Artie Kaplan was born , brought up and officially educated in Brooklyn, New York. His father was a small businessman with a surpassing love for music Early Artie learned that the wide world was full of interests, different from what he was officially taught; that a man had to educate himself, a process in which he is still madly engaged.
Turning to jazz, his youthful great heroes were Stan Kenton, Charlie Parker, Lester Young, Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Getz. He travelled round the country playing with Territory Bands, and with every other kind of band he could get into, playing every style of music put before him, always learning, trying everything.
He {has played in the Music Business for twelve years, assisting other artists, getting ideas but learning to keep them to himself, taking part in hundreds of hit records. He has been writing for ten years, and now he regards composition seriously, which means devoting himself to it whenever he can get a free hour or two.
Artie venerates music, thinks almost everybody working in it has something to offer the public, and especially admires the musicians working with him. Arnie Lawrence on alto sax and Burt Collins on trumpet, he trunks are "marvellous". Vinnie Bell to him is a wonderful guitar player, Bobby Mann is another who will be heard from more, and Chris Dedrick, young, only 24, is someone to watch.
CD Liner Notes
Tracks
1. Confessions Of A Male Chauvinist Pig (Artie Kaplan, Nat Simon) - 11:06
2. Bensonhurst Blues (Artie Kaplan, Artie Kornfeld) - 3:24
3. Harmony (Artie Kaplan, Nat Simon) - 3:33
4. God Fearin' Man (Artie Kaplan) - 3:34
5. Stay, Don΄T Go (Artie Kaplan, Nat Simon) - 3:18
6. Music Is Sweet Music In My Soul (Artie Kaplan, David White Tricker, Len Barry) - 3:15
7. The American Dream (Artie Kaplan, Nat Simon) - 7:10
Musicians
*Arthur Kaplan - Vocals
*Richard Davis - Guitar, Bass
*Mel Lewis - Drums
*Bert Collins - Trumpet
*Chris Dedrick - Horn
*Gordon Edwards - Bass,
*Vincent Bell - Guitar
*Paul Griffin - Piano
*Arnie Lawrence - Sax Alto
*Bernard "Pretty" Purdie - Drums
Despite the widespread if somewhat under-publicized popularity of many of his songs, it's hard to know just what to expect from John D. Loudermilk's own recordings. One of the most original songwriters in 1960s Nashville, Loudermilk penned a number of hits that have been recorded by artists ranging from Nina Simone and Norah Jones ("Turn Me On") to William Bell ("Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye"), from Johnny Cash ("Bad News") to the Flying Burrito Brothers ("Break My Mind"), and from Paul Revere and the Raiders ("Indian Reservation") to practically every delinquent garage band on the planet ("Tobacco Road"). Loudermilk himself recorded many of these and released them some forty years ago on albums with titles like The Open Mind of John D. Loudermilk, John D. Loudermilk Sings a Bizarre Collection of the Most Unusual Songs, and Suburban Attitudes in Country Verse.
Sure, there was an element of novelty-song humor to some of Loudermilk's work, but much of what's collected on this disc -- a fantastic-sounding reissue of Open Mind and almost all of Most Unusual Songs, plus some other numbers of note, twenty-seven songs in all -- reveals Loudermilk to have been a witty, pop-conscious songsmith who at his best transcended novelty and exhibited, yes, an open mind during years of uncertainty and peril. While some of what's here might seem uncomfortably obvious today, the social consciousness, the regard for life of all stripes, is often remarkable. Even if having the white male in an interracial relationship call his companion "Brown Girl" overdoes it just a bit, that Loudermilk addressed such a situation nearly 40 years ago is admirable. (It's more tactful, but considerably less rockin', than the Rolling Stones' "Brown Sugar".) Although the apparently authentic chanting in "The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian" might be cringe-inducing to the modern listener, the sentiment is hard to argue with and the performance is effectively ominous. And to contemplate the ethical problem of shooting a bird in "The Little Grave", especially in the context of a country-pop album, is a risk few songwriters then and now would be willing to take.
