The Hollies - Hollies (1974 uk, beautiful roots 'n' roll, folkish baroque soft rock, 2009 remaster with extra tracks)

A pop/rock band they might have been, but the Hollies had far more going for them than most of the British Invasion outfits that prospered in the wake of the Beatles. The band was notable among other reasons for the three-part Everly Brothers-inspired harmonies of lead singer Allan Clarke, guitarist Graham Nash and lead guitarist Tony Hicks, all of whom penned some of the group's material, not to mention Hick's ringing, often innovative licks, the superb drumming of Bobby Elliott, and the hit song contributions of outside composers such as Graham Gouldman.

Between 1963 and 1968, the Mancunian band that took its name from Buddy Holly scored time and again with the likes of 'Here I Go Again', 'I'm Alive', 'Look Through Any Window', 'Bus Stop' (the group's American breakthrough), 'Stop! Stop! Stop!', 'Carrie-Ann' and 'Jennifer Eccles'. When Graham Nash, feeling constrained by the Hollies' commerciality, departed to form Crosby, Stills & Nash, guitarist/vocalist Terry Sylvester filled his shoes and the band had further hits courtesy of 'Sorry Suzanne', 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother' and 'Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress)'.

By 1973, however, the Hollies' best days were firmly behind them... save for one remarkable exception. 'The Air That I Breathe', written by the team of Albert Hammond and Mike Hazelwood, was one of pop's all-time finest ballads. Hammond, who before Hazelwood's death in 2001, co-wrote with him for artists like Johnny Cash and Olivia Newton-John, recorded 'The Air That I Breathe' for his 1972 album It Never Rains In Southern California, and the following year Phil Everly covered it for his Star Spangled Banner long-player. It was the Everly version that producer Ron Richards, the man who'd signed the Hollies to EMI back in 1963, then brought into EMI Studios at Abbey Road for the band to work from.

Alan Parsons had been on staff at EMI for several years, and assisted and engineered on projects such as the Beatles' Let It Be and Abbey Road, Paul McCartney's earliest albums with Wings and, most famously, Pink Floyd's legendary Dark Side Of The Moon, not to mention a number of previous Hollies albums dating back to 1969's curious Hollies Sing Dylan venture, which had convinced Graham Nash to quit rather than get involved. 'The Air That I Breathe' was the sole standout on 1974's Hollies, among tracks like 'Rubber Lucy', 'Transatlantic West Bound Jet' and 'The Day That Curly Billy Shot Down Crazy Sam McGee', but the album was important to Parsons, at least, as the first to be engineered solely by him.

While the Hollies album was recorded in all three of EMI Studios' facilities — "At that time, nobody seemed to mind chopping and changing," Parsons remarks — the bulk of 'The Air That I Breathe' was tracked in Studio Three, whose control room at that time housed a 24-channel Neve console, Studer A80 tape machine and JBL 4320 monitors. The band was set up in the live area.

The mix took place in Studio Three, and again this was a formal process. "We'd sit down and go 'Right, we're going to mix this song today,'" says Parsons. "However, we probably wouldn't spend more than three hours on it. I remember in the case of 'The Air That I Breathe', the master machine that we mixed to had some kind of speed fluctuation problem. It might have been slipping on the capstan or something, but I actually took the master to a second generation and did a bit of pitch correction on it, which was quite daring, I suppose."

Released in early 1974, 'The Air That I Breathe' was a worldwide smash, peaking at number two in Britain and number six in the States. It would be the Hollies' last major hit single.

by Richard Buskin

Tracks
1. Falling Calling (Allan Clarke, Terry Sylvester) - 3:14
2. Down On The Run (Colin Horton-Jennings, Tony Hicks) - 3:54
3. Don't Let Me Down (Allan Clarke) - 4:23
4. Love Makes The World Go Round (Allan Clarke, Terry Sylvester) - 3:46
5. The Day That Curly Billy Shot Down Crazy Sam McGee (Allan Clarke) - 4:28
6. It's A Shame, It's A Game (Colin Horton-Jennings, Tony Hicks) - 3:42
7. Rubber Lucy (Allan Clarke) - 4:16
8. Pick Up The Pieces Again (Terry Sylvester) - 4:00
9. Transatlantic Westbound Jet (Bobby Elliott, Terry Sylvester) - 3:17
10.Out On The Road (Kenny Lynch, Tony Hicks) - 2:56
11.The Air That I Breathe (Albert Hammond, Michael Hazlewood) - 4:15
12.Mexico Gold (Alexander, Campbell, Oerton) - 4:00
13.Tip Of The Iceberg (Kenny Lynch, Tony Hicks) - 4:09
14.Burn Fire Burn (Bobby Elliott) - 3:10
15.Born A Man (Tony Hicks, Kenny Lynch) - 2:58
16.No More Riders (Terry Sylvester, David Gordon) - 2:58
Bonus Tracks 12-16

The Hollies
*Bernie Calvert - Bass, Keyboards
*Allan Clarke - Vocals
*Bobby Elliott - Drums, Percussion
*Tony Hicks - Guitar, Vocals
*Terry Sylvester - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
*Pete Wingfield - Keyboards

