Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Kak - Kak-Ola (1968-69 us, stunning garage psych folk rock)



Barely noticed when it was first released on Epic Records in January 1969, Kak's eponymous album has been a collector's item since the late 1970s and has also been bootlegged several times. A legitimate CD version on US Sony opened up a new chapter in 1992, but in the ensuing seven years time has passed that straight (and now out-of-print) reissue by. Since then, reissue standards have risen dramatically, which brings us to the latest offering in Big Beat's "Nuggets From the Golden State" series.

Retitled Kak-Ola, this reissue gives you the full original album, resplendent Inverness cover and all. But you also get the rare alternate single version of Rain, both sides of guitarist/vocalist Gary Lee Yoder's even rarer 1970 Epic single, and eight previously unreleased demos and live cuts for good measure. The latter eight consist of three pre-album Yoder recordings that bridge the gap between Kak and the Oxford Circle (the previous band he and fellow Kak-ster Dehner Patten were in, documented on Live At The Avalon 1966, CDWIKD 178). There are revelatory acoustic demos, live versions of three album cuts by Kak, plus a fine Yoder medley of the previously unheard Bye Bye / Easy Jack.

One might call these eleven extras the icing on the cake, but it's more like another cake considering what you already have in the original album. If you were to hold up any record as exemplifying the "feel-good" West Coast sound of the late 60s, it might as well be Kak's. Through poignant imagery and strong playing, the album touches on the era's social turbulence on Everything's Changing, free-spirited lifestyles on Electric Sailor and Lemonaide Kid, dreamy idealism on I've Got Time, and mind expansion with the Trieulogy of Golgotha, Mirage and Rain. The textures range from hard to soft to ethereal, and by the end of this CD visions of grassy California hillsides seen through granny sunglasses are guaranteed to be on your mind.

While you're still in the fantasy, be sure to check out the liners for the band's spoken-word history via a transcript of interviews conducted by Kak-Ola compiler Alec Palao.
by Doug Sheppard

Gary Lee Yoder passed away on August 7, 2021 at the age of 75.
Tracks
1. HCO 97658 (Gary Lee Yoder, Gary Grelecki, Dehner Patten, Joe Dave Damrell, Chris Lockheed) - 1:40
2. Everything's Changing (Gary Lee Yoder, Gary Grelecki) - 4:07
3. Electric Sailor (Gary Lee Yoder, Dehner Patten, Joe Dave Damrell, Chris Lockheed) - 3:08
4. Disbelievin' (Gary Lee Yoder) - 4:00
5. I've Got Time (Gary Lee Yoder) - 3:41
6. Flowing By (Gary Lee Yoder, Gary Grelecki) - 3:58
7. Bryte 'N' Clear Day (Gary Lee Yoder, Gary Grelecki) - 3:47
8. Trieulogy  a. Golgotha/b. Mirage/c. Rain (Gary Lee Yoder, Gary Grelecki) - (8:12)
9. Lemonaide Kid (Gary Lee Yoder) - 5:56
10.Rain (Gary Lee Yoder, Gary Grelecki) - 2:06
11.Everything's Changing (Gary Lee Yoder, Gary Grelecki) - 2:54
12.I've Got Time (Gary Lee Yoder) - 2:06
13.Medley: Bye Bye / Easy Jack (Gary Lee Yoder) - 4:14
14.Bryte 'N' Clear Day (Gary Lee Yoder, Gary Grelecki) - 6:10
15.Medley: Mirage / Rain (Gary Lee Yoder, Gary Grelecki) - 5:53
16.When Love Comes In (Gary Lee Yoder) - 2:50
17.I Miss You (Gary Lee Yoder) - 3:59
18.Lonely People Blues (Gary Lee Yoder) - 4:16
19.Flight From The East (Gary Lee Yoder) - 4:13
20.Good Time Music (Gary Lee Yoder) - 2:20
Bonus Tracks 10-20
Tracks 16-20 as Gary Lee Yoder

