In September of 1979, John Hammond went into Vanguard Records' 23rd Street Studio in New York with the Nighthawks -- Jimmy Thackery, guitar; Mark Wenner, harmonica; Jan Zukowski, bass; Pete Ragusa, drums -- and cut this record, one of his best (and which might've sold better with maybe some better cover art).
The sounds are alternately hot and soulful on the ten-song collection, featuring covers of songs by Little Walter ("You Better Watch Yourself," "Last Night"), Chuck Berry ("Nadine"), Jimmy Reed ("Caress Me Baby," one of Hammond's slowest, most seductive numbers), and Robert Johnson ("Sweet Home Chicago").
Highlights include a stunningly beautiful rendition of Howlin' Wolf's "Who's Been Talkin'," a wailing reconsideration of John Lee Hooker's "Sugar Mama" with a really searing guitar break, a very powerful version of "Howlin' for My Darling," and even the best cover of Dixon's "Pretty Thing" this side of Bo Diddley himself, where Hammond and company manage to be raunchy and smooth at the same time.
Nothing's going to make anyone forget Walter, Wolf, or Willie, but this isn't a bad way to spend 40 minutes, especially given the really crunchy guitar sound achieved by Jeff Zaraya and the uncredited producer. A real diamond in the rough, and one of Hammond's best albums.
by Bruce Eder
Tracks
1. Mama Keep Your Big Mouth Shut (Ellas McDaniel) - 3:20
2. Who's Been Talking (Chester Burnett) - 2:49
3. Sugar Mama (John Lee Hooker) - 3:27
4. Howlin' For My Darlin' (Chester Burnett, Willie Dixon) - 3:29
5. You Better Watch Yourself (Walter Jacobs) - 2:22
Forever Young, a collection of studio and radio sessions (14 of the 18 previously unreleased) - is something of a treasure trove for anyone who has happy memories of Starry Eyed and Laughing. It also serves as a fascinating nugget for anyone interested in the evolution of country rock in the UK — a form that did go into hiding for a while but eventually re-emerged with folk such as Elvis Costello, Robyn Hitchcock, and Nick Lowe admitting to a fondness for some twang and jangling guitars. It captures early attempts by producer Dan Loggins to have the band perform covers of songs by Roger McGuinn, Steve Stills, Mike Nesmith and others, a plan that was nixed when the band demanded their album would be all their own work. In addition, there are previously unheard originals along with radio sessions. (Sadly, some of these only came to light following the death of their first manager.)
The cover versions are an intriguing lot. There’s a Byrds’-type cover of Dylan’s “Forever Young”, a new song back then but delivered as if it were a 1965 follow-up to “Mr. Tambourine Man”. The chiming guitars and McGuinn-like vocals are spot-on and a delight to listen to. McGuinn’s own “I’m So Restless” (from his solo debut) - is more cosmic country than the original, which had a folk base. Here, it sounds like The Byrds circa the Dr. Byrds and Mr Hyde album, with a wee bit of cosmic rocking going on. Similarly, Steve Stills’ “4+20″ has a psychedelic sheen to it. Listening to their version of Mike Nesmith’s “Propinquity” has the ability to transport the listener into an alternative reality where McGuinn and gang take over the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s mantle of champions of Papa Nez. as the 12-string corkscrews thorough this magnificent song.
If the cover versions were all that was here, then it might be safe to relegate the album into the curio cabinet. However the band’s own songs, while undoubtedly indebted to The Byrds’ sound and in particular the 12-string eclectic guitar jangle, stand proud after all these years. One can see the time line from them to the likes of The Long Ryders, carrying a banner for sure, but no mere copy. With three writers on board (Tony Poole, Ross McGeeney, and Iain Whitmore) - they offered up some treasures of their own.
