Magna Carta - Lord Of The Ages (1973 uk, brilliant folk rock with prog touches, 2007 digi pak remaster)

In 1973, English progressive folk group, Magna Carta, released their fourth album, Lord of the Ages. Joining members Chris Simpson and Glen Stuart, was Stan Gordon, who had replaced Lyell Tranter. Together, the trio released this appreciable album, which is arguably best listened to in a peaceful environment, to match the tranquil vibes of the music.

Starting off with, Wish It Was, Magna Carta announce to the world that they are still capable of creating beautiful works of musical delight. It is about the singer’s attempt to visualize events in his mind where he is helping others to fulfil lost dreams.

It clearly works, the song opens the album in a remarkable way, you would have to be a sociopath not to have a smile on your face while listening to it. That stinging acoustic guitar sound could even spike the interest of the toughest hard rockers. The second song, Two Old Friends, moves a bit more into the country territory, while still retaining the ‘folkiness’ that Magna Carta are known for. Lead singer Chris Simpson has a voice somewhat similar to Marty Balin of Jefferson Airplane. The song drags a bit, but it does have a killer harmonica sound throughout. Not as good as the opener, Two Old Friends, is an acceptable piece regardless.

Now we get to the title track, at over ten minutes long, it starts off with a spoken word passage that proves they had a skill for poetry, as well as enchanting melodies. The song transforms into an exciting whirlwind of sounds that come out of nowhere. You will be reciting the chant “gathering in the harvest” in your head for hours after hearing it. The imagery here is flooded with folk-horror images of forests, fields of wheat, and children playing. It then begins to mellow, before slowly fading out. Come to think of it, that bombastic part of the song is probably the only part of the album that would be suitable for radio consumption.

Now, we get to the ever-beautiful, Isn’t It Funny (And Not A Little Bit Strange) – not unlike singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson’s Waiting On The Willow from his Aerial Ballet album. The song has a dream-like aura to it, similar to floating away to far away lands of mystique that could only be conceived by the ideas we get while in dream land. It has a slight pop element to it, and a leisurely breeziness, but don’t fall asleep, we still have half of the album left!

After finishing that (which might be the best song on the whole album), we get to Song of the Evening. While not a total bore, in a way similar to Two Old Friends, it kind of just ‘drags on’, where as the other slower numbers on the album manage to grab your attention, this lacks that resonance. It just drones, with no apparent enthusiasm in sight. The swirling guitar part that is prominently featured throughout the song is impressive. The album then goes into the second-longest track on the album, Father John, it is a bit better than the previous track, although it is still inferior to anything on the first half of the album. It does have impressive harmonies, which frankly isn’t surprising for Magna Carta. The song features fitting bongos, which go perfect with a song like this. Not great, but a passable song nonetheless.

Not to worry, That Was Yesterday is a fetching ballad that will grab your heart and won’t let go until the song draws it’s very last breath. Dominated by the piano, this song is the definition of the word beauty. The lead vocals never sounded better on this album, it has a very romantic feeling to it. Accompanied by woodwind and string instruments, it is as emotionally powerful as it is gentle. Finally, we come across the album closer, Falkland Grene, an interesting medieval-style track, this one definitely seems like it could be popular while played deep in a forest, near a campfire. Enjoyable for sure, it contains lots of vivid imagery just like most of the rest of the album.

Even though there are arguably a couple of blunders on the album, the record is a joyous experience overall. Magna Carta would go on to release many more albums, including The Fields of Eden in 2015.

by Matt Kessler, June 22, 2017 

Tracks
1. Wish It Was - 3:35
2. Two Old Friends - 3:33
3. Lord Of The Ages - 9:59
4. Isn't It Funny (And Not A Little Bit Strange) - 2:33
5. Song Of Evening - 3:44
6. Father John - 6:42
7. That Was Yesterday - 3:24
8. Falkland Grene - 2:48
All Lyrics and Music by Chris Simpson

Magna Carta
*Chris Simpson - Guitar, Vocals
*Glen Stuart - Vocals, Spoken Word
*Stan Gordon - Guitar, Vocals
With
*Jon Curle - Voice
*Gordon Huntley - Pedal Steel Guitar
*Jean Alain Roucel - Piano
*Graham Smith - Jew's Harp
*Dave Peacock - Bass
*Danny Thompson - String Bass
*Gerry Conway - Drums
*Alan Eden - Drums
*Tony Carr - Percussion

1969  Magna Carta / Times Of Change
1969-2006  Tomorrow Never Comes-The Anthology (2007 double disc remaster)
1971  Magna Carta - In Concert (2014 remaster)

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Tempest - Tempest (1973 uk, great hard prog jazz rock, 2011 remater)

When Jon Hiseman split Colosseum in 1972. he resolved to take the rock aspects of his music to their logical conclusion. To this end he retained the services of Mark Clarke on bass/keyboards/vocals, who had been with him in the last Colosseum lineup; his rock intentions were signalled by the recruitment of Paul Williams on guitar/ keyboards/vocals, who had previously seen service in Juicy Lucy and Zoot Money's Big Roll Band. 

