Various Artists - Follow Me Down: Vanguard's Lost Psychedelic Era (1966-70 us, superb acid folk garage psych, 2014 compilation)

Founded in the late 1950s, Vanguard Records quickly established itself as a stalwart folk and blues label, issuing Joan Baez, Odetta, the Weavers, Charlie Musselwhite, Buddy Guy and the Newport Folk Festival recordings. Many of these successes were unconventional, showcasing a daring A&R vision held by Sam Charters and Maynard Solomon, amongst others. Yet, alongside the label’s hits, these early visionaries signed, produced and released other challenging and genre-pushing records that came and went without a whimper or a prayer.

Charters and Vanguard scouted the cutting edge (and at times the cutting-cutting-edge) of music from the greatest counter-cultural scenes of 1960s America. From the East Village of New York to the Jabberwocky crazed-folk of Berkeley and the auto-factory clang and chop of Detroit, Vanguard schizophrenically strove to present to its audience new sounds and new grooves. And while the wild experimentation of John Fahey’s “Requia” and the crazed jams of Country Joe are still beloved by audiences and readily available, those records present only a small part of the story.

This compilation marks the first time the Vanguard label has gone through its archives to hand-select tracks from their best “lost” records and 45s. Many of the bands featured here only released one record, or a smattering of singles, before drifting into obscurity, although many of the artists went on to greater fame after their stint at Vanguard was done. And while they are stylistically varied, there lies a common thread of musical proficiency and integrity that represents the trademark of quality Vanguard strived to uphold…no matter how bombastic, fuzz-soaked or outer-worldly the music may have seemed.

Ultimately, this record isn’t about digging for “Nuggets” or “Pebbles”, but rather about mining gems from the Vanguard vaults. I invite you to “Follow Me Down” and discover the treasures that have emerged from the excavation. I assure you that you won’t be disappointed.

by Isaac Slusarenko

Artists - Tracks
1. The Third Power - Getting Together (Drew Abbott, Jem Targal) - 4:22
2. Erik - You Said/But I've Got My Way (Eric Heller) - 5:48
3. Listening - Stoned Is (Gilbert Moses, Michael Tschudin) - 4:43
4. The 31st Of February - A Nickel's Worth Of Benny's Help (Scott Boyer) - 4:24
5. Elizabeth - You Should Be More Careful (Robert Patterson) - 4:06
6. Jeff Monn - I Can Understand Your Problem (Jeff Monn) - 2:28
7. Listening - See You Again (Ernie Kamanis, Peter Malick, Walter Powers, Michael Tschudin) - 3:46
8. Circus Maximus - Travelin' Around (Bob Bruno) - 4:00
9. The Frost - Take My Hand (Dick Wagner) - 4:23
10.Notes From The Underground - Where I'm At (Mike O' Connor, Skip Rose) - 3:01
11.The Vagrants - I Can't Make A Friend (Trade Martin, Jerry Storch) - 2:35
12.Serpent Power - The Endless Tunnel (David Meptzer) - 13:16
13.The Family Of Apostolic - Saigon Girls (Garry Bonner, Alan Gordon) - 2:25
14.The Third Power - Persecution (Drew Abbott) - 3:26
15.Notes From The Underground - Why Did You Put Me On (Mark Mandell) - 2:42
16.The Hi-Five - Did You Have To Rub It In? (Ted Baron) - 3:08
17.The Far Cry - Hellhound (Jerey Whiting) - 3:44
18.The Frost - Big Time Spender (Dick Wagner) - 4:32

Related Acts
1970  The Third Power - Believe (2011 Bonus Tracks Edition)
1968  Erik Heller - Look Where I Am
1968  Listening - Listening
1967-68  Circus Maximus - Circus Maximus / Neverland Revisited
1968  The 31st Of February - The 31st Of February
1969  The Frost - Frost Music
1969  The Frost - Rock and Roll Music
1970  The Frost - Through The Eyes Of Love
1968  Notes From The Underground - Notes From The Underground
1965-68  Vagrants - I Can't Make a Friend (2011 remaster)
1967/69  The Serpent Power / Tina And David Meltzer - The Serpent Power / Poet Song
1968  The Far Cry - The Far Cry

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The Serpent Power / Tina And David Meltzer - The Serpent Power / Poet Song (1967/69 us, spectacular poetical acid folk psych with gorgeous female vocals)

The Serpent Power were amongst the many bands that emerged during those heady days of 1967 but, unlike many of their contemporaries who went on to build solid careers, their arrival was only to be a brief spell in the sun as this delightful album was to prove their sole release as a full band. There is no doubt that it stands proudly alongside other better known works of that time.