Kak
*Gary Lee Yoder - Lead Vocals, Rhythm, Acoustic Guitars
*Christopher Lockheed - Drums, Tabla, Harpsichord, Maracas, Vocals
*Dehner Patten - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Joe Dave Damrell - Bass, Sitar, Tambourine, Vocals
With
*Billie Barnum - Backing Vocals (Tracks 19,20)
*Jim Keylor - Bass (Tracks 16,17,19,20) 
*Ralph Burns Kellogg - Bass, Keyboards (Track 18)
*Paul Whaley - Drums (Tracks 16-20)
*Richard Berger - Flute (Track 17)
*Bruce Stephens - Guitar (Tracks 16-18)
*Bryn Haworth - Guitar (Tracks 19,20)
*Pete Sears - Keyboards (Tracks 19,20)

Related Acts

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Tuesday, December 20, 2022

Iota - Iota (1971 us, rough fuzzy heavy psych rock, 2003 reissue)



Originally formed in El Paso in the late 60s, this Texan four-piece soon relocated to Memphis and released a couple of singles. Finding that their sound and lyrics were apparently too strong and dark for the times, the band broke up in 1972 leaving behind only a thin legacy. This CD compiles ten songs for a half hour of vintage, rough psychedelic rock, sometimes not far off from Blue Cheer, sometimes more laid-back like many of their contemporaries.

Mark Evans' guitar work ranges from pure fuzzed-out riffing to mildly funkified wah scratches, while Steve Phipps' organ distinguishes the group from many of the dual guitar outfits of the time. Being the band leader and singer, it's perhaps not surprising that Carl Neer's bass lines are often mixed higher than usual for this sort of band, while Rick Ramaka's drums get the job done rhythmically.

The delicate guitar picking during the first bars of "Precincts" soon expands into classic 70s psych, with expansive keyboards and vocals that are nearly-but-not-quite over the top. When the guitar kicks into the lead, it's got the perfect fuzz tone, on the edge of breaking up completely. One of the best songs here, "Love Come Wicked" sports deep riffing, cool organ, and vocals perhaps mildly reminiscent of early Deep Purple. The burning guitar lead in the middle is really something.

Heavier rock filled with distorted guitar and a blues-derived riff, "Glympses" leads into the slower, dark-tinged bit of psych aptly titled "R.I.P." The doo-wah chorus of "Better Place" feels somewhat different, with a vaguely funky feel, while "Bottle Baby" will make you nod your head to the thick bass riff and staccato organ.

The rest of the brief collection includes the spacious feel of "Sing For You" and "The Words Are True," with strong organ and a really compressed distorted guitar sound. "I'm Gonna Be a Man" is a more traditional late 60s garage rock tune, while "Our Love so Warm" is the most "of-its-time" song, a paisley-covered psych tune complete with pure '60s-era vocal harmonies and jangly guitars.

Great to have Shadoks pulling out items like this from various label archives. This one's a pretty welcome find, whether you're looking for some pretty heavy fuzz-riffs or flower-power psych. Shame it's only thirty minutes, but then, that's all there was to find, which is better than nothing!
by Mason Jones
Tracks
1. Precincts - 3:39
2. Glympses - 2:34
3. R.I.P. - 3:18
4. Love Come Wicked - 2:26
5. Bottle Baby - 4:02
6. Sing For You2:49
7. Better Place - 2:23
8. The Words Are True - 4:11
9. I'm Gonna Be A Man - 2:47
10.Our Love So Warm - 2:21
All songs by Carl Neer

Iota
*Mark Evans - Guitar
*Carl Neer - Bass, Guitar
*Steve Phipps - Keyboards
*Rick Ramaka - Drums 

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Monday, December 19, 2022

James Gang - Miami (1974 us, energetic, muscular guitar rock)



Led by guitarist/singer Joe Walsh, The James Gang were a hard rockin’ outfit who had no problem filling out their music with only three players. When Walsh left the group at the height of their popularity to form Barnstorm, the rhythm section of bassist Dale Peters and drummer Jim Fox decided to soldier on, and expanded the group to a quartet with singer Roy Kenner and guitarist Domenic Troiano. 

After a pair of releases, Troiano left. At the suggestion of their old pal Walsh, Tommy Bolin was invited to saddle up and ride with The James Gang.

Peters recalls Bolin relocating to their home base of Cleveland, Ohio: “He was great. He just seemed like the right guy, played the right way – a spectacular guitar player. Tommy was actually relatively quiet, but the drug thing was hideous. He’d get up in the morning and take, like, 20 aspirins just to get going. When he was high he was great. But when he wasn’t he was just miserable."

