The most inexplicable aspect of Rotary Connection's debut is that its strange and experimental qualities are often referred to as charming but dated, while Love's Forever Changes (released the same year), a record that is just a shade less bizarre and no more psychedelic, is universally viewed as timeless. There's no mistaking that this is hardly a flawless record -- this band, more an experiment than anything else, was only beginning to find its feet. For every cover that radically reshapes the original and either stuns ears or elicits screams of blasphemy ("Like a Rolling Stone"), there's one that falls completely flat in its blandness ("Soul Man").
And for every original that is rife with otherworldly melodies and luscious combinations of countless musical styles ("Memory Band"), there's something like the ghostly "what you've just heard" audio collage/megamix that closes out the album ("Rotary Connection"). The consensus seems to be that this is the only essential record this group released, and that they were such an oddball entity that this is all one can take of them. That's just plain silly, evident from any number of the sparkling moments found on the LPs that followed. Minnie Riperton had yet to take the spotlight she deserved in this group -- so in a sense, this could be seen as the least-representative Rotary Connection record, as fascinating as it is. Some strange force carried it to the Top 40 of the album chart, not that it was undeserving.
by Andy Kellman
Tracks
1. Amen (Marshall Paul, Charles Stepney) - 4:01
2. Rapid Transit (Marshall Paul, Charles Stepney) - 0:39
3. Turn Me On (Sidney Barnes, Greg Perry) - 3:19
4. Pink Noise (Marshall Paul, Charles Stepney) - 0:22
5. Lady Jane (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards) - 5:00.
6. Like A Rolling Stone (Bob Dylan) - 4:52
7. Soul Man (Isaac Hayes, David Porter) - 3:18
8. Sursum Mentes (Marshall Paul, Charles Stepney) - 0:43
9. Didn't Want To Have To Do It (John Sebastian) - 3:13
10.Black Noise (Marshall Paul, Charles Stepney) - 0:20
11.Memory Band (Richard Rudolph, Charles Stepney) - 3:20
12.Ruby Tuesday (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards) - 4:27
13.Rotary Connection (Marshall Paul, Charles Stepney) - 2:51
Mike Cooper was already a noted multi-instrumental folk and blues guitarist who rejected pigeonholes for a more enlightened view of the musical community when, in 1970, Pye released his third album, Trout Steel. It can be argued that Trout Steel became the fulcrum upon which the rest of his life made purchase, marking the point at which his style openly balanced traditional arrangements and song structures with the organic and experimental movements at the periphery of folk, jazz and blues.
Employing acoustic, resonator and lap steel guitars, piano, upright bass, saxophone and all manner of percussion, Cooper set out to blend his interests across the length of an album that, 43 years on, is now afforded a re-issue through Paradise of Bachelors. Cooper has gone on to record albums, score orchestral soundtracks, make films and generally engage in any output of ethnic and acoustic noise art that will expand his, and our, experience of sound. In 1970, you can hear the seeds being sown.
Of the more traditional arrangements, That’s How, the opening track, is as close as you’ll get to understanding his mindset as the new decade began. The first of many tracks to remark upon the need to keep moving and seek out new horizons, it has a simple chord strum that introduces his reedy English vowels:
So hard, to know what she’s thinking / So hard to know, what’s on her mind / Everything has changed and everyone’s to blame / For the things, that get lost, on the way
It’s as English as scrumpy and ploughmans. Sitting Here Watching is a blues twang with pre-cursive hints of Neil Young’s Harvest, whose 1972 released songs adopt a similar loose-limbed vocal performance and ragged guitar accompaniment. Goodtimes and Hope You See could be outtakes from the Let It Be sessions, the latter complete with a ‘Sorry Ringo, it’s not good enough to make the cut’ country warble over the layered guitar parts. Don’t Talk Too Fast has a great melody and a fiery sax break. They’re all good.
If these and the remainder of the album were all you got, Trout Steel would be an album you’d be pleased to sit beside your early Richard Thompson or Nick Drake vinyl. What marks it out is the tracks that don’t conform to our standard expectations. Four tracks in, I’ve Got Mine sets up a repetitive guitar riff that for four minutes is overlaid with splashes of piano, dissonant brass breaks, random percussive outbursts and the occasional bar of a violin seemingly tuning up.