The group was formed by David Meltzer and his wife Tina, intending for it to be a vehicle for his poems. David had recently had a volume of his poems published by Oyez as The Dark Continent, some of which are reproduced in the notes for this CD reissue, and with this new venture he was very much in the driving seat writing all the music and lyrics and playing guitar and harmonica as well as sharing the vocals with Tina.

The album is linked to the sunshine pop and folk-rock genres on at least one internet site, but it was certainly not following those commercial labels despite the group containing two ex-Grass Roots in Denny Ellis and David Stenson. Rather it is representative of that small group of releases (including Fairport Convention's first album) which were genuinely seeking new musical forms. Perhaps most closely rooted in folk, they were following some of the same paths that acts like Country Joe & The Fish and early Jefferson Airplane were moving along. They were electrified but in a restrained way, and they were intent on letting the lyrics carry the songs rather than over-complicating them with any vocal arrangements. The end result quickly marks this out as a lost gem of the period.

Opening with the upbeat organ-led ‘Don't You Listen To Her’, arguably the most commercial track, they then move to ‘Gently, Gently’, a lovely quiet song led by Tina that is very reminiscent of early Fairport as it drifts on restrained drums. The organ returns effectively on the mid-tempo ‘Open House’, before Tina again leads on the relaxed and summery ‘Flying Away’ that features some beautiful guitar work. ‘Nobody Blues’ offers strong lyrics against adventurous blues guitar lines, while ‘Up And Down’ and ‘Sky Baby’ both have a Lovin' Spoonful feel to them. ‘Forget’ and the short ‘Dope Again’ continue the adventurous work before ‘Endless Tunnel’ closes the album. At over thirteen minutes, this was their obligatory-for-the-period long track, and they carry it off far better than most, with it being enhanced by the fascinating raga-like electric banjo work from JP Pickens

They had played their first gig, a benefit for the Telegraph Neighbourhood Center, in November 1966, and struck lucky as there they were spotted by Country Joe & The Fish's manager, ED Denson, who immediately recommended them to Vanguard Records where they worked with producer Samuel Charters. However the release suffered from limited distribution and they never managed to break out of their immediate San Francisco area, leading to the group breaking up in 1968, leaving us with a major 'what might have been' question.

Ace-Records

Tina and David Meltzer were the mainstays behind the short-lived, but quite talented Serpent Power. Produced by Sam Charters, "Poet Song" offered up an odd mixture of spoken word poems and artsy folk-rock material.   While marketed as a duo, the album largely served as a showcase for David.  In addition to writing all 15 selections  (both the poems and songs), he was also credited with lead guitar and handling about half of the vocals. 

Tina clearly had the better voice, so it shouldn't come as a major surprise to discover she was responsible for most of the highlights. Those included the martial 'I'm So Willing' (kind of a proto-feminist ballad, 'Hymn To Love' and 'Pure White Place' (the latter sounding like an early Jefferson Airplane outtake).

Bad-Cat

Tracks
1. Don't You Listen To Her - 2:20
2. Gently, Gently - 2:36
3. Open House - 3:31
4. Flying Away - 4:26
5. Nobody Blues - 3:49
6. Up And Down - 3:37
7. Sky Baby - 2:31
8. Forget - 3:34
9. Dope Again - 0:47
10.Endless Tunnel - 13:13
11.I'm The Early Morning Racer (Poem) - 1:39
12.I'll Forget You - 3:44
13.The Bath (Poem) - 0:33
14.I'm A Lover - 2:51
15.Ravel Blues - 4:38
16.The Blackest Rose (Poem) - 0:55
17.It Is For You - 1:50
18.Lullaby - 2:54
19.I'm So Willing - 4:15
20.Lamentation For Hank Williams (Poem) - 1:09
21.Hymn To Love - 3:18
22.Confessin' (Poem) - 2:27
23.Pure White Place - 4:34
24.Poem For My Wife (Poem) - 1:01
25.For Tina - 2:28
All compositions by David Meltzer
Tracks 1-10 from The Serpent Power 1967
Tracks 11-25 from Poet Song 1969

The Serpent Power
*Clark Coolidge - Drums
*Denny Ellis - Lead Guitar
*David Meltzer - Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica
*Tina Meltzer - Vocals
*John Payne - Keyboards
*Jean-Paul Pickens - Banjo
*David Stenson - Bass

