Message - Message (1975 germany / uk, sensational prog jazz rock)

Message were one of those enigmas of the Krautrock scene, in that their origins were not only from Germany, but also from Britain. They evolved out of an early sixties Scottish rock 'n roll band called The Waysiders. When they split, guitarist Allan Murdoch returned to England and ended up playing in a band called M15 with future Nektar keyboard player Allan ' Taff ' Freeman. 

Due to lack of media interest, M15 moved to Germany in 1967 and eventually became Prophesy which evolved into Nektar. In the meantime, current Birth Control bassist Horst Stachelhaus had formed Message in 1968 and the two bands became close friends. Murdoch joined Message and invited along his old friend, vocalist and sax player Tom McGuigan, and that's how the British / German Message was formed. 

The band were similar in style to Nektar in many ways. Message combined the best of British heavy progressive styles with Krautrock innovation, and they secured a record deal with German label Bacillus and released their excellent debut album in 1972. As good as the album was, it was only when they released their second album, "From Books and Dreams", that people started to realize their worth. In 1975, drummer Manfred von Bohr (also later to join Birth Control), replaced Gunther Klingel and the band also had a change of record label, moving to Nova Records. (The new album, self-titled and released in 1975, also received a British release on Deca Records). Subsequent albums saw them move into a slightly more jazzy direction. Message split in the early 80's.

Tracks
1. Before The Dawn - 6:01
2. Thoughts - 5:40
3. Is That The Way - 4:12
4. I Can See The World - 3:15
5. Waters - 6:02
6. Horrorscope - 3:28
7. Back Home - 4:50
8. Train To Nowhere - 4:00
All compositions by Message

Message
*Alan Murdoch - Guitars
*Tommy McGuigan - Vocals, Sax
*Horst Stachelhaus - Bass
*Manfred v. Bohr - Drums, Percussion

1972  Message - The Dawn Anew Is Coming (extra track issue)

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Love - Lost Love (1971 us, outstanding hard psych, 2009 Sundazed release)

Love Lost was recorded in 1971, during a brief, little-known period during which Love was signed to Columbia Records. Lee and the then-current Love lineup—bassist Frank Fayad, guitarist Craig Tarwater and drummer Don Poncher—recorded an album’s worth of new material for the label. But after the band left the company, the recordings sat unreleased and unheard until now. The material on Love Lost—comprised of the unreleased Columbia sessions, plus five unreleased acoustic demos from the same period—captures Love in a transitional phase, charting the next step in Lee’s idiosyncratic musical trajectory, following the lush garage-psychedelia of the classics Da Capo and Forever Changes, and the bluesier direction of the hardrocking

False Start and Out Here.

Many of the songs included on Love Lost would resurface, often in radically different form, on subsequent Love releases, and on Lee’s fabled solo album Vindicator. But the original versions included on Love Lost boast a playful looseness that’s absent from most of Lee’s later work, as well as a raw, edgy urgency that underlines his credentials as an early progenitor of punk-rock attitude. Love Lost also features three songs—”For a Day,” “Trippin’ And Slippin’” and “C.F.I. Instrumental”—that have not previously been released, in any form.

With a treasure trove of vintage Love music that has never before been heard by fans, Love Lost is a major addition to Arthur Lee and Love’s body of work, and its release is a major event for Lee’s fervent fan base.

Head-Heritage 

Tracks
1. Love Jumped Through My Window - 3:21
2. I Can't Find It - 4:49
3. He Said She Said - 3:39
4. Product Of The Times - 4:20
5. Sad Song - 2:56
6. Everybody's Gotta Live - 4:01
7. Midnight Sun - 4:12
8. Good And Evil I - 4:23
9. He Knows A Lot Of Good Women - 3:13
10.Find Somebody - 3:57
11.For A Day - 2:08
12.Good And Evil II - 2:56
13.Looking Glass - 2:32
14.Trippin' And Slippin'/Ezy Ryder - 6:58

Love
*Arthur Lee - Vocals, Guitar
*Frank Fayad - Bass
*Don Poncher - Drums
*Craig Tarwater - Guitar

more Love
1966  Love
1967  Da Capo
1967  Forever Changes (2008 digi pack double disc set)
1992  Five String Serenade

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Moby Grape - Moby Grape (1967 us, superb west coast psych, Sundazed remaster and expanded)

Moby Grape’s debut encapsulates the frantic power and inspired genius of the group in the brief moment that it existed. All members contributed songs to this explosive record, giving each song a fresh feel within the triple-guitar rock/country/psych Grape sound. The songs are quick, great, and perfect illustrators of the San Fransisco sound from whence they came.

