Sunday, June 27, 2021

Pure Prairie League - Two Lane Highway / If The Shoe Fits (1975-76 us, fantastic country southern rock, 2017 SACD hybrid)


By 1975 Craig Fuller, who had written all but two songs for the "Bustin" Out album, had moved on to join American Flyer, so George Powell pulled in Hinds and Call from the first two albums, added Michael Connor (keyboards), Larry Goshorn (lead guitar) and Mike Reilly (bass) for 1975’s “Two Lane Highway”. Larry Goshorn (ex-Sacred Mushroom) has replaced Fuller as the main songwriter in the band. Nice moments including the title track, "Runner," and a humorous tribute to country music legend Merle Haggard. They recorded in Hollywood and Nashville and utilized such guests as Chet Atkins, Johnny Gimble, Don Felder and Emmylou Harris. Alongside group originals they featured Gene Clark’s Kansas City Southern, Tom McGrail’s  Pickin’ To Beat The Devil and the humorous I’ll Change Your Flat Tire, Merle. 

“If The Shoe Fits” features the same PPL line-up, though this time the band members co-wrote much of the material with each other, giving the whole album a more cohesive vibe.  However, that’s not apparent from the opening revival of the Crickets’ That’ll Be The Day, which sounds at odds with the rest of the album—despite it being a rather good rendition. That is the only outside song, though Sun Shone Brightly was penned by Tim Goshorn, younger brother of Larry, who was to join the band a year after the album was recorded.
Tracks
1. Two Lane Highway (Larry Goshorn) - 4:06
2. Kentucky Moonshine (Larry Goshorn) - 2:33
3. Runner (George Ed Powell) - 2:44
4. Memories (Larry Goshorn, Richard Qualmer) - 2:57
5. Kansas City Southern (Gene Clark) - 2:57
6. Harvest (Larry Goshorn) - 3:41
7. Sister's Keeper (George Ed Powell) - 3:48
8. Just Can't Believe It (Mike Reilly) - 2:23
9. Give Us A Rise (George Ed Powell, William Frank Hinds) - 2:32
10.I'll Change Your Flat Tire, Merle (Nick Gravenites) - 2:10
11.Pickin' To Beat The Devil (Thomas J. McGrail) - 2:57
12.That'll Be The Day (Buddy Holly, Jerry Allison, Norman Petty) - 2:10
13.I Can Only Think Of You (Larry Goshorn, Mike Reilly) - 2:36
14.Sun Shone Lightly (Tim Goshorn) - 4:01
15.Long Cold Winter (George Ed Powell, Larry Goshorn, Mike Reilly) - 3:18
16.Lucille Crawfield (George Ed Powell) - 4:04
17.Gimme Another Chance (Larry Goshorn) - 3:40
18.Aren't You Mine (George Ed Powell, William Frank Hinds) - 3:45
19.You Are So Near To Me (George Ed Powell) - 4:33
20.Out On The Street (Larry Goshorn) - 3:10
21.Goin' Home (Larry Goshorn) - 3:28

Pure Prairie League
*George Powell - Guitar, Vocals, Vocals
*Larry Goshorn - Guitar, Vocals
*Michael Reilly - Bass, Vocals
*Billy Hinds - Drums
*John David Call - Banjo, Dobro, Steel Guitar, Vocals
*Michael Connor - Keyboards
With
*Vincent DeRosa - French Horn
*Don Felder - Mandolin
*Johnny Gimble - Fiddle, Violin
*Emmylou Harris - Vocals
*Jimmie Haskell - Orchestration
*John Rotella - Clarinet, Keyboards 
*Chet Atkins - Guitar

Related Act


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Saturday, June 26, 2021

Montage - Montage (1969 us, impressive baroque psych, 2001 bonus tracks remaster)


After leaving the Left Banke, Michael Brown -- who had been the group's chief artistic force as principal songwriter, arranger, and keyboardist -- worked with Montage to continue in the splendid Baroque pop/rock vein of his early recordings with the Left Banke. 