Poet Song 1969
*Ed Bogas - Violin, Viola, Guitar, Bass
*Jean Cunningham - Flute
*Tom Heimberg *Viola
*Don Irving - Guitar
*Sally Kell - Cello
*David Meltzer - Vocals, Guitar, Mandolin
*Tina Meltzer - Vocals
*Don O'Brien - Sax, Woodwinds
*Krebe Ritter - French Horns
*Nathan Rubin - Violin
*Earl Saxton - French Horns

1969  Tina And David Meltzer - Green Morning

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The Far Cry - The Far Cry (1968 us, amazing psychedelic blues jazz rock)

An early entry to the horn-rock sweepstakes, this seven piece outfit hailed from Boston, which was in the throes of the notorious "Bosstown hype" when their album was recorded. Featured the talents of bassist Sean Hutchinson, guitarist Paul Lenart, keyboard player Larry Luddecke, sax player Dick Martin, drummer Victor McGill, guitarist David Perry and singer Jere Whitting. Signed by the short-lived New York-based Vanguard Apostolic Records, the band's self-titled debut teamed them with producer Daniel Weiss. 

Imagine Blood, Sweat and Tears locked into a closet with Captain Beefheart and Quicksilver Messenger Service's John Cipollina. Largely original (the lone exception being a cover of Riley King's 'Sweet Little Angel'), the album featured a strange blend of jazz, fusion and psychedelic rock moves. 

The combination of styles was actually intriguing, blending howling vocals, biting electric guitar and avant-garde saxophone with other instruments such as vibraphone, organ and conga. 

Tracks
1. Shapes (David Perry) - 4:29
2. Midnight Juice (Jere Whiting, Larry Luddecke) - 7:19
3. Dream? (Julia Grossman, Victor McGill) - 9:51
4. Hellhound (Jere Whiting) - 3:43
5. Earthlight (David Perry, Paul Lenart) - 3:39
6. Sweet Little Angel (Riley King, Jules Taub) - 8:05
7. Listen To The Walls (David Friedel, David Perry) - 6:51

The Far Cry
*Jere Whiting - Vocals, Harmonica
*Dick Martin - Tenor Saxophone, Congas
*Larry Luddecke - Organ, Piano
*Paul Lenart - Guitar
*David Perry - Guitar, Vocals
*Victor McGill - Drums
*Sean Hutchinson - Bass

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Circus Maximus - Circus Maximus / Neverland Revisited (1967-68 us, remarkable folk jazzy psych, 2001 comet issue)

To someone who never lived through the 1960’s, it’s hard to comprehend the amount of cultural experimentation that was taking place in America.  Nothing it seemed was being taken for granted, almost as though young artists all across the country had made it their mission to try to re-imagine every last aspect of pop culture, especially music. At the epicenter of all this experimentation was, of course, New York’s Greenwich Village, which at that time was not only a hotbed of modern jazz, an art form that had at its very core, experimentation, but also the country’s budding folk music scene.

As an outgrowth of that Greenwich Village mix of jazz and folk, a group calling itself Circus Maximus emerged, formed when Bob Bruno, a young jazz piano player, happened to meet a young guitarist and recovering pop star wannabe named Ronny Crosby.  A few months earlier, Crosby had come to the City from Upstate and reinvented himself as a wandering folk troubadour who went by the name Jerry Jeff Walker. Bruno had been playing piano since the age of five and had, literally, been hanging around jazz clubs his whole life.

Jerry Jeff Walker, on the other hand, had played ukulele as a kid, and eventually formed a garage band in his small hometown of Oneonta. Though his band was good enough to score an American Bandstand audition, rock and pop were not near and dear to Walker’s heart.  Over the years he had fallen in love with country and folk, and knew that’s where he wanted to focus his creative energies.

So when Bruno, Walker and Circus Maximus went into the studio in 1967 to record the first of their two albums, what they came out with was an offbeat, uneven, but occasionally inspired hybrid of both jazz and folk. Around the same time that all this musical whimsy and cross pollination was taking place, there was something nearly as interesting occurring in the world of radio.  The criminally underutilized FM band, with its rich, full, static-free sound, started to slowly give rise to a growing number of non-commercial “underground” stations across the country, particularly in college towns like Berkeley and Austin.

And the music the “hosts” on such underground stations played was the stuff the Top 40 stations wouldn’t touch; the experimental gumbo being offered up by groups like Love, the Fugs, the Holy Modal Rounders and Circus Maximus.  And one of the first (and only) national “hits” of that underground era was a song written by Bruno called “Wind,” which proved to be particularly popular in New York and a handful of West Coast markets.

