Isolation - Isolation (1973 uk, fine folk rock wirh jazz prog touches)

British band from early seventies The Isolation, with singing reminds partly more of American CSNY-influenced bands. 

The improvisations of acoustic guitars with piano and flute are good, sometimes a bit jazzy psych-folk styled. The whole idea reminds me more of the first reissue of Oberon. The music is fine, but the “remastering” could have been better.

Psychedelic-folk

Tracks
1. Theme (I) - 6:20
2. Poor Boy - 3:10  
3. Looks Like You're Leavin' - 3:51  
4. Reaching Out - 4:40  
5. 'E' - 3:20  
6. Moon Mood - 1:56  
7. Theme (II) - 2:08  
8. Yesterdays Moments - 2:42  
9. Theme (III) - 1:01  
10.Banjotune (Traditional) - 1:34

Isolation
*Richard Blondell - 12 String Guitar, Vocals
*Dave Smith - Piano, Vocals
*John Paul Davidson - Flute
*Ian Robinson - Electric Guitar
*Chris Pritchett - Violin
*Tim Neild - Bass, Banjo

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The Crome Syrcus - Love Cycle (1968 us, great psych experimental rock, digipack edition)

This psyhcedelic nugget wrapped within a lovely hippie album covers offers to an interested listener both conventional San Francisco psych pop rock, and also experimental material, proving that they were among the rock artists searching the boundaries of their art and style. The opening track might be a disappointment to a prog listener, but I enjoyed the more fragile following numbers. The keyboard driven sound with much vocals and emotional approach also remind the sound of the Vanilla Fudge, and I just love that soaring acid guitar giving the solos. The last song of the album is a 17-minutes long epic, containing some references to classical choral music, which then get a sudden LSD-treatment. I would suggest this album to fans of the history of early artistic psychedelic rock music and those interested of American 1960's garage rock. 

by Psychedelic Prog Specialist Team

Tracks
1. Take It Like A Man - 3:35
2. You Made A Change in Me - 5:24
3. Crystals - 3:01
4. Never Come Down - 3:47
5. Woman Woman - 1:48
6. Love Cycle - 17:24

The Crome Syrcus
*John Gaborit - Guitar
*Lee Graham - Vocals, Bass, Flute
*Rod Pilloud - Drums
*Dick Powell - Harmonica, Keyboards
*Ted Shreffler - Keyboards

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The Scorpions ‎– Hello Josephine, The Complete Collection (1965-66 uk, marvelous beat roots 'n' roll, two disc set)

The Scorpions formed in early 1964 by singer and frontman Peter Lewis, with Tony Briley on bass guitar and Mike Delaney on drums. Two cousins, Tony Postill (full name: Anthony Harold Postill) and Rodney Postill (full name: Joseph Rodney Postill), completed the quintet’s line-up on lead- and rhythm guitar respectively. 

The Scorpions were aiming for a recording deal, but at the height of the British ’Beat Boom’ the competition between groups was very stiff indeed. They reportedly played at the famous Cavern club in Liverpool, but a record contract seemed elusive. 

Whereas other British groups often went to Hamburg, Germany to get gigs and eventually achieve success, The Scorpions decided to try their luck in Holland in July 1964. It was still ’early days’ for Dutch beat music, and there was plenty of work to be found in Holland. 

The Scorpions got signed by Dutch promoter Jan Vis to play the lucrative dance hall circuit around the country from their new base in Den Bosch. The record companies in Holland were also starting to take notice, and The Scorpions were quickly signed by CNR, who brought in Addy Kleyngeld to produce their first recordings. 

Their debut single was released in August 1964. It was a cover of Chuck Berry’s ”Bye Bye Johnny” with ”Rip It Up” on the flip, but made no immediate impact on the record buying public. Yet the group stuck with their classic rock and roll style on a trio of follow-up singles released in October-November. Their renditions of Richie Barret’s ”Some Other Guy”, the Ray Charles hit ”What ’d I Say”, and another Chuck Berry number, ”Johnny B. Goode”, were all very representative of the group’s energy packed live performances at the time. 

The group also showed a softer side with a decent version of ”Just One Look”, though without the close harmonies of The Hollies’ hit version. However, in spite of being given massive airplay by Radio Veronica and Radio Noordzee, The Scorpions’ first four singles all failed to register in the charts. 

In late 1964 bassist Tony Briley left the group. Rodney Postill then took over on bass, Tony Postill switched from lead to rhythm guitar, and Terry Morton (full name:Terence James Morton) came in as new lead guitarist. He had previously played with Wayne Fontana & The Jets and The Country Gentlemen. 

Their next choice for a single, released in December 1964, was Fats Domino’s ”Hello Josephine”, which had previously been covered by fellow Mancunians Wayne Fontana and The Mindbendersin 1963. 

And with ”Hello Josephine” The Scorpions finally got their breakthrough as a recording act in Holland. The single entered Radio Veronica’s Top 40 on February 20th. 1965 and stayed in the charts for an impressive 33 weeks, 13 of which in the top 10 and peaking at the No. 2 spot. 