“Miles Away” is a yearning, dreamlike swoon — more Gene Clark than McGuinn here. “Giving You the Blues” visits another Byrd’s territory, this time David Crosby, with its hypnotic scales and time changes. It’s superbly sung and spine-tingling. “Jet Plane Rider” has obvious links to “Eight Miles High”, but it’s an exhilarating listen in its own right. It’s almost spooky, mind you, how well the band were able to channel their influences. Their blossoming into their own right is portrayed on the barnstorming “(Just Like) - A Weepy Movie”. The keening ballad “So Tired” is adorned by marvellous harmonies and well able to pass muster with contemporary songs by the likes of Poco and even the Eagles. Finally, the alternative version of “In The Madness”, a song on their first album, shows that by then they had transcended their influences and were able to mark their territory with a song that soared high on vinyl way back then.
by Paul Kerr, February 2, 2015
Tracks
1. Forever Young (Bob Dylan) - 3:54
2. I'm So Restless (Roger McGuinn) - 3:24
3. Miles Away (Iain Whitmore) - 3:15
4. Dancing Slow (Tony Poole) - 4:06
5. Givin' You The Blues (Iain Whitmore) - 3:31
6. Another You (Ross McGeeney) - 2:33
7. Jet Plane Rider (Tony Poole) - 4:07
8. 4 + 20 (Stephen Stills) - 2:54
9. (Just Like) A Weepy Movie (Iain Whitmore) - 3:50
10.Lay Down Your Weary Tune (Bob Dylan) - 3:32
11.Propinquity (I've Just Begun To Care) (Michael Nesmith) - 3:10
12.I Thought I Was A Child (Jackson Browne) - 3:26
13.So Tired (Iain Whitmore) - 3:45
14.In The Madness (Electric Version) (Ross McGeeney) - 2:54
15.He Was A Friend Of Mine (Roger McGuinn) - 2:45
16.Strangers All Over Again (Tony Poole) - 3:34
17.Meet Me Lord (At The Bottom Of The Hill) - (Ross McGeeney, Tony Poole, Norman Lawrence) - 3:15
Wild Turkey released their second album, Turkey, in October 1972 on Chrysalis. It contains two Hopkins cuts (“Tomorrows Friend,” “Chuck Stallion and the Mustangs”) and six numbers by Cornick, including “Telephone,” “A Universal Man,” and the lengthy epics “Eternal Mother/The Return” and “See You Next Tuesday.” The opening track, “Good Old Days,” is a group-written number.
Cornick produced Turkey at Morgan Studios with engineer Robin Black, a sound tech for Red Dirt who later worked with Jethro Tull (Storm Watch, A), Mallard, and the Spanish band Ñu. The gatefold cover, designed by Alan Cracknell (Matching Mole), depicts a black Spanish turkey in wait (front) and the wooden stable cleared (back). The inner-spread, designed by Visualeyes (Traffic, Claire Hamill, Amazing Blondel, Vinegar Joe), assembles lives shots of the band in hippie regalia; Gurl sports a pinstripe tie and blazer.
Chrysalis released “Good Old Days” as a single, backed with the non-album track “Life Is a Symphony.” The a-side also appears on a Thai maxi-single with cuts by Slade, Blackfoot Sue, and Harry Nilsson.
Wild Turkey was formed in 1971 by bassist Glenn Cornick after his three-year stint in Jethro Tull.
Cornick (b. 23 April 1947, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England, died at his home in Hilo, Hawaii on August 28, 2014) started in the Blackpool mod band The Executives, which issued five 1964–66 singles on Columbia. He then replaced bassist Jefferey Hammond in the soul-rock septet John Evan Smash, which also featured singer Ian Anderson and guitarist Mick Abrahams.
In late 1967, Cornick followed Anderson and Abrahams to their new band, Jethro Tull. After their first album, Abrahams split to form Blodwyn Pig. Tull hired ex-Penny Peeps guitarist Martin Barre and made the 1969/70 Chrysalis albums Stand Up and Benefit. As the only member with formal training, Cornick was integral in the band’s arrangements. Despite this, Anderson sacked Cornick after Tull’s appearance at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival, purportedly due to his partying lifestyle. (Tull replaced Cornick with his predecessor in the Smash, Jefferey Hammond. Later, Tull hired Cornick’s successor in The Executives, bassist Tony Williams, for the US leg of their Heavy Horses tour).
