Clouds - Up Above Our Heads (1966-71 uk, brilliand colorful psych early prog, 2010 remaster)

Straddling the line between vocal pop and all-out prog explorations, Scottish rock trio Clouds toiled over their complex compositions in relative obscurity before disbanding in 1971. Though probably not the first, on later recordings the band honed an intricate rock sound that relied on organ and completely eschewed guitar, making them an anomaly in the developing prog movement that was largely defined by noodling stringed instruments.

Up Above Our Heads: Clouds 1966-1971 includes all known work by the band, with U.K.-only albums Watercolour Days and Scrapbook and the U.S.-issued Up Above Our Heads, as well as demos and other unreleased material. The earliest material finds the band running through fragmented songs in decidedly different styles ranging from extended psychedelic freakout ("Sing, Sing, Sing") to after-hours jazz garage numbers like the woozy "Old Man." The gently crooned "The Colours Have Run" finds vocalist Ian Ellis toning things down with a full orchestra, achieving the same Chet Baker-inspired vocal melancholia that the Zombies and Scott Walker would find in their strongest moments of subdued beauty. 

On the second disc of the collection, the density and precision of Clouds' musicianship lends itself to the types of head-spinning progressive workouts that bands of the same era like Egg and Soft Machine were immersing themselves in. These heady compositions, however, were always tempered with a strong traditional songwriting sensibility. The Hammond organ-driven "Mind of a Child" delivers its antiwar sentiments like some pleasant hybrid of early electric Dylan and later-period Small Faces. "A Day of Rain," with its grisly baritone vocals, predicts Nick Cave with eerie similarity by about ten years. It's moments like these that make it a mystery why Clouds never saw mass appeal in their day. 

Bowie and Keith Emerson both championed the band during its existence, and the influence of Clouds could be heard later in Emerson, Lake & Palmer, the organ-heavy sounds of the Nice, and other followers. With the amount of tossed-off filler taking up space on records by established bands like Jethro Tull, the Moody Blues, and even the Kinks during the same time period, Clouds were crafting stronger and more interesting takes on similar sounds. Up Above Our Heads is another chapter of what may be one of the oldest stories in the rock & roll book: why wasn't this band huge? Weighing in at over two hours of music, this two-disc set may be a lot to take in at once. Clouds' strength lies in their almost Beatlesque level of varied sounds and successful experiments with different styles, and they are thusly best approached on a song-by-song basis. Riding a number of stylistic waves so well, it's a mystery why Clouds never really made it to the shore. 

by Fred Thomas

Tracks
Scrapbook 1968-69
1. Introduction - Scrapbook (Billy Ritchie) - 1:07
2. The Carpenter (Billy Ritchie, Harry Hughes, Ian Ellis) - 3:26
3. The Colours Have Run (Billy Ritchie, Valdemar Ellis) - 2:56
4. I'll Go Girl (Billy Ritchie) - 3:18
5. Grandad (Billy Ritchie) - 2:07
6. Ladies And Gentlemen (Billy Ritchie) - 3:05
7. Humdrum (Billy Ritchie, Harry Hughes, Ian Ellis) - 1:04
8. Union Jack (Billy Ritchie) - 1:22
9. Old Man (Ian Ellis) - 3:22
10.Waiter There's Something In My Soup (Billy Ritchie) - 6:58
11.Scrapbook (Billy Ritchie) - 2:46
Up Above Our Heads 1969-70
12.Imagine Me (Billy Ritchie) - 3:18
13.Sing, Sing, Sing (Louis Prima) - 13:43
14.Take Me To Your Leader (Billy Ritchie, Harry Hughes, Ian Ellis) - 2:50
15.Big Noise From Winnetka (Bob Haggart, Ray Bauduc) - 3:52
16.In The Mine (Billy Ritchie) - 3:55

Disc Two 
Watercolour Days 1970-71
12.Watercolour Days (Billy Ritchie) - 5:29
13.Cold Sweat (Billy Ritchie, Ian Ellis) - 3:36
14.Lighthouse (Ian Ellis) - 5:03
15.Long Time (Billy Ritchie, Ian Ellis) - 4:35
16.Mind Of A Child (Billy Ritchie, Harry Hughes, Ian Ellis) - 2:51
17.I Know Better Than You (Billy Ritchie, Harry Hughes, Ian Ellis) - 4:53
18.Leavin' (Billy Ritchie) - 3:23
19.Get Off My Farm (Billy Ritchie) - 3:26
20.I Am The Melody (Billy Ritchie) - 2:39
Bonus Tracks 1966-71
10.Make No Bones About It (Billy Ritchie) - 2:35
11.Heritage (Billy Ritchie, Harry Hughes, Ian Ellis) - 4:16
12.Why Is There No Magic (Billy Ritchie) - 2:41
13.The World Is A Madhouse (Billy Ritchie) - 3:58
14.Shadows (Billy Ritchie) - 2:39
15.Once Upon A Time (Billy Ritchie, Harry Hughes, Ian Ellis) - 2:53
16.A Day Of Rain (Billy Ritchie) - 3:40
17.America (Paul Simon) - 8:08
18.Clockwork Soldier (Billy Ritchie) - 5:06