The boys from Manchester were now big stars in Holland. It seemed almost impossible to follow up the enormous success of ”Hello Josephine”. Their next offering on single, ”Ann Louise”, was quite a contrast to previous releases. It was a much softer beat ballad with a pretty melody, but only reached a modest No. 36 in May 1965 and stayed for 2 weeks only in the charts. An album with the obvious title of ”Hello Josephine” was also released by CNR that same month to cash in on the group’s chart success. This contained all the group’s singles, A- and B-sides, and was released in CNR’s ”Hartewens” series. 

The Scorpions underwent a new line-up change in early 1965 when drummer Mike Delaney quit and was replaced by Ian ”Skins” Lucas, who had previously played with Wayne Fontana & The Jets.  The success of ”Hello Josephine” secured consistent bookings for the group, but they also found time to start recording a new album, again with Addy Kleyngeld behind the controls. 

One of the tracks laid down on tape for the album was ”Greensleeves”. This was picked as their next single, coupled with ”Hey Honey”, a number penned by the group. Released in June 1965, The Scorpions’ version of ”Greensleeves” was undoubtedly an attempt at copying The Country Gentlemen’s 1963 version of the song (UK Decca F.11766). But even though Terry Morton had a past in The Country Gents, The Scorpions didn’t quite manage to capture the raw and gutsy, powerful sound of Peter Cowap’s band. 

1965 also saw The Lords from Germany do a cover of ”Greensleeves” (German EMI/Columbia C 23132). Their version also owed a lot to The Country Gents’ earlier recording. Nevertheless, The Scorpions scored their third consecutive hit in Holland with ”Greensleeves”. As from July 24th. 1965 it had a 5-week run in the Top 40 chart, with No. 22 as highest position. 

Things now looked really bright for the group in Holland, but then at the peak of their success, their work permits expired, and they had to return home to Manchester. This seemed to be a crushing blow for the group as three members quit – Tony Postill, Rodney Postill and Terry Morton. 

But remaining members Peter Lewis and drummer Ian Lucas refused to give up the group. They got in Graham Lee (real name: Graham Caunce, he also used the name ’Leeman’ in the 60’s) on lead guitar/vocals. He had previously played with another Manchester band called The Chancellors. Bass duties were assigned to Dave Vernon, and Roy Smithson came in on organ/vocals. The ’new-look’ Scorpions rehearsed intently in their home town before returning to Holland in September 1965, this time to a town called Bergen. They appeared on the ’Tiener Top Show’ in Den Haag on September 12th. alongside a then newly formed Dutch band called Golden Earring. 

They also completed the recording of the group’s second album ”Climbing The Charts”, which as a whole was leaning more towards R&B and a general ’Beat’ sound than the first one, which had been dominated by re-makes of old rock ’n’ roll numbers. The album was released by CNR in October 1965. 

A new single taken from the album, recorded by the previous Scorpions line-up, was released by CNR that same month. This combined a good cover of the Ray Davies written ”So Mystifying” with B-side ”Hey Little Girl”, but couldn’t repeat the chart success for the group. In November, however, they appeared in a show called the ’Grand Gala Du Disque” alongside Lucille Starr, Unit 4+2, Wayne Fontana and The Everly Brothers – a proud moment for The Scorpions, still remembered with fondness by Graham Lee. Seven years later, in 1972, when The Everly Brothers did a tour of the UK, Lee met up with Don and Phil backstage at the Batley Variety Club in West Yorkshire. He then also got the opportunity to say hello to Ike and Margaret Everly, who were travelling with their sons on that tour. 

November 1965 saw the release of ”Baby Baby Balla Balla” as a new single, with ”I’ve Got My Mojo Working” on the flip. This gave The Scorpions their fourth chart hit in Holland. ”Baby Baby Balla Balla” peaked at No. 17 and stayed in the charts for 13 weeks, reportedly helped to some extent by the sales figures of versions of the same song by Chubby Checker & The Maskers and The Sorrows being added to the total. 

Work permits in Holland expired again in early 1966, and the Scorpions went back to Manchester. Ian Lucas then left to join a Dutch band called Marks. He was replaced by Tommy Unthank, an old friend of Graham Lee’s from The Chancellors. A tour of Denmark and Spain has been mentioned in various articles about the band, but according to Lee the group never played there. They did some gigs in Belgium and Germany, but Holland was definitely their ”home away from home”, and in mid 1966 they got a new base at ’Hotel Benelux’ in Wernhout. The owner, Jan Hesseling, became their new manager. 

