Zakarrias - Zakarrias (1971 austria / uk, spectacular hard prog rock, 2010 issue)

Recorded in London in the summer of 1971 by Austrian singer/songwriter Bobby Haumer and an English pick-up band, Zakarrias was issued on the highly collectable Deram label. However, Deram withdrew the album almost immediately when they discovered that Haumer didn't have a work permit. The result is one of the rarest slabs of early Seventies vinyl, original copies having sold for in excess of $1000 on the rare occasions that they surface. 

Full of unexpected melodic shifts, and with an overwhelming sense of space and unresolved tension, the album skilfully blends singer/songwriter introversion with elements of folk, blues, psychedelia and progressive rock. Mysteriously sounding heavy progressive with sensitive folk-psych moments. Great dynamics with contrasting guitar leads. The results have been compared to outtakes from the third Led Zeppelin album, but while the lead vocals are certainly reminiscent at times of Robert Plant, the overall sound and general air of quiet pretension is probably closer to Van der Graaf Generator leader Peter Hammill's early solo work.

CD Liner-notes

Tracks
1. Country Out Of Reach (Eva) - 4:05
2. Who Gave You Love - 4:06
3. Never Reachin' - 5:01
4. The Unknown Years (Eva) - 7:00
5. Sunny Side - 3:44
6. Spring Of Fate - 3:18
7. Let Us Change (Eva) - 3:52
8. Don't Cry (Eva) - 4:08
9. Cosmic Bride (Eva) - 6:08
Words and Music by Zakarrias except Lyrics where indicated

Personnel
*Zakarrias - Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Kazoo
*Geoff Leigh - Flute, Saxophone
*Pete Robinson - Keyboards
*Don Gould - Keyboards, String Arrangements
*Martin Harrison - Drums

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The Bachs - Out Of The Bachs (1968 us, rough garage psych jingle jangle folk)

This is one of the top local garage lps of the 60’s along with the Rising Storm, the Savages, Bent Wind, the Fantastic Dee-Jays, the Contents Are and the Mystery Meat. Only 150 copies of this record were pressed and originals occasionally sell on ebay for thousands of dollars.

The band members came from the Chicago suburbs of Lake Forest and Lake Bluff. The Bachs existed for 3 years performing at school dances, teen clubs and private parties up and down the Chicago north shore and surrounding suburbs (usually making $150-200 a night). All of the songs were written by Blake Allison and John Peterman and the lp was released privately in 1968. After the release of the lp the band members decided to retire from a career in music and thought it was best to move on with their lives.

The recording quality is admittedly crude and unbalanced but by no means unlistenable. The unbalanced factor was due in part to the band recording instruments first and then laying down vocals over them. Tables Of Grass Fields is the one classic on the record that anyone into garage psych sounds must hear. Tables was an imaginative, bold song for the time and has an excellent no-nonsense intro and some great psychedelic era lyrics. But the Bachs deliver throughout the whole album and raw garage numbers like the blistering Minister to a Mind Diseased (listen to the unhinged, mind melting guitar solo) are mixed with jangle folk-rock downers. 

Diversity only makes a great album even better and most fans usually cite the middle-third of the lp as one of the seminal highlights in garage rock history. Answer to Yesterday, Nevermore, Free Fall, and My Independence Day are all superb as well and really dig deep down inside to produce dark jangle folk-rock from suburbia Chicago. You’re Mine opened the album, and is a hard rocker in a classic garage sense and definitely a solid example of prep rock. The last track, I’m a Little Boy, shows the band expanding their horizons into the world of psychedelia with wads of feedback and hideously sloppy vocals.

