Shadows Of Knight - Dark Sides (1965-70 us, superb garage blues 'n' roll)

Initially released in early 1965 by Them (featuring a young Van Morrison on vocals), “Gloria” went onto become a certified garage punk and bar band staple. Although thousands of musicians have performed and recorded this three and a half chord marvel over the years, the Shadows of Knight from Arlington Heights in Chicago scored the heftiest points with their own savage version of the hot and horny song, which in the spring of 1966 gripped the number ten spot on the national charts.

Sad to say, the band failed to duplicate the kind of massive success they achieved with “Gloria.” However, they remained an in-demand live act and proceeded to produce outstanding material through the end of the decade. During their stint, the Shadows of Knight issued a string of sterling singles and a trio of terrific albums that belong in any serious rock fan’s collection.

Having said that, Dark Sides (The Best of the Shadows of Knight) (Rhino Records) provides only a glimpse of their genius, but still holds as a fine introduction to the band and does champion their greatest moments.

Of course, “Gloria” appears on the disc, as well as the band’s next biggest hit, a thumping cover of Bo Diddley’s “Oh Yeah,” which barely scraped the Top 40, peaking at No. 39 in the summer of 1966. As both these tunes attest, the Shadows of Knight were masters of blues-battered rock. In certain quarters, they were deemed America’s answer to British bands like the Rolling Stones, the Pretty Things, and the Yardbirds, and such comparisons were right on the mark. Not only did the band flaunt a sound similar to their cousins across the pond, but they also had the image to match. Shaggy tresses, turtleneck sweaters, skin-tight jeans, Beatle boots and menacing mugs made the Shadows of Knight look mighty cool and mod.

Booming with brawn, Dark Sides continually illustrates how tight, powerful and loud the band was. Seething with frustration and aggression, “I’ll Make You Sorry,” “Bad Little Woman,” “It Always Happens This Way,“ and “I’m Gonna Make You Mine” sizzle and smoke to a thundering template of chunky guitars, shouting harmonies and pounding rhythms. And those cocky vocals, sneering, snarling, and snickering with sinister motives are absolutely priceless. One gets the impression the Shadows of Knight are scolding and taunting the target of their anger or lust. There’s nothing the least bit subtle about the band’s raw and honest music.

by Beverly Paterson

Tracks
1. Gloria (Morrison) - 2:37
2. Dark Side (Sohns, Rogers) - 2:03
3. Oh Yeah (McDaniel) - 2:48
4. Light Bulb Blues (Sohns, McGeorge, Kelley) - 2:35
5. It Always Happens That Way (Sohns, Rogers) - 1:56
6. I Got My Mojo Working (Preston Foster) - 3:33
7. You Can't Judge A Book (By The Cover) (Dixon) - 2:40
8. Bad Little Woman (Rosbotham, Armstrong, Demick, Tinsley, Catling) - 2:38
9. Gospel Zone (Schiffour) - 3:18
10.I'll Make You Sorry (Kelley) - 2:41
11.I'm Gonna Make You Mine (Carr, D'Errico, Bayer) - 2:33
12.Peepin' And Hidin' (Reed) - 3:02
13.Willie Jean (Traditional) - 2:49
14.The Behemoth (Pye) - 2:35
15.Someone Like Me (McDowell, Novak) - 2:21
16.Three For Love (Kelley) - 2:37
17.Shake (Levine, Resnick) - 2:31
18.My Fire Department Needs A Fireman (Katz, Kasenetz) - 2:22
19.Alone (Levine, Feldman) - 2:07
20.I Am The Hunter (Sohns, Fisher) - 2:52

Shadows Of Knight
*Joe Kelley - Guitar
*Jerry McGeorge - Guitar
*Jim Sohns - Vocals
*Tom Schiffour - Drums
*Warren Rogers - Bass
*David "Hawk" Wolinski  - Organ, Piano
*Dan Baughman - Guitar
*Jack Daniels - Guitar
*John Fisher - Bass
*Kenny Turkin - Drums
*Steve "Woody" Woodruff- Guitar
*Paul Scarpelli - Drums

1966  The Shadows Of Knight - Gloria
1968-69  The Shadows Of Knight - Shake! (2009 remaster) 

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Gary Walker And The Rain - Album Number 1 (1968 us / uk, fabulous beat psych, 2009 edition)

The Rain’s reign was brief, but they left behind a genuine “lost” album which has only recently seen the light of day outside Japan and which will come as a pleasant surprise to aficionados of Brit psych.

