And Indians (45 Mono Mix) - 2:39
17.My Girlfriend Is A Witch (45 Mono Mix) - 1:54
All songs written by Michael Lloyd except where noted.

October Country
*Caryle De Franca - Vocals
*Joe De Franca - Vocals
*Marty Earle - Guitar
*Bruce Wayne - Bass Guitar
*Bob Wian - Keyboards
*Eddie Beram - Drums

Related Act 
1968  The Smoke - The Smoke (2010 edition) 

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Tarbaby - February (1973 us, excellent blues psych rock, 2010 Gear Fab release)

Tarbaby was a very popular local band in the early 1970's in and around the Tallahassee area. Pat Muth, Brewster Banks, and Wally Knoelke had their own style of music that was fresh, raw, and original. Lay back and listen to some of the best music to come out of the Florida panhandle in the early 1970's!!

Tarbaby released the "Bullseye" album in April, 1973 in Tallahassee, Florida. The three piece group played in and around Tallahassee and the Southeast with the song "Gotta Find Me a Woman" reaching into the top 20 in Panama City and the top 5 in Tallahassee. They performed with Eric Carmen and the Raspberries in Panama City and were the featured entertainment for the Coral Gables Junior-Senior prom at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Florida in June, 1974. 

Tarbaby pursued separate careers in late 1975. Since then Patrick Muth formed the Band "Crybaby" (1976-1960), and since 1980 has been playing under the name "The Cove Hotel Band" out of Panama City. Brewster Banks released 8 more albums under various names. Waliy Knoelke still plays the drums everyday.

by Pat Muth, Tallahasse, Florida January, 2010

Tracks
1. Have You Seen My Baby?  - :18
2. Swing - 4:37
3. Mustang Sally (Bonny Rice) - 2:52
4. I Need Your Love  - 3:11
5. Gotta Find Me A Woman  - 3:01
6. Bootleg (Fogerty) 3:36
7. So Long  - 2:59
8. My Back Door  - 2:52
9. Baked Tomato  - 4:35
10.New Song -  3:56
All songs by Brewster Banks and Patrick Muth, except where noted.

Tarbaby
Patrick Muth - Rythym  Lead Guitars, Harmonica, Vocals
Brewster Banks - Bass Guitar, Piano, Vocals
Wally Knoelke - Drums, Percussion, Trumpet

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Terry Reid - Superlungs / The Complete Studio Recordings (1966-69 uk, spectacular mix of psych, blues, funky, roots 'n' roll, two disc set)

A minor but interesting late-'60s British rock singer, Terry Reid could have been a lot more famous if he had been able to accept the slot of lead singer for the New Yardbirds in 1968. That slot, of course, went to Robert Plant, and the New Yardbirds became Led Zeppelin. Unlike Plant, Reid was also a guitarist, and the opportunity to head his own group no doubt played a part in his decision to gun for a solo career. Leading a guitar-organ-drums power trio, he recorded a couple of respectable, though erratic, hard rock albums while still a teenager in the late '60s. Some bad breaks and creative stagnation combined to virtually bring his career to a halt, and he never cashed in on the momentum of his promising start.

A teen prodigy of sorts, Reid had turned professional at the age of 15 to join Peter Jay & the Jaywalkers. His first couple of singles as a headliner found him singing in a sort of poppy blue-eyed soul vein. But by the time of his 1968 debut Bang, Bang You're Terry Reid, produced by Mickie Most, he'd switched to more of a hard rock approach. Most was also handling Donovan and the Jeff Beck Group at the time, and similarities to both of those acts can be heard in Terry Reid's first two albums -- proto-hard rock on the louder tunes, sweeter folk-rock on the mellow ones (Reid in fact covered a couple of Donovan compositions, although he wrote most of his own material). Reid's high voice was reminiscent of Robert Plant's, though not nearly as shrill, and his folky numbers especially are reminiscent of Led Zeppelin's most acoustic early cuts.

