Plain and Fancy

Friday, June 3, 2022

Starcastle - Starcastle (1976 us, a symphonic prog rock treasure, 2010 remaster)

"Lady of the Lake" comes in with the trifecta of mystic keyboards, jazz-bass, and stunning guitar soloing. In 1976 this 10 minute epic initiated a 30 year love-affair. Starcastle's mixture of symphonic rock and powerful rhythm section invited the listener to spin the album time and again. And I whole heartedly admit that I did. Upon each listen the melody, harmony and groove would find different avenues through my cortex to weave its magic spell.

It seems hard to believe that something that was created by such a young group of musicians has had the lasting power that this debut album retains. Listening today brings back all the awe that it did when I was a teenager. Bassist Gary Strater has the rapid bass grooves that defined much of 70s rock-n-roll. His ability to give a song a unique aura allowed the other talented musicians to fill in the rest of the picture. Steve Hagler and Matthew Stewart were the tandem guitarists that soloed when necessary but usually played the counter-melody fills. The keyboards and awesome vocals of the entire band provide catchy melody that float along the surface of your mind. Terry Luttrell was the lead vocalist, but harmony is just as key as lead here. The vocal tracks may be what get you listening, but it is the guitar/keyboard inter-play that starts to pierce your soul. And just when everything is moving, Strater and drummer Steve Tassler lay down the groove that hooks you for life.

Drummer Stephen Tassler agreed to inject some insight into the making of the classic Starcastle album.

...Starcastle was originally called St. James, and were a college band at the University of Illinois. They played a variety of clubs and other parties around town when their schedules permitted, considering they were all students. Of the people that eventually impacted Starcaste, Steve Hagler, Herb Schildt and my brother Paul were members. Paul plays bass. There were other members that didn't continue to the early SC days. My involvement began the day I graduated from high school in June of 1972. The previous drummer, Mike Castleberry, graduated from college that spring, and the other guys had one more year to complete, graduating in 1973. I came down to Champaign to play because Mike quit to go get "the real job"....

...Matt Stewart was a prodigy, playing around Champaign/Urbana in clubs from a very early (illegal) age. He and Terry Luttrell (of course his history is well known) were playing in a Champaign-based band, doing covers, called Sea Daddy. We had our sights on them both. Matt and Gary knew each other (Champaign music scene was pretty tight-knit) and Matt would come out to see us, have a good time. We started talking, and somehow things came together. Terry wouldn't play without Matt (and deservedly) and they both came to rehearsal and somehow joined the band. This was the lineup that existed for the duration of the band until it's demise in 1980. We played on (on and on and on...) with the intent of getting a record deal. Terry's experience was invaluable to us, and led us to believe we could do it. I'd say we played as this group for most of 1974 and 1975...

...A major concert promoter from St. Louis, Contemporary Productions, consisting of Irv Zuckerman and Steve Schankman, were interested in becoming managers. They heard the first Golden Voice tapes, loved the stuff, and decided to take us on as a project... They had us re-record Lady of the Lake and Forces in a St. Louis studio run by a guy named Steve Littman, who began working with Contemporary Productions as well, and is mentioned in the first record credits. They shopped the tapes, and a couple of labels were interested. Of course we were signed to Epic after Aerosmith's manager came out to see us at a club near St. Louis. I guess they thought we were OK, and gave CBS the green light. The music business was at the time, and for the most part still is, who you know and who you owe! The rest is history (well, almost).

We learned about the signed record deal by a phone call during a party on the night of my 21st birthday, April 2, 1975, at the band house! I will never forget the feeling. As you can imagine, we were ecstatic. (Cake, and eating it too!) We had a lot to learn, however.

Starcastle, although only 40 minutes long, contains one powerhouse after another. "Elliptical Seasons" has a killer bass grove running through it with amazing harmonies. "Forces" is a classic of 70s prog-rock. Luttrell has the vocal quality to carry this song while the rest of the band interject changes, fills, and counter-melody. "Stargate" is a nice instrumental that acts as an intro to my favorite Starcastle tune, "Sunfield". "Sunfield" just soars. Herb Schildt takes his keyboards all around this tune and once again the rhythm section acts as the driving force.

...The songwriting was done as a group. Someone would bring an idea, and we'd all brainstorm on it, play it, change it, refine it. Someone else might suggest a transition or change, and we'd add that if it worked. For me, the songwriting is the greatest part of being in a band. It's the part that is the most personal, and the most self indulgent, but doing it as a group placed checks and balances on that. If someone was critical of a part or suggestion, it pretty much meant that the part would not work or be included. There were no dictators, and there were different leaders on any given day. Lyrically, Steve Hagler was responsible for the Lion's share. We rehearsed the vocals extensively...