Gary Leeds was only ever a third wheel to the Walker Brothers, a non-singing drummer thumping the tubs on live dates and TV appearances and providing a further piece of eye candy for the photo shoots. However, such was the impact of the Walkers in Europe and Japan that, when the trio folded, Gary was easily convinced by conniving manager Maurice King to put together a new band in England on the basis of his kudos as a former Walker. He was fortunate enough to recruit two capable Merseybeat veterans, Joey Molland (vocal, lead gtr) and Paul “Charlie” Crane (vocal, keys, gtr), plus reliable London bassist John Lawson. 

Allegedly Molland’s interview ran thus. Leeds: “You look like Paul McCartney. Can you sing like him?” Molland: “Yes”. L: “Can you play guitar like Eric Clapton?” M: “Yes”. L: “You’re in.” Serendipitously, he really could do both, besides proving an adept songwriter. Lawson got the job on the basis of his Gene Clark-like good looks and his orange jacket and purple loons; such are the vagaries of rock showbiz. Unashamedly cashing in on Leeds’s celebrity, the outfit would be known as Gary Walker and the Rain.

The band’s recording career kicked off with a passable cover of “Spooky” that failed to show in the UK or America but sold well in Japan, where the Walkers had belatedly achieved godlike status. On the basis of this UK Polydor permitted them to record an album, but then inexplicably refused to release it. Only in Japan, where the band’s local label, Philips, was crying out for further product, did it hit the shelves; its title there was Album No. 1, which follows a Japanese penchant for such unambiguous nomenclature whilst appearing pretty humdrum to Western sensibilities. 

On the ensuing tour of Japan the band were mobbed by teenage girls, with the lion’s share of the attention going to the drum-stool god rather than to the talented but unknown front line. Sadly, Beat Era heroes were less in vogue in the UK by 1968; the gigs dried up, two subsequent single releases tanked, and the band called it a day just a year after coming together. Molland went on to be a cornerstone of Badfinger, while Crane became a noted music publisher. Leeds enjoyed a brief renaissance when the Walkers reunited in the mid-70s.

The album itself proves gratifyingly to be a distinctive pop-psych set falling somewhere between a pre-Tommy Who, an un-flanged early Status Quo and a nascent Badfinger. The slightly hazy production was by ex-Four Pennies bassist Fritz Fryer, who enlisted much inventive studio trickery to enhance the uncompromisingly basic eight-track recording facilities. The leadoff track “Magazine Woman” sets out the stall, with choppy rhythm, stun-gun lead guitar, delightful rough-edged harmonies and “Taxman” rip-off bassline. 

The ensuing tracks move from late Merseybeat through freakbeat to proto-metal, some played straight, others psychedelically treated. Notable are “Thoughts Of An Old Man”, distinctly Pepper-ish musically and lyrically; “Francis”, a crunchy, stereo-tastic garage rocker chronicling the adventures of an elderly philanderer; and a totally wigged-out cover of Lieber and Stoller’s venerable “If You Don’t Come Back” in best Jeff Beck Band style with thudding backing and shards of barely controlled guitar feedback. The original album closes with two ballads: the harpsichord-driven pop-baroque “I Promise To Love You” and the gentle countrified acoustic “Whatever Happened to Happy”.

The album finally hit the Western World as a CD in 2009, boosted by the band’s sole post-album track and both sides of a single recorded earlier by Gary with some Japanese musicians styled the Carnabeats. The B-side of this is unselfconsciously wet-yourself hilarious. Why? I ain’t telling; you’ll have to get the album to find out.

by Len Liechti

Tracks
1. Magazine Woman (Joey Molland) - 5:01
2. The Sun Shines (Paul Crane) - 2:47
3. Doctor Doctor (Joey Molland) - 2:58
4. I Can't Stand To Lose You (Gary Leeds, Paul Crane) - 2:27
5. Market Tavern (Joey Molland, Paul Crane) - 4:05
6. Spooky (Middlebrooks, Shapiro) - 3:02
7. Take A Look (Joey Molland) - 2:07
8. The View (Gary Leeds, Joey Molland) - 2:50
9. If You Don't Come Back (Leiber, Stoller) - 6:47
10.Thoughts Of An Old Man (Gary Leeds, Joey Molland) - 2:43
11.Francis (Gary Leeds, Joey Molland, Paul Crane, John Lawson) - 3:05
12.I Promise To Love You (Paul Crane) - 3:06
13.What Ever Happened To Happy (Bonner, Gordon) - 2:19
14.Come In You'll Get Pneumonia (Harry Vanda, George Redburn Young) - 4:05
15.Cutie Morning Moon (Scott Walker, Kazu Haru Honjo) - 2:51
16.Gary`S Theme (Kazu Haru Honjo) - 2:49