Reid, oddly, was considerably more well-known in the U.S. than the U.K. His first album, very oddly, was not even issued in Britain, although it made the American Top 200. It's been reported that he at least in part declined Jimmy Page's offer to join Led Zeppelin owing to his contractual commitments to record for Mickie Most as a solo artist, and to perform as an opening solo artist on the Rolling Stones' late-'60s U.S. tour. He did influence Led Zeppelin's history in a big way by recommending Plant and drummer John Bonham as suitable candidates for the group's lineup, after Plant and Bonham's pre-Led Zep outfit (the Band of Joy) played support at one of Reid's early gigs. Reid felt confident enough in his solo prospects to also turn down an offer to join Deep Purple (Ian Gillan was recruited instead).

An opening spot on the Rolling Stones' famous 1969 tour of America seemed to augur even brighter prospects for the future, but this is precisely where Reid's career stalled, at the age of 20. First he became embroiled in litigation with Mickey Most, which curtailed his studio activities in the early '70s. After a couple of personnel changes, he disbanded his original trio, leading a group for a while that included David Lindley and ex-King Crimson drummer Michael Giles (this quartet, however, didn't release any records). He moved to California in 1971 and signed to Atlantic, but his long-delayed third album didn't appear until 1973. Reid would release albums for other labels in 1976 and 1979, but none of his '70s recordings were well-received, critically or commercially (though 1976's Seed of Memory did briefly chart). He's barely recorded since, though he did play some sessions, and The Driver appeared in 1991. 

by Richie Unterberger

Most of the contents of Super Lungs: The Complete Studio Recordings -- most especially the albums Bang, Bang You're Terry Reid and Terry Reid -- will be familiar to the singer's fans, and may dissuade people from picking up this double-CD set. That would be a shame, however, in view of the other material that is here -- starting with his work with Peter Jay & the Jaywalkers, which opens disc one and dates from well before his solo debut, Reid reveals himself as an extraordinarily (jaw-droppingly good, in fact) soul singer, with range, power, charisma, and taste, even on those early sides, and the package is extended into genuinely uncharted territory with a half-dozen newly discovered, newly mixed outtakes from Bang, Bang You're Terry Reid, and two tracks from Reid's first recording session in 1966, "Funny How Time Slips Away" (which is almost worth the price of the double-CD set by itself) and "I'll Take Good Care of You." The sound quality is spot-on perfect, state of the art, the annotation by Peter Doggett is entertaining and informative, and the whole package is some of the best British-spawned soul and R'n'B that one can find. 

by Bruce Eder

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Peter Jay And The Jaywalkers – It's Gonna Be Morning (Bert Russell) - 2:57

2. Peter Jay And The Jaywalkers – I'll Take Good Care Of You (Berns, Ragavoy) - 2:36

3. Peter Jay And The Jaywalkers – Funny How Time Slips Away (W. Nelson) - 3:39

4. Peter Jay And The Jaywalkers – Just Walk In My Shoes (Mastor, Miller) - 2:19

5. Peter Jay And The Jaywalkers - Hand Don't Fit The Glove (Hubert Pattison) - 2:55

6. Peter Jay And The Jaywalkers - This Time (Peter Jay, Terry Reid) - 1:49

7. Better By Far (Macleod, Macaulay) - 3:28

8. Fire's Alive - 2:54

9.Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) (Sonny Bono) - 4:15

10.Tinker Taylor - 2:53

11.Erica - 3:50

12.Without Expression - 4:46

13.Sweater - 2:04

14.Something's Gotten Hold Of My Heart (Roger Cooke, Roger Greenaway) - 5:00

15.Season Of The Witch (Donovan Leitch) - 10:08

16.Writing On The Wall / Summertime Blues (Eddie Cochran, Jerry Capehart, Terry Reid) - 10:11