The problem is, things practically fell apart for the Grape after their debut record; it’s widely reported that the talents of this great, legendary band fell prey to mismanagement. If the Jefferson Airplane were today’s “Strokes,” then Moby Grape were “The Vines” or “Jet” or whatever over-hyped carbon copy band the music industry could get on the shelves in the wake of the former. Their record company released five singles at once, trying to stir up an artificial demand. Worst of all, the mismanagement continues today with the Moby Grape name being held hostage by some guy named Matthew Katz (hence, the still exorbitant CD price). The 2007 reissue of this record from Sundazed has been halted as well, producing a stilted run of 180G vinyl lps that are going for hefty prices on ebay.

Following the recording of this record, frontman Skip Spence lost it Syd Barrett style and took an axe with him on a short rampage at his band member’s hotel before being committed to Bellevue Hospital. After his release, he would take off on his motorcycle, equipped in pajamas rather than leather jacket, on the way to record his magnificent, and only solo album, Oar.

But despite these unfortunate circumstances, Moby Grape’s eponymous debut remains well respected as one of the best albums of the psychedelic era, its sound still holding up extremely well. In fact, you may have even heard the sometimes classic rock radio-worthy Omaha. And while this powerful debut may be one of the best rock records of all time, the Grape managed to reinstate its spirit in moments over several more excellent albums during their frenzied life span.

by Brendan McGrath

Tracks
1. Hey Grandma (Jerry Miller, Don Stevenson) - 2:25
2. Mr. Blues (Bob Mosley) - 1:55
3. Fall On You (Peter Lewis) - 1:50
4. 8:05 (Miller, Stevenson) - 2:17
5. Come In The Morning (Mosley) - 2:04
6. Omaha (Skip Spence) - 2:19
7. Naked, If I Want To (Miller) - 0:51
8. Someday (Miller, Stevenson, Spence) - 2:30
9. Ain't No Use (Miller, Stevenson) - 1:33
10.Sitting By The Window (Lewis) - 2:38
11.Changes (Miller, Stevenson) - 3:13
12.Lazy Me (Mosley) - 1:39
13.Indifference (Spence) - 4:09
14.Rounder (Instrumental) (Skip Spence) - 2:04
15.Looper (Audition Recording) (Peter Lewis) - 2:38
16.Indifference (Audition Recording) (Skip Spence) - 2:53
17.Bitter Wind (Previously Unissued) (Bob Mosley) - 2:50
18.Sweet Ride (Never Again) (Long Version) (Moby Grape) - 5:56

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

1966-69  Live (Sundazed digipack issue)
1967-68  The Place And The Time (2009 Sundazed release)
1969  Wow (Sundazed Issue)

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

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Good Dog Banned - Good Dog Banned (1973 us, splendid mix of rural rock and blues with brass tones, Gear Fab edition)

As the 1960s turned into the '70s, cultural overload with the influence of political convictions often resulted in young people withdrawing from the predominant culture and trying to sustain a more "natural" way of life that eschewed commercial considerations. Good Dog Banned formed amid such circumstances around 1971. 

Guitarist Doug Mortenson was playing a gig in a bar called the Rite Spot in northern California one night in 1971, when Tim Cain (sax, guitar) walked in, took out his flute, and proceeded to bring down the house. The two played a set together before Cain left without a word. Mortensen later came to find that Cain was from San Francisco cult legends the Sons of Champlin, and, with the band's ex-manager Bamboo, he had come from Marin to form a commune. Mortensen had left Los Angeles in 1971 along with Chris Miller (guitar, sax) during the hippie exodus from the cities, looking for cheap rent and a good time. He had played in numerous garage bands while Miller had come out of the coffee house-folk circuit. Bassist Dwight Wolf joined up with the other guys after exiting his miniscule town in Colorado, where he was likely exposed mostly to country and rockabilly. Lee Marks came from Pasadena to round out the band . His roots arose, in part, from his experiences in high school attending black church services with his girlfriend and absorbing the rhythms and nuances of gospel. 

