Tuesday, January 12, 2021

Jefferson Airplane - After Bathing At Baxter's (1967 us, superb psych rock, 2013 audiophile and 2003 xpanded)



There’s nowhere to begin with After Bathing At Baxter’s than with the cover art, where for a sixteen year old in 1967, I was completely captivated by a tri-winged San Francisco style flying house, complete with marijuana bushes peaking out of the windows, that in full colour was aimlessly winging its way over piles of black and white trash, a sea of pollution and debris, where balloons and coloured confetti (though I was informed that this was blotter acid at the time) were being dispensed over just about any anonymous city in America during the middle of the psychedelic 60’s. Of course over the years I’ve come to learn that this flying house represented the 2400 Fulton Street pad that The Jefferson Airplane called home, and oddly enough wasn’t painted in day-glow paints, but rather totally in black and white, at least from the outside.

While the Surrealistic Pillow album brought The Airplane to center stage, it was After Bathing At Baxter’s that defined this band and the journey into the hearts and minds of the counterculture generation, flagging these high flying minstrels as a group of revolutionaries out to subvert the youth of America. With that in mind, the album is much more psychedelic than people give it credit for being, with pondering lyrics that ask question that could only be asked from seeing the world through psychedeliczed eyes, such as “Will the moon still hang in the sky / when I’m high / when I die?” or “Does the sky look green today?” not to mention the dadaesque feedback that opens the album and a mixture of words such as “armadillo,” injected for no reason at all, other than for the sake of embracing weirdness … and truth be told, that was enough of a reason, especially with Grace wailing away singing “It’s a wild time / I’m doing things that haven’t got a name yet!”.

After Bathing At Baxter’s isn’t an album to be listened to, it’s an album to be assaulted by, as The Airplane attack everything from middle America, to womanhood and everything in-between, and it’s all done as a celebration of freedom and self liberation. There is nothing commercial about this record, it was designed for the hip, those who got the joke before it was spoken, those willing to be a force to be reckoned with. Of course “Somebody To Love” was the soundtrack of the day, yet Surrealistic Pillow, the album the single rose from, stood in stark contrast to what The Airplane were doing live, which was much darker, and plays out here in all of its psychedelic glory. This is not to say by any means that the album does not have its flaws, these flaws are easily heard and have not aged well, but for the time, these aspects (such as overindulgent jams) were pure experimentation that broke new ground, giving The Airplane a surefooted platform from which to take flight on their more controlled and pointed future releases.

With the album composed of songs strung together into mini-suites of sorts to create a bizarre aural collage of lengthy jams, screaming guitars, some extremely beautiful moments, and a great deal of raucous ones, all was mixed with the alchemy of intellectualism, where The Jefferson Airplane manage to embrace the weird and the disconnected, yet at the same time intertwined it all as a freaky acid trip … though surely one I won’t wish to have taken. While nearly contextually unlistenable with today’s ears by those who weren’t there then, I embrace this gem with my total being.

The Fun Facts: Baxter’s was’t a real place, and it certainly was a bath, though in a sense it was.  “Baxter” was the band’s code for LSD, or bathing in acid, so the coded album title would translated to “After Tripping On Acid”.
by Jenell Kesler
Tracks
1. The Ballad Of You And Me And Pooneil (Paul Kantner) - 4:35
2. A Small Package Of Value Will Come To You, Shortly (Bill Thompson, Gary Blackman, Spencer Dryden) - 1:34
3. Young Girl Sunday Blues (Marty Balin, Paul Kantner) - 3:32
4. Martha (Paul Kantner) - 3:26
5. Wild Tyme (Paul Kantner) - 3:08
6. The Last Wall Of The Castle (Jorma Kaukonen) - 2:40
7. Rejoyce (Grace Slick) - 4:00
8. Watch Her Ride (Paul Kantner) - 3:11
9. Spare Chaynge (Jack Casady, Jorma Kaukonen, Spencer Dryden) - 9:11
10.Two Heads (Grace Slick) - 3:13
11.Won't You Try/Saturday Afternoon (Paul Kantner) - 5:02
Bonus Tracks
12.The Ballad Of You And Me And Pooneil (Live Long Version) (Paul Kantner) - 11:04
13.Martha (Mono Single Version) (Paul Kantner) - 3:26
14.Two Heads (Alternate Version) (Grace Slick) - 3:15
15.Things Are Better In The East (Demo Version) (Marty Balin) - 2:31
16.Young Girl Sunday Blues (Ιnstrumental Hidden Track) (Marty Balin, Paul Kantner) - 3:59

Jefferson Airplane
*Grace Slick - Piano, Organ, Recorder, Vocals, Lead Vocals    
*Marty Balin - Rhythm Guitar, Lead Vocals 
*Paul Kantner - Rhythm Guitar, Lead Vocals 
*Jorma Kaukonen - Lead Guitar, Sitar, Lead Vocals 
*Jack Casady - Bass
*Spencer Dryden - Drums, Percussion, Horn Arrangement
With
*Gary Blackman - Vocals
*Bill Thompson - Vocals

Related Acts
1972  Hot Tuna - Burgers (2012 audiophile Vinyl replica)  

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Monday, January 11, 2021

Jefferson Airplane - Crown Of Creation (1968 us, pioneer psychedelic rock, 2013 audiophile high definition and 2003 xpanded issue)

 

“Is it true that I’m no longer young?” Grace Slick sang in “Lather,” the luscious and cinematic opening number of “Crown of Creation.”