17.When I Get Home - 3:38

18.Loving Time (Eric Leese, Terry Reid) - 3:38

19.Without Expression (2003 Mix) - 4:46

All songs by Terry Reid except where noted

Disc 2
1.Superlungs My Supergirl (Donovan Leitch) - 2:40
2.Silver White Light - 2:52
3.July - 3:30
4.Marking Time - 3:45
5.Stay With Me Baby (Weiss, Ragavoy) - 4:10
6.Highway 61 Revisited / Friends / Highway 61 Revisited (Bob Dylan, Terry Reid) - 7:57
7.May Fly - 3:39
8.Speak Now Or Forever Hold Your Peace - 4:23
9.Rich Kid Blues - 4:12
10.Highway 61 Revisited (2003 Remix) (Bob Dylan) - 4:25
11. Peter Jay And The Jaywalkers - Funny How Time Slips Away (First 'Demo' Version) (W. Nelson) - 3:55
12. Peter Jay And The Jaywalkers - I'll Take Good Care Of You (First 'Demo' Version) (Berns, Ragavoy) - 2:05
13.Ain't That Peculiar (Tarplin, Rogers, Robinson, Moore) - 4:22
14.I've Got News For You (Alfred) - 5:32
15.Summer Sequence - 2:01
16.Zodiac Blues (Keith Webb, Terry Reid) - 2:54
17.Penny - 5:58
18.Rich Old Lady - 2:07
All songs by Terry Reid except where stated

Personnel
*Terry Reid - Guitar, Vocals
*Bill Bonham - Flute, Hammond B3, Keyboards, Saxophone
*Brian Hayward - Trumpet
*John Paul Jones - Double Bass
*Johnny Larke - Bass
*Ian Saunders - Tenor Sax
*Peter Solley - Keyboards
*Keith Webb - Drums
*Peter Jay - Drums

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Pazop - Psychillis Of A Lunatic Genius (1972-73 belgium, fascinating progressive fusion rock)

Though their music was beyond the ordinary, they were never able to release an album during their short lifetime. Pazop was formed at the end of 1971 by vocalist and flautist Dirk Bogaert, keyboardist Frank Wuyts, violinist Kuba Szczepansky, bassist Patrick Cogneaux, and drummer Jacky Mauer. Wuyts and Szczepanski had just left progressive rock band Wallace Collection, Wuyts had previously been involved with Bogaert, Cogneaux, and Mauer had been in another short-lived prog band, Waterloo. Cogneaux had also been a member of Arkham, a group that included future members of Magma and Univers Zero, while Sczcepansky, a classically trained musician born in Poland, played in the Brussels Opera Philharmonic Orchestra for a couple years before turning to rock with Wallace Collection in 1970.

Even before they had decided on a name, the new group approached Wallace Collection's label, EMI, and though the record company did not sign the group, they offered them a two-day studio session to record a better demo. The four-song demo was in a style far more commercial than their normal sound, which had influences as diverse as Miles Davis, 20th century classical music, progressive rock groups like King Crimson and Caravan, and Frank Zappa. With the new demo Szczepanski and Mauer headed to Paris to hit up every record label there for a contract, but they had no success. They also finally came up with a name for themselves, Pas Op, Flemish for "Warning" but the spelling was soon changed to Pazop.

They finally got a contract with producer Luigi Oglival in March of 1972, who was able to get them signed to CBS and the Barclay label. The band went into the Herouville Studio in France in July 1972 to record the album Psychillis of a Lunatic Genius. The group also played several gigs at the Gibus-Club in Paris, which brought them some excellent press, as well as other shows in France and Belgium. Meanwhile, near the end of that year, Barclay rejected their album as being too non-commercial, and chose to release one of the earlier demos as a single instead, much to the group's chagrin. Oglival, who realized he wouldn't recoup the studio costs, dropped the band as well, reneging on his contract and even keeping the master tapes.