As with a lot of the bands that seemed to spontaneously arise on communes, Good Dog Banned played entirely for fun and the experience of musical interaction without even considering the commercial possibilities, and, as such, their performances tended to lean more in the direction of joyous dance party rather than bar or club gig. They typically improvised for long periods of time, sometimes for over 45 minutes. There was also a fair share of countercultural weirdness: after one gig, Cain was inducted into the Church of Universal Light by a fan, and the band routinely added marriage ceremonies to its repertoire. The band played throughout Humboldt County during a fruitful musical period in the early '70s. 

There were plenty of clubs, and, with local hippies and the influx of countercultural types from the cities, there was a hungry audience looking for non-commercial music, something more in the moment and without music business motives. And like many folks who experienced the communal life, the members of Good Dog Banned, while having moved on from their backwoods existences living (and playing) off the land, still consider themselves family. Their single eponymous album, privately pressed in 1973 (in a run of only 200), was reissued on CD by Gear Fab in 1999. 

Although it ran parallel with the back-to-basics feeling that permeated the early '70s, Good Dog Banned arrived at a distinctive strain of organic rock that was much more joyous and good-timey than many of their musicians-in-arms. Their one stab at rock & roll immortality, Good Dog Banned seems oblivious to any sense of anger at the "failure" of the '60s dream to take complete effect as of 1971. Whereas some '60s expatriates were decrying the cultural revolution, Good Dog Banned were singing "Things Ain't so Bad," heading down to the river and drinking wine. 

There is no nostalgia, no cynicism present. The band was untethered, ingenuous. Perhaps it could be viewed as rose-colored hippie denial, but in retrospect, the pure, unselfconscious charisma and the lack of piety that Good Dog Banned inject into their only effort makes it seem less of its time than other bands of this ilk. Still, a lot of love and togetherness are espoused in Good Dog Banned's lyrics (cynics beware), and the members do seem to have a tightness that only comes from "Livin' in Harmony," as they sing on the final song on the album. Each of the members take a stab at singing lead, and each is a solid vocalist, but it is Lee Marks' wonderful, soul-drenched voice (like Bob Mosley in his softer moments) that is the clear standout. 

The music has the same funky, loose ensemble playing -- from the sprinkling guitar chords on long groover "Smokestacks" to the steel pedal-led country-rock groove of "Rust & Decay" -- and the same old-time country-boy sunniness of the Band and same-period Grateful Dead, only with more prevalent saxophone that keeps the music from seeming overtly wistful or nostalgic, not throwback as much as laid-back. The album is not wholly consistent -- "Don't Burn Baby Grow" seems more silly than anything else, and a couple of the cuts inch somewhat too close to the inane boogie of Grand Funk Railroad -- but, on the whole, Good Dog Banned is draped in moonlit country soul. 

by Stanton Swihart

Tracks
1. Rollin' Into Salyer (Lee Marks) - 5:30
2. Smokestacks (Lee Marks) - 6:15
3. Rust And Decay (Chris Miller) - 4:02
4. Things Ain't So Bad (Dwight Wolf) - 4:07
5. River Bummin' (Lee Marks, Anthon Davis) - 4:04
6. Worthy (Tim Cain) - 3:57
7. Don't Burn Baby Grow (Tim Cain) - 3:33
8. Utah (Doug Mortenson) - 4:23
9. Livin' In Harmony (Lee Marks) - 3:10

Good Dog Banned
*Doug Mortenson - Electric, Acoustic, Pedal Steel Guitar
*Chris Miller - Electric, Acoustic Guitar, Saxophone
*Lee Marks - Drums, Bamboo, Flute
*Dwight Wolf - Bass
*Tim Cain - Sax, Electric Guitar

1969  The Sons Of Champlin - Loosen Up Naturally (2003 Remaster) 
1969  Sons of Champlin - The Sons (2005 Japan)
1971  Follow Your Heart (2002 remaster) 
1971  Betty - Handful

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Goodthunder - Goodthunder (1972 us, solid heavy prog rock)

Goodthunder were a heavy progressive five piece from Los Angeles, comprising of James Cahoon Lindsay (lead vocals, percussion), John Desautels (drums), David Hanson (guitars, vocals), Bill Rhodes (bass) & Wayne Cook (keyboards). Their short-lived existence produced only one album, 1972's 8 track, eponymous debut, released through Continental records, a sub division of Elektra.