That Loudermilk tempers some of his commentary with humor doesn't serve to weaken it. The first track here, a musical rip-off of "Hi-Heel Sneakers" called "Goin' to Hell on a Sled", makes use of funny voices, all of the opinion that, yes, that's where the world is going if war is rampant, weed isn't just what grows in the cracks on the sidewalk, and prayer isn't allowed in schools. "The Jones'", the ones so many of us strive to keep up with, are seen as ever-present to the point that they control all forms of media. Often the humor is used to demonstrate the resilience of the characters in Loudermilk's story-songs, which typically involve various down-on-their-luck folks who manage to see the silver lining in their predicament. The drifter in "Interstate 40", a "happy son of a gun", says, "The government's given me Interstate 40 / And the good lord's give me a thumb". Ma Baker, owner of a little acre of land which she adamantly refuses to sell to the Tennessee Valley Authority, winds up with a little island where "she can float / And catch big bass from her motorboat / And when the wind ain't a-blowin' too strong / She can water-ski". And of course the singer of "Bad News" -- he who causes trouble everywhere he goes -- can at least say he's a hit with the little girls.
While the lyrical content of even the less interesting songs is above average, it's easy to miss because Loudermilk wasn't as innovative or clever in the musical department. A song like "No Playing in the Snow Today", which cautions against making contact with potentially radioactive snow, has a sickly-sweet melody, cloying background vocals, and syrupy swathes of strings, which detract from the lyrics by making the song sound utterly ordinary. At least "The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian" sports a bluesy guitar figure to counteract the obviousness of the tom-toms. In fact, it may come as something of a surprise to have to reconcile the very authentic blues feel of some of these recordings, especially "Tobacco Road" and the moan Loudermilk lets slip during the fadeout of "Interstate 40", with the photo of the bespectacled, totally Squares-ville man in the booklet. One thing's for certain: the man had impressive range, and a thorough command of rural idioms.
For the pop-music fan familiar with the hit versions of his songs, The Open Mind of John D. Loudermilk is a fine place to get acquainted with the songwriter's own recorded efforts. In terms of availability, it'll probably be easier to find than Bear Family's earlier reissues, and at seventy consistently-high-quality minutes, it's a bargain. Entertaining listening for a ride on the 21st-Century sled, too.
by Tom Useted
Tracks
1. Goin' To Hell On A Sled - 2:04
2. The Jones' - 3:17
3. War Babies - 2:41
4. Peace Of Heart - 2:29
5. Sidewalks - 2:33
6. To Ann - 1:43
7. More Than He'll Have To Give - 2:19
8. Poor Little Pretty Girl - 2:24
9. Nassau Town - 2:03
10.Geraldine - 1:35
11.Laura - 2:43
12.Brown Girl - 4:12
13.To Hell With Love - 2:43
14.Ma Baker's Little Acre - 2:26
15.No Playing In The Snow Today - 3:37
16.Bad News - 2:59
17.The Little Grave - 2:16
18.Talkin' Silver Cloud Blues (Gordon Lightfoot) - 3:49
19.I'm Looking For A World - 1:58
20.The Lament Of The Cherokee Reservation Indian - 3:33
21.Interstate 40 - 2:27
22.Where Have They Gone - 1:50
23.The Little Bird - 1:59
24.Tobacco Road - 2:55
25.Bubble, Please Break - 2:13
26.It's My Time - 2:38
27.That Ain't All - 1:52
All songs by John D. Loudermilk except where noted
Musicians
*John D. Loudermilk - Voclas, Sitar, Guitars, Organ, Bass
*Henry Strzelecki - Bass
*Forest Borders - Organ
*Jimmy Isbell - Drums
*Billy Sanford - Flat Top, Electric Guitars
*Norris Wilson - Voice
*Pete Sayers - Voice
*Boyce Hawkins - Piano
*Norris Wilson - Voice
*Don Gant - Voice
*Buzz Carson - Voice
*Bergen White - Voice
*Jerry Carrigan - Drums
*Norbert Putnam - Bass
*David Briggs - Piano
*Rick Powell - Piano
*Jerry Kennedy - Guitar
*Joseph Tanner - Guitar
*James Colvard - Guitar
*Floyd Crame - Piano
*James Stewart - Organ
*Charlie McCoy - Harmonica
*Norro Wilson - Harpsichord
*Ray Stevens - Organ
*Byron Bach, Brenton Banks, George Binkley, Howard Carpenter - Strings
*Lillian Hunt, Pamela Goldsmith, Martin Kathan - Strings
*Anita Kerr, Dorothy Ann Dillard, Luis Nunley, Bill Wright - Vocals
*Gordon Stoker, Raymond Walker, Hoyt Hawikins, Neal Matthews - Vocals
McGuinn, Clark & Hillman were one of a series of post-Byrds linkups between the original members that fizzled after a lot of initial promise. They were greeted with great enthusiasm in the rock press in early 1977, but -- as with the self-titled Byrds reunion album on Asylum four years earlier -- never lived up to the promise of the talents involved. Possibly it was too much to expect that they would succeed, given the shakiness of some of the personalities involved (specifically, Gene Clark, arguably the most talented songwriter of the three, who pulled out early on) and the music environment of the time, which had just sworn itself off of prog rock, burned itself out on punk rock, and worn out a fixation on disco. Absent a trio willing to make a committed effort by all three parties, which never fully happened after the debut album, they were always a day late and a dollar short in terms of getting much more than sympathetic enthusiasm from the press and attracting the loyalty of unreformed early-'70s hippies (the audience that would hang on Crosby, Stills & Nash's periodic reunions).