Despite Bolin’s growing chemical dependency, there’s no denying that the two albums The James Gang recorded with him, 1973’s Bang and 1974’s Miami, are among the group’s finest, and are arguably among the most underrated rock releases of the 70s.
by Classic Rock, January 11, 2021 
Tracks
1. Cruisin' Down The Highway (Dale Peters, Tommy Bolin) - 3:23
2. Do It (Roy Kenner, Tommy Bolin) - 3:44
3. Wildfire (John Tesar, Tommy Bolin) - 3:35
4. Sleepwalker (John Tesar, Tommy Bolin) - 4:05
5. Miami Two-Step (Dale Peters, Jimmy Fox, Tommy Bolin) - 1:28
6. Praylude / Red Skies (Tommy Bolin) - 6:02
7. Spanish Lover (Jeff Cook, Tommy Bolin) - 3:43
8. Summer Breezes (Tommy Bolin) - 2:39
9. Head Above The Water (Dale Peters, Tommy Bolin) - 4:15

James Gang
*Roy Kenner - Lead Vocals
*Tommy Bolin - Guitars, Lead Vocals 
*Albhy Galuten - Keyboards, Piano, Synthesizer 
*Dale Peters - Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals, Percussion
*Jimmy "Jim" Fox - Drums, Backing Vocals, Percussion, Keyboards, Organ
With
*Tom Dowd - Keyboards, Piano

1969  James Gang - Yer' Album (Japan SHM remaster)
1970  James Gang - Rides Again (2010 SHM remaster)

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Sunday, December 18, 2022

Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow (1967 us, psych rock masterpiece, 2013 audiophile and 2003 xpanded edition)



The second album by Jefferson Airplane, Surrealistic Pillow was a groundbreaking piece of folk-rock-based psychedelia, and it hit like a shot heard round the world; where the later efforts from bands like the Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and especially, the Charlatans, were initially not too much more than cult successes, Surrealistic Pillow rode the pop charts for most of 1967, soaring into that rarefied Top Five region occupied by the likes of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and so on, to which few American rock acts apart from the Byrds had been able to lay claim since 1964.

And decades later the album still comes off as strong as any of those artists' best work. From the Top Ten singles "White Rabbit" and "Somebody to Love" to the sublime "Embryonic Journey," the sensibilities are fierce, the material manages to be both melodic and complex (and it rocks, too), and the performances, sparked by new member Grace Slick on most of the lead vocals, are inspired, helped along by Jerry Garcia (serving as spiritual and musical advisor and sometimes guitarist). Every song is a perfectly cut diamond, too perfect in the eyes of the bandmembers, who felt that following the direction of producer Rick Jarrard and working within three- and four-minute running times, and delivering carefully sung accompaniments and succinct solos, resulted in a record that didn't represent their real sound. 

They did wonderful things with the music within that framework, and the only pity is that RCA didn't record for official release any of the group's shows from the same era, when this material made up the bulk of their repertory. That way the live versions, with the band's creativity unrestricted, could be compared and contrasted with the record. The songwriting was spread around between Marty Balin, Slick, Paul Kantner, and Jorma Kaukonen, and Slick and Balin (who never had a prettier song than "Today," which he'd actually written for Tony Bennett) shared the vocals; the whole album was resplendent in a happy balance of all of these creative elements, before excessive experimentation (musical and chemical) began affecting the band's ability to do a straightforward song. The group never made a better album, and few artists from the era ever did. 
by Bruce Eder

The Jefferson Airplane’s second LP, Surrealistic Pillow, gave notice that San Francisco in 1967 was the epicenter of the counterculture, even more so than swinging London. Established Bay Area bands such as the Grateful Dead and Quicksilver Messenger Service already existed, but Surrealistic Pillow gained AM radio play with “Somebody to Love,” which brought Jefferson Airplane and the Summer of Love into many American households.