by Winnie Biesheuvel 

Tracks

Disc One

1. Hello Josephine (Domino, Bartholomew) - 2:23

2. Johnny B Goode (Chuck Berry) - 2:23

3. Keep A Knocking (Penniman) - 1:49

4. Some Other Guy (Barrett, Glick) - 2:42

5. Just One Look (Payne Carroll) - 2:49

6. Just Like Me (Carroll, Guy) - 2:10

7. Ann-Louise (C. Corday) - 3:14

8. Rip It Up (Blackwell, Marascalco) - 2:26

9. Bye Bye Johnny (Chuck Berry) - 2:43

10.What 'D I Say (Ray Charles) - 3:16

11.Not Fade Away (Ray Davies) - 2:21

12.Baby Back Now (The Scorpions) - 3:18

13.Hey Little Girl (Dee Clark) - 2:52

14.Sweet And Lovely (Arnheim, Tobias) - 2:26

15.So Mystifying (Ray Davies) - 2:54

16.Hey Honey (The Scorpions) - 2:47

17.Bo Diddley (Ellias McDaniels) - 2:52

18.You Treat Me Bad (C. Corday) - 2:21

19.Greensleeves (Trad.arr. The Scorpions) - 1:43

20.Cheated (C. Corday) - 2:38

21.Get Out Of My Life Woman (A. Toussaint) - 2:23

22.Baby Baby Balla Balla (Horst Lippok) - 2:13

23.Tobacco Road (Loudermilk) - 3:15

Disc Two
1. Fortune Teller (Neville) - 2:11
2. Long Tall Sally (Johnson, Penniman. Blackwell) - 1:59
3. Gone Mama (The Scorpions) - 2:38
4. Why Do You Love Me So (Bruhn, Bushor) - 1:42
5. Too Much Monkey Business (Chuck Berry) - 2:07
6. Who Do You Love (Ellias McDaniels) - 2:18
7. Gloria (Van Morrison) - 2:56
8. Sticks And Stones (Titus Turner) - 2:21
9. Stand By Me (King, Glick) - 3:27
10.Nana Song (Jerry Wexler, Rick Hall) - 2:38
11.My Babe (W. Dixon) - 2:37
12.Lonely Avenue (D. Pomus) - 2:42
13.I've Got My Mojo Working (Morganfield) - 2:49
14.Under The Boardwalk (Resnick, Young) - 2:57
15.I Can Tell (Chuck Willis) - 3:17
16.Ecstacy (Unknown) - 2:47
17.Too Many Lovers (Graham Gaunce) - 2:08
18.You Treat Me Bad (Demo) (C. Corday) - 2:22
19.Cheated (Demo) (C. Corday) - 2:49
20.Hey Little Girl (Orch.-Take) (Dee Clark) - 2:52
21.Bo Diddley (Orch.-Take) (Ellias McDaniels) - 2:55
22.Greensleeves (Orch.-Take) (Trad. Arr. Scorpions) - 1:41

The Scorpions
*Peter Lewis - Lead Vocals
*Anthony Postill - Lead Guitar, Vocals (1964)
*Rodney Postill - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals (1964-65)
*Tony Briley - Bass Guitar, Vocals (1964-65)
*Mike Delaney - Drums (1964-65)
*Terence Morton - Lead Guitar, Vocals (1965)
*Ian Lucas - Drums (1965-66)
*Graham Lee - Lead Guitar, Vocals (1965-67)
*Roy Smithson - Organ, Vocals (1965-67)
*Dave Vernon - Bass Guitar, Vocals (1965-67)
*Tommy Unthank - Drums (1966-67)

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Gary Higgins - Red Hash (1973 us, neat rough acid folk rock)

Red Hash was originally released on Higgins' Connecticut-based Nufusmoon Records. Around that time, he was busted for possession of marijuana and spent two years in prison. In his absence, the album sank into oblivion. Mastered from the original tapes with new photos and artwork from Higgins' archives as well as a lyric sheet and two bonus tracks, Red Hash is now available to a wider audience.

It's been a good couple of years for once-lost folkies. Comparing Higgins to other formative players in the midst of rebirth, he's darker than Vashti Bunyan or Incredible String Band, less outer-realms and more melodic than Simon Finn. His work could, more or less, be compared to Skip Spence's Oar dressed up like David Crosby. On Red Hash, his guitar and soulsick (but often uplifting) voice are accented with rich cello, piano, organ, mandolin, flute, and bass. The sounds are melancholy but never unaccessible: This is folk both your uncle and WFMU will (and do) love.

Coming first, "Thicker Than a Smokey"'s the strongest composition, a perfect blend of wanderer sadness, transcendent vocals, jangling instrumentation, dour melodies, and a libretto that feels like a Beatnik "Advice to the Graduate". Like many of Higgins songs, "Thicker" deals with a journey. Beginning with the queries, "What do you intend to do young man? Where do you intend to go?," he delves out homespun advice ("If you travel with a spider/ In your duffle bag/ With you good weather goes") and personal anecdote ("It's often that I wish to leave myself/ Buy some fancy clothes...") in a way that connotes something cyclical or unending.

Higgins' major themes are travel and lonesomeness. "Telegraph Towers" finds the protagonist "sailin' for home"; only the blowing wind makes him feel like he's not alone. In "I Can't Sleep at Night" he's afraid of shut-eye because it might mean death (he smells it everywhere). The mournful "Windy Child"'s downcast sing-along weds flute, cello, and Higgins' minor chords to "You were the sun/ And I was the morning dew... / You were always bigger / you were always brighter than me." The parlor fare of "Looking For June" has Higgins joined on vocals with upfront piano for a tale of a solo desert wanderer meeting with camels and the pope (check out the subtle, Eastern vibe).

Secondary lyrical fixations include animals, which often signify a lighthearted turn that under closer scrutiny isn't so joyful. There are plenty of birds (and the skies in which they fly), including a cuckoo in the track of the same name. Honing in on Trout Mask Replica, "Down on the Farm"'s comic protagonist milks a bull instead of a cow. There's also the gently humorous love ballad, "Stable the Spuds", but before getting too cozy, note the creepy piano, which trills like descending ice cubes.