Montage sounds far more like the real follow-up to the Left Banke's first LP, Walk Away Renee/Pretty Ballerina, than the actual one, The Left Banke, Too. This is because after the first LP the band's three singers had sadly parted ways with keyboardist and prime songwriter Michael Brown, who instead became Montage's mentor/mastermind. (It's a long story: Brown's dad was managing the band to the distrust of the other members and Brown, like Brian Wilson, similarly disdained touring in favor of staying home to write and record.) 

And though Brown was not technically a Montage member, he not only wrote all the music and produced this LP, but he also played all the trademark piano and organ and charted the vocal arrangements. Yet the four New Jersey no-names he found clearly translated his vision of extraordinarily lush, unspeakably beautiful orchestral chart pop. Like Walk Away Renee/Pretty Ballerina, and much like the Zombies' Odessey & Oracle, Montage seizes you from the moment the opening cascade of voices showers you on the fantastic "I Shall Call Her Mary." Then next comes the LP's biggest achievement, the strings-piercing, downbeat bomb "She's Alone" -- truly as remarkable as any similar Beatles moment (think "Eleanor Rigby"), so full of its cello mourn and a melody from the gods. 
by Jack Rabid
Tracks
1. I Shall Call Her Mary (Michael Brown, Tom Feher) - 2:25
2. She's Alone (Bert Sommer, Michael Brown) - 3:03
3. Grand Pianist (Bert Sommer, Michael Brown) - 2:30
4. Men Are Building Sand (Bert Sommer, Michael Brown) - 2:14
5. Desiree (Michael Brown, Tom Feher) - 2:48
6. The Song Is Love (Bert Sommer, Michael Brown) - 1:46
7. Tinsel And Ivy (Michael Brown, Tom Feher) - 2:31
8. An Audience With Miss Priscilla Gray (Michael Brown, Tom Feher) - 2:02
9. My Love (Tom Feher) - 3:00
10.Wake Up Jimmy (Something Is Happening Outside) (Bert Sommer, Michael Brown) - 3:12
11.The Mirror (Bert Sommer) - 2:43
12.Thor And Or (Michael Brown) - 3:05
13.The Song Is Love (Bert Sommer, Michael Brown) - 1:45
14.Desiree (Michael Brown, Tom Feher) - 2:41
Bonus Tracks 11-14

Montage
*Vance Chapman - Drums, Lead Vocals
*Lance Cornelius - Bass, Vocals 
*Mike Smyth - Lead Guitar, Vocals 
*Bob Steurer - Lead Vocals
With
*Michael Brown - Keyboards, Producer, Vocal Arrangement

Related Acts
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Friday, June 25, 2021

Hopney - Cosmic Rockout (1977 us, amazing acid bluesy psych guitar rock, 2001 remaster)


Hopney's (Patrick Hearns) "Cosmic Rockout" is a rare 1977 US guitar psych album from Florida that was produced by Mike Pinera of Blues Image and Iron Butterly fame. Featuring some cool fuzz guitar work with melodic vocals this is reminiscent of Jeff Liberman with plenty of free flowing Hendrixy guitar work and a cool '70's funky vibe. 
Tracks
1. Long Ago Far Away (Patrick Hearns, B.H.) - 3:33
2. Another Goudy Night (Patrick Hearns) - 2:56
3. Down For The Count (Patrick Hearns, Phineas, F. Fattier) - 2:51
4. I Must Get Thru (Patrick Hearns, Mike Pinera) - 3:43
5. Don't Say No (Patrick Hearns) - 5:21
6. Hey Girl (T.M.) - 3:07
7. Love Trop (Patrick Hearns, Phineas) - 2:48
8. No Particular Home (Patrick Hearns) - 5:37
9. Is There A Doctor In The House (Patrick Hearns, Phineas, Junkie Judie, M. Pritcher) - 4:13
10.I Can't Stop Now (Patrick Hearns) - 3:20

Personnel
*Patrick Hearns "Hopney" - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Mike Pinera "Kingpin" - Lead Guitar, Vocals, Producer
*Catman Keys - Keyboards
*Richard Paulie Ross - Bass
*Steven Myers - Bass, Vocals
*Peter Brown - Drums
*Ronald "Rocky" Brooks - Drums

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Thursday, June 24, 2021

Harvey Mandel - Shangrenade (1973 us, exceptional funky jazz rock)


This classic 1973 vintage album is a must. It contains some of the first recorded examples of the 'two handed tapping' technique.

