Improved Sound Limited - Improved Sound Limited (1971 germany, spectacular prog psych krautrock)

It all started in 1961 as a student band at the Willstätter School in Nuremburg. They called themselves the "Pyjamas Skiffle Group" and copied Lonnie Donegan relentlessly. From 1964 to 1966 they appeared under the name "Blizzards" and backed the German pop singer Roy Black at 33 shows. Starting in the fall of 1966, they called themselves "Improved Sound Limited", and so they remained, except for a brief intermezzo in 1976 when CBS called the band „Condor“.

In 1966 they won the 1st Place in the competition "Best Beat Band in Bavaria" at Bavarian Radio (BR) Participation in the BR "Schmusical" called "How Beatles turn into citizens". In 1968 first soundtrack Music for Megan Terry's play "Vietrock" with Inge Brandenburg, directed by: Stavros Doufexis, choreographed by José Luis Gómez Music for the solo pantomime "Idylls of Herr Meck" by José Luis Gómez

The next year came with music for the Film  "Engelchen macht weiter – hoppe, hoppe Reiter", directed by Michael Verhoeven Film music for "Der Bettenstudent", directed by Michael Verhoeven Single "Sing Your Song" / "Marvin Is Dead" (Polydor), also Music for the TV documantary "Ezra Pound", for the 13 part series "The 6th Day" and for the first five episodes of "The Play School"

One more soundtrack "o.k.", directed by Michael Verhoeven and a Single "Oedipus" / "Where Will The Salmon Spawn" (United Artists). More music for the series "The Play School" and for the series "The Kommissar", episode "Dr. Meinhardt's Tragic End".

In 1971 they recorded and released a Double album simply named "Improved Sound Limited" (Liberty) Film music "Lass knacken, Ive" with the song "The Policeman" BR Open Air Concert in Bergdorf (with Tangerine Dream, Birth Control, Ihre Kinder and Klaus Kreuzeder) German Pop Festival in Koblenz and Burg Herzberg Festival (with Frumpy, Can,Achim Reichel, Xhole, Embryo, Guru Guru etc.).

Improved-Band

Tracks
1. Doctor Bob Dylan - 5:14
2. Pink Hawthorn - 3:05
3. Johanna - 3:59
4. If You Want To - 2:08
5. Oedipus - 3:42
6. Fudd McGorges - 3:18
7. Thingamannalime - 3:26
8. An Old Army Poem - 2:00
9. Where Will The Salmon Spawn - 2:46
10. To My Son - 5:13
11. Shining Brightly In The Sun - 4:11
12. It Is You (You Belong To Me) - 1:58
13. Columbines, Violets And Daisies - 2:32
14. I Am The Wolf - 4:46
15. A Well-Respected Man - 3:34
16. Drunken Mr. Hyde - 0:45
17. A Soldier's Songbook - 17:17
18. *** - 0:47
All songs written by Axel Linstädt, Bernd Linstädt 

Improved Sound Limited
*Johnny Fickert - Vocals, Percussion, Flutes, Alto Sax
*Axel Linstädt - Guitars, Keyboards, Vocals
*Uli Ruppert - Bass
*Rolf Gröschner - Drums

Free Text
the Free Text

Eugene Mc Daniels - Headless Heroes Of The Apocalypse / Outlaw (1970-71 magnificent funk jazz blues protest folk rock)

At the start of the 1960s Gene McDaniels was flying high. Smartly-dressed and clean-cut, the smooth crooner from Kansas City scored two Top 10 US pop hits for the Liberty label, 'A Hundred Pounds Of Clay' and 'Tower Of Strength.' But as the '60s progressed, McDaniels' career took a commercial nose-dive as musical tastes changed and in 1970, after several fallow years, he re-launched his career as Eugene McDaniels and signed to Atlantic Records (aided by the fact that his song, 'Compared To What,' was a big hit for the label by Les McCann and Eddie Harris).

Those who were familiar with McDaniels' previous oeuvre would have been shocked by his Atlantic debut, 'Outlaw,' released in 1970, which has now been remastered and reissued alongside a clutch of classic soul and jazz titles by Warner Japan (the good news is that they're available over here at mid-price). The provocative cover of 'Outlaw' depicted a hirsute, scruffy McDaniels - who dubbed himself 'the left rev. mc d' - holding a revolver and clutching a bible alongside two armed women. 

The music (produced by Joel Dorn) was even more provocative, though perhaps not as revolutionary as McDaniels had hoped - songs like 'Welfare City,' 'The Silent Majority' and the ironically-titled 'Love Letter To America' are Bob Dylan-esque folk-rock songs with trenchantly polemic lyrics focusing on America's domestic problems. There's a jazz-meets-funk tinge to 'Unspoken Dreams Of Light' and the excellent 'Cherrystones,' a cleverly-wrought jazz-style paean to wilful ignorance. McDaniels' also serves up his own version of 'Reverend Lee,' a song about a preacher beset by carnal temptations that Roberta Flack brilliantly covered on her 'Chapter Two' album.