What this double-CD set reminds listeners, however, is that there was some very fine, if not brilliant or groundbreaking, music generated by these guys, at least on their first two albums, when they were still more or less a trio. No, the songs -- with the exception of Clark's contributions -- weren't the finest ever written, but they were mostly catchy and had good hooks; though why is it that one feels that, say, Chris Hillman's "Stopping Traffic" would have worked better as an acoustic number by the trio? The set ends with a pair of acoustic Roger McGuinn demos that are almost worth the price of admission by themselves -- if the group could have sounded as simple and adorned in its official releases as McGuinn sounds here, it might just have had a commercial future, even as a duo. Given the on-again, off-again availability of the group's catalog on CD since the early '90s, the quality of this set is excellent, from the artwork and packaging to the sound quality, which is a significant improvement on the original LPs. They still don't sound much like the Byrds, but Byrds completists should definitely own this double-CD set, and fans of the actual trio will discover a lot that is worthwhile as well.
by Bruce Eder
Tracks
Disc 1
McGuinn, Clark And Hillman 1979
1. Long, Long Time (Chris Hillman, Ramsey, Rick Roberts) - 3:09
2. Little Mamma (Gene Clark) - 4:21
3. Don't Write Her Off (Bob Hippard, Roger McGuinn) - 3:21
4. Surrender To Me (Rick Vito) - 3:40
5. Backstage Pass (Gene Clark) - 4:29
6. Stopping Traffic (Chri Hillman, Peter Knobler) - 3:20
7. Feelin' Higher (Gene Clark, Jim Messina) - 5:25
8. Sad Boy (Chris Hillman) - 4:03
9. Release Me Girl (Gene Clark, Thomas Jefferson Kaye) - 4:00
10.Bye Bye Baby (Bob Hippard, Roger McGuinn) - 4:01
City 1980
11.Who Taught the Night (Chri Hillman, Peter Knobler) - 3:06
12.One More Chance (Jacques Levy, Roger McGuinn) - 4:11
13.Won't Let You Down (Gene Clark) - 3:59
14.Street Talk (Chris Hillman, John Sambataro) - 2:50
15.City (Camilla McGuinn, Roger McGuinn) - 4:40
Disc 2 City 1980
1. Skate Date (Camilla McGuinn, Chris Hillman, Roger McGuinn) - 3:05
2. Givin' Herself Away (Lynn Tobola, Tom Kimmel) - 3:52
3. Deeper In (Chris Hillman, Douglas Foxworthy) - 2:43
4. Painted Fire (Gene Clark) - 2:53
5. Let Me Down Easy (Chri Hillman, Peter Knobler) - 4:02 McGuinn Hillman (Mean Streets) 1980
6. Mean Streets (Chris Hillman, Douglas Foxworthy) - 2:57
7. Entertainment (Chris Hillman, Roger McGuinn) - 3:27
8. Soul Shoes (Graham Parker) - 3:16
9. Between You and Me (Graham Parker) - 3:01
10.Angel (Chris Hillman, Douglas Foxworthy) - 3:23
11.Love Me Tonight (Robbie Seidman) - 3:18
12.King for a Night (Chris Hillman, Roger McGuinn) - 3:34
13.A Secret Side of You (Will McFarlane) - 3:44
14.Ain't No Money (Rodney Crowell) - 3:35
15.Turn Your Radio On (Chris Hillman, Roger McGuinn) - 3:06 Bonus Tracks
16.Making Movies (Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman) - 3:00
17.Surrender To Me (Rick Vito) - 2:30
18.Little Girl (Unknown) - 4:10
19.I Love Her (Camilla McGuinn, Roger McGuinn) - 2:54
A typical Arlo Guthrie mix of contemporary folk songs and unexpected material from the past, with a little Bob Dylan and dad Woody Guthrie added for good measure. Guthrie's cover of Dylan's "When the Ship Comes In" is superb, as is his slide guitar take on Hoyt Axton's "Lightning Bar Blues." Also worth noting are renditions of Woody's sad ballad, "1913 Massacre," Axton's "Somebody Turned on the Light," and Guthrie's own "Days Are Short." And then there is his definitive cover of "The City of New Orleans," Steve Goodman's ode to the vanishing railroads of middle America. "New Orleans" was Guthrie's only real hit single, and its "Good morning, America, how are ya?" chorus echoed from AM radios throughout the land, making the song a folk music standard.