The time and effort, the sharing of ideas, and the complete interaction of the band members is what one remembers from Starcastle. "To The Fire Wind" and "Nova" could only be made by a band that was completely in sync. "Nova" has the fastest tempo on the album and closes out leaving the listener dieing for more.

...Personal favorites are just that....People have different memories and favorites, maybe having to do with their part in the song, either playing or writing. My feelings of the songs have to do with how they changed, how they came off live, and how I felt when I played them. Herb may feel completely different due to the problems he might have, such as how much time he had to change a Mini Moog sound or whether they stayed in tune. Terry may feel differently depending on whether he could hear the monitor of if the drums were too loud, etc. I've always enjoyed Lady of the Lake. We played it at Gary's benefit after rehearsing it a few times the day before (after 25 years!). Everyone had to relearn their parts, and did it individually before we got together. I was able to glue them all together, fortunately. I think we've all been playing it in our sleep after all these years.

Elliptical Seasons was a nice follow up to Lady of the Lake, especially with it's quieter opening. I recall playing it with Matt outside the control room with his Strat, sans amplifier, and with my crotales. Vicari came through and wanted to record that sound, because it breathed so well, but we didn't end up doing it. This song fell out of the repertoire after Fountains of Light. Forces changed quite a bit over the years, until it found it's lowest common denominator. The beginning part was pushed aside, and the song became more powerful. We also played this at Gary's benefit, along with Change in Time, after opening with Shine on Brightly from Citadel. We opened our show with Stargate, and the recording of it was used before a good number if 9:00 news shows, I'm told. Playing it live was always very dynamic, although it would have been fun to get all the percussion stuff working live. These days I could use samples and drum pads, but back then I couldn't afford all the gear that Carl Palmer had behind him. My favorite song from the record is Sunfield. I think it is one of the best things we did. Compositionally it's the most interesting to me, I loved to play it. It could really get going live, too. It would go from being very quiet to a tornado of sound. It's my all time favorite SC song, and I'd love to play it again.

To the Firewind was a song with Herb's organ really churning, another powerful song live. I remember trying different tempos during the recording of that song, with an up tempo version winning out in the end. All of the parts that were eliminated from the Chronos 1 version had been done by the band, all for the betterment of the song, we felt. Nova was always a crowd pleaser, with its quicker tempo and dynamics. It led well into Breath and Thunder live, which always got us an encore, unless the headliner pulled the plug. We never put that song on a record, but we should have. Boston made us quit playing it live when we toured with them, or they'd kick us off the tour. Business decision...

When an album is still being talked about years after it was written, there are bound to be as much bad press as good. But let me state one fact, this is an album that thrilled and amazed many a listener in the 70s. Its longevity and influence make it a classic. If you have never heard this band, or haven't spun it since the days of vinyl, I urge you to do yourself a huge favor and take a listen. And then listen again and again. You will be amazed by what goes on in your head while listening to this masterpiece. Starcastle was one of the primary reasons I got into music in the 70s. And it still holds my emotions today. We can relieve an amazing time in our lives with Starcastle, Fountains Of Light, and Citadel. And in the near future, we may get another treat:

...The new record is sounding very good, and is in the mastering stages. I can't be more specific at this time, but it won't be much longer. Too bad Gary will not see it happen. Fortunately, he heard everything recorded that will be on the record before he died...

by Steve Ambrosius

Tracks

1. Lady Of The Lake - 10:28

2. Elliptical Seasons - 4:29

3. Forces - 6:26

4. Stargate - 2:54

5. Sunfield - 7:36

6. To The Fire Wind - 5:15

7. Nova - 2:35

All compositions by Matthew Stewart, Steve Hagler, Gary Strater, Herb Schildt, Steve Tassler, Terry Luttrell

Starcastle

*Matthew Stewart - Guitar, Vocals

*Steve Hagler - Guitar, Vocals

*Gary Strater - Bass, Moog Synthesizer, Vocals

*Herb Schildt - Keyboards

*Steve Tassler - Drums, Percussion, Vocals

*Terry Luttrell - Vocals

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Wednesday, June 1, 2022

Eagle - Come Under Nancy's Tent (1970 us, fine melt of roots 'n' roll folk psych classic rock)

From the remnants of Beantown's psychedelic Beacon Street Union flew the equally short-lived Eagle. After issuing two virtually unheard long-players, the BSU were unceremoniously dropped by their record company in late 1968. By 1970, John Lincoln Wright (vocals), Robert Rosenblatt (keyboards/brass), Richard Weissberg (drums/percussion), and Wayne Ulaky (bass) had honed their sound in a much more earthy fashion, creating an accessible vibe, contrasting the over-produced sound of their former incarnation. However, they did maintain the strong melodic sensibility that had driven the better material from both Eyes of the Beacon Street Union (1968) and The Clown Died in Marvin Gardens (1968).