Gary Walker And The Rain
*Gary Walker - Drums, Vocals
*Paul Crane - Lead Vocals, Guitar
*Joey Molland - Guitar, Vocals
*John Lawson - Bass

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Chris Smither - I'm A Stranger Too! / Don't It Drag On (1971-72 us, spectacular folk country blues psych rock)

Chris Smither left New Orleans in the mid-'60s for Boston, and quickly became part of a booming Cambridge folk scene that also included Bonnie Raitt, who went on to make his "Love (Me) Like a Man" a folk-blues standard. He eventually signed a deal with Poppy Records, which led to the release of I'm a Stranger Too! in 1970. 

Although he was just entering his mid-twenties, Smither's songs already had the insight and eloquence of some of the period's best singer/songwriters, yet with the roll of his Louisiana roots and a strong debt to bluesmen like Mississippi John Hurt, Willie McTell, and Lightnin' Hopkins. He also had a great ear for outside material, borrowing from writers such as Neil Young and Randy Newman. He went back a couple of years to Young's days with Buffalo Springfield for the innocence of "I Am a Child," as well as to a pair of more recent choices from Newman's (then just released) 12 Songs. 

The production on I'm a Stranger Too!, built primarily around Smither's intricate, bluesy fingerwork and prematurely mature baritone, works best the closer that it's pared to the bone. As great as Newman's "Have You Seen My Baby" (the source of the album's title) and his own "Love You Like a Man" are as songs, the full band arrangements here seem a bit thin in comparison to some of the more stripped-down cuts. Smither went on to successfully re-record these and a few more tracks from the record (along with selections from 1972's Don't It Drag On) 20-plus years later, but there's still a certain charm to these early versions. I'm a Stranger Too! is a portrait of an artist who stepped onto the scene fully formed, yet still with plenty of room to grow. 

With his debut, I'm a Stranger Too!, Chris Smither had already proven himself to be a rare combination -- a Cambridge folkie with roots in New Orleans, a great writer who knows when to look elsewhere for material, a masterful guitarist who understands simplicity and a powerful singer with restraint. Released in 1972, Don't It Drag On continues this mix and is every bit as good as its predecessor, maybe better. Smither's folk-blues have a soul and intelligence that mesh well with current covers by Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones and the Grateful Dead, yet seems as ageless as Blind Willie McTell's "Statesboro Blues" (also included here). 

Tracks such as "Another Way to Find You," "I've Got Mine" and "Lonesome Georgia Brown" are as enduring as contemporary blues and folk get. And while the bulk of Smither's material has a ruminative, melancholic tone, don't expect typical singer/songwriter fare. There's a maturity and depth to songs such as "I Feel the Same" (also recorded by Bonnie Raitt), "Every Mother's Son" and the title cut that's beyond that of most of his peers. Smither's originals may not have the energy of "Statesboro Blues" or Dylan's "Down in the Flood," but there's an easy, rolling assurance and plainspoken eloquence at work that more than make up for it. Smither went on to record one more album for Poppy, but was dropped by the label before its release. 

by Brett Hartenbach

Tracks
1. A Short While Ago  - 2:35
2. A Song For Susan - 3:08
3. I Am A Child (Neil Young) - 3:51
4. Have You Seen My Baby (Randy Newman) - 2:55
5. Devil Got Your Man - 3:49
6. Homunculus - 3:13
7. Love You Like A Man - 2:36
8. Lonely Time - 3:23
9. Look Down The Road - 2:38
10.Old Kentucky Home (Turpentine And Dandelion Wine) (Randy Newman) - 2:30
11.Time To Go Home - 5:35
12.Lonesome Georgia Brown - 2:40
13.Down In The Flood (Bob Dylan) - 3:13
14.I've Got Mine - 2:56
15.Statesboro Blues (Willie McTell) - 3:14
16.Another Way To Find You - 3:47
17.No Expectations (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards) - 3:07
18.Friend Of The Devil (Jerry Garcia, John Dawson, Robert Hunter) - 3:35
19.Don't It Drag On - 3:20
20.Every Mother's Son - 3:26
21.Mail Order Mystics - 2:15
22.I Feel The Same - 3:23
All songs by Chris Smither except where noted.

