Spirit - Spirit Of `76 (1975 us, fantastic multicolored rock, 2003 double disc remaster)

With the exception of their first four albums,  Spirit released some of their best music in the mid 70s.  Spirit of ’76 (released in 1975 by MCA) is a brilliant double album that saw Ed Cassidy and Randy California “officially” reunite for the first time since the legendary 12 Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus.  This disc was also the first band release to feature Randy California in complete creative control of the group’s sound.  Prior to the album, California had suffered a nervous breakdown, an event that led him to relocate to Hawaii.  In Hawaii, California lived on the beaches, miserable and destitute until he was taken in by a Christian family.  The guitarist wrote most of the material for Spirit of ’76 while being employed as a gardener in Hawaii.  When California recovered, he phoned Ed Cassidy (the drummer) and when the two met up, the Spirit name was once again resurrected.

Gone are the jazzy, intricate textures of the group’s early albums.  This version of Spirit favored a classic rock sound with plenty of distortion and phased guitars, vocal effects and a dreamy, stoned production – a strong Hendrix influence abounds. As with many double albums, there’s some indulgent moments sprinkled throughout the two discs.  The brief “Tampa Jam/Jack Bond” theme appears 5 times throughout the album.   Also,  some listeners may be surprised by the 5 or 6 covers that appear on the LP.  The original Spirit albums solely relied on original material.  To me, the covers sound excellent.  “Happy” (The Rolling Stones) is reckless and hard rocking, “Hey Joe” is suitably spacey and faithful to Hendrix’s version, “America The Beautiful/The Times They Are A Changing” is inspiring while “Walking The Dog” is a powerful rendition that features lots of great guitar work.

The California originals are truly exceptional.  “Sunrise,” “Veruska,” and “Victim Of Society” rock hard and fierce, featuring plenty of fuzz guitar, distortion and pounding drums.  Some of the album’s tracks such as the trippy “Urantia” are influenced by California’s interest in the religious teachings of the Urantia Book/Urantia Foundation (a religious organization).  Other great moments include acoustic, reflective numbers “What Do I Have?” and “My Road” and a few lighthearted cuts such as “Lady Of The Lakes” and the country-psych gem, “Joker On The Run.”

Not many great classic rock albums were being issued in 1975/1976.  At this point, all the heavy hitters (example – at this juncture The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Kinks and solo Beatles were releasing weak, uninteresting LPs) were peddling slick, corporate dreck to the public.  Taken in this context, Spirit of ’76 is one of the better classic rock releases from 1975 that actually does possess real artistic integrity; a hidden gem from 1975.

by Jason Nardelli

Tracks

Disc One

1. America The Beautiful/The Times They Are A-Changing (Katharine Lee Bates, Samuel A. Ward, Dylan)- 5:27 

2. Victim Of Society - 3:00 

3. Lady Of The Lakes - 2:52 

4. Tampa Jam Pt. 1 -  0:54 

5. Mauna Loa (Randy California) - 2:02 

6. What Do I Have? (Randy California) -2:04 

7. Sunrise -   3:00 

8. Walking The Dog (Rufus Thomas) - 3:13 

9. Tampa Jam Pt. 2 -   1:03 

10.Joker On The Run (Randy California, Ed Cassidy, Barry Keene)- 3:53 

11.When? (Randy California) - 4:27 

12.Like A Rolling Stone (Boby Dylan) - 8:54

All songs by Randy California, Ed Cassidy except noted

Disc Two
1. Once Again - 3:19
2. Feeling In Time - 3:27
3. Happy (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards)  - 3:19
4. Jack Bond (Burt Shonberg) - 1:39
5. My Road (Randy California) - 4:13
6. Tampa Jam Pt. 3 - 0:54
7. Thank You Lord (Randy California) -  1:45
8. Urantia - 4:04
9. Guide Me - 3:47
10.Veruska (Marty Paich, Randy California, Mark Andes, Ed Cassidy) - 3:57
11.Hey Joe (Billy Roberts) - 6:30
12.Jack Bond Pt. 2 (Burt Shonberg) -  0:51
13.The Star Spangled Banner (Francis Scott Key) - 3:40
All songs Randy California, Ed Cassidy except indicated.