Slick was singing about the arrested development of her lover, the Jefferson Airplane drummer Spencer Dryden, but by extension she addressed the fast-forward aging afflicting the San Francisco scene. That sunny Summer of Love had given away to the chill winds of LBJ’s 1968.

“Crown of Creation” finds the Airplane coming of age, wary but not yet transformed into the jaded radical-chic collective that rolled out “Volunteers” a year later. The erratic and playful psychedelia of “After Bathing at Baxter’s” gives way to songwriting for adults:

“Long time since I climbed down this mountain before,” a weary-sounding Paul Kantner sings on “In Time.” “Things I’ve seen here make me want to go running home.”

Slick, a painter, ponders the 1960s’ boho dance — underground art as commerce — on the album’s single, “Greasy Heart”:

    He’s going off the drug thing ’cause his veins are getting big
    He wants to sell his paintings but the market is slow
    They’re only paying him 2 grams now
    For a one-man abstract show

And has anyone ever captured the highs and lows of the hippie era better than Kantner in this lyric from the title track, boiled down to haiku: “You are the crown of creation / and you’ve got no place to go.”

The unease comes packaged beautifully. The band performs with precision and assurance, lead by guitarist Jorma Kaukonen and bassist Jack Casady, team players and not yet a faction. (Their work at times points to the heavy metal of the great live album to follow, “Bless Its Pointed Little Head.”)

Time is a major theme. War and the sickening events of 1968 are the undercurrents. “Crown of Creation” does no duty as a concept album, however. It is a collection of songs, some far better than others, most of them recorded on-the-run while the band met its rock-star obligations.

Despite the album’s prescience and longevity, it remains woefully underrated — here we have Jefferson Airplane at their psychedelic peak. They soon would become a rock band, angry and disenfranchised, but with one great album left in them.

“Crown of Creation” opens with a triple offering of morning maniac music.

Slick’s “Lather” employs studio effects to tell its tale of an aging man child. It was inspired by Dryden’s turning 30, and by the arrest of bassist Casady for nudity. The effects — a child’s fearful query; a blast of firepower from a tank — flirt with kitsch, but hold up well. Slick uses a conversational storyteller’s tone, lovely and knowing. “I’m singing the song quietly and softly, like a little kid,” she recalled years later. All other studio Airplane albums open with rockers; commencing with this quiet number is part of “Crown of Creation’s” confident genius.

Marty Balin and Kantner’s “In Time” celebrates a lover, a hippie chick cast in psychedelic tones, “in the colors of what I feel.” A less obvious companion to “Baxter’s” “Martha.” “In Time” brings to mind the softer side of L.A. band Love.

David Crosby’s “Triad” completes the opening trilogy. Slick finds the humanity in Crosby’s come-on to a pair of competing lovers. It is the closest to an embrace (and reaffirmation) of the hippie ideal to be found on the album, and it remains stunning.

Things get back to Airplane(/Hot Tuna) business as usual with Kaukonen’s “Star Track,” a meditation on fame and the scarcity of time. Kaukonen works out with his wah-wah pedal — the guitar effect is your constant companion on this album — warning the listener: “Running fast you’ll go down slow in the end.”

Balin’s “Share a Little Joke” delivers a seemingly whimsical message, belied by the instrumental chaos just below the surface. “I believe in half of you,” Balin sings to his friend. The song reportedly touches on mental illness.

Drummer Dryden gets credit for the brief bit of electronic music, “Chushingura.” It’s a sort-of sequel to “Baxter’s” “A Small Package of Value Will Come to You, Shortly.” Dryden has said it was inspired by the soundtrack to an old samurai film.

Side 2 opens with more generic Airplane and more wah, as Balin works out on the tambourine-shaking ode to freedom “If You Feel.”

Kantner’s classic title track marches to martial beat. The bandleader foresees the yuppie apocalypse in the pages of a science fiction novel:

    Soon you’ll attain the stability you strive for
    In the only way that it’s granted
    In a place among the fossils of our time

(Kantner borrowed from the post-apocalyptic novel “The Chrysalids.”)

“It’s trying to make the point that science fiction is politics, and politics is science fiction,” Kantner later explained.

“Ice Cream Phoenix” has Kaukonen returning to the scarcity of time, with Slick providing a surreal vocal interlude.

The rocker “Greasy Heart” finds Slick in full badass mode, dispensing advice in a jumble of words straight out of Lewis Carrol. “Don’t ever change, people,” she warns. “Your face will hit the fan.” It’s a slap at cosmetic beauty and plastic people — a la “Plastic Fantastic Lover.” “It sounds like I’m pointing fingers, but (I was) living it,” the former model has said.