In 1973, the group was hired by pop musician Sylvain Van Holme to provide modern rock adaptations of various classical pieces by Tchaikovsky, Dvorák, Mozart and Verdi. Van Holme decided to co-produce a new record by Pazop, and booked them at the Start Studio in Belgium in the late summer of 1973. Van Holme contacted several record companies, but again the album was not commercial enough. The group continued touring Belgium and France until July of 1974 before calling it quits. Their inability to get enough gigs and to release either of their LPs had left them financially and emotionally strapped, and they split up for more successful groups. Their master tapes sat in a desk drawer for years. Pazop's two albums, minus the four commercial demos, were finally released  by Musea. 

by Rolf Semprebon 

Tracks
1. Le La Loo Loo Le La - 2:29
2. Harlequin Of Love - 2:50
3. Crying For Disaster's Hand - 4:08
4. What Is The Further Purpose - 3:10
5. Swaying Fire - 3:32
6. Mirela - 2:10
7. Freedom Dance - 3:28
8. Lovelight - 4:06
9. Bami, Lychee, Si - 5:26
10.Harlequin Of Love (Second Version) - 3:08
11.Can It Be Sin - 6:54
12.And The Hermit Will Be The Master - 5:18
13.M.M.M. - 5:50
14.In The Army (Devil Likes Smoke) - 1:37
15.Airport Formalities And Taking Off / Stewardess And Breakfast - 6:18
16.It's The End - 0:44
Words and Music by Dirk Bogaert and Frank Wuyts

Pazop
*Dirk Bogaert - Flute, Vocals
*Patrick Cogneaux - Bass
*Frank Wuyts - Keyboards, Vocals
*Kuba Szczepanski - Violin

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Lee Michaels - Barrel (1970 us, fabulous funk rock with blues and psych shades)

Thumbing through dollar bins at record shops can be depressing, particularly when the pickings are slim. Plumbing the depths of milk crates jammed with forgotten vinyl, which no longer lie on shag carpets and basement floors, but in mounds that neglect their prior value, that reject what they once might have meant to someone, somewhere, upon their original release, is a real downer. Here lie bands without a myth, un-legendary singers, devalued albums that once topped the charts, last names written in faded Sharpie ink on moldy album covers. Indefinitely, these albums and their memories remain in $1.00 purgatory, doomed to a needle-less existence.

But one recent find dispelled the notion that happiness can’t be retrieved from the bottom of a barrel. Lee Michaels, a laidback rocker with soul from the West Coast, known for making his Hammond the core of his sound, released Barrel to little notice or airplay in 1970. (Michaels wouldn’t tap the mainstream until the following year with “Do You Know What I Mean?,” a corny-cool, organ-led tune which implores the listener for empathy over a girl who’s scrammed.)

And notice and sales really weren’t warranted. Among Barrel’s eleven tracks, only a few pass muster—Michaels’ cover of Moby Grape’s “Murder In My Heart (For The Judge),” “Mad Dog,” and “Didn’t Know What I Had” achieve brief moments of hallelujah-rock exaltation, thanks to Michaels’ skills as a keyboardist and rock vocalist with a gospel edge. The other songs, several of which attempt to address the war in Vietnam,” don’t do the trick, nor does the album’s weakling of a ballad, “Uummmm My Lady.”

Whereas the quality of the songs leaves something to be desired (Barrel was recorded at Michaels’ California ranch, which features prominently on the cover and jacket art), the spirit of the music-making doesn’t disappoint. Listening pleasure is drawn from the fact that Michaels, along with frequent drummer, Barry “Frosty” Smith, and guitarist Drake Levin of Paul Revere and the Raiders, don’t seem to be taking their jobs too seriously. 

The songs have a one-off feel, and the photo montage on the inside jacket is an awesome monument to stoner-slackerdom—one photo shows Lee feeding a pair of cheetahs on his back deck; another reveals a heavyset Frosty gesticulating, sporting spotted pajama pants. This makes the experience of Barrel not quite a joke, but it does give us license to laugh off its artistic flaws, and forget that overwhelming critical and commercial success are even legitimate criteria of how listening choices are made.  Barrel is not trying to be anything more than what it is, and this is a hallmark of all classic good-times music.