Employing a distinctive two-handed finger-tapping method that many guitarists including Eddie Van Halen later mimicked, Shangrenade implements this on over 85% of the album. Teaming up once again with Don “Sugarcane” Harris of Don & Dewey fame, Mandel put out a record that was years before it’s time in the realm of psychedelic guitar. Incorporating sustain effects to replace strumming, he overdubs himself several times intertwining snake-like guitar licks and interjecting whammy-bar whines. Recommended to every aspiring axeman.

Born in Detroit, Michigan in 1945 and raised in Chicago, Harvey had a brief stint playing bongos before switching to guitar. He used little Fender amps at first, using different tricks, and eventually used an all-tube, low quality Bogan PA amplifier. It had the greatest natural sustain, according to Mandel. Mandel became the original guitarist with Charlie Musselwhite, releasing the debut album Stand Back! in 1966.

A pioneer of modern electric blues from Chicago, Harvey Mandel developed and mastered sustained and controlled feedback, displaying both extroversion and musical virtuosity. He has performed with many blues legends including Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Otis Rush, Albert King, and Buddy Guy. 
Tracks
1. What the Funk (Victor Conte) - 3:06
2. Fish Walk (Victor Conte) - 4:46
3. Sugarloaf (Harvey Mandel) - 4:16
4. Midnight Sun II (Harvey Mandel) - 3:42
5. Million Dollar Feeling (Coleman Head) - 3:32
6. Green Apple Quick Step (Harvey Mandel) - 3:09
7. Frenzy (Victor Conte, Coleman Head, Paul Lagos, Harvey Mandel) - 4:32
8. Shangrenade (Harvey Mandel) - 4:14

Musicians
*Harvey Mandel - Guitar
*Mark Skyer - Vocals, Guitar
*Coleman Head - Rhythm Guitar
*Danny Keller - Drums
*Paul Lagos - Drums
*Ray Lester - Bass
*Richard Martin - Vocals
*Victor Conte - Electric Upright Bass
*Bobby Lyle - Clavinet, Piano
*Bobby Notkoff - Strings
*Don "Sugarcane" Harris - Electric Violin 
*Fred Roulette - Steel Guitar

1968  Harvey Mandel - Cristo Redentor (2003 remaster and expanded)
1969-70  Harvey Mandel - Righteous / Games Guitars Play (2005 remaster)

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Tuesday, June 22, 2021

John Dummer - John Dummer's Famous Music Band / Blue (1970/72 uk, outstanding blues rock, 2011 two disc set remaster)


Anthony John Dummer was born in 19th November 1944 in Surbiton, and started his musical career round mid sixties with the short lived Junior Ervine and The midnight Hours, after which he answered a Malody Maker ad for a blues singer, before evolving with the Muskrats and the Grebbells, and lasted until the early 70s, surviving numerous personnel changes. The line-up included prominent British blues artists such as pianist Bob Hall, guitarist Dave Kelly and his sister Jo Ann Kelly, Mike Cooper, and Tony McPhee. The band backed touring American artists John Lee Hooker and Howlin’ Wolf, and recorded albums for Mercury and Vertigo between 1969 and 1973. 