“The House on Pooneil Corners” concludes the album with a scalding dose of acid rock. The title and the familiar amp-shaking feedback that begins the song suggest it’s a mirror-image sequel to “The Ballad of You & Me & Pooneil” from “Baxter’s.” Kaukonen, Casady and Dryden slash and burn their way through as Slick’s Middle Eastern-influenced vocals summon the darkness.

Lyricists Balin and Kantner’s vision is distinctly apocalyptic:

    Everything someday will be gone except silence
    Earth will be quiet again
    Seas from clouds will wash off the ashes of violence
    Left as the memory of men
    There will be no survivor my friend

Truth in advertising: The cover of “Crown of Creation” showed the band caught up in a mushroom-shaped cloud. The h-bomb, Kantner said, is our civilization’s technological crown — and the thermonuclear holocaust one very possible outcome seen from the badlands of 1968.
Tracks
1. Lather (Grace Slick) - 2:56
2. In Time (Marty Balin, Paul Kantner) - 4:10
3. Triad (David Crosby) - 4:54
4. Star Track (Jorma Kaukonen) - 3:09
5. Share A Little Joke (Marty Balin) - 3:06
6. Chushingura (Spencer Dryden) - 1:17
7. If You Feel (Gary Blackman, Marty Balin) - 3:20
8. Crown Of Creation (Paul Kantner) - 2:53
9. Ice Cream Phoenix (Charles Cockey, Jorma Kaukonen) - 3:00
10.Greasy Heary (Grace Slick) - 3:25
11.The House At Pooneil Corners (Marty Balin, Paul Kantner) - 5:51
Bonus Tracks 2003
12.Ribump Ba Bap Dum Dum (Spencer Dryden, William Goodwin) - 1:32
13.Would You Like A Snack (Grace Slick, Frank Zappa) - 2:40
14.Share A Little Joke (Mono Single Version) (Marty Balin) - 3:09
15.The Saga Of Sydney Spacepig (Spencer Dryden) - 8:00
16.Candy Man (Hidden Track) (Rev. Gary Davis) - 2:23

Jefferson Airplane
*Marty Balin - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
*Grace Slick - Vocals, Piano, Organ
*Paul Kantner - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
*Jorma Kaukonen - Lead Guitar, Electric Chicken, Vocals
*Spencer Dryden - Drums, Piano, Organ, Steel Balls, Vocals
*Jack Casady - Yggdrasil Bass
With
*Arthur Tripp - Percussion
*Gary Blackman - Nose Solo 
*Charles Cockey - Guitar, Vocals
*David Crosby - Guitar
*Bill Goodwin - Talking Drums
*Dan Woody - Bongos, Drums
*William Goodwin - Drums (Track 12)
*Timothy Davis - Drums
*Gene Twombly - Sound Effects
*Art Tripp - Percussion (Track 13)
*Don Preston - Keyboards (Track 13)
*Frank Zappa - Guitar, Vocals (Track 13)
*Ian Underwood - Woodwind (Track 13)

Related Acts
1972  Hot Tuna - Burgers (2012 audiophile Vinyl replica)  
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Sunday, January 10, 2021

New Colony Six - Treat Her Groovy (1968-69 beautiful sunny baroque beat, 2005 remaster)



Originally from Chicago, the members of New Colony Six had moved to California where, before their discovery, they lived in the same apartment building as Paul Revere & the Raiders. Though it's not obvious from the cover, this 22-track CD compilation is basically a reissue of the New Colony Six's third and fourth LPs (1968's Revelations and 1969's Attacking a Straw Man), presenting the albums one after the other with their original track sequences. This was the era in which the Chicago band, which started off with a rawer garage pop sound, softened its approach considerably and found some modest national commercial success.

Those who swear by the group's earlier work (particularly the excellent 1966 debut, Breakthrough) are likely to be disappointed by the far more mainstream harmony pop/rock of these records, though on the other hand, fans of groups like the Association might favor this era more than the previous one. Including the hits "I Will Always Think About You," "Can't You See Me Cry," "Things I'd Like to Say," "I Want You to Know," "Barbara, I Love You," and "I Could Never Lie to You," it's on the mild and indistinctive side of the style, sometimes incorporating light orchestration and brass, and making an unlikely venture into country on "Just Feel Worse." 