The Spirit
*Randy California - Bass, Guitar, Vocals, Multi Instruments
*Ed Cassidy - Percussion, Drums
*Barry Keane - Bass
*Benji - Harpsichord, Moog Synthesizer

1968-72  Spirit - It Shall Be-Ode And Epic Recordings (2018 five disc box set remaster with extra tracks)
1971  Spirit - Feedback
1974-75  Spirit - Salvation... The Spirit Of '74 (2007 release)
1975-76  Spirit - Son Of Spirit / Farther Alone (2004 remaster)
Related Acts
1972-74  Jo Jo Gunne - Jo Jo Gunne / Bite Down Hard / Jumpin' the Gun / So... Where's the Show? (double disc 2011 issue) 
1976-78  Firefall - Firefall / Luna Sea / Elan (2016 double disc set)

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Donovan - Fairytale (1965 uk, excellent folk, 2001 expanded deluxe edition)

The line between intertext and plagiarism is a witchy, winding road. Where one ends and the other begins is inherently confused and cluttered, pockmarked with varying degrees of interpretation and ensuing condemnation. Music presents a most difficult testing ground when seeking to clarify a distinction between theft and inspiration. To mark clearly the blurred, skewed and dimly lit border of ownership and originality is near impossible. With this in mind, ladies and gentleman, I give you: Donovan.

What’s Bin Did and What’s Bin Hid or Catch the Wind (depending on where you hail from) is the 1965 debut album of British folk singer Donovan. Light on the ears and entirely enjoyable, I’m not actually going to say all that much about the album, except that there is something familiar about it... instantly familiar, and it is precisely this familiarity that has made the album as infamous as it is famous.

Heralded by many denouncers as the key piece of evidence in dubbing Donovan as nothing more than "Britain’s answer to Bob Dylan", a cheap knock off or folk music’s incarnation of The Monkeys; endless interrogation has left the album scarred and the artist - branded by many Dylan fans - a charlatan. I get that branding... I really do, but I feel that there is more to Donovan and less to the comparison than those at the pulpit of musical conspiracy would have you believe.

Much of the hype that fuels such detraction is based on Bob Dylan’s 1965 tour of Britain, and the subsequent documentation of that tour contained in D.A Pennebaker’s film, Don't Look Back. The film helps to highlight the obsession in the British press for creating trans-Atlantic music rivalries, like that of Dylan and Donovan or The Byrds and The Beatles. Donovan, in an odd twist of fate, actually came to the defence of The Byrds after NME trashed their London shows because they supposedly didn't live up to the manufactured hype of being "America’s answer to the Beatles".

What makes it into Pennebaker’s film, besides Dylan light heartedly mocking the press’s obsession with Donovan, is their first meeting at The Savoy Hotel. The atmosphere that the film conjures is hard to pinpoint, but seems to be one of mutual regard, between a visibly nervous Donovan and a characteristically distracted and hard to read Dylan. Donovan plays 'To Sing for You' before Dylan responds with a stirring rendition of "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue". Pennebaker insists the broader scene involved Dylan condemning an unknown Donovan song called "My Darling Tangerine Eyes" for blatantly plagiarising his "Mr Tambourine Man" chord structure, saying, "Well, you know, that tune... I have to admit that I haven't written all the tunes I'm credited with, but that happens to be one that I did write!"

What makes the assertion by Pennebaker so interesting is the fact that Dylan refused to allow this scene to be included in the final cut of the film. If the embarrassment of Donovan by Dylan did occur, perhaps Dylan didn’t want the world to see it. There is a barely audible moment in the film that might explain why, and possibly why What’s Bin Did and What’s Bin Hid has so many moments of structural similarity to Dylan's work: as Donovan begins strumming the guitar, Dylan excitedly remarks, ‘He plays like Jack, man!’ referring almost certainly to the great Ramblin' Jack Elliot.

Ramblin’ Jack is worthy of more space than I’m going to allow him in this brief synopsis, but his part in Donovan’s story is worth mentioning, if only briefly. Ramblin' Jack is inexorably linked to Woody Guthrie, a hero of Dylan’s and an icon in folk music, who has only really ever been eclipsed by Dylan himself. Ramblin' Jack was a student come friend of Guthrie’s and became a master of his songs and playing style. He is said to have later taught an Englishman that fingerpicking style while performing in Paris in the early 1960's. That Englishman’s name: Mick Softley.

Softley then met Donovan after returning to the UK and, while working together, Donovan acquired a new style of picking in order to perform a song by Softley called: "Gold Watch Blues". So, Donovan learned his style from a student of Ramblin’ Jack, who was first a student of Guthrie’s, who was Dylan’s hero. Inspiration rather than direct imitation seems a bit more tangible regarding Donovan’s work when armed with these facts.