Jefferson Airplane had already released a debut, Jefferson Airplane Takes Off, the year before. Something in the air seemed to inject more experimentation and radicalism into music, and the group took a big leap with their second record. The band solidified its new sound (slightly harder-edged but retaining folk-rock elements) when it hired vocalist Grace Slick and drummer Spencer Dryden. Surrealistic Pillow comes on tougher and more focused than the band’s debut, and plays to the instrumental strengths of guitarist Jorma Kaukonen and bassist Jack Casady.

Significant sonic differences distinguish the original mono edition from the stereo version. The latter format has a heavier layer of echo. The mono uses the effect more judiciously, and some tracks vary in other ways, such as the more pronounced bass on “Comin’ Back to Me.” Mobile Fidelity’s choice to release the album in mono on two LPs cut at 45RPM is the correct aesthetic choice since it happens to be the best way to hear this music.

More importantly, the new pressing registers a distinct improvement over the original. Guitar tones come through with better clarity, the bass features extra heft, and the vocals are more clearly separated. The tones of Dryden’s drums on the intro of “She Has Funny Cars” feel more distinct, and the slight amount of fuzz tone added to Casady’s bass registers with striking clarity. On the original, when Slick and Marty Balin harmonize, their voices are crammed together, but here, it’s much easier to hear each singer.

Similarly, the voices on the wonderful folk-rock tune “My Best Friend” feel richer and harmonically deeper on the Mobile Fidelity, and Casady’s more audible, firmer bass gives the track a stronger foundation. Kaukonen’s electric-guitar lines ring truer and the acoustic guitar playing possesses added drive. In addition, the acoustic guitars on “Today” sound more resonant and warm, the tambourine in the background is less aggressively splashy than on the earlier pressing, and Dryden’s percussion more dramatically builds on the Mobile Fidelity.

The reissue also gives more space for the rock tunes to spread out, which makes it easy to hear each of the vocalists on “3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds” and lets all the guitar parts bloom. Slick’s vocal on “White Rabbit” is more expressive, and Kantner’s rhythm guitar strikes have a slightly sharper echo behind them that firms up the arrangement. Balin’s vocal on “Plastic Fantastic Lover” conveys the snarl of the original, but the sibilance is tamed and, as a result, he sounds less self-righteous.

I also compared the Mobile Fidelity with the 33RPM mono pressing Sundazed released in 2003. Overall, the Sundazed sounds very good, less bright than the original and nicely balanced. However, as soon as I played “Somebody to Love” on the Mobile Fidelity and could more clearly visualize where Paul Kantner’s voice is placed in relation to Slick’s, just behind and in support, I knew it’s the version everyone should own—as well as more transparent, dynamic, full, and musical. Don’t miss it.
by Joe Taylor
Tracks
1. She Has Funny Cars (Jorma Kaukonen, Marty Balin) - 3:14
2. Somebody To Love (Darby Slick) - 3:00
3. My Best Friend (Skip Spence) - 3:04
4. Today (Marty Balin, Paul Kantner) - 3:03
5. Comin' Back To Me (Marty Balin)  - 5:23
6. 3/5 Of A Mile In 10 Seconds (Marty Balin) - 3:45
7. D.C.B.A.-25 (Paul Kantner) - 2:39
8. How Do You Feel (Tom Mastin)  - 3:34
9. Embryonic Journey (Jorma Kaukonen) - 1:55
10.White Rabbit (Grace Slick) - 2:32
11.Plastic Fantastic Lover (Marty Balin) - 2:39
12.In The Morning (Jorma Kaukonen) - 6:21
13.J.P.P. Mcstep B. Blues (Skip Spence) - 2:37
14.Go To Her (Version Two) (Paul Kantner, Irving Estes) - 4:02
15.Come Back Baby (Traditional) - 2:56
16.Somebody To Love (Darby Slick) - 2:58
17.White Rabbit (Grace Slick) / D.C.B.A.-25 - 5:21
Bonus Tracks 13-17 only on 2003 expanded edition

Jefferson Airplane
*Marty Balin - Vocals, Guitar, Lead Vocals Cars", "My Best Friend" And "Go To Her"
*Jack Casady - Bass Guitar, Fuzz Bass, Rhythm Guitar
*Spencer Dryden - Drums, Percussion
*Paul Kantner - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals, 
*Jorma Kaukonen - Lead Guitar, Vocals 
*Grace Slick - Vocals, Piano, Organ, Recorder, Lead Vocals 
With
*Jerry Garcia - Guitar (Tracks 4,5,11,12,13)