On Revelations, there's perhaps a slightly brasher, less slickly produced feel than numerous somewhat similar California sunshine pop acts had, as well as a greater British Invasion influence, though the baroque touches common to much late-'60s baroque rock are present. The British rock elements recede and jazzier ones (especially "Ride the Wicked Wind") rise more to the fore on the more middle-of-the-road Attacking a Straw Man, concluding with the maudlin recitation "Prairie Grey." 
by Richie Unterberger
Tracks
1. I Will Always Think About You (Ronnie Rice) - 2:26
2. Dandy Handy Man (Gerry Van Kollenburg , Ray Graffia) - 2:23
3. Girl Unsigned (Gerry Van Kollenburg , Ray Graffia) - 2:07
4. Treat Her Groovy (Ronnie Rice) - 2:17
5. Summertime's Another Name For Love (Pat McBride) - 2:33
6. Just Feel Worse (Gerry Van Kollenburg , Pat McBride) - 1:50
7. Can't You See Me Cry (Gerry Van Kollenburg , Ray Graffia) - 2:38
8. We Will Love Again (Gerry Van Kollenburg , Pat McBride) - 2:04
9. Things I'd Like To Say (Les Kummel, Ronnie Rice) - 2:23
10.Hold Me With Your Eyes (Gerry Van Kollenburg , Ray Graffia) - 2:24
11.You Know Better (Dave Robbins, Pat McBride) - 2:11
12.Barbara, I Love You (Billy Herman, Chuck Jobes., Les Kummel) - 2:46
13.Free (Billy Herman, Chuck Jobes) - 2:11
14.Love, That's The Best I Can Do (Chuck Jobes) - 2:04
15.Come And Give Your Love To Me (Chuck Jobes., Gerry Van Kollenburg , Ray Graffia) - 2:07
16.I Could Never Lie To You (Pat McBride, Ronnie Rice) - 2:44
17.Ride A Wicked Wind (Billy Herman, Chuck Jobes) - 2:46
18.I Want You To Know (Les Kummel) - 2:40
19.Sun Within You (Gerry Van Kollenburg , Ray Graffia) - 2:44
20.Blue Eyes (Ronnie Rice) - 1:43
21.Come Away With You (Chuck Jobes., Ray Graffia) - 2:41
22.Prairie Grey (Billy Herman, Chuck Jobes) - 2:42

Personnel
*Ray Graffia - Tambourine, Vocals
*Chick James - Drums
*Pat McBride - Harmonica, Percussion, Vocals 
*Craig Kemp - Organ 
*Wally Kemp - Bass 
*Gerry Van Kollenburg - Guitar, Vocals 
*Ronnie Rice - Vocals, Keyboards, Guitar
*Ellery Temple - Bass 
*Les Kummel - Bass 
*Billy Herman - Vocals, Drums 
*Chuck Jobes - Harpsichord, Keyboards, Organ, Piano 



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Friday, January 8, 2021

Ro-D-Ys - Earnest Vocation (1968 holland, wonderful swinging beat with baroque shades, 2013 remaster)



Earnest Vocation, released in 1968 by Philips, is probably the Ro-D-y’s finest hour. While history primarily remembers the Outsiders, Q65, The Golden Earrings, the Motions and Group 1850, there were many other excellent rock groups from the Netherlands such as Sandy Coast, Supersister, Bintangs, Cosmic Dealer and of course this group, the Ro-D-y’s.

Harry Rijnbergen, the band’s chief songwriter, was also lead guitarist and vocalist of the Ro-D-y’s. His vocals sound like a cross between Roy Wood and Ray Davies. What set these songs apart from Rijnbergen’s peers are the sophisticated lyrics - remember English wasn’t his first language and unique song structures – they simply do not sound like anything I’ve heard. Of the twelve tracks on this LP, only one of them falls short of the mark, the music hall dud Everytime A Second Time. 

There are many highlights though which include the dynamic phased rocker Easy Come, Easy Go, the weird psychedelia of Dr. Sipher and the bouncy Let It Be Tomorrow. Some tracks feature strings and brass such as the complex title cut while others betray a strong european folk influence – check out the bridge of album opener Unforgettable Girl or the folk rock track No Place Like Home. This is definitely one of the better Euro psych albums I’ve heard, a minor classic worth seeking out.

Also worth checking out is the Ro-D-y’s debut album, Just Fancy from 1967 which is nederbeat pop/garage but a strong effort nonetheless with many highlights. The group also released many fine non LP singles throughout the 60s. 
by Jason Nardelli
Tracks
1. Unforgettable Girl (Single Version) - 2:51
2. Isn't It A Good Time - 2:09
3. Love Is Almost Everywhere - 3:09
4. Robinetta - 2:59
5. No Place Like Home - 4:19
6. Everytime A Second - 3:26
7. Earnest Vocation - 4:54
8. Easy Come, Easy Go - 2:34
9. Look For Windchild - 2:33
10.Let It Be Tomorrow - 2:13
11.Dr. Sipher - 3:14
12.Peace Ants - 3:51
All songs written by Harry Rijnbergen

Ro-D-Ys
*Harry Rijnbergen - Guitar, Vocals
*Joop Hulzebos - Guitar, Keyboards
*Wiechert Kenter - Bass, Trumpet, Vibraphone
*Bennie Groen - Drums 
With
*De Schuyt - Organ
*Jan Vennik - Saxophone


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Thursday, January 7, 2021

Ro-D-Ys - Take Her Home (1967-69 holland, fascinating nederbeat)



Before the band became widely known as Ro-d-Ys, they had been active for several years under the name Popular Pipers Boys Band . When they became professional musicians in 1966 , the name of the band was changed to Rowdies, but a number of bands already appeared to perform under that name, and they decided to rename the band Ro-d-Ys. They were discovered by Wim Zomer , who attended drama school in Arnhem and was Winschoten originated, but it didn't last, soon after they met  Hans van Hemert , who worked for Phonogram, took the group under his wing. Van Hemert, had already worked with Q65 , Zen and Groep 1850.