At first it’s purposefully disconcerting, but as the guitar builds the melting pot of instruments come together as if until now they’ve just been playing with you, allowing Cooper to sing over the slightly more accommodating middle of the song. The extended jam and free-form nature of the track bookends the vocal part and the whole runs for nearly twelve minutes. Repeated listening begins to unfold the layers of melody until what seemed forced and difficult becomes natural and cohesive.
I’ve Got Mine is followed by A Half Sunday Homage to a Whole Leonardo da Vinci (without words by Richard Brautigan), a short jazzy instrumental that was clearly the influence for Fiona Apple’s album titles. The other departure is Pharaoh’s March, which expands upon I’ve Got Mine’s template by introducing ambient sounds, small bells and off-key string pushes that rise in volume and depth alongside scat-like saxophone and de-constructed beats to a crescendo that resolves in a melody that destroys itself before the end. Whilst it’s not a song you’d play for your Gran on a Sunday afternoon (or maybe you would?), its merit lies in the message Cooper was sending out, that he was more than ready to step off the yellow bricks and explore the fields to either side. As a calling card for his later work, in particular his last Pye releases Places I Know and The Machine Gun Co, it’s a perfect transitional piece for anyone tempted to join him.
Ironic then, that the final track, Weeping Rose, reverts to type with a gentle stroll through a folk-picker that stays in the memory long after it finishes, the method of delivery nothing new but the lyrics continuing to elucidate upon his wanderlust state of mind and need for pastures new:
So long girl, I’ve got to go / You won’t understand that I know / You take my hand, be my friend / I’ll meet you further down the road
The reissue has been handled with care and is available on vinyl or CD. It comes with the reassuring hiss of a master long tucked away before seeing the light of day, which doesn’t detract from the music, but helps to place it in its time even as the content seeks to make time immaterial. File under classic.
by Paul Woodgate
Tracks
1. That's How - 4:22
2. Sitting Here Watching - 3:13
3. Goodtimes - 3:29
4. I've Got Mine - 11:22
5. A Half Sunday Homage to a Whole Leonardo da Vinci - 1:36
6. Don't Talk Too Fast - 3:24
7. Trout Steel - 2:25
8. In the Mourning - 5:21
9. Hope You See - 4:20
10.Pharaoh's March - 7:16
11.Weeping Rose - 3:22
All titles composed by Mike Cooper
Musicians
*Mike Cooper - Vocals, Guitar, Slide Guitar
*Harry Miller - Double Bass
*Roy Babbington - Double Bass, Electric Bass
*Alan Jackson - Drums, Percussion
*Bill Boazman - Guitar
*Stefan Grossman - Guitar
*John Taylor - Piano
*Mike Osborne - Alto Saxophone, Clarinet
*Geoff Hawkins - Tenor Saxophone, Flute
*Alan Skidmore - Tenor, Soprano Saxophone
*Jerry Field - Violin
*Nick Pickett - Violin
*The Heron - Vocals
Jimmy Campbell was perhaps the most talented “unknown” musician to come out of the early 60s Liverpool scene. One of his earliest bands, the Kirkbys, played Beatles’ influenced beat music and folkrock, releasing a few respectable singles in the mid 60s. When psychedelia became the trend, Campbell put together the 23rd Turnoff, who released just one single, the excellent “Michaelangelo.” In the middle of Campbell’s solo career (he released 3 albums) he took some time off and with the help of ex-Merseybeat Billy Kinsley put together Rockin’ Horse. Most of the tracks on Yes It Is were written by Campbell with Kinsley contributing just 3 tunes.
Yes It is, released in 1970, is a mixture of power pop and Band influenced rural rock. The Band influenced ditties are the weakest numbers (there’s just three) on the album with the notable exception of a very good rural track titled “Son, Son.” The remainder of Yes It Is is first class power pop and probably the most powerful music of Campbell’s career. Tracks such as “Biggest Gossip In Town” and “Oh Carol, I’m So Sad” hark back to Campbell’s early British Invasion roots. These two gems characterize a unique album that has a ragged, ramshackle feel – very intriguing. Others songs like “Delicate Situation”, “Don’t You Ever Think I Cry”, “I’m Trying To Forget You” and the title track recall late period Beatles – think Abbey Road or Let It Be.