Musicians
*Chris Smither - Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
*Eric Kaz - Piano, Harmonica
*Ben Keith - Dobro, Pedal Steel
*Happy Traum - Banjo
*John Bailey - Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Autoharp, Tambourine
*Rod Hicks - Bass
*Roy Markowitz - Drums
*Stu Schulman - Violin
*Maria Muldaur - Backing Vocals
*Bonnie Raitt - Backing Vocals
*Kathy Rose - Backing Vocals

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Richie Havens - Mixed Bag (1967 us, outstanding sophisticated folk psychedelia)

Richie Havens' finest recording, Mixed Bag captures the essence of his music and presents it in an attractive package that has held up well. A close listen to lyrics like "I Can't Make It Anymore" and "Morning, Morning" reveals sadness and loneliness, yet the music is so appealingly positive that a listener actually comes away feeling uplifted. 

In fact, on most of the songs on this album, it's the sound of Havens' distinctive voice coupled with his unusual open-E guitar tuning, rather than the specific lyrical content of the songs, that pulls the listener in. The six-and-a-half minute "Follow" is structured like a Dylan composition in the "Hard Rain" mode, with its memorable verse-ending refrain, "Don't mind me 'cause I ain't nothin' but a dream." Both "Sandy" and "San Francisco Bay Blues" have a jazzy feel, while the aforementioned "I Can't Make It Anymore" would not have been out of place in a movie soundtrack or pop radio playlist of the time. 

"Handsome Johnny," one of Havens' best known songs as a result of the Woodstock film, is a classic anti-war ballad, stoked by the singer's unmistakable thumb-chorded guitar strumming. Mixed Bag winds up with a soulful cover of Dylan's "Just Like a Woman" and an electric piano-propelled take on the Lennon-McCartney classic, "Eleanor Rigby." 

by Jim Newsom 

Tracks
1. High Flyin' Bird (Billy Edd Wheeler) – 3:35
2. I Can't Make It Anymore (Gordon Lightfoot) – 2:48
3. Morning, Morning (Tuli Kupferberg) – 2:17
4. Adam (Richie Havens) – 3:34
5. Follow (Jerry Merrick) – 6:22
6. Three Day Eternity (Richie Havens) – 2:15
7. Sandy (Jean Pierre Cousineau) – 3:12
8. Handsome Johnny (Lou Gossett, Richie Havens) – 3:53
9. San Francisco Bay Blues (Jesse Fuller) – 2:30
10.Just Like A Woman (Bob Dylan) – 4:46
11.Eleanor Rigby (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) – 2:42

Musicians
*Richie Havens - Guitar, Sitar, Vocals
*Harvey Brooks - Bass
*Paul Harris - Organ, Piano, Keyboards
*Bill Lavorgna - Drums
*Howard Collins - Guitar
*Joe Price - Tabla
*Paul "Dino" Williams - Acoustic Guitar

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The Association - Waterbeds In Trinidad (1972 us, smart smooth rock)

Released a year after the group’s final Warner Brothers release, the eclectic Stop Your Motor, Waterbeds in Trinidad is a solid mix of originals and covers that is as good as any of their eight studio releases (a ninth, double-live set recorded at the University of Utah, was released in 1970). From Terry Kirkman’s sweet midtempo confessional “After the Fall” and the Larry Ramos co-penned paean to a lost love, “Indian Wells Woman,” to a muscular, jazzy cover of Carole King and Gerry Goffin’s “Snow Queen,” Waterbeds soars. But the album’s fate was foretold: it became the group’s last release until an embarrassing 1995 collection featuring only two original members, Russ Giguere and Ramos, that managed to single-handedly crush memories of the original group–at least for those unlucky listeners who heard it.

Waterbeds in Trinidad was, like most of the Association’s later albums, out of step with the then-current musical times. The group dared to be true to themselves, never succumbing to market pressure and preferring to follow their own muse. They even turned down the chance to record Jimmy Webb’s “MacArthur Park.”