Their first single You Better Take Care Of Yourself / Wheels, Wheels, Wheels was released in December 1966. In 1967 a number of singles followed, mainly played by Radio Veronica . The group toured through Italy and England , and records sold well in Germany and Belgium as well. The first LP Just Fancy garnered good reviews. When drummer Bennie Groen had to join the army to fulfill his military service , Dick Beekman (ex. Cuby + Blizzards) joined the band. After his discharge from the army, however, Groen returned as a regular drummer. 

1968 was to be the big year for Ro-d-Ys . Α concept album entitled Earnest Vocation, was released and was based on the novel Little John by Frederik van Eeden. Producer Van Hemert approached Bert Paige, who took the arragements and the orchestration of the songs. The album fitted with the psychedelic era and was well received, but the singles released from the album were not very successful. When Rijnbergen temporarily left the band in September 1968, their popularity was already declining sharply. In the same period the group broke up with manager Wim Zomer. 

With a new manager Krijn Torringa the band (and with Harry Rijnbergen on board again) tried a new comeback in  1969 with Annet Hesterman  as a singer. A year earlier she had declined an offer to become a singer with Shocking Blue . However, the new single Winter Woman / Looking for Something Better did not go as much as they expected.. Rijnbergen and Groen then left the band, to join Zen. After a few unsuccessful singles, they disbanded in 1970.

Joop Hulzebos died on 27 September 1998, aged 52. On March 15, 2003, Berend Groen passed away at the age of 56. On September 23, 2006, on the initiative of the Ro-d-Ys Foundation, a monument for the band was unveiled in Oude Pekela. 
Tracks
1. You Better Take Care Of Yourself - 2:27
2. Take Her Home - 2:37
3. Just Fancy - 3:02
4. Tomorrow - 2:33
5. Just Go Go - 2:54
6. Destination - 3:03
7. I Still Got You - 2:03
8. Let's Try - 2:29
9. Nothing To Change A Mind - 2:31
10.Sleep Sleep Sleep - 3:08
11.Anytime - 3:13
12.Unforgettable Girl - 3:08
13.Earnest Vacation - 4:59
14.Let It Be Tomorrow - 2:17
15.Look For Windchild - 2:38
16.Winter Woman - 4:25
All compositions by Harry Rijnbergen
Track 1 from single You Better Take Care Of Yourself 1966
Track 2 from single Take Her Home 1967
Tracks 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 from LP Just Fancy 1967
Track 9 from single Nothing To Change A Mind 1967
Track 10 from single Sleep, Sleep, Sleep 1968
Track 11 from single Anytime 1968
Tracks 12, 13, 14, 15 from LP Earnest Vocation 1968
Track 16 from single Winter Woman 1969

Ro-D-Ys
*Harry Rijnbergen - Guitar, Vocals
*Joop Hulzebos - Guitar, Keyboards
*Wiechert Kenter - Bass, Trumpet, Vibraphone
*Bennie Groen - Drums 
*Dick Beekman - Drums
*Annet Hesterman - Vocals

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Wednesday, January 6, 2021

The Flying Burrito Brothers - Buritto Deluxe (1970 us, impressive americana country rock, 2020 SACD)



Burrito Deluxe was oringally released by A&M records in 1969.  There are some good songs onboard, most notably mellow country-rockers “Cody, Cody” and “God’s Own Singer.”  These are clearly the LP’s best numbers.  Parsons and company even cover “Wild Horses” a few years before the Rolling Stones included it on their Sticky Fingers LP.  On the surface Burrito Deluxe seems like a good enough follow-up to The Gilded Palace of Sin but further listening reveals some major flaws.  For one, the songwriting is inconsistent: Burrito Deluxe yields no true classics on par with “Christine’s Tune,”  “Hot Burrito #1,” or “Hot Burrito #2.”  Parsons at this point was losing interest in the band he and Chris Hillman co-founded.  Was Parsons spending too much time with Keith Richards or perhaps writing songs and preparing for his brief solo career?  

Aspects that made the Burrito’s debut so great, the fuzz guitars, those strong soul and country influences (what Parsons referred to as Cosmic American Music) and the unity in performance are missing.  Instead the Burritos go for a harder rocking bar band sound as heard on tracks like Bob Dylan’s “If You Gotta Go” and the Sweetheart era outtake “Lazy Days.”  “Lazy Days” is professional songcraft, a decent enough number but the Dylan cover along with “Man In The Fog” is rather sloppy – this is not the Flying Burrito Brothers I know.  Other tracks like “Image of Me”, “Farther Along” and “Older Guys” are respectable, gutsy country-rock efforts but again, nothing groundbreaking or classic.