In keeping with the current trends, Come Under Nancy's Tent (1970), which was ultimately Eagle's sole release, blends both solid and otherwise aggressive electric rock with the lilting countrified sound of the singer/songwriter and early-'70s folk movement. "Pack Up" commences the effort with a driving, propulsive Bo Diddley beat and traveling rhythm. "Brown Hair" stands as one of the better sides on the disc, with its easier acoustic melody. This counters the noir brooding of "City Girl" and the exemplary and slightly trippy "Comin' Home Day." There are a couple of straight-laced rockers as well -- "Snake in the Grass" has a danceable groove that is uncannily similar to the Routers' early surf instrumental "Let's Go," and "Separated" is likewise an uptempo toe-tapper. In 2003, Come Under Nancy's Tent was issued on CD as part of the three-disc State of the Union box set, restoring the title after over 30 years of being out of print.

by Lindsay Planer

Tracks

1. Pack Up (John Wright) - 3:56

2. Come In, It's All for Free (Wayne Ulaky, John Wright) - 2:58

3. Brown Hair (Wayne Ulaky, John Wright) - 3:26

4. Dance on Little Beauty (John Wright) - 2:15

5. City Girl (Wayne Ulaky, John Wright) - 2:59

6. Kickin' It Back to You (Wayne Ulaky, John Wright) - 2:36

7. Separated (Wayne Ulaky, John Wright) - 3:30

8. We Got a Good Thing Goin'/Get a Hit and Run (Joshua James) - 3:36

9. Snake in the Grass (Wayne Ulaky, John Wright) - 3:12

10.Comin' Home Day (Wayne Ulaky, John Wright) - 3:09

The Eagle

*Jamie James - Guitar, Vocals

*Robert Rhodes - Horn, Keyboards

*Wayne Ulaky - Bass

*John Wright - Vocals

1967-68 Beacon Street Union - The Eyes Of The Beacon Street Union / The Clown Died In Marvin Gardens

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Tuesday, May 31, 2022

MacArthur - MacArthur (1979 us, a crisp potpourri of latter day psychedelia with a folk tincture heavy riffs and mellifluous spacey lines, 2016 edition)

MacArthur were formed when a young guitar player and songwriter named Ben MacArthur met a 17-yeard old prodigy musician called Bill Heffelfinger in Saginaw, Michigan, in 1978. Bill was not only a gifted guitar player but also a genius arranger and keyboard wizard. When Ben showed him some of the stuff he had written, Bill took the songs and transformed them into classic pieces of music. They soon recruited Jeff Bauer on drums and Scott Stockford on bass. The chemistry of MacArthur was born.

The first MacArthur album, known in collector’s circles as “The Black Forest” due to the vinyl bootleg of the same title released in the 80s, was recorded in 1979 using a four-track machine. Produced by Bill Heffelfinger, “MacArthur” is a progressive / psychedelic concept album highlighted by devastating, ripping fuzz guitar solos and Mini-Moog / synths attacks.

Due to the lack of funds, the album was originally issued by the band in a primitive hand-made sleeve with just a sticker on front and a paper sheet with the credits glued on back. For this, the first ever legit reissue, we’ve done a printed sleeve with embossed letters on front, as the band originally intended.

GuerSsen

Tracks

1. Light Up (Ben MacArthur, Bill Hefflefinger) - 3:25

2. Laughing Like A Lark - 4:57

3. Generations/First Contact - 6:38

4. Push On (Ben MacArthur, Bill Hefflefinger) - 4:39

5. Of Only Then - 5:53

6. The Black Forest (Bill Hefflefinger) - 5:10

.1. The Journey In

.2. Demonic Encounter

.3. Presence Of The Dark Force

.4. The Battle

.5. The Escape

.6. The Journey Out -

7. Prelude No.1 In C Major (Bill Hefflefinger) - 4:25

8. The Shock Of The New (Bill Hefflefinger) - 4:00

.1. The Molecular Meeting

.2. The Reaction/Atomical Fusion

.3. Confusion/The Interaction

.4. The Molecular Release

.5. Finale

All Lyrics by Ben MacArthur, Music by Ben MacArthur except where indicated

Musicians

*Ben MaCarthur - Vocals, Piano, Guitars

*Bill Hefflefinger - Guitars, Keyboards, Programming

*Donald Stockford - Bass

*Jeff Bauer - Drums

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Monday, May 30, 2022

J.K. And Company - Suddenly One Summer (1968 us / canada, outstanding psych rock, 2001 remaster)

This is a good, semi well-known psych album, indeed there aren’t too many 60s rock fans that dislike J.K. & Co.’s Suddenly One Summer. It’s the only album this group would release. Prior to Suddenly One Summer, Jay Kaye had been in the Loved Ones, though I don’t think this band released any singles.