The Clouds
*Ian Ellis-Bass, Vocals, Harmonica
*Harry Hughes - Drums, Glockenspiel, Trumpet
*Billy Ritchie - Keyboards, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals, Bass
Additional Musicians
*Alvin Lee - Guitar
*Rod Butler - Guitar
*Steve Gould - Guitar
*George Ritchie - Bass
*Peter Sapsard - Bass
*Mike Kidson - Drums

1968/1971  Clouds - Scrapbook / Watercolour Days

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The Marshall Tucker Band - Where We All Belong (1974 us, outstanding southern blues jam rock, 2004 remaster with bonus track)

In 1974 The Marshall Tucker Band released "Where We All Belong "on Capricorn Records as a two LP set, one studio album, one live, this is the perfect Marshall Tucker Band record!

Side one kicks off with what would go on to become one of Toy Caldwell’s most recognizable guitar licks, the intro riff to “This Ol’ Cowboy.” Written and sung on record by Toy, the song would later be performed in concert by Doug.  A Top 40 hit for the band, the song remains a Tuckerhead favorite. Next comes “Low Down Ways,” another great Toy composition that leads into “In My Own Way,” a classic country song featuring some of Toy’s excellent pedal steel guitar. Paul Hornsby contributes some fine keyboard work on this track and several others, adding to his already impressive job as producer. 

Side two begins with "How Can I Slow Down and moves into one of their 1970's concert staples "Where a Country Boy Belongs."  The studio version is enhanced by a guest appearance by Elvin Bishop, burning up on his slide guitar.  And speaking of guests, brother Charlie Daniels is all over the record, both in the studio and on the live sides, "sawing that fiddle and makin' it hot."

"Now She's Gone is the only track on the studio record not written by Toy.  Well, not entirely anyway.  It was co-written by his brother, Tommy.  Singer Doug Gray outdoes himself on the closing track "Try One More Time", a country blues number that drips with soul. Side three is the first of the live side, recorded at The Performing Arts Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  The set begins with the intense "Ramblin", which rocks like a San Francisco earthquake, and then moves into the 13-minute plus live version of "24 Hours at a Time", featuring  solos from everyone in the band and Charlie Daniels.  Tommy's bass solo will live forever, and most Tucker fans as well as most fans of good southern music can hum the notes of that solo if you asked them to

"Everyday I Have the Blues", the B.B. King tune written by Peter Chapman, burns through the start of side four, with Toy displaying some of his hottest blues guitar licks ever etched into vinyl.  The side concludes with a rocking version of "Take the Highway", the long time concert opener, and perennial favorite.

With cover art by Jim Campbell, drawn from photos taken by George's brother, Chuck, Where We All Belong is nothing short of a classic rock and roll album.  Excellent production and superior playing make this the definitive MTB album.

by Michael B. Smith

Tracks
1. This Ol' Cowboy - 6:45
2. Low Down Ways - 2:59
3. In My Own Way - 7:20
4. How Can I Slow Down - 3:24
5. Where A Country Boy Belongs 4:34
6. Now She's Gone (Toy Caldwell, Tommy Caldwell) - 4:41
7. Try One More Time - 4:50
8. Ramblin' (Live)  - 6:32
9. 24 Hours At A Time (Live)  - 13:31
10.Everyday (I Have The Blues) (Live)  (Peter Chapman) - 11:51
11.Take The Highway (Live)  - 7:11
12.See You Later, I'm Gone (Live) - 3:17
All songs by Toy Caldwell except where noted

The Marshall Tucker Band
*Doug Gray - Lead Vocals, Percussion
*Toy Caldwell - Electric, Acoustic Guitars, Steel Guitar, Vocals
*Tommy Caldwell - Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals
*Billy Sanders - Rhythm Guitar, Harmonica
*George McCorkle - Electric, Acoustic Guitars, Banjo
*Jerry Eubanks - Flute, Alto, Baritone, Tenor Saxophone, Backing Vocals
*Paul Riddle - Drums
With
*Charlie Daniels - Fiddle On "24 Hours At A Time"

1973  The Marshall Tucker Band - Way Out West, Live From San Francisco (2010 remaster) 

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John Hammond - So Many Roads (1965 us, magnificent blues rock, 2005 remaster)

In the spring of 1965, Vanguard Records released the album So Many Roads by blues singer John Hammond. It was the third album for Hammond, (son of legendary Columbia Records producer, John Hammond), and his second album to feature an electric band playing Chicago blues. For this album, Hammond chose to record again with the bass player from his previous album, Jimmy Lewis. Lewis was originally a string bass player who had worked with Count Basie and Duke Ellington before switching to electric for Sam Cooke and King Curtis. Hammond also chose three members of a band he’d been jamming with in Toronto and two up-and-coming musicians from the Chicago blues scene.