1966  Jefferson Airplane - Takes Off (2013 audiophile remaster)
Related Acts
1972  Hot Tuna - Burgers (2012 audiophile Vinyl replica)  

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Saturday, December 17, 2022

Chicken Shack - Roadies Concerto (1981 uk, tough boogie rock, 2015 release)



In 1981 Stan Webb had possibly found the most prolific of all of his line-ups with basically an all-star line-up of bluesrock royalty:Stan Webb, the master - guitars and vocals Paul Butler (ex-Jellybread) - guitars, vocals Ric Lee (ex-Ten Yeasr After) - drums, Allan Scott - bass, Tony Ashton (ex-Ashton, Gerdner & Dyke) - keyboards, vocals.This Roadies Concerto recording displays the mastery of this assembly of exceptional musicians - a gatheriing of the tribes! Rarely ever Chicken Shack played in such perfection.In this line-up they undertook a very successful toru of Europe, esp. Germany ... they blew everybody's mind!
Tracks
1. Tell Me (Chester Burnett) - 5:07
2. Why I Sing The Blues (Riley King, Dace Clark) - 2:03
3. Back Door Man (Willie Dixon) - 7:00
4. Black Night (Stan Webb) - 5:59
5. So Far Back (Stan Webb) - 6:38
6. The End (Stan Webb) - 4:13
7. Poor Boy (Stan Webb) - 4:32
8. Shake Your Money Maker (Elmore James) - 4:02
9. Hideaway (Freddy King, Sonny Thompson) - 1:24

Chicken Shack
*Tony Ashton - Keyboards
*Paul Butler - Guitar, Vocals 
*Ric Lee - Drums
*Allan Scott - Bass
*Stan Webb - Guitar, Vocals 

1968  40 Blue Fingers, Freshly Packed And Ready To Serve (2013 reissue)

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Friday, December 16, 2022

Hank Marvin And John Farrar - Hank Marvin And John Farrar (1973 uk / australia, nice melodic soft rock, 2007 remaster)



Paring Marvin, Welch & Farrar down to a duo of Hank Marvin and Olivia Newton-John producer John Farrar results in "So Hard to Live With," an opening track which sounds more like the Beach Boys than that veteran band did in 1973. John Farrar's original "Music Makes My Day" could be England Dan & John Ford Coley imitating Paul McCartney. "Skin Deep" changes identity yet again, but these consistent minstrels are true craftsmen and the pretty acoustic guitars match their harmonious vocals delivering music as satisfying as their discs with Bruce Welch, who co-writes the final tune, "Lord How It's Hurting" with Hank Marvin. 

The melancholy "If I Rewrote Yesterdays" is as good a tune as it is a title, it has elements of the Beach Boys and McCartney, an exquisite track for lovers of pop music. The failure of both Sire and EMI to break hit records from this crew is sad, and a loss for the music world. Progressive and psychedelic are the only way to describe "Galadriel (Spirit of Starlight)," it's just a gem of a tune deserving rediscovery. There are so many layers of sound, smart lyrics and shimmering vocal beauty that demand repeated listenings. It's a monster, and this album by two veteran musicians is an absolute find. 
by Joe Viglione
Tracks
1. So Hard To Live With - 3:34
2. Music Makes My Day (John Farrar) - 3:50
3. Skin Deep - 4:28
4. If I Rewrote Yesterday - 2:16
5. Galadriel (Spirit Of Starlight) - 6:20
6. Love Oh Love - 4:17
7. Help Me Onto Your Wagon (John Farrar) - 3:15
8. Small And Lonely Light (John Farrar, Peter Best) - 3:15
9. You Can Never Tell (Hank Marvin) - 3:37
10.Nobody Cares (Hank Marvin) - 4:52
11.Lord How It's Hurting (Bruce Welch, Hank Marvin) - 0:36
All songs by Hank Marvin, John Farrar except where stated

Musicians
*John Farrar - Guitar, Mellotron, Piano, Vocals
*Hank Marvin - Guitar, Mellotron, Piano, Vocals
*Brian Bennett - Percussion
*Trevor Spencer - Drums, Percussion
*Alan Tarney - Bass
*Bruce Welch - Vocals 
*Richard Hewson - Conductor, Orchestral Arrangements

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Thursday, December 15, 2022

Jefferson Airplane - Volunteers (1969 psych rock milestone, 2013 Audiophile remaster and 2003 xpanded)



Volunteers was different from many of the anti-war and protest albums of the ‘60s. There was no despair or condescension, but rather, it was an angry and scathing commentary about what was wrong with society and our nation. Listening to such songs as the title track and “We Can Be Together” forty years later may find them a little dated, but the passion of the lyrics and the power of the music remain.