The most beautiful work outside of "Thicker than a Smokey" is "Unable to Fly", which is traditional-sounding and pastoral, as if performed by Elliott Smith. (In parts, Higgins adopts a falsetto that sounds torn from Either/Or.) It retells a quest to reach the sun via an Icarus-type flight, but the hero's sent off in a wooden boat (carved by his father) to sail alone on the sea (as instructed by his mother). Before going, he turns in time to see her spread her wings "to greet the sky so blue" and fly away. Addressing a lover, he's bummed that know that knows where he's supposed to go, "You no longer care to know." He then flies, "In the golden light of your stare."

Red Hash proper consists of 11 pieces and ends with the aforementioned (Revelations-inspired?) dream quest, "Looking For June". Unfortunately, as it often goes with these sorts of reissues, the two bonus tracks aren't as powerful as the others. "Don't Ya Know" is an early 80s home recording heavy on the blues and lines about drinking whisky and playing guitar and being a long-hair. (Remember the Five Man Electrical Band via Tesla? that kind of thing...) The more ambitious "Last Great Sperm Whale"-- a 1975 studio track with bluesy slide guitar and tinny drums-- tells the story of recently freed whale who goes on an oceanic tear until he's recaptured and killed. Likely coming on the heels of Higgins' release from prison, it's a fitting allegorical finale to the reissue, but stylistically it creates a disjunct from the original Red Hash track list.

A more fitting end: Last weekend I was at a pot luck and the host put on Red Hash. The first few strums of "Thicker than a Smokey" cast a lovely soporific feel over the room before I realized what it was. Commenting on it to my friend, he mentioned that from the pictures accompanying the music, it seems Higgins possesses a certain aura of calm (and there really is a tawny haze around his head in one of the pics). It reminded me of his Tonic performance. After Higgins completed his one-song set, Chasny told the crowd to buy Higgins a beer, but once he finished, he walked back to the bar, somehow ducked out of my sight, and blended silently back into the audience before I could attempt to fulfill the request.

by Brandon Stosuy

Tracks
1. Thicker Than A Smokey - 3:38
2. It Didn't Take Too Long - 4:02
3. Windy Child - 3:31  
4. Telegraph Towers - 2:56
5. I Can't Sleep At Night - 3:52
6. Cuckoo - 2:10
7. I Pick Notes From The Sky - 4:45
8. Stable The Spuds - 5:22  
9. Down On The Farm - 3:08
10.Unable To Fly - 4:12
11.Looking For June - 3:51
12.Don't Ya Know - 3:36
13.Last Great Sperm Whale - 5:21
Music and Lyrics by Gary Higgins 

Musicians
*Gary Higgins - Guitar, Drums, Vocals
*Dave Beaujon - Bass
*Maureen Wells - Cello, Vocals
*Jake Bell - Guitar, Vocals
*Paul Tierney - Mandolin, Flute, Vocals
*Jerry Fenton - Piano, Organ

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The Master's Apprentices - The Master's Apprentices (1966-68 aussie, fabulous garage beat roots 'n' roll, 2009 double disc digi pack edition)

The Masters' story began in the South Australian capital of Adelaide in early '65, with The Mustangs, a dance band formed by four Adelaide teenagers: Mick Bower, Brian Vaughton, Gavin Webb and Rick Morrison. The Mustangs were a typical example of an early-60s instrumental band, playing the obligatory Shadows and Ventures covers. The cataclysmic visit by the Beatles in 1964 rendered all that passe overnight. The Mustangs were canny enough to realise that the surf/instrumental craze was past its 'use-by' date, and they decided to change their style to incorporate the new "beat' music, so they placed a "singer wanted" ad on the noticeboard at a local music centre. On his third (and last) visit there, the ad was spotted by a young would-be bass player called Jim Keays, whowas taking lessons from musician and guitar teacher John Bywaters (who was a member of one of Adelaide's most popular and accomplished beat groups, The Mustangs began to established themselves on the dance circuit around Adelaide, in suburban halls and migrant hostels. 

They built up a strong following with the local teenagers, many of whom were, like Jim, migrants from the UK (Adelaide was a major destination for UK migrants in the 50s and 60s. Their audiences were also an important influence for the band - some of these kids were very recent arrivals, who had seen the top UK bands in action only weeks before, and they had a strong effect on the band's "look", since they were directly in touch with current 'mod' fashions, a trend which was still not very well known in Australia. The next step was a name change, and because they regarded themselves, at least for a while, as apprentices to those musical "masters" like Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley, their new name (suggested by Bowers) paid homage to these heroes. They decided early on to dispense with the apostrophe.

Towards the end of 1965 they found their home-base at an Adelaide club called The Beat Basement. Before long they were they regularly packing out the club, and they graduated from the less prestigious spots to the prized Saturday afternoon residency. They also became a prime attraction at theOctagon Ballroom in the Adelaide suburb of Elizabeth (The Twilights' home turf) which was located near another large migrant hostel. Keays recalls that the regulars included two young Scots migrant boys, John "Swanee" Swan and his brother Jimmy Barnes. The band also played at a dance in Salisbury, promoted by a young Doc Neeson, later the lead singer of The Angels......