On the original album cover for the LP (not the CD) it says: John Hammond accompanying himself on guitar with C.D. Musselwhite, harmonica; Jaime R. Robertson, guitar; Mark Levon Helm, drums; Michael Bloomfield, piano; Jimmy Lewis, bass; Eric Hudson, organ. 

The band from Toronto that Hammond had been jamming with was, of course, Levon & The Hawks. C.D. Musselwhite would eventually be known as Charlie Musselwhite and, not long after this album hit the stores, Michael Bloomfield - who, at the time, was already appearing on small label Chicago blues albums with various artists - would record "Like A Rolling Stone" and the entire Highway 61 Revisited album with Bob Dylan.

So Many Roads was one of the records that led many people, including this writer, to dig deeper into Chicago blues and discover Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Otis Rush, Buddy Guy, Little Walter and Junior Wells, among many others. 

The music on So Many Roads is tough, loud and uncompromising. The reviews at the time thought Hammond went way overboard on the vocals and, probably, quite a few people still think that. However, I like to think he was just totally immersed in the experience, having a great time playing with a great band. Robbie Robertson’s guitar dominates the proceedings; but Helm, a Chicago blues drummer if ever there was one, is right there with him, while Hudson’s not-always-audible organ snakes around the songs in an almost spooky way. Unlike Bloomfield, who would play in speedy runs, Robertson played in short explosive bursts, going for sound and feel more than anything. Garth Hudson, meanwhile, is best heard on "Gambler’s Blues" and "Baby Please Don’t Go".

According to some reports, as well as interviews, Bloomfield already knew about Levon & The Hawks and Robbie Robertson, and had offered to switch to piano when he showed up for the recording session. While Hammond is a fine harmonica player, Musselwhite instead provides harp to compliment Hammond's vocals, in the same way that Little Walter, Junior Wells and James Cotton did for Muddy Waters.

A few months after So Many Roads was released, I attended Bob Dylan’s legendary concert at Forest Hills Stadium in New York City. This was his first full concert with a band backing him for the second set. The night was chaotic to say the least, with half the crowd booing. I didn’t even find out who the backing musicians were until the reviews appeared in the press a couple of days later, because the musicians were never introduced. When I found out that Robbie Robertson was on guitar and Levon Helm was on drums, along with Al Kooper on keyboards and Harvey Brooks on bass, my initial reaction was "Oh, the guys from the Hammond album." Dylan and Hammond were friends - take a look at the back of Bringing It All Back Home - and in the past 15 years, photos have surfaced of Hammond attending the recording sessions for Dylan’s album.

It's interesting that, only three years later, when The Band released Music From Big Pink, Vanguard did not capitalize on this connection and rush the albums out with stickers saying 'featuring The Band', in the way Roulette Records did with old Ronnie Hawkins albums. 

by Peter Stone Brown, July 21st, 2015

Tracks
1. Down In The Bottom (Willie Dixon) - 3:05
2. Long Distance Call (Muddy Waters) - 3:22
3. Who Do You Love (Ellas McDaniel) - 3:03
4. I Want You To Love Me (Muddy Waters) - 4:09
5. Judgement Day (Robert Johnson) - 3:25
6. So Many Roads, So Many Trains (Marshall Paul) - 2:43
7. Rambling Blues (Robert Johnson) - 3:19
8. O Yea! (Ellas McDaniel) - 3:36
9. You Can't Judge A Book By The Cover (Willie Dixon) - 3:32
10.Gambling Blues (Melvin Jackson) - 3:14
11.Baby, Please Don't Go (Big Joe Williams) - 2:23
12.Big Boss Man (Luther Dixon, Al Smith) - 2:41

Personnel
*John Hammond, Jr. - Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals
*Michael Bloomfield - Guitar, Piano, Vocals
*Wild Jimmy Spruill - Guitar
*Robbie Robertson - Guitar, Vocals
*Charlie Musselwhite - Harmonica, Vocals
*Jimmy Lewis - Bass, Drums
*Garth Hudson - Organ, Vocals
*Levon Helm - Drums, Vocals
*Eric Hudson - Organ