The opening notes of the first track, “We Can Be Together,” announce a strong political statement featuring the harmonies of Slick, Balin, and Kantner. It may be a tad idealistic today, but as the ‘60s drew to a close it was a meaningful anthem. “Volunteers,” which closes the album, was a call to a generation. It was both anti-establishment and unifying, which served as a vehicle for the group to preach their political message. The music demands your attention.

I have always been attracted to The Airplane’s presentation of “Wooden Ships.” The popular version may remain that of Crosby, Stills, and Nash, but this rock interpretation of the apocalypse, Cold War, and nuclear holocaust seems more true to the song’s lyrical intent. And the Kaukonen guitar solo is brilliant.

There are certainly a number of other highlights on this album. “Eskimo Blue Day” finds a tough Grace Slick fronting a song that would look ahead to Blows Against The Empire, while “Hey Fredrick” features another of her great vocals. Jorma Kaukonen continued his creative guitar explorations on the traditional “Good Shepherd” and his own composition, “Turn My Life Down,” which would look ahead to his work with Jack Casady in Hot Tuna.

Two final comments seem in order. Marty Balin was the co-writer of only one song and his time with The Airplane as a regular member was coming to a close. He always had more pop sensibilities than the other members and, as a counterpoint, would be missed. On the other hand, the great Nicky Hopkins contributed his virtuoso piano playing to four of the tracks, which added an interesting sound to their usual mix.

Volunteers  was the last great Jefferson Airplane release. Today the album stands the test of time well. Some of the lyrical nuances may be lost on the modern listener, but it remains an essential statement four decades after its release. Historically, it is an important echo from an era, especially for people with a draft number of three.
by David Bowling, 11/17/2010
Tracks
1. We Can Be Together (Paul Kantner) - 5:48
2. Good Shepherd (Traditional) - 4:21
3. The Farm (Gary Blackman, Paul Kantner) - 3:15
4. Hey Fredrick (Grace Slick) - 8:26
5. Turn My Life Down (Jorma Kaukonen) - 2:54
6. Wooden Ships (David Crosby, Paul Kantner, Stephen Stills) - 6:24
7. Eskimo Blue Day (Grace Slick, Paul Kantner) - 6:31
8. A Song For All Seasons (Spencer Dryden) - 3:28
9. Meadowlands - 1:04
10.Volunteers (Marty Balin, Paul Kantner) - 2:02
11.Good Shepherd (Traditional) - 7:20
12.Somebody To Love (Darby Slick) - 4:10
13.Plastic Fantastic Lover (Marty Balin) - 3:21
14.Wooden Ships (David Crosby, Paul Kantner, Stephen Stills) - 7:00
15.Volunteers (Marty Balin, Paul Kantner) - 3:26
Bonus Tracks 11-15 only on 2003 edition, Recorded November 28 and 29, 1969 at the Fillmore East

Jefferson Airplane
*Grace Slick - Vocals, Piano, Organ 
*Marty Balin - Vocals, Percussion
*Paul Kantner - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
*Jorma Kaukonen - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Jack Casady - Bass
*Spencer Dryden - Drums, Percussion
With
*Nicky Hopkins - Piano (Tracks 1,4,6,8,10)
*Stephen Stills - Hammond Organ (Track 5)
*Jerry Garcia - Pedal Steel Guitar (Track 3)
*Joey Covington - Congas (Tracks 5)
*David Crosby - Sailboat (6)
*Ace Of Cups - Vocals (Tracks 3,5)
*Bill Laudner - Lead Vocals (Track 8)

1966  Jefferson Airplane - Takes Off (2013 audiophile remaster)
Related Acts
1972  Hot Tuna - Burgers (2012 audiophile Vinyl replica)  

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Wednesday, December 14, 2022

James Gang - Straight Shooter / Passin' Thru (1972 us / canada, funky country classic rock, 2004 remaster)



The rock’n’roll city of Cleveland really rocked in the company of the James Gang, the local heroes who rode the American bestsellers from the late 1960s through to the mid-1970s. Now most often remembered as the band in which Joe Walsh made his reputation, they were much more besides, as a tally of 11 chart albums underlines. The fifth of those, Straight Shooter, entered Billboard’s Top LPs survey on March 18, 1972.