“Wind” featured an infectious jazz hook, some too-cool-for-school vocals by Bruno, and a few bars of free-form, almost atonal improvisational piano playing. It maintained, however, the unmistakable sound and feel of a folk tune, which made it perfect for an era whose musical iconography included folk legends like Bob Dylan, Donovan, Joan Baez and Barry Maguire. In part because it clocked in at just over eight minutes long, “Wind” never came close to charting as a single. 

Nevertheless, for many children of the Sixties, “Wind” remains both a touchstone of their lives and an essential building block of the desert island jukebox of their minds. Because just like any magic carpet ride of youth, the song has maintained its remarkable ability, despite the passing of the years, to transport certain people of a certain age to a simpler place and time, when life was defined not so much by the choices made, but by the possibilities that lie ahead.

by M.C. Antil

Tracks
1. Travelin' Around (Bob Bruno) - 3:56
2. Lost Sea Shanty (arr. Jerry Jeff Walker) - 4:06
3. Oops I Can Dance (Jerry Jeff Walker) - 3:31
4. You Know I've Got The Rest Of My Life To Go (Bob Bruno) - 2:46
5. Bright Light Lover (Bob Bruno) - 2:50
6. Chess Game (Bob Bruno) - 3:26
7. People's Games (Jerry Jeff Walker) - 2:30
8. Time Waits (Bob Bruno) - 3:50
9. Fading Lady (Jerry Jeff Walker) - 5:34
10.Short Haired Fathers (Bob Bruno) - 3:00
11.Wind (Bob Bruno) - 8:07
12.Hello Baby (Bob Bruno) - 2:45
13.How's Your Sky, Straight Guy Spy (Bob Bruno) - 2:07
14.Come Outside, Believe In It (Jerry Jeff Walker) - 2:45
15.Parallel (Bob Bruno) - 3:37
16.Trying To Live Right (Jerry Jeff Walker) - 2:40
17.Lonely Man (Bob Bruno) - 2:07
18.Mixtures (Jerry Jeff Walker) - 2:27
19.Negative Dreamer Girl (Jerry Jeff Walker) - 2:42
20.Neverland (Bob Bruno) - 4:29
21.Neverland Revisited (Bob Bruno) - 1:39
22.Hansel And Gretel (Jerry Jeff Walker) - 6:01

The Circus Maximus
*Jerry Jeff Walker - Guitar, Vocals
*Bob Bruno - Lead Guitar, Organ, Piano, Vocals
*Peter Troutner - Guitar, Vocals, Tambourine
*David Scherstrom - Drums
*Gary White - Bass, Vocals

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Glory - On The Air (1970 us, stunning hard stoner rock, 2001 vinyl edition)

Glory was probably San Diego's longest-lived underground rock band. Formed in the late sixties, Glory played their brand of straight ahead, kick ass rock and roll until the early 80's at which time guitarist Jerry Raney formed the prolific Beat Farmers.

"On The Air" was recorded live in 1970 during a broadcast from the studios of San Diego's "underground" radio station KPRI. The result is an "in your face" performance built around their amazing rhythm section and led by wailing guitars and incredibly powerful vocals.

Great original tunes like "Morning Ride", "Slow Back" and "Another Man Done Gone" shows that these boys were street wise and nail tough. They also do justice to classic rock tunes like Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love" which they transform into what sounds like an evil threat from a serial killer.

Overall the LP is dark but energetic and shows why Glory earned their well deserved reputation as rock and roll mercenaries 

Rockadelic 

Tracks
1.Mornin' Ride (Jerry Raney, Jack Butler, Mike Millsap) - 3:23
2.Who Do You Love (Ellis McDaniels) - 4:22
3.Slow Back (Mike Millsap, Jerry Raney, Jack Butler, Jack Pinney) - 5:43
4.Another Man Done Gone (Public Domain) - 5:36
5.It Really Doesn't Matter (Jerry Raney) - 4:15
6.Come On Down (Mike Millsap, Jerry Raney, Jack Butler, Jack Pinney) - 4:30
7.Cantaloupe Moon (Jerry Raney) - 3:24
8.Bird Run (Jerry Raney) - 3:46
9.Little Queenie (Chuck Berry) - 5:51

The Glory
*Mike Millsap - Vocals
*Jack Butler - Bass
*Jack Pinney - Drums
*Jerry Raney - Guitar
*Jeff Jones - Guitar

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Ancient Grease - Women And Children First (1970 uk, great heavy prog psych blues rock, 2003 digipak edition)

Ancient Grease is a clever moniker for a band, although Strawberry Dust were rather baffled to find themselves so named on their 1970 debut album, Women and Children First. Dust's reputation as a rousing live act was already cemented by several years of plying cover songs around the South Wales club circuit, which is where drummer John Weathers came across them. Impressed, he oversaw their demo, which landed Dust a deal at Mercury, then co-wrote, arranged, and co-produced their full-length. And thus begins the Racing Cars story, for Dust/Grease featured both the band's future frontman, Gareth "Morty" Mortimer, and guitarist, Graham Williams. 