Post-Tull, Cornick traded bass duties with Kim Gardner (Ashton Gardner & Dyke, Badger) and Pete Sears (Les Fleur de Lys, Steamhammer) on And a Cast of Thousands, the 1971 second solo album by ex-Blue Cheer guitarist Leigh Stephens. Cornick then formed Wild Turkey with singer Gary Pickford-Hopkins, drummer John Weathers, and guitarists Tweke Lewis and Graham Hedley Williams.
Hopkins and Weathers hailed from Eyes of Blue, a Welsh soul-psych band that issued two albums on Mercury in 1968/69, plus a third as Big Sleep. Weathers served as benefactor to Williams’ prior band Strawberry Dust, a Welsh blues-rock covers band. As Ancient Grease, they released the 1970 album Women and Children First, produced and largely composed by Weathers, who also played on a concurrent single by Pete Brown & Piblokto!
Before Wild Turkey hit the studio, Weathers and Williams departed for Graham Bond’s Magick. Cornick replaced them with drummer Jeff Jones and guitarist Jon Blackmore. Jones’ background stretched to The Bystanders, a Welsh beat group that morphed into Man. He stuck with Man for their first two albums, Revelation and 2 Ozs. of Plastic With a Hole in the Middle (both 1969).
For Wild Turkey, Cornick retained his ties to Tull’s label, Chrysalis. He named his band after a brand of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey.
Wild Turkey debuted with Battle Hymn, released on November 19, 1971, on Chrysalis. The album flows as a song cycle comprised of 10 originals, including the Cornick compositions “Butterfly,” “To the Stars,” “Gentle Rain,” and the epic title track. Blackmore wrote three numbers (“Dulwich Fox,” “Sanctuary,” “Twelve Streets of Cobbled Black”) and co-wrote the closing track (“Sentinel“) with Lewis, who co-wrote “One Sole Survivor” with Hopkins, who contributed “Easter Psalm.”
Battle Hymn was recorded at Olympic Studios with producer Rodger Bain (Hannibal, Black Sabbath, Budgie, Indian Summer) and engineer Tom Allom (Strawbs, Hudson-Ford). Original copies are housed in a gatefold sleeve designed by Douglas Maxwell Ltd. with an inner-spread group photo by Ray Rathborne.
Wild Turkey promoted Battle Hymn with a two-night engagement at the Birmingham Town Hall over Christmas, followed by a winter 1972 transatlantic tour as the opening act for Black Sabbath. Several dates on the March US leg featured triple-bills with up-and-coming acts Bang, White Witch, Sweat Hog, REO Speedwagon, and Yes. Stateside, Battle Hymn was released in February 1972 on Reprise. “Butterfly” and “Battle Hymn” appear on the 1972 Spanish comp Esto es Chrysalis with cuts by Jethro Tull (“Thick as a Brick” edit), Procol Harum, Ten Years After, Tír na nÓg, and ex-Justine vocalist Laurie Styvers. In Oceania, Chrysalis paired “Easter Psalm” and “Sanctuary” on 7″.
Before Wild Turkey re-entered the studio, Blackmore cleared out for guitarist Mick Dyche. Pianist Steve Gurl joined as a sixth member.
Galaxy is a space rock band that played their largest performances in Jacksonville, Florida. The first was in 1975 at the 4th of July street concert sponsored by the Jacksonville Beach chamber of commerce. Galaxy was the only band performing that night, playing to a crowd the newspapers said was over 30 thousand strong. Galaxy performed 42 of their original rock songs that they had learned after being together only 3 months. They performed at the same venue the following year. Galaxy won WAPE radio's first "battle-of-the-bands" in 1976, winning the prize of a recording contract with Bang Records in Atlanta, Ga. that turned out only to be a midnight recording session.
Their winning year brought them to the concert stages to large audiences that included : Annhauser Busch Natural Light Beer debuton Jax. Beach to a crowd of over 250 thousand rock fans as thefinal feature act following a country rock band called "Road Dust" and during Galaxy's concert Leif Garrette made a guest appearance. Galaxy also performed to a Daytona Beach crowd of more that 20 thousand fans at the city's famous band shell on the beach. They recorded only one album called "Day Without The Sun" originally recorded in Florida in 1976 and unearthed by the Italian Akarma label, this is a wonderful mixture of space rock, West Coast guitar solos and Gong-like female vocals which combine superbly to richochet around your brain. The 14 minute title track is awesome....