In late 1970 guitarist Dave Kelly left the band and was replaced by Nick Pickett who took over the songwriting, and change their name to John Dummer's Famous Music Band dropping the "Blues" signifier from their name, the band decided on further modification. The band moved slightly away from their original blues roots, but didn’t really find the commercial success they deserved. These albums, released in 1971 and 1972 on the Fontana and Vertigo labels.
Tracks
Disc 1 John Dummer's Famous Music Band 1970
1. Lady Luck - 3:33
2. Changes - 3:08
3. Love Ain't Nothing But Sorrow (John Dummer) - 2:12
4. Run Around - 2:33
5. Yes Sir, She's My Baby Now - 4:03
6. Boogie Woogie Lullaby - 1:57
7. Coming Home - 3:58
8. Searching For You - 2:42
9. Nine By Nine - 3:19
10.Move Me, Don't Leave Me - 2:00
11.Going In the Out (John Dummer) - 2:03
12.No Change Now - 5:20
13.Fine Looking Woman - 2:55
14.Green Leaves - 1:04
All songs by Nick Pickett except where noted
Disc 2 Blue 1972
1. If I Can't Keep From Laughing - 6:48
2. Medicine Weasel - 4:48
3. Rambling Boy - 3:13
4. Me and Your Boogie - 4:00
5. Time Will Tell - 3:25
6. The End Game - 3:55
7. Me and the Lady - 9:28
All songs by Nick Pickett

Famous Music Band
*John Dummer - Drums, Vocals
*Nick Pickett - Guitar, Harmonica, Organ, Percussion, Piano, Vibraphone, Violin, Vocals
*Adrian Pietryga - Guitar, Vocals 
*Thumper Thomson - Bass
With
*John Fairweather - Harmonium (Disc 1)
*Chris Trengove - Alto Saxophone (Disc 1)



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Monday, June 21, 2021

John Dummer's Oobleedooblee Band - Oobleedooblee Jubilee (1973 uk, solid blues classic rock, 2005 remaster)


John Dummer's Oobleedooblee Band is actually the continuation of John Dummer's Blues Band, this gem was released in 1973 at a time when the music contained therein had fallen out of fashion.  The result was that sales were extremely low and few copies now exist!!!!  A truly beautiful piece of popular music history, with some killer heavy bottleneck guitar from Dave Kelly!!
Tracks
1. Passing Through (Dave Kelly) - 2:45
2. Hello L.A. Bye Bye Birmingham (Bonnie Bramlett, Ray Davies) - 3:50
3. Oobleedooblee Jubilee (Traditional) - 2:40
4. I've Been Scorned (Roebuck Staples) - 9:00
5. Lovin' Man (Jo-Ann Kelly) - 3:40
6. The Monkey Speaks His Mind (Dave Kelly) - 3:43
7. Fairy Tale (Ian Thomson) - 4:45
8. Sometimes (Adrian Pietryga) - 4:00
9. Too Much Monkey Business (Chuck Bery) - 2:45

The Oobleedooblee Band
*Dave Kelly - Guitar, Vocals
*Adrian "Putty" Pietryga - Guitar, Electric Piano
*Ian "Thumper" Thomson - Bass, Vocals
*John Dummer - Drums, Percussion, Vocals
*Kingsley Ward - Piano
*Roger Brown - Vocals
*Jo Ann Kelly - Vocals

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Sunday, June 20, 2021

Flied Egg - Dr. Siegel's Fried Egg Shooting Machine (1972 japan, glorious prog rock epic inventive and enjoyable, 2003 japan remaster)


Dr. Siegel's Fried Egg Shooting Machine was originally released back in 1972, and the members of the band included Shigeru Narumo (guitar, acoustic guitar, hammond organ, piano, Moog synthesizer, harpsicord, distorted organ, chelesta, vocal, equalized vocal, harmony, toy instruments, sound effects), Hiro Tsunoda (drums, percussion, lead vocal, high boosted vocal, harmony, toy instruments, jokes, noise), and Masayoshi Takanaka (bass, bowing guitar, acoustic guitar, vocal, harmony, toy instruments), who previously were called Strawberry Path.

The music on Dr. Siegel's Fried Egg Shooting Machine is mainly early 70's styled hard rock with bits of prog, and the obvious comparisons are Uriah Heep, Deep Purple, Iron Butterfly, and Birth Control, especially due to Narumo's heavy use of the Hammond organ and electric guitar. Heavy tracks are mixed with more passionate, pop/prog pieces, so there's plenty of variety to be had. Acid guitar freakouts like "Burning Fever" mesh with gorgeous pop numbers such as "I Love You", but then you have the Heep influenced heavy rock & prog gems like "Rolling Down the Broadway", "Plastic Fantasy", and "Guide Me to the Quietness" to really tug at your musical tastebuds. The heavy riffs and raging Hammond on "I'm Gonna See My Baby Tonight" are quite effective, and the dueling solos will bring to mind the glory days of Blackmore & Lord. For lovers of ELP, check out Narumbo's nimble piano, Moog, & Hammond lines on the wild "Oke-Kas", a tune that would certainly make Keith Emerson proud.