...Milesago

Tracks

Disc 1

1. But One Day (M.J. Bower) - 2:39

2. Wars Or Hands Of Time (M.J. Bower) - 2:52

3. Dancing Girl (Ellas 'Bo Diddley' McDaniel) - 3:13

4. 1 Feel Fine (John Lennon, Paul MccCartney) - 3:23

5. My Girl (William 'Smokey' Robinson, Ronald White) - 3:23 

6. Undecided (M.J. Bower, Rick Morrison) - 2:28

7. Hot Gully Wind (M.J. Bower) - 2:51

8. Theme For A Social Climber (M.J. Bower) - 1:54

9. Don't Fight It (Wilson Pickett, Steve Cropper) - 3:04

10.She's My Girl (M.J. Bower) - 2:24

11.Johnny B. Goodc (Chuck Berry) - 2:46

12.Buried And Dead (M.J. Bower) - 2:41

13.Living In A Child's Dream (M.J. Bower) - 2:42

14.Tired Of Just Wandering (M.J. Bower) - 2:21

15.Elevator Driver (Max Ross, Brian Cadd) - 2:21

16.Brigette (Doug Ford, Jim Keays) - 2:26

17.Four Years Of Five (Jim Keays, Peter Tilbrook) - 2:33

18.I Feel Fine (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 3:03

Disc 2
1. Blast Off 0:17
2. Inside Looking Out (J.A. Lomax, E. Burdon, C. Chandler) - 3:31
3. Black Girl (In The Pines) (Huddie Ledbetter) - 3:57
4. Bye Bye Johnny (Chuck Berry) - 2:08
5. Dear Dad (Chuck Berry) - 1:41
6. Poor Boy (M.J. Bower, Jim Keays) - 3:05
7. Bye Bye Baby (Bower, Morrison, Keays) - 2:23
8. Wild Wild Party (M.J. Bower, Jim Keays) - 2:27
9. Got My Mojo Working (Preston Foster) - 2:56
10.Not Fade Away (Buddy Holly, Norman Petty) - 1:53
11.Bright Lights, Big City (Jimmy Reed) - 2:17
12.Little Girl (Van Morrison) - 2:04
13.Around And Around (Chuck Berry) - 2:57
14.It's Gonna Work Out Fine (Seneca, Lee) - 2:25
15.Cops And Robbers (Ellas 'Bo Diddley' McDaniel) - 3:33
16.Dimples (John Lee Hooker) - 3:29
17.Just A Little Bit (Bass, Brown Thornton, Washington) - 2:07
18.Mama, Keep Your Big Mouth Shut (Ellas 'Bo Diddley' McDaniel) - 2:58
19.Don't Bring Me Down (Johnny Dee) - 2:05
20.Hey Bo Diddley (Ellas 'Bo Diddley' McDaniel) - 3:51
21.Road Runner (Ellas 'Bo Diddley' McDaniel) - 2:55

The Master's Apprentices
*Jim Keays - Vocals, Harmonica
*Mick Bower - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
*Rick Morrison - Lead Guitar
*Gavin Webb - Bass
*Brian Vaughton - Drums
*Steve Hopgood - Drums (Disc 1, Tracks 4, 5, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 18)
*Tony Sommers - Lead Guitar (Disc 1, Tracks 4, 5, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 18)
*Peter Tilbrook - Rhythm Guitar (Disc 1, Tracks 15-17)
*Doug Ford - Lead Guitar (Disc 1, Tracks 16, 17)
*Colin Burgess - Drums (Disc 1, Tracks 16, 17)

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The Maze - Armageddon (1968 us, terrific heavy psych, sundazed issue)

An obscure San Francisco area group that cut one extremely rare album in 1968, Armageddon (recorded at Leo Kulka's Golden State Recorders, and issued on MTA), which is highly valued in some collector circles. Actually, they don't rank as a very impressive find, in fact epitomizing some of the period's least enduring excesses. They originally recorded under the name Stonehenge, with a female vocalist, before assuming their more familiar name, and left behind a good deal more than an album's worth of tracks, some of which turned up on the 1995 Sundazed CD reissue of Armageddon. Their all-original material emphasized heavy organ, long, drawn-out fuzzy guitar solos, despondent stoned vocals, and minor-key melodies, somewhat in the mold of Iron Butterfly.

by Richie Unterberger

The advent of ear splitting, cortex-skewering bands like the Maze really did signal the end of the sixties. But just like that ultimate orgasmic blast during the finale of a great fireworks show, what a perfect way to go.

A true rarity among 60’s psych collectors, tracks 1 through 7 appeared on the original Maze release, recorded at various studio sessions from September 1967 to March 1968 at Leo Kulka’s Golden State Recorders in San Francisco. In addition to this original album, we’ve added six unissued bonus cuts! The earliest of these tracks, “Right Time” and “Rumours” were recorded on April 21, 1967 under the groups’ previous moniker, “Stonehenge”. 

The cool, folk-rock sound of “Stonehenge” is period Bay Area, complete with requisite female vocalist and chiming Rick 12-strings. Other previously unissued tracks here include instrumental backings of “Dejected Soul” and “Kissy Face”. They are, essentially, extended, fuzz-guitar filled rehearsals for what would, several takes later, become the master backing tracks upon which vocals would then be overdubbed.

