Charisma - Beasts And Fiends (1970 us, magnificent jazzy prog bluesy rock, 2008 issue)

"Charisma came about from diverging roots emanating from 3 directions. The core of Charisma was Rich Tortorigi (drummer) and George Tyrell (bass player). Both were members of a New Britain, Connecticut soul band called The Mantiques. The Mantiques had been one of the three main horn-based bands in New Britain in the mid to late 60’s, along with Detroit Soul and The Paramounts. Paramounts drummer, Tyrone Lampkin went on to play with Gutbucket and the Parliament Funkadelics.

Before the recording of the second album, Mike DeLisa decided to go his own way, leaving the job of lead vocalist to guitarist Tom. Beasts and Fiends was recorded at the Record Plant in NYC during the summer of 1970. The lead engineer was the top engineer in the business: Jack Hunt (the Woodstock album, Electric Ladyland), assisted by Dave Ragno (the Woodstock album), and Tom Fly (the Woodstock album, former drummer of Lother and the Hand People). While credit was given to Bruce McGaw and Ed Vallone for production, fact is the album was produced by Charisma with interference run by Jack Hunt.

Charisma was offered the option to record a third album for Roulette Records, but let it pass by. Probably a mistake. Both albums sold better in Europe than they did in the USA. All income went to Roulette Records. Charisma got squat. Same old story.

It looked like Charisma was headed for a breakup as drummer Rich Tortorigi and keyboardist Bob Mocarsky decided to leave the band, but Tom and Bernie located drummer Jim Roselle and keyboardist Mike Reynolds and decided to give it another go. Jim recruited Paul Midney to play saxes and flute, and Ray Mase to play trumpet, piccolo trumpet and coronetto. For a while, Charisma became Midney, named after Paul (?!!), but ended up changing their name back to Charisma. Paul eventually ended up leaving the group to do his own thing in the world of meditation and Ray went on to play with the American Brass Quintet.

About this time Charisma, along with sound engineers Ron Scalise (now at ESPN) and Norman Campbell (now in California) began building a recording studio. Charisma spent the next few years in the studio. But to be able to do that they were forced to compromise their principles by playing commercial music to raise money to pay for the studio addiction.

Charisma auditioned several singers as front men and finally decided on Brian Salke. Brian was not allowed to do the few non-commercial gigs that came up once in a while, but he did appear on some of Charisma’s homegrown recordings. In 1976, Charisma disbanded, leaving one incomplete recording. 

Rich Tortorigi-official

Tracks
1. Street Theatre (Mocarsky) - 3:58
2. The No-Tell Motel (Mocarsky, Langlois) - 5:08
3. Dirty Pigs Don't Get Far In This World (Mocarsky, Langlois) - 2:38
4. Bizwambi: Ritual Dance Of The Reptiles (Charisma) - 4:50
5. Leopold's Ghost (Mocarsky, Langlois) - 4:57
6. The Age Of The Reptiles (Mocarsky, Langlois) - 3:26
7. Beasts And Fiends (Mocarsky, Langlois) - 8:08
8. Pray For Lockjaw (Charisma) - 3:22

Charisma
*Tom Majesky - Guitar, Vocals
*Bernie Kornowicz - Bass, Guitar, Organ
*Rich Tortorigi - Drums
*Bob Mocarsky - Organ, Percussion

Free Text
the Free Text

Steve Young - Seven Bridges Road (1970-81 us, brilliant outlaw country folk rock, 2005 remaster and expanded)

If you’re a fan of country-rock, Americana, or the 70s Outlaw Movement, you know that Steve Young is no run-of-the-mill artist.  1969′s Rock, Salt and Nails was a fine debut but on this disc Young comes into his own as a songwriter.  One could make the case that this is Young’s best LP, though the next 3 records that follow Seven Bridges Road are also very good.

Confusingly, there are three versions of Seven Bridges Road, each one featuring a slightly different song lineup.  For my money the 1971/1972 Reprise version (the green album) is the best, but the Blue Canyon (1975) and Rounder LPs (1981) each have something to offer fans.  Recording originally commenced in Los Angeles with Ry Cooder on hand but then sometime later, sessions were moved to Nashville.  Things didn’t go so smoothly down in Nashville.  Steve Young recalls: “These sessions were a clash of vibes.  Some pickers were into it.  Others, I had to fight it out.  There was a lot of friction between those Nashville players and me because of the way they were used to doing things, but it came out quite well.”