With all this in mind, the fact remains that What’s Bin Did and What’s Bin Hid is incredibly reminiscent of Dylan’s work and the structure of some of his tracks; however, this doesn’t condemn it to be labelled a knock-off. Just as some of Dylan’s early work is reminiscent of Guthrie’s, so is Donovan's of Dylan's. "Catch the Wind" no more plagiarises "Chimes of Freedom" than "Bear Mountain Picnic" does Guthrie’s "Talking Sailor" - inspired no doubt, but more than able to hold their own as unique tracks.

For those who still aren’t convinced, Donovan's later work digresses into a musical realm all its own, blending a uniquely eclectic psychedelic fusion - and pairing with some artists that went on to create a little known band called The New Yardbirds - but that's for a later article. For now I'd throw on What’s Bin Did and What’s Bin Hid and revel in the work of a man who, in a back room of London’s Savoy Hotel, got Bob Dylan to say: "Hey - that’s a good song, man!"

by Nick Bornholt, February 27th, 1967

Tracks
1. Colours (Donovan Leitch) - 2:44
2. To Try For The Sun (Donovan Leitch) - 3:41
3. Sunny Goodge Street (Donovan Leitch) - 2:56
4. Oh Deed I Do (Bert Jansch) - 2:09
5. Circus Of Sour (Paul Bernath) - 1:53
6. The Summer Day Reflection Song (Donovan Leitch) - 2:16
7. Candy Man (Traditional; Arranged by Donovan Leitch) - 3:30
8. Jersey Thursday (Donovan Leitch) - 2:15
9. Belated Forgiveness Plea (Donovan Leitch) - 2:58
10.The Ballad Of A Crystal Man (Donovan Leitch) - 3:55
11.The Little Tin Soldier (Shawn Phillips) - 3:02
12.The Ballad Of Geraldine (Donovan Leitch) - 4:41
13.Universal Soldier (Buffy Sainte-Marie) - 2:15
14.The Ballad Of A Crystal Man (Donovan Leitch) - 3:18
15.The War Drags On (Mike Softley) - 3:44
16.Do You Hear Me Now (Bert Jansch) - 1:50
17.Turquoise (Donovan Leitch) - 3:31
18.Hey Gyp (Dig The Slowness) (Donovan Leitch) - 3:12

Musicians
*Donovan - Banjo, Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals
*Skip Alan (Alan Skipper) - Drums
*Brian Locking - Bass Guitar
*Harold McNair - Flute
*Shawn Phillips - Guitar, Twelve String Guitar

1967  Donovan - A Gift From A Flower To A Garden (2008 remaster) 
1967  Donovan - In Concert, The Complete Anaheim Show (2006 two disc set)
1973  Donovan - Cosmic Wheels 

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Aaron Space - Aaron Space (1972 canada / italy, fine rough psych rock with southern taste, Vinyl edition)

Aaron Space was a Canadian psychedelic rock band from Toronto, performing art rock with a touch of psychedelia and a pinch of 70's hard rock. The songs are energetic, fun, and the guitar is beautiful.

They released their first single, "Keep On Movin'," which featured Lisa Garber on bg vocals, b/w "The Visitor" in the fall of '71 to mixed reviews. It eeked its way up to #83 on some strong support from Toronto radio, where it stayed for three weeks. Recorded at Eastern Sound in Toronto and produced by John Stewart, their eponymous debut album followed early the next year, with the single, "Marsha" b/w "She Smiles" close behind.

After a series of short tours around central Canada, plans were being made for a follow-up album, some songs had been written, and some time in the studios had been spent. But with their deal with Warner on the brink of ending, the band imploded, and everyone went on to individual projects.

Citizan-freak

Tracks
1. Keep On Moving (Jake Thomas) - 3:15
2. Silly Ceilings (Jake Thomas) - 5:01
3. When She Smiles (Jake Thomas) - 3:02
4. Man In A Yellow Car (Dave Moulaison, Jake Thomas) - 4:21
5. Marsha (Bob DiSalle) - 1:58
6. North Country Rock 'n' Roll (Jake Thomas) - 3:39
7. It Might Be You (Dave Moulaison, Gene Falbo, Bob DiSalle, Jake Thomas) - 3:05
8. The Loser (Dave Moulaison, Gene Falbo, Bob DiSalle, Jake Thomas) - 2:43
9. Fair Child (Dave Moulaison, Gene Falbo, Bob DiSalle, Jake Thomas) - 3:23
10.Rainbow Ride (Dave Moulaison, Gene Falbo, Bob DiSalle, Jake Thomas) - 5:05