Originals are preferred over the recent cd reissue by Gear Fab, as they have more punch and separation. In any event, this is a great album full of teenage expression and high caliber angst.

by Jason Nardelli

Tracks
1. You're Mine - 2:10
2. Pleasure of Your Company - 3:52
3. Free Fall - 2:39
4. I See Her - 1:37
5. My Independence Day - 3:20
6. Minister to a Mind Diseased - 3:09
7. Tables of Grass Fields - 3:43
8. Show Me That You Want to Go Home - 2:07
9. Sitting - 3:33
10.Nevermore - 2:36
11.Answer to Yesterday - 3:46
12.I'm a Little Boy - 3:50
13.That's the Way It Goes - 3:10
All songs by Black Allison, John Peterman

The Bachs 
*Black Allison - Bass, Lead Vocals
*John Peterman - Guitar, Lead Vocals
*Mike DeHaven - Guitar
*John Babicz - Percussion
*Ben Harrison - Lead Guitar

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Donovan - Cosmic Wheels (1973 marvelous groovy steel folk rock)

This is Donovan's 10th studio album recorded 1972 in London at Morgan Studios and produced by Mickie Most. Cosmic Wheels is Charming, Flawed, Curious, Odd.  Admittedly, part of its appeal was the fact it was out of print for decades. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, or some horseshit like that. The title track alone is a fun rebirth of Donovan’s psych experimentation, and a few of Cosmic Wheels acoustic tracks – “I Like You” and “Appearances,” to name two – capture the flower child’s flighty, easy-going appeal. Cosmic Wheels probably won’t convert the naysayers but those in tune with Donovan’s sense of play may well appreciate.

The gatefold cover is by French astronomer Camille Flammarion. This is uncredited and fails to mention that the image was lifted from his Popular Astronomy book of 1880. The woodcut depicts Man’s journey from the earthly world to the stars and heavens beyond, the big white baloon featured on the front cover is a tribute to the classic british TV series The Prisoner, of which Donovan is a big fan.  'Cosmic Wheels' reached #15, not #20 in UK Album charts. 

by Willard and Ade

Tracks

1. Cosmic Wheels - 4:02

2. Earth Sign Man - 4:03

3. Sleep - 3:54

4. Maria Magenta - 2:18

5. Wild Witch Lady - 4:35

6. The Music Makers - 4:38

7. The Intergalactic Laxative - 2:50

8. I Like You - 5:22

9. Only The Blues - 3:18

10.Appearances - 3:49

All compostitions by Donovan Leitch

Musicians

*Donovan - Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals

*Leslye Ash - Vocals

*John "Rabbit" Bundrick - Keyboards

*Tony Carr - Percussion

*Valerie Carrington - Vocals

*Clive Chaman - Bass

*Phil Chen - Bass

*Nick Curtis - Vocals

*Lesley Duncan - Vocals

*Jack Emblow - Accordion

*Julie Forsythe - Vocals

*Leslie Fyson - Vocals

*Peter Halling - Violin

*Jim Horn - Saxophone

*Bobby Keys - Saxophone

*John Mccarthy - Vocals

*Cozy Powell - Drums

*Suzi Quatro - Vocals

*Chris Spedding - Guitar

*Gaynor Stewart - Vocals

*Jill Utting - Vocals

*Dennis Ball - Bass

*Alan White - Drums

*Cary Wilson - Vocals

1967  Donovan - In Concert, The Complete Anaheim Show

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Wedge - No One Left But Me (1974 us, stunning heavy prog rock, 2008 remaster with extra track)

Orange Wedge was established around 1968 in Baltimore, Maryland. The group evolved from Greg & the Originals. Members were Greg Coulson (lead vocals), Fred Zang (rhythm guitar, vocals), and Don Cowger (bass). In 1968 they added Craig Krixer (lead guitar), Dave Burgess (keyboards) and Tom Rizzo (drums). Krixer came up with the name Orange Wedge. The rock band began playing many teen centers, and school dances. After a brief illness and hospital stay in early 1969 Coulson rejoined the band.

They began playing on regular basis quickly becoming one of the top hard rock bands in Baltimore. Orange Wedge could be seen at all the local clubs in Maryland, Delaware, Virginia and West Virginia. Zang and Krixer left the group in 1969 and joined Black Foot Smoke. Zang played guitar and / or bass for a lot of other groups. He is still active in the music business. The group that created the records existed between 1971 and 1975.
Long-Hair

The 1976 follow up to Wedge was No One Left But Me. Due to the lack of offers the Orange Wedge also released their second LP as a private pressing that was to be sold at gigs and local shops, and it sold like hot bread making this one an elusive piece among hard rock collectors. Their sound here is still 100% high energy, though an evolution has been made and the band sounds a bit more sophisticated. 