McDaniels' second Atlantic album, '71's 'Headless Heroes Of The Apocalypse,' continues lyrically where 'Outlaw' left off with its protest themes though the music is darker, jazzier and funkier, thanks to a crack rhythm section comprising pianist Harry Whitaker and future Weather Report duo, bassist Miroslav Vitous and drummer Alphonse Mouzon. On 'Outlaw,' McDaniels was trying to be a black Bob Dylan but on 'Heroes,' he's channelling Mick Jagger, who's the inspiration behind a faintly sinister homage, 'Jagger The Dagger,' a song whose off-kilter jazzy groove has been sampled by a Tribe Called Quest and numerous other hip-hop acts.  

The funkafied title track is a conspiracy theory song that focuses on conflict in the Middle East, while the epic 'The Parasite' finds McDaniels' commenting on the genocide of Native Americans. Arguably the album's best cut is the jazz-inflected 'Freedom Death Dance' (which references Eddie Harris's jazz classic, 'Freedom Jazz Dance'). It laments the futility of good human endeavours in an unjust world. Sounds heavy? Well, lyrically, it is but the album's more sober themes are often leavened with a wry sense of humour, as evidenced by the absurd and hilarious narrative 'Supermarket Blues.'

Sadly, not many people saw the humour and satire behind some of McDaniels' lyrics, which came to the attention of President Richard Nixon's regime and resulted in a complaining phone call by then US vice-president Spiro Agnew to Atlantic Records' boss, Ahmet Ertegun. The fallout from that call was that McDaniels was unceremoniously dumped from the label (though he went on to become a hit-making producer and songwriter for Roberta Flack, Gladys Knight and Phyllis Hyman). 

The album sank into obscurity until segments of it were sampled by hip-hop acts in the late '80s, which eventually brought about its reissue in the early noughties. Now deemed a cult classic, 'Headless Heroes Of The Apocalypse' is back in circulation again. Remastered, it sounds better than ever, though sadly these Japanese reissues don't possess liner notes, although McDaniels' lyrics are present and are well-worth reading. Much of what he wrote remains relevant to today's troubled world. The late producer Joel Dorn said of McDaniels: 'He's a genius.' McDaniels, himself, was more modest. "I'm just a half-assed poet,' he declared to this writer in 2002.

by Charles Waring

Tracks
Headless Heroes Of The Apocalypse 1971
1. The Lord Is Back (G. Mc Daniels, Singleton) - 3:18
2. Jagger The Dagger - 6:00
3. Lovin' Man - 4:45
4. Headless Heros - 3:30
5. Susan Jane - 2:08
6. Freedom Death Dance - 4:16
7. Supermarket Blues - 4:07
8. The Parasite (For Buffy) - 9:36
Outlaw 1970
9. Outlaw (G. Mc Daniels, Suzan Jane) - 5:00
10.Sagittarius Red (G. Mc Daniels, Zito, Johnson) - 3:03
11.Welfare City - 2:52
12.Silent Majority - 4:10
13.Love Letter To America - 3:57
14.Unspoken Dreams Of Light - 6:40
15.Cherrystones - 3:08
16.Reverend Lee - 6:31
17.Black Boy (G. Mc Daniels, Blair) - 2:59
All songs by Eugene Mc Daniels except where stated

Personnel
Headless Heroes Of The Apocalypse 1971
*Eugene Booker McDaniels - Vocals
*Harry Whitaker - Piano
*Gary King - Electric Bass
*Miroslav Vitous - Acoustic Bass
*Alphonse Mouzon - Drums
*Richie Resnikoff - Guitar
*Carla Cargill - Vocals
Outlaw 1970
*Eugene Booker McDaniels - Vocals
*Ron Carter - Bass
*Ray Lucas - Drums
*Eric Weissberg - Guitar
*Hugh McCracken - Guitar
*Mother Hen - Piano
*Buck Clarke - Percussion
*Welfare City Choir - Choir

Free Text
the Free Text

Jellybread - The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions (1969-70 uk, ellegant blues rock, 2008 remaster)

In 1968, John Best posted a notice in the Common Room of Sussex University advertising a search for members to play in a band. Those accepted were Pete Wingfield (keyboards and vocals), Paul Butler (guitar and vocals) and bassist John Best (because, as he says, "I put the notice up"). Drummer Chris Waters heard 'the blues' coming from upstairs in the Union Building's music practice room and realised the trio had need of a drummer. John Best was born 20 December 1948 near Dorchester, Dorset. During his early school years, he learned to play piano, violin and clarinet but lost interest in music until a school friend sold him a bass guitar. 

After teaching himself to play the guitar, John found himself in one of the Sherborne School bands, Style 5 that played parties during the holidays. Occasionally, he filled in for another school band, called Four Pillars of Wisdom. The guitarist was Henry Marsh (Toast) and drummer Jeremy Irons (the actor). Upon leaving school, John moved to London and went to work at EMI in Hayes. John then enrolled at Sussex University to study engineering. The course was linked to EMI and during holidays he would work as 'button pusher'. (His parked car is on the cover of the Beatles' "Abbey Road".) Paul Butler was born in Ranikhet, in the Himalayan foothills of India on 1st July 1946 and was raised by his grandmother in the Andaman Islands, where the family owned coconut plantations. Paul then moved to what is now Bangladesh and attended Jesuit school before moving to England in 1958. 