Aaron Space
*Bob DiSalle - Drums, Percussion, Vocals
*Dave Moulaison - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
*Jake Thomas - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Gene Falbo - Bass Guitar, Vocals

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JPT Scare Band - Sleeping Sickness (1973-76 us, hard rough stoner fuzzed acid psych, 2001 issue)

Whereas by the 21st century any 12-year-old with a laptop and a MySpace page could make music and have it heard by millions of strangers, in the pre-internet days artists and bands might work and perform diligently for years on end without escaping utter anonymity, never mind even sniffing a record deal. This is the story of (among many other groups) Kansas City's JPT Scare Band, which was formed in 1973 by three friends -- vocalist/guitarist Terry Swope, bassist Paul Grigsby, and drummer Jeff Littrell -- who simply loved to jam for hours on end, inspired by the psychedelic hard rock of Cream, Blue Cheer, and the Jimi Hendrix Experience. 

Although they would soon realize that their symbiotic musical relationship was something special and eventually recorded the best fruits of their labor to tape, the JPT Scare Band (named after its members' first initials, obviously, plus the scary length of their acid rock jams) never managed to graduate from basement woodshedding to world-wide stardom. Their informal reel to reel recordings were so obscure and sparsely circulated, in fact, that the group would likely have been entirely forgotten were it not for a pair of hard rock anthropologists at Monster Records, who tracked them down in the early '90s and rounded up their '70s highlights for limited release on two vinyl albums, Acid Acetate Excursion and Rape of Titan's Sirens, and later CD via 2000's Sleeping Sickness.

These reissues were rave-reviewed and eagerly snapped up by collectors of '70s hard rock, but when the JPT Scare Band members -- still friends and still jamming after all these years, believe it or not -- asked Monster to release some of their present-day recordings, the label balked, and by conveniently going out of business shortly thereafter, motivated the veteran rockers to take matters into their own hands. Launching their own website and indie label, Kung Bomar, the JPT Scare Band promptly issued a new collection, Past Is Prologue, mixing old and more recent material in 2002.

by Eduardo Rivadavia

Tracks
1. Sleeping Sickness - 15:17
2. Slow Sick Shuffle - 7:13
3. King Rat - 13:17
4. It's Too Late - 5:31
5. Acid Acetate Excursion - 6:58
6. I've Been Waiting - 12:12
7. Time To Cry - 12:44
All songs by Jeff Littrell, Paul Grigsby, Terry Swope

The JPT Scare Band
*Jeff Littrell - Drums
*Paul Grigsby - Bass, Vocals
*Terry Swope - Guitar, Vocals

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Spirit - Son Of Spirit / Farther Alone (1975-76 us, awesome fusion rock, 2004 remaster)

After Spirit’s first four classic albums, the band entered a period of fluctuating personnel, style, and success. The double-LP Spirit of ‘76 had marked the revitalization of the band around guitarist Randy California and drummer Ed Cassidy, and indulged the experimental side of the group. Finding themselves the object of some chart action after years of disappointment, the two quickly followed up with Son of Spirit, hanging onto bassist Barry Keene from the previous record. It is a much tamer affair, sticking to the band’s more song-oriented side, and maintaining a relatively pastoral mood. There are some beautiful acoustic guitar moments, and plenty of great, if somewhat restrained, lead parts on electric. California, as the sole singer, uses his modest vocal talents to good effect on the soft material. The previous album had introduced a trend of cover tunes, and the Beatles’ “Yesterday” is added here.

The next year, original members John Locke (keyboards) and Mark Andes (bass) came back into the fold temporarily for Farther Along, leaving only singer Jay Ferguson missing from the band’s classic lineup. For the most part, this album continues in the relatively non-experimental vein of its predecessor, though it should be noted that a non-experimental Spirit album is still fairly out-there compared to most bands. Aside from an embarrassing disco beat on one track, the material here stands up well through the years; a couple of the tunes rank with the band’s best.