So if you find a copy of Barrel in a bin somewhere, don’t expect too much, but expect to be amused, bemused, and occasionally, moved. It might have meant something to some lost teenager from the ’70s before it wound up at the bottom of the heap.

by Meghan Roe

Tracks
1. Mad Dog - 3:45
2. What Now America (Lee Michaels, Sheffield, Eddie Shuler) - 3:25
3. Uummmm My Lady - 3:00
4. Thumbs - 4:05
5. When Johnny Comes Marching Home - 2:02
6. Murder In My Heart (For The Judge) (Jerry Miller, Don Stevenson) - 3:36
7. Day Of Change - 3:33
8. Think I'll Cry - 2:43
9. Games (Bobby Womack) - 3:10
10.Didn't Know What I Had - 3:14
11.As Long As I Can - 1:28
All songs by Lee Michaels except where stated

Musicians
*Frosty - Drums
*Drake Levin - Guitar
*Lee Michaels - Bass, Keyboards, Vocals

1969  Lee Michaels - Lee Michaels

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The Beau Brummels - Beau Brummels' 66 (1966 us, wonderful folk psych, japan edition)

While they only had two big hits, the Beau Brummels were one of the most important and underrated American groups of the 1960s. They were the first U.S. unit of any sort to successfully respond to the British Invasion. They were arguably the first folk-rock group, even predating the Byrds, and also anticipated some key elements of the San Francisco psychedelic sound with their soaring harmonies and exuberant melodies. Before they finally reached the end of the string, they were also among the first bands to record country-rock in the late '60s.

The key axis of the band was formed by guitarist/songwriter Ron Elliott, who penned most of the Brummels' moody and melodious material, and singer Sal Valentino, owner of one of the finest voices in mid-'60s rock. Spotted by local DJ Tom Donahue in a club in San Mateo (just south of San Francisco), the group was signed to Donahue's small San Francisco-based label, Autumn Records, in 1964. With Sly Stewart (later Sly Stone) in the producer's chair, they made the Top 20 right off the bat with "Laugh, Laugh." The melancholy, minor-key original sounded so much like the British bands inundating the airwaves that many listeners initially mistook the Brummels for an English act. The follow-up single, "Just a Little," was another excellent, melancholy number that became their biggest hit, making the Top Ten.

The Beau Brummels made a couple of fine albums in 1965, dominated by strong original material and featuring the band's ringing guitars and multi-part, mournful harmonies. The best of their early work is nearly as fine as the Byrds' first recordings, yet the band was losing ground commercially, partially because Autumn, being such a small label, lacked promotional muscle. "You Tell Me Why" was their only other Top 40 hit, though "Sad Little Girl" and the Byrds knock-off "Don't Talk to Strangers" were excellent singles. The band also shuffled personnel a few times, and Ron Elliott was unable to stay on the road because of diabetes. Autumn was sold in 1966 to Warners, who made the lunkheaded move of forcing the band to record an entire album of Top 40 covers -- ignoring the fact that original material was one of the Brummels' primary fortes. 

by Richie Unterberger

Tracks
1. You've Got To Hide Your Love Away (Lennon, McCartney) - 3:39
2. Mr. Tambourine Man (Dylan) - 3:45                    
3. Louie Louie (R. Berry) - 2:06                            
4. Homeward Bound (P. Simon) - 2:40                        
5. These Boots Are Made For Walking (L Hazelwood) - 2:49      
6. Yesterday (Lennon, McCartney) - 2:34                              
7. Bang Bang (S. Bono) - 1:51                            
8. Hang On Sloopy (Russell, Farrell) - 2:48                        
9. Play With Fire (Jagger, Richards) - 2:53                        
10.Woman (B. Webb) - 1:58                                
11.Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter (T. Peacock) - 2:35
12.Monday Monday (J. Phillips) - 2:48
                       