1970  John Hammond - Source Point / I'm Satisfied (2007 remaster)
1973  Bloomfield, Hammond, Dr.John - Triumvirate (Japan expanded edition)

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Joe Cocker - With A Little Help From My Friends (1968 uk, classic album, 2015 SACD)

In April 1969, Joe Cocker laid the groundwork for his ’70s stardom when he unveiled his debut album, With a Little Help From My Friends. For almost a decade, the Sheffield-born Cocker had been toiling in the trenches — first under the pseudonym Vance Arnold and later under his own name, fronting cult pub legends the Grease Band. In an era of self-contained bands and singer-songwriters, With a Little Help From My Friends bucked the trend in establishing Cocker as one of the most imaginative and distinctive interpretative singers of his generation.

The album opens with funky piano chords ushering in Dave Mason’s Traffic song “Feelin’ Alright,” the first of many tracks that Cocker made his own with help from backup singers Merry Clayton (who also sang on the Stones‘ ‘Gimme Shelter’) and Brenda and Patrice Holloway. Around the same time, he also debuted his singular stage mannerisms, which he later genially spoofed alongside John Belushi on Saturday Night Live.

The album’s highlights showcase Cocker’s formidable vocal and emotional range, including a bluesy reading of the 1926 pop standard “Bye Bye Blackbird”; Bob Dylan’s “Just Like a Woman,” lovingly approached like a church hymn; and a sultry arrangement of “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” that flipped the Animals’ famously angst-ridden version on its head. Cocker even threw some playful falsettos into “Marjorine,” one of two songs he co-wrote with pianist and fellow Grease Band alum Chris Stainton.

And then there’s the title track, a rare reinvention of a Beatles song that’s better than the the original. Cocker takes the lovely but rather staid Ringo Starr-sung cut and radically transformed it into a master class of soulful tension and release, punctuated by stinging guitars played by Jimmy Page. The following year, Cocker performed one of the most memorable sets at Woodstock, skyrocketing his fame and setting him up for an even more fruitful decade to come.

by Eduardo Rivadavia April 24, 2015 

Tracks
1. Feeling Alright (Dave Mason) - 4:15
2. Bye Bye Blackbird (Dixon, Henderson) - 3:31
3. Change In Louise (Chris Stainton, Joe Cocker) - 3:26
4. Marjorine (Chris Stainton, Joe Cocker) - 2:17
5. Just Like A Woman (Bob Dylan) - 5:20
6. Do I Still Figure In Your Life? (Peter Dello) - 4:02
7. Sandpaper Cadillac (Chris Stainton, Joe Cocker) - 3:20
8. Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood (B. Benjamin, G. Caldwell, S. Marcus) - 4:43
9. With A Little Help From My Friends (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 5:12
10.I Shall Be Released (Bob Dylan) - 4:43

Musicians
*Joe Cocker - Vocals
*Nick Harrison  -  Strings Arranger
*Su Wheetman - Vocals
*Sunny Wheetman - Vocals  
*Chris Stainton -  Bass, Piano, Organ
*Mike Kellie - Drums
*Stevie Winwood - Organ
*Henry Mccullough - Guitar  
*Madeline Bell, Rosetta Hightower  - Vocals  
*B.J. Wilson - Drums
*Jimmy Page - Guitar
*Tommy Eyre - Organ
*Clem Cattini - Drums
*Albert Lee – Guitar
*Tony Visconti - Guitar
*Carol Kaye - Bass
*Merry Clayton - Vocals
*Laudir - Congas Tumba, Maracas
*Artie Butler - Piano
*David Cohen - Guitar
*Paul Humphries - Drums

1970  Joe Cocker - Mad Dogs And Englishmen (Deluxe 2005 two disc set)
1976  Joe Cocker - Stingray

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Shawn Phillips - Faces (1969-72 us, gorgeous orchestrated folk with psych and prog tinges, 2014 remaster)

Shawn Phillips is one of most fascinating and enigmatic musicians to come out of the early '70s singer-songwriter boom. The mere fact that he was a musician as much as a singer and songwriter made him stand out, and helped him attract a dedicated following. His refusal to shape his music -- which crosses between folk-rock, jazz, progressive, pop, and classical -- to anyone else's expectations has allowed him to hold onto a large and dedicated cult following, without ever achieving the stardom that his talent seems to merit.......

With 15 albums behind him since the mid-1960s, Phillips has a following, in America, Europe, and Japan, and he has performed at different world music festivals. A cult figure whose peers include Van Dyke Parks and, perhaps, Leonard Cohen (though Cohen's public profile is enhanced by his following, as an established poet and author, in the literary community), he remains an enigmatic figure on the music landscape. 