by Jon Davis, 2006-05-01

Tracks
Son Of Spirit
1. Holy Man (Randy California) - 3:02
2. Looking Into Darkness (Ed Cassidy, Randy California) - 2:53
3. Maybe You'll Find (Randy California) - 2:40
4. Don't Go Away (Randy California) - 3:43
5. Family (Randy California) - 3:07
6. Magic Fairy Princess (Randy California) - 3:02
7. Circle (Randy California) - 3:28
8. The Other Song (Barry Keene, Ed Cassidy, Randy California) - 5:33
9. Yesterday (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 1:54
10.It's Time Now (Randy California) - 3:02
Farther Along
11.Farther Along (Ed Cassidy, Matt Andes, Randy California) - 3:23
12.Atomic Boogie (Ed Cassidy, John Locke, Mark Andes, Matt Andes, Randy California) - 2:41
13.World Eat World Dog (Ed Cassidy, John Locke, Randy California) - 2:45
14.Stoney Night (Randy California) - 2:30
15.Pineapple (John Locke) - 2:11
16.Colossus (Randy California) - 2:58
17.Mega Star (John Locke, Randy California) - 3:27
18.Phoebe (Matt Andes) - 2:10
19.Don't Lock Up Your Door (Ed Cassidy, Matt Andes, Randy California) - 3:10
20.Once With You (John Locke, Randy California) - 1:34
21.Diamond Spirit (Matt Andes, Randy California) - 2:26
22.Nature's Way (Randy California) - 2:04

The Spirit
Son Of Spirit
*Randy California - Bass, Guitar, Vocals
*Ed Cassidy - Percussion, Drums
*Barry Keane - Bass
Farther Along
*Mark Andes - Bass, Vocals
*Randy California - Bass, Guitar, Vocals
*Ed Cassidy - Percussion, Drums
*John Locke - Keyboards
*Matt Andes - Guitar, Vocals

1968-72  Spirit - It Shall Be-Ode And Epic Recordings (2018 five disc box set remaster with extra tracks) 
1971  Spirit - Feedback
1974-75  Spirit - Salvation... The Spirit Of '74 (2007 release)
Related Acts
1972-74  Jo Jo Gunne - Jo Jo Gunne / Bite Down Hard / Jumpin' the Gun / So... Where's the Show? (double disc 2011 issue) 
1976-78  Firefall - Firefall / Luna Sea / Elan (2016 double disc set)

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Christopher - Christopher (1970 us, solid hard acid psych)

Another one of Texas' wealth of interesting, late-'60s psychedelic bands, Christopher came together in 1968 in the Houston area. Doug Tull (drums), Doug Walden (bass, vocals), and Richard Avitts (guitar, vocals) were the original members of the band, which was originally known as United Gas. Tull and Avitts, at the time playing in a series of R&B and soul-leaning groups, first met in 1966 when Tull sat in on drums with one of Avitts' bands. Tull, however, was not as serious about the music as Avitts, leading to an eventual split. Tull developed a friendship around this time with Jefferson Airplane guitarist Jorma Kaukonen, and, in 1967, invited Avitts to jam with them. Certain that they had the makings of a band, the two went searching for a bassist who could sing, eventually finding Doug Walden. 

It was not long before United Gas developed a following in and around Houston, playing local clubs such as Tangerine Forest, whose owner, Nick Lee, developed an interest in the band, eventually becoming their manager. Walden and Avitts began writing their own material and recorded a demo that Lee had circulated around Las Vegas and Los Angeles by his connections in those cities. United Gas moved to Las Vegas for a brief time and then to Los Angeles after L.A. record label Metromedia offered them a two-year contract. At the behest of Metromedia, the band changed their name to Christopher so that they wouldn't be confused with similarly monikered California band Pacific Gas & Electric. Walden and Avitts felt Christopher to be a religious band -- the name is derived from Saint Christopher -- and wanted to convey this through the music.

Recording of their first album started in early 1969; however, it was hampered by Tull's drug use and his failed suicide attempt. He was fired (later returning to Houston and joining Josephus) and the sessioins were completed with drummers John Simpson and Terrence Hand. The result was Christopher's self-titled debut album, released in a single 1970 pressing of a thousand LPs by Metromedia. Walden and Avitts remained in Los Angeles playing as Christopher until Avitts returned to Houston later in the year. 

From the psychedelic tribal blues opener "Dark Road" through to the end of the album, Christopher shows just how strong the second-level psychedelia of the late '60s could be. There was no shortage of great musicians hailing from Texas during the era, and the ones who remained in the state were forming some of the most idiosyncratic bands of the swirling, inventive times: top-flight bands such as Thirteenth Floor Elevators, Lost & Found, the Golden Dawn, and Christopher. Christopher, though, cannot exactly be lumped together with those peers. They had to leave Texas for California to make their mark, and indeed, Christopher owes a good deal to the music of that state -- songs such as "Magic Cycles" and "In Your Time" are informed by the dreamier qualities of the San Francisco sound, especially the extended atmospherics of Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead. 