The family's interest was jazz, as was Paul's, until he discovered rock and roll on the radio. But the R&B scene of Greater London finally caught his attention, and harmonica playing Paul formed his first band, The Turnkeys, in 1963. Paul discarded the harmonica and turned to guitar, fronting a band The Kleek. Later he would be at Sussex University. Pete Wingfield was born in Hindhead, Surrey on 7 May 1948 and began playing piano at an early age. His early influences were Winifred Atwell and Russ Conway but he soon discovered rock and roll. While at Wellington College, Pete was a member of various groups, first playing a Hohner Pianet and then Farfisa Organ. He left school in 1966 with plans to enroll at Sussex the following year. Pete then visited the US and travelled by Greyhound bus planning to see as much of the country as possible. He visited Stax Records in Memphis, and saw James Brown, B.B.King, The Temptations and The Vanilla Fudge at various venues throughout the US. Chris Waters was born 28 August 1946 in Peckham, S.E.London. 

While in grammar school, he joined the Combined Cadet Force, playing the snare-drum. Chris also took lessons from a pro jazz-drummer, leading to the formation of The Beat-Routes. His record collection consisted of many of the home grown jazz bands, some of whom he saw at local pubs. Chris joined Sussex University in 1964 and after graduating in 1967, spent the summer in Lower East Side New York with an American girlfriend. He returned to Sussex University to take a Literary MA course. Jellybread was formed by the four to have fun and earn a bit of money. The band began to build a reputation, both in the Brighton area and on the nationwide University Student Union Blues Club circuit. John Holbrook, who had been guitarist with Wingfield in their various college bands, was a trainee disc-cutting engineer at IBC Studios in Portland Place. Holbrook snuck the group into Studio 2 in February 1969 while the office staff were out and recorded six tracks, wiping the multi-track after they were finished, in order not to leave any evidence. 

A 12" boot-leg style album of 99 copies was released and sold on campus and at gigs. Further pressings occurred as demand always out-weighed supply. The album brought Jellybread to the attention of Blue Horizon, the band were signed and were at CBS Studios recording their album "First Slice". "Chairman Mao's Boogaloo" was pulled from the album but did not have any more success than their album. A second single also flopped. The third "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu" received a fair amount of airplay and good reviews. "Old Man Hank" almost made the charts. The band continued as semi-professionals, since they were all still attending university. Fellow students James Atkinson and Richard Sanders acted as road crew driving the group throughout the UK for a night-time gig and then rushing back to attend morning classes. In mid 1970, following honour degrees for all six of the Jellybread entourage, the decision was made to go professional. 

A second album " Sixty Five Parkway" with all original material was released, under Blue Horizon's new distributorship, Polydor. Shortly after, Pete Wingfield was offered a job with Keef Hartley. Chris Waters, with family commitments, returned to teaching. Paul Butler recruited guitarist Rick Hayward and drummer Kenny Lamb. With the new line-up, the "Back to Begin Again" album was recorded. Kenny and John then departed and Paul regrouped, signing to Transatlantic, but nothing came of the association and the group disbanded. 

Forty Five Cat

Tracks
1. River's Invitation (Percy Mayfield) - 2:22
2. I Pity the Fool (Deadric Malone) - 4:46
3. Never Say No (Percy Mayfield) - 4:18
4. Chairman Mao's Boogaloo - 2:09
5. Evening (Chirs Waters, John Best, Paul Butler, Pete Wingfield) - 7:14
6. I've Got to Forget You (Deadric Malone) - 2:50
7. Boogie Sandwich - 1:53
8. Rusty Blade (Chirs Waters, John Best, Paul Butler, Pete Wingfield) - 4:18
9. No Brag Just Facts, Parts 1, 2 (Chirs Waters, John Best, Paul Butler, Pete Wingfield) - 3:57
10.No One Else (Paul Butler, Pete Wingfield) - 3:38
11.Don't Pay Them No Mind - 3:17
12.Comment (Charles Wright, Yusuf Rahman) - 5:20
13.Funky Wasp - 3:11
14.Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu (Huey Smith) - 2:44
15.Readin' the Meters (hirs Waters, John Best, Paul Butler, Pete Wingfield) - 2:22
16.Old Man Hank - 3:40
17.Faded Grace (Paul Butler) - 3:00
18.That's Alright (Jimmy Rogers) - 2:08
19.Don't Want No Woman (Don Robey) - 3:00
20.Drivin' Wheel (Roosevelt Sykes) - 3:35
21.Never Say No (Percy Mayfield) - 3:49
22.Sugar Mama (John Lee Williamson) - 4:05
Songs written by Pete Wingfield unless as else stated
Tracks 18-22 Mono

Jellybread
*John Best - Bass
*Paul Butler - Guitar, Vocals
*Chirs Waters - Drums
*Pete Wingfield - Keyboards, Vocals

Free Text
Just Paste

Aerovons - Resurrection (1969 us, fabulous beatlesque psychedelia)

The dozen songs that would have been on the Aerovons' album had it come out (though a couple of the songs did come out on a 1969 single) form the core of this release, Resurrection,the U.K. bonus edition also tacks on four bonus tracks. the Aerovons' unusual story -- a band from the American Midwest recording in Abbey Road in 1969, led and produced by their 17-year-old singer-songwriter -- might be the main reason there was interest in excavating these sessions, but this CD is not a mere curio. It's quite respectable late-'60s Beatles-style pop/rock, if a little green around the edges and pretty derivative. 