It was their best selling album at the time with a pressing of 1000 copies that hardly made it out of Baltimore, so here's a very good chance to rediscover this amazing piece of pure rock power. Here at Wah Wah we have respectfully worked on its reissue to offer you a killer release in thick cardboard paste-up sleeve, and featuring an insert with the story of the band and lots of cool photos gently provided by original Orange Wedge guitarist and composer Joe Farace.

Forced-Exposure

Tracks
1. S.P. (Joe Farace, Mark O'Connor) - 4:13
2. Hungry Man (Joe Farace, Don Cowger, Greg Coulson) - 4:52
3. No One Left But Me (Joe Farace, Greg Coulson) - 5:59
4. Dream (Joe Farace) - 3:08
5. Whisky And Gin (Joe Farace, Greg Coulson) - 5:49
6. People (Joe Farace, Greg Coulson) - 5:39
7. The Date (Joe Farace, Greg Coulson) - 10:19
8. People (7" Version, Radio Edit) (Joe Farace, Greg Coulson) - 3:02

Personnel
*Joe Farace - Guitar
*Don Cowger - Bass
*Tom Rizzo - Drums
*Greg Coulson - Vocals
*Gene Ingham - Bass, Flute
*Mark O'Connor - Mellotron, Synthesizer, Clavinet
*Gene Meros - Flute

1972  Orange Wedge - Wedge

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Grootna - Grootna (1971 us, fine psych blues funk with west coast apparel)

This one caught my eye due to the colorful cover and the fact the producer was none other than The Jefferson Airplane/Starship's Marty Balin.  That said, here's another one I can't say I know much about. The line-up consisted of bassist Kelly Bryan, rhythm guitarist Slim Chance (aka Austin De Leon), former Country Joe and the Fish/Mad River drummer Greg Dewey (aka Dewey DeGrease), singer Anna Rizzo, lead guitarist Vic Smith and keyboard player Richard Sussman (who had previously played with Elephant's Memory).

The group came together in 1971, cutting their chops on Berkley, California's thriving music scene. With help from supporter Balin, the group caught the attention of Columbia Records, which signed them to a recording contract in 1971. Produced by Balin, 1971's cleverly titled "Grootna" featured a surprisingly impressive set of West Coast-styled rock. The band sported three capable lead singers in DeGrease, Rizzo and Smith. Rizzo's bluesy voice was probably the best of the lot, though on material such as 'Going To Canada' and 'Waitin' for My Ship' she bore a passing resemblance to Janis Joplin.

Exemplified by tracks such as the lead off rocker 'I'm Funky' the set was full of enthusiastic performances. Special notice to Smith who turned in a couple of nice leads on 'That's What You Get' and 'Customs (In It All Over)'. Sure, the set wasn't perfect. 'Young Woman's Blues' and 'Road Fever' were pedestrian blues and boogie numbers, but the overall package was quite impressive. In case anyone cares, Columbia pulled a pair of instantly obscure singles from the LP:
Bad Cat

 Tracks
1. I'm Funky (DeLone, O'Hara, Silverman) - 5:30
2. Road Fever (Dewey, Smith) - 5:20
3. Going to Canada (DeLone, Henry, Silverman) - 4:19
4. Waitin' for My Ship (Delone, Silverman) - 5:07
5. That's What You Get (Rizzo, Silverman, Smith) - 4:29
6. Full Time Woman (Stuart) - 4:30
7. Young Woman's Blues (Smith) - 3:47
8. Customs (Is It All Over?) (Neuwirth) - 3:47
9. Your Grandmother Loves You/IShe It (DeLone, Henry, Silverman) - 5:52