The Beau Brummels
*Ron Elliott - Guitar, Vocals
*Sal Valentino - Vocals
*Ron Meagher - Bass, Harmonica, Guitar, Vocals
*Declan Mulligan - Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals
*John Petersen - Drums, Vocals
*Don Irving - Guitar

Related Act
1970  Ron Elliott - The Candlestickmaker

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Lee Michaels - Lee Michaels (1969 us, remarkable organ drivin' groovy heavy psych)

One of the most interesting second-division California psychedelic musicians, keyboardist Lee Michaels was one of the most soulful white vocalists of the late '60s and early '70s. Between 1968 and 1972, he released half a dozen accomplished albums on A&M that encompassed baroque psychedelic pop and gritty white (sometimes gospel-ish) R&B with equal facility. A capable songwriter, Michaels was blessed with an astonishing upper range, occasionally letting loose some thrilling funky wails. In 1971, he landed a surprise Top Ten single with "Do You Know What I Mean," one of the best and funkiest AM hits of the early '70s.

But Michaels was really much more of an album-oriented artist, from the time he began recording in the late '60s. Michaels started playing music in Southern California, where he was in a band with future members of Moby Grape, the Turtles, and Canned Heat. By the time he signed to A&M, however, he'd moved to San Francisco, joining the management stable of Matthew Katz (which also included, at various times, Jefferson Airplane, Moby Grape, and It's a Beautiful Day). Michaels was unusual for a San Francisco act in that he relied mostly on an organ-based sound, especially after the first pair of albums, when for a time he played (live and in the studio) with the mammoth drummer "Frosty" as his only accompanist.

"Do You Know What I Mean," ironically, was a throwaway tune that Michaels wrote hurriedly. Though Lee himself didn't think much of it, the song was a first-rate blast of blue-eyed soul; around this time, the gospel influence that had often informed his sound came to the fore. His albums in the mid-'70s for Columbia, however, were both critical and commercial disappointments. Michaels moved to Hawaii for an extended retirement from the music business. In the early '80s he announced the forthcoming independent release of a new solo album entitled Absolute Lee, which finally saw distribution through One Way Records in 1996; however, little has been heard from him since.

by Richie Unterberger

One of the masterpieces of the period, Lee Michaels was essentially recorded live in the studio by only Michaels (organ/bass pedals) and Frosty on drums. It's a fabulous performance and one of the finest R&B/rock sets of the period. The first side is comprised of a medley of soulful workouts that come out sounding not unlike Led Zeppelin. Here, Michaels pulls out all the stops (literally) and showcases the organ as a bona fide rock instrument. Despite the lengthy drum solo, it's one of the finest sides of Los Angeles rock & roll. Michaels also reprises "My Friends," a song from his first album, to great effect. Lee Michaels is also home to the good-time, pro-drug anthem "Highty Hi," as well as an awesome cover of "Stormy Monday." A true party platter. 

by Matthew Greenwald

Tracks
1. Medley: Tell Me How Do You Feel/(Don't Want No) Woman/My Friends/Frost (Lee Michaels) - 20:27
2. Stormy Monday (T-Bone Walker) - 5:12
3. Who Could Want More (Lee Michaels) - 3:44
4. Want My Baby (Lee Michaels) - 2:59
5. Heighty Hi (Lee Michaels) - 6:01

Personnel
*Lee Michaels - Bass,  Keyboards,  Vocals
*Bartholomew Smith Frost - Drums, Percussion

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Alvin Lee - In Flight (1974 uk, awesome roots 'n' roll blues rock)

Alvin’s second solo effort and only Alvin could make the magic happen on this recording. It was one Hell of a spectacular event, not only because of the gathering of the all star supporting players, but because for the first time Alvin became just one of the boys in the band. With nothing to prove he was playing for the love of playing and that’s what becomes apparent to the listener, it was a triumph of discipline over stardom. 