Seven Bridges Road is full of incredible performances.  Young’s songwriting is stronger than ever this time around, his singing is often compelling and the musicians that support him are in excellent form.  The title cut and “Lonesome On’ry and Mean” (a big hit for Waylon Jennings) are outlaw classics that have made other artists lots of money.  That being said, much of this album’s strength is in it’s variety: “Come Sit By My Side” is gorgeous folk-rock, there are two hard driving, boozy country-rockers in “Long Way To Hollywood” and “The White Trash Song”, the gutbucket country of “Many Rivers” and quirky Americana (“Ragtime Blue Guitar” and “One Car Funeral Procession”).  Seven Bridges Road is one of the truly great country-rock records.

by Jason Nardelli

Tracks
1. Seven Bridges Road (1981 Version) - 3:37
2. Montgomery In The Rain - 4:08
3. Ragtime Blue Guitar - 2:48
4. Long Way To Hollywood - 3:59
5. Down In The Flood - 2:34
6. Ballad Of William Sycamore (Lyrics by Stephen Vincent Benet) - 4:16
7. My Oklahoma (Cheryl Young) - 3:00
8. Wild Goose - 3:43
9. Days Of '49 (Traditional) - 3:35
10.Lonesome, On'ry And Mean - 3:37
11.I Begin To See Design (Steve Young, Cheryl Young) - 2:57
12.One Car Funeral Procession - 3:06
13.Many Rivers - 2:59
14.Come Sit By My Side (Fred Carter, Jr.) - 3:01
15.True Note - 2:56
16.I Can't Hold Myself In Line (Merle Haggard) - 2:17
17.Crash On The Levy - 2:34
18.The White Trash Song (L.A. Version) - 3:03
19.The White Trash Song (Nashville Version) - 2:50  
20.The White Trash Song (N.M. Version) - 3:13
21.Seven Bridges Road (Original Version) - 3:22
words and Music by Steve Young except where stated

Personnel
*Steve Young - Guitar, Vocals
*Pete Drake - Steel Guitar
*Weldon Myrick - Steel Guitar
*Josh Graves - Dobro
*Buddy Spicher - Fiddle
*Charlie Mccoy - Harmonica
*David Briggs - Keyboards
*Fred Carter, Jr. - Bass
*D.J. Fontana - Drums
*Bobby Thompson - Guitar
*Ray Edenton - Guitar
*Bob Moore - Guitar
*Dale Sellers - Guitar
*Pete Wade - Guitar
*Jerry Smith - Keyboards
*William Ackerman - Drums
*Jerry Carrigan - Drums
*Henry Strzelecki - Bass
*Paul Tannen - Vocals
*Ginger Holladay - Vocals
*Mary Holladay - Vocals

1969  Steve Young - Rock Salt And Nails (Korean remaster)

1968  Stone Country - Stone Country (Rev Ola remaster)

Free Text
Text Host

Steve Young - Rock Salt And Nails (1969 us, marvelous country folk psych tinged rock, 2010 korean remaster)

Steve Young’s first solo record, Rock Salt and Nails, is essentially stripped down, a somewhat simple recording, yet adventurous, way ahead of its time, and gorgeous. Every song’s a genuine treat, with sincerely masterful production combining outlaw country, rock, folk, blues, and a touch of gospel.

That’s How Strong My Love Is, the infinitely relistenable opener on this record, sounds just as fresh as anything from the Ryan Adams and David Rawlings collaborations, and features a careful organ part from the poster boy of country rock himself, Gram Parsons. Bluegrass standard Rock Salt and Nails gets a nice pensive treatment, and the fiddle sound on this record- it’s so dang bright and surreal sounding (I can’t help but wonder if, however unlikely, they snuck a few well-tuned Moog synthesizers into the studio!) 

The production doesn’t stand out, but remains ingenious, as in the restraint of those bouncy double electric guitar lines, unleashed only in the very chorus of One Woman Man. I’m unclear on whether the raga-like Coyote is more aptly titled for its lyrical content or representing Steve’s wild lonesome howl on each stanza. And if you let Love In My Time take you with it, it will. A short song but so effective with the all-for-it gospel backup, it’s a great example of Steve Young’s solid, unwavering vocal power. Seven Bridges Road, conveniently placed at track 7 on this disc, is his most well known tune though not from this rendition, but the Eagles’ cover version.