Faces is a very challenging and rewarding album, with some of the most driving songs Phillips ever wrote, juxtaposed with material even more ethereal than anything on Second Contribution. Faces shows Phillips working through music so soft and reflective that at times it almost seems as though it may break, balanced with solid electric rock, some of it with a topical message yet -- check out "I Took a Walk."

by Bruce Eder 

Tracks
1. Landscape - 4:20
2. L Ballade - 7:22
3. Hey Miss Lonely - 3:36
4. Chorale - 7:34
5. Parisian Plight II - 13:19
6. We - 3:43
7. Anello (Where Are You) - 2:24
8. I Took A Walk - 4:52
9. A Christmas Song - 3:27
Words and Music by Shawn Phillips

Musicians
*Shawn Phillips - Guitar, Vocals
*Paul Buckmaster - Cello, Keyboards, Piano
*Glenn Ross Campbell - Steel  Guitar
*Jack Conrad - Bass
*Martyn Ford - French Horn
*Ed Greene - Drums
*Remi Kabaka - Percussion
*Skaila Kanga - Harmonica, Harp
*David Katz - Orchestra Contractor, Violin
*Sneaky Pete Kleinow - Pedal Steel
*Henry Lowther - Trumpet
*Chris Mercer - Tenor  Saxophone
*Ed Morin - Drums
*Brian Odgers - Bass
*John Pignegny - French Horn
*Caleb Quaye - Guitar
*Joe Sample - Keyboards, Piano
*Leland Sklar - Bass
*Steve Winwood - Keyboards, Organ

1970  Shawn Phillips - Contribution / Second Contribution (2009 remaster)

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Mick Abrahams Band - At Last (1972 uk, good blues jazzy rock)

"Unlike most guitarists, Mick Abrahams' playing, blending sophisticated chord work with dazzling single-string breaks, goes beyond the distinction between lead and rhythm playing. You can hear echoes of many forms - Mick has a wide-ranging style drawing from jazz, country and western, rock'n'roll (ancient and modern) and he is also one of the most imaginative and sensitive exponents of bottlenecking.

Mick made his decision to go professional at the fitting age of 21, when his mother asked him whether he wanted a big party or a guitar to launch him into manhood; he chose the guitar, a Gibson SG that he still uses six years later, and shortly after formed his own band, the Original Hustlers, who played mostly Chuck Berry and Little Richard songs and what Mick laughingly refers to as "our own arrangements of Beatles' numbers". 

Beat Instrumental, February 1971

In 1970 Abraham's left the Blodwyn Pig, to be replaced by ex-Yes guitarist Peter Banks and guitarist/singer Larry Wallis. The group continued on under the leadership of Lancaster, although it was eventually renamed Lancaster's Bomber. Initially Abraham's formed a new group called Wommet; it was very short-lived, however, so he reorganized his career around the Mick Abraham's Band, with Walt Monaghan on bass, Bob Sargeant on guitar, keyboards and vocals, and Ritchie Dharma on drums. He released two albums on Chrysalis, Mick Abraham's and At Last, with his former Blodwyn Pig bandmate Lancaster expanding the lineup to a quintet. Neither sold very well, although Abraham's was never at a loss for paying gigs. 

by Bruce Eder

Tracks
1. When I Get Back (Mick Abrahams, Bob Sargeant) - 5:04
2. Absent Friends (Bob Sargeant) - 4:48
3. Time Now To Decide - 2:28
4. Whole Wide World - 3:53
5. Up And Down (Part 1) - 2:00
6. Up And Down (Part 2) - 2:15
7. Maybe Because - 8:01
8. The Good Old Days (Bob Sargeant) - 4:14
9. You'll Never Get It From Me (Bob Sargeant) - 3:36
All songs by Mick Abrahams except where stated

Personnel
*Mick Abrahams – Lead, 7-String , Slide, Pedal Steel Guitars
*Bob Sargeant - Vocals, Guitar, Mandolin, Keyboard
*Walt Monaghan - Electric Bass
*Jack Lancaster - Flute, Clarinet, Soprano, Tenor Saxophone
*Ritchie Dharma - Drums, Percussion

1969  Blodwyn Pig - Ahead Rings Out (2006 remaster and expanded)
1970  Blodwyn Pig - Getting To This
1971  Mick Abrahams - Mick Abrahams

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Wet Willie - Wet Willie II (1972 us, fine southern roots 'n' roll)

Continuing from their first album, Wet Willie II finds this Southern band charging ahead in the boogie stakes while attempting to establish themselves as a harder-edged companion to the Allman Brothers. Half the tunes are covers and the other half are self-written.