So on a whole, this is a solid album for the country-rock genre, definitely better than what the average band was releasing back in the late 60s/early 70s.  I’d go out on a limb and say that the Burrito’s self titled 3rd album and Last of the Red Hot Burritos (live) may be more consistent records – these records are without Gram Parsons too!  Listening to Burrito Deluxe reminds us that Parsons’ head was elsewhere at the time.  It feels as though the band is rushing through each number without any heart or true committment and because of this, Burrito Deluxe suffers from an unfocused sound.  All complaints aside, Burrito Deluxe is still well worth a spin and an essential albeit baffling country-rock/Americana LP.
by Jason Nardelli
Tracks
1. Lazy Days (Gram Parsons) - 3:14
2. Image Of Me (Harlan Howard, Wayne Kemp) - 3:20
3. High Fashion Queen (Chris Hillman, Gram Parsons) - 2:08
4. If You Gotta Go (Bob Dylan) - 1:51
5. Man In The Fog (Bernie Leadon, Gram Parsons) - 2:32
6. Farther Along (J.R. Baxter, W.B. Stevens) - 4:02
7. Older Guys (Chris Hillman, Bernie Leadon, Gram Parsons) - 2:30
8. Cody, Cody (Chris Hillman, Gram Parsons) - 2:47
9. God's Own Singer (Bernie Leadon) - 2:07
10.Down In The Churchyard (Chris Hillman, Gram Parsons) - 2:22
11.Wild Horses (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards) - 6:26

The Flying Burrito Brothers
*Gram Parsons - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Keyboards
*Chris Hillman - Vocals, Bass, Mandolin
*Sneaky Pete Kleinow - Pedal Steel Guitar
*Bernie Leadon - Vocals, Guitar, Dobro
*Michael Clarke - Drums
With
*Leon Russell - Piano 
*Byron Berline - Fiddle
*Tommy Johnson - Tuba
*Buddy Childers - Cornet, Flugelhorn
*Leopoldo C. Carbajal - Accordion
*Frank Blanco - Percussion

Related Acts
1968  The Byrds - Sweetheart Of The Rodeo  (Double Disc Set)

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Monday, January 4, 2021

The Flying Burrito Brothers - The Gilded Palace Of Sin (1969 us, iconic hugely influential country rock statement, 2017 SACD)



By 1969, Gram Parsons had already built the foundation of the country-rock movement through his work with the International Submarine Band and the Byrds, but his first album with the Flying Burrito Brothers, The Gilded Palace of Sin, was where he revealed the full extent of his talents, and it ranks among the finest and most influential albums the genre would ever produce. As a songwriter, Parsons delivered some of his finest work on this set; "Hot Burrito No. 1" and "Hot Burrito No. 2" both blend the hurt of classic country weepers with a contemporary sense of anger, jealousy, and confusion, and "Sin City" can either be seen as a parody or a sincere meditation on a city gone mad, and it hits home in both contexts.

Parsons was rarely as strong as a vocalist as he was here, and his covers of "Dark End of the Street" and "Do Right Woman" prove just how much he had been learning from R&B as well as C&W. And Parsons was fortunate enough to be working with a band who truly added to his vision, rather than simply backing him up; the distorted swoops of Sneaky Pete Kleinow's fuzztone steel guitar provides a perfect bridge between country and psychedelic rock, and Chris Hillman's strong and supportive harmony vocals blend flawlessly with Parsons' (and he also proved to be a valuable songwriting partner, collaborating on a number of great tunes with Gram). While The Gilded Palace of Sin barely registered on the pop culture radar in 1969, literally dozens of bands (the Eagles most notable among them) would find inspiration in this music and enjoy far greater success. But no one ever brought rock and country together quite like the Flying Burrito Brothers, and this album remains their greatest accomplishment. 
by Mark Deming
Tracks
1. Christine's Tune (Gram Parsons, Chris Hillman) - 3:05
2. Sin City (Gram Parsons, Chris Hillman) - 4:12
3. Do Right Woman (Chips Moman, Dan Penn) - 3:57
4. Dark End Of The Street (Spooner Oldham, Dan Penn) - 3:59
5. My Uncle (Gram Parsons, Chris Hillman) - 2:41
6. Wheels (Chris Hillman, Gram Parsons) - 3:05
7. Juanita (Chris Hillman, Gram Parsons) - 2:32
8. Hot Burrito #1 (Chris Ethridge, Gram Parsons) - 3:41
9. Hot Burrito #2 (Chris Ethridge, Gram Parsons) - 3:20
10.Do You Know How It Feels (Gram Parsons, Barry Goldberg) - 2:10
11.Hippie Boy (Chris Hillman, Gram Parsons) - 5:00

The Flying Burrito Brothers
*Gram Parsons -Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Piano, Organ
*Chris Hillman - Electric And Acoustic Guitar, Harmony, Vocals, Mandolin
*"Sneaky" Pete Kleinow - Pedal Steel Guitar
*Chris Ethridge - Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals, Piano
With
*Jon Corneal - Drums
*Thomas "Popeye" Phillips - Drums 
*Eddie Hoh - Drums 
*Sam Goldstein - Drums 
*David Crosby - Backing Vocals 
*Hot Burrito Chorus - Backing Vocals 

Related Acts
1968  The Byrds - Sweetheart Of The Rodeo  (Double Disc Set)

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Sunday, January 3, 2021

Meic Stevens ‎- Outlander (1970 uk, essential diverse mix of folk, psych and rock with a distinct Welsh flavor, 2003 remaster and xpanded)



For Meic Stevens, Outlander marked the point where the Welsh folk legend tried to get inland – or, rather, to mainstreamland. Released by Warner Bros in 1970, it featured him singing in English on record for the first time and was, in many ways, a moment of consolidation for Stevens, who had spent the years immediately prior to recording the album travelling Europe, raising a family and recording for small independent Welsh labels.