The reason I love this record is for its subtlety in production, a wonderful interplay of country licks hovering at just the right level, creating a playful and relaxed musical atmosphere. The warm, fuzzy strings adding mood and color. Holler In The Swamp, a brilliant tune with full rock band, feels like it could take right off; the musicians behind the wheel of this record simply nail it with an understated drive, the intensifying string section making you want more and less at the same time. It closes with a mighty fine version of Hank Williams’ My Sweet Love Ain’t Around, and it’s nice to know that it’s Gene Clark blowing harp in your headphones.

Some will debate the nature of authenticity in music, but if anything is ‘authentic,’ I know that it’s this classic, country-rock shaping LP. Shamefully out of print for so long, you might construct the album for yourself by combining the mp3s below with Lonesome On’ry & Mean, an overview compilation of Steve Young’s works.

by Brendan McGrath

Tracks
1. That's How Strong My Love Is (Roosevelt Jamieson) - 3:41
2. Rock Salt And Nails (Utah Phillips) - 3:42
3. I'm A One-Woman Man (Johnny Horton, Tillman Franks) - 2:13
4. Coyote (Peter La Farge) - 4:16
5. Gonna Find Me A Bluebird (Marvin Rainwater) - 2:41
6. Love In My Time (Steve Young) - 2:14
7. Seven Bridges Road (Steve Young) - 3:38
8. Kenny's Song (Kenny Austin) - 4:09
9. Holler In The Swamp (Steve Young) - 3:51
10.Hoboin' (Traditional; Arranged Steve Young) - 4:15
11.My Sweet Love Ain't Around (Hank Williams) - 2:55

Personnel
*Steve Young - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
*James Burton - Dobro, Guitar
*Gram Parsons - Organ
*Gene Clark - Harmonica
*Dave Jackson - Bass
*Chris Ethridge - Bass
*Richard Greene - Fiddle
*Meyer Sniffin - Fiddle
*Don Beck - Guitar
*Hal Blaine - Drums

1968  Stone Country - Stone Country (Rev Ola remaster)

Free Text

Text Host

Clear Light - Clear Light (1967 us, superb psychedelic rock, 2002 remaster)

Clear Light was a folk-rock/psych-rock group from LA that released one LP off Elektra in 1967, famously known for including two drummers, one of them being Dallas Taylor of CSNY and Manassas fame. Paul Rothchild produced the LP, which explains why the recording sessions were fraught with tension and negativity. The group was masterminded by guitarist/vocalist Bob Seal, bass player Doug Lubahn, and lead vocalist Cliff De Young. Prior to Clear Light the band had been known as the Brain Train. Seal felt a name change was appropriate to coincide with the release of a newly recorded debut single, “Black Roses.” Seal decided on Clear Light, a concept he had come across in his readings of Eastern philosophy, a name also shared by a potent brand of LSD.

“Black Roses,” written by Wolfgang Dios, was released in September of 1967. It was a great hard charging folk-rock single with an acid tinged guitar solo that deserved to sell much better than it did. Black Roses appeared on the group’s only full length platter, released in late 1967. Many psych fans are divided when it comes to the Clear Light LP but I think it’s a good one. Maybe not a true classic on par with Love’s Forever Changes or Moby Grape’s debut but still a very good LP without any weak tracks. The band tries nearly everything within a 2 to 3 minute pop song context, loading the songs with good quirky ideas and great guitar solos (check out “Think Again”). 

Some tracks like “They Who Have Nothing” and the baroque “Ballad of Freddie & Larry” bear a strong Doors and Love influence, but this makes sense considering these were all Elektra groups. Other songs like the outstanding fuzz guitar psychedelia of “Sand” and the trippy “Night Sounds Loud” are more original and hinted at a strong future for the group. The former track features some great organ and spiraling acid guitar interplay. The album’s most famous track, a cover of Tom Paxton‘s “Mr. Blue,” sounds dated today with its spoken word dialogue, although, even this song is oddly appealing in its own way and definitely still considered a highlight.