There are also hints of fellow Los Angeles bands the Doors and Spirit throughout the album, and like the best music coming out of California, the songs on Christopher sound somehow revolutionary and foreboding, as if there is something dark lurking just beneath the surface of the music. Occasionally, Christopher occupied similar musical territory as Cream. They were not unfamiliar with the blues, and, like the British supergroup, they were an absurdly powerful three-piece with an abundance of ability in both instrumental and songwriting proficiency. In addition, Doug Walden's vocals are a dead ringer for Jack Bruce. With that said, the album actually sounds quite different from Cream. Christopher are somehow both more mystical and earthy. "Dark Road" starts out with a loping, jazzy blues groove before being propelled forward by a tempo change and some brilliant, musical drumming. "Wilbur Lite" seems grounded by some slashing chording by Richard Avitts, but then an open-ended melody and upward bass progression raise the song up off its legs. "Queen Mary" rolls along on top of a choppy drum beat and bass groove until Walden's phenomenal spine-tingling vocals soar above the music, uncontainable. The music itself, however, never spins out of restraint. 

The songs are all relatively succinct, never growing excessive or dull, and Avitts' guitar playing is economical. The lyrics can get a bit pretentious here and there, but that doesn't even really qualify as a minor flaw since it is a product of ambitiousness and the era. Christopher is one of the finer albums to have fallen completely through the cracks of the '60s, and Christopher one of the era's best forgotten bands. One wishes that they had stuck around long enough to create more music. 

by Stanton Swihart

Tracks
1. Dark Road - 2:54
2. Magic Cycles - 5:05
3. Wilbur Lite - 3:57
4. In Your Time - 5:28
5. Beautiful Lady - 2:32
6. Lies - 3:08
7. Disaster - 3:46
8. The Wind - 5:03
9. Queen Mary - 3:25
10.Burns Decision - 5:17
All songs by Christopher

Christopher
*Richard Avitts - Guitar, vocals
*Doug Walden - Bass, Piano, vocals
*John A. Simpson III - Drums
*Terrance Hand - Drums
*Doug Tull - Percussion
*Ron Kramer - Percussion

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Chilliwack - Dreams Dreams Dreams (1976 canada, excellent prog rock with varied styles, 2013 digi pak remaster with bonus tracks)

Although sometimes overlooked in favour of bigger Canadian classic rock mainstays, Chilliwack (from Vancouver, a couple cities away from their namesake) definitely belong in the CanCon pantheon. Like many of the bands who had their heyday around the same time, they still play about a thousand casinos a year. However, up until now, the only way dreamsto get your hands on their three classic albums, Dreams Dreams Dreams, Lights from the Valley and Breakdown in Paradise, was to raid your dad’s record collection. Their label, the independent Mushroom Records, folded around 1979 and the albums never made it to CD. The albums have recently each been reissued with new liner notes written by frontman and sole original member Bill Henderson.

The new liner notes provide an insight into the making of each album and the inner turmoil of the band during the peak of their success, including the well-worn rock ‘n’ roll tropes of egos clashing, heartbreak and financial troubles. There’s other interesting trivia, like the fact that the band were all Scientologists during the making of Dreams Dreams Dreams, which has the best and maybe only classic rock song written about Scientology, a galloping acoustic number called “Something Better.”

Aside from the Scientology song, the three albums are pretty standard fare in the lyrics department. They’re about breakups, love, life on the road and contain a lot of references to airplanes, all supported by acoustic guitars andadorned with harmonies that would make the Beach Boys swoon. Dreams is very folky and acoustic-based, Breakdown rocks out with its riffs out a bit more, and Lights falls somewhere in the middle.

The three reissues are treasures for the devoted Chilliwack fan. For the uninitiated, they’ll serve as an introduction to a band that probably never got the success they deserved. Catch them soon at a casino near you.

by Dylan S. Keating

Tracks
1. Fly At Night (Bill Henderson, Ross Turney) - 4:51
2. Baby Blue (Bill Henderson, Ross Turney) - 5:24
3. Rockin' Girl (Bill Henderson, Glenn Miller) - 3:34
4. California Girl (Bill Henderson) (5:14
5. Roll On (Bill Henderson, Ross Turney) - 5:50
6. Something Better (Bill Henderson, Ross Turney) - 6:09
7. Rain-O (Bill Henderson, Ross Turney, Glenn Miller, Claire Lawrence) - 5:44
8. Fly At Night (Reprise) (Bill Henderson, Ross Turney) - 0:52
9. 'Reach (Demo) (Bill Henderson, Ross Turney) - 2:47
10.Something Better (Songwriting Tape) (Bill Henderson, Ross Turney) - 1:52