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Atlanta Rhythm Section - Are You Ready! (1979 us, fine southern rock, 2012 remaster)

Both a tribute to ARS's popular success and a testimony to their musical abilities, the live album Are You Ready! was released in 1979. The cover images show how far the group had come-from the house band at a small studio outside Atlanta to playing to stadiums full of people. The album also documents the power that ARS could bring to a live performance. While their musical talents had been well documented with their studio recordings, their ability to give songs a different but equally enjoyable arrangement in concert comes through clearly. Overall, this is another classic work-a compilation of many great songs from their albums up through Champagne Jam played with great energy and skill

The album starts off with a grand opening for a band from Atlanta-the slowing building orchestral Tara's Theme from the film "Gone With the Wind." The announcer asks the crowd "are you ready?!" and the band breaks into Sky High. Songs two-four are all from the album Champagne Jam and keep up the pace and the energy. Songs five-seven go back to some of the group's earliest work-from the rocking Back Up Against the Wall to the incredible musical diversity of Angel to the ballad Conversation. Their biggest hit, Imaginary Lover, is followed by their first hit, Doraville. This leads into the concert classic Another Man's Woman. Two more songs documenting how ARS presented A Rock & Roll Alternative are followed by the closing cover of Long Tall Sally. It's a great live time. 

ARS 

Tracks
1. Prelude: Tara's Theme, Sky High (Max Steiner, Buddy Buie, Robert Nix, Ronnie Hammond, Dean Daughtry) - 6:05
2. Champagne Jam (Buddy Buie, Robert Nix, J.R. Cobb) - 5:14
3. I'm Not Gonna Let It Bother Me Tonight (Buddy Buie, Robert Nix, Dean Daughtry) - 5:03
4. Large Time (Buddy Buie, Robert Nix, Barry Bailey) - 3:26
5. Back Up Against The Wall (Buddy Buie, J.R. Cobb) - 4:06
6. Angel (What In The World's Come Over Us) (Buddy Buie, Robert Nix, Barry Bailey) - 7:17
7. Conversation (Buddy Buie, J.R. Cobb) - 3:57
8. Imaginary Lover (Buddy Buie, Robert Nix, Dean Daughtry) - 5:38
9. Doraville (Buddy Buie, Robert Nix, Barry Bailey) - 4:09
10.Another Man's Woman (Buddy Buie, Robert Nix, Barry Bailey) - 14:33
11.Georgia Rhythm (Buddy Buie, J.R. Cobb, Robert Nix) - 5:40
12.So Into You (Buddy Buie, Robert Nix, Dean Daughtry) - 7:47
13.Long Tall Sally (Robert "Bumps" Blackwell, Enotris Johnson, Little Richard) - 3:41

The Atlanta Rhythm Section
*Barry Bailey - Guitar
*Ronnie Hammond - Vocals, Background Vocals
*Paul Goddard - Bass
*Dean Daughtry - Keyboards
*J.R. Cobb - Guitar, Background Vocals
*Roy Yeager- Percussion, Drums

1975-76  Atlanta Rhythm Section - Dog Days / Red Tape (2005 remaster) 

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Stray Dog - Stray Dog (1973 us, powerful heavy blues rock with some prog shades, 2009 remaster and expanded)

Drummer Randy Reeder, bassist Alan Roberts, and lead guitarist Snuffy Walden started their musical partnership as members of the Texas-based blues-rock band Aphrodite.  Formed in 1968, the trio spent five years touring extensively throughout the mid-west without much success.  

Their big break came in 1973 when Greg Lake (or Lake's manager Neville Chesters) spotted them playing in a Denver, Colorado club.  Lake (or his manager) offered the band a recording deal with ELP's newly formed Manticore label.  The deal included the provision the band immediately fly to the UK.  Roberts and Walden readily signed on leaving Reeder behind - he reappeared as a member of the band Bloodrock and Alexis.  In the UK the quickly auditioned for a new drummer, hiring former Road member Leslie Sampson and opting to change their name to Stray Dog. 

Produced by benefactor Greg Lake and the band, 1973's "Stray Dog" was one of those albums that somehow managed to fall through the cracks.  Critics largely panned it as mindless heavy metal, while fans simply ignored it. The band hit the road opening for ELP throughout Europe and the US (certainly a weird musical pairing that probably didn't do much to help sales), but as you'd expect, the album did little commercially.

With little promotional support from Manticore which was then distributed by Motown, the band did some local shows in support of the album.  Needless to say the collection vanished without a trace.  Within a couple of months Stray Dog was over.

After the band called it quits Walden joined a reunited Free where he replaced an incapacitated Paul Kossoff.  He also worked with Kossoff in Back Street Crawler.  He was a member of the Eric Burden Band, recorded some solo material and then went on to enjoy considerable success working in film and television - he's scored music for the likes of  "The Wonder Years", "thirtysomething" and "The West Wing". Roberts was briefly a member of Avalon.