So with the exception of two duds, this is an excellent set of early 70s rock n roll by one of rock’s forgotten (albeit eccentric) talents. Other notables: the whimsical but tuneful “You’re Spending All My Money” and the rocking “Stayed Out Late Last Night.” Rev-Ola reissued Yes It Is in 2004 with plenty of worthy extras.
by Jason Nardelli
Tracks
1. Biggest Gossip In Town (Billy Kinsley, Jimmy Campbell) - 2:46
2. Oh Carol, I'm So Sad - 2:48
3. You're Spending All My Money - 3:54
4. Baby Walk Out With Your Darlin' Man - 4:10
5. Don't You Think I Ever Cry - 3:52
6. Yes It Is - 2:13
7. Stayed Out Late Last Night - 2:33
8. Delicate Situation (Billy Kinsley) - 2:28
9. Son, Son (Jimmy Campbell, John Lloyd) - 3:23
10.Golden Oppurtunity - 2:52
11.I'm Trying To Forget You - 3:32
12.Julian The Hooligan (Billy Kinsley) - 4:24
13.Biggest Gossip In Town (Single A side 1971) (Billy Kinsley, Jimmy Campbell) - 2:43
14.You Say (Single B side 1971) (Billy Kinsley, Jimmy Campbell) - 3:38
15.Julian The Hooligan (Single A side 1971) (Billy Kinsley) - 3:04
16.Stayed Out Late Last Night (Single B side 1971) - 2:29
17.Frankie Joe - 3:08
18.Lonely Norman - 3:15
All songs by Jimmy Campbell except where indicated
Track 17 as Jimmy Campbell, single B side 1970
Track 18 as Jimmy Campbell, from LP "Heads Together First Round", 1971
Beginning with 1967’s Fire & Fleet & Candlelight, the music of Cree folksinger Buffy Sainte-Marie began to take on a decidedly schizophrenic nature. Traditionally celebrated for her biting political songs, as well as her stark approach to folksong, the late sixties saw her take her distinctive sound in a series of surprising directions. Candlelight experimented with sweeping orchestral arrangements and electric pop music, while its follow-up, I’m Gonna Be A Country Girl Again, saw Buffy immersing herself deep in Nashville traditions. Come winter, 1969, and the young firebrand decided to turn the tables once again, releasing what is perhaps her most esoteric album of all: Illuminations.
From the very first notes you know you’re in for something unique. “God Is Alive, Magic Is Afoot” is an eerie, electronically treated adaptation of lines from Leonard Cohen’s novel Beautiful Losers, featuring bizarre production touches courtesy of Vanguard Records president Maynard Solomon himself. Buffy’s voice and guitar are taken and warped into distorted moans and oscillating loops of sound that build upon themselves into a kind of electric witch’s chant. I should warn you not to get too comfortable with all this, though, because if this record is anything, it’s unpredictable. After almost five minutes, this unsettling opening fades into the short, church organ hymnal “Mary,” before a gnarly electric guitar and banjo jerk into the rapid-fire folk-rock of “Better To Find Out For Yourself,” featuring Buffy at her yelping, wailing best. In the clucking fadeout, what might return but Solomon’s electronic screeching, teasing the record back down into a dark, candlelit vampire ballad.
Honestly, I could go on for the entirety of the track list like this, as every song here is indispensable to the whole. In fact, I’m almost tempted to label this one a concept album, with the opening track acting as a sort of manifesto. As for the music, though, it’s everywhere, from the raw west coast psychedelia of “He’s A Keeper of the Fire” to the caustic “Suffer the Little Children,” which itself sounds straight out of one of Buffy’s earlier records. One of the most wild segments is when the stomping “With You, Honey” closes with a shrill scream and dissolves into the pretty, lilting acoustic love song “Guess Who I Saw In Paris.” This latter track is so overly cute that in any other context I might write it off as a low point, but in context with the rest of the music here it somehow comes off as extraordinary. Like the rest of the album, it’s hard to really put the magic into words. This is one you just have to experience.