The band came together in 1966, but didn’t release their first disc, Yer’ Album, until early 1969. Throughout that year, their profile continued to build, until the record entered the chart that November. Their next three releases, James Gang Rides Again, Thirds and Live In Concert, would all eventually go gold.

Then came Walsh’s departure, to form Barnstorm and move on to the solo albums that eventually led to him becoming a member of the Eagles. The two remaining James Gang members, bassist Dale Peters and drummer Jim Fox, replaced Walsh with not one, but two new players. Roy Kenner joined as chief vocalist, and Domenic Troiano became the new guitar figurehead and occasional lead singer. Both arrived from the Canadian band Bush.

Kenner and Troiano had an immediate impact on the group’s songwriting, composing four songs on Straight Shooter together. Troiano wrote another on his own, and they collaborated with Peters on three more. After this album, Troiano was on his way again, to join the Guess Who, replaced in the James Gang by Tommy Bolin, later to become part of the mid-1970s Deep Purple line-up.

Meanwhile, Straight Shooter edged into the Billboard chart at No.197, but went on to a No.58 peak. The magazine’s review noted that despite Walsh’s departure, “it has all the strengths of their previous efforts. Roy Kenner’s vocal stylings exceed the common degree of musicianship. Instrumentally they have sustained their former level of excitement.”

"Passin'" Thru is the fifth studio album by James Gang, released in October 1972, and their final album released on ABC Records (catalog no. ABCX 760). The band moved to Atco Records the next year. The scene shown on the album's cover is of East Main Street in Bismarck, North Dakota in the 1880s.
by Paul Sexton, March 18, 2022
Tracks
1. Madness - 3:12
2. Kick Back Man - 4:52
3. Get Her Back Again - 2:46 
4. Looking For My Lady - 2:53
5. Getting Old (Domenic Troiano) - 3:45
6. I'll Tell You Why (Dale Peters, Domenic Troiano) - 3:53
7. Hairy Hypochondriac (Dale Peters, Domenic Troiano, Roy Kenner) - 2:55
8. Let Me Come Home (Dale Peters, Domenic Troiano) - 5:00
9. My Door Is Open (Dale Peters, Domenic Troiano, Roy Kenner) - 5:56
10.Ain't Seen Nothing Yet (Roy Kenner) - 3:03
11.One Way Street (Domenic Troiano) - 4:35
12.Had Enough (Roy Kenner) - 2:59
13.Up To Yourself (Domenic Troiano) - 2:42
14.Everybody Needs A Hero - 6:03
15.Run Run Run - 3:44
16.Things I Want To Say To You (Domenic Troiano) - 3:40
17.Out Of Control (Domenic Troiano) - 3:38
18.Drifting Girl - 5:07
All songs by Domenic Troiano, Roy Kenner except where noted
Tracks 1-9 from "Straight Shooter" LP 1972
Tracks 10-18 from "Passin' Thru" LP 1972

James Gang
*Roy Kenner - Lead Vocals, Percussion
*Domenic Troiano - Guitars, Vocals
*Dale Peters - Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals, Percussion
*Jim Fox - Drums, Backing Vocals, Percussion, Keyboards
With
*Sheldon Kurland - Violin (Tracks 1-9)
*Glen Spreen - Strings (Tracks 1-9)
*David Briggs - Piano (Tracks 10-18)
*Charlie Mccoy - Harmonica (Tracks 10-18)
*Weldon Myrick - Pedal Steel Guitar (Tracks 10-18)
*Craig Sapphin - All Strings, Arrangements (Tracks 10-18)
*William D. "Smitty" Smith - Piano, Organ, Harpsichord (Tracks 10-18)