Their album is now largely forgotten and certainly didn't attempt to break new ground within the field of Californian bands writing hard, guitar oriented art-rock with a progressive/ psychedelic edge, during the early 70's. That said, the musicianship behind the crunchy guitars, driving bass-lines and underpinning Hammond organ rhythms, demonstrate a more than competent level of proficiency. Indeed, the construction of their more progressive tracks (such as 'Barking At The Ants', the stand-out track of the album) leave one wondering what might have been, with a couple more albums under their belts.

This album would appeal to those who enjoy their traditional, heavy progressive rock with an overtly melodic, pre-AOR commercial feel in the vein of early Angel & White Witch, mixed with Deep Purple, High Tide & Uriah Heep classic rock, with the odd touch of Allman Brothers quirkiness.

by Jared Butcher

Tracks
1. I Can't Get Thru To You (Cook, Lindsay) - 3:18
2. For A Breath (Foster, Desautels, Foster) - 5:35
3. Moonship (Cook, Phifer, Lindsay, Cook) - 2:46
4. Home Again (Hanson, Lindsay, Hanson) - 6:48
5. Sentries (Hanson, Lindsay, Linvill) - 2:36
6. P.O.W. (Hanson, Desautels) - 6:50
7. Rollin Up My Mind (Cook) - 4:11
8. Barking At The Ants (Hanson) - 6:39

Goodthunder
*James Cahoon Lindsay - Lead Vocals, Percussion
*John Desautels - Drums
*David Hanson - Guitars, Vocals
*Bill Rhodes - Bass Guitar
*Wayne Cook - Keyboards

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Shocking Blue - Scorpion's Dance (1970 dutch, wonderful beat psych with country shades)

Shocking Blue's second album was partly recorded in New York and continues the band's exploration of Americana and country music, although its style is firmly rooted in rock. "Alaska Country" is one of the most obvious references to America, but "Sally Was a Good Old Girl" is a cover of an early-'60s country hit by songwriter Hank Cochran; Shocking Blue's rendition chugs along in a rock groove that reveals the source of its material with a touch of banjo. 

As always, the focal point is the inimitable voice of Mariska Veres, but songwriter/guitarist Robby VanLeeuwen shows no sign of a sophomore slump. There isn't an obvious hit single candidate like the previous album's "Venus," but Scorpio's Dance makes up for it with solid consistency. "Daemon Lover" is moody and mesmerizing, and the title track is a spaghetti western soundtrack in search of a film (the cover photo, appropriately enough, was shot in a cactus field). "I Love Voodoo Music" is colored with bongos and jungle sound effects, while "Water Boy" sees the return of VanLeeuwen's sitar. It's a diverse collection of songs that reveals the group's artistic growth but, in America at least, saw no chart action. 

by Greg Adams

Tracks
1. Scorpio's Dance (First Movement) - 0:38
2. Alaska Country - 3:52
3. Sally Was A Good Old Girl (Harlan, Howard) - 3:29
4. Daemon Lover - 6:04
5. Scorpio's Dance - 3:44
6. Little Cooling Planet - 4:05
7. I Love Voodoo Music - 4:02
8. Seven Is A Number In Magic - 2:59
9. Keep It If You Want It - 2:55
10.Water Boy - 2:38
11.Send Me A Postcard - 3:06
12.Mighty Joe - 3:19
13.Hello Darkness - 2:56
14.Pickin' Tomatoes - 3:22
15.Keep It If You Want It - 2:54
16.Sally Was A Good Old Girl (Harlan, Howard) - 3:26
All songs by Robbie Van Leeuwen except where noted

Shocking Blue
*Mariska Veres - Vocals
*Robbie van Leeuwen - Guitar, Vocals
*Cor van der Beek - Drums
*Klaasje van der Wal - Bass Guitar

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The V.I.P's - The Complete V.I.P's (1965-67 uk, spectacular mod beat rhythm 'n' blues, 2006 Repertoire double disc remaster)

The story begins in summer 1963, in Carlisle, Cumbria, in the far North-West of England. Jimmy Henshaw (guitar, keyboards), Walter Johnstone (drums), Frank Kenyan (guitar) and former export clerk Mike Harrison (vocals) formed a beat combo, and dubbed themselves The VIPs. Johnston and Kenyan had previously been in The Teenagers; not long after forming the band, The VIPs added Greg Ridley on bass, who had previously lined up with Dino & The Danubes, and The Dakotas and The Ramrods, together with Harrison. 