Interestingly enough, this album was not only groundbreaking musically, but it was also the very first quadrophonic vocal record ever made. Unfortunately, it appears that few people cared about either of those two points at the time of its release, as it was a huge commercial disaster and would quickly be deleted from Vanguard’s catalog. If you can, I would recommend you all find a vinyl copy, since this seems like the kind of record that was born for the needle, but should that fail there’s always Vanguard’s compact disc reissue. Also worth checking out is Buffy’s follow up to this one, She Used To Want To Be A Ballerina, which, of course, sounds little like Illuminations, but does feature Jack Nitzsche and the original lineup of Neil Young and Crazy Horse.
by Nik Rayne
Tracks
1. God Is Alive, Magic Is Afoot (Leonard Cohen, Buffy Sainte Marie) - 4:40
2. Mary - 1:26
3. Better To Find Out For Yourself - 2:12
4. The Vampire - 2:05
5. Adam (Richie Havens) - 4:50
6. The Dream Tree - 2:35
7. Suffer The Little Children - 3:15
8. The Angel (Ed Freeman) - 3:30
9. With You, Honey - 1:45
10.Guess Who I Saw In Paris - 2:25
11.He's A Keeper Of The Fire - 3:20
12.Poppies - 3:10
Music and Lyrics by Buffy Sainte-Marie except where stated
Probably due to the success of The Band, starting in 1970 a slew of rockabilly and rhythm and blues artists diverged from the sound that gave them a name in the 60s and released at least one kick ass roots rock album. File Hills of Indiana on the same shelf.
Lonnie Mack’s 1971 outing may not slay listeners the first time around like Bobby Charles or Link Wray, though it reels in that familiar mix of blues, soul, & country rock. Indiana finds Lonnie trading his guitar slinger/blues-instrumental persona for gentler roots rock with touches of gospel and even straight bluegrass – Uncle Pen is a faithful rendition of the Bill Monroe number. He shows good taste with versions of Bob Dylan’s Man In Me, Carole King’s A Fine Way To Go, and Mickey Newbury’s She Even Woke Up To Say Goodbye. There are five originals (cowrote with Don Nix) with some fine cuts in Motown-inspired trucker ode Asphalt Outlaw Hero, the low-key and orchestrally ornamented Florida, and album closers All Good Things Will Come To Pass and Three Angels.
The album’s production is a touch on the clean side, edging near schmaltzy, and closer to Dale Hawkin’s pro-studio approach than Wray’s chicken shack. This kills only a little appeal for this near classic record, still worth a spot in any Americana collection.
by Brendan McGrath
Tracks
1. Asphalt Outlaw Hero (Don Nix, Lonnie Mack) - 3:04
2. Florida (Don Nix, Lonnie Mack) - 3:08
3. Lay It Down (Gene Thomas) - 3:51
4. The Hills Of Indiana (Lonnie Mack) - 3:42
5. Uncle Pen (Bill Monroe) - 1:51
6. Bicycle Annie (Drew Thomason) - - 5:09
7. A Fine Way To Go (Carole King, Toni Stern) - 3:07
8. Rings (Eddie Reeves, Alex Harvey) - 3:12
9. The Man In Me (Bob Dylan) - 3:08
10.She Even Woke Me Up To Say Goodbye (Mickey Newbury, Doug Gilmore) - 3:19
11.All Good Things Will Come To Pass (Don Nix, Lonnie Mack) - 3:27
12.Three Angels (Don Nix, Lonnie Mack) - 4:31
When the British Blues movement morphed into the riff-rock wing of progressive music, the focus of most groups remained the heroic lead guitarist. It was a brave outfit that elected to do without the fretboard god altogether. Having been persuaded by the success of Keith Emerson’s guitarless latterday Nice that it could work, a select few elected to structure themselves as a trio comprising a showboating keyboard player, a punchy drummer and a bassist who could handle lead vocals. Emerson recruited Greg Lake and Carl Palmer into his eponymous ensemble; Dave Stewart salvaged Egg from the remains of his school band Uriel, sans Steve Hillage; and three veterans from the British Beat Boom came together as Quatermass. One of these three acts would go forward to worldwide acclaim and the sickly smell of excess, the other two to a brief second-division career and oblivion.