Rothchild’s iron fist policy coupled with the lack of commercial success led to Clear Light’s demise, shortly after the release of this solid album. Not everyone will like this record because of its eccentric nature but it really is a crime that Clear Light was unable to release a followup to this debut. A very worthy release from a talented, accomplished California group.

by Jason Nardelli

Tracks
1. Black Roses (Clear Light, Dios) - 2:09
2. Sand (Douglas Lubahn) - 2:38
3. A Child's Smile (Clear Light, Michael Ney) - 1:37
4. Street Singer (Greg Copeland, Steve Noonan) - 3:17
5. The Ballad Of Freddie And Larry (Cliff De Young, Ralph Schuckett) - 1:56
6. She's Ready To Be Free (Clear Light) – 1:58
7. With All In Mind (Bob Seal) - 2:58
8. Mr. Blue (Tom Paxton) - 6:25
9. Think Again (Clear Light, Douglas Lubahn) - 1:37
10.They Who Have Nothing (Bob Seal) - 2:34
11.How Many Days Have Passed (Bob Seal) - 2:24
12.Night Sounds Loud (Douglas Lubahn) - 2:26

Clear Light
*Cliff De Young - Vocals
*Bob Seal - Guitar, Vocals
*Douglas Lubahn - Bass
*Ralph Schuckett - Keyboards
*Dallas Taylor - Drums
*Michael Ney - Drums

Free Text

Just Paste

Caedmon - Caedmon (1978 uk, rocked out spiritual acid folk with prog flashes and male, female vocals)

The Scottish group Caedmon’s only Ip rested in relative obscurity for years until one of the 500 copies turned up in the early ’90s. The band was contacted, a few stray copies were unearthed, and collector mania set in, aimed at procuring what some were proclaiming to be the best folkrock album ever recorded, Christian or otherwise. So does Caedmon live up to all the hype? Absolutely yes! Wow! 

The professional standards set by this custom are so astonishing all other Christian folk albums sound anemic by comparison. The production, the arrangements, the playing, the songwriting, the enamoring vocals of lead singer Angela Naylor – everything on this album is A+ throughout. ‘Ten Maidens Fair’ opens in the roguish tradition of Steel eye Span as it tells Christ’s parable amid cascades of mandolin that duel with biting fuzz guitar – a frequent combination here that has lent folks to describing Caedmon’s music as “acid” or psychedelic folk. ‘Maker Man’ has a cool jazzy feel with some nice bongo accompaniment that’s prominent throughout the Ip. 

‘Death Of A Fox’ introduces the proficient cello playing of Ken Patterson. This song is truly “progressive folkrock” – a fast aggressive piece with a melodic center section that combines classical mood with traditional Scottish jigs and reels One of the males takes over lead vocals for ‘Sea Song’, a touching ballad that evokes an air of sadness as a lone electric lead plays over soft keyboards and acoustic guitar. ‘Asian’ follows with a vengeance and some of the most lethal fuzz on the album. ‘Living In The Sunshine’ jams with a touch of funky syncopation. ‘Storm’ on the other hand is an intricate and mesmerizing folk/psych masterpiece that cites Mark 4:35-41 as its inspiration. 

Mandolin and cello compete at breakneck speed in ‘Columbus Song’ which tells the story of a conflict between a druid and holy man. ‘Smile On Your Face’ provides some straightforward jamming British folkrock, while ‘Caedmon’s Hymn’ closes the Ip with a solemn meditative prayer backed by recorder and floating harmonies Two additional songs appear on a 45 that was originally included with the Ip – ‘Beyond The Second Mile’ (yet another evocative ballad that provides Angela’s most captivating vocal performance yet) and the Negro spiritual ‘Give Me Jesus’. Got all that? OK, the bad news: in the rare event that a copy does turn up it’s usually in the $1200+ range, Sigh. Ah, but there’s good news, too: the album was re-issued in 1994 on both vinyl and CD (and for considerably less than a house payment, too!). 