While the highlight is Wet Willie's version of Otis Redding's "Shout Bamalama," the group is putting forth more of their own identity than on their first disc. Good, raucous fun, Wet Willie II is another fine product from those good ol' Southern boys who like their grits and their rock & roll. 

by James Chrispell

Tracks
1. Shout Bamalama (Otis Redding) - 3:36
2. Love Made Me (Ricky Hirsch) - 4:53
3. Red Hot Chicken (Jack Hall, Jimmy Hall, John Anthony, Lewis Ross, Ricky Hirsch, Wick Larsen) - 4:46
4. It Hurts Me Too (Elmore James) - 4:59
5. Keep On Knockin' (Richard Penniman) - 2:27
6. Airport (John Anthony) - 3:34
7. Grits Ain't Groceries (Titus Turner) - 3:03
8. Shoutgun Man (Ricky Hirsch) - 4:12
9. Shaggi's Song (Wick Larsen) - 4:33

Wet Willie
*Jimmy Hall - Harmonica, Percussion, Tenor Saxophone, Vocals
*Rick Hirsch - Lead, Rhythm Guitars, Mandolin, Vocals
*John Anthony - Organ, Electic, Acoustic Piano, Percussion, Vocals
*Lewis Ross - Drums, Congas
*Jack Hall - Bass, Vocals
*Wick Larsen - Lead, Rhythm, Acoustic Guitars, Moog Synthsizer
Additional Personnel
*Scott Boyer - Steel Guitar on tracks 2 and 9
*Jai Johanny Johanson - Timbales on track 6
*Ella Avery -  - Backing Vocals on track 1
*Susie Storm - Backing Vocals on track 9

1973  Wet Willie - Drippin' Wet Live
1974  Wet Willie - Keep On Smilin
1975  Wet Willie - Dixie Rock
1976  Wet Willie - The Wetter The Better
1977  Wet Willie - Left Coast Live
1977/79  Wet Willie - Manorisms / Which One's Willie? (2013 Edition)

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Blodwyn Pig - Getting To This (1970 uk, remarkable hard blues rock with jazz flashes)

Getting To This, Blodwyn Pig's second opus, features Mick Abrahams (formerly of Jethro Tull) meeting acid and fusing it with his unique blues style. This album also shows the band as having a reflective side, thus creating the epic "San Francisco Sketches", and single handedly creating prog rock (no, it wasn't King Crimson folks!)

The album starts with the down-to-earth blues/rock-fest of "Drive Me", boasting a brilliant sax solo which starts off sounding like mighty guitar feedback, laid down by the sadly unheard of Jack Lancaster. (In fact, Blodwyn Pig as a whole is largely unheard of...). 

The second track, "Variations on Nainos", whatever the hell that means, is a flute driven psychedelic slice of strangeness, the last verse sung sounding as if the band were drowning in a bath. The next song, "See My Way" is in the same vein as MC5, but slightly more sedate and with crushing sax and drum work. "Long Bomb Blues" is a hilarious 1 minute ditty all about Mick Abrahams getting drunk and hauled over by the cops. His wife beats him upon his return. 

The aforementioned "San Francisco Sketches"...THE 4-part prog track. Opening with the beautifully reflective 'Beach Scape', it really makes your mind float out to cosmic realms. The second part, 'Fisherman's Wharf' is a jazzy swagger, featuring saxophonist Jack Lancaster pulling out all the stops. We return to tranquillity in part three, 'Telegraph Hill', mellow and cool. This is ripped apart and laid waste to by the final chunk, the slow and sludgy saxophonic cacophony 'Close The Door, I'm Falling Out Of The Room'...this is one of the darkest, most gruelling pieces I've ever heard. 

The heavy overtones are retained in the next track, "Worry", a mighty guitar fuelled anger stomp with haunting vocal work. This is followed by the slightly stupid and twee "Toys", a song about a small boy's toys telling him to love them right...

We find ourselves back in hilarity land with "To Rassman", a bluesy-reggae song that almost mocks the early reggae movement of the late 60's in the UK. And what a brilliant comical Rasta accent by Mick!

The last (original Vinyl) track truly is a crushing blow to the politicians running the insanely pointless Vietnamese war..."Send Your Son To Die"...even the title sums up the song's message. This is perhaps the angriest Anti-Nam song ever, with the exception of Black Sabbath's classic "War Pigs". Ron Berg is sure as hell not taking any prisoners with his thunderous drumming on this storming riff-fest.