Quatermass could have been as big as ELP; they had the chops, the experience and the contacts. Bassist/vocalist John Gustafson had been in the Big Three, the Liverpool guitar trio that all the other Cavern/Hamburg bands looked up to for their musicianship. Drummer Mick Underwood had served time with Joe Meek’s legendary house band, the Outlaws, alongside Richie Blackmore. Keyboardist Peter Robinson had backed hugely popular R’n’B shouter Chris Farlowe. All three were also in-demand studio sessioneers. They came together in a late lineup of Episode Six, the band that had provided a further two-fifths of Deep Purple, and decided to stay together when the Six finally folded. Taking their name from the classic sci-fi TV show, and rapidly signing to premier UK prog-rock label Harvest, their first album appeared in May 1970 . . . and despite strong reviews, undeniable quality and a splendid gatefold sleeve by Hipgnosis (of Pink Floyd fame), disappeared just as rapidly from the shelves. Its poor sales, an unsuccessful US tour and demand for their services from other nascent bands ensured that there wouldn’t be another. Quatermass broke up in April ’71.
Forty years later the reissued, extended album still exudes quality. Gus was a funky, syncopative Fender bassist with a strong cock-rock voice in the Rodgers/Gillan mould. Robinson combined fruity blues and soul licks with a sly jazzy atonality and just enough classical nous not to become overbearing like the ELP mainman, whilst freely overdubbing Hammond organ, electric and acoustic piano, Mellotron and Moog. Underwood provided the solid, John Bonham-style groove that held the three musicians tightly together. The whole had a no-nonsense rocky edge distinctly uncommon in keyboard-centric prog. The album mixes short, precise three-minute songs like the soulful single “Black Sheep Of The Family” and the gently psychedelic, harpsichord-led “Good Lord Knows” with eight-minute keyboard workouts typical of the live act, notably the ferocious bluesy soloing on the riff-based “Up On The Ground”, the jazzy, fully-orchestrated block chording on “Laughin’ Tackle” and the ring-modulated funk of the instrumental outtake “Punting”. Robinson’s genuinely exciting yet tasteful keyboard skills, especially on the B-3, ensure that none of these outstay their welcome. Keith Emerson might usefully have taken note.
by Len Liechti
Tracks
1. One Blind Mice (John Gustafson, Mick Underwood, Peter Robinson) - 3:27
2. Entropy (Peter Robinson) - 1:11
3. Black Sheep Of The Family (Steve Hammond) - 3:41
4. Post War Saturday Echo (Graham Ross, John Gustafson, Peter Robinson) - 9:52
5. Good Lord Knows (John Gustafson) - 3:12
6. Up On The Ground (John Gustafson) - 7:09
7. Gemini (Steve Hammond) - 5:55
8. Make Up Your Mind (Steve Hammond) - 1:44
9. What Was That (John Gustafson, Mick Underwood, Peter Robinson) - 5:59
10.Make Up Your Mind (Reprise) (Peter Robinson) - 1:03
11.Laughin' Tackle (Peter Robinson) - 11:31
12.Punting (John Gustafson, Mick Underwood, Peter Robinson) - 7:21
13.Afraid Not (Rehearsal) (John Gustafson, Mick Underwood, Peter Robinson) - 5:25
14.Bluegaloo / Broken Chords / Scales (Live Recording 1974) (Janne Schaffer, John Gustafson, Peter Robinson) - 6:29
Track 1 A Side Single
Tracks 2-11 The Original Album
Bonus Tracks 12-14
Hot Tuna leads the splinter league in longevity. This is their third album, giving them a greater output–in a comparable time period–than the parent Jefferson Airplane. There is undeniable talent in the band: Jorma Kaukonen is one of the most readily identifiable electric guitar stylists, and Jack Casady (whose headband was tattooed onto his forehead during a visit to San Diego in 1968) always gets a mention when you're discussing the finest bassists. Papa John Creach's credentials (which include an excellent solo album) are beyond reproach, and drummer Sammy Piazza's capabilities run about even with the demands made of him.
Burgers is easily their best effort–a generally enjoyable marriage of the first album's acoustic blues with the electricity of the second. It's really Kaukonen's show–his guitars dominate and he hoards all the lead vocals–and things seem to work best when he realizes it and defines some room for the others to move, as on "Ode To Billy Dean." His vocals add very little, and so the numbers where their spaces are filled by Papa John's violin (the instrumentals "Water Song" and "Sunny Day Strut") also work to advantage. Interaction would seem to be the key.
Even the weaker cuts, however, are buoyed somewhat by an inescapable gusto. Reacting, perhaps, to the somber self-importance which so mars the Airplane, Hot Tuna is mostly about blowing off some steam and having a good time. They indulge in a lot of traditionally-oriented material, but with enough energy and good intent to pacify those of us who cringe at first sight of musical scholars with their texts on Blind Lemon Jefferson and holy deadpan delivery.