Grootna
Richard Sussman - Piano
Anna Rizzo - Vocals, Finger Snaps
Vic Smith - Lead Guitar, Bottleneck Guitar, Vocals
Gregory Leroy Dewey DaGreaze - Drums, Vocals
Kelly Bryan - Bass
Allen "Slim" Chance - Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
Guest Musicians
Marty Balin - Voices
Jack Bonus - Saxophone Horn Section
Terry Adams - Strings
Carol Garnett - Strings
Michael Lafferty - Trombone
Bennett Friedman - Clarinet

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Tiger - Tiger (1976 uk, good hard prog rock, 2007 japan issue)

I have to admit both of Tigers albums are the kind of album that you have to sit down for to let them grow on you. These aren't simple albums with instant appeal, as the sound and the style are very distinctive. You first have to get used to them to experience their full impact. And they are certainly not something for everyone. Tiger is an acquired taste, but if you have ever listened to bands like 'Argus'-era Wishbone Ash, early Ambrosia, early Barclay James Harvest and 'Something Magic'-era Procol Harum, appreciating them will be lot easier than for your average Classic Rock fan. However, people who know their Progressive Rock, will nevertheless notice that Tiger bears little or no resemblance with any of these aformentioned bands. I'll come back to that later.

For the most part Tiger plays a kind of slow and soft Progressive Rock, with lots of melody and with subtle injections of Jazz and Funk. There are a few "bursts" of up tempo Jazz Fusion (for example in the very beautiful 'Waiting for the snow'), some more powerful Rock passages and there are also some compositions that were built on a foundation of classic Funk Rock (example 'Gamblin' Gambler'). But for the most part it's a rather laid back affair with lots of dreamy and melancholic passages. It's all very well performed, it's smart and artful, dramatic at times but never pompous or overdone.

The average Tiger composition is a lengthy one, clocking in at seven minutes on average, and certainly taking its time to build up. In this aspect, but also a bit in style and feel, they resemble 'Argus'-era Wishbone Ash. I'm mentioning Wishbone Ash, even though the resemblance is vague, essentially because I don't know of any other band that sounds even remotely like Tiger. And I have heard thousands of them.

Tiger has two (yes, two) very good vocalists that cooperate well together. The first one is a melodic singer with a clear voice. The other one has a bluesier feel. It's this second singer who's of note, as it's a man called Nicky Moore, who would later go on to become the singer of the NWOBHM-bands Samson and Mammoth (among others).

by Johan Wuyckens

Tracks
1. Lay Me (Sullivan, Moore, Walker) - 5:11
2. Ordinary Girl (Sullivan, Moore) - 5:25
3. Lay Back Stay Black (Moore, Sweeney) - 5:03
4. Prayer (Moore) - 5:33
5. I'm Not Crying (Walker) - 2:27
6. Long Time (Sullivan, Moore, Sweeney) - 6:27
7. Suzy Slicker (Sullivan, Moore) - 4:19
8. Tyger, Tyger (William Blake, Sullivan, Moore, Curtis, Rankin, Flacke, McCrae, Walker) - 7:42

Tiger
*Nicky Moore - Vocals
*Phil Curtis - Bass
*Billy Rankin - Drums
*Les Walker - Vocals
*Big Jim Sullivan - Guitar
*Ray Flacke - Guitar
*Dave McCrae - Keyboards
With
*Ian Wallace - Drums

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Judy Henske And Jerry Yester - Farewell Aldebaran (1969 us, elegant baroque psychedelia)

The rich, satured cover of Farewell Aldebaran, where a photo of Judy Henske and Jerry Yester, sitting with child and cat in a broken-down backyard is subjected to color solarization, suggests a carapace of psychedelia has been draped over the album. You should run with that instinct, but don’t be too reductive about it. The timing was right - Henske and Yester recorded and released the album in 1969, the former already recognized as a talented folk singer and the latter an ex-member of Lovin’ Spoonful and The Magic Ride - but ultimately Farewell Aldebaran is a stylistic index. The duo pushes bolshy, militant rock songs like “Snowblind” up against carnival tunes (“Horses on a Stick”) and melodramatic surrealism (“St Nicholas Hall”), and the arrangements gesture toward folk, Californian pop, hillbilly music and acid rock without settling into anything pro-forma.