The fourth member of the new band was Allan Holdsworth on  guitar/vocals/violin. Holdsworth was a rock guitarist with jazz leanings (rather than vice versa), and in a sense this definition tells you the difference between Tempest and Colosseum. It was in this band that Allan Holdsworth came to critical attention, his only previous recorded outing being an album with the band Igginbottom's Wrench on Deram in 1969.

Tempest was an apt name for the band, as their eponymous debut album showed. With Hiseman drumming up a storm and Clarke adopting the wise approach of playing simply but strongly (a flash drummer and a busy bassist never go together), the foundation was laid for Williams and Holdsworth to wail and moan over a series of complex progressive compositions.  

 Tracks
1. Gorgon (Hiseman, Clarke, Holdsworth) - 5:41
2. Foyers Of Fun (Hiseman, Clarke, Holdsworth) - 3:38
3. Dark House (Hiseman, Clarke, Holdsworth) - 5:00
4. Brothers (Hiseman, Holdsworth) - 3:35
5. Up And On (Edwards, Holdsworth) - 4:16
6. Grey And Black (Clarke, Bottomley) - 2:26
7. Strangeher (Clarke, Hiseman) - 4:07
8. Upon Tomorrow (Clempson, Hiseman) - 6:15

Tempest
*Jon Hiseman - Drums
*Mark Clarke - Bass
*Paul Williams - Vocals
*Allan Holdsworth - Guitar

Related Acts
1968  Zoot Money - Transition
1969  Igginbottom - Igginbottom's Wrench
1970  Juicy Lucy - Lay Back And Enjoy It
1969 Colosseum - Valentyne Suite (2004 deluxe expanded edition) 
1969  Colosseum - Those Who Are About To Die Salute You (2004 remaster and expanded)
1970  Colosseum - Daughter Of Time (remaster with bonus track)
1971  Colosseum - Colosseum Live (2016 double disc set remaster)

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Jonesy - Masquerade The Dawn Years Anthology (1972-73 uk, spectacular prog rock, 2007 double disc remaster)

While there's no shortage of progressive music being made today, much of it takes place below the radar, without the support of major labels. During the 1970s, on the other hand, anything seemed possible, and the industry provided considerable exposure to music that's since become marginalized. It's unlikely that bands like King Crimson and Yes would be able to build such large fan bases, were they to emerge today. Still, despite the internet's contribution to a resurgent interest in progressive rock, there are groups that have fallen by the wayside, deserving to be more than a historical footnote.

Formed by Tasmanian-born guitarist/vocalist John Evan-Jones after relocating to England in 1969, Jonesy is one such group, bearing some comparison to Crimson and Yes despite possessing none of the gravitas of Crimson's early albums or Yes' overall bombast. Still, with the pre-synthesizer mellotron—a portable instrument allowing the addition of orchestral and choral textures—a fundamental part of Jonesy's sound, and its often lengthy and episodic compositions, Classic Rock Magazine's description of Jonesy as "The best prog band you've never heard" may be a touch hyperbolic, but still affords Jonesy a fuller due never received at the time.

Masquerade - The Dawn Years Anthology collects the group's first three records, along with an early single and one brief outtake, evidence of another 1970s progressive rock characteristic—surprisingly rapid growth from album-to-album, and over short periods of time. Recorded between May, 1972 and October, 1973, Jonesy not only went from the rock-based, semi-symphonic prog of No Alternative (Dawn, 1972 to the more jazz-informed Growing (Dawn, 1973, but weathered an almost complete personnel change after its first album, leaving Evan-Jones and keyboardist/vocalist Jamie Kaleth as the only members common throughout the entire two-plus hours of music collected here.

While Evan-Jones doesn't have quite the personality of Crimson's Robert Fripp or Yes' Steve Howe, he's no slouch. His reverse-attack solo on the funky but hard-edged "No Alternative" offers a taste of the territory Adrian Belew would mine more visibly a few years later, while his impressive triplet-based arrangement over David Paull's Chris Squire-like bass line on "Pollution" is decidedly in Yes territory, albeit somehow less self-indulgent in tone.