by Jim Newsom
Tracks
1. Anytime (Herbert Lawson) - 1:47
2. The City Of New Orleans (Steve Goodman) - 4:35
3. Lightning Bar Blues (Hoyt Axton) - 2:52
4. Shackles And Chains (Jimmy Davis) - 2:57
5. 1913 Massacre (Woody Guthrie) - 4:19
6. Somebody Turned On The Light (Hoyt Axton) - 3:18
7. Ukulele Lady (Gus Kahn, Richard Whiting) - 3:24
8. When The Ship Comes In (Bob Dylan) - 4:27
9. Mapleview (20%) Rag (Arlo Guthrie) - 2:08
10.Days Are Short (Arlo Guthrie) - 4:17
11.Hobo's Lullaby (Goebel Reeves) - 3:59
1976′s Slippin’ Away sits alongside 1998′s outstanding Like A Hurricane as the peak of Chris Hillman’s solo output. Joyous opener ‘Step On Out’ was later covered by the Oak Ridge Boys. Hillman cites ‘Falling Again’ as a favourite, while the catchy as hell ‘Take It On The Run’ should have been a country rock AM radio perennial.
The epic and haunting Stephen Stills song ‘Witching Hour’ had been in the Manassas repertoire, but that band’s version was not released until the 2009 collection Pieces. The laidback ‘Blue Morning’ is another stunner.
Throughout the album, Hillman sounds like a confident vocalist, even though he confesses in the sleeve notes that this wasn’t the case. Flying Burrito Brothers number ‘Down In The Churchyard’ is reworked here in an almost reggae-country style.
In a more traditional Burritos vein is ‘Midnight Again’, while Hillman returns to his bluegrass roots with album closer ‘Take Me In Your Lifeboat’. He’s aided throughout by a star-studded selection of guests, including Steve Cropper, Bernie Leadon, Timothy B. Schmit, Jim Gordon, Lee Sklar and Herb Pedersen.
by Jim Henderson
Tracks
1. Step on Out (Chris Hillman, Peter Knobler) - 3:15
2. Slippin' Away - 3:27
3. Falling Again - 4:04
4. Take It on the Run - 3:25
5. Blue Morning - 3:51
6. Witching Hour (Stephen Stills) - 4:23
7. Down in the Churchyard (Chris Hillman, Gram Parsons) - 4:02
8. Love Is the Sweetest Amnesty (Danny Douma) - 3:43
9. Midnight Again - 3:35
10.(Take Me in Your) Lifeboat - 2:45
All songs by Chris Hillman except where stated
In the liner notes to Sundazed's reissue of Roger McGuinn & Band, the former Byrds leader says, "A band should be a benevolent dictatorship," adding, "Democracy is a great form of government, but it doesn't work in rock & roll." Whether you agree with that statement or not, Roger McGuinn & Band is one album that supports McGuinn's argument pretty well; in 1975, after his first two solo albums were greeted with lackluster commercial and critical response, Columbia Records assigned producer John Boylan to McGuinn's next project, and Boylan brought along a band. While the players turned out to be a solid rhythm section who brought a tight, energetic groove to the sessions, McGuinn decided to let them contribute songs to the album in the name of esprit de corps, and let the record show that none of these guys had ever written a great song for one of America's benchmark rock bands.