In fact, in a couple of spots it's downright imitative, with "Say Georgia" taking licks from "Oh! Darling," and "Resurrection" itself lifting from "Across the Universe." (Neither of those songs had yet been released by the Beatles at the time of the sessions, but the group heard them by virtue of working in Abbey Road.) Fortunately, those are the only blatant cops, though Beatles comparisons abound throughout, particularly in the Paul McCartney-esque piano-playing. Songs like "With Her" and "The Years" recall the acoustic outings of both John Lennon and Paul McCartney on The White Album, while "Bessie Goodheart" uses McCartney's more vaudevillian Sgt. Pepper-era outings as an obvious launching pad, and "Something of Yours" brings to mind "Michelle." 

To this list you could also add the very Lennon-esque echo on the vocal of "The Children." the Aerovons leaned more toward wistful and sadness-tinged moods than the Beatles did, though. One of the best tracks, "World of You," brings out that quality very well, recalling the better late-'60s orchestrated Bee Gees opuses. The bonus tracks include both sides of a non-LP 1969 single ("The Train," their poppiest number, which echoes both the Hollies and the Bee Gees), the outtake "Here" (very much like McCartney's piano ballads), and a demo of "World of You." 

by Richie Unterberger

Tracks
1. World Of You - 2:31
2. Resurrection - 3:04
3. Say Georgia - 2:20
4. With Her - 2:23
5. Quotes And Photos - 2:34
6. Words From A Song - 3:51
7. Bessy Goodheart - 2:00
8. Something Of Yours - 2:22
9. She's Not Dead - 2:48
10.The Years - 1:38
11.Everything's Alright - 2:49
12.The Children - 5:06
13.The Train (Single A-Side) - 2:56
14.Song For Jane (Single B-Side) (Mike Lombardo) - 2:37
15.Here (Unreleased Song) - 2:18
16.World Of You (Demo) - 5:07
All compositions by Tom Hartman except where stated.
Bonus Tracks 13-16

Aerovons
*Tom Hartman - Guitar, Piano, Vocals
*Mike Lombardo - Drums
*Phil Edholm - Guitar
*Billy Lombardo - Bass
*Bob "Ferd" Frank - Guitar
With
*Johnny Arthey - String Arrangements

Free Text
the Free Text

The Five Day Week Straw People - The Five Day Week Straw People (1968 uk, splendid mod beat psych)

A collectible psychedelic album from this one-off studio-only group consisting of UK songwriters, The Five Day Week Straw People was originally on Saga Records and features your standard British underground psychedelia, laced with some Pretty Things and the Attack.

That’s fitting since the Straw People included the Attack’s John Du Cann on lead guitar and vocals, along with David Montague and Guy Moascolo on guitar and vocals, bassist Mike Hawksworth, and One in A Million drummer Jack McCulloch.

The lead-off title track sets the dreamy hazy mood for all of the tunes, though a bit of sameness tends to creep in on the whole record, which is heavy on the echo and wah-wah guitar — in particular on “Sunday Morning.” “I’m Going Out Tonight” is a very Attack-sounding track, and perhaps the best track here — in particular because of John Du Cann’s handling of the lead guitar

by Steve Elliott

Tracks
1. Five Day Week Straw People - 3:23
2. I'm Going Out Tonight - 3:36
3. Gold Digger - 3:30
4. Postmen - 3:46
5. Car Wash - 3:15
6. Feel Like Having A Party - 3:21
7. Sunday Morning? - 4:30
8. Does It Rain! - 3:15
9. If You Were Around - 3:50
10.Dust In My Eyes - 4:08
11.Magic In The Air - 3:38
12.Mr. Pinnodmy's Dilemma - 4:27
13.Freedom For You - 2:35
14.Strange House - 4:10
15.Feel Like Flying - 2:37
16.Too Old - 3:05
17.Go Your Way - 2:45
18.Now The Sun Shines - 3:32
19.Sleep Like A Child - 3:28
All songs by John Du Cann
Tracks 1-10 by The Five Day Week Straw People
Tracks 11-19 by The Attack

The Five Day Week Straw People
*John Du Cann - Guitar, Vocals
*Mick Hawksworth - Bass, Vocals
*Jack Collins - Drums

The Attack
*John DuCann  - Guitar
*Richard Sherman - Vocals
*Keith Hodge - Drums
*Roger Deane - Bass Guitar

Related Acts
1967-68  The Attack - About Time
1967-69  The Attack - Magic In The Air
1967-69  Andromeda - The Definitive Collection
1970-72/81  Atomic Rooster - Devil's Answer / Rare Live Recordings

Free Text
Text Host

Neon Pearl - Neon Pearl (1967 uk, cool lo fi psychedelia)

Incredible sessions from the year of psychedelia’s apex—gliding rhythms and softly pulsing melodies floating on a bed of organ and harmonium (‘Out Of Sight’ and ‘Going With The Flow’ in particular are especially delicious). Peter Dunton (drums/vocals), Bernard Jinks (bass) and Rod Harrison (guitar) (sometime members of PLEASE and THE FLIES and later in legendary band T2) plied their trade as Neon Pearl in Germany in the summer of 1967.