But it was in the band's major shake-up following No Alternative, that Jonesy made a significant shift, notably with the recruitment of electric trumpeter Alan Bown. More sophisticated vocal harmonies and a richer blend of rock, classical, jazz—a touch of soul, even—inform the Rupert Hine-produced Growing. "Jonesy," the album's closer, is closer to fusion free-improv, although with a string arrangement by Simon Jeffes and the group expanded to an octet with guests Bernard Hagley (saxophones, Ken Elliott (keyboards and Maurice Pert (percussion, it assumes unexpected form over its nearly twelve minutes.

Once again Esoteric Recordings (formerly Eclectic Discs) have rescued a group from obscurity, and given it some well-deserved exposure in a lovingly remastered package with informative liner notes, and archival photos and cover art. 

by John Kelman, January 11, 2008

Tracks

Disc 1 

1. Ricochet - 4:01

2. Every Day's The Same - 4:31

3. No Alternative - 8:21

4. Heaven - 8:05

5. Mind Of The Century - 4:12

6. 1958 - 7:53

7. Pollution - 9:43

8. Ricochet - 4:59

9. Reprise (1:05

10.Maquerade - 6:07

11.Sunset And Evening Star (John Evan Jones) - 3:40

12.Preview - 2:00

13.Questions And Answers - 5:15

All compositions by Jamie Kaleth except where indicated

Track 1 Single Edit 1972

Track 2 Single B-Side 1972

Tracks 3-8 from LP "No Alternative" 1972 

Track 9 Outtake 1972

Tracks 10-13 from LP "Keeping Up" 1973

Disc 2
1. Critique (With Exceptions) - 9:32
2. Duet - 0:49
3. Song - 3:33
4. Children - 9:02
5. Can You Get That Together - 8:58
6. Waltz For Yesterday - 4:11
7. Know Who Your Friends Are - 6:14
8. Growing - 5:04
9. Hard Road - 3:56
10.Jonesy - 11:40
All songs by Jamie Kaleth
Tracks 1-4 from LP "Keeping Up" 1973
Tracks 5-10 from LP "Growing" 1973

Musicians
*John Evan Jones - Lead Guitar, VCS3, Vocals
*Jamie Kaleth - Mellotron, Electric Piano, Grand Piano, Vocals
*Alan Bown - Electric Trumpet, Electric Flugelhorn, Percussion
*Gypsy Jones - Bass, Recorders, Vocals
*Plug Thomas - Drums, Percussion, Vocals
*David Paul - Bass, Vocals (Tracks 1-9 Disc 1)
*Jim Payne - Drums, Percussion (Tracks 1-9 Disc 1)
With
*Bernard Hagley - Electric Saxes (Tracks 5-10 Disc 2)
*Ken Eliott - Clavinet, ARP 2600 (Tracks 5-10 Disc 2)
*Maurice Pert - Percussion (Tracks 5-10 Disc 2)

1972-73  Jonesy - Ricochet Pioneering In (2007 release) 

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Lee Michaels - Carnival Of Life (1968 us, astonishing psych rock with some killer fuzz guitar, 2010 remaster)

1968’s Carnival of Life debut ended up being unrepresentative of Michaels’ most characteristic work, it showed a singer-songwriter with strong R&B roots partially obscured by hippy-dippy psychedelia. But after a chance hit of acid given by the famed mind-chemical maven August Owsley Stanley lll, he was convinced he was an organ player, not a stand-up frontman vocalist, and Michael’s music took a unique turn towards the keyboard/drums only approach he favored for most of the rest of his career. While some will only recognize his fluke hit “Do You Know What I Mean,” Michaels’ sound ran far deeper into psychedelic pop, soul, gospel, rock and even blues. 

by Hal Horowitz

Lee Michaels, a veteran of the Los Angeles and San Francisco bar-band scene in the mid-'60s, struck out on his own in 1967 after fronting bands with such illustrious alumni as Joel Scott Hill, Bob Mosley, and John Barbata. Michaels' music was characterized by his soulful vocals and equally soulful organ playing. These awesome talents would be polished on his second and third albums, but his debut, while interesting, falls a bit short. The main problem is that A&M saw Michaels as sort of a psychedelic singer/songwriter/rocker. In reality, he was sort of a California version of Steve Winwood. Carnival of Life has some excellent performances by Michaels and especially drummer Eddie Hoh. Both rock hard on the album's nine cuts, but the material is a bit dated and tends to end up in some hard-rock clichés of the period. Still, it's a promising if quirky start of what would be a fine career. 