The vocals here are in English, and they are actually not bad, but the real highlights are the splendid musical performances that these three players delivered, and some really kick ass songs that will scratch that early 70's hard rock & prog itch for those that just can't get enough of recordings from that era. Awesome stuff! 
by Pete Pardo, November 29th 2011
Tracks
1. Dr. Siegel's Fried Egg Shooting Machine (Christopher Lynn, Shigeru Narumo) - 6:05
2. Rolling Down The Broadway (Christopher Lynn, Shigeru Narumo) - 4:34
3. I Love You (Christopher Lynn, Hiro Tsunoda) - 3:32
4. Burning Fever (Shigeru Narumo) - 3:14
5. Plastic Fantasy (Christopher Lynn, Masayoshi Takanaka) - 6:07
6. 15 Seconds Of Schizophrenic Sabbath (Shigeru Narumo) - 0:17
7. I'm Gonna See My Baby Tonight (Christopher Lynn, Masayoshi Takanaka) - 5:33
8. Oke-Kus (Shigeru Narumo) - 4:37
9. Someday (Christopher Lynn, Hiro Tsunoda) - 4:00
10.Guide Me To The Quietness (Christopher Lynn, Shigeru Narumo) - 6:07

Flied Egg
*Shigeru Narumo - Electric, Acoustic Guitar, Hammond Organ, Piano, Moog, Harpsichord, Celesta, Vocals, Toy, Effects
*Masayoshi Takanaka - Bass, Bowed, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals, Toy
*Hiro Tsunoda - Drums, Percussion, Lead Vocals, Toy, Sounds

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Saturday, June 19, 2021

Gandalf The Grey - The Grey Wizard Am I (1972 us, rough acid folk psych, 2003 edition)


One could make the argument that J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings fantasy trilogy (published 1954-1955) had as significant a formative influence on the emergent hippie generation as did Robert Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land (1961) or Joseph Heller's Catch-22 (1961). Certainly you can hear it in the twee archaisms of British folk from the era and in the more whimsical, otherworldly strains of British psychedelia (the Incredible String Band comes immediately to mind), and, in time, it would saturate '70s prog rock. It is right there, too, as a catalyst in American folk-rock (perhaps Simon & Garfunkel's "Scarborough Fair/Canticle," probably the Byrds' "Renaissance Fair") and Baroque pop (Sagittarius' Present Tense, Love's "Forever Changes"), and ultimately in its acid folk (Perry Leopold's dark masterpiece Christian Lucifer). 

But Chris Wilson took the inspiration to its logical extreme on The Grey Wizard Am I. His nom de guerre, appropriated from the novels, is the ultimate homage, while many of the lyrics on the album were directly inspired by Tolkien's imaginary landscapes as well, and even by some of his characters. The remainder convert the ins and outs of Wilson's bohemian life in Greenwich Village into a sort of fantasy world of its own. And it is all quite delightfully, if earnestly, done -- or, to be less precious about it, The Grey Wizard Am I is often a transfixing, bewitching little relic, particularly on such songs as "My Elven Home," "Go and See," and "Sunshine Down the Line." 