Jay Kaye was only 15 years old when he recorded this album in 1968. The lyrics, vocals, songs and musicianship are remarkably advanced for someone who was so inexperienced in the studio. Jay Kaye made the trip from Las Vegas to Vancouver, Canada to record the lp with top flight session musicians (among them members of noted Vancouver band Mother Tucker’s Yellow Duck). The album was inspired by recent Beatles’ masterpieces and of course LSD, so it’s not surprising that much of this record is full of orchestral psychedelia and heavy studio effects – music with a spiritual slant. Another teen, Robert Buckley aided Jay Kaye with many of the album’s arrangements and psychedelic effects. It was he who created the decaying backward effects on the masterful “Fly,” a track that sounds well ahead of its time and similar in feel to prime-era Radiohead (though 30 years prior).

Suddenly One Summer was conceived as a concept album and briefly featured in Billboard claiming “to depict musically a man’s life from birth to death.” At least half the album is full of great psychedelia. “O.D.” features wild guitar playing, great drug addled madness, and soaring vocals, “Fly,” as mentioned before, is an all-time psych classic, and “Magical Fingers Of Minerva” is a great sitar based rocker that usually ends up on trippy compilations. Other compositions of note are the gorgeous acoustic track “Nobody,” a great pop rocker titled “Christine,” and the dramatic finale, “Dead.” The LP plays from strength to strength and never falls off into the deep end.

J.K. & Co.’s album was a decent size underground hit in California, leading White Whale to release a single to capitalize on the group’s popularity. They chose the 36-second album opening intro which at the time was seen as a major marketing disaster. In the end, White Whale’s terrible management blunder would halter the career of Jay Kaye and also hurt the company’s ability to market J.K. & Co as a serious group. After the record’s release Kaye had even put together a band with his Cousin John (bass) and friend Rick Dean (drums) to promote the LP’s songs live but success eluded them. In 2001 Sundazed released this great conceptual acid album through their BeatRocket label.

by Jason Nardelli

Tracks

1. Break Of Dawn - 0:36

2. Fly - 4:45

3. Little Children - 3:08

4. Christine - 2:14

5. Speed - 0:14

6. Crystal Ball - 1:04

7. Nobody - 4:04

8. O.D. - 3:17

9. Land Of Sensations & Delights - 1:46

10.The Times - 2:22

11.Magical Fingers Of Minerva - 2:53

12.Dead - 4:17

All material by Jay Kay

Personnel

*Jay Kaye - Vocals, Guitar

*Robert S. W. Buckley - Keyboards, Arranger

*Roger Law - Guitar

*Brian Newcombe - Bass

*Paul Grant - Drums

*Doug Edwards - Guitar

*Craig McCaw - Sitar

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Saturday, May 28, 2022

Feather - Friends (1970 us, awesome folk psych rock with west coast aura)

Feather actually has an interesting history. The line-up featured the talents of singers/guitarists Mike Collings and Roger White, along with drummer Dan Greer, singer/keyboardist Johnny Townshend and bass player Steve Woodward. Collins and Rogers had previously recorded an album and a pair of singles for Dot Records under the name Catch. Townshend had been a member of the Alabama-based The Rubber Band and a band called The Heart (not to be confused with the Wilson sisters) which recorded a couple of obscure singles and opened for Jimi Hendrix on a brief US tour. After their respective bands had collapsed, Collings, White and Townshend apparently ran into each other in Southern California and started jamming and writing. With the other members, they recorded some demo material and as "Feather" they were signed to Clint Eastwood and Snuff Garrett's Viva label, making their debut.

Columbia Records then came calling, signing the group to a contract which saw the release of the Adam Ross produced "Friend By Feather". In addition to the earlier single, the album contained a likable mixture of country-rock moves and more commercially-oriented pop moves. Collings and White were esponsible for the majority of the ten tracks, but drummer Greer and bassist Woodward also contributed to the songwriting chores. Musically the set wasn't particularly original with individual songs reflecting such influences as CSN&Y, Moby Grape, Poco and Mark Lindsay and The Raiders. It made for one of those fun spot-the-influences albums. In this case the absence of creativity wasn't a major drawback since the album was packed with energetic performances, catchy melodies and some great vocals. Being blessed with at least three strong singers in Collings, Townshend and White certainly didn't hurt the band. At least to my ears, at least half of the tracks had top-40 potential with the classic kiss-off tune 'What You Will', the Loggins and Messina-styled rocker 'Roll Me Daddy', The Raiders-styled 'Along Too Long To Be Lonely' and the funky 'The Fifth Stone' providing some of the highlights. Fun from start to finish.