After a few months playing to appreciative German audiences, they returned to England where a music publisher financed them to lay as many tracks to tape as they could within the few hours booked. The result is what we have here. Almost certainly the most spartan of Dunton-related material reissued thus far, but it doesn’t suffer because of it, rather it gives it a feel all of its own. This edition is taken from the master tapes, and comes complete with two bonus tracks.

L-'n'-Atc

Tracks
1. What You See - 4:58
2. Dream Scream - 4:24
3. Out Of Sight - 6:59
4. Just Another Day - 3:50
5. Forever - 5:22
6. Going With The Flow - 5:40
7. Urban Ways - 4:03
8. Going Back - 4:07
9. Dream - 2:23
10.Nothing To Say - 1:56
All compositions by Peter Dunton

Neon Pearl
*Pete Dunton - Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards, Drums
*Bernard Jinks - Bass, Vocals
*Nick Spenser - Guitar, Harmonium, Keyboards

Related Acts
1965-68  The Flies - Complete Collection
1967-69  Bulldog Breed - Made In England
1968-69  Please - Please
1969  Please - Seeing Stars
1970  T2 - It'll All Work Out in Boomland

Free Text
the Free Text

First Edition - The First Edition First And Second (1967-68 us, amazing country folk sunny psych, 2014 remaster)

Ex-members of the New Christy Minstrels (with the exception of the drummer, Mickey Jones ) run the fun gamut on The First Edition, and had they disappeared after this effort it would have been a huge collector's item. The cardinal sin of Lenny Kaye's masterpiece Nuggets collection is that "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)" did not follow the Electric Prunes as the second track on volume one of that revered collection, or show up on it at all. 

The psychedelicized Top Five hit from the winter of 1968 produced by Mike Post and arranged by Al Capps might have a few lyrics that would make Bob Dylan blush, but the song's fuzz guitar, attitude, and hook are unstoppable. The rest of the album is top-notch as well, sounding like the Mamas & the Papas meets early Jefferson Airplane with Signe Anderson on vocals. It's Thelma Camacho who never got the name change or the recognition she deserved, but she sounds great on "I Get a Funny Feeling" and "Hurry Up Love," and the album benefits from her presence. "Shadow in the Corner of Your Mind" may be a title that conjures up images of Bob Lind and Ted Nugent hammering out a song over the dinner table, maybe because they still look like the New Christy Minstrels on the cover, and Tom Smothers gushing on the liner notes is unique, but it was television that was instrumental in launching this group into the mainstream and the hit song does well surrounded by this musical environment. 

Tunes like Mike Post's co-write "Dream On" rock out much harder than "Green Green," "Saturday Night," and "Today," Christy Minstrel's hits prior to Rogers joining the group. "Home Made Lies" has that "someday I'll teach you real fine" riff from the Animals' "It's My Life," Mike Settle lifting from here and there, while "Marcia: 2 A.M. sounds like Peter, Paul & Mary jamming with Paul Kantner and "Hurry Up Love" wants desperately to be girl group. The album's one drawback is that the band and producer don't go all the way in exploring these different styles the way they did on the hit "Just Dropped In." "Just Dropped In" not only made Kenny Rogers' voice the most familiar first, it's an all-out assault on the senses, its wild abandon necessary but absent from the other aspects of this disc. "Church Without a Name" explores -- or maybe toys with -- the blues, just adding to the feel of a band looking for a sound. They eventually found that sound during their run of hits from early 1968 to late 1970. But this debut is splendid and it is fun to hear them emulating Marty Balin right off the bat with the first track, "I Found a Reason." A lost gem worth rediscovering. 

A more focused '60s album than 1967's First Edition, what is missing from this follow-up LP is a hit single like "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)," though the group more than makes up for that with solid performances. This was again produced by Mike Post, with arrangements by veteran Al Capps, who brought so much to Johnny Mathis, Cher, and many others. "Charlie the Fer de Lance" is indicative of this effort, with phasing fuzz guitar and Kenny Rogers as a hippie delivering odd lyrics on an interesting tune which isn't as direct as the group's first hit. Mike Settle's voice leads the pack on the second track, the Rogers/Williams co-write "If I Could Only Change Your Mind," another nice period piece that works well in this setting but wasn't going to burn up the charts. 

This is the First Edition as a real group, a full band before Kenny Rogers would start exerting more control on the third outing, First Edition '69. Mike Settle's "A Patch of Clear" is yet another vague essay from this era -- as odd as the opening track. Settle sounds great on Bob Stone's "A Good Kind of Hurt" and Thelma Camacho (who they have listed on the back cover as "Comancho") is just wonderful on her own composition "I Passed You By." The band works the Paul Williams/Roger Nichols little-known title "Only Me" to good effect to end side one. 