The Association’s stance never varied: Their original songs, and the songs they chose to cover, were fully-realized vocal harmony showcases that emphasized melody above all else. Although the variously six-and-seven man band got a bit heavy on occasion (“heavy” being a relative term), they pretty much stuck to soft pop, providing the template for other groups that followed them into the seventies. Certainly, the Carpenters, whose first album was released in 1969, wouldn’t have been the Carpenters if the Association hadn’t set the earlier standard.

That standard lay at the foundation of Waterbed’s 10 tracks. The well-chosen covers, particularly John Sebastian’s classic “Darling Be Home Soon,” given an emotional reading here by Jim Yester and deep background vocal support, are tremendous examples of the exquisite taste exhibited by the group. The group’s originals are equally fine, even the jazzy, 5th Dimension-esque throwaway “Kicking the Gong Around,” whose many wordless vocal parts sound like they were a blast to wax.

The album closer, John Stewart’s touching ballad “Little Road and a Stone to Roll,” remains a particularly eerie listening experience given that the group’s bassist, Brian Cole, sings it (Cole later died of a drug overdose). It is hard not to get a lump in the throat when Cole sings “Everybody needs a fire inside/Everybody needs a dream to ride/Everybody with a growing soul/Needs a stone to roll.” The song’s reference to a Carole King tune as something that everyone needs always results in a tear or two.

The vocal arrangement on “Little Road and a Stone to Roll” is perhaps closest to the most classic moments the Association achieved during their career. The gentle, soaring harmonies seep into your brain and give you a little chill at every turn, not unlike the bulk of the group’s output.

After a couple of subsequent singles on RCA and Elektra and a mostly disappointing oldies collection released by, of all companies, Radio Shack, the group called it a day, although they did reform in the early 1980s, even appearing on TV’s The Mike Douglas Entertainment Hour, during which they performed “Windy,” “Cherish,” “Along Comes Mary,” and a terrific, still unreleased song entitled “Back Seat of Heaven.” What’s more, the group performed totally live, proving themselves to be a solid band that hardly needed the help of seasoned session musicians who played the parts on their early albums.

by Alan Haber

Tracks
1. Silent Song Through the Land (Ron Davies) - 3:22
2. Darling Be Home Soon (John Sebastian) - 3:42
3. Midnight Wind (Jules Alexander, Steve Carey) - 2:58
4. Come the Fall (Terry Kirkman) - 3:41
5. Kicking the Gong Around (Alexander, Carey) - 3:20
6. Rainbows Bent (Alexander, Carey) - 2:26
7. Snow Queen (Carole King, Gerry Goffin) - 3:17
8. Indian Wells Woman (Del Ramos, Larry Hickman, Larry Ramos) - 3:24
9. Please Don't Go ('Round the Bend) (Alexander) - 3:22
10.Little Road and a Stone to Roll (John Stewart) - 3:37

The Association
*Russ Giguere - Vocals, Guitar
*Brian Cole - Vocals, Bass
*Terry Kirkman - Vocals, Brass, Woodwinds
*Jim Yester - Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards
*Jules Alexander - Vocals, Guitar
*Larry Ramos, Jr. - Vocals, Bass, Guitar
*Ted Bluechel Jr - Vocals, Drums

1966  The Association - And Then...Along Comes (2013 Japan remaster)
1968  The Association - Birthday (2013 Japan remaster)

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Michael Moorcock And Deep Fix - The New Worlds Fair (1975 uk, superb concept album with various influences, 2008 remaster extra tracks edition)

The Esoteric label finally gives the highly sought-after The New World's Fair album a proper remastering for this splendid reissue. The brainchild of science-fiction author Michael Moorcock, bassist Steve Gilmore, and guitarist Graham Charnock, Fair featured a host of guest players, among them members of Hawkwind and guitar hero Snowy White.

It was a concept album, of course, a trek through a dystopian fun fair, a metaphor for society itself. It's a set that promised much, but delivers surprisingly little, with the lyrics and themes nowhere near as profound as Moorcock's reputation would dictate or fans' memories might suggest. Sure the "Fair Dealer" peddles dreams and illusions, drugs and rides, the "Candy Floss Cowboy" swaggers across the fairground, a precedent setter for President Bush, a hollow idol headed for the Valhalla of the ironic "You're a Hero."