However, this album is very much a child of its time, only hinting at what's to come. It's a heady mixture of pub rock, hard-rocking R&B, blues, psychedelia, and San Francisco prog rock, with nods to the British hard rock scene along the way, Dust/Grease hit just about every musical touchstone of their day. Incidentally, Weathers' Eyes of Blue bandmate, Phil Ryan, provides the fabulous keyboard work on the gorgeous "Where the Snow Lies Forever," the genre-bending "Odd Song," and presumably the rest of the album, although no keyboardist is actually credited. 

The album's title track captures the excitement they engendered on-stage, "Freedom Train" their propensity to roam around genres, "Mother Grease the Cat" their proggy best, "Prelude to a Blind Man" their pubby predilections and bluesy flair, "Time to Die" their emotive power, and "Mystic Mountain" their pop sensibilities. Dust/Grease were ferociously talented musicians, but they were still a covers band struggling to find their own sound. They never got the chance. Mercury failed to publicize Women, and it sank without a trace. The band followed it into oblivion, as the members swiftly departed for new projects. Morty and Williams, of course, reunited later in the decade, and the rest is history. 

by Jo-Ann Greene

Tracks
1. Freedom Train (John "Pugwsh" Weathers) - 4:04
2. Don't Want (John "Pugwsh" Weathers, G. Stevens) - 5:04
3. Odd Song (Gary Pickford Hopkins, John "Pugwsh" Weathers) - 5:49
4. Eagle Song (John "Pugwsh" Weathers) - 4:55
5. Where The Snow Lies Forever (Phil Ryan) - 5:06
6. Mother Grease The Cat (G. Stevens) - 5:11
7. Time To Die (John "Pugwsh" Weathers, G. Stevens) - 4:03
8. Prelude To A Blind Man (Curran) - 4:59
9. Mystic Mountain (John "Pugwsh" Weathers) - 2:55
10.Women And Children First (John "Pugwsh" Weathers) - 6:32
11.Freedom Train (Alternate Take) (John "Pugwsh" Weathers) - 3:28

The Ancient Grease
*Graham "Morty" Mortimer - Vocals
*Graham Williams - Lead Guitar
*Jack Bass - Bass Guitar
*John "Pugwsh" Weathers - Drums
Additional Musicians
*Phil Ryan - Keyboards
*Gary Pickford Hopkins - Vocals

Related Act
1971  Big Sleep - Bluebell Wood (2007 remastered edition)

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Mr. Albert Show - Warm Motor (1971 holland. sensational prog jazz blues rock, 2002 remaster with extra tracks)

During the weekend of August 30th to 31st, 1969, a number of musicians from various bands active in the region of Eindhoven, The Netherlands, performed in a club in Mannheim, Germany. Some of the band members from "Moses and the Scouts" and "Dirty Underwear" discovered that they had much in common in terms of musical ideas and decided to form a new band - with Broer Bogaart drums and congas, Tom Fautubun bass, Eric Lintermans guitar, Bonki Bongaerts organ, Bertus Borgers saxophone and vocals and Inez and Moses performing as extra solo vocalists. 

After some rehearsals, and on the way to the first gig, there wasn't a name yet for the new band. To tease the shy roadie, Albert, it was decided to call the band "The Mr. Albert Show" and despite Albert's protests, the name was never changed. After recording the new written repertoire on a cassette, Bertus and Moses hitched a ride to the Red Bullet record company. Willem van Kooten, the big boss, immediately decided to offer the band a four-year record contract, which the band members signed without any hesitation.

In 1971, the second LP, "Warm Motor", which was also produced by Peter Koelewijn, was released and perfectly reflected the band at that time. However, Red Bullet was unable to lift a single from the LP, as the songs were too long, the band no longer had a female vocalist and the music was too freaky. The band was focussing on the new trends of the time and exploring music from around the whole world, i.e. Jazz, Underground, African, Indian and much more. We wanted to be actively involved in the cultural and social developments that were actually taking place and coming up with appropriate singles wasn't exactly part of our daily interests. 