It's not likely to have a wide appeal -- anything this eccentric, unworldly, and chimeric, no matter how well done, probably has a limited audience -- and there is not a great deal of melodic variation from song to song to push it into the upper echelon of similar recordings. Nevertheless, The Grey Wizard Am I is a lovely little pastry for fans of obscure '60s and '70s folkadelica, ideal music for playing dress-up to, or for daydreaming.
by Stanton Swihart
Tracks
1. The Grey Wizard Am I - 2:37
2. My Elven Home - 2:28
3. From The Grey Havens - 2:55
4. Here On Eighth Street - 7:42
5. Go And See - 2:31
6. The Christmas Song - 2:50
7. Old Town Church - 3:13
8. The Home Coming (The Sun Is Down) - 2:20
9. I Don't Know Why The People - 3:04
10.Mr. Joe's - 3:13
11.Sunshine Down The Line - 4:07
12.The Future Belongs To The Children - 3:06
13.A Young Girl Just Died - 2:25
14.Before Tomorrow - 2:49
15.The Shadow Of Tomorrow - 2:25
16.An Elven Song Of Love - 2:31
Words and Music by Chris Wilson

*Chris Wilson - Vocals, Guitar

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Friday, June 18, 2021

Starbuck - Moonlight Feels Right / Rock 'N' Roll Rocket (1976-77 us, groovy melodic quirky pop, 2009 remaster with bonus tracks)


Starbuck is one of the rare '70s pop oddities that lives up to its one-hit wonder, delivering music every bit as beguiling and strange as that hit. For Starbuck, that one hit was 1976's glistening synth-and-marimba sensation "Moonlight Feels Right," a slick slice of soft rock that captures the mid-'70s in all its feathered, polyester glory, but the remarkable thing is that their full-length debut -- naturally also titled Moonlight Feels Right -- follows through on its smooth promise, offering another nine gauchely bewitching soft pop tunes. 

A certain amount of cheese comes with this territory, and Starbuck has some of the silliest in memory: a swinging ode to "Lash LaRue," a stiff bit of white-boy funk on "Working My Heart to the Bone" (just like you're "picking on a chicken"), the chant-along chorus of "I'm Crazy." But even at their silliest, they're still tuneful, fusing attractive elements of Steely Dan and 10cc while leaving behind guitars, and when the goofiness is toned down, the group offers some pure pop pleasure, particularly in the opening "I Got to Know," "Lucky Man," and "Moonlight Feels Right," which remains strangely timeless even as it is inextricably tied to its time. And that's appropriate -- Starbuck is a thoroughly modern band circa 1976, which also means that their appeal lies in both their melody and cheese, and Moonlight Feels Right excels in both. 

Rock 'N' Roll Rocket, Starbuck's sequel to their 1976 hit Moonlight Feels Right, is firmly within the tradition of their debut: it's smooth, tuneful soft rock, built on synths with guitars swapped out for marimbas. It's the same style, but the emphasis has shifted slightly, with the group pushing discofied rhythms over louche melodies, which makes the album a little less memorable, even if it retains a considerable amount of period charm with its laser-blaster synthesizers and percolating rhythms, and it's hard not to find a bit of camp charm in the subdued swagger of "Don't You Know How to Love a Lady," the disco fantasia of "Everybody Be Dancin'," and the perhaps tongue-in-cheek SoCal breeze of "Benny Bought the Big One." Cherry Red's two-fer of Moonlight Feels Right/Rock 'N' Roll Rocket contains two bonus tracks: "One of These Mornings" and "Gimme a Break." 
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracklist
1. I Got To Know - 3:11
2. Drop A Little Rock - 2:52
3. Lash LaRue - 2:49
4. The Slower You Go (The Longer It Lasts) - 2:48
5. Moonlight Feels Right - 3:38
6. I'm Crazy - 3:15
7. So The Night Goes - 3:06
8. Working My Heart To The Bone - 2:27
9. Lucky Man - 3:33
10.Bordello Bordeaux (Jimmy Cobb) - 4:32
12.Call Me (Bruce Blackman, David Shaver) - 3:15
13.City Of The Future (Jimmy Cobb) - 3:28
14.Fat Boy - 3:14
15.Little Bird - 5:19
16.Sunset Eyes - 4:08
17.A Fool In Line - 3:33
18.Don't You Know How To Love A Lady - 2:41
19.Benny Bought The Big One - 3:25
20.Rock 'n' Roll Rocket / Little Bird (Reprise) - 5:12
21.One Of These Mornings - 3:26
22.Gimme A Break - 3:47
All compositions by Bruce Blackman except where indicated
Tracks 1-10 from "Moonlight Feels Right" 1976
Tracks 11-20 from "Rock 'n' Roll Rocket" 1977
Bonus Tracks 21-22