The studio is the pop alchemist’s plaything, the space within which artists can unlock prodigious creativity and document it on quarter-inch tape. Accordingly, Farewell Aldebaran sounds ripe, borderline sumptuous at times and positively stuffed at others. It refuses to rest, scratching little details into the margins of each song, and the arrangements err on the polite side of overblown, full of grand sweeps of strings and arcs of pungent melody, with Henske’s voice moving from dulcet to amorous to acidic. When Yester joins her at the microphone, they twang nasally through “Raider” and feed themselves through primitive electronics on the closing title track, dislocating their physical presence. The whole thing is faintly alien in tone and psychedelic in the truest sense - opulent and temporally dislocating.

by Jon Dale

Tracks

1. Snowblind (Judy Henske, Yester, Zal Yanovsky) - 3:02

2. Horses On A Stick - 2:12

3. Lullaby - 3:00

4. St. Nicholas Hall - 3:39

5. Three Ravens - 3:29

6. Raider - 5:12

7. One More Time - 2:18

8. Rapture - 4:09

9. Charity - 3:17

10. Farewell Aldebaran - 4:07

Lyrics by Judy Henske, Music by Jerry Yester, except track #1

Musicians

*Judy Henske - Vocals

*Larry Beckett - Drums

*Ry Cooder - Mandolin

*John Forsha - 12 String Guitar

*Toxie French - Drums

*Eddie Hoh - Drums

*Bernie Krause - Moog Synthesizer Programming

*David Lindley - Bowed Banjo

*"David's Friend" (Solomon Feldthouse ?) - Hammer Dulcimer

*Joe Osborn - Bass

*Dick Rossmini - Guitar

*Jerry Scheff - Bass

*Zal Yanovsky – Bass, Guitar

*Jerry Yester - Vocals, Guitar, Piano , Harmonium, Toy Zither, Marxophone, Chamberlain Tape Organ, Orchestra , Organ, Banjo, Bass, Moog Synthesizer

Related Act 

1966  The Lovin' Spoonful - Daydream (Japan remaster)

1966  The Lovin' Spoonful - Hums Of The Lovin' Spoonful (Japan remaster) 

1968  The Lovin' Spoonful - Everything Playing (2011 remaster)

1969  The Lovin' Spoonful - Revelation: Revolution '69

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Denny Gerrard - Sinister Morning (1970 south africa, outstanding folk rock with psych shades, 2008 remaster)

It wasn't long after arriving in the U.K. that South African student Denny Gerrard began making his mark on the music scene. In 1965, Jimmy Page picked him to become one half of the duo the Fifth Avenue, while Rolling Stones' manager Andrew Loog Oldham brought him in as arranger for his project the Variations. Gerrard then linked up with Barry Younghusband, and as Warm Sounds they promptly unleashed the Top 30 hit "Birds and Bees." Swiftly bored with pop the duo soon split, and Gerrard moved into production, overseeing High Tide's critically acclaimed 1969 debut album, Sea Shanties. No surprise then, that when the South African began work on his own debut, self-produced, full-length, High Tide were by his side. However, the resulting album, Sinister Morning, was far more a reflection of Gerrard's vision than Tide's sound. 

Much of the set has a folkie feel, accentuated by the prolific use of Gerrard's acoustic guitar and harmonica. Only on "Native Sun" is the band given a real chance to rock out, with the rest of the set given over to more midtempo numbers. These gave Gerrard the opportunity to explore his roots and showcase his arrangement skills. His epiphany is found on the final track, a haunting, seven-plus minute instrumental, whose rich "Atmosphere" is conjured up by his acoustic guitar and Simon House's delicate organ and rich violin. J.J. Mackey provides the spoken word segments that, sadly, are virtually buried in the mix. 