In 1965 the German band The Vampires arrives in Spain. Lovers of Rhythm 'N' Blues and Soul and based in Madrid, they released several singles with the Session label and participated in several festivals of the time. A few years later, tired of the pace of work and the pressure of their record label, they moved to Castelldefels, Barcelona. There they meet the guitarist Tony Ponce, leaving the formation of these new Vampires.
In the autumn of 1969, Artur Mas, founder of the Ekipo sub-label, Dimension, signs a contract with the band, who change their name to Evolution (for Mas this name suggested a more progressive attitude) and in December his first single, which contained a version of “Fresh Garbage” by Californians Spirit, with wind arrangements a la Blood, Sweat and Tears, and another blues classic on the B-side, “You Don't Love Me Baby”, with wind arrangements. similar that showed that fusion of styles that characterized his music. After the replacement of the saxophonist Paul Waldhecker by the organist T.J Brown, a new single with two quite commercial pieces is published. The first was “Water”, with influences from the early Traffic and a certain Soul air, and the second was called “Loving Me (Is Not The Only Thing To Do)”, a ballad that was too cloying for my taste. The third single would arrive in September 1970, and that's when we noticed a hardening in the sound of the band.
They moved away from Soul, as we can see in "She's So Fine", catchy, psychedelic, almost garage, or in the instrumental "I'm Walking High", which occupied the B side of the single. Composed by T.J Brown, with the hammond organ, a good bass line, percussion and a nice guitar solo, it is one of the best pieces of the group. In November of this same year, on the 20th and 22nd, Evolution plays at the First Permanent Festival of Progressive Music, organized by Oriol Regás in the Iris room. In that same month, Ekipo publishes the band's first and only album. Recorded at the Gema studios in Barcelona (of course!), and produced by Miquel Casas, the LP contained new mixes of the six songs that had been previously released as singles, plus three new pieces. The first was the fantastic “Dr. Vazquez”, a raw song, with an impressive rhythm and the organ and the guitar as protagonists. The second was a good version of "21st Century Schizoid Man by King Crimson. Whenever I hear the central instrumental part I imagine Deep Purple covering Fripp's band. The third, "Get Ready/Evil Ways" was a mix between Smokey Robinson's song (covered quite successfully by The Temptations and Rare Earth) and Santana's.
The album was mixed while the band was touring Europe, and when they returned to Barcelona, they didn't like the result at all. At that time they were considered a powerful rock band, with psychedelic and progressive influences and a sound based on the organ and guitar, in Miquel Salas's mixes the wind arrangements reappeared (directed by the Catalan trumpeter Rudy Ventura ) with whom they no longer felt satisfied. It is curious how, despite everything, it seems to me to be an album full of strength, but both Tony Ponce and Det Ferring expressed their disagreement in the interviews that Marc Argenter and Jordi Segura did for the booklet of the reissue on CD that he did the Wah-Wah label in 2003 (respecting the original vinyl format of the time, in the form of a bag). The reception by the public was good, since television and radio, considering them as a foreign band, did not put inconveniences for them to sing in English, which facilitated their promotion.
In May 1971, they released their fourth single, which contained a beautiful version of another King Crimson classic, “In The Court Of The Crimson King”, and “Problems”, a song that I like it a lot, very much like the Chicago Transit Authority, but without winds. Ferring's interpretation and Ponce's guitar details are fantastic. In this same month they participate in the Granollers Progressive Rock Festival and from this moment the problems begin. There is less and less room to play, the media supports less and less this type of band and the progressive movement in Barcelona decreases day by day.