Yet this same gusto contributes heavily to the album's areas of failure. On stage, a certain amount of untogetherness will be compensated for by energy or visual impact; in the studio, the consequences can be drastic. At times the album can seem irritatingly slapdash, and the sound quality has occasional lapses such that you'd swear the instruments were played through instant mashed potatoes. The studio environment requires a little more care and a lot more diligence than it is given here.
So while Burgers has its indisputable moments, the basic question of energy distribution keeps popping up. That Kaukonen and Casady don't apply the energy expended on Hot Tuna toward the task of breathing some life into the Airplane (who, in my opinion, haven't given us anything of sustained substance since Crown of Creation) must prompt reservations which put a damper on whatever measure of success is achieved here. Or, at this point, maybe the Airplane is the splinter group....
by Ben Edmonds
Tracks
1. True Religion (Jorma Kaukonen) - 4:45
2. Highway Song (Jorma Kaukonen) - 3:16
3. 99 Year Blues (Julius Daniels) - 4:01
4. Sea Child (Jorma Kaukonen) - 5:04
5. Keep On Truckin' (Bob Carleton) - 3:41
6. Water Song" (Instrumental) (Jorma Kaukonen) - 5:17
7. Ode For Billy Dean (Jorma Kaukonen) - 4:52
8. Let Us Get Together Right Down Here (Rev. Gary Davis) - 3:26
9. Sunny Day Strut" (Instrumental) (Jorma Kaukonen) - 3:15
Hot Tuna
*Jorma Kaukonen - Guitars, Lead Vocals
*Jack Casady - Bass, Vocals, Eyebrow
*Papa John Creach - Violin, Vocals
*Sammy Piazza - Drums, Tympani, Other Percussion, Vocals With
*Nick Buck - Organ, Piano
*Richmond Talbott - Vocals, Slide Guitar
*David Crosby - Vocals
Agnes Strange, a hard rock/blues band based in Southampton, Hampshire, England, formed in the mid-70s and quickly acquired a recording contract with Birds Nest Records () - an affiliate label distributed by Pye Records. Comprising Alan Green (bass), Dave Rodwell (drums) and John Westwood (guitar, vocals), they made their debut in 1975 with Strange Flavour, a perfunctory but expertly played collection of original rock songs that failed to bring them to the attention of the mainstream. They broke up shortly thereafter, though members of the band remained active on the Hampshire club scene.
AMG
Tracks
1. Theme for a Dream (John Westwood, Alan Green, Dave Rodwell) - 2:23
2. Messin' Around (John Westwood) - 4:58
3. Graveyard (John Westwood, Alan Green, Dave Rodwell) - 5:19
4. Rockin' in 'e' (John Westwood) - 4:39
5. Dust in the Sunlight (Dave Travis) - 3:50
6. The Day Dreamer (John Westwood) - 3:49
7. Book With No Cover (John Westwood) - 5:54
8. Failure (Dave Rodwell) - 5:51
9. Motorway Rebel (John Westwood) - 3:46
10.Children of the Absurd (Dave Rodwell, Alan Green, Dave Barber) - 7:17
11.Clever Fool (John Westwood) - 3:31
12.Strange Flavour (John Westwood, Alan Green, Dave Rodwell) - 4:15
13.Odd Man Out (John Westwood) - 3:45
14.Highway Blues (John Westwood) - 9:41
Tracks 1-7 Unreleased Masters
Tracks 8-14 Original Demos
1972 Swiss underground hard rock album featuring liner notes, photos and five bonus tracks! After Shave were a heavy trio formed in the late 60s and influenced by Cream, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Mountain and the usual suspects. They toured Europe in the early 70s and eventually recorded this debut album for the tiny Splendid label in 1972, which now commands big dollars on the rare record collector market.
This album is one of the holy grail of Swiss Heavy Progressive Psych Music History. It is definitely the best album on the famous Swiss underground label 'SPLENDID records' out of La Chaux-De-Fonds. A must for heavy guitar fans, it’s a raw power trio crusher that blows collectors away at the very first listen.