This re-issue includes both songs from the single. Obviously I’ve gone to great lengths here to describe this wonder Still it’s difficult to put these sounds into words that do it justice – there’s so much emotion and depth in here that can only come through the listening experience. I certainly hope you’ll have that opportunity.

by Ken Scott

Tracks
1. Ten Maidens Fair (Patterson) - 4:17
2. Maker Man (Patterson) - 3:15
3. Death Of A Fox (Bisset) - 4:18
4. Sea Song (Jaquet) - 5:35
5. Aslan (Jaquet) - 4:15
6. Beyond The Second Mile (Wilson) - 6:45
7. Living In The Sunshine (Bisset) - 3:27
8. Storm (Caedmon) - 6:06
9. Columbus' Song (Bisset) - 2:21
10.Smile On Your Face (Jaquet) - 4:35
11.Caedmon's Hymn (Bisset) - 4:15
12.Give Me (Traditional) - 4:15

Caedmon
*Angela Naylor - Vocals
*Simon Jaquet - Vocals, Guitar, Mandolin
*Jim Bisset - Vocals, Electric Guitar
*Ken Patterson - Vocals, Piano, Cello
*Sam Wilson - Vocals, Bass

Free Text
Text Host

Merrell And The Exiles - The Early Years (1964-67 us, splendid garage surf beat)

After deciding to get a band together Merrell and Jeff put some ads out for more players. They were eventually joined by Jim Ferguson on bass, Dan Stevens on sax and Greg Hampton on drums ... The Exiles were born. Well, one incarnation of The Exiles anyway...

They soon became a popular live band around Lancaster playing school and after-school parties and dances. It wasn't long before they were spotted by the 'Sam Phillips of the High Desert' - Glen MacArthur - and asked to demo some tunes for him. MacArthur ran a small recording studio out in nearby Palmdale, and released material on his own Glenn Records label. He was well known locally and the studio in his garage was renowned for its vocal booth made from the cockpit of a F-86 Sabre jet fighter.

The Exiles visited MacArthur's Glenn Studios where they laid down some demo tracks - one of which, a cover of Buddy Holly's Rave On has been released on the Wild In The Desert compilation.

By April 1964 they had recorded a number of songs, including Don't Call On Me which was the first real musical collaboration between Merrrell and Jeff and also featured Jeff's first recorded solo. Their single releases, which were credited to MERRELL & The Exiles to cash in on Merrell's name from his time with The Impacts, had some local success. That meant they were in greater demand and when they signed for a Hollywood agency (Hollywood International Talents - HIT Talents) they were soon touring extensively.

The success of the single also led to a couple of TV appearances. One in San Diego on Bob Howard's "Dance Time" and another for "9th St. West" on KHJ Los Angeles. Their local radio chart success was repeated further afield in Oklahoma and Indiana but national success eluded them mainly due to the lack of publicity and distribution that a small label like Glenn could manage. 

The line-up of The Exiles had been changing over these early months. Dan Stevens was no longer in the band. After the first single had been released Merrell decided he didn't like Greg Hampton's drumming so enlisted Danny Martin in his place sometime around June 1964. 

The line-up of The Exiles seems to have continued to have been fairly fluid and it is very difficult to figure out the different band configurations. At various times John French sat in on drums for live shows and in the studio. Merrell gives the impression that there was a lot of movement and interaction between the Lancaster bands, members of The Exiles and the Magic Band jamming together at various times. Although this sounds interesting, even plausible, there is little evidence from elsewhere of this taking place. However, in a small place like Lancaster the happening bands at the time couldn't help but take notice of each other and would be well aware of any particularly good players. Jeff seems to have left and rejoined The Exiles a number of times to play with two other bands - The Illusions (or Allusions) and The Bountys.

The main break-up of the original band came at the end of 1965 following a disastrous six week gig around Christmas at a logging camp in very cold Portland, Oregon. 

Frogs-eye

Tracks
1. Ready to Roll - 3:40
2. Run Baby Run - 2:22
3. She's Gone - 2:11
4. Long Long Time - 1:45
5. Exiles Blues - 2:13
6. Don't Let Go - 2:42
7. Boys (Luther Dixon, Wes Farrel) - 2:27
8. Remember Me - 1:53
9. The War - 2:34
10.Yes I Love You - 2:41
11.Be a Good Neighbor Week - 2:27
12.Pain in my Heart - 1:44
13.Let the Time Go By - 2:41
14.Let Me Go - 2:22
15.Shake My Hand - 2:29
16.Please Be Mine - 2:48
17.Don't Call On Me - 2:52
18.Send Me Your Love - 2:28
19.Everybody's Talkin' (Fred Neil) - 2:42
20.Tampa Run (Fankhauser, Alridge, Landsdowne) - 2:43
All songs by Merrell Fankhauser exdept where stated