by Matthew Greenwald

Tracks
1. Hello - 4:24
2. Another One - 4:08
3. Streetcar - 3:35
4. Love - 5:07
5. Carnival Of Life - 3:00
6. Why - 3:23
7. Tomorrow - 4:33
8. Sounding The Sleeping - 4:05
9. My Friends - 2:37
All songs by Lee Michaels

Personnel
*Lee Michaels - Piano, Organ, Harpsichord,  Vocals
*David Potter - Drums
*John Keski - Bass
*Hamilton W. Watt - Guitar
*Gary Davis - Organ
*Eddie Hoh - Drums

1969  Lee Michaels - Lee Michaels 
1970  Lee Michaels - Barrel

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John David Souther - John David Souther (1972 us, wonderful country rock with blues tinges, 2008 remaster)

John David Souther was among the first artists signed to David Geffen's Asylum Records imprint, joining the likes of other SoCal talents Judee Sill, Jackson Browne, David Blue, and the Eagles. Souther's on-again/off-again collaborations with fellow Detroit, MI native Glenn Frey began when the pair formed a folk duo called the Longbranch Pennywhistle. Their sole outing is definitely worth finding as it boasted contributions from the likes of James Burton (guitar), Ry Cooder (guitar), Doug Kershaw (fiddle), Jim Gordon (drums), Larry Knechtel (keyboards), and Joe Osborn (bass). For Souther's 1972 debut, the singer/songwriter enlists the aid of not only his one-time partner Frey, but also a few other notable names consisting of Ned Doheny (guitar), Gib Guilbeau (fiddle), former Things to Come member Bryan Garofalo (bass), and soon-to-be-session musician extraordinaire Gary Mallaber (drums). John David Souther (1972) bears the same earthy Southwestern textures that are inextricably linked to the roots of the country/rock subgenre.

"The Fast One" commences with a midtempo rocker that bears the sonic stamp of Guilbeau's unmistakable fiddling. "Run Like a Thief" follows with a prime example of Souther's often underrated lyrical capacity. He draws upon sacred themes during "Jesus in 3/4 Time" with a feel that isn't too far removed from the Gram Parsons-era Byrds. "Kite Woman" is a love song for codependents, reiterating an understated craftsmanship within Souther's wordplay as he reflects on one whose "got you strung-out somewhere down the line." "Some People Call It Music" is marked by some superlative string work from Souther and Doheny, with the former's harmonies practically predicting the compact, rural vocals that the Eagles would adopt in fairly short order. Joel Tepp (harmonica) -- whose recent résumé listed a guest shot on Crazy Horse's Loose -- provides a few greasy harp licks to the blues-fuelled "White Wing." 

The palpable loneliness of "It's the Same" and the concluding "Lullaby" are countered by the rocker "How Long." Although the latter title was initially issued by Souther as a single from this album, it resurfaced some 36 years later on the Eagles' reunion studio platter Long Road out of Eden (2007). It would become a Grammy award winner for them under the "Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal" category. The nod reinforced an already prolific collaboration between Souther and the combo, as he supplied several key LP cuts for them during the '70s, including co-writing "The Best of My Love," "New Kid in Town," and "Heartache Tonight." 

by Lindsay Planer

Tracks
1. The Fast One - 3:10
2. Run Like A Thief - 3:15
3. Jesus In 3/4 Time - 3:38
4. Kite Woman - 3:06
5. Some People Call It Music - 3:16
6. White Wing - 4:21
7. It's The Same - 3:32
8. How Long - 3:22
9. Out To Sea - 5:03
10. Lullaby - 1:35
All Songs By J.D. Souther

Musicians
*J.D. Souther - Guitar, Piano, Vocals
*Glenn Frey - Guitar, Piano, Vocals
*John Barbata - Drums
*Michael Bowden - Bass
*Fred Catero - Guitar
*Ned Doheny - Guitar
*Mickey Mcgee - Drums
*Bryan Garofalo - Bass
*Gib Guilbeau - Fiddle, Violin
*David Jackson - Bass, Piano, Keyboards
*Gary Mallaber - Drums, Keyboards
*Joel Tepp - Bass, Harp
*Wayne Perkins - Guitar, Slide Guitar

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Bobby Callender - The Way / First Book Of Experiences (1971 us, exceptional raga world fusion psych)

An orchestral and eastern influenced psychedelic pop gem, Bobby Callendar’s “The Way” sometimes gets the shaft to “Rainbow,” but I like “The Way.”