As far as I can tell, this version of 'Friends' is essentially the same song as the earlier singles. A nice, upbeat country-rockiish number, the song sounds a bit like a cross between CSN&Y and Poco. A major surprise, 'What You Will' retained the group's country-rock leanings, but this time around wrapped them up in a much heavier rock arrangement, including an intriguing set of "kiss-off" lyrics, a great melody, nice harmony vocals, and one of the album's best guitar solos. This is one of the tunes I would have tapped as the single. 'Roll Me Daddy' aptly demonstrated the band could handle a straight-ahead rocker. Great title track refrain. This one's always reminded me of a good Loggins and Messina tune. A heavy pop tune with more hooks than most albums contain, 'Along Too Long To Be Lonely' definitely had top-40 slapped across it. Imagine the kind of song Mark Lindsay and the Raiders always wanted to write and you'd have a feel for how good this one was.

With a "cutesy" lyric, and a blue-eyed soul vibe,'The Bible Way Mission Band' was another one that sounded like something out of The Raiders catalog. I'm a sucker for this kind of stuff so I loved it. The lyric's always been a puzzle to me, but 'The Fifth Stone' had a wonderfully funky groove that suddenly exploded into a nifty folk-rock feel and then piled on the album's best fuzz guitar work. A nice up-tempo country-rocker, 'No Time for Sorrow' blended a catchy melody; nice lead guitar and the band's sweet harmonies on one of the album's catchiest performances. Easy to see why this one was tapped as a single.

Bad Cat

Tracks

1. Friends (Mike Collings, Roger White, Steve Woodard) - 2:43

2. What You Will (Steve Woodard) - 2:23

3. Roll Me Daddy (Mike Collings) - 3:30

4. Along Too Long To Be Lonely (Mike Collings, Roger White) - 3:45

5. A Week Away (Dan Greer) - 3:22

6. L.A. Meantime (Mike Collings, Roger White, Steve Woodard) - 4:03

7. Promised Land (Mike Collings) - 3:24

8. The Bible Way Mission Band (Mike Collings, Roger White, Steve Woodard) - 4:12

9. The Fifth Stone (Mike Collings, Roger White, Steve Woodard) - 4:25

10.No Time for Sorrow (Mike Collings) - 3:24

Feather

*Mike Collings - Vocals, Guitar

*Dan Greer - Drums, Percussion

*Johnny Townshend - Vocals, Keyboards

*Roger White - Vocals, Guitar

*Steve Woodard - Bass

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Friday, May 27, 2022

Sixty Nine - Circle Of The Crayfish (1972 germany, heavy prog krautrock, 2008 digipak remaster)

Sixty Nine were an unusual "group" being only a duo of keyboards and drums. For these limitations, Sixty Nine made a pretty big sound, a combination of influences that on the more mundane side sounds like Atomic Rooster and on the more progressive side the veritable Emerson Lake and Palmer. Circle of the Crayfish was their first album and only studio release. The music is dominated by the Hammond organ sound and there's one of those long suites. Without guitar, there's a thinness here that is to be expected, and during the length of the album.

by Mike McLatchey

On their sole studio album 'Circle Of The Crayfish' Sixty Nine played a mixture of symphonic, organ-driven Progressiv- and Krautrock dominated by Armin Stöwes keyboards, supported by Roland Schupps powerful and technical drumming. First title 'Ballast' is a dynamic instrumental rocker with incredible heavy organ playing and steady drumming. 'Kolibri' is more in E.L.P. and Brian Auger vein with alternating jazzy and classical-inspired themes. Good organ und piano through out along with impressive drumming. 'Becoming Older' is the first track with vocals. Actually the vocals are supported by melodic organ-driven rock, soon to be replaced by hard jamming parts, very closed to Frumpy but also reminding Atomic Rooster or Beggars Opera. 'Journey' is very similar, a cross between The Nice, Deep Purple and Frumpy.