They scored a record deal with RCA, who put out their debut single, "She's So Good" / "Don't Keep Shouting At Me" in 1964, both sides being penned by Henshaw. The single is a great slice of sneery Brit R&B, and is now an ultra-rare collector's favourite. From 1965 to 1966 the band were a top club attraction in London, and gigged regularly at the Star Club in Hamburg, garnering a sizeable cult following,

The original VIP's line-up recorded three more singles ("Wintertime" as The Vipps for CBS, plus "I Wanna Be Free" / "Don't Let It Go" and "Straight Down To The Bottom" / "In A Dream" for Island, produced by Island stalwart Guy Stevens) before disbanding. Henshaw, Johnstone and Kenyan were replaced by Luther Grosvenor (guitar), Mike Kellie (drums), and Keith Emerson (keyboards). Emerson had previously been a member of Gary Farr & The T-Bones; this variant of The VIPs gigged for only three months, before Emerson upped and formed The Nice, with Brian "Blinky" Davidson, Lee Jackson and Davy O'List. 

The remaining quartet changed their name from the by then somewhat anachronistic VIPs, to simply Art-Worcester-born Grosvenor had played guitar for The Hellians, whose 1964 single, "Daydreaming Of You", released on Pye subsidiary Piccadilly, was produced by maverick West Coast genius / madman /charlatan Kim Fowley. The Hellians, if I may digress still further, boasted the nascent talents of both Dave Mason and Jim Capaldi, who would, of course, go on to form Island mainstays Traffic with Steve Winwood, and a young Poli Palmer, who latterly rattled the Joanna for Family. The Hellians in turn mutated into Deep Feeling.

Mike Kellie, originally from Birmingham, had drummed for second city band Locomotive, who also featured sax and flute player Chris Wood, who joined Traffic in 1967. There. See how incestuous this little scene was? Anyway, Locomotive would go on to enjoy a UK Top 30 hit with the ska-rhythmed "Rudi's 1? Love" (unusually enough, the band were very heavily ska and bluebeat driven), and in 1969 put out the awesome latterday psychedelic gem "Mr. Armageddon".

Spooky-bio

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Don't Keep Shouting At Me - 2:24

2. She's So Good - 2:20

3. Mercy Mercy - 2:46

4. That's My Woman - 2:10

5. Wintertime - 2:09

6. Anyone - 2:16

7. I Wanna Be - 3:13

8. Don't Let It Go - 2:36

9. Straight Down To The Bottom - 2:08

10.In A Dream - 2:24

11.Smokestack Lightning - 6:42

12.Back Into My Life Again - 2:32

13.Every Girl I See - 2:53

14.Stagger Lee - 3:13

15.Rosemarie - 3:19

16.Late Night Blues - 5:36

CD 2
1. I Wanna Be Free - 3:13
2. Smokestack Lightning - 6:42
3. You Don't Know Like I Know - 2:30
4. Stagger Lee - 3:26
5. No Use Crying - 3:31
6. I Wanna Be Free - 3:10
7. Grapes Of Wrath - 3:13
8. Fannie Mae - 3:36
9. Talk About My Babe - 3:42
10.I Got A Woman - 6:34
11.Blue Feeling - 2:32
12.Sad Story - 2:24
(There's a little mess in the track list between "Grapes of Wrath" and "Fannie Mae", I presume it's label's fault, because it's listed incorrectly.)