The album's other epic track, "True Believer" takes folk to church, with House's hymnal organ juxtaposed against a rich, Americana tapestry. "Autumn Blewn," in contrast, counterpoints '60s R&B with C&W, with Gerrard's harmonica adding a folkie feel to the intricate piece. "Rough Stuff" also has an R&B bend, but a down-home, Southern rock tinge, while "Stop or Drop It" is even more rousing, as Gerrard plays his pusillanimous acoustic guitar off against Tony Hill's electric leads. Although kept on a tight leash, High Tide still bring an energy to the set, turning up the heat on virtually all the songs, particularly the poppy "Hole in My Shadow," which was probably intended for singledom. The production gives the entire album a warm sound, although on CD it comes across as a tad too pristine. 

The only flaw within is Gerrard's decision to overutilize layered vocals instead of true harmonies, and paying far less attention to his vocals than he did to the rest of the album's sound. Released on Decca's mid-price imprint Nova, the album surprisingly sank without a track, but swiftly became a much sought-after collector's item. Finally after all these years, Esoteric has now lovingly remastered and reissued this splendid album on CD. 

by Jo-Ann Greene

Tracks
1. Native Sun - 3:55
2. True Believer - 7:06
3. Hole In My Shadow - 3:22
4. Last But One - 4:05
5. Rough Stuff - 3:00
6. Stop It Or Drop It - 2:52
7. Autumn Blewn - 2:53
8. Eye For Eye - 4:33
9. Atmosphere - 7:07
All songs by Denny Gerrard

Personnel
Denny Gerrard - Guitar, Mouth Harp, Vocals
Roger Hadden - Drums
Tony Hill - Guitar, Vocals
Simon House - Keyboards, Violin
Peter Pavli - Bass
Lyn Husband, Sue Young - Vocals
J.J. Makey - Words, Reading

Related Act
1970  High Tide - Precious Cargo
1970  High Tide - High Tide (2010 Remaster)

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Joe Cocker - Stingray (1976 uk, fine jazzy soft rock)

“Stingray”  is Joe Cocker's  6th studio album, released in 1976 and ranks as a favorite among his musical peers. Joe turns in some unbelievable vocal performances on such tunes as "The Jealous Kind", "A Song For You", "She is My Lady" and "The Worrier" (which features Eric Clapton on guitar).

The soulful rhythm section is anchored by Joe's then backup band ‘Stuff’ with lead guitarist Eric Gale providing flawless guitar solo's throughout. Great backup vocals are provided by Patti Austin, Deniece Williams and Bonnie Bramlet.

Without question it ranks alongside the best rock albums ever made. Cocker's singing has enourmous emotional power and range and the song selection is exquisite.

by Anthony

Tracks
1. The Jealous Kind (Bobby Charles) - 3:52
2. I Broke Down (Matthew Moore) - 3:29
3. You Came Along (Bobby Charles) - 3:50
4. Catfish (Bob Dylan, Jacques Levy) - 5:23
5. Moon Dew (Matthew Moore) - 5:54
6. The Man In Me (Bob Dylan) - 2:43
7. She Is My Lady (George Clinton) - 4:37
8. Worrier (Matthew Moore) - 3:16
9. Born Thru Indifference (Joe Cocker, Richard Tee) - 6:15
10.A Song For You (Leon Russell) - 6:27

Musicians
*Joe Cocker - Lead Vocals, Guitar
*Eric Clapton - Guitar
*Cornell Dupree - Guitar
*Steve Gadd - Drums
*Eric Gale - Guitar, Arranger
*Albert Lee - Guitar
*Gordon Edwards - Bass
*Richard Tee - Keyboards, Organ, Arranger, Associate Producer
*Sam Rivers - Saxophone
*Felix "Flaco" Falcon - Conga, Percussion
*Patti Austin - Vocals
*Bonnie Bramlett - Vocals
*Lani Groves - Vocals
*Gwen Guthrie - Vocals
*Phyllis Lindsay - Vocals
*Brenda White - Vocals
*Maxine Willard - Vocals
*Deniece Williams - Vocals

1970  Joe Cocker - Mad Dogs And Englishmen (Deluxe Edition)

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National Head Band - Albert One (1971 uk, excellent smooth prog rock, 2008 remaster)