The Chilliwack
*Bill Henderson - Guitar, Vocals, Solina
*Glenn Miller - Bass, Vocals
*Ross Turney - Drums, Percussion
*Howard Froese - Guitar, Vocals, Solina, Piano

1970  Chilliwack
1971  Chilliwack - Chilliwack II
Related Act
1967-68  The Collectors - The Collectors / Grass And Wild Strawberries

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James Taylor - Sweet Baby James (1970 us, sterling blend of bluesy country folk rock, 2011 Audio Fidelity)

The heart of James Taylor's appeal is that you can take him two ways. On the one hand, his music, including that warm voice, is soothing; its minor key melodies and restrained playing draw in the listener. On the other hand, his world view, especially on such songs as "Fire and Rain," reflects the pessimism and desperation of the 1960s hangover that was the early '70s. That may not be intentional: "Fire and Rain" was about the suicide of a fellow inmate of Taylor's at a mental institution, not the national malaise. But Taylor's sense of wounded hopelessness -- "I'm all in pieces, you can have your own choice," he sings in "Country Road" -- struck a chord with music fans, especially because of its attractive mixture of folk, country, gospel, and blues elements, all of them carefully understated and distanced. 

Taylor didn't break your heart; he understood that it was already broken, as was his own, and he offered comfort. As a result, Sweet Baby James sold millions of copies, spawned a Top Ten hit in "Fire and Rain" and a Top 40 hit in "Country Road," and launched not only Taylor's career as a pop superstar but also the entire singer/songwriter movement of the early '70s that included Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Jackson Browne, Cat Stevens, and others. A second legacy became clear two decades later, when country stars like Garth Brooks began to cite Taylor, with his use of steel guitar, references to Jesus, and rural and Western imagery on Sweet Baby James, as a major influence. 

by William Ruhlmann

Tracks
1. Sweet Baby James - 2:48
2. Lo And Behold - 2:34
3. Sunny Skies - 2:15
4. Steamroller - 2:55
5. Country Road - 3:21
6. Oh, Susannah (Stephen Foster) - 1:58
7. Fire And Rain - 3:20
8. Blossom - 2:10
9. Anywhere Like Heaven - 3:23
10.Oh Baby, Don't You Loose Your Lip On Me - 1:45
11.Suite For 20 G - 4:45
All songs by James Taylor except where stated

Musicians
*James Taylor - Guitar, Vocals
*Chris Darrow - Fiddle, Violin
*Carole King - Piano, Vocals
*Danny Kortchmar - Guitar
*Russ Kunkel - Drums
*John London - Bass
*Randy Meisner - Bass
*Red Rhodes - Steel Guitar
*Bobby West - Double Bass

1968  James Taylor - James Taylor 

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Friends - Fragile (1972 uk, fabulous prog folk psych rock, 2005 hard paper sleeve remaster and expanded)

The rarest, and I would dare to say best, folk/psych album from Peter Howell and John Ferdinando, musical brainchildren behind Ithaca, Agincourt, Alice Through the Looking Glass, and Tomorrow Come Someday. This fifth Howell/Ferdinando album had just been completed in or around 1974 when the partnership came to an end. Howell had been working at the BBC as a studio manager since 1970 (he'd provided a stiff upper lip voiceover for John Peels Top Gear shows), but he was now offered a position with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, which he accepted, and still holds. An album so incredibly rare (only a single acetate exists), that many have doubted the album’s existence… until now! “Friends” still has the recognizable Ithaca and/or Agincourt sound, with lead vocals mainly by Peter Howell mostly, but with all the same elements and participants, and four tracks featuring the lovely vocals of Ruth Cubbin. A pastoral psychedelic folk stroll in the sunshine, with a few tracks reminiscent of 60's soft psych. Very good!!”

Lion

Tracks
1. You Need Friends - 3:00
2. A Tale Of Your Life (Ruth Cubbin, Peter Howell) - 2:39
3. Summer Sunday Blues - 2:20
4. One Sweet Day - 2:17
5. Memories - 2:10
6. Lonely Road - 3:10
7. In The Morning - 3:22
8. Come Inside - 2:43
9. Take A Walk - 3:31
10.River Song - 2:41
11.Once In A Winter Town (Ruth Cubbin, Peter Howell) - 2:02
12.Time To Run - 3:01
All compositions byPeter Howell except where noted

Musicians
*Peter Howell - Guitar, Vocals
*John Ferdinando - Guitar, Vocals, Mandolin
*Bill Aitken - Electric Guitar, Drums
*Ruth Cubbin - Vocals
*Andrew Lowcock - Flute