Finally the 2 bonus tracks here on this release, these two tracks were apparently featured on the US edition Pig's debut "Ahead Rings Out". The first of these two tracks is "Summer Day" a truly masterfully-crafted blues song, with one of the most complicated riffs I've tried to play! The time changes on this are incredible!! The last is the laid back "Walk On Water", which opens with a single acoustic guitar and then ends up in a massive jazz-rock-psychedelic breakdown.

by Matt Ainsworth

Tracks
1. Drive Me - 3:21
2. Variations On Nainos - 3:49
3. See My Way - 5:06
4. Long Bomb Blues - 1:09
5. The Squirreling Must Go On (Abrahams, Pyle) - 4:24
6. San Francisco Sketches (Lancaster) - 8:13
.a.Beach Scape
.b.Fisherman's Wharf
.c.Telegraph Hill
.d.Close The Door, I'm Falling Out Of The Room
7. Worry (Pyle) - 3:45
8. Toys - 3:05
9. To Rassman (Berg) - 1:31
10.Send Your Son To Die - 4:27
11.Summer Day (Abrahams, Pyle) - 3:50
12. Walk On The Water - 3:42
All songs by  Mick Abrahams except where indicated

The Blodwyn Pig
*Mick Abrahams - Guitar, Vocals, Seven String Guitar, Tenor Guitar
*Jack Lancaster - Flute, Electric Violin, Tenor, Baritone, Sax, Phoon Horn, Cornet
*Andy Pyle - Electric Bass, Six String Bass
*Ron Berg - Drums, Tympani
*Graham Waller - Piano

1969  Blodwyn Pig - Ahead Rings Out (2006 remaster and expanded)
1971  Mick Abrahams - Mick Abrahams

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Wet Willie - The Wetter The Better (1976 us. great southern boogie funkie rock)

Wet Willie were one of founding fathers of the almighty southern rock genre to appear in the early 1970’s.  Signed by Capricorn Records, they never hit the big time like Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Allman Bros or even The Marshall Tucker Band.  Still, they were able to sell a few albums and crisscrossed the country on tour for many years. 

Part of the reason the band never hit it as big as their friends is because they had a true mishmash of sounds going that made them more of an acquired taste.  While there is no doubt they were a southern rock band, Wet Willie liked to incorporate country, rock along with some sublime jazzy licks and rhythms and even a dab of blue-eyed soul into their music.  While this made them more unique it also limited their appeal.

While most known for the song “Keep on Smilin’” the band created and released a boatload of good music including the album The Wetter the Better.  Besides having one of the best album covers of all time, the album contained some great bluesy, southern fried tunes.  “Teaser,” “Baby Fat” and “Walkin’ By Myself” are rather addictive songs that once they get into your head have a hard time being silenced.  The final song, “Everybody’s Stoned” is a fan favorite that sums up the era well.

By Jeb Wright

Tracks
1. No, No, No (Michael Duke) - 3:11
2. Teaser (Michael Duke) - 4:03
3. Baby Fat (Ricky Hirsch, Jimmy Hall, Michael Duke, Jack Hall) - 3:54
4. Ring You Up (Michael Duke) - 5:18
5. Comic Book Hero (John Anthony) - 4:42
6. Walkin' By Myself (Ricky Hirsch, Jimmy Hall, Jack Hall) - 4:52
7. Everything That 'Cha Do (Will Come Back To You) (Ricky Hirsch) - 5:14
8. Everybody's Stoned (Ricky Hirsch) - 5:10

The Wet Willie
*Jack Hall - Bass, Vocals
*Jimmy Hall - Harmonica, Saxophone, Percussion, Lead Vocals
*Earl Ford - Trombone
*Michael Duke - Melodica, Piano, Moog, Lead Vocals
*Ricky Hirsch - Lead, Slide, Acoustic Guitars, Vocals
*Lewis Ross - Drums
Guest Musicians
*Jerome Joseph - Congas
*Dezso Lakatos - Baritone Saxophone
*Skip Lane - Baritone Saxophone
*Leo LaBranche - Trumpet
*Danna Hall, Leslie Hawkins - Vocals

1973  Wet Willie - Drippin' Wet Live
1974  Wet Willie - Keep On Smilin
1975  Wet Willie - Dixie Rock
1977  Wet Willie - Left Coast Live

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Missing Link - Nevergreen (1972 germany, astonishing jazz prog kraut rock, 2005 extra track edition)

Missing Link is generally said to be a Munich band. This is right in that the six people forming the band met there in 1971. Bassist Dave Schratzenstaller comes from Munich. Most of the others, however, moved there from other parts of Germany: On drums Holger Brandt (from Bad Salzdetfurth near Hiidesheim), Gunther Latuschik playing the saxophone, Markus Sing on guitar, the singer Gabriel Dominik Mueller, and Dieter Miekautsch on keyboards. At that time, Munich was something like a stronghold of psychedelic and progressive music in Germany, with groups like Amon Diiul, Embryo, Popol Vuh, Out of Focus, Sub, Siloah, Between, Niagara, Subject Esq., Sameti, Sunbirds, Yggdrasil, Pentagon, and Anima. Missing Link should follow the same direction. 