As a result, the first signs of friction arose between the band and the record company. As a compromise, additional recordings were made in order to be able to release a single, e.g. "Show Me Your Tongue", but in 1972, we broke all ties with Red Bullet. We continued to play, but still had two years remaining on our contract, rendering the band members unable to sign up with another record company. We decided to go our own separate way and on September 29th, 1973, The Mr. Albert Show gave their last performance at "de Effenaar" in Eindhoven, The Netherlands.

by Bertus Borgers, November 2002

Tracks
1. Did You Really Find Somebody - 10:00
2. I'm Not More Than A Sign - 3:57
3. Electronic Baby (Bertus Borgers, Bonki Bongaerts, R. Sylvester) - 6:47
4. Let It All Hang Out - 4:40
5. Bantal - 3:53
6. Woman - 12:14
7. I Can't Help It - 2:32
8. Show Me Your Tongue - 3:34
9. Can't Find My Way Home (Steve Winwood) - 5:01
10.Hooked On You - 4:07
11.Picking Up Your Page - 3:28
All compositions by Bertus Borgers unless as else stated.
Bonus Tracks 7-11

The Mr. Albert Show
*Bertus Borgers - Vocals, Flute, Saxophone, Guitar, Keyboards, Vibes
*Tom Fautubun - Bass Guitar
*Bonki Bongaerts - Organ, Piano, Bluesharp, Keyboards
*Erik Lintermans - Guitar
*Broer Boogaart - Drums, Percussion

1970  Mr. Albert Show - Mr. Albert Show (2002 remaster)

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Mr. Albert Show - Mr. Albert Show (1970 holland, incredible melt of prog blues psych jazz rock, 2002 remaster)

Allegedly, members of Mr. Albert Show know on a joint concert of the two previous formations "Moses and the scouts" and "Dirty Underwear" in Mannheim have learned. Or, probably already knew each partially before from Eindhoven, but at that weekend in the square city discovered musical similarities, which eventually led to Bertus Borgers, Bonki Bongaerts, Eric Lintermans, Tom Fautubun and Broer Bogaart formed a new band, they by the Bandroadie named Albert. With Inez was found also a singer who left the group after the release of their debut album.

The band quickly attracted attention with their energetic performances in Holland, it was not difficult to get a recording contract. In the spring of 1970 in The Hague as was the self-titled debut from Mr. Albert Show. The song "Wild Sensation" was previously released as a single and reached number 17 in the Netherlands of the charts.

A jazzy complex Protoprog on Blue base there to "Mr. Albert Show" to hear Borngaerts dominated by organ and soloist influenced by sax and guitar. Stylistically similar climes are held in the early 70s and various bands from Denmark (Burnin Red Ivanhoe, Blast Furnace, the Rainbow Band and Thor's hammer - the Danish Saxprog), but also in the UK, there were there were roughly comparable to bands like Delivery, Affinity Web, Hot Dust, Colosseum or partially Black Widow. A varied mix of still squinting to the 60s songs, harder and bluesy rocking, at times almost aggressive sections and complex, jazz-rock, some of Sax, delicate guitar lines and electric piano or organ moments are here to listen. There are usually quite powerful vocals by Inez and Borgers.

"Mr. Albert Show" is a beautiful album with a powerfully presented Protoprog, not really very original or different from that which had the above-mentioned comparison bands in the program, but in the canon of all these productions certainly does not need to hide. If you appreciate this bluesy-jazzy Saxprog the early 70s and need more of it, which should also obtain the 2002 re-released on CD Long Hair re-mastered edition from the original master tapes. German record company release Long Hair Music from the German Bad Neuenahr in 2002 sent an email to Peter Koelewijn asking for information about the MR. Albert Show. To the surprise of the Dutchman, wanted to society, as they say specialized in "Psychedelic, Progressive Rock Productions", the material of the Mr. Albert Show in Germany release on CD, two and thirty years after the album release in the Netherlands. Peter brought them into contact with Red Bullet, owner of the tapes and Bertus Borgers, the big man in the former band. The CD came out and the Germans made something beautiful: there was a booklet with lots of information about the group, a story written especially for this project by Bertus and a lot of authentic photographs of the band from the heyday.
by Adamus67