Bad Cat

Tracks
1. Tramp (How It Is) (WG "Snuffy" Walden, Al Roberts) - 6:53
2. Crazy (WG "Snuffy" Walden) - 5:11
3. A Letter (WG "Snuffy" Walden) - 3:54
4. Chevrolet (WG "Snuffy" Walden, Billy Gibbons) - 3:52
5. Speak Of The Devil (WG "Snuffy" Walden, Al Roberts, Les Sampson) - 3:56
6. Slave (Al Roberts) - 6:13
7. Rocky Mountain Suite (Bad Road) (WG "Snuffy" Walden) - 8:28
8. Crazy (WG "Snuffy" Walden) - 5:43
9. The Journey (WG "Snuffy" Walden) - 13:57
10.Eric Takes A Walk - 1:48
11.Rocky Mountain Suite (Bad Road) (WG "Snuffy" Walden) - 9:38
12.Tramp (How It Is) (WG "Snuffy" Walden, Al Roberts) - 7:18
13.Dog's Blues (Including Guitar Solo) - 1:39
Tracks 8-11 Live At Reading Rehearsals, London 1973
Tracks 12-13 Live In Rome, Italy 1973

The Stray Dog
*Al Roberts - Bass, Keyboards, Vocals
*Les Sampson - Drums
*WG "Snuffy" Walden - Guitar, Vocals

1973  Stray Dog - Fasten Your Seat Belts 
Related Act
1972  Road - Road 

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Majority One - Majority One (1971 uk, fabulous swinging beat psych, 2007 remaster and expanded)

On some obscure releases of the early '70s, Majority One wrote and recorded material in the manner of some of the more foppish late-'60s British psychedelic pop, though the style had been out of fashion for a couple of years or so. The group evolved out of the U.K. band the Majority, who issued eight singles on Decca between 1965 and 1968 without reaching the British charts. After a lot of personnel turnover and a spell backing British singer Barry Ryan, the group moved to France and issued one final single as the Majority, "Charlotte Rose," though this was only released in some European territories. 

In 1970, still based in France, they changed their name to Majority One, issuing a few singles in 1970 and 1971 and a self-titled album in 1971, though the latter only came out in France and Holland at the time. With some similarities to the more lightweight efforts of the late-'60s Beatles, Bee Gees, and Moody Blues, Majority One's efforts passed unnoticed in their homeland, though their 1971 single "Because I Love" made the Top 20 in Holland, also becoming a hit in Italy and Brazil. Majority One also released some tracks under the names Black Label and Rocky Cabbage, but disbanded in the summer of 1971.

by Richie Unterberger

1971 saw Pink Elephant finance the band's debut album.  Produced by Jean-Pierre Rawson, the cleverly-titled "Majority One" pulled together the earlier singles and a slew of new studio material.  Graham had a fantastic voice that sounded good across the diverse spectrum of sounds.  While he didn't get a lot of spotlight time lead guitarist Mizen consistently added interesting color to the material and the Andrews/Long  rhythm section kept everything nicely in focus.  

'Feedback; actually opened up with a touch of Peter Mizen feedback guitar before morphing into a glistening slice of power pop.  For anyone who pays attention to that kind of stuff, the lyrics praised the values of feedback guitar (maybe not a big surprise, lead guitarist Mizen and rhythm guitarist Rob Long co-wrote the song).   Imagine The Hollies actually getting around to recording a truly rocking tune and you'd gave a feel for this one.  Great way to start an album !!! 

A beautiful, slightly lysergic-tinged ballad, 'Rainbow Rocking Chair' was quite pretty with some engaging Pink Floyd-styled imagery. Opening up with some heavily treated Graham vocals, 'A Cigarette a Cup of Tea' started out with a very heavy psych edge, but then the track switched directions, showing the band's affection for British music hall moves.  So now that we've started playing spot-the-influences, the gentle acoustic ballad 'Look Like Rain' sounded a bit like something Paul McCartney might had slapped on "The White Album", or perhaps recorded for his solo debut "McCartney".  The song itself had a very simple structure - Pete Mizen basically chanting the title over and over while accompanied by strumming acoustic guitars and some low-keyed percussion.  And it's also one of the tracks that burrows into your head and won't leave. 

Even though Graham's vocals sounded like they'd been recorded over a long distance phone line with a bad connection, 'Glass Image' sported one of the album's more commercial arrangements.  Kicked along by some Mizen fuzz guitar and a stuttering string arrangement, the song had a cool, jittery urgency that makes it easy to see why it was tapped as the band's first single. 'Depths of My Mind; was kind of cool for trying to meld a pop melody with a hard rock chorus.   Hearing Graham stretch out was also interesting in that he sounded a bit like an angry chipmunk on this one.   The freak-out sax solo at the end of the song was also mildly entertaining.

'I Don' Mind the Rain' was another track that sounded like it had a 1967 timestamp.  A pretty, acid tinged ballad complete with effects treated vocals, glistening backing vocals, and harpsichords, to my ears the song's always reminded me of "Revolver" era Beatles  - ah the summer of love. Probably because it served to show what these guys could have done with a little more leeway and time, 'Roger La Frite' was a killer rocker.  Built on an insidiously catchy hook and some tasty Mizen lead guitar, this one should have been tapped as a single. 