Starbuck
*Bruce Blackman - Keyboards, Vocals 
*Jimmy Cobb - Bass, Vocals 
*Sloan Hayes - Flute, Keyboards, Vocals
*Bo Wagner - Marimba, Percussion, Vibraphone  
*David Snavely - Drums (Tracks 1-10) 
*Tommy Strain - Guitar (Tracks 1-10) 
*Ron Norris - Guitar, Vocals (Tracks 1-10)
*David Shaver - Keyboards, Vocals (Tracks 11-20)
*Ken Crysler - Drums (Tracks 11-20) 
*Darryl Kutz - Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals (Tracks 11-20)
With
*Ted Stovall - String Arrangements (Tracks 1-10)
*Rod Kinder - String Arrangements  (Tracks 11-20)

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Wednesday, June 16, 2021

The Cate Brothers - The Cate Brothers (1975 us, smart funky silky rock, 2009 edition)


The Cate Brothers' formal 1975 debut album opens with "Time for Us," an ebullient soul workout that is also (along with "Standin' on a Mountaintop" and "Always Waiting" -  among the more stripped-down pieces on the record: it shows off Ernie Cate's lead singing and Earl Cate's harmonies (supported with some exquisitely restrained help from Julia Tillman, Brooks Hunnicut, and Maxine Willard - , as well as the latter's clean, crisp lead playing in so genial and upbeat an introduction that it seems like the rest of the album might be hard-put to match it. But amazingly, the rest of the record does equal that opening and then some, alternately bursting out with some amazingly funky white soul and haunting balladry in equal measures. 

The duo's songbag was full to overflowing here, and with Steve Cropper producing and a coterie of players that included old friend Levon Helm and Beatles alumnus Klaus Voorman, the album pretty well soars from beginning to end. There's not a weak point on the record, but the highlights are three songs that the Cates previously cut for Huey P. Meaux: "Can't Change My Heart" (which charted briefly as a single in 1976 - , "Always Waiting," and "When Love Comes," the latter benefitting from a gorgeous Earl Cate guitar solo on the break.

The rest of the record isn't far behind, and the harmonies on "Easy Way Out" are almost worth the price of admission; and the augmentation by Terry Cagle plus Hunnicut, Willard, and Tillman puts the latter track and "Lady Luck" over the top in the vocal department. [The CD reissue is a special treat -- sad to say, the master tapes on the Cates' library were never exactly overused, but the plus side is that they translate nicely to digital on Wounded Bird's 2009 reissue. But however one hears it, this record is still great listening 30-plus years later.] 
by Bruce Eder
Tracks
1. Time For Us -  3:50
2. Union Man (Earl Cate, Ernie Cate, Steve Cropper) -  4:47
3. Standin’ On A Mountain Top -  4:15
4. Always Waiting -  3:12
5. When Love Comes -  3:54
6. I Just Wanna Sing -  4:46
7. Can’t Change My Heart -  2:48
8. Easy Way Out -  3:53
9. Lady Luck -  3:52
10.Livin' On Dreams - 3:43
All songs by Earl Cate, Ernie Cate except where stated

Musicians
*Earl Cate - Guitar, Vocal Harmony
*Ernie Cate - Clavinet, Elka, Organ, Piano , Vocals
*Steve Cropper - Guitar, Vocal
*Michael Baird - Drums
*Terry Cagle - Drums, Vocal
*Gary Coleman - Percussion
*Scott Edwards - Bass
*King Errisson - Percussion
*David Foster - Keyboards
*Bob Glaub - Bass
*Ed Greene - Drums
*Levon Helm - Drums, Vocal
*Brooks Hunnicutt - Vocal
*Carl Marsh - Synthesizer
*Nigel Olsson - Drums
*Julia Tillman Waters - Vocal
*Lee Sklar - Bass
*William Smith - Keyboards
*Klaus Voormann - Bass
*Maxine Willard-Waters - Vocal


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