Picking up on European folk one moment and hanging out with British 60s psych luminaries Mighty Baby the next, Stevens approaches Outlander doing two things at once. He’s rooted in the “Welsh Bob Dylan” mould on some acoustic songs (though really Stevens was simply drawing on his own Celtic folk knowledge, as opposed to Dylan’s), and then going very Eastern psych with the likes of Yorric, something of a tribute to that most famous of skulls.

Stevens’ 10-piece band help to keep the flow going, picking up where their leader’s rough edges fray. Not just for the English language is this the most accessible of Stevens’ early works on CD, though Stevens turned his back on Warners, and thus this part of his career, almost immediately, travelling back to Wales to feel more at home back on the indies.
by Jason Draper 
Tracklist
1. Rowena (Full Version) - 4:41
2. Love Owed - 3:22
3. Left Over Time - 4:35
4. Lying To Myself - 2:47
5. The Sailor And Madonna - 5:34
6. Ox Blood - 1:15
7. Yorric - 8:49
8. Midnight Comes - 3:08
9. Ghost Town - 5:49
10.Dau Rhosyn Coch - 2:43
11.Ballad Of Old Joe Blind - 2:31
12.Great Houdini - 3:27
13.All About A Dream - 3:20
14.Evening Comes Up - 4:48
15.Upon The Mountain - 2:21
16.Where Have All My People Gone - 2:27
17.Yorric - 5:38
18.The Sailor And The Madonna - 4:09
19.Blue Sleep - 3:57
20.Ballad Of Old Joe Blind - 2:29
All compositions by Meic Stevens

Musicians
*Meic Stevens - Vocals, Guitar
*Dennis Elliott - Drums
*Bernie Holland - Electric Guitar
*Wally "Sospan" Jones - Banjo
*Dewan Motihar - Sitar
*Ian Samwell - Harp
*Keshav Sathe - Tabla
*Michael Snow - Organ, Piano
*George Sweetnam - Bass
*Chris Taylor - Flute
*Chris "Box" Taylor - Flute
*John Vanderyck - Violin 

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Saturday, January 2, 2021

Michael Chapman - The Man Who Hated Mornings (1977 uk, crispy clean sharp jazz inflected folk rock, 2015 remaster with bonus tracks)



On an evident high after the previous year’s Savage Amusement had brought him to Memphis, The Man Who Hated Mornings brings it back home with sessions in Cornwall and Hull. Chapman’s sour, bleak and funny observations, shot through with moments of pure musical transcendence, are heavy on the ground.

The title track’s clangour reminds us of the bandleader’s skill on guitar, and from there, his playing cuts an elegant, purposeful swathe through mordant blues, cabaret jazz and a screaming early cut of Dogs Got More Sense. A supremely sullen recast of Bob Dylan’s Ballad In Plain D is another highlight.

The excellently recorded band features guitar from Mick Ronson, BJ Cole and Andy Latimer, but Chapman’s ruggedly defined, inimitably detailed voice and individuality (which continues to endure and multiply) shines throughout.
by Gavin Martin, December 01, 2015

Michael Chapman's The Man Who Hated Mornings might be seen as comparable to Eric Clapton's Slowhand release of the same year, and the presence of guitarist Mick Ronson (reunited with Chapman after six years spent elsewhere) does ensure that the frets get a fair workout as the album goes on. The comparison, however, has more in common with the mood of the record than any virtuoso concerns -- it is Chapman at his most laid-back, and only occasionally stirring himself into first gear.

A cover of Dylan's "Ballad in Plain D" is a triumphant highlight, seguing into Chapmans own "Steel Bonnets" instrumental to emerge a shoo-in for any "best-of" Chapman anthology. Elsewhere, there's much to be said for the wryly salacious "Why Do You Bob Your Hair, Girls," and a title track that completely eschews Chapman's folk-rock reputation for a taste of nightclub jazz. "Dogs Got More Sense," meanwhile, is a joyous slice of pop melody that could be compared to Phillip Goodhand-Tait's "Jewel," but the song that most sums up this album is a delightfully disdainful take on Danny O'Keefe's "I'm Sober Now." That may or may not be true, but Chapman has a wonderful time keeping listeners guessing. 
by Dave Thompson
Tracks
1. Northern Lights - 7:23
2. I'm Sober Now (Danny O'Keefe) - 3:44
3. The Man Who Hated Mornings - 4:07
4. Ballad in Plain D (Bob Dylan) - 4:42
5. Steel Bonnets - 2:58
6. Dogs Got More Sense - 4:03
7. Falling Apart - 3:34
8. While Dancing the Pride of Erin - 2:55
9. Dreams Are Dangerous Things - 4:46
10.Why Do You Bob Your Hair Girls? (Blind Alfred Reed) - 2:50
11.Dogs Got More Sense - 3:43 
Lyrics and Music by Michael Chapman except where stated