So what's the take away here?  Well, I'd say it's a great album that falls short of being a classic album by sounding a couple of years behind prevailing early-'70s tastes and by the absence of a truly original sound.  (In contrast, some of the material they released under the pseudonyms Black label and Rocky Cabbage had a far more '70 sound - check out 'I'm Leaving' or 'Freedom' .)  Nevertheless, song for song it's way better than a slew of better know releases.  Shame they didn't get a chance to record another set.

Bad Cat

Tracks
1. Feedback (Peter Mizen, Rob Long) - 3:27
2. Rainbow Rocking Chair (Rob Long) - 2:24
3. A Cigarette, A Cup Of Tea (Peter Mizen, Rob Long) - 2:49
4. I Nearly Died (Barry Wigley, Iain Sutherland) - 3:33
5. Looks Like Rain (Barry Wigley, Rob Long) - 2:49
6. Glass Image (Peter Mizen, Rob Long) - 2:43
7. Because I Love (Peter Mizen, Rob Long) - 2:09
8. Love Came Today (Barry Wigley, Iain Sutherland) - 2:41
9. Depths Of My Mind (Barry Wigley, Iain Sutherland) - 2:16
10.I Don't Mind The Rain (Barry Wigley, Iain Sutherland) - 3:32
11.I See Her Everywhere (Peter Mizen, Rob Long) - 2:30
12.Roger La Frite (Barry Wigley, Iain Sutherland) - 5:48
13.Revelation (Walter Andrews) - 0:38
14.Get Back Home (Rob Long, Barry Wigley) - 2:45
15.A Hard Days Night (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 3:33
16.Friday Man (Peter Mizen, Rob Long) - 3:09
17.Charlotte Rose (George Alexander) - 2:53
18.Letter From The Queen (Peter Mizen) - 2:43
19.No Matter What (Peter Ham) - 3:00
20.Freedom (Barry Wigley, Iain Sutherland) - 2:49
21.Birds Must Learn To Fly (Peter Mizen) - 4:34
Bonus Tracks 14-21

The Majority One 
*Larry Graham (Graham Wigley) - Vocals
*Rob Long - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
*Peter Mizen - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Walter Andrews - Bass (Tracks 1-13)
*Iain Sutherland - Drums, Percussion (Tracks 1-13)
*Chris Kelly - Drums, Percussion, Vocals
*Don Lill - Drums, Percussion
*Ken Smith - Bass

Related Act
1971-79  Sutherland Brothers And Quiver - The Very Best Of 

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Morgan Mason Downs - Morgan Mason Downs (1970 us, wonderful acoustic hippie folk, 2011 korean remaster)

Mad Morgan and Steve Downs had met in New Orleans and found brotherhood over two guitars and a gallon jug of red wine at a party.

At that time Mad was the leading actor in the Front Street Repertory Theatre in Memphis and had visited friends over the holidays in the New Orleans Repertory Theatre where Steve was appearing as Puck in a production of Shakespeare's A Midnight Summer Dream.

On returning to New York months later, they ran into each other aand began writing a Bradway musical together. They performed the songs from the show for music publishers who encouraged them to write and record an album.

Mad and Cass were lovers at the time. Cass had been recording with the Trout and left to begin singing with Mad and Steve. Morgan Mason Downs was born. Roulette records signed them for an album and the rest is history.

CD Liner Notes

Tracks
1. Heather Morning - 4:12
2. Home - 3:49
3. Knowing - 3:10
4. Come With Me - 3:50
5. The Time Is At Hand - 4:37
6. Daffodil - 3:40
7. Ah, The World Goes Round - 2:40
8. Sea Song - 2:30
9. Day Of The Fair - 2:57
10.Lullabye - 3:07
Music and Words by Madison Mason, Stephen Downs.

Personnel
*Cassandra Morgan - Vocals
*Madison Mason - Vocals, Guitar
*Stephen Downs - Vocals, Guitar

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The Marshall Tucker Band - The Marshall Tucker Band (1973 us, amazing jam sounthern classic rock, 2004 remaster with bonus track)

Taking a page from their Capricorn Records labelmates and Southern rock contemporaries the Allman Brothers, the Marshall Tucker Band issued a self-titled debut blending the long and winding psychedelic and jam band scene with an equally languid and otherwise laid-back country-rock flavor. Into the mix they also added a comparatively sophisticated jazz element -- which is particularly prominent throughout their earliest efforts. The incipient septet featured the respective talents of Doug Gray (vocals), Toy Caldwell (guitar/vocals), his brother Tommy Caldwell (bass/vocals), George McCorkle (guitar), Paul Riddle (drums), and Jerry Eubanks (flute/sax/vocals). Their free-spirited brand of Southern rock was a direct contrast to the badass rebel image projected by the Outlaws or Lynyrd Skynyrd. This difference is reflected throughout the 1973 long-player The Marshall Tucker Band. The disc commences with one of the MTB's most revered works, the loose and limber traveling proto-jam "Take the Highway."