The V.I.P.s
*Frank Kenyon - Rhythm Guitar
*Jimmy Henshaw - Lead Guitar
*Mike Harrison -  Vocals
*Walter Johnstone -  Drums
*Mike Kellie -  Drums
*Keith Emerson -  Keyboards
*Greg Ridley -  Bass, Guitar

1966  The V.I.P's - Beat Crazy
1967  Art - Supernatural Fairy Tales

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Sweet Maya – Sweet Maya (1977 us, fabulous funky jazz prog rock, 2010 korean remaster)

The story of Sweet Maya is one that spans 36 years and involves a set of relationships that have remain strong despite time and distance. The first chapter started in 1968 when Gail met John. As she recalls it "I met John prior to graduation and my most favorite memories involve a trip to a nightclub to hear a hot band, John being invited on stage to jam, and his horn turning the crowd upside down!"

It was after Gail and John came to Kalamazoo that the third piece of the Sweet Maya puzzle moved into place. As Gail describes it "I met Janice Lakers in a music theory class, we were the top two students. We got together one evening to sing and that's all it took. In short time we formed a folk duo, both of us playing guitars and Janice doubling on flute and percussion. John was always on the sidelines of our duo, helping us with arrangements, and sitting in with us when he could." It was with the formation of this trio that the core of Sweet Maya was formed and plans for expansion were laid. Tom Davis, a drummer John worked with in a previous group quickly followed by guitarist/bassist Tom Hill. 

Thus Sweet Maya was born. Where there had only been two now there were five but the sound of the band continued to be a work in progress. Feeling the need for a dedicated bassist and a more driving sound, the core Mayans sent out a call to audition bass players from around the area. Many tried out and all had their advantages yet in the end one player stood out among the rest, securing a sought after place in a successful local band. 

The one selected was Mark Bowen completing the six member, multiinstrumentalist band. Maya strived towards continuous improvement and as the rhythm section continued to strengthen the inherent weakness became the lack of a solid guitar soloist. Tom Hill, who had several creative differences with the core group, left the band as Sweet Maya ushered in the last piece of the puzzle, Rob Hayes. This formed the band that most remember as Sweet Maya and its performances drew huge audiences earning it a reputation as one of the foremost musical groups in the mid-western United States.

One of the lasting results of this musical endeavor was the recording and production of this LP, originally pressed in vinyl in 1977. And thanks to a still thriving fan base Sweet Maya continues to gather every few years to perform in concert with the next scheduled for fall of 2011. The band will be celebrating its 40th anniversary and plans to introduce several new compositions to delight their fans.

by Mark Bowen, 2010

Tracks
1. Good Day - 2:29
2. Louisiana Song - 3:30
3. Gotta Find Out - 5:25
4. Crazy Coldness - 4:36
5. Surround Me - 3:11
6. The Earth Has Music - 3:56
7. Papa Taco - 2:45
8. Illusion - 5:04
9. People Suite (Instrumental) - 7:11

Sweet Maya
*Janice Lakers - Vocals, Flute, Guitar, Percussion
*Gail Baker - Guitar, Vocals
*John Chamberlin - Vocals, Flute, Saxophone, Piano
*Tom Davis - Drums
*Tom Hill - Guitar, Bass
*Mark Bowen - Bass
*Rob Hayes - Guitar, Keyboards, Flute, Harmonica, Vocals

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Fraction - MoonBlood (1971 us, stunning raw garage psych, Rockaway extra tracks issue)

Based in LA, Fraction was a ragged collection of working-class musicians–the line-up was ringleader Jim Beach–vocals; Don Swanson–lead guitar, Curt Swanson–drums, Victor Hemme–bass, and Robert Meinel–rhythm guitar. Beach himself describes those early days: “The guys met through various acquaintances that we had in LA. All of us had been in bands before, but were seeking something with more teeth. We had a small studio in an industrial complex in North Hollywood and started practicing sometimes as early as 4:30 AM. We all had day jobs, so we did what we could.” Amazingly the recording sessions for the album were recorded similarly on the fly, as Beach further states: “The Moonblood recording took place at Whitney’s Studio in Glendale, CA, early in 1971. On a strict budget, these songs were recorded in less than three hours””all of them “one takes.” We played, all 5 of us, simultaneously– there were no studio effects, no overdubbing or any additional sound effects added. Basically what you hear is considered ‘old school’ recording.”