The teen-aged temptresses that haunt the fair are also headed for disaster on "Sixteen Year Old Doom," a rather heavy-handed retort to every rocker that ever celebrated a young girl's charms in song. Even more derivative is "In the Name of Rock and Roll," which lifted its downbeat theme from The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust. Finally the fairground begins careening towards destruction on "The Last Merry Go Round," reaching its demise on "Dude's Dream (Rolling in the Ruins)."

However, the musicianship far surpasses the lyrical content, the album's saving grace. Musically, it's a heady concoction that stirs in a bit of glam, a few swirls of folk, a good dousing of R&B, and a dollop of metal. It's nowhere near as musically adventurous as one would expect from the cast, but surprisingly accessible and easily digestible. More of a fun fair then, than a rock your world exhibition.

Esoteric sweetens the pot with seven bonus tracks, including a pair of previously unreleased demos. "Dodgem Dude"'s demo also appears here for the first time, the song, while intended for the Fair, finally hit the shops as a 1980 limited-edition 45. That too is included, alongside "Starcruiser" and "The Brothel in Rossenstrasse," which inspired Moorcock's book of the same title.

by Jo-Ann Greene

Tracks

1. Candy Floss Cowboy (Michael Moorcock) - 1:20

2. Fair Dealer (M. Moorcock) - 5:05

3. Octopus (Steve Gilmore) - 2:15

4. Sixteen Year Old Doom (M. Moorcock) - 4:15

5. You're A Hero (Graham Charnock) - 3:10

6. Song For Marlene (Sam Shepard, Steve Gilmore) - 5:11

7. Come To The Fair (Graham Charnock) - 1:20

8. In The Name Of Rock And Roll (Graham Charnock) - 4:15

9. Ferris Wheel (S. Gilmore) - 5:40

10.Last Merry Go Round (M. Moorcock) - 2:11

11.Dude's Dream (Rolling In The Ruins) (M. Moorcock) - 4:40

12.Dodgem Dude (M. Moorcock) - 2:47

13.The Brothel In Rossenstrasse (M. Moorcock, Peter Pavli) - 3:44

14.Starcruiser (M. Moorcock) - 3:17

15.Candy Floss Cowboy (Demo) (M. Moorcock) - 4:27

16.Kings Of Speed (Previously Unreleased) (M. Moorcock) - 2:52

17.You're A Hero (Demo - Previously Unreleased) (M. Moorcock) - 4:09

18.Dodgem Dude (First Demo - Previously Unreleased) (M. Moorcock) - 2:59

Musicians

*Michael Moorcock - Guitar, Mandolin, Vocals

*Graham Charnock - Guitar, Vocals

*Steve Gilmore - Guitar, Vocals

*Kuma Harada - Bass

*Peter Pavli - Cello

*Snowy White - Guitar

*Herbert North - Guitar

*Nik Turner - Saxophone

*Dave Brock - Guitar

*Simon House - Violin, Keyboards

*Simon King - Drums

*Alan Powell - Drums

*Shirley Roden - Vocals

*Debi Ross - Vocals

Joyous Noise - Wanderingman (1972 us, amazing folk psych with prog shades, 2012 korean remaster)

Based in Los Angeles, California, USA, Joyous Noise comprised Lee Montgomery (vocals), Marc McClure (guitar, keyboards, dobro), Lance Wakely (lead guitar), Happy Smith (bass) and Dennis Dragon (drums). McClure was previously a member of Levitt And McClure, an excellent country-influenced act associated with San Francisco’s Beau Brummels. 

A similar style of music was present on both Joyous Noise albums, but an interest in jazz was equally apparent. McClure subsequently embarked on an ill-starred solo career before joining the reformed Spanky And Our Gang in 1976. Dennis Dragon, brother of Daryl Dragon of Captain And Tennille, later joined the irreverent Surf Punks.

Wanderingman' is the band's 2nd effort. Compared to the first album, it is more progressive/psychedelic oriented as 'Wanderingman Suite' is a killer track.