Tracks
1.Act Of Love (Bertus Borgers, Roger McCough) - 5:29
2.Kings Of Galaxy (Bertus Borgers, Cees Schrama) - 4:07
3.King Horse (Bertus Borgers) - 3:20
4.Don´T Worry (Bertus Borgers) - 2:36
5.White Bear Skin Coat (Bertus Borgers) - 2:26
6.Wild Sensation (Bertus Borgers) - 3:09
7.There´S A Sad Song In The Air (Bertus Borgers, Cees Schrama) - 7:14
8.White (Bertus Borgers, V.D.Heyden, Eric Lintermans) - 4:23
9.Revolver (Bertus Borgers) - 4:31

Mr. Albert Show
*Bonki Bongaerts - Keyboards
*Roeland Boogaart - Drums
*Bertus Borgers - Saxophone, Flute, Vocals
*Tom Fautubun - Bass
*Eric Lintermans - Guitar
With
*Ines - Background Vocals
*Floortje Klomp - Vocals
*Moses - Vocals

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Randy Newman - Born Again (1979 us, exceptional theatrical satirical orchestrated rock with prog shades)

Born Again, Newman's seventh LP, may be his riskiest projects, since it's the vehicle for a flagrant and unusual degree of bitterness. But only Sondheim gets away with such bile.

On Born Again, Randy Newman addresses the Me Decade in a voice that's unremittingly snide. The album's tone is immediately established by a cover photo in which Newman poses as a prosperous young businessman with dollar signs painted, Kiss-style, on his face. "It's Money That I Love," the opening cut, suggests that in these cynical times, the only thing most Americans care about is material gratification. "Used to worry about the poor/But I don't worry anymore," crows a narrator for whom consumption is the best revenge against ordinariness. Unfortunately, this bourgeois Caliban, like most of the people on Born Again, is just a paper tiger on which Newman hangs his contempt. Not once does he stop to suggest any reasons for contemporary grabbiness.

"The Story of a Rock and Roll Band," a galumphing polka, sends up corporate rock by ridiculing the Electric Light Orchestra. Though the production cleverly glosses snippets of ELO's hits, the joke quickly palls. This is the first time Newman has treated rock & roll with unequivocal snootiness.

In the record's cheapest shot, "Mr. Sheep," a Seventies hippie lashes out at a briefcase-toting square. The moral irony is appallingly smug. We're supposed to frown on the hippie and pity the square, but we don't, since both characters are such ciphers that they're impossible to care about.

Born Again's dramatic setups ring as false as its moralism. The almost impenetrable "Pretty Boy" suggests an incipient street fight, but the song ends before the action starts. "Half a Man" pits a trucker against a drag queen, but Newman cops out by turning the encounter into a bad surrealist joke when the trucker mysteriously starts walking and talking "like a fag."

Glimmerings of the classic humorist who gave us Sail Away and Good Old Boys are evident in only two cuts, and both are mere scraps. "William Brown," the odyssey of a working man, has a beginning and an end but no middle. In "Ghosts," Born Again's best moment, an old man, deserted by his children and living in one room, cowers in fear and poverty. His final words are a mumbled "I'm sorry" for having lived at all. Set in Newman's florid Stephen Foster-cum-Gustav Mahler style, "William Brown" and "Ghosts" contain the LP's only interesting music. The rest of the tunes either listlessly parody bad movie themes ("Spies," "Pretty Boy") or stick close to the limited novelty rock of "Short People."

Ultimately, Randy Newman's Born Again sounds less like a coherent song cycle than a sloppy nightclub act whipped up at the last minute in a fit of pique and "produced" in a studio. How dismaying that the Mark Twain of American pop should have shrunk to the size of Martin Mull!

by Stephen Holden, October 4, 1979

Tracks
1. It's Money That I Love - 3:38
2. The Story Of A Rock And Roll Band - 2:53
3. Pretty Boy - 4:00
4. Mr. Sheep - 3:53
5. Ghosts - 2:28
6. They Just Got Married - 2:51
7. Spies - 3:55
8. The Girls In My Life (Part One) - 2:36
9. Half A Man - 3:38
10.William Brown - 1:50
11.Pants - 3:06
All Songs written by Randy Newman.