The Exiles
*Merrel Fankhauser - Lead Vocals, Guitar
*Jeff Cotton - Guitar, Vocals
*Jim Furguson - Bass
*Greg Hampton - Drums
*Larry Willey - Bass, Vocals
*John Day - Organ, Vocals
*Mark Thompson - Keyboards, Guitar
With
*Dan Martin - Drums
*John French - Drums
*Dick Lee - Drums
*Bill Dodd - Guitar, Vocals
*Jim Gordan - Drums
*Al Casey - Guitar
*Larry Knechtel - Piano
*John Oliver - Bass

Related Acts
1964-67  Fapardokly - Fapardokly
1968  Merrell Fankhauser HMS Bounty - Things
1971-74  MU - The Band From The Lost Continent

Free Text

Stackridge - The Man In The Bowler Hat (1973 uk, sharp elegant progressive rock, 2007 remaster edition)

Recorded between July and September 1973 at Air Studios, London, and released the following February, ‘The Man In The Bowler Hat’ was Stackridge’s third long-player. It was, by common consent, their finest achievement, both up to that point and in their entire seven-year career.

For James Warren, Stackridge had ‘three ingredients going for it: eccentricity, Englishness and an incredible stylistic diversity. We were flying in the faces of the Frees, Zeppelins and Sabbaths, undoubtedly; but none of us were out and out rockers at heart, so we just stuck to ploughing our own idiosyncratic furrow.’

But the magic ingredient ‘Bowler Hat’ boasted was the involvement of an iconic musical figure: GEORGE MARTIN, producer of the Beatles until their split three years previously.

Andy Davis had sessioned on John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ album, while James Warren had been inspired to pick up the guitar by such classic singles as ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ and ‘I Feel Fine’. ‘We had unwittingly joined the musical aristocracy,’ he marvelled, ‘and it was a very pleasant three-month sojourn’.

Angel-Air

Tracks
1. Fundamentally Yours - 2:36
2. Pinafore Days - 2:36
3. The Last Plimsoll - 4:31
4. To the Sun and the Moon (Mutter Slater, Peter Denman) - 2:50
5. The Road to Venezuela - 4:53
6. The Galloping Gaucho - 2:48
7. Humiliation (James Warren) - 3:33
8. Dangerous Bacon (Warren, Smegmakovitch) - 2:43
9. The Indifferent Hedgehog (Davis, Graham Smith) - 3:14
10.God Speed the Plough (Wabadaw Sleeve) - 5:29
All songs by Andy Davis, Smegmakovitch except where noted.

Stackridge
*Andy Cresswell-Davis - Guitars, Keyboards, Percussion, Singing
*Michael 'Mutter' Slater - Flute, Keyboards, Percussion, Singing
*Mike Evans - Violin, Singing
*Billy Bent (Aka Billy Sparkle) - Drums
*James Warren - Guitars, Singing
*Jim "Crun" Walter - Bass Guitar
*Keith Gemmell - Saxophones
Additional Personnel
*Reg Leopold - Violin
*William Reid - Violin
*Graeme Scott - Viola
*Vivian Joseph - Cello
*Jack Emblow - Accordion
*Ray Davies - Trumpet/Cornet
*Derek Taylor - French Horn And Solo On "To The Sun And The Moon"
*B. Lamb - Trombone
*M. Fry - Tuba
*R. Chamberlain - Clarinet, Saxes

1972  Stackridge - Friendliness (2006 remaster and expanded)

Free Text
Text Host

David McWilliams ‎– The Days Of Pearly Spencer (1967-69 ireland, amazing orchestrated baroque folk psych, 2002 remaster with bonus tracks)

Born 4th July 1945, David never forgot his Ballymena roots. At the height of his success, he would have popped home to play with Broadway Celtic in the Saturday Morning League.

'The Days of Pearly Spencer' released on the Major Minor label, was a huge radio hit but, inexplicably, failed to chart. Most people that were listening to the radio in 1967 will remember its 60s 'psychedelia' vibe with pleasure.

The record like David McWilliams himself, seemed to have all the right attributes for success. It just seemed like one of those numbers that you didn't buy. Despite several re-issues in later years, this self penned number by David McWilliams was never to succeed. Yet the 60s and 70s saw an amazing period of productivity matched by the amazing consistency of quality throughout all the material he wrote and recorded. Musically he backed himself on 6 and 12 string guitar with further arrangement and orchestration provided by the then wunderkind producer Mike Leander.