The song is chock-full of 1960s pop clichés and would have fit nicely on an album from the Monkees or maybe an airline commercial. Songwriter Mickey Newbury's "Are My Thoughts With You?" opens side two and features Kenny Rogers performing in the style which would bring him his eventual solo success, delivering the most commercial performance on this 11-song collection. Four members of the International Graphoanalysis Society give profiles of the four singers from the First Edition on the back cover, making for one of the more interesting sets of liner notes from any album released in 1968. It's not just the almost astrological look at the musician's personalities through their handwriting which makes this disc special, it -- like the Fifth Estate's Ding Dong the Witch Is Back -- is a very special album from a special time that '60s cultists have completely overlooked. 

The First Edition were an excellent psychedelic folk-pop group, and First Edition's Second should be a much-sought-after collectors' item. Like the aforementioned Fifth Estate, they were left off of Lenny Kaye's Nuggets collection, perhaps because they conquered the charts seven separate times. Kenny Rogers and Mike Settle are the songwriters on the final four tracks, and they are all extraordinary journeys into the psyche of the '60s. Rogers' "Things Can't Be So Bad," followed by Mike Settles' "Rainbows on a Cloudy Day" and "The Sun Keeps on Rising," two songs about the weather, has that mood that fans of the genre adore. 

Mike Post's production brings it all home. Thelma Camacho and Terry Williams' voices helped make this group an underground Mamas & the Papas, and their vocals closing the disc out by embracing Kenny Rogers' wonderful "Look Around, I'll Be There" very well could have made it a sleeper hit and changed the band's history. Rogers would take over right after this, and as valuable as his contributions to country/pop would eventually turn out to be, the First Edition were more than just one person; The First Edition's Second proves that. It's by no means the lost Sgt. Pepper's, but it does have lots to offer and should be dusted off and given new life. 

by Joe Viglione

Tracks
1. I Found A Reason - 2:47
2. Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) (Mickey Newbury) - 3:20
3. Shadow In The Corner Of Your Mind - 2:52
4. If Wishes Were Horses - 2:32
5. Ticket To Nowhere - 2:24
6. I Get A Funny Feeling - 3:49
7. I Was The Loser - 3:05
8. Dream On (Mike Post, Walt Meskell) - 2:45
9. Home Made Lies (Mike Settle, Terry Williams) - 2:20
10.Marcia: 2 A.M. - 2:20
11.Hurry Up, Love (Mike Post, Walt Meskell) - 2:35
12.Church Without A Name - 3:15
13.Charlie The Fer De Lance (D. Dunn, T. Mccashen, D. Lottermosser) - 2:52
14.If I Could Only Change Your Mind (K. Rogers, T. Williams) - 2:30
15.A Patch Of Clear - 2:30
16.I Passed You By (Themes Lou Camacho) - 2:33
17.A Good Kind Of Hurt (Bob Stone) - 2:25
18.Only Me (R. Nichols, P. Williams) - 2:35
19.Are My Thoughts With You? (Michael Newbury) - 3:07
20.Things Can't Be So Bad (Kenny Rogers) - 2:35
21.Rainbows On A Cloudy Day - 3:23
22.The Sun Keeps On Rising - 2:30
23.Look Around, I'll Be There (Kenny Rogers) - 2:28
All songs by Mike Settle except where Stated

First Edition
*Mike Settle - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
*Thelma Lou Camacho - Vocals
*Kenny Rogers - Bass, Vocals
*Terry Williams - Guitar, Vocals
*Mickey Jones - Drums

Related Act
1963  Barry McGuire And The New Christy Minstrels - Star Folk (2007 remaster)

Free Text
Just Paste

Mellow Candle - Swaddling Songs (1972 ireland, wonderful folk rock, 2004 bonus tracks edition)

Mellow Candle were an Irish group, with an English folk-rock sound, who released one album and then disappeared due to lack of public response. Having gained greater appreciation among folk collectors over the intervening years, not only was this album was resurrected on CD, but another CD made up of previously unreleased recordings was also released. Sometimes justice is dealt out in retrospect, because Mellow Candle are a worthy band.

Clodagh Simonds and Alison Williams share vocal duties, and work exceptionally well together. They are at their most reliable on slower songs, such as the wonderfully atmospheric "Reverend Sisters" or "Silver Song", but occasionally manage to pull out an exceptional performance on the more raucous songs, such as the final track, "Boulders on My Grave."

The songwriting is very solid, and is, despite a number of fairly conventional songs, occasionally quite adventurous. Most songs are in a comfortable triple meter, but on a few tracks they jump from one time signature to the other with gay abandon. The compositions are approached with a sense of naive adventure, and are played with such energy and clear enjoyment that on the odd occasion where they misstep, I find it quite easy to forgive them.

While all the songs are of reasonable quality, there are a few which stand out for me. "Dan the Wing" is a song about an encounter with the spirit world in the great folk tradition, whose supernatural theme is accentuated by its shifting metre. "Reverend Sisters" is an example of a straightforward song written well; a piano with the sustain pedal down accompanies a simple yet haunting melody sung in close harmony. The closing "Boulders on My Grave" is the closest the band come to Irish folk, with its jig rhythm, and is a wonderful way to finish the album.