Sundazed

Tracks
1. Armageddon - 7:11
2. I'm So Sad - 7:01
3. Happiness (J. Jensen, C Boyd) - 2:07
4. Whispering Shadows - 4:20
5. Kissy Face - 3:03
6. Dejected Soul  (Richard Eittreim) - 2:30
7. As For Now - 2:39
8. Right Time - 2:18
9. Rumors - 1:55
10.Whispering Shadows (Alternate Version) - 3:17
11.Dejected Soul (Instrumental) (Richard Eittreim) - 3:00
12.As For Now (Alternate Version) - 2:27
13.Kissy Face (Instrumental) - 3:51
All compositions by William Gardner except where stated

The Maze
*William Gardner - Organ, Vocals
*Jeff Jensen - Guitar, Vocals
*Kit Boyd - Bass
*Rick Eittreim - Drums

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Methuselah - Matthew, Mark, Luke And John (1969 uk, sensational heavy prog spritual folk rock. 2010 issue)

This late 60s group made two albums for Elektra but only the one above, which inevitably is now quite rare and sought-after, was released. The band evolved out of The Dimples/Gospel Garden, with a new drummer Mick Bradley (ex-The Sorrows) and whiz kid guitar player Les Nicol (ex-ABC). The band inherited Gospel Garden's management deal with Steve Roland at Double-R management and scored a three-album deal with Elektra. 

Label boss Jac Holzman drafted in songwriter Kenny Young (of “Under The Boardwalk” fame) to produce the first album of Gladwin originals. Inexplicably it was never released in the UK, and when nothing happened in the States, the band recorded the (unreleased) double album. However, by this time "proverbial" musical differences had split the band and the second album was cancelled. The various factions went their separate ways with Mick Bradley joining Steamhammer, Gladwin and Wincott signing with Island Records as Amazing Blondel and Craig Austin and Les Nicol together with (ex-Junior's Eyes drummer Steve Chapman) forming psychedelic trio Distant Jim and later Coast Road Drive. 

Methuselah's released album has folk, R&B gospel and even pop influences in its melodies and vocals. The best tracks are ‘John’, with astonishing guitar leads from Les Nicol; the folky ‘High In The Tower Of Coombe’; the gospel-influenced ‘My Poor Image’ and ‘Fireball Woman’. The French children’s song ‘Frere Jaques’ is sung in French at the start and finish of the album, the second time with church choir-like vocals and some jazzy instrumentation in the middle segment. Les Nicol also played with other British musicians on the second Pavlov's Dog album.

by Vernon Joynson, Costas Arvanitis, thanks to Craig Austin

Tracks
1. Matthew - 4:40
2. Mark - 3:03
3. Luke - 3:00
4. John - 4:15
5. High in the Tower of Coombe - 3:15
6. Methuselah - 4:26
7. My Poor Mary (Methuselah) - 3:17
8. Fireball Woman - 3:38
9. Fairy Tale - 3:01
10.Frere Jacques (Traditional arr. by Methuselah) - 6:08
All compositions by John Gladwin except where stated

Methuselah
*Craig Austin - Bass, Vocals
*Mick Bradley - Drums
*John Gladwin - Vocals, Vibes
*Les Nicol - Guitar, Vocals
*Terry Wincott - Guitar, Vocals

Related Act
1970  Judas Jump - Scorch
1971  Ray Owen's Moon - Moon
1973  Amazing Blondel - Blondel
1974  Coast Road Drive ‎- Delicious And Refreshing (2013 Korean remaster)

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Joe South - Games People Play / Joe South (1969/71 us, magnificent folk psych country rock)

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The second (1969's Games People Play) and fourth (1971's Joe South) albums by Joe South were combined onto one CD on this 2006 reissue, which added three non-LP bonus tracks.

To some degree, Games People Play was a rushed album, issued to capitalize on the unexpected hit single title track (which had first been issued as an LP-only cut on South's previous long-player, Introspect).

Three songs that had appeared on Introspect ("Games People Play," "Birds of a Feather," and "These Are Not My People") were placed on Games People Play as well, and some of the other songs (like "Untie Me" and "Concrete Jungle") had been recorded by other artists as early as 1962.

For all that, however, it was a pretty cracking good set of country-soul-rock, and if it was hastily thrown together, it certainly didn't show in the songwriting, production, or performances.

South's sage, humanistic, and somewhat outside-looking-in view of the madding crowd came through forcefully in "Party People," "These Are Not My People," and "Birds of a Feather." Wholehearted romantic lust and confusion laced his energetic recastings of "Untie Me" (first a hit for the Tymes back in 1963) and "Hush" (which had just been a smash for Deep Purple), as well as the respectably Elvis Presley-meets-Neil Diamond-styled "Heart's Desire," which had the catchiness of a hit single.

The dabs of psychedelia throughout the record -- some electric guitar here, some weird echo there (both at once on "Hole in Your Soul," the most avowedly strange track) -- might have been trendy, but were nonetheless effective. Quite a lot of fine music not found on best-of compilations awaits South fans who have yet to discover this record.

As South was working at a white-hot pace in the late '60s, with three fine if slightly erratic albums emerging one after the other, it's perhaps unsurprising that Joe South was both less energetic and less impressive than what had preceded it.

It's still a worthy record with his expected (and perhaps unsurpassed) knack for combining rock, country, and soul, though it marked no less than the third appearance in four albums of "Birds of a Feather." Certainly the most renowned track is "Rose Garden," a number three pop hit in the hands of country singer Lynn Anderson, though South's version is unsurprisingly funkier and more relaxed.