The improvised instrumental section features some inspired interaction between Toy Caldwell and Eubanks. This also creates a unique synergy of musical styles that is most profoundly exhibited on the subsequent cut, "Can't You See." Caldwell's easygoing acoustic fretwork babbles like a brook against Eubanks lonesome airy flute lines. The remainder of the disc expounds on those themes, including the uptempo freewheelin' "Hillbilly Band." Unlike what the title suggests, the track is actually more akin to the Grateful Dead's "Eyes of the World" than anything from the traditional country or bluegrass genres. "Ramblin'" is an R&B rave-up that leans toward a Memphis style with some classy brass augmentations. 

The effort concludes on the opposite side of the spectrum with the tranquil gospel rocker "My Jesus Told Me So," offering up Caldwell's fluid guitar work with a sound comparable to that of Dickey Betts. "AB's Song" is an acoustic folk number that would not sound out of place being delivered by John Prine or Steve Goodman. This eponymous effort established the MTB's sound and initiated a five-year (1973-1978) and seven-title run with the definitive Southern rock label, Capricorn Records. 

by Lindsay Planer

Tracks
1. Take The Highway - 6:15
2. Can't You See - 6:05
3. Losing You - 5:06
4. Hillbilly Band - 2:35
5, See You Later, I'm Gone - 3:08
6. Ramblin' - 5:07
7. My Jesus Told Me So - 5:32
8. AB's Song - 1:15
9. Everyday (I Have The Blues) (Live Version) - 12:33
All selections written by Toy Caldwell except Bonus Track #9 written by Peter Chatman

The Marshall Tucker Band 
*Toy Caldwell - Vocals, Electric, Acoustic, Steel Guitars
*Tommy Caldwell - Vocals, Bass Guitar
*George McCorkle - Electric, Acoustic Guitars
*Doug Gray - Vocals, Percussion
*Jerry Eubanks - Saxes, Flute, Vocals
With
*Jai Johanny Johnson - Congas
*Paul Hornsby - Austic, Electric Piano, Organ, Moog
*Fred Wise - Fiddle
*Oscar Jackson - Tenor Saxophone
*Samuel Dixon - Trumpet
*Donna Hall - Vocals
*Ernestine Jones - Vocals
*Ella Brown - Vocals

1973  The Marshall Tucker Band - Way Out West, Live From San Francisco (2010 remaster)
1974  The Marshall Tucker Band - Where We All Belong (2004 remaster with bonus track)
1975  Marshall Tucker Band - Searchin' For A Rainbow (2004 remaster and expanded)

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Chuck And Mary Perrin - Life Is A Stream (1971 us, wondrous baroque folk, 2005 remaster and expanded)

I was the oldest of 12 children, so naturally my  passion for folk music spread to my younger brothers & sisters. But  it was my sister Mary, 4 years younger than me, who seemed taken by it  the most. Of course, it helped that she had this amazingly unique voice,  honest & natural in timbre, as well as a great ear for harmony. I  started encouraging her, working out songs with her, & teaching her  to play guitar.

One night I called her up on stage to join me for a song or two. A  month or so later, in August of 1965, the Illinois State Fair held a  statewide Folk Song Hullabaloo competition.  Lots of high-powered,  banjo-pickin’, four-part-harmony groups from across the state laid it  down in Springfield.  But Mary & I, a fledgling brother & sister  act from little Pekin, impressed the judges with our simplicity,  personality, & blood harmony.  We took home the first place  Governor’s trophy, a check for $500, and an all-expense paid recording  session in Nashville.  The very next day, the Pekin Times put our  picture holding the trophy on the front page.

That was the beginning of Chuck & Mary.  We knew we had something  special.  Mary was only 15 years old, but she started learning guitar in  earnest & matched my voracious appetite for all things musical,  particularly acoustic music. Most importantly, she began to write her  own songs. By the next summer, when the Webster’s Last Word Coffee house  opened, we were a solid act.

1971, We ran across Irving Azoff.  Just out of college at the University of Illinois, he had his fingers in everything entertainment in Illinois at the time. He managed REO Speedwagon, & would go on in later years to become a mega-manager for acts such as the Eagles & Steely Dan. He was friends with an independent radio promo man in Chicago named Peter Wright, who was starting up his own labels: Twinight Records (for blues)  & Sunlight Records (for pop/rock). Irving, who was livin large even back then, flew us up to Chicago in his private plane & introduced us to Peter who decided to produce an album of our material to release on Sunlight Records. 