Swaddling Songs was a slow grower for me. I never thought it was a bad album, but I did think it vastly overrated. There is, however, a lot to this album, and most of it fits so well that the depth and charm isn't obvious until after a number of listenings. Although Steeleye Span and Fairport Convention remain more essential examples of the British style of folk-rock to my way of thinking, Mellow Candle certainly aren't far behind, and are essential for those who consider themselves folk-rock fans.

by Conrad Leviston 

Tracks

1. Heaven Heath (Alison Williams) - 3:00 

2. Sheep Season (C. Simonds, A. Williams, D. Williams)  - 5:01 

3. Silver Song (Clodagh Simonds)  - 4:26 

4. The Poet And The Witch (Clodagh Simonds)  - 2:51 

5. Messenger Birds (Alison Williams)  - 3:39 

6. Dan The Wing (Clodagh Simonds)  - 2:45 

7. Reverend Sisters (Clodagh Simonds)  - 4:21 

8. Break Your Token (Clodagh Simonds)  - 2:27 

9. Buy Or Beware (David Williams)  - 3:05 

10.Vile Excesses (W. Murray, D. Williams)  - 3:14 

11.Lonely Man (Clodagh Simonds)  - 4:28

12.Boulders On My Grave (Clodagh Simonds)  - 3:40

13.Feeling High (Clodagh Simonds)  - 2:23 

14.Tea With The Sun (Clodagh Simonds)  - 3:18 

Mellow Candle

*Frank Boylan - Bass

*William Murray - Drums 

*Clodagh Simonds - Vocals, Keyboards 

*Alison Williams - Lead Vocals 

*David Williams - Guitar, Vocals

Free Text
Just Paste

Sweet Smoke - Just A Poke-Darkness To Light (1970/73 international, spectacular prog psych jam rock)

Sweet Smoke is a jazz rock band with an international line-up that came together in the mid- Sixties in Brooklyn, NYC. Only a few months after the group had been founded, the musicians were offered the chance to embark on a three month tour to the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico on the South-Eastern coast of America. Until then the members had worked as semi-professionals, mainly concentrating on their studies at various American music academies.  With their departure for Puerto Rico they decided to focus exclusively "i.e. professionally" on their own music. 

However, the band did not experience their greatest triumphs hi the States but in Germany and the Netherlands, to where they relocated in 1969. The German sculptor Waldemar Kuhn helped them to find a suitable abode in Emmerich near the Dutch border. Directly after their arrival, the band started to play live in the vicinity of their new base and delivered several gigs that year in cities like Amsterdam, Cologne and Bonn.

Their music thrived on the individual instrumentalist's talent of improvisation, and their press info noted: "You should listen attentively to their music and allow yourself to get acquainted with it, because this is music from the mind, the heart and the soul, and it changes constantly." Just A Poke (1970) & Darkness To Light (1972)

A year after their move from New York to Germany, Sweet Smoke recorded their debut album) “Just A Poke” with the line-up Andrew Dershin (bass), Jay Dorfman (drums), Marvin, Kaminowitz (guitar, vocals), Michael Paris (tenor sax, vocals) and Steve Rosenstein (guitar, vocals). The release caused a stir, not only due to its psychedelic sleeve designed by the Dutch artist Jan Fijnheer, but also thanks to an accomplished mix of cleverly arranged jazz and rhythmically complex rock elements. 

The record (engineered by the legendary Conny Plank) consisted of two long songs which filled a whole side of the album each and contained long solo improvisations by the musicians, complete with the legendary drum solo on "Silly Sally" with its highly original ping-pong sound effect The German music magazine "Sounds" commented: "One of the best German pop productions of recent times which will hopefully go on to yield the success it deserves." The musicians then proceeded to put their band activities on ice for a year and travelled to India, in autumn 1972 Sweet Smoke recorded their second album “Darkness To Light” with friends and family, as well as some additional instruments (cello, tamboura, flute, alto saxophone). Particularly the title track and the song " Kundalini " were unmistakably influenced by their Asian trip. 

Again "Sounds" commented favourably on the versatile material: "Sweet Smoke's music is constructed very logically. Since all seven band members appear to be welt served musically and play a very imaginative style, they have succeeded in finding a mix that will probably be responsible for quite a lot of sweet smoke." 

by Matthias Mlneur, July 1999

Tracks 
Just A Poke 1970
1. Baby Night (Sweet Smoke) - 16:30
2. Silly Sally (Sweet Smoke) - 16:28
Darkness To Light 1973
3. Just Another Empty Dream (Steve Rosenstein) - 4:19
4. I'd Rather Burn Than Disappear (Steve Rosenstein) - 4:14
5. Kundalini (Sweet Smoke) - 13:24
6. Believe Me My Friends (Marvin Kaminowitz) - 4:28
7. Show Me The Way To The War (Jeffrey Dershin, Suzan Dershin) - 5:29
8. Darkness To Light (Michael Paris) - 12:50

Sweet Smoke
1970 Just A Poke
*Andy Dershin - Bass Guitar
*Jay Dorman - Drums, Percussion
*Marvin Kaminowitz - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Michael Paris - Saxophone, Flute, Vocals, Percussion
*Steve Rosenstein - Rhythm Guitar, Percussion, Vocals
1973  Darkness To Light
*Andy Dershin - Bass Guitar, Percussion
*Jay Dorman - Drums, Percussion
*Marvin Kaminowitz - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Michael Paris - Saxophone, Flute, Vocals, Percussion
*Steve Rosenstein - Rhythm Guitar, Percussion, Vocals
*Jeffrey Dershin - Piano, Percussion, Voclas
*Rochus Kuhn - Cello