For Alvin to sing Don’t Be Cruel and really do it justice is a prime example of  his true talent. He plays his Gibson like a stradivarius and the notes and phrasing flow like silk and honey all over this recording, nothing hectic or over done, it’s all in good taste without the usual Alvin Lee haste. 

When Alvin learned to control his guitar and caress the numbers being played instead of his usual flying fingers assult that he has been known for over the years, that is what has propelled him into a higher artistic status. As the Billboard review has stated, his voice became just as important an instrument as the notes he was playing. 

Bonus τracks, Sombody Callin’ Me and Put It In A Box. Now here is something different and interesting and worthy of being included on this release.   

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Got To Keep Moving - 5:02

2. Going Through The Door - 4:21

3. Don't Be Cruel (Blackwell, Presley) - 2:39

4. Money Honey (Stone) - 3:05

5. I'm Writing You A Letter - 4:52

6. You Need Love Love Love - 5:24

7. Freedom For The Stallion (A. Toussaint) - 6:26

8. Every Blues You've Ever Heard - 5:24

9. All Life's Trials - 2:59

All songs by Alvin Lee except where stated

Disc 2
1. Intro - :53
2. Let's Get Back - 4:58
3. Ride My Train - 4:14
4. There's A Feeling - 4:02
5. Running Round - 5:38
6. Mystery Train (Phillips, Parker) - 4:42
7. Slow Down (Williams) - 3:38
8. Keep A Knockin' (Penniman) - 2:14
9. How Many Times - 2:04
10.I've Got Eyes For You Baby - 3:36
11.I'm Writing You A Letter - 4:18
12.Somebody Callin' Me - 6:26
13.Put It In A Box - 8:06
All songs by Alvin Lee except where noted
Bonus tracks 12-13 Not On Original LP

Personnel
*Alvin Lee - Guitar, vocals
*Tim Hinkley - Keyboards
*Alan Spenner - Bass guitar
*Ian Wallace - Drums
*Mel Collins - saxophone
*Alan Spencer - Bass
*Neil Hubbard - Guitar
*Dylan Birch - Vocals
*Frank Collins - Vocals
*Paddie McHugh - Vocals

1973-74  Alvin Lee And Mylon Lefevre - On The Road To Freedom
2012  Alvin Lee - Still on the Road to Freedom

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Fox - San Francisco Session (1969-70 us, stunning heavy blues psych rock)

An unreleased album from this post "Day Blindness" band, recorded in 1969/70. This album is a heavy bluesy psychedelic masterpiece of the highest order. It is virtually the second "Day Blindness" album with slight personal changes, but musically in a more heavy psychedelic direction. 

The lead guitarist Gary Pihl is well known today for being the guitar player of Boston. Here he plays an amazing psychedelic guitar and it reminds us in parts of the mighty Mariani's "Perpetuum Mobile" album. Superb bass guitar by Johnny V. Vernazza and crazy drums by Roy Garcia, who later went to play with the legendary band Gold (of Rockadelic Records fame!). 

Only one 45 single was ever released of those fantastic sessions on "Studio 10", and the single is mega rare these days.

Tracks
1. Susie S. Kalator - 6:33
2. Sun City - 6:19
3. I Can't Take It - 4:58
4. Keer On Livin' This Wax - 5:27
5. I Was Alone - 4:49
6. Geraldine - 6:28
7. Parckman Farm - 11:00
8. Baby, Please Don't Go - 6:52

Fox
*Johnny Vernazza - Bass
*Roy Garcia - Drums
*Gary Pihl - Guitar

Related Act
1969  Day Blindness 

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Jeff Beck - Truth (1966-68 uk, classic heavy blues rock, 2014 japan SHM remaster and expanded)

Despite being the premiere of heavy metal, Jeff Beck's Truth has never quite carried its reputation the way the early albums by Led Zeppelin did, or even Cream's two most popular LPs, mostly as a result of the erratic nature of the guitarist's subsequent work. 