The National Head Band evolved from a group called The Business a quartet featuring Neil Ford (guitar, vocals), Dave Paull (bass, keyboards, guitar, vocals), Jan Schelhaas (keyboards) and John Skorsky (drums). After signing a management deal and changing their name they got a deal with Warner Brothers who, for some unfathomable reason, insisted that the group should have two drummers. Enter Lee Kerslake (drums, keyboards, vocals), fresh from recording the first Toe Fat album. However, no sooner had the band entered the studios than drummer Skorsky decided to quit! The remaining quartet had quite divisive musical tastes: Schelhaas was a soul fan, Ford was a bluesman, Paull was ostensibly a folkie and Kerslake was more into rock. Given the task of melding all these influences into a coherent album was Eddie Offord who had just completed work on The Yes Album. Offord was more than up to the task in hand and the results he achieved are admirable as elements of all of the individual members musical interests can be heard on the album, which fits neatly in with other albums released in the early seventies that are recognised as classics of the blooming progressive scene. Label incompetency, a mistimed and misplaced tour of Top Rank venues, and a whole batch of faulty album pressings did the band no favours who, unheralded, split later the same year.

Opening number Got No Time starts off with a riff that is vaguely similar to Day Tripper by The Beatles but the piano adds a bit of rhythm and blues to the proceedings. A nice heavier ending courtesy of a couple of electric guitars gives way to their acoustic counterparts in You which displays the groups talent for harmonising. The mixture of the acoustic six strings with the bold keyboard and the soulful vocals provides an interesting blend. The excellent Too Much Country Water is up next and again the harmony vocals add a lot to the number. Schelhaas provides jaunty piano and different guitar solos emanate from each speaker, before things ramp up for the ending. Lead Me Back is certainly a Beatles influenced number with the Moog being tapped for a wide range of brass band sounds. However, the song doesn't really evolve into anything that special and would have benefited from having an earlier fade out. Another Apple band, Badfinger, can be heard within the grooves of Listen To The Music and is almost up to the same standard as that masterful but ill-fated group.

Unusual for even progressive bands, the harmonium takes centre stage for Islington Farm, a more melancholy number. The guitar has a ton of echo applied to it which contrasts brightly with the layered vocals. Overall a strange little song that I'm not entirely convinced by but holds up well against other experimental numbers of the era. Paull's folk leanings are more on display during Try To Reach You with Ford's bottle neck guitar solo proves a standout moment. Leaving the country twang behind, Brand New World mixes bits of everything that has gone before. The abilities of Offord come to the fore as the blend of different voices, a fluid bass line, the organ, acoustic and electric guitars is absolutely perfect, a great song. The grand finale is provided by Mister Jesus which sets off at a blistering pace - like a distant cousin to Flight Of The Rat by Deep Purple. However, this only serves as an intro, for after two minutes the rock is replaced by the acoustic guitars, organ and harmony vocals. The ending of the song is quite masterful with initially a Beatles-type section and then a bit more up-tempo with wahwah guitar pulling things to a close. 

The National Head Band showed more than enough promise that they could have achieved far greater things. Instead Kerslake went off to join Uriah Heep, Schelhaas had stints in both Camel and Caravan (whom he rejoined a couple of years ago for their excellent The Unauthorised Breakfast Item album) and Paull joined the also excellent Jonesy. 

by Mark Hughes

Tracks
1. Got No Time - 5:02          
2. You - 3:59                    
3. Too Much Country Water - 4:12
4. Lead Me Back - 4:02          
5. Listen To The Music - 6:30    
6. Islington Farm - 3:12          
7. Try To Reach You - 4:21      
8. Brand New World - 6:24        
9. Mister Jesus - 8:09
All compositions by National Head Band        

The National Head Band
*Neil Ford - Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
*Lee Kerslake - Drums, Keyboards, Vocals
*David "Dave" Paull - Bass, Keyboards, Guitar, Vocals
*Jan Schelhaas - Keyboards

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