The combination of McWilliams' heartfelt lyrics and song style with Leander's evocative arrangements of the simple melodies still sounding bewitching today. 'The Days of Pearly Spencer' was covered by Marc Almond in the early 90s and 'Three O'Clock Flamingo Street is another radio favourite. Rated alongside Donovan an Dylan, he place in music history is assured, McWilliams died of a heart attack at his home in Ballycastle, County Antrim in 2002, at the age of 56.

from B/mena Tmes

Tracks
1. Days Of Pearly Spencer - 2:32
2. Can I Get There By Candlelight - 3:08
3. For Josephine - 3:01
4. How Can I Be Free - 3:49
5. Brown Eyed Girl - 2:23
6. Marlena - 2:27
7. For A Little Girl - 2:31
8. Lady Helen Of The Laughing Eyes - 3:10
9. Time Will Not Wait - 3:01
10.What's The Matter With Me - 3:26
11.There's No Lock Upon My Door - 2:49
12.Tomorrow's Like Today - 1:52
13.Harlem Lady - 3:02
14.This Side Of Heaven - 3:14
15.Poverty Street - 2:29
All songs by David McWilliams

*David McWilliams - Vocals, Guitar

Free Text

Just Paste

Moby Grape - Wow (1969 us, superb west coast psych, Sundazed digipack remaster and expanded)

Between the time that Moby Grape released their brilliant self-titled debut and when their second album Wow appeared in 1968, a little thing called Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band happened, and for the next few years it was no longer enough for a band with some claim to importance to just play rock & roll, even if they approached it with the freshness and imagination Moby Grape displayed on their first LP. 

Bowing to the pervading influences of the day, Wow is a far more ambitious album than Moby Grape, trading in the latter's energetic simplicity for an expansive production complete with strings, horns, and lots of willful eccentricity, best typified by the helium-treated vocals on the hillbilly pastiche "Funky Tunk" and "Just Like Gene Autry: A Foxtrot," a woozy '60s dance band number complete with introduction from Arthur Godfrey (the band went so far as to master the tune at 78 rpm on the original vinyl edition). 

While at first glance Wow pales in comparison to the instant classic Moby Grape, repeated listening reveals this album has plenty of strengths despite the excess gingerbread; the horn-driven boogie of "Can't Be So Bad" swings hard, "Murder in My Heart for the Judge" is a tough and funky blues number, "He," "Rose Colored Eyes," and "Bitter Wind" are lovely folk-rock tunes with shimmering harmonies (even if the latter is marred by a pretentious noise collage at the close), and "Motorcycle Irene" is a witty tribute to a hard-livin' biker mama. 

Wow lacks the rev-it-up spirit of Moby Grape's masterpiece, but Peter Lewis, Jerry Miller, and Skip Spence's guitar work is just as impressive and richly layered, and the group's harmonies and songwriting chops are still in solid shape. While the unobtrusive production on Moby Grape showcased the group's many virtues, those attributes are visible on Wow despite the layers of studio excess, which sapped the momentum and charm of this band without snuffing them out altogether. 

by Mark Deming

Tracks
1. The Place And The Time (Miller, Stevenson) - 2:06
2. Murder In My Heart For The Judge (Miller, Stevenson) - 2:56
3. Bitter Wind (Mosley) - 3:04
4. Can't Be So Bad (Miller, Stevenson) - 3:39
5. Just Like Gene Autry: A Foxtrot (Spence) - 3:02
6. He (Lewis) - 3:34
7. Motorcycle Irene (Spence) - 2:22
8. Three-Four (Miller, Spence) - 5:00
9. Funky-Tunk (Spence) - 2:09
10.Rose Colored Eyes (Mosley) - 3:59
11.Miller's Blues (Miller) - 5:212
12.Naked, If I Want To (Miller) - 0:46
13.The Place And The Time (Alternate Take) (Miller, Stevenson) - 2:23
14.Stop (Demo) (Lewis) - 2:20
15.Loosely Remembered (Mosley) - 3:24
16.Miller's Blues (Alternate Take) (Miller) - 5:19
17.What's To Choose (Lewis) - 1:59
18.Seeing (Spence) - 5:11

Moby Grape
*Peter Lewis - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
*Bob Mosley - Bass, Vocals
*Jerry Miller - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Skip Spence - Rhythm Guitar, Piano, Vocals
*Don Stevenson - Drums, Vocals

1966-69  Live (Sundazed digipack issue)

Related Act
1972  Bob Mosley - Bob Mosley
1974-77  Bob Mosley - Never Dreamed

Free Text
Just Paste

Moby Grape - Live (1966-69 us, classic west coast psych, Sundazed digipack issue)

Live by Moby Grape, is the first official collection of concert recordings by the legendary San Francisco band at its blazing late-Sixties peak.