The 15 minutes 'Paradise Lost' opens with a long intro, featuring synths and gongs to be followed by another very long fast organ/ synths/ drums jamming with repetitive rhythms to the end. The closing 'Crayfish' is dominated by the pounding organ and rocks really hard. “Circle of the Crayfish is a great album with interesting Hammond B-3-driven seventies prog rock. This release is a must have for organ fanatics along with other bands like Odin, 20 Sixty Six and Then, Amos Key and others, as well as for lovers of keyboard-and-drums-oriented duos like Hardin & York, Hansson & Karlsson or Twogether.

Tracks

1. Ballast - 5:12

2. Kolibri - 6:16

3. Becoming Older - 5:20

4. Journey - 5:09

5. Paradise Lost - 15:23

6. Crayfish - 6:05

All compositions by Armin Stöwe

Sixty Nine

*Armin Stöwe - Organ, Piano, Synthesizer, Guitar, Vocals

*Roland Schupp - Drums, Percussion

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Tuesday, May 24, 2022

Brenda Patterson - Keep On Keepin' On (1970 us, fantastic folk dixie blues psych rock, feat. Redbone members)

Brenda Patterson is an American blues singer, based in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. Patterson, at the time of her early albums, was married to the songwriter Domingo “Sam” Samudio, and was a backing singer for Ry Cooder and Bob Dylan. During the 1990s and early 2000s, Patterson was part of the Camp Fireboys with Brenda Patterson which changed its name to Cooley’s House in 1999. Cooley’s House released a single eponymous recording of 16 original songs in 1999.

"Keep On Keepin' On" is her debut album, and was released in early 1970 on Epic, and it's also noteworthy that the band playing on the album members of Redbone, who had several hits on their own. Brenda Patterson is one fantastic singer, able to wail with abandon, and hold a note into the stratosphere. Her voice is deep, as well as the songs.

Tracks

1. West Window Song (David Mitchell, George Parks) - 4:31

2. I'm Movin' On (Hank Snow) - 2:39

3. Sun Comes Up (Ralph Murphy, Shmulik Kraus) - 3:18

4. I Can't Keep From Cryin' Sometimes (Al Kooper) - 3:30

5. Who's Going To Come To My Cross? (David Mitchell) - 4:28

6. Ain't No Grave Can Hold My Body Down (Larry Cohn, Lolly Vegas) - 6:52

7. Keep On Keepin' On (Pat Vegas) - 2:54

8. Why Do You Do Me Like You Do Me? (Lolly Vegas, Pat Vegas) - 3:35

9. This Wheel's On Fire (Bob Dylan, Rick Danko) - 4:15

10.Red And Blue (Lolly Vegas) - 2:24

Musicians

*Brenda Patterson - Vocals

*Tony Bellamy - Electric Guitar

*Peter de Poe - Drums, Tambourine

*Lolly Vegas - Electric, Slide Guitar, Tambourine, Bass

*Pat Vegas - Bass

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Monday, May 23, 2022

Grits - Rare Birds (1976 us, extraordinary jazz prog rock, similar to canterbury sound)

Grits was Washington D.C.'s most popular progressive group back in the 1970s. Rare Birds is over 75' of music recorded live 8/21/76 at a free concert in The Muffins' backyard. This was probably their single best performance and it was fortuitously recorded!! This spotlights the band at their pinnacle, featuring long tracks with tons of jamming never recorded in the studio. The sound is excellent and extremely live and vibrant, and this is the definitive release by them. Includes their 25' opus for electric viola and rock band "Rare Birds" and much more.

Tracks

1. Jupiter Jam - 13:04

2. Inside Straight - 11:58

3. Communa Lacrimosa - 3:37

4. Easy For You - 3:03

5. Glad All Over - 3:31

6. As The World Grits - 14:11

7. Rare Birds - 25:51

All compositions by Rick Barse

Grits

*Rick Barse - keyboards, vocals

*Tom Wright - guitar, viola, bass, vocals

*Amy Taylor - bass, violin, female vocals

*Bob Sims - drums, vocals

With

*Brian Rapp - Percussion (Tracks 2,7)

*Ned Davis - Percussion (Tracks 2,7)

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Sunday, May 22, 2022

Crosscut Saw - Mad Bad And Dangerous To Know (1975 us, powerful heavy southern blues rock, 2005 remaster)

Crosscut Saw was a top draw blues-rock band in Tallahasse, FL, in the mid- to late '70s, thanks to frontman Pat Ramsey, a gifted harmonica wiz and singer, and lead guitarist Julien Kasper. Ramsey was from Shreveport, LA, and began playing harmonica at 17. After hitchhiking around the U.S. for a couple of years, Ramsey ended up in Denver, CO, in 1973, where he joined the Bunny Brooks Blues Band. After contributing blues harp to Johnny Winter's White Hot & Blue album, Ramsey joined Butch Trucks' Florida-based Trucks band. Eventually moving to Tallahasse, Ramsey met a teenaged Kasper and formed Crosscut Saw. Kasper had fallen in love with the blues early, and he had only owned an electric guitar for a year when Crosscut Saw was formed, but his Jimi Hendrix-styled showmanship on-stage (not to mention his considerable chops), coupled with Ramsey's singing and harmonica, made the band a top draw in clubs and bars all up and down the Eastern Seaboard.

