Free - Free (1969 uk, classic second album, 2001 japan hard sleeve expanded edition)

Free returned to the studio in April 1969 to begin work on their second album and already there was trouble in the camp. Rodgers and Fraser had by now formed a pretty solid songwriting partnership although they were not exactly the best of buddies. This lead to Kossoff and Kirke feeling a little less than equal as both Rodgers and Fraser had very set ideas as to how they wanted the songs to sound. In fact things got so bad at one point that Rodgers and Fraser were going to leave the band and form a duo. Kirke and Kossoff actually auditioned Overend Watts from Mott The Hoople as Fraser’s replacement and Kossoff himself even auditioned for the vacant guitarist spots in both The Rolling Stones and Jethro Tull.

On to the album itself then. Well if “Tons of Sobs” was Free’s blues album then this self titled follow up was probably their folk album. Although Rodgers still insists it’s more of a soul album. The hard powerful blues that was all over the first album is still evident in places but is more controlled. If “Tons of Sobs” was a runaway horse  then “Free” is a restrained gallop.

The album opens with ‘I’ll Be Creepin” which with it’s funky and prominent bass starts the album off in tremendous style. Just to prove the longevity of these songs Rodgers used this track to open his set on his most recent solo tour. ‘Songs Of Yesterday’ has the blues feel of the earlier album and some great Kossoff guitar, but then which of these tracks hasn’t. ‘Lying In The Sunshine’ is a similar type of song to ‘Over The Green Hills’ from the first album but with more of a soul feel. ‘Trouble On Double Time’ is the out and out blues rocker of the album and is the only track on which Kossoff and Kirke get a songwriting credit. It has a Stones like strut about it. ‘Mouthful Of Grass’ closed the first side on the original vinyl issue. Virtually an instrumental with just a choir of aaah’s it is a strangely hypnotic sort of song. It is also possibly one of the Free songs owned by the most people as it was used as the b-side to ‘All Right Now’. ‘Woman’ is classic Free at their best with a nice understated intro and a great early solo from Kossoff. It was particularly effective in a live setting and is as good as anything they ever recorded. 

Highlight for many is the lengthy almost whispering laid back folky blues track ‘Free Me’. On the live disc which comes as part of the “Songs Of Yesterday” 5-CD box set Kirke introduces this song as “….. one of our favourites actually”. It is not difficult to tell why as all put in faultless performances. Kossoff in particular pulling of one of his trademark crying solo’s. At at time when everyone was trying to be the fastest guitarist alive it is ironic that Kossoff was beginning to attract attention by doing exactly the opposite. ‘Broad Daylight’ was a bit of a throwaway song that wouldn’t have been out of place on the first album and was the first single issued by the band. ‘I’ll be Creepin’ was later released as a single but neither charted. The closing track ‘Mourning Sad Morning’ is an absolutely stunning piece of music that once again highlights Rodgers superb voice. Sounding in places like a two hundred year old folk song the unique mixture of Rodgers’ voice, Kossoff’s guitar and the haunting flute of Traffic’s Chris Wood closes the album on a melancholy but beautiful note.

It is also worth mentioning the album cover as it is one that regularly appears in classic album art coffee table books. It was designed by Ron Raffielli and is a photograph of a naked woman shot from below. This effect was obtained by Raffieli standing in a hole and having the woman stride over him. The outline of her body was then filled with stars and set against a blue sky background. The centre spread of the album featured a picture of a young woman on a beach with building blocks! Each member of the band was photographed in one of the boxes. The box which displayed the photo of Paul Rodgers was being held by the girl up to her mouth and she is blowing sand of it. One of the other members of the band later commented “Typical, the one the girl had hold of had to have Rodgers in it ……”

“Free” peaked at #22 in the UK chart which was not bad at all considering there was no hit single and not exactly masses of publicity. All that would change though in 1970 with two more classic albums, a worldwide hit and a tremendous performance at the Isle Of Wight Festival. Superstardom was indeed due to come creeping around the door very soon indeed.

by Martin Leedham, November 21, 2010

Tracks

1. I'll Be Creepin' - 3:27

2. Songs Of Yesterday - 3:33

3. Living In The Sunshine - 3:51

4. Trouble On Double Time (Andy Fraser, Paul Kossoff, Paul Rodgers, Simon Kirke) - 3:23

5. Mouthful Of Grass - 3:36

6. Woman - 3:50

7. Free Me - 5:24

8. Broad Daylight - 3:15

9. Mourning Sad Morning - 5:04

10.Broad Daylight - 3:09

11.The Worm - 3:03

12.I'll Be Creepin' - 2:47

13.Sugar For Mr Morrison - 3:01

14.Broad Daylight - 3:21

15.Songs Of Yesterday - 3:11

16.Mouthful Of Grass - 3:33

17.Woman - 4:00

18.Trouble On Double Time (Andy Fraser, Paul Kossoff, Paul Rodgers, Simon Kirke) -- 2:37