We’d been recording in minimalist fashion. Now all of a sudden we were going into RCA’s studio complex on Wacker Drive to record on 16 track machines. We recorded the basic tracks for Life Is A Stream in January of 1971 using the talents of another of Peter’s signees, Chicago pop group THE NEW COLONY SIX as backup musicians. Notable is the keyboard work of Chuck Jobes, and the rhythm section of Dave Robin on bass and Billy Herman drums. Also appearing on guitar & dobro was Bruce Brown, who often toured with Chuck & Mary.  Peter had been a trumpeter with a big band background,  so his concept was to incorporate some creatively unique string & horn arrangements. He hired the great arranger  Hoyt Jones & gave him the tracks to score. They were performed in the studio by members of the  Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

During the next few years we continued touring, based out of Chicago, often opening for college concerts by Bill Withers, Richie Havens, and John Sebastian. We made a memorable cross country trip shepherded by  Daniel Markus, flexing the managerial skills that have made him infamous, even today. When we were in town, we worked often @ Richard Harding‘s Quiet Knight, paling around with other local folk performers getting started around this time, like Steve Goodman & John Prine.

by Chuck Perrin

Tracks
1. Life Is A Stream (Instrumental) (Jeffrey P. Johnson) - 2:26
2. Bye, Bye Billy - 2:25
3. Ceremony (Edward Sheehy) - 2:47
4. On You Alone - 4:06
5. Eversince - 2:31
6. When You're Feeling Blue - 3:28
7. Corrine (Jeffrey P. Johnson) - 2:40
8. Dealer - 2:59
9. Dedication - 3:43
10.Picking Up The Pieces - 2:46
11.Horizons (Edward Sheehy) - 3:32
12.Life Is A Stream (Vocal) (Jeffrey P. Johnson) - 2:27
13.Mornings - 4:16
14.What Am I Doing Here - 2:35
15.Dedication (Demo) - 3:49
16.This One's For You - 4:46
17.As Long As I'm With You - 4:04
18.Take A Little Time - 3:07
19.Some People Know How To Live - 3:56
20.Mildred Metz - 2:37
21.The Time Has Come - 3:30
22.When You're Feeling Blue - 3:19
23.Little Lady - 1:56
All compositions by Chuck Perrin except where stated

Musicians
*Mary Perrin - Vocals, Guitar
*Chuck Perrin - Vocals, Guitar
*Bruce Brown - Dobro Guitar
*Davis Robin - Bass
*Billy Herman - Drums
*Chuck Jobes - Keyboards
*Hoyt Jones - String, Horn Arrangements

1970  Chuck and Mary Perrin - The Next Of Kin (2011 korean reissue) 

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Coupla Prog - Death Is A Great Gambler (1972 germany, remarkable psych prog krautrock, 2002 remaster)

1971 was a fateful year for Coupla Prog as singer and guitarist Rolf Peters died of a sleeping-pill and alcohol overdose. As the band's main musical influence and songwriter he left a huge gap that the other musicians were at first unable to fill asking themselves whether Coupla Prog should continue or split.

It took the remaining members, Wolfgang Schindhelm (organ, piano, and vocals), Reiner Niketta (bass, organ and piano) und Hubert Donauer (drums), a few months to get to grips with the shock of their loss. They decided to have a go anyway and recruited a friend of Schindhelm's, Walter Kummich, as the new guitarist. Vocals were shared between Schindhelm and Niketta who had started writing new material together. At the end of the year the band was ready to play a live set of new and old material. It was also time to go into the studio and it was a great help to Coupla Prog that they were, together with Fashion Pink (Long Hair LHC 3), one of SWF Producer Walther Krause's favourite bands, resulting in him booking the band into SWF's studio. In the meantime drummer and founding member Donauer left the band and for the SWF-Studio U1 session on 18. 02. 1972 Reinhold Hirt, who has since made a career as a professional musician (amongst others Hubert K.), was drafted in.

With this line-up Coupla Prog recorded four songs which form the basis of this CD. One of the most outstanding tracks on the CD is the 18 minute long title track "Death Is A Great Gambler ...", a true emotive, dynamic and hypnotic masterpiece of psychedelic underground rock dedicated to Rolf Peters. The rest of the tracks on the CD are made up of a previously unreleased SWF session from 16. 02. 1970, with a highly individual interpretation of Donovan's "Season Of The Witch". Also included on this CD is "Your Time Has Come", an early version of "Pamphlet To Mr. M. Thompson" which appears on Coupla Prog's rock opera Edmundo Lopez.

This CD rounds off the SWF produced Coupla Prog trilogy. Further information about the band can be obtained by purchasing the following CDs: Coupla Prog "Sprite" SWF-Session Vol. 2 (Long Hair LHC 2) and "Edmundo Lopez" SWF-Session Vol. 4 (Long Hair LHC 4).

"Sprite" includes three of five tracks from the first SWF session (26.02.1970) and all four tracks from the third recording session (16. 04. 1971). The usage of the term "session" does not stand for spontaneous improvisation (although some of the tracks last over twelve minutes!) but describes the circumstances and conditions that Coupla Prog had to put up with at these radio sessions. All of the tracks were recorded live in the studio with no possibility for overdubbing and editing. The best tracks were then chosen for broadcast. "Sprite" was first released in September 2000 to the acclaim of underground and progressive rock fans.

Finding these wonderful recordings from a mainly unknown band could be compared with striking gold. The quality of the music has been widely celebrated in the media: Oldie Markt (04/02): Listening to the quality of this record it is hard to understand why the record companies didn't give this band a chance.