Consequently, Roger McGuinn & Band is knee-deep in filler, though not all the blame can be pointed at Roger's bandmates, since "Easy Does It" and "Lisa" don't exactly loom large in his catalog. And while Boylan's production isn't especially intrusive, the results have a bit more gloss than this music needs, and the country-rock and boogie accents don't leave much room for the folk touches that have always been McGuinn's strong suit. Still, "Born to Rock and Roll" and "Lover of the Bayou" are solid McGuinn compositions that deserve wider circulation, and while this isn't one of his better albums, at least it finds him in sharp and passionate form with a good band behind him. He just shouldn't have let them write half of the album, that's all.
by Mark Deming
Tracks
1. Somebody Loves You (Allen Kemp, Stephen A. Love) - 3:16
2. Knockin' On Heaven's Door (Bob Dylan) - 3:20
3. Bull Dog (Richard Bowden) - 1:59
4. Painted Lady (David Lovelace, Greg Attaway) - 3:08
5. Lover Of The Bayou (Jacques Levy, Roger McGuinn) - 3:25
6. Lisa (Roger McGuinn) - 1:59
7. Circle Song (David Lovelace) - 3:04
8. So Long (Richard Bowden) - 3:13
9. Easy Does It (Roger McGuinn) - 2:41
10.Born To Rock And Roll (Roger McGuinn) - 3:21
11.Wasn't Born To Follow (Gerry Goffin, Carole King) - 2:02
12.Chestnut Mare (Jacques Levy, Roger McGuinn) - 5:50
Bonus Tracks Live 11-12
Personnel
Roger McGuinn - Guitar, Vocals, Bass
Steve Love - Bass
David Lovelace - Keyboards
Greg Attaway - Drums
Richard Bowden - Guitar
This is one of the better albums coming from the Move family tree. It was released in 1970 though it has a clear 1967/1968 sound and is one of the best albums of its kind. Rick Price entered the Move sometime in the late 60s, contributing bass and guitar to “Shazam“, “Looking On” and “Message From The Country.” Mike Sheridan had previously been leader of the Nightriders which were a Birmingham group that specialized in the merseybeat sound and 50s rock n roll.
The Nightriders were sort of a breeding ground for future Move members, most importantly Roy Wood. During Price’s tenure with the Move, he and Sheridan started writing songs together for the above album. Both Sheridan and Price share vocals and writing chores on an album that veers into power pop, psychedelia, sunshine pop and progressive pop. There are horn and string arrangements on this beautiful album that recall some of Paul McCartney’s soft moments on the Beatles’ classic White Album (think “Martha My Dear” or even the Move’s great “Beautiful Daughter”). Some of the heavier moments like “Sometimes I Wonder,” “Lamp Lighter Man,” and “Lightning Never Strikes” sound like excellent 68/69 era Move outtakes. In fact, “Lighting Never Strikes” was released as a Move single at the tail end of the 60s. Sheridan and Price’s version is just as good though not as trippy, with a splendid backwards guitar solo, slashing acoustic guitars and crashing drums. Other songs such as the string laden pop number “Davey Has No Dad” or the trippy “Picture Box” have a beautiful child-like, story song whimsy that hints at a Ray Davies influence.
This is an exceptional if little known Move album that will appeal to fans of the Beatles, Kinks and even lovers of soft, sunshine pop sounds.