Free Text
Just Paste

Abacus - Everything You Need / Midway (1972/74 germany/uk, awesome prog rock with psych shades)

A solid second album from a band will typically consolidate some of the best aspects of the debut, giving fans a more focused slice of what they liked the first time around. Although there are certainly bands that have done great things in spite of the ‘sophomore formula’, I think that there was some fantastic potential worth fleshing out on Abacus’ self-titled debut. A marriage of psychedelic pop and pastoral symphonic prog fueled with thick keyboard, “Abacus” had a style that could have made the band far better-known than they ended up being, were it not for an inconsistent songwriting standard. With this in mind, it’s a bit disappointing that Abacus decided to shift their sound towards a more melodic, even commercial sound with “Everything You Need”. Blending pop with blues rock and an innocuous sidedish of prog, Abacus didn’t realize their sound the way I would have hoped they would on this second album, but with that being said, there are elements of this reinvented Abacus that might make it worthwhile to the prospective listener.

For all of the shades and sounds that Abacus’ debut brought into play, it all ultimately fell underneath a progressive rock umbrella. Even relatively poppy tracks like “Song for John and Yoko” retained a bit of proggy flair. “Everything You Need” keeps in touch with the prog aesthetic through the conservative use of synthesizers and sparing time signature changes, but there are many times here where Abacus sound more like a standard blues-infused rock band with aspirations of commercial success. Unfortunately, although Abacus attempt to place a far greater focus on the melody and vocals, Chris Williams’ vocals have the same limitations as they did on the album prior. Williams (formerly of the band Grail) can hold a melody as long as it doesn’t test his range (which it often does), but the nasal tone of his voice might make for an acquired taste for some. “Anyway We Can” starts the album off on a fairly disappointing note, echoing the same sort of bland blues rock that the early 70′s were saturated with. Fortunately however, the first side of the album keeps improving with every song. “Ivan Hood the White Knight” is a track with solid keyboards and an interesting lyrical concept about the righteousness of holy warfare. “Thing We Do” is less memorable but feels less kitschy, a trait suffered by much of Abacus’ pop-oriented stuff.

I doubt that I’m alone in thinking this, but seeing a twenty minute track at the end of a progressive rock album immediately piques my interest. Particularly with Abacus, the promise of a twenty minute suite was exciting, as they had demonstrated some great potential with the epic form on their self-titled debut with the opener “Pipedream Revisited”. Other reviewers’ comments about the eponymous epic being little more than a collection of shorter songs have some weight to them, but I don’t think it’s fair to see the suite in such vague terms. “Everything You Need” (the song) does not enjoy the cohesion I would have liked to hear in a twenty minute rock epic, but it’s clear that Abacus have saved their best ideas for last. Finally, “Everything You Need” begins to sound like the progressively-inclined Abacus I first heard on the debut. Keyboard-riddled jazz rock sections and typical progressive rock fanfare are here, including a vocal section that seems like they’re trying to mirror Genesis theatrics. The best part of the so-called ‘epic’ comes at the end with a segment that might only be described with the same vaudevillian terminology as the best work Queen would do some years later; dramatic vocals and a Rhodes piano give a nice touch to a rocky, if not truly convincing epic.

“Everything You Need” shows promise, but with this second album, I would have liked to have seen more of this potential realized. The poppier direction could have worked gracefully for Abacus, but once again, there is the issue of inconsistent, cheesy songwriting to deal with. It’s clear however that they have their hearts in the right place; a twenty minute epic is no easy undertaking, and even if it’s ultimately a mixed success, it’s still an accomplishment to be able to reinvent your sound and dive into your music with a fresh perspective. It’s a pleasant listen for the most part, but Abacus remain sounding like a work- in-progress than a fully-realized musical act.

by Conor Fynes

Tracks
Everything You Need  1972
1. Anyway We Can (Song for H.) - 4:30
2. Slide Away - 4:51
3. Ivan Hood the White Knight - 3:50
4. Thing We Do - 6:13
5. Every Thing You Need - 20:21
.a.What a Day
.b.Paranoia Agency
.c.Hold Up the Flag
.d.Don’t Worry
.e.Everything You Need
Midway  1974
6. Let’s Face the Voices and Dance - 3:23
7. Including Revelation - 1:17
8. Me and You - 4:26
9. 11 Farden - 2:08
10.(You’re Not) The One I Love - 3:51
11.For the Moment (Unaware) - 2:54
12.Be Beholding - 3:49
13.Herman the German - 3:20
14.Here We Go - 3:28
15.Midway - 10:31

Abacus
*Chris Williams – vocals, acoustic guitar
*Hans Rolf Schade – guitar, vocals, moog (Tracks 1-6)
*Christoph Perutzky – piano, organ, synth
*Klaus Kohlhase – bass
*Konstantin H Bommerius – drums (Tracks 1-6)
*Charlie Schade – guitar, sitar (Tracks 7-15)
*Allan Warren – drums, percussion (Tracks 7-15)

1971  Abacus - Abacus

Free Text
the Free Text