19.Mourning Sad Morning - 5:10

All songs by Andy Fraser, Paul Rodgers except where indicated

Bonus Tracks 10-19

The Free 

*Paul Rodgers - Vocals, Piano

*Paul Kossoff - Lead Guitar

*Andy Fraser - Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals

*Simon Kirke - Drums

With

Chris Wood - Flute

1969-71  Free – Live At The BBC (2006 double disc edition)

1970  Free - Fire And Water (2008 double disc)

1970  Free - Highway (2002 remastered and expanded)

1971  Free - Free Live! (2002 remaster)

1972  Free - Free At Last (2002 remaster)

1973  Free - Heartbreaker (2002 remaster) 

Related Acts
1967-69  The Magic Mixture - This The Magic Mixture (2008 extra tracks issue) 
1972/73/75/76  Paul Kossoff - Kossoff Kirke Tetsu Rabbit / Back Street Crawler / The Band Plays On / 2nd Street (2005 double disc edition) 

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Tim Davis - Take Me As I Am (Without Silver Without Gold) (1972 us, magnificent rhythm 'n' blues mild rock)

The second solo effort from Tim Davis released late 1972, titled "Take Me As I Am (Without Silver Without Gold)". A crossroad between Rock 'n' Roll, Rhythm 'n' Blues, Country and Folk. Glyn Jones took over the production, together with Tim Davis, recordings made in Nashville and San Francisco, with the companionship of top notch musicians, such as Mike Bloomfield, Boz Scaggs, Rick Jaeger (A. B. Skhy, Crowfoot), Stephen Miller (Linn County), Doug Killmer, among others.

Tracks

1. Baby Won't You Come Out Tonight (Curley Cooke) - 3:23

2. Boogie Cadillac - 4:05

3. Country Heart And Soul - 4:26

4. Only Yesterday - 2:59

5. Tomorrow Time - 3:28

6. So Hard To Make My Way - 2:48

7. Take Me As I Am (Without Silver) - 2:36

8. On The Other Hand Baby (Ray Charles, Percy Mayfield) - 4:01

9. Winter Song - 2:52

10.Get It Hot - 3:31

Music and Lyrics by Tim Davis except where noted

Musicians

*Tim Davis - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar

*Michael Bloomfield - Guitar (Tracks 4,7,8) 

*Curley Cooke - Rhythm Guitar (Tracks 1,2,7,8,12), String Finger Picking (Track 5) 

*Boz Scaggs - Guitar (Tracks 1,3,10)

*Rick Jaeger - Drums (Tracks 1,2,4,7,8,10)

*Doug Killmer - Bass (Tracks 1,2,4,7,10)

*Ben Sidran - Piano (Tracks 1,4,7)

*Pete And Coke Escovedo - Timbales, Congas (Tracks 1,7)

*John Wilmeth - Trumpet  (Track 1) 

*Mel Martin - Tenor Sax,  Bass (Track 1) Piccolo Flute (Tracks 1,7) 

*Reverend Stallings - Tenor Sax (Track 1)  

*Steven “Steve” Miller - Organ (Tracks 1,8,9) 

*Ken Adamany - Piano (Tracks 2,8,10)

*Wayne Moss - Bass (Tracks 3,5,6,9), Lead Guitar (Track 3) 

*Kenny Malone - Drums (Tracks 3,5,6,9) 

*Russ Hicks - Steel Guitar (Tracks 3,5,6) 

*Bobby Thompson - Banjo (Track 3), Rhythm Guitar (Tracks 3,6,9) 

*Charlie McCoy - Harp (Tracks 3,6,9)

*Buddy Spicher - Violin (Tracks 3,5) 

*John Harris - Piano (Tracks 5,6,9)

*Reggie, Georgie And Jamie Ente “The Third Wave” - Backing Vocals (Track 7) 

*John Kahn - Bass (Track 8) 

*Glyn Johns - Maracas (Track 10)

1972  Tim Davis - Pipe Dream

With The Steve Miller Band   

1968  Children Of The Future (2012 digipack remaster)
1968  Sailor (2012 digipack remaster)
1969  Brave New World (2012 digipack remaster)
1969  Your Saving Grace (2012 digi pack remaster)

1970  Steve Miller Band - Number 5 (2012 digipak remaster)  

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Street - Street (1968 us, wonderful psych rock)

The strong, slightly different lead voice of Anya Cohen is the main asset of Street (for- merly known as Anya's Street) and it should help the group's debut album pull healthy sales. Good arrangements and instrumental work by the group is another plus, and Street produces a varied sound that will appeal in a wide audience. Strong sides are "There': One Kind Favor," and an "If I Needed Some- one"/ "Tomorrow's A Long,  Long Time" medley, and "High Heel Sneak.

Tracks

1. Multilevular Conversational Tightrope Walkin' Shoes (Judy Fine) - 3:19

2. Boeing 707 (Rick Shorter) - 3:15

3. Some Thoughts Of A Young Man's Girl (Rick Shorter) - 2:53

4. If I Needed Someone/Tomorrow's A Long, Long Time (George Harrison/Bob Dylan) - 5:55

5. See See Rider (John Williamson, Michael Lynne, Rick Shorter) - 2:56

6. What A Strange Town (Rick Shorter) - 6:04

7. It's Hard To Live On Promises (Rick Shorter) - 3:10