Time has muted some of its daring, radical nature, elements of which were appropriated by practically every metal band (and most arena rock bands) that followed. Truth was almost as groundbreaking and influential a record as the first Beatles, Rolling Stones, or Who albums. Its attributes weren't all new -- Cream and Jimi Hendrix had been moving in similar directions -- but the combination was: the wailing, heart-stoppingly dramatic vocalizing by Rod Stewart, the thunderous rhythm section of Ron Wood's bass and Mickey Waller's drums, and Beck's blistering lead guitar, which sounds like his amp is turned up to 13 and ready to short out. Beck opens the proceedings in a strikingly bold manner, using his old Yardbirds hit "Shapes of Things" as a jumping-off point, deliberately rebuilding the song from the ground up so it sounds closer to Howlin' Wolf. 

There are lots of unexpected moments on this record: a bone-pounding version of Willie Dixon's "You Shook Me"; a version of Jerome Kern's "Ol' Man River" done as a slow electric blues; a brief plunge into folk territory with a solo acoustic guitar version of "Greensleeves" (which was intended as filler but audiences loved); the progressive blues of "Beck's Bolero"; the extended live "Blues Deluxe"; and "I Ain't Superstitious," a blazing reworking of another Willie Dixon song. It was a triumph -- a number 15 album in America, astoundingly good for a band that had been utterly unknown in the U.S. just six months earlier -- and a very improbable success. 

by Bruce Eder

Tracks
1. Shapes Of Things (Jim Mccarty, Keith Relf, Paul Samwell-Smith) - 3:22
2. Let Me Love You (Beck, Stewart) - 4:44
3. Morning Dew (Bonnie Dobson) - 4:40
4. You Shook Me (Willie Dixon, J. B. Lenoir) - 2:33
5. Ol' Man River (Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II) - 4:01
6. Greensleeves (Traditional) - 1:50
7. Rock My Plimsoul (Beck, Stewart) - 4:13
8. Beck's Bolero (Jimmy Page) - 2:54
9. Blues Deluxe (Beck, Stewart) - 7:33
10.I Ain't Superstitious (Willie Dixon) - 4:53
11.I've Been Drinking (Stereo Mix) (Beck, Stewart) - 3:25
12.You Shook Me (Take 1) (Willie Dixon, J. B. Lenoir) - 2:31
13.Rock My Plimsoul (Stereo Mix Of Single Version) (Beck, Stewart) - 3:42
14.Beck's Bolero (Mono Single Mix) (Jimmy Page) - 3:11
15.Blues Deluxe (Take 1) (Beck, Stewart) - 7:31
16.Tallyman (Graham Gouldman) - 2:46
17.Love Is Blue (André Popp, Pierre Cour, Brian Blackburn) - 2:57
18.Hi Ho Silver Lining (Stereo Mix) (Scott English, Laurence Weiss) - 3:46

Personnel
*Jeff Beck - Electric Guitars, Acoustic Guitar, Pedal Steel Guitar, Bass, Vocals
*Rod Stewart - Lead Vocals
*Ronnie Wood - Bass Guitar
*Micky Waller - Drums
*Madeline Bell - Backing Vocals
*John Carter And Ken Lewis - Backing Vocals
*Clem Cattini - Drums
*Aynsley Dunbar - Drums
*Nicky Hopkins - Piano
*John Paul Jones - Bass Guitar, Hammond Organ
*Keith Moon - Drums, Timpani
*Jimmy Page - 12-String Electric Guitar

1969  Jeff Beck Group - Beck-Ola (2006 remaster and expanded)
1970  Jeff Beck - Rough And Ready (Japan remaster)
 with The Yardbirds
1963-68  Glimpses (five disc box set) 

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