At other points South sounds rather like Elvis Presley might have in the early '70s had Elvis been able to write songs and was less of a showboat. But while the songs are OK (and, in the case of "Rose Garden," quite a bit more than that), there was nothing aside from "Rose Garden" as exciting and striking as the best of what South had done in the late '60s.

The bonus tracks include the Righteous Brothers-styled B-side "It Got Away" and the rare psychedelic instrumental 45 "Soul Raga Simmerin'"/"Soul Raga Cookin'," which was issued under the name of the Believers, and which evolved into "Hole in Your Soul" when lyrics were added. ~ Richie Unterberger

"Games People Play" and "Joe South" are two classic country-soul albums well ahead of their time. Known primarily as a session man (Aretha Franklin, Wilson Picket, Bob Dylan) Joe South had shown his song writing ability since the late 1950's. "Games People Play" made him a bona-fide star.

The LP of the same name was an electrifying blend of southern soul and country with deft dabs of rock and psychedelia. His 4th album, Joe South (1970), was recorded in Atlanta, Georgia with the Atlanta Rhythm Section further demonstrating his skill as both a gifted songwriter and rootsy singer with an exceptional voice.

These two albums showcase a unique talent: Joe South, the man who blazed the path of country rock'n'soul. With three rare bonus tracks including the simmering psychedelic 'Soul Raga' by South's band The Believers, this 24 track, 75 minute '2-for-1' with revealing liner notes is extraordinary value

by Bernie Howitt

Tracks

Games People Play 1969
1. Games People Play - 3:33
2. Party People - 4:25
3. Untie Me - 2:34
4. Concrete Jungle - 2:52
5. Hole In Your Sole - 3:33
6. Hush - 3:45
7. Birds Of A Feather (Long Version) - 4:20
8. Heart's Desire - 2:52
9. Leanin' On You - 2:51
10.I Knew You When - 2:58
11.These Are Not My People - 2:31
Joe South 1971
12.High On A Hilltop - 3:43
13.Birds Of A Feather (Single Version) - 2:45
14.For The Love Of A Woman - 3:00
15.Rose Garden - 2:48
16.Yo Yo - 3:45
17.Fool Me - 2:59
18.How Can I Unlove You - 2:20
19.You Need Me - 3:03
20.She's Almost You - 2:22
21.Devil May Care - 3:05
Bonus Tracks
22.It Got Away - 2:28
23.Soul Raga Simmerin' (The Believers) - 3:42
24.Soul Raga Cookin' (The Believers) - 2:32
All songs by Joe South

Musicians

*Joe South - Vocals, Guitar
Tracks 12-21 with The Atlanta Rhythm Section
*Rodney Justo - Vocals
*Barry Bailey - Lead Guitar
*James B. Cobb - Guitar, Backing Vocals
*Dean Daughtry - Keyboards, Vocals
*Paul Goddard - Bass
*Robert Nix - Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals

1968-69  Introspect / Don't It Made You Want To Go

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Joe South - Introspect / Don't It Made You Want To Go Home? (1968-69 us, splendid folk psych bluesy rock)

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Atlanta native Joe Souter (a.k.a. Joe South) is one of the unsung heroes in popular music as although a few of his hits peaked in the top 40 in pop and/or country, as noted, mostly other artists had hits with his material.

This CD is an Australian twofer of his first 2 albums originally released on Capitol. Introspect, from 1968, and Don't It Make You Want To Go Home, from 1969. These 2 albums contain many of the most influential songs in all of popular music including pop hits:

#12 "Games People Play," (covered successfully by Freddy Weller, who had a #2 country hit with it), Birds of a Feather (a #96 hit for Joe that became a #23 hit for Paul Revere & The Raiders in 1971), Rose Garden (covered by Lynn Anderson who would take it to #1 on both country and pop charts), Don't It Make You Want To Go Home (which would peak at #27 on the country chart and #41 on the pop chart, which Bobby Bare and a few other artists have covered), Children (a #51 hit which Billy Joe Royal covered on his "Cherry Hill Park" album in 1970, available on a twofer with 1965's "Down In The Boondocks" which is available here at Amazon), Walk a Mile In My Shoes (a #12 pop hit, #56 country hit, which Elvis would later feature in his concerts regularly throughout the 1970s), These Are Not My People (Freddy Weller also charted with this and it peaked at #5 on the country charts), "Hole In Your Soul," a single that got included on the "Games People Play" compilation in the LP days and not on any other album is included as a bonus track.

The entire CD is classic singer-songwriter music and is essential to any collection of music from the 1960s-1970s

by Bradley Olson

Tracks
Introspect, 1968
1. All My Hard Times - 2:49
2. Rose Garden - 2:47
3. Mirror Of Your Mind - 4:36
4. Redneck - 3:15
5. Don't Throw Your Love To The Wind - 2:50
6. The Greatest Love - 2:28
7. Games People Play - 3:32
8. These Are Not My People - 2:29
9. Don't You Be Ashamed - 3:12
10.Birds Of A Feather - 2:43
11.Gabriel - 7:16
Don't It Make You Wanna Go Home? 1969
12.Clock Up On The Wall - 4:14
13.Bittersweet - 2:41
14.Shelter - 3:10
15.What Makes Lovers Hurt One Another? - 2:35
16.Before It's Too Late - 3:54
17.Children - 3:37
18.Walk A Mile In My Shoes - 3:40
19.Be A Believer - 3:01
20.A Million Miles Away - 4:35
21.Don't It Make You Wanna Go Home? - 3:10
Bonus Track
22.Hole In Your Sole - 3:37
All songs by Joe South

*Joe South - Vocals, Guitar

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Pure Prairie League - Pure Prairie League / Bustin Out (1972 us, excellent country rock, 2006 remaster edition)

Despite significant personnel changes, Pure Prairie League maintained itself as a successful country-rock band during the 1970s and early '80s, releasing ten albums and enjoying hits -- including "Amie" and "Let Me Love You Tonight" -- with different configurations of the group.