Tracks
1. Rock And Roll Road Cowboys (Lee Montgomery, Lance Wakely) - 4:17
2. Slide On The Light (Marc McClure, Happy Smith) - 4:32
3. Silver Guitar (Lance Wakely, Marc McClure, Happy Smith) - 3:04
4. Clear Light (Lance Wakely, M.Roth) - 5:28
5. Harry On Sunday (Lee Montgomery) - 4:05
6. Everyman (Lee Montgomery) - 7:33
7. Story Road (Lee Montgomery) - 4:57
8. Winter (Lee Montgomery) - 4:43

Personnel:
*Lee Montgomery - Vocals
*Lance Wakely - Guitar, Vocals
*Marc McClure - Guitar, Keyboards, Percussion, Vocals
*Dennis Dragon - Drums
*Happy Smith - Bass

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The Loot - Singles A's And B's (1966-69 uk, excellent freak beat)

Formed in 1966 the Andover, Hampshire-based band showcased the talents of singer Chris Bates, bassist Jeff Glover, drummer Roger Pope, lead guitarist  Bruce Turner, and rhythm guitarist Dave Wright.  Glover and Pope had previously been members of The Soul Agents who recorded a series of 1964 - 1966 R'n'B-oriented singles for Pye.  Guitarist Wright had briefly been a member of The Troggs. The Troggs connection also helped the band score a contract with Larry Page's Page One label where they recorded a series of four singles over a three year period.

The group never recorded an album so if you're interested in hearing their catalog you've essentially got two choices - collect all of their singles (which are fairly expensive), or opt for one of the retrospective sets that may not be legitimate releases.

Released by James Plummer's Radioactive label, unlike a lot of releases on the label, there's a good chance "The Loot Singles A's and B's" was an approved compilation.  I make that statement based on the fact the 1,000 copy pressing served to collect all of the band's six singles from Page One and CBS, along with a pair of demos ('You Need someone To Love' and 'I've Just Gotta Love You' and the 'A' side of a French-only single 'Gotta Get Home'.  Messing with big label copyrights like CBS/Columbia would take considerable gumption ...  Not that Plummer didn't have that characteristic.  

So aside from the business considerations what did these guys actually sound like?  Most of the reviews I've seen have been lukewarm, labeling them second tier Troggs.  Judging by these 14 tracks I'd beg to disagree.  While nothing here was particularly original, Bates had a great voice (easily as good as Reg Presley), while the rest of the band were every bit as talented as their Page One competitors.   Taking these in chronological order as opposed to the track listing sequence, here's a quick run down.

Bad-Cat

Tracks
1. She's a Winner (Dave Wright, Grundley) - 2:01
2. Try To Keep a Secret (Caleb Quaye) - 3:13
3. Baby (Dave Wright) - 2:15
4. Baby Come Closer (J. Price, T. Dwyer) - 2:33
5. Meet Jacqueline (Hammond) - 2:15
6. You Need Someone To Love (Jeff Glover) - 2:36
7. Radio City (Dave Wright) - 2:14
8. Save Me (D. Glover) - 2:15
9. I've Just Gotta Love You (J. Price, T. Dwyer) - 2:23
10.Don't Turn Around (Bruce Turner) - 2:46
11.I Got What You Want (Chris Bates) - 2:06
12.Gotta Get Home (Bruce Turner) - 2:36
13.You Are My Sunshine Girl (Jeff Glover) - 2:04
14.Whenever You Are Ready (Jeff Glover) - 2:14

The Loot
*Chris Bates - Vocals (1966-69)
*Jeff Glover - Bass (1966-69)
*Roger Pope - Drums, Percussion (1966-69)
*Bruce Turner - Guitar (1966-69)
*Dave Wright - Rhythm Guitar (1966-69)

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Tom Lucas - Red Letter Days (1975 us, exciting folk acid psych rock)

Another top-notch release from the series of private label pressings that is becoming an important part of the Radioactive reissue programme, this time by the New York electric folk/rock singer-songwriter, Tom Lucas. Although virtually nothing is known about Lucas, Red Letter Day is an extremely fine album on the New Fate label (New Fate 500) that in all probability the artist funded and distributed himself. The sound is awesome, the song writing tight and occasionally politically motivated (particularly the title track with its eye glancing towards Woody Guthrie's tribute to Sacco and Vanzetti), and the music often risky and experimental. 