Personnel
*Michael Chapman - Guitar, Vocals
*Rod Clements - Bass
*B.J. Cole - Guitar Steel Guitar
*Keef Hartley - Drums
*Andy Latimer - Electric Guitar
*Vivienne McAuliffe - Vocals 
*John McBurnie - Vocals 
*Mick Ronson - Guitar
*Johnny Van Derek - Violin
*Pete Wingfield - Organ, Piano, Synthesizer 

1968  Michael Chapman - Rainmaker
1970  Michael Chapman - Fully Qualified Survivor
1970-71  Michael Chapman - Window / Wrecked Again
1973  Michael Chapman - Millstone Grit (2006 remaster)
1974  Michael Chapman - Deal Gone Down (2015 bonus tracks edition)
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Thursday, December 31, 2020

Marsha Hunt ‎– Walk On Gilded Splinters (1969-71 us, gorgeous soul funk blues psychedelia)



Born 1946, Philadelphia, USA. Singer Hunt arrived in the UK during the mid-60s and emerged as a solo act following a spell in the chorus of the London production of Hair. A series of powerful live performances ensued, including the 1969 Isle Of Wight Festival, on which she was backed by Scottish group (White) Trash.  

Her subsequent career included a period hosting a chat show on Capital Radio, and Hunt later drew publicity during a successful paternity suit against Mick Jagger. The artist’s thespian ambitions were furthered as a member of both the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre and in 1985 she published her autobiography, Real Life. Hunt’s first novel, Joy, followed in 1990 and she has subsequently become established as a writer. 

The term ‘multi-talented’ can’t be thrown around lightly, but for Marsha Hunt, it’s worth mentioning the fact. Aside from being a singer, she’s acted in a few known cult and horror flicks plus theatre, modelled, written novels, been an activist and at one point dated Mick Jagger. I know the latter isn’t a talent, but unfortunately that factor crops up way too much in any articles about her so let’s get it out of the way.

Yeah, she’s the huge-haired lady in Dracula A.D. 1972 (see review of Dracula A.D. 1972 here) as well as having roles in Britannia Hospital (the last of the If… trilogy), The Sender, and The Howling II. Balanced well into the mix is her debut LP, Woman Child. So late ‘60s and early ‘70s in sound, it is perfect and quite diverse in musical styles for that period. It deserves a listen because many of the sassy hot rock tunes will be the ideal backing for a smoke-filled living room sway with you and your friends in low light.

There’s a mish mash of remakes and Marc Bolan material (according to her autobiography he actually contributed musically to the album as well), all given a funked-up tempo with Marsha’s sexual vocals probably exciting a lot of young listeners at the time (her performances were supposed to be very erotic, showing breasts as lifting her arms, that kind of thing).

Starting with an Indian vibe spliced remake of Dr. John’s, Walk on Guilded Splinters off his Gris-Gris album. Martha does it proud adding more eerie magic to proceedings. She yells out some lyrics sounding like Tina Turner and makes it her own. After a brief and quickie interlude kind of spoofing her time in the infamous stage production of Hair, Hot Rod Pappa is up-tempo head-nodding and written by Marc Bolan, as is the following mellow almost late Beatles sounding, Stacey Grove.

One of the stronger moments on the album comes as No Face, No Name, No Number, a remake of a Traffic classic, and gives Martha time to really hit some strong notes, showing she can throw out a ballad and give you goosebumps. We just go pure big sound on, My World is Empty Without You. This one could have been a lead soundtrack tune, so of its time and filled with random choices of screams and instruments.

The album has blues, funk, a bit of psychedelic, ballads, country, and overall is a satisfying album. Her acting comes into her voice, she changes her delivery along with the ever-changing styles of music presented here.
by Jay Creepy, September 24 2020
Tracks
1. Walk On Gilded Splinters (Dr. John) - 3:30
2. Facing A Dying Nation (Galt MacDermot, Gerome Ragni, James Rado) - 0:27
3. Hot Rod Pappa (Marc Bolan) - 3:18
4. Stacey Grove (Marc Bolan) - 2:19
5. No Face, No Name, No Number (Jim Capaldi, Steve Winwood) - 3:42
6. My World Is Empty Without You (Brian Holland, Edward Holland Jr, Lamont Dozier) - 3:01 
7. Moan You Moaners (Spencer Williams) - 3:00
8. Keep The Customer Satisfied (Paul Simon) - 3:01
9. Long Black Veil (Danny Dill, Marijohn Wilkin) - 2:37
10.You Ain't Going Nowhere (Bob Dylan) - 3:06 
11.Woman Child (Bobby Goldsboro) - 3:56
12.Desdemona (Marc Bolan) - 3:13 
13.Wild Thing (Chip Taylor) - 4:47 
14.Hippy Gumbo (Marc Bolan) - 2:57

Musicians
*Marsha Hunt - Vocals
*Ian McLagan - Keyboards
*Kenny Jones - Drums
*Marc Bolan - Guitar, Vocals
*Pete Townshend - Guitar
*Ron Wood - Bass

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