In 1972, T.J Brown left the group, and in May of this same year the band published its last single, already as a quartet. Unfortunately, this single leaves a bad taste in their mouths, since the record company needed commercial songs that could sell well for the summer, and the song “I Must Live” is “imposed” on them, again with wind arrangements, but this time much more tacky. I particularly like this piece, although I perfectly understand why they didn't like it too much. On side B we find "Pain and Pleasure", another smooth piece with a somewhat more elegant orchestration, but with the same commercial aims. Shortly after, Wolfgang Jünger left the band, being replaced by Artur Domingo from Pan y Licorice. After Tony Ponce's call-up, at the end of 1972, the band split definitively.
by Francisco Macias
Tracks
1. Dr. Vazquez (Det Ferring, T.J. Brown) - 2:51
2. I'm Walking High (T.J. Brown) - 4:13
3. She's So Fine (Det Ferring, Wolfgang Jünger) - 3:05
4. Water (Det Ferring, Tony Ponce) - 3:23
5. Fresh Garbage (Jay Ferguson, Paul Waldhecker) - 2:50
6. 21st Century Schizoid Man (Greg Lake, Ian McDonald, Michael Giles, Peter Sinfield, Robert Fripp) - 4:26
7. Get Ready / Evil Ways (Smokey Robinson, Clarence Henry, J. Zack) - 5:06
8. Loving Me (Is Not The Only Thing To Do) (T.J. Brown) - 3:13
9. You Don't Love Me Baby (T.J. Brown) - 3:43
10.I Must Live (Det Ferring, Ignace Baert) - 3:13
11.Pain And Pleasure (Det Ferring, Tony Ponce) - 3:13
12.In The Court Of The Crimson King (Ian McDonald, Peter Sinfield) - 2:48
"No connection with the band who recorded Eye of the Tiger"
The only album by Shreveport, LA, hard rockers Survivor, All Your Pretty Moves is gritty, tough, but still supple and groovy enough to be an unmistakable product of the late '70s -- born before the likes of Journey, Foreigner, and a more famous, "Eye of the Tiger"-toting namesake could dilute hard rock into slicker AOR; and before heavy metal went into a thrash-fueled overdrive that would distance it from roots like those heard here. Vintage rockers such as "So Blind," "Breakout," and "Black Sea" contain harmonizing twin guitars inspired by Thin Lizzy, and high-energy stomps like "The New Order" and "Kristallnacht" recall several Judas Priest anthems of the day, but plagiarizes none of them.
All are topped with not altogether powerful but still serviceable vocals from frontman Brian Clark, who's equally at ease feigning Philip Lynott's knowing, conspiratorial tone as he is at approximating Rob Halford's less strident registers. And two more, particularly notable highlights shed additional light on a less explored, but arguably even more effective, softer side of the group's talents.
The first, "Deceive Me," is a stunning, slow-building dreamscape that eventually breaks out into a truly epic climax; and the second, closing ballad "Back to the Homeland," unfurls a glorious guitar melody so stirring and laconic, it challenges 1970s six-string wizard Ritchie Blackmore for sheer, supernatural, dark-tinged beauty. That final song alone would justify this reissue's existence, but for those not already desperate enough to replace their super-rare and scratched-up vinyl copies with the 2003 Monster Records CD, there's also a non-album cover of Mott the Hoople's "Rock and Roll Queen" to consider. Simply put, All Your Pretty Moves is a worthwhile addition to the library of any serious classic rock enthusiast.
by Eduardo Rivadavia
Tracks
1. The New Order - 4:11
2. So Blind - 5:05
3. Breakout (Brian Clark) - 4:17
4. Deceive Me (Brian Clark, Pat O'Hara, Paul Restovich, Brian Martini) - 7:10
5. Kristallnacht - 5:20
6. Black Sea - 4:07
7. Delicate Adversary - 4:06
8. Back To The Homeland (Brian Clark, Paul Restovich) - 5:35
9. Rock 'n Roll Queen (Mick Ralphs) - 7:16
All songs by Brian Clark, Pat O'Hara, Paul Restovich except where noted
One of the best US private press hard rock/progressive rock albums of the 1970s, from the master tapes. Only 250 copies available. Formed in 1969 in Houston, TX, Oz Knozz's original crew included multi-instrumentalists Jack Alford, Bill Massey and Duane Massey. Alford left the group in 1971 and was replaced by drummer Marty Naul, while the next year the trio was joined by guitarist Richard Heath.