by Jason Nardelli
Tracks Disc 1
1. Rick Price - Davey Has No Dad - 2:52
2. Mike Sheridan - Lightning Never Strikes - 2:37
3. Rick Price - Bitter Sweet - 2:41
4. Rick Price And Mike Sheridan - Tracy Smith - 2:04
5. Mike Sheridan - Sometimes I Wonder - 2:39
6. Rick Price - Tomorrow's Child (Rick Price) - 2:23
7. Rick Price - Face In My Window (Rick Price) - 2:17
8. Mike Sheridan - Will You Leave Me Behind - 2:04
9. Rick Price And Mike Sheridan - Beautiful Sally - 2:03
10.Rick Price And Mike Sheridan - On The Moon - 2:30
11.Rick Price - Picture Box (J. Rodgers) - 2:08
12.Mike Sheridan - Lamp Lighter Man - 2:55
13.Mike Sheridan - Follow Me, Follow (Jeff Lynne) - 2:41
14.Mike Sheridan - When Love Breaks Your Heart (A. Tyler) - 1:39
15.Rick Price - Top Ten Records - 2:12
All songs by Rick Price, Michael Tyler except where stated
Disc 2
1. Rick Price - Butterfly - 2:48
2. Rick Price - April Is Here (Rick Price, Michael Tyler) - 3:46
3. Rick Price - Daisy Farm Park - 2:30
4. Rick Price - Misty Morning - 4:05
5. Rick Price - Talking To The Flowers (Terry Slater, Jacqueline Ertel, Venetia Stevenson) - 2:22
6. Rick Price - Who Am I (Rick Price, Michael Tyler) - 2:27
7. Rick Price - It's Over (J. Rodgers) - 2:03
8. Rick Price - Reason To Believe (Tim Hardin) - 2:09
9. Rick Price - And The Singer Sings His Song (Neil Diamond) - 4:47
10.Rick Price - Love Her (Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil) - 3:27
11.Rick Price - Please, No More Sad Songs (Jeff Lynne) - 3:34
12.Rick Price - And Now (Rick Price, Michael Tyler) - 3:43
13.Rick Price - Dream (Michael Tyler) - 2:03
14.Rick Price - Hey Little One (Barry De Vorizon, Dorsey Burnette) - 2:00
15.Rick Price - Take My Hand For A While (Buffy Saint Marie) - 2:12
16.Rick Price - I Can Get Found - 3:49
17.Rick Price - Mr. Bojangles (Jerry Jeff Walker) - 4:33
18.Rick Price - Caroline - 2:27
19.Rick Price - Turn Around - 2:54
20.Rick Price - Love Is A Lonesome River (Glenn Campbell) - 1:54
21.Rick Price - Give Me Peace - 2:13
22.Rick Price - My Crying Time - 2:05
23.Rick Price - Galveston (Jimmy Webb) - 2:07
24.Rick Price - We Believe In Jesus (Michael Tyler) - 4:13
All song by Rick Price except where indicated
Tracks 13-24 Previously Unreleased
A Louisville, Kentucky band, the Rugbys spent a few years working the local circuit prior to cracking the national market. Peaking at No. 24 in the late summer of 1969, “You, I” was the song that did the trick, but wound up being the band’s only hit single.
Performed at a quick and urgent pace parked aloft a bed of menacing fuzz guitars, stabbing breaks, bristling distortion, and icy psychedelic vocals, “You, I” imparted a visible tip of the cap to the sonic shreddings of Jimi Hendrix. Prompted by the success of the song, the Rugbys cut an album, Hot Cargo (Amazon Records) that expectedly included the winning track.
Like “You, I,” most of the material on Hot Cargo gravitates towards the hard rock side of the dial. A gruff and funky veneer encases both “Wendegahl the Warlock” and “Juditha Gina,” and “Rockin’ All Over Again” pumps and jumps to a tummy-wiggling boogie beat. Rigged with flowery keyboard ruffles and stately arrangements, “Lines of Thought,” “For Love Gone,” and “King and Queen of the World” pivot and rivet with artful twists and turns.
Not entirely immersed in heavy rock, the Rugbys delivered an altogether different vibe on the glossy soul pop of “Stay With Me,” and “Song to Fellow Man,” a jaunty piano-driven anthem pleading peace and love set to a rootsy gospel pitch.
Although Hot Cargo doesn’t qualify as a game-changer, original songs and intrepid musicianship afford the album to be ambitious and appealing. The Rugbys certainly had good ideas and a rich imagination, so there’s a lot of neat stuff going on here. Those with a yen for acts such as the Amboy Dukes, Blue Cheer and Steppenwolf will surely approve.
The band never recorded another album, but in 2008 the Gear Fab label released a collection simply titled The Rugbys that focuses on previously unissued tunes from 1965-69 and is also strongly recommended.
by Beverly Paterson
Tracks
1. I Gotta Find A Way - 2:57
2. This Way, That Way - 2:28
3. Endlessly (J. D. Miller) - 2:46
4. You're Not There - 2:33
5. Walkin' The Streets (Doug Sahm) - 2:31
6. Anyone But You - 2:28
7. Winter Winds (Frank Bugbee) - 2:17
8. But I Do - 2:24
9. Baby, Let's Wait (Lori Burton) - 2:52
10.Leaves Of Grass - 2:36
11.I Belong To Nobody (Frank Bugbee) - 2:34
12.Let The Music Take You Down - 3:03
13.On My Way - 3:44
14.Sundown Red - 3:30
15.Lies - 3:56
16.Lovestruck - 4:35
17.Burnin' With The Love - 4:30
18.You, I - 3:23
All songs by Steve McNicol except where stated The Rugbys
*Chris Hubbs - Guitar
*Steve McNicol - Guitar
*Mike Hoerni - Bass Guitar
*Eddy Vernon - Keyboards
*Glen Howerton - Drums
Mama’s Pride, “The Pride of St. Louis” was formed in 1972 by brothers Pat and Danny Liston and was named as a tribute to their mother. The band worked hard and was eventually being taken under the wing of Lynyrd Skynyrd‘s Ronnie Van Zant. When Van Zant died in the legendary plane crash, it effectively slowed Mama’s Pride journey as well. With little record company support and personal issues, they finally broke up in 1982.