They proved especially convincing on stage, where they were discovered by Gerhard Augustin. He was looking for talented young people for United Artists and at that time also managed the group Amon Duiil II. Gerhard Augustin provided them with a contract for three LPs, and in the autumn of 1972 they started work in the studio of Dieter Dierks in Stommein (Rhineland), well known for the many recordings for the Pilz and Ohr labels. The band was pleased to find there was a Mellotron in the studio which they could use for their recordings. Seven of the songs recorded there - all written by themselves - were released on the LP "Nevergreen!" (United Artists UAS 29439 I) at the end of the year. The title was meant to constitute an opposition to the commercial evergreen, to the level of which they wouldn't descend. The picture on the fold-out cover was designed by Holger Brandt. It should, in a mocking kind of way, represent the missing link in the evolution from ape to man. Inside, the cover shows (from left to right) Markus Sing, Holger Brandt, Gunther Latuschik, Gabriel Dominik Mueller, Dieter Miekautsch, and Dave Schratzenstaller, shot in the environs of Munich. 

According to Gerhard Augustin, 2000 copies of this LP have been pressed. A short while later, at the beginning of 1973, the 7" single "Friday on my mind'V'Kids hunting" (United Artists 35568) was released. The song on its flip side was already on the LP, the one on the front side a very unconventional new version of the wonderful Easybeats hit from 1966. The picture on the sleeve is based on a photograph taken at the same session as that one on the inner sides of the LP's fold-out cover. Here, however, Dieter Miekautsch is missing. He probably stood too far off. The wrong spelling of "Kids" (Kid's) on the sleeve and on the label - apostrophised - is due to an unsuspecting graphic designer who did not know the text. This time, only 1000 copies were pressed, if at all. None of the songs were bad, although they perhaps slightly lacked the fire of the band's live performances.

A second and third LP could not be recorded, because at that time the label went into a financial inbalance. Every low-rank manager flew first class around the world and squandered money the artists could not bring in to this extent. Thus, finally the times of United Artists Germany were over. Also Missing Link were going downhill. They hardly presented pieces of their own any longer, but started to perform mainly in U.S. clubs, where they played cover versions. Most of them played in several groups at the same time. Dieter Miekautsch was replaced by Konstantin Wecker who later should become prominent as a singer/songwriter and cocaine addict, and in 1973 Missing Link finally split.

In 1975, Holger Brandt - as a member of Gert Westphal and Between – released the LP "Hesse between music", and in 1976 - as a member of Sahara - the LP "For all the clowns". Today, he is a music publisher in Freising near Munich and, at the same time, plays in various bands. Dieter Miekautsch became quite well-known. He was involved in three Embryo LPs, namely "We keep on", "Bad heads & bad cats" and "Live", and in the self-titled second LP of Missus Beastly from 1974 and the Real Ax Band's one and only LP (1977). Markus Sing continued to play together with Konstantin Wecker in Wecker's backing band until he committed suicide in the early 1980s. Dave Schratzenstaller went to New York, Gabriel Dominik Mueller followed his ambition and lived as an actor in Switzerland. What has become of Gunther Latuschik is not known to any of the people involved.

This release contains as a bonus song the single track "Friday on my mind", so that includes the complete work of Missing Link ever released.  Many thanks to Holger Brandt, Gerhard Augustin, Holger Heimers, Jurgen Kaun, and Fuzzy for their friendly support.

by Birte Haffner

Tracks
1. Spoiled Love - 5:21
2. Song For Ann (Dieter Miekautsch) - 2:52
3. Time Will Change - 5:35
4. Only Me - 5:12
5. Sorcery (Charles Lloyd) - 5:26
6. Filled Up - 6:29
7. Kids Hunting - 6:15
8. Friday On My Mind (Vanda, Young) - 3:07
All compositions by Missing Link except where stated

The Missing Link
*Markus Sing - Electric, Acoustic, Twelve-String Guitar
*Dieter Miekautsch - Piano, Organ, Mellotron
*Holger Brandt - Drums, Percussion
*Dave Schratzenstaller - Bass
*Günther Latuschik - Tenor, Soprano, Alto Saxophone
*Gabriel Dominik Mueller - Vocals

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