Lucas's vocal style is almost pure Neil Young (although on 'Broken Wheel' his New York roots do make him sound very similar to Lou Reed), and at times Red Letter Day feels almost like the album Young never got around to making. Other influences come up and take a bow without in any way detracting from Lucas's own original style. However, it is the consistently-high standard of just about everything to do with this superb folk/rock album that leaves the listener gasping in disbelief that any record this good has only been heard by the 500 people (and possibly some of their friends) who were fortunate enough to acquire a copy when it was originally released in 1976. 

Tracks
1. Red Letter Day - 4:07
2. Babylon Rising - 3:47
3. One Eyed Gods - 4:32
4. They're Coming - 3:57
5. Down To The Ground - 4:00
6. Days Of Reckoning Come - 4:25
7. Days Numbered - 3:30
8. Self Made Man - 3:27
9. Broken Wheel - 3:19
All compositions by Tom Lucas

Musicians
*Tom Lucas - Vocals, Guitars, Piano
*Geoffrey Davis.
*Paul K. Johnson II.
*Steve Klass.
*Laura Kranker
*Ismael Rodríguez.
*Peter Sanders.
*Russell Simon

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John Entwistle - Smash Your Head Against The Wall (1971 uk, essential varied rock)

Entwistle's quirky, labored solo debut still offers a lot of creative experiments and occasional Who-style thunder. Half the tunes would have worked on a Who album, including the stately acoustic guitar/piano ballad "What Are We Doing Here?", like a melancholy "Hey Jude," and the joyous sing-along "You're Mine," propelled by a rollicking piano line. 

The two centerpiece rockers are among his best compositions ever: the swaying, strutting "My Size," and the philosophical "Heaven And Hell," where he recreates the Who's standard live arrangement, but switches to a druggy, slowed-down tempo. Entwistle dubs horns and piano onto most tracks, and he's helped by Humble Pie drummer Jerry Shirley and Pie/Who roadie Cy Langston, who's an effective, understated guitarist, even able to ape Townshend ("Heaven And Hell"). 

Entwistle's bass playing is as awesome as ever ("You're Mine"), his lead and harmony vocals are warm and even pretty (the deceptively sunny funeral ballad "Ted End"), and although the tunes don't always hold together ("Pick Me Up (Big Chicken)"), there's always something interesting going on: baroque horn riffs ("What Kind Of People Are They?"), psychedelic mantras ("You're Mine"), a bizarre percussion break featuring Keith Moon and Bonzo Dog Band members Neil Innes (the future Rutles mastermind) and Viv Stanshall ("No. 29 (External Youth)," otherwise standard fare). And he ends with a hysterical parody of John Lennon's "God" ("I Believe In Everything"). 

A must-have if you enjoy Entwistle's contributions on contemporary Who records. The CD includes an outtake cover of "Cinnamon Girl" that's remarkably close to the original. 

by John Alroy

Tracks
1. My Size - 3:46
2. Pick Me Up (Big Chicken) - 3:44
3. What Are We Doing Here? - 3:50
4. What Kind Of People Are They? - 2:44
5. Heaven And Hell - 4:55
6. Ted End - 2:37
7. You're Mine - 4:38
8. No. 29 (Eternal Youth) - 5:37
9. I Believe In Everything - 3:11
10.Cinnamon Girl (Outtake) (Neil Young) - 3:05
11.It's Hard To Write A Love Song - 4:54
12.The Haunted Can Be Free -
13.World Behind My Face - 4:56
14.My Size (Early Take) - 3:50
15.What Kind Of People Are They? - 2:55
16.Pick Me Up (Big Chicken) - 3:07
17.No. 29 (Eternal Youth) - 4:38
18.Ted End - 1:56
All songs by John Entwistle, except where noted.
Tracks 11-18 Demo recordings

Personnel
*John Entwistle - Vocals, Bass Guitar, Brass, Percussion, Piano, Keyboards
*Dave "Cyrano" Langston - Electric And Acoustic Guitar, Percussion, Vocals
*Jerry Shirley - Drums, Percussion
*Keith Moon - Percussion, Vocals
*Neil Innes - Percussion, Vocals
*Vivian Stanshall - Percussion

1965  The Who - My Generation (Japan SHM Remaster)
1966  The Who - A Quick One (Japan SHM Remaster)
1967  The Who - Sell Out (Japan SHM Remaster) 
1968  The Who - Live At Fillmore East (Japan Edition)
1971  The Who - Who's Next (Japan SHM Remaster)

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