The band had also a three-man horn section, which was dropped quite fast, although horns remained a part of the band's sound, even on their rare and epochal 1975 private press debut 'Ruff Mix,' released on the band's own Ozone label. 'Ruff Mix' mainly grooves in hard rock territory, the second track 'Peanut Butter Yoni' sounds a bit like Judas Priest with a proto-metal feeling. Yet the album also has elements of progressive rock, horn rock and pomp rock. Like most bands of the era, the idea may have been to take a shot at a few different styles to see if something would stick_ the theory being that a major label might hear the private album by chance and sign said band so they could open for Led Zeppelin or Foghat's next US tour... or something like that.
What separates Oz Knozz from other bands is a strong compositional component; they have plenty of original ideas and muster superb instrumentation. The guitar work ranges from hard and powerful to melodic and bluesy, and is supported by some great keyboard, including awe-inspiring organ and synth waves. The three-part 15-minute 'Doodley Squat' suite features heavy dual keyboard parts, crunchy guitars and expressive vocals; the result is a terrific hard prog track with lot of energy. Strange to say about a hard rock album, for many the standout track is the groovy and infectious horn rocker 'Love Poem,' which sounds like it easily could have been from 1969. High energy and impressive songwriting.
This quintessential blues bar band, part of the "blue wave" movement of the late '70s, has been knockin' em cold for years. This album exclusive is a stellar example of their early recordings: bare-boned; naked and unashamed, a flip of the bird to anything high-tech, with one foot planted squarely in the Mississippi Delta and the other in the old Chess Studios. Still touring today, the 'Hawks are one of the hardest working units around, and their special brand of energy and "rawness" is highlighted on this disc, which includes a live version of Red Hot Mama, featuring Pinetop Perkins pounding the ivories. Other selections include the writings of Sonny Boy Williamson, Elmore James and Muddy Waters as the 'Hawks rip through the dictionary of blues.
Tracks
1. Nine Below Zero (Sony Boy Williamson) - 3:23
2. Help Me (Sony Boy Williamson, Willie Dixon, Ralph Bass) - 4:00
3. Shake Your Moneymaker (Elmore James) - 3:11
4. Big Boss Man (Luther Dixon, Al Smith) - 3:23
5. Little By Little (Mel London) - 2:35
6. Madison Blues (Elmore James) - 2:52
7. Next Time You See Me (Earl Forest, Bill Harvey) - 3:53
8. That's Alright (James A. Lane) - 4:00
9. Long Distance Call (McKinley Morganfield) - 5:44
From Nebraska of all places came this little-known 70's act, debuting as a power trio in 1976 with A Ninth Alive and following that up two years later with Kiss Heaven Goodbye, by which time they'd recruited a new vocalist to expand their sound. By most accounts the first album is a bit of an ordinary hard rock album and it's Kiss that often gets the long-lost-classic accolades, and that's the album reviewed here.
On their second "Kiss Heaven Goodbye" released in 1978, their main characteristic is the singer which has a unique voice, The record is quite heavy for its time and this is obvious judging from cover and songtitles however don't forget it's still hard rock. There are songs (e.g "Respected man") that contain Sabbath elements, in general these guys were more hard rock oriented. Songs like "Prince Of The Southern Ice" would be right at home on any early NWOBHM album, and that movement was still a year away from taking hold. Like many a band over the years, the breaks didn't go their way and they disbanded. Granmax is indeed one of those gone-but-not-quite-forgotten bands that 70's fans should track down.
Tracks
1. Take You Away - 4:45
2. U.S. Is Coming Around - 3:56
3. Crumbling Towers - 2:43
4. Bankers Bar - 4:31
5. Find A New Day - 3:24
6. Out On The Tide - 3:58
7. Ceiling Wall - 4:37
8. Glitter Boots Boogie - 3:50
9. Let Me Know - 3:22
10.Letters To Myself - 4:47
11.Mistress Of Eternity - 4:24
12.Dream Woman - 2:47
13.Daughter Of Hell - 4:43
14.It's Worth The Wait - 3:11
15.Prince Of The Southern Ice - 4:31
16.This Life's For Me - 3:58
17.Respected Man - 3:35
18.Travels Of Tim - 3:34
All songs by Steve Myers, Tim McCorkle, Louis McCorkle, plus Nick Christopher for tracks 11-18