Crosscut Saw played the circuit for five years or so, and released a single album, Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know, on the independent Surprise label in 1975. Ramsey and Kasper stayed in touch after the group disbanded, and their annual Crosscut Saw reunions are still a big draw in Tallahasse. Akarma Records re-released Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know on CD in 2005.

by Steve Leggett

Tracks

1. One's Too Many (Nick Lowe, Kim Wilson) - 3:53

2. Allergic To Work (Pat Ramsey, Julien Kasper, Mike Howell, Steve Howell) - 3:13

3. Love Her With A Feeling (Tampa Red) - 4:29

4. Steppin' Out (Paul Revere, Mark A. Lindsay) - 2:38

5. Vegetable Oil (Julien Kasper) - 4:05

6. Dead Shrimp Blues (Robert Johnson) - 6:10

7. Treat Her Right (Roy Head) - 2:46

8. Hear My Song (Deadeye) - 3:06

9. Hippie Song (Slim Harpo) - 3:57

10.Mud Bee (Pat Ramsey, Julien Kasper, Mike Howell, Steve Howell) - 2:45

Crosscut Saw

*Pat Ramsey - Vocals, Harmonica

*Julien Kasper - Guitars

*Mike Howell - Bass

*Steve Howell - Drums, Percussion

With

*Joel Dick - Percussion (Track 5)

*Jim McRae - Saxophone (Track 9)

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Friday, May 20, 2022

Neil Merryweather - Differences (1978 canada, remarkable glam rock)

Neil met Mark Smith, a fellow Canadian from Toronto who had engineered the “Bachman Turner Overdrive” records. Mark brought Neil to Joe Godfried, the manager and owner of Sound City Recording Studios, and he agreed to give studio time to Neil. Neil wrote ten songs and brought in a crew of friends to play on the tracks including Michael Willis, his guitarist from the “Space Rangers”. The songs came from different places musically, so Neil called the collection “Differences”. Neil went to England where the songs earned him a writer’s contract with Chrysalis Music. Through a connection with Chrysalis, Dureco Records Holland releases “Differences”.

"To make along story really long, I was involved in so many recording projects at the time and was in need of a change. My closest friend at the time was Peter Anders.One evening we were writing together and he told me of this time in London when he was a staff producer for Motown when they opened up a division in England. Peter and ex "Trade Wind" bandmate, Paul Nauman, were hired to head up the production side of the Motown label there. He told me stories of London and I suggested that we get out of LA and go to London. He knew a lot of people there, and I remember that my Space Rangers album got an incredible review in Melody Maker, a big magazine there. We booked a flight and headed out to London.

Things didn't work out as far as Peter getting into England. While he was working there for Motown, he was partying way too much and living in a hotel, but never paid the bill. They put one of those brass things on the door knob when he came back to his room and he took the fire ax down from the wall and chopped the door down to get to his clothes and his stuff.He was arrested and got deported. So his name was on a list when we got to the airport in London.When we arrived in London, Peter found his name on a list of people that were undesirable and that had been deported, and they didn't want to let him in. Meanwhile, a friend of his, the ex-wife of the editor of Melody Maker magazine, was waiting for us because she was going to put us up in her flat in London. He saw her and called to her and said "Wendy, you've got to try these pills". He had thrown them all over the floor as they were dragging him away, and she was picking the pills up from the floor. They asked if I was with him and saw my Canadian passport, so I told them I had met him on the plane and they let me into the country. Peter was cool and said he didn't know me.

Wendy put me up. I had the tapes I had done at Sound City. I hit the pavement, going to various labels. I did a demo for Phonogram in London, but it wasn't Space Rangers. It was another couple of songs I put together on the spot with a couple of English musicians I found in a club. It was interesting stuff, but it wasn't enough to get me a deal, so I kept looking. Richard Cowley, whom I had met when I was with Mama Lion, liked my bass playing. He told me if I was ever in London to look him up. I called him at his new Cowbell Agency, and he turned me on to the guy that owned Orange Equipment who had a music store and managed John Miles. I went to see him and he took me on to manage me.But Miles didn't like the idea, so it didn't work out. However, I continued to shop my tape and eventually wound up meeting Ann Monday at Chrysalis Music and playing her my stuff. She liked it a lot and signed me as a writer. Another benefit of being at Chrysalis was that I got to meet George Martin who had an office there, and Shirley, his long-time secretary let me use his desk phone to call my family and friends back home. Just sitting at George's desk in his chair was a trill – to me, he's the greatest producer of all time. One day I got to meet him, what a nice man, needless to say it was an honor to shake his hand.