Musicians
*Randy Newman - Vocals, Piano, Fender Rhodes
*Waddy Wachtel - Guitar
*Buzzy Feiten - Guitar
*Chuck Findley - Horns
*Tom Scott - Horns
*Victor Feldman - Fender Rhodes, Drums, Percussion
*Michael Boddicker - Synthesizer
*David Shields - Bass
*Willie Weeks - Bass
*Andy Newmark - Drums
*Lenny Castro - Percussion
*Carlos Vega - Percussion
*Stephen Bishop - Vocals
*Valerie Carter - Vocals
*Arno Lucas - Vocals

1970  Randy Newman - 12 Songs (2010 Audio Fidelity HDCD)

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Uther Pendragon - San Francisco Earthquake (1966-76 us, terrific jagged sharp garage acid psych, 2015 release)

San Francisco in the mid-60s was an incubator for a lot bands. In 1966 a group of teenagers got together and formed a garage band that lasted from 1966 to 1978. Over that 12-year period the band went through many name changes, phases, and musical styles. They were known as Blue Fever, Time, Hodological Mandala, Kodiac, Justus, and Uther Pendragon, but the core musicians remained the same: Mark Lightcap (rhythm guitar, vocals), Bruce Marelich (lead guitar, vocals), and Martin Espinosa (bass, vocals). Once they settled on their final drummer in Mike Beers, they became Uther Pendragon in the early 70s. Despite recording tapes and demos in different studios, they never released an album.

Now over 40 years later, Spanish label Guerssen has released a triple LP, San Francisco Earthquake, of music culled from the band’s vast archive of tapes spanning their entire career. This set consists of 24 songs that include their unknown 7” acetate from 1967, unreleased demo tapes, and tracks recorded in their home studio in Palo Alto. This excellent set features a range in styles and influences. The set opens with “Intro – You’re a Human Now” with cymbals recalling Popol Vuh mixed with a bit of The Animals' “The Black Plague” that sounds a bit like a soundtrack to a 70s horror movie. After the intro the band begins to rock. The music ranges from pure psychedelic rock, psych-folk, pop psych, psych-blues, blues rock, punk psych, to rock-a-billy with similarities to many different bands including Max Frost and the Stormtroopers, Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Byrds, The Association, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Mountain, Ramones, and Rory Gallagher. 

Bruce Marelich was an outstanding guitarist with most songs featuring great guitar solos and breaks. There is something for everyone in this set, even a drum solo on the 11 minute “10 Miles to Freedom.” Some of the influences are more obvious than others. For example, “A Man of Means” bears a strong resemblance to “Mississippi Queen.” One of my favorite tracks is the fantastic instrumental “Spanish Fly” with its Spanish / Gothic Western mood that reminded me of Quicksilver Messenger Service’s “The Fool.” If you are a fan of undiscovered garage-psych, then by all means this decades late release is for you.

by Henry Schneider

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Intro - You're a Human Now - 6:02

2. Side of the Dawn - 4:13

3. Who's Gonna Try - 5:44

4. Devil's Due (Mark R Lightcap, Bruce Marelich, Martin Espinosa, Mike Beers, Craig Pedersen) - 5:10

5. 10 Miles To Freedom (Mark R Lightcap, Bruce Marelich, Martin Espinosa, Craig Pedersen) - 10:59

6. San Francisco Earthquake - 5:26

7. Signify Justice - 2:58

8. Love Lock Temperature Drop (Payden Holmboe) - 2:31

9. Magical Door - 3:29

10.Peter Pan Blowup (Payden Holmboe) - 2:22

11.Luxury's Draft - 4:08

12.Realm Of 7 Planes - 5:29

13.Man of Means - 5:09

All songs written by Mark R Lightcap, Bruce Marelich, Martin Espinosa, Mike Beers except where stated

Disc 2
1. Spanish Fly - 6:32
2. King Muskrat - 6:50
3. See It My Way - 6:13
4. Rock and Roll Star - 2:35
5. Meanie Jeanie (Old Man) - 10:05
6. Troubles - 9:03
7. Woman - 4:18
8. Hell's Rock - 2:52
9. They'll Never Last (Mark R Lightcap, Bruce Marelich, Martin Espinosa) - 3:30
10.Kristina (Mark R Lightcap, Bruce Marelich, Martin Espinosa) - 4:17
11.Music Box (Mark R Lightcap, Bruce Marelich, Martin Espinosa) - 6:51
All songs written by Mark R Lightcap, Bruce Marelich, Martin Espinosa, Mike Beers except where noted

The Uther Pendragon
*Mark R Lightcap - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
*Bruce Marelich - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Martin Espinosa - Bass, Vocals
*Mike Beers - Drums (Disc 1: 1-4,6,7,9,11-13, Disc 2: 1-8)
*George Miller - Drums (Disc 1: 5,8,10)
*Doug Williams - Keyboards (Disc 1: 8,10, Disc 2: 10,11)
*Derek French - Drums (Disc 2: 9-11)

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