Tracks
1. Skin Deep - 3:59
2. Him - 4:33
3. Paper Woman - 3:43
4. Ride Ride Ride - 4:08
5. Sweet Home - 2:51
6. Amsterdam In My Living Room - 3:02
7. Near The Sun - 2:43
8. Pink Rose - 2:50
9. Sunflower - 7:04
10.Greengage Man (Unreleased) - 3:19
11.On The Ground (Unreleased) - 2:42
12.One Of The Best (B Side) - 3:29
13.Warmaker (2nd Single) - 3:32
14.Near The Sun (First Single) - 2:52
All songs by Pierre Alain Kessi, Jean Claude Fontana, Rodolphe Baumgartner
Bonus tracks 10-14
After Shave
*Pierre Alain Kessi - Guitar, Vocals
*Jean Claude Fontana - Bass
*Rodolphe Baumgartner - Drums
Clive John, or Clint Space or just Clint to Man-band fans, was the beloved keyboardist and sometimes guitarist for Man through most of their classic periods. His contribution to the sound and humour of the band was a big one, though you might not really realise it until you place him apart to record his one and only solo album, ie. this one. Of all the Man off-shoots and solo projects that I’ve heard (which I have to admit isn’t all of them), this is far and away the best and most consistently high in quality (and other substances), but for some reason it’s also one of the most obscure. I only discovered its existence when I stumbled across it in a random rack-shuffling in a large discount music store, and although I was instantly intrigued by a) the Man connection, b) the title and c) the cover, I was also wary of the late date 1975, by which time Man were no longer so hot on record) and the fact that I’d never heard of it before.
At this time, Clint was holed up in a remote farm in Breton, and after being asked by Andrew Lauder of UA to do a solo album, he transferred holes to Rockfield Studios in Wales to record it. Clint handled most of the instruments on this album – guitars, keyboards and vocals – but he’s backed by Man’s Martin Ace on bass, and Help Yourself’s Dave Charles on drums and engineering, as well as sundry guests on various tracks including Phil Ryan (Eyes of Blue, Quicksand, Piblokto, Man, Neutrons) and Andy Fairweather Low (Amen Corner). The cover features the still-hairy prototypical hippy freak Clint generously holding out a giant fake-looking orange. The title of the album came from what Clint said to a visitor who fled after being attacked by buzzards whose nest site he’d unwittingly approached, the point being that you’re supposed to stand your ground and the buzzards will hold back. Don’t ask me to test that one out...
‘Out Of My Tree’ begins in a kinda mainstreamy guitar rock mode, and it’s perhaps the most ordinary and seriously-toned track on the album, but don’t let that put you off, there’s better to come, and this song does have a cool slashing fuzzed guitar bit that’s nice. This track might grow a little on you over time, as it has for me. You gotta love a song that’s about questioning your sanity (at least that’s what I think it’s about...).
‘Brand ‘X’’ changes the mood considerably, not to Brand X-like fusion but with a kooky cascade of cheesy keyboard, bass and guitar matching notes and dripping down the chromatic scale before swinging into a totally chugging Man-esque hard guitar riff, with ultra-cool vocals pleading for a little bit of rock’n’roll. This is a fist-in-the-air anthem to rock and a go-get-‘em attitude that’s up there with the Fairies’ ‘Do It’ as a positive motivator. Midway it breaks down into a gutsy down-home groove as Andy Fairweather Low (here rechristened as Ferretweather) cuts loose with a wicked guitar solo. As fas as the guitar-oriented side of things go, this is like Man at their best, I guess not counting things like the 20-minute ‘Spunk Rock’ jam on ‘Greasy Truckers Party’.
‘Summer Song’ sees us in softer, spacier, wistful Man mode, keyboards predominating with a gentle, simple structure that bobs along like the Good Ship Lollipop (no, it doesn’t sound like the Shirley Temple song, I’m trying to create imagery here...), and wouldn’t have been out of place as one of the more unassuming tracks on ‘Back Into The Future’. ‘Swansea Town’ is, yes, another one to compare to Man, something that’s hard to avoid here. It alternates between, initially, a cheerier kind of Man guitar riff, that swings into a slightly strange one with a harder edge that might be called kinda ‘doomy’ (slightly) if it didn’t sound like a bunch of silly trippers having a bit of fun. Mid-time sees a typical one-note bass groove propelling a tasty dual guitar jam, and well, need I say it, if you’re a Man fan you know what you’re getting here.