I got an advance and things started looking better. One of Ann's friends was a producer named David Hitchcock. After living with Wendy, I wound up staying at David's flat on Kensington High Street. Eventually I wound up at a Bed and Breakfast and again connected with Richard Cowley. He asked me to produce an act called "Johnnie Angel". I did a single for Decca Records and we became friends, and went to stay at his flat in Notting Hill Gate. At day's end, I got invited to the "drink-ups" at the pub get-togethers. There, I met another writer for Chrysalis, Gary Pickford Hopkins, a great guy who used to be in "Eyes of Blue". I guess they all knew my music. One day, he brought a bunch of guys to the pub to meet me. I met Peter Brown, the lyricist from "Cream" and Taff Williams who was the guitar player from "Eyes of Blue" and Bonnie Tyler.

I wrote a couple of new songs and needed to demo them. I found out about a rehearsal spot outside of London. I ran into someone who had a company that would truck people's equipment on tours and he had a farm outside of London. I made arrangements to put an act together and flew back to LA, rented a truck a put everything into storage in Mike Willis's mother's garage, and grabbed Mike Willis. Because funds were thin, we took a Greyhound Bus to New York City. We had a one-night stay over until our flight to London took off, and I re-connected with Peter Anders. We had dinner and talked about the outrageous airport incident. The next day, we took off for London and wound up staying at a Bed and Breakfast off of Hyde Park.

We went about to try to find other musicians, and I remember meeting this guy at one of these pub get-togethers. He was the keyboard player from "Matching Mole" and "Camel". His name was David Sinclaire, and he was willing to come into the new unit. We heard that Procol Harem's drummer, B.J. Wilson, lived in the town where the farm facility was. So, we wound up going to visit him and asking his to join the band. We started rehearsing and were working on some new material. David, Willis and B.J. went to a local pub in town and B.J. was talking to Willis asking him who his favorite guitar influences were – Willis was into McLaughlin and Peter Fripp and the more advanced guitar player types.B.J. asked "What about Steve Cropper?", and Willis said "Who?" B.J. freaked out and quit because Willis didn't know who Steve Cropper was, and that was the end of that. We wound up going back to London and picking up a drummer called Clive Edwards. I took Willis, Sinclaire and Clive into a little studio that David Hitchcock told me about.It was run by one of the guitar players from "Gary Glitter".David came in to oversee the recordings. We did about three new songs for Chrysalis.

I met a girl at a party called Aliba Bellingham, the daughter of Lady Bellingham, and her father was the Captain of the Queens Guard, and they lived next door to the Queen Mother. We became friends and started a little production idea called "Rocking Horse Productions". She put us up at one of the family's flats in Victoria. Willis and I were staying there, and she found another writer/singer that she really liked. She let him stay at the flat too. One day, we came back to the flat and Aliba was crying because she found him overdosed on drugs. The next day, her Mother turned up. Willis' sneakers smelled really bad and the Mother went berserk and threw the sneakers out the window. That was the end of that. We saw Aliba some days later and she invited us to a New Year's Eve party at a big mansion. Mike strapped on his Gibson and plugged into a pig nose, and played "Old Lang Zyne" like Hendrix would have done it. The rich old stuffy people loved it!

Mike started missing LA and we weren't doing anything really, and didn't have the funds to continue, so he went back to LA. It turned out that Chrysalis had a deal in Holland with a label called Dureco Records to handle publishing. They heard the collection of songs I had brought with me, and couldn't believe it wasn't released as a record. They contacted me through Chrysalis and arranged for me to come to Amsterdam. I took the train/ferry and that was my next world of wonder, an amazing place. They checked me into the Hans Brinker Hotel where I stayed while we negotiated to put an album out. The stuff was all so different that I decided to call the record "Differences".

After hearing "Differences", a newly signed Dureco Records act called "Carlsberg" requested that I produce them. They sent for me again and I returned to Amsterdam.It was quite a good album. England had the drinking thing and the Dutch took it a step further. They could drink for days and could still maintain a realm of reality – that was "Carlsberg".

Next, I talked to Dureco Records and asked about setting up a little production company and came up with a label called "Clear".

CitizenFreak