Pure Prairie League was formed in Columbus, Ohio, in 1969 by singer/songwriter/guitarist Craig Fuller (born July 18, 1949, in Portsmouth, Ohio), singer/guitarist George Powell, bass player Jim Lanham, and drummer Tom McGrail, who gave the band its name, which was the name of a women's temperance group in the 1939 Errol Flynn movie Dodge City. Pure Prairie League built up a following in Ohio, playing around Cincinnati for a year before earning a record contract with RCA Victor. 

By that time, McGrail had left and been replaced by Jim Caughlin, though Billy Hinds had also drummed with the band for a time. Adding steel guitar player John David Call, the group went into the studio and recorded its self-titled debut album, which was released in March 1972 with a cover depicting a Western character named Luke, an illustration drawn by famed naturalist painter Norman Rockwell that had first appeared on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post in 1927. Luke would turn up on all the band's subsequent album covers, giving them a distinctive visual conception.

Pure Prairie League did not sell well enough to reach the charts, and the group fragmented. Lanham, Caughlin, and Call left, and remaining members Fuller and Powell brought back Hinds, who in turn recruited a friend, keyboard player Michael Connor, to play on the second album, Bustin' Out, and subsequently become a full-fledged bandmember. Among the other session musicians on the album was David Bowie associate Mick Ronson, who played guitar and arranged the strings.

by William Ruhlmann

The songwriting team of Craig Fuller and George Powell was one of the finest in the business, and on Bustin' Out they made an album that is unequaled in country-rock. The songs are meditative portraits of relationships that aren't running smoothly but are still alive, and they sound autobiographical rather than something contrived to sell records. These tunes are presented with grace and unusual taste, the country guitars and vocal harmonies backed with astonishingly sympathetic string arrangements by Mick Ronson. Both lyrical and musical themes carry over from song to song -- "Falling in and Out of Love" and "Amie" are really two halves of one suite, and there are echoes of that suite throughout the rest of the album. 

Despite the extraordinary beauty and intelligence of the music on this album, it was not immediately successful, and the already troubled band broke up after it was released. Nevertheless, the influence of Bustin' Out was profound, and one song in particular became a staple for bar bands everywhere. RCA re-released "Amie" as a single more than two years after the album came out, and it was a Top 30 hit. The revival of interest in Pure Prairie League led RCA to re-sign the group, alas without Craig Fuller. That hit status also led to a rediscovery of the merits of the rest of Bustin' Out, which is acknowledged to be one of the artistic high points in country-rock history. 

by Richard Foss

Tracks
Pure Prairie League 1972
1. Tears (Craig Fuller) - 2:41
2. Take It Before You Go (Fuller) - 4:04
3. You're Between Me (Fuller) - 5:35
4. Woman (Adam Taylor) - 3:40
5. Doc's Tune (George Powell) - 1:22
6. Country Song (T. P. Waterhouse) - 7:37
7. Harmony Song (Fuller) - 5:20
8. It's All On Me (Powell) - 2:30
Bustin' Out 1972
9. Jazzman (Ed Holstein) - 2:34
10.Angel No. 9 (Craig Fuller) - 4:55
11.Leave My Heart Alone (Powell) - 4:24
12.Early Morning Riser (Fuller) - 5:05
13.Falling In And Out Of Love (Fuller) - 2:12
14.Amie (Fuller) - 4:18
15.Boulder Skies (Fuller) - 4:01
16.Angel (Fuller) - 4:26
17.Call Me, Tell Me (Fuller) - 2:41

Pure Prairie League
*Craig Fuller - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*George Powell - Finger-Style Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
*Jim Lanham - Bass Guitar, Background Vocals (Pure Prairie League LP)
*John David Call - Steel Guitar (Pure Prairie League LP)
*Jim Caughlan - Drums (Pure Prairie League LP)
*Billy Hinds - Drums (Bustin' Out LP)
*David Huchins- Guitar (Bustin' Out LP)
Additional Personnel
Pure Prairie League LP
*Hugh Mccracken - Guitar
*Barbara Merrick - Vocals
*Starr Smith - Vocals
*James Westermyer "Westy" - Vocals
Bustin' Out LP
*Dianne Brooks - Vocals, Background Vocals
*Steven Edney - Background Vocals
*Al "Brisco" Clark - Steel Guitar
*Michael Connor - Piano, Keyboards
*Bob Ringe - Percussion, Marimba
*James Rolleston - Bass
*Mick Ronson - Guitar, Vocals, Background Vocals
*Michael Connor - Piano
*Gary Smith - Guitar

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