‘Visitin’ The Duke’ is more traditional and down-homey at the start, with blues harmonica and guitar wheezing away, before kicking into a hard, gritty Southern boogie rock slide riff with meaty vocals, done of course a la Man, breaking down and dirty with the harmonica for another jam-out that these guys just can’t seem to escape let alone do badly, and let us be thankful for that! This track, by the way, is about visiting Deke Leonard in London.‘Love To You’ starts with bass throbs and weird keyboard sounds hovering in the background, hinting at something that doesn’t come, before a steady, loping groove sets in with a kinda psych-soul-boogie feel, if that makes any sense. Reminds me a bit of The Indelible Murtceps, in other words Australia’s legendary Spectrum in non-psychedelic/prog mode. Of course that won’t mean a thing if you haven’t heard ‘em, but I’m clutching at straws here (one of the hardest things about doing reviews, for me, is that the most meaningful and/or well-known comparisons or descriptions don’t always come to mind when you need them! And, well, I haven’t heard everything...). Anyway, if that sounds dodgy to you, you might find it’s better than it sounds on paper with my measly attempt at description, but still, not one of the better tracks on the album.
‘Overflow’ begins with some jazzy sparring for a few seconds before a structure sets in with ease and we have a mellowish, unusual rock number with a guitar rhythm and bass line that’s only a few degrees removed from reggae, though as imagined by Patto, if you can paint that in your mind. And the Patto comparison holds into the unexpected brief jam that opens up next, now denser and with more of a jazz-informed hard rock edge, though the second (and longer) jam that follows and fades out the track is more akin to a mellow, almost spacey Man circa ‘Back Into The Future’. ‘Bust Again’ is, of course, about being busted (for growing dope), and flows as a slow-plodding skanky fuzz rock number as Clint recounts the lament of the events of his undoing at the petty hands of the law. As Clint puts it, “What the fuck can you do with a bush or two of my weed?” Musically, this is comparable to Man’s ‘Romain’ and is likewise pretty cool.
‘Ferret Interview’ is a ridiculous interview in silly voices regarding the sexual habits of ferrets, apparently “rather a domesticated form of perverted stoat”! I won’t give away any of the rest, suffice to say you’d have to be made of stone if this track doesn’t raise a few chuckles.‘Hold Your Ferret Aloft’ is in a slightly odd angular jazz rock vein, cruisy and juicy and reeking of the weed, with oozing harmony vocals imploring us “hold your ferret aloft” and “vote for stoat”, amongst other things I can’t quite make out. However, instrumental interplay predominates, as the band jam away in a lazy, stoned and virtuosic way through various shades and permutations of the basic groove, Phil Ryan providing some tasty, unshowy keyboard licks. I can certainly imagine this track sitting comfortably on the Chillum album, or maybe snuck into some early/mid-70’s Zappa album, and it’s one of the few tracks here that doesn’t sound derived from styles set down previously by Man – let’s call them Mannerisms, eh? But how can you accuse Clint of being derivative of something he helped create and was a part of in the first place? Even if you could get away with calling any of it derivative, there’s no escaping that the music is still great regardless, and that’s what matters ultimately. Unless you don’t like this sort of thing, in which case, why have you read this far?
This album was reissued on CD by Eclectic in 2004, with an added coda at the end of ‘Hold Your Ferret Aloft’, which basically consists of 10 seconds or so of keyboard doodling after the track has otherwise ended.
Tracks
1. Out of My Tree - 5:21
2. Brand 'X - 3:45
3. Summer Song - 5:24
4. Swansea Town - 3:48
5. Visitin' the Duke - 6:02
6. Love to You - 6:19
7. Overflow - 5:08
8. Bust Again - 4:37
9. Ferret Interview - 1:38
10.Hold Your Ferret Aloft (Clive John, Martin Ace, Phil Ryan, David Charles, Viv Morris) - 6:01
All compositions by Clive John except track #10
Musicians
*Clive John - Keyboards, Guitar, Vocals
*Andy Fairweather Low - Guitar, Vocals
*Brian Breeze - Guitar
*Dave Charles - Drums
*John "Buddy" Williams - Vocals
*John Williams - Vocals
*Martin Ace - Bass
*Pete Hurley - Bass
*Phil Ryan - Keyboards
*Ted Crook - Harmonica
*Tommy Riley - Drums