Good Times (04/01): Referring to the song "Ode To The Vanilla Fudge" Coupla Prog were a cross between the American band of the same name via a musical slaughtering of classic Stax soul such as Arthur Conley's "I Wanna Be Free" best known in Europe in a grooving version by the VIPs to their own long wild and dreamy compositions such as "Auf dass er sich im Grabe umdrehe" (engl. that he would turn in his grave) "Edmundo Lopez", Coupla Prog/s masterpiece, recorded on the 16.07.1970, is a German rock opera about a young South American who escaped military service by fleeing to the mountain calling on others to desert. Good Times (04/01) compared the band to The Doors and The Nice and Wolfgang Schindhelm's vocals to Jim Morrison. The 60 minutes were recorded "live" in the studio in two takes. The recordings were then offered to the label Liberty (Amon Duul 2, Can etc.) and inexplicably refused.

It is left up to every listener themselves to judge Coupla Progs significance within the German underground and progressive rock scene. For LONG HAIR the band is an enrichment within this genre. Many thanks to SWF for producing, archiving and licensing these recordings.

by Manfred Steinheuer, November 2002 

Tracks
1. Chandra (Wolfgang Schindhelm) - 6:30
2. That's The Way It Goes (Wolfgang Schindhelm) - 4:12
3. Tochter Im Delirium / Daughter's Delirium (Reiner Niketta) - 9:15
4. Death Is A Great Gambler But If I Win, Finally I Can Die (Reiner Niketta) - 18:34
5. Your Time Has Come (Rolf Peters) - 4:25
6. Season Of The Witch (Donovan Leitch) - 13:47

Coupla Prog
*Hubert Donauer - Drums
*Rolf Peters - Guitar, Vocals
*Reiner Niketta - Bass, Organ, Piano, Vocals
*Wolfgang Schindhelm - Organ, Piano, Vocals
*Reinhold Hirt - Drums
*Walter Kummich - Guitar

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T. Rex - T. Rex (1970 uk, stunning psych folk boogie glam rock, 2014 double disc deluxe edition)

Amazingly, it all comes out rock and roll; there's no questioning it. But rock and roll with lyrics dealing with such subjects as wizards, Druids, and a Liquid Poetess in a buckskin dress. Bolan is clearly infatuated with mysticism, as well as the pure sounds of the English language.

It's difficult to isolate any one or two songs as being special favorites; "One Inch Rock" is fun, beginning instrumentally like a big band swing piece (all on guitars, percussion and vocals) and then turning into an easy little rock number. "Seagull Woman," with backing vocals by Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan, sounds as though it were pulled from about a dozen different Beatles songs, but without being anything like any one. "The Wizard" is the longest piece on the album, at about eight minutes, but interest is sustained nicely through changes in mood.

One of the most fascinating aspects of T. Rex is their ability to intermix vocal and instrumental sounds — the voices often go into a feedback guitar imitation. It's not the kind of trick every group should try.

One sour note is sounded by Tony Visconti's string arrangements, applied here and there by what sounds like a rusty old Mellotron in an unnecessary effort to "fatten up the tracks." The sound would have been a lot cleaner without their addition.

Everything good about the album can be found on the single "Ride a White Swan" which would have been a hit except by the time Blue Thumb found out what a great record it was, they'd released the group to Warner's. So the single is out on Blue Thumb (and shrink-wrapped in special copies of A Beard of Stars) and the same cut is found on the Reprise album. But you should try to find the single, because the B side is a T. Rexy version of "Summertime Blues" that doesn't sound a whole lot like the Who's but which will give you an even better idea of what Bolan and Finn are up to.

And, as a last thought, the Dumb Packaging of the Year award should go to Graphreaks, who designed, and Warners/Reprise, who are selling, the current album. When you break the shrink wrap to get at the record, the cover separates into two pieces. One's a nice picture of Marc and Micky, if you're into such things, and has the words to about half the songs on the back. The other piece is the actual jacket, and features the other half of the lyrics. There is no way, short of staples, glue or rubber bands, of keeping the two halves together. Boo!