1969  James Gang - Yer' Album (Japan SHM remaster)
1970  James Gang - Rides Again (2010 SHM remaster)
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Tuesday, December 13, 2022

Jefferson Airplane - Thirty Seconds Over Winterland (1973 us, superb live recording, 2013 Audiophile remaster and 2009 expanded)



Thirty Seconds Over Winterland, originally released in 1973, was the final original album release from rock icons Jefferson Airplane. Captured live in concert, the album finds the early ’70s edition of the Airplane (with longtime members Grace Slick, Paul Kantner, Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady joined by jazz and blues violinist Papa John Creach, former Quicksilver Messenger Service vocalist David Freiberg and ex-Turtles drummer Johnny Barbata) at its hardest rocking. 

The unique set focuses on their then-current material while acknowledging Kaukonen and Casady’s Hot Tuna splinter group and glancing backward to Jefferson Airplane’s groundbreaking ’60s work. Although their contemporary studio albums (1971’s Bark, Long John Silver from ’72) were somewhat disjointed and the group would disband after the release of Thirty Seconds Over Winterland, Jefferson Airplane was still a unified force onstage and many fans regard this period as the Airplane’s live peak.

That statement is borne out by the music captured on this CD, recorded during Jefferson Airplane’s final shows at San Francisco’s Winterland on September 21-22, 1972 and a month earlier in Chicago. As dynamic and forward-propelled as any music they’d created during the previous seven years, the tracks released in 1973 as Thirty Seconds Over Winterland reflect a band that had both come a long way and was ready to move on.
Tracks
1. Have You Seen The Saucers (Paul Kantner) - 4:19
2. Feel So Good (Jorma Kaukonen) - 11:28
3. Crown Of Creation (Paul Kantner) - 3:24
4. When The Earth Moves Again (Paul Kantner) - 4:19
5. Milk Train (Grace Slick, Papa John Creach, Roger Spotts) - 4:01
6. Trial By Fire (Jorma Kaukonen) - 5:05
7. Twilight Double Leader (Paul Kantner) - 5:25
8. Wooden Ships (David Crosby, Paul Kantner, Stephen Stills) - 6:37
9. Long John Silver (Grace Slick, Jack Casady) - 5:32
10.Come Back Baby (Traditional) - 7:08
11.Lawman (Grace Slick) - 3:14
12.Diana/Volunteers (Grace Slick, Marty Balin, Paul Kantner) - 6:06
Bonus Tracks 8-12 only on 2009 Iconoclastic edition

Jefferson Airplane
*Jack Casady - Bass
*Paul Kantner - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
*Jorma Kaukonen - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Grace Slick - Vocals
*Papa John Creach - Electric Violin
*John Barbata - Drums, Percussion
*David Freiberg - Vocals

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

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Monday, December 12, 2022

Curly Curve - Curly Curve (1973 germany, stunning hard prog blues rock)



Curly Curve is a German rock band with roots in Berlin founded in 1968. The line-up changed a lot during their life time. In 1973 they gained a contract with Metronome Records.  The mother label of Brain. Eventually they only released one album on Brain in The Golden Era.

It is powerful blues rock with a strong American influence. Good vocals and very good musicianship. They really managed to create a own unique vibe on this album. Sometimes the music flirts with classic rock. 
Tracks
1. Hell And Booze (Charlie Prince, Chris Axel Klöber) - 4:05
2. I'm Getting Better (Jim Reeves) - 4:44
3. All Things Clear (Charlie Prince, Hans Wallbaum) - 2:20
4. Bitter Sweet (Charlie Prince, Kurt Herkenberg) - 5:59
5. Shitkicker (Charlie Prince, Martin Knaden) - 4:19
6. Dream For Today (Charlie Prince, Chris Axel Klöber) - 4:46
7. Patricia Reprise (Charlie Prince, Kurt Herkenberg) - 3:49
8. Queen Of Spades (Charlie Prince, Chris Axel Klöber) - 4:57

Curly Curve
*Hanno Bruhn - Vocals, Guitar
*Kurt Herkenberg - Bass, Vocals
*Chris Axel Klöber - Keyboards
*Martin Knaden - Guitar
*Hans Wallbaum - Drums

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