After playing couple years on local Missouri scene, Mama’s Pride signed a recording deal with Atlantic and recorded their self-titled debut album in three days. The band spend following couple years on the road playing with variety of bands from the Charlie Daniels to The Outlaws.
In 1977 Mama’s Pride was back in the studio and released the follow-up, Uptown and Lowdown, which introduced a new keyboard player, Paul Willet to the fans. Album did fairly well and songs like “She’s a Stranger to Me Now” and “Merry-Go-Round” gained airplay on radio.
The band was into talks with late Ronnie Van Zant and he was supposed to produce third Mama’s Pride album, but when Van Zant died in the notorious plane crash, it effectively slowed Mama’s Pride journey as well. In 1978 they played as Gregg Allman’s back-up band on his solo tour after which, the band was dropped from their label ATCO and little by little forgotten in the throws of disco. They still continued to perform as Mama’s Pride until 1982 when the band finally broke up.
In 1987 Mama’s Pride played one-off reunion show and finally decided to record new album, Guard Your Heart, in 1992. Mama’s Pride reunited again in 2004 and continue to perform live couple times a year in their home town, St. Louis.
Tracks
1. Can I Call You A Cab (Danny Liston) - 4:58
2. She's A Stranger To Me Now (Pat Liston) - 4:40
3. Lucky Lady (Max Baker, Pat Liston) - 4:48
4. You Can't Fool Yourself (Pat Liston) - 7:12
5. The End Of Our Road (Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield, Roger Penzabene) - 2:56
6. Merry-Go-Round (Danny Liston, Pat Liston) - 5:17
7. Now I Found You (Danny Liston, Kevin Sanders, Max Baker, Pat Liston) - 3:33
8. Long Time (Danny Liston) - 9:48
Both albums that constitute this ‘2 for 1’ single CD reissue, respectively they date from 1975 and 1976, were produced by David Anderle who had worked from the outset on the recordings made by this Springfield, Missouri based sextet. On “The Car Over The Lake Album” the band was blessed by the presence of four ‘in-house’ songwriters [all original band members], namely John Dillon, Larry Lee, Steve Cash and Randle Chowning, although the latter party had departed, to launch his solo recording career, by the time “Men From Earth” was issued. Chowning’s place in the band was filled by Norwegian born Rune Walle [guitars, mandolin, sitar]. U.K. based BGO Records issued the band’s debut and sophomore recordings, respectively “The Ozark Mountain Daredevils” [1973] and “It’ll Shine When It Shines” [1974], as a ‘2 for 1’ CD package during January 2005. The latter pairing, co-produced by Glyn Johns and David Anderle, each yielded one U.S. Pop Chart hit single - the only major commercial success the Ozarks were to enjoy. “If You Want To Get To Heaven” made the lower reaches of the Top 30, while the subsequent “Jackie Blue” achieved the heady # 3 position.
Having mentioned the quartet of songwriters in the band, a non-band member contributed to one cut on “The Car Over The Lake Album.” Minnesota bred hit country songwriter Elizabeth Anderson [Lynn Anderson’s mother] co-penned the penultimate cut “Out On The Sea” with Dillon. Following the appearance midway through 1968 of the Byrds country collection “Sweetheart Of The Rodeo,” a rash of long-haired country-rock influenced combos were formed during the ensuing years. Prior to working with OMD, music history records that Glyn Johns produced The Eagles’ 1972 self-titled debut album and their sophomore ‘thematic’ release “Desperado” [1973].