by Todd Everett, July 22, 1971

Tracks

Disc 1 The Original Album / Singles A & B Sides / BBC Sessions

1. The Children Of Rarn - 0:53

2. Jewel - 2:46

3. The Visit - 1:55

4. Childe - 1:36

5. The Time Of Love Is Now - 2:42

6. Diamond Meadows - 1:58

7. Root Of Star - 2:31

8. Beltane Walk - 2:26

9. Is It Love? - 2:34

10.One Inch Rock - 2:26

11.Summer Deep - 1:43

12.Seagull Woman - 2:18

13.Suneye - 2:06

14.The Wizard - 8:50

15.The Children Of Rarn - 0:36

16.Ride A White Swan (Single 'A' Side) - 2:30

17.Summertime Blues (Single 'B' Side) - 2:42

18.Jewel (Bbc Radio One, Top Gear) - 3:30

19.Woodland Bop Medley (BBC Radio One - In Concert) - 6:27

20.Beltane Walk (Backing Track, Bbc Radio One Club) - 2:23

21.Summertime Blues (BBC Radio One, Dlt Show) - 3:30

Bonus Tracks 16-21

Disc 2 Home Demos And Alternate Takes
1. The Children Of Rarn (Suite) - 15:21
2. Jewel - 3:34
3. The Visit - 2:14
4. The Time Of Love Is Now - 2:45
5. Diamond Meadows - 2:09
6. Root Of Star - 2:34
7. Beltane Walk - 2:23
8. Is It Love? - 2:36
9. One Inch Rock - 2:23
10.Summer Deep - 1:47
11.Seagull Woman - 2:25
12.Suneye - 2:00
13.The Wizard - 8:40
14.The Children Of Rarn - 0:52
15.Ride A White Swan (Top Of The Pops: 10th November 1970) - 2:35
16.Dark Lipped Woman (Home Demo) - 1:29
17.Deep Summer - 4:42
18.Meadows Of The Sea (Electric Demo) - 4:22
All songs by Marc Bolan

Personnel
*Marc Bolan - Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Organ
*Mickey Finn - Bass, Drums, Pixiphone, Vocals
*Tony Visconti - Piano, String Arrangements, Production
*Howard Kaylan - Background Vocals
*Mark Volman - Background Vocals

1970  Tyrannosaurus Rex - A Beard Of Stars (2014 deluxe double disc edition)
 
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Nobody's Business - Nobody's Business (1978 uk / us, solid hard groovin classic rock, 2007 bonus tracks remaster)

In the sleeve notes of Angel Air's reissue of Nobody's Business' sole, self-titled album, Tony Stevens explains that the group formed in response to "the need for a new and original rock band that could really play." The year was 1977, and he couldn't have been more wrong. The last thing the world, least of all Britain, needed was a new conglomerate of old rockers touting a warmed-over mixture of classic blues-splashed rock and funk. Outside the U.K. it might have been different, for the band certainly had the pedigree to excite attention.

Bassist Stevens had been a stalwart of both Savoy Brown and Foghat, while lead vocalist/percussionist Bobby Harrison was a founding member of Procol Harum, Freedom, and Snafu. The American members' pasts were less illustrious, but still intriguing. Guitarist Joe "Jammer" Wright began his career as a roadie in the '60s for some of rock's greatest legends, before moving into session work. Drummer Jerry Frank, brought in to replace original Business man Reg Isadore, had spanned the musical spectrum, from soul band the Babysitters to country-popper Gary Smith. 

The sleeve notes explain in detail how it all went wrong, with the album receiving only a Japanese release. But if Nobody's Business' timing was off back then, it may be nigh on perfect now. The set is tight, the music exciting, and the band's hybrid style is all the fashion at the moment. The moody, blues-laced "Losing You" and haunting "Unsettled Dust" should work a treat with the neo-proggers, the storming "Cut in Two" and stomping "Bleed Me Dry" equally so with the hard rockers, and "Living Up to Love" and "Doing the Best I Can" should appeal to the urban-funk crowds. "Looks Like I'm in Love" will boogie it big time in the frat houses, while the title track should easily cross over, much like Humble Pie did long ago. If an edited cut of that isn't the first choice for airplay, then the driving "Highway," one of a trio of bonus tracks, is the obvious choice.

by Jo-Ann Greene

Tracks
1. Bleed Me Dry (Bobby Harrison, William Wright, Jerry Frank, Tony Stevens) - 4:25
2. Tell Me You Love Me (William Wright) - 2:59
3. Losing You (Bobby Harrison, Schaffer) -   4:23
4. Cut In Two (William Wright, Bobby Harrison) -   3:20
5. Living Up To Love (William Wright) - 3:09
6. Looks Like I'm In Love (William Wright) - 2:55
7. Unsettled Dust (Bobby Harrison, Tim Hinkley) - 6:10
8. White Boy Blue (William Wright) - 2:45
9. Doing The Best I Can (William Wright) - 3:26
10.Nobody's Business (Bobby Harrison, William Wright, Jerry Frank, Tony Stevens) - 3:23
11.Rainbow Bend (Bobby Harrison) - 3:14
12.Crucifer (Bobby Harrison, Tony Stevens) - 4:03
13.Highway (Bobby Harrison, Tony Stevens) - 3:29
Bonus Tracks 11-13

Nobodys Business
*Jerry Frank - Drums, Percussion, Vocals
*Bobby Harrison - Congas, Percussion, Vocals
*Joe Jammer (William Wright) - Guitar, Vocals
*Tony Stevens - Bass, Vocals

Related Acts
1969  Freedom - Freedom At Last (2004 remaster)

1969 Nero Su Bianco / Black On White
1970  Freedom
1972  Is More Than A Word
1973-74  Snafu - Snafu / Situation Normal
1969  Savoy Brown - Blue Matter (2004 remaster and expanded)
1969-70  Savoy Brown - Raw Sienna / Looking In
1972  Foghat - Foghat (Japan Remaster)
1973  Foghat - Rock And Roll (Japan Remaster)
1974  Foghat - Energized (Japan Remaster)
1974  Foghat - Rock And Roll Outlaws (Japan remaster)

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