Related Act
1972-73  Ithaca - A Game For All Who Know

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Euclid - Heavy Equipment (1970 us, astonishing heavy garage psych)

Euclid's one and only album is among the very best of the late 1960's - early 1970's heavy rock albums of all time. Based out of Haverhill, Massachusetts, the musicians themselves come from a diverse New England garage & psych-rock background. Bassist Harold Perino Jr. (aka "Maris"), came from The Ones, a central Mass. garage band who also had a rare garage LP on the Ashwood House label. The other members were from southern Maine. Garage rockers Gary Leavitt on lead vocals & guitar, and his brother Jay Leavitt on drums were in the Cobras together. Ralph Mazzota from the psych-tinged Maine group Lazy Smoke is outright dazzling on blistering lead guitar. 

Pedigree aside, this is a powerful and inventive psychedelic heavy rock album that stands on its own as a great work. Euclid was signed to Bob Thiele's Flying Dutchman Records subsidiary label, Amsterdam Records, distributed by Mainstream Records, and was one of the few, if not only "rock" releases on either label (a notable exception being the rare Minx soundtrack by The Cyrkle). With its tremendous rumbling in-your-face riffing fuzz guitars; screaming solos, backwards bits, thick fuzz bass, pounding drums and oddly-effected vocals, the album, produced by the legendary Bobby Herne, with finishing touches to the mix by Les Paul, Jr; stands proudly with one foot in the 1960s & one in the 1970s, crafting their sound with a heavy-handed metallic attitude. 

One of the coolest things about this album is the overall evidence of the various background influences brought in by each of the group members. In Euclid, you get the very best of it all. You have the raw & ferocious high energy garage element mixed with a very clear and real psychedelic conviction of the drug saturated times. These characteristics combined with a new heavy/hard rock discipline & focus, resulted in one of the best early heavy rock albums ever recorded in the United States. The combined members' various instrumental contributions are equally matched by their amazingly supportive crystalline four-vocal harmonies. The background vocal quality is quite effectively offset by the lead vocals "take no prisoners" brutal male vocal styling. Bobby Herne's production on this record, with lots of twists & turns, is absolutely top notch and gives the music its deep unstoppable heavy forward momentum. The first track is a real winner, clocking in at over 11 minutes, blasting forth with super heavy monster riffs. 

There's also hints of an eastern psych groove with cool sitar playing, and their version of "Gimme Some Lovin'" sounds as if it were done by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. With their old friend Bobby Herne in the producer's chair (he also produced The Shaggs "Philosophy Of The World" LP), they create a "bad trip" spiked with backwards tape effects, darkly-phased vocals, all instruments set from overkill to "pummel", and an album title certainly eligible for the 'truth-in-advertising' award with its 'earth moving' characteristics. Their original songs are incredibly inventive with lots of twists and turns. The album itself stands as a perfect monument which musically represents the transition from hard heavy psych to hard heavy rock. This is an LP you'll play over & over, and never get tired of! In short, the group Euclid was one of the true "unsung" cornerstones that really helped pave the way for the up and coming US hard rock movement. This is an LP you'll play over & over and never get tired of it!  

Gary Leavitt, Bobby Hearne, and Maris have all passed on due to various circumstances over the years. Gary Leavitt was killed in a 1975 motorcycle accident, which effectively ended the band, who were a popular live attraction in the Northeast up until then. Jay Leavitt still performs occasionally with his group Bluezberry Jam in the Maine area. The Leavitt brothers along with Bobby Herne, first appeared together in 1966 as the Cobras, releasing the New England garage classic "I Wanna Be Your Love" bw/ "Instant Heartache" on the Big Beat label, one of the most incredible and out of control garage 45's ever recorded.

Groovy-Tunes

Tracks
1. Shadows Of Life - 3:02
2. On The Way (Ralph Mazzota) - 4:37
3. Bye Bye Baby - 4:38
4. Gimme Some Lovin' (Stevie Winwood) - 4:24
5. First Time Last Time - 3:37
6. Lazy Livin - 5:57
7. 97 Days - 3:10
8. She's Gone - 2:47
9. It's All Over Now (Bobby Womack, Shirley Womack) - 4:24
All songs by Gary Leavitt except where indicated

The Euclid
*Gary Leavitt - Guitar, Vocals
*Harry "Maris" Perino - Bass, Vocals
*Ralph Mazzota - Guitar, Vocals
*Jay Leavitt - Drums, Vocals

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