As might be inferred from the song title, Dillon’s “Keep On Churnin’” is a frantic paced number and it kicks off the “Car” collection replete with a rowdy rock ’n’ roll guitar riff. The considerably slower Lee/Cash soft-pop sounding collaboration “If I Only Knew” scored the band a Top 50 U.S. Pop single, and it’s followed by Chowning’s “Leatherwood” a ‘take it easy in the backwoods’ themed number. The latter is the first truly country sounding cut on “The Car…” In truth there are only a handful of “Car” and “Men” tunes that truly satisfy the country formula. The lyric to Cash’s “Cobblestone Mountain” [also] possesses a backwoods feel, while Lee’s “Mr. Powell” is a vocal harmony rich cut, as is the later Lee/Dillon collaboration “From Time To Time.” Featuring another backwoods themed lyric, Chowning and Cash were responsible for the hoedown paced “Gypsy Forest,” although sadly it’s followed by their uninspired love song “Thin Ice” – the repeated “We’re travelling on thin ice baby” pretty much reveals the total content of this three minute long cut. “Southern Cross” is simply riff rock filler, while Chowning’s gentle sounding “Whippoorwill” closes the Ozarks third album.
Following Chowning’s departure, Dillon, Cash and Lee fulfilled the songwriting duties on “The Car Over The Lake Album,” and like its predecessor it opens with a John Dillon composition - in this instance, the gospel tinged “Fly Away Home.” Chart wise the band’s slow ‘chart hit’ demise continued with Lee’s ‘easy listening’ “You Know Like I Know” peaking toward the nether reaches of Top 75 U.S. Pop. “Breakaway [From Those Chains]” is another of Dillon’s guitar-riff heavy creations. In terms of melodic content “Men From Earth” pretty much follows the rocker/ballad formula of its predecessor. “Watermill” [Cash/Dillon] and “It’s How You Think” [Lee] are vocal harmony rich ballads, Cash’s “Arroyo” is underpinned by a funky, cyclical guitar figure, and “Men From Earth” closes with the fiddle, mandolin and [James Burton/Albert Lee style] lead guitar lick filled, Larry Lee penned country song “Homemade Wine.”
The twenty-page liner booklet that accompanies this release contains a short history of the band by journalist/writer John Tobler, and also features the lyrics to all the songs.
by Arthur Wood, Kerrville Kronikles 01/2007
Tracks
1. Keep On Churnin' (John Dillon) - 2:58
2. If I Only Knew (Larry Lee, Steve Cash) - 3:23
3. Leatherwood (Randle Chowning) - 4:01
4. Cobblestone Mountain (Steve Cash) - 2:23
5. Mr. Powell (Larry Lee) - 3:14
6. Gypsy Forest (Randle Chowning, Steve Cash) - 2:54
7. Thin Ice (Randle Chowning, Steve Cash) - 2:55
8. From Time To Time (Larry Lee, John Dillon) - 3:54
9. Southern Cross (Steve Cash, John Dillon) - 3:29
10.Out On The Sea (John Dillon, Elizabeth Anderson) - 3:42
11.Whippoorwill (Randle Chowning) - 5:10
12.Fly Away Home (John Dillon) - 2:50
13.You Know Like I Know (Larry Lee) - 4:05
14.Breakaway (From Those Chains) (John Dillon) - 3:59
15.The Red Plum (Steve Cash, John Dillon) - 2:03
16.Mountain Range (John Dillon) - 4:46
17.Watermill (Steve Cash, John Dillon) - 4:11
18.Noah (John Dillon) - 3:08
19.It's How You Think (Larry Lee) - 4:23
20.Arroyo (Steve Cash) - 5:12
21.Homemade Wine (Larry Lee) - 2:37
The Ozark Mountain Daredevils
*Buddy Brayfield - Piano, Electric Piano, Organ, Oboe
*Steve Cash - Harp
*Randle Chowning - Guitars, Mandolin, Harp
*John Dillon - Guitars, Mandolin, Harp
*Mike Granda - Bass
*Larry Lee - Drums, Acoustic Guitar, Synthesizer Guests 1975 The Car Over The Lake Album
*Weldon Myrick - Pedal Steel Guitar
*Farrell Morris - Orchestra Bells
*Nancy Blake - Cello 1976 Men From Earth
*Bill Jones - Horns, Flutes, Synthesizer
*Randle Chowning - Guitars, Vocals
*Steve Canaday - Drums, Fair Witness
*Connie Canaday - Vocals
*Bean - Definition Of Pachuco
*Bobbye Hall - Congas, Percussion
*Jerry Mills - Mandolin