At that time, in rock's hippest city, there was no other band like the original Grape: Jerry Miller, Skip Spence, Bob Mosley, Peter Lewis and Don Stevenson.

Their Columbia debut LP, Moby Grape, issued in June 1967, is still acclaimed as one of the greatest rock albums ever—a thrilling union of blues, soul, country, surf twang and day-glo garage rock, packed into original killer-pop songwriting.

Even as extreme Columbia hype, devastating business hassles and Spence's tragic mental collapse threatened to blow up the band, the Grape continued to make immortal albums, including 1968's Wow and the magnificent Moby Grape '69.

But the records told only half of the tale. Moby Grape, in their prime, were also one of the Bay Area's—and America's—best stage bands, like the Beatles and Rolling Stones in one, with a breathtaking triple-guitar attack and stunning vocal harmonies.

Live is the long-awaited proof. It features more than an hour of dynamite performances from soundboard and broadcast tapes, including tracks from the Avalon Ballroom in 1967 and the band's complete long-lost set at the Monterey Pop Festival, just a week after Moby Grape came out.

There are live versions of the great rare Grape songs "Rounder" and "Looper" and five tracks from a famous Dutch radio show featuring the hard-charging '69 lineup of Miller, Mosley, Lewis and Stevenson.

And Live climaxes with the historic first-ever release of Spence's acid-guitar masterpiece "Dark Magic"—never recorded in the studio by the original band but presented here in an epic 17-minute performance at the Avalon, on New Year's Eve 1966.

Moby Grape were the hottest band in town that night, with the whole rock & roll world ahead of them. And they sound like it. These four-decade-old recordings have been spectacularly mastered, in you-are-there fidelity, and this album comes with sumptuous packaging and rare photos, in true Sundazed style, plus liner notes by Rolling Stone writer and Moby Grape authority David Fricke.

Live presents, at last, the untold part of Moby Grape's incredible story. It is San Francisco psychedelia at its zenith and the best historical rock release of the year.

Tracks
1. Ain't No Use (Jerry Miller, Don Stevenson) - 1:33
2. Rounder - 2:00
3. Looper (Peter Lewis) - 2:24
4. Bitter Wind (Bob Mosley) - 1:47
5. Changes (J. Miller, D. Stevenson) - 4:36
6. Indifference - 2:47
7. Someday (J. Miller, D. Stevenson, A. Spence) - 3:21
8. Introduction - 1:18
9. Indifference - 3:16
10.Mr. Blues (Bob Mosley) - 1:52
11.Sitting By The Window (Peter Lewis) - 2:55
12.Omaha - 2:53
13.Sweet Little Angel (B.B. King, J. Taub) - 4:50
14.Murder In My Heart For The Judge (J. Miller, D. Stevenson) - 4:51
15.I Am Not Willing (Peter Lewis) - 5:31
16.Trucking Man (Bob Mosley) - 2:05
17.Fall On You (Peter Lewis) - 2:13
18.Omaha - 6:04
19.Dark Magic - 17:27
All songs by Alexander "Skip" Spence except where noted.
Tracks 1-7 at the Avalon Ballroom '67
Tracks 8-12 at the Monterey International Pop Festival '67
Track 13 at the Avalon Ballroom '68
Tracks 14-18 at the RAI, Amsterdam, Netherlands '69
Track 19 at the Avalon Ballroom '66

Moby Grape
*Jerry Miller - Guitar, Vocals
*Peter Lewis - Guitar, Vocals
*Alexander "Skip" Spence - Guitar, Vocals
*Bob Mosley - Bass, Vocals
*Don Stevenson - Drums, Vocals

Related Act
1972  Bob Mosley - Bob Mosley
1974-77  Bob Mosley - Never Dreamed

Free Text
Just Paste