This workmanlike description in no way prepares one for the pure tortured genius the session wrought. Particularly noteworthy is Beach’s vocals””as commonly stated, the spirit of Jim Morrison is conjured in his deep baritone, which gives way to unparalleled pained howls, at times bathed in delay which trails into the abyss. Fascinatingly enough, Beach cites the much punker Love as his fave LA band over the Doors, and also gives influence-nods to proto-everything rockers The Yardbirds and to Dylan, whose dark word tapestries surely inspired Beach’s lyrics (though lines from The Doors’ “L’America” pop up on the LP) Whatever the case, the man clearly has a vision, as even the stark sleeve concept is Beach’s own.

Equally as integral to the Fraction sound is lead guitarist Don Swanson””his blown-out fuzz riffs set a template for what is now commonly known as “stoner rock” or “acid punk,” and his solos consist of jagged, wah-wah-ed shards of notes, with his amplifier clearly pushed to the limit. Beach says: “Don’s guitar was always my driving force and he did everything he could to keep it over the top. You’d never know that (his sound) was coming from an old, broken down Esquire. Don kept it alive!” The other members contributions shouldn’t be underappreciated though– drummer Curt Swanson keeps things at a constant simmer, and then boils over when the whole band launches into snarling glory. The band and LP as a whole equals something indescribably intense from start to finish””comparisons to the Detroit late 60s high-energy bands like The Stooges and MC5 abound, as well as the sort of late 60s damaged spirit lurking in biker clubs and disgruntled Vietnam vets.

Mexican-summer

Tracks
1. Sanc Divided - 3:53
2. Come Out of Her - 5:02
3. Eye Of The Hurricane - 9:07
4. Sons Come To Birth - 5:32
5. This Bird (Sky High) - 8:16
6. Prisms - 4:23
7. Dawning Light - 4:40
8. Intercessor's Blues - 3:58
Bonus Tracks 6-8

Fraction
*Jim Beach - Lead Vocals
*Don Swanson - Lead Guitar
*Curt Swanson - Percusion
*Victor Hemme - Bass Guitar
*Robert Meinel - Rhythm Guitar

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Wazoo - Wazoo (1970 us, great progressive experimental avant garde rock, 2006 World In Sound issue)

This group from the Detroit area is probably the weirdest experimental psych outfits from 1970. Originally the band was hired by “Zig Zag Records” to record cover tunes and easy listening, with the intention, “We’re just doing whatever we want,” the result was an overdosed rock concept album… “to give the music back to the people”. 

Original copies are rare and pretty unknown among psych collectors until now! The 7 songs with an average length of 7 mins combine different styles of music, from heavy garage rock to bluesy westcoast, drifting into various tripped-out, funk, jazz, fusion elements with humorous/social comments. Structure, feeling and complexity can be compared to experimental Krautrock, while the group´s basic sound is represented better by end-60s US

Hippie Rock as Country Joe & the Fish or The Head Shop (WIS-1024) with its excessive fuzz guitar work, Farfisa organ, amazing vocals by Cleveland´s “Bocky” and several additional instruments, sax, harpsichord, cello, percussion, bells…. 

Studio work is pretty tricky, lots of unexpected mixing and experiments, with flashes of UK´s legendary "White Noise". – This issue contains a 12 p. colour booklet with a band´s bio, and the cool original album design, made by John Williams who also worked for Zappa - so it can be assumed which influences Zappa used for his 1972, “Grand Wazoo” album?!? Wazoo presents at the highest level of musicianship free & atmospheric rock - a unique kind of musical renaissance!

World In Sound

Tracks
1. The Beginning / Grand Ol' Land - 8:30
2. Slip On (Jim Finnan, Robert DiPasquale) - 4:50
3. The Way I See It (Felix McDaniel) - 11:18
4. Sleep On  (Jim Finnan, Robert DiPasquale) - 7:33
5. Concert - 1:40
6. Arnie Funny Far Fackor -  5:00
7. BH Man -  9:47
8. Grand Ol' Land -  7:21
All songs by Robert "Rocky" DiPasquale, Jim Finnan, John Fraga, George (Konstantine) Katsakis, Felix McDaniel, Vince Scalabrino except where noted.

Wazoo
*Robert "Rocky" Dipasquale (Aka Bocky)  - Vocals, Percussion
*Jim Finnan  - Keyboards, Trumpet
*John Fraga  - Bass
*George (Konstantine) Katsakis  - Sax, Vocals
*Felix McDaniel  - Guitar, Vocals
*Vince Scalabrino  - Drums, Vocals

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