Sometimes, when folks are asked if they could interview anybody from any time, it would be Gandhi. But, The Rising Storm chooses Bobby C. Seriously, somebody needs to get the scoop on this mysterious and intriguing record. Bobby’s intense lyrics are matched with a mix of eastern instruments, lush strings, and tambourine. I can’t say why but the tambourine sticks in my memory. Nothing says 60s pop like that wonderful percussion instrument.

Bobby C. was clearly very into the Mike Love style 60s eastern Buddhism thing. “Sitting ‘neath the bodhi tree… as one.  The Story of Rasha & Dhara is essential listening for psychedelic music fans. It’s pretty, and strange, and sports one of the smoothest basslines of the 60s.

Not to say that this record is flawless. There are a few skippable tracks, all in all it’s nothing to brag about, but there are some real nice gems in here. The opening is miraculous, while others are catchy, and others take you quite by surprise. Be prepared for religous themes and a generally trippy experience.

The lack of availability to this record is a disappointment; the sturdy digipak casing, reminiscent of some of the best vinyl record sleeves, should be a standard for CD reissues. And like I’ve been saying, this one is a real gem.

by Brendan McGrath

Tracks
1. Drone/Going Back/Ist and 2nd Movement - 2:46
2. Awaken John/Lord Am I Dreamnng - 2:58
3. Bhodi Tree - 2:06
4. Satori - 2:28
5. Story of Rasha and Dhara - 4:27
6. Chant: Kasha and Dhara and Love, Love, Love - 0:59
7. Shringara - 2:02
8. 3rd Movement/Satyagraha - 6:37
9. Transmigration/Travel With Me - 3:43
10.Karma Yogi - 2:16
11.4th Movement/Ooda Rata Travel With Me - 2:23
12.Story of the Shepherd - 3:49
13.Let Thy Will Be Done - 2:17
14.Hari Om and Deva Chant Interlude - 4:18
15.Santa Grace - 3:16
16.Going Back Instrumental/Ooda Chant and Ending - 4:42
All compositions by Bob Callender

Personnel
*Bobby Callender - Vocals
*Ralph Towner - Flugelhorn, Guitar, Piano, Percussion, Organ
*Glen Moore - Bass, Clarinet, Viola,  Piano
*Collin Walcott - Percussion, Tabla, Sitar, Dulcimer
*Paul McCandless - Clarinet, Oboe, Horn, Saxophone, Synthesizer
*Trilok Gurtu - Percussion, Tabla

1968  Bobby Callender - Rainbow (bonus tracks edition) 

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Rotary Connection - Rotary Connection (1967 us, delicate experimental jazzy soul psych)

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

Rotary Connection
*Mitch Aliotta – Vocals
*Minnie Riperton – Vocals
*Sidney Barnes – Vocals
*Bobby Simms – Vocals
*Kenny Venegas – Vocals
*Judy Hauff - Vocals
*Charles Stepney – Keyboards
*Marshall Chess - Theremin
With
*Bobby Christian – Guitar
*Pete Cosey – Guitar
*Morris Jennings – Drums
*Louis Satterfield – Bass
*Phil Upchurch – Bass
*Chuck Barksdale - Bass Vocals

1967-71  Rotary Connection - Black Gold, The Best of Rotary Connection (2006 remaster) 

1968  Rotary Connection - Peace
Related Act
1969  Aorta - Aorta
1970  Aorta - Aorta 2

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Mike Cooper - Trout Steel (1970 uk, amazing avant folk rock, 2014 remaster)

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

1971-72  Mike Cooper - Places I Know / The Machine Gun Company (2014 remaster) 

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Rockin' Horse - Yes It Is (1971 uk, confessional, observational, dramatic power pop, 2004 remastered and expanded)

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

Rockin' Horse
*Jimmy Campbell - Vocals, Guitar
*Billy Kinsley - Vocals, Bass
*Bobby Falloon - Lead Guitar
*Mike Snow - Piano, Organ
*Stan Gorman - Drums

Related Acts

1965-67  The 23rd Turnoff - The Dream Of Michaelangelo (2004 remaster)
1969  Jimmy Campbell - Son Of Anastasia (2009 remaster bonus track issue)
1970-71  Jimmy Campbell - Half Baked (2009 extra track remaster)
1972  Jimmy Campbell - Jimmy Campbell's Album (2009 remaster)

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Buffy Sainte-Marie - Illuminations (1969 canada, heavenly trippy native folk psych rock, 2000 remaster)

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

Personnel
*Buffy Sainte Marie - Guitar, Vocals
*John Craviotta - Drums
*Bob Bozina - Guitar
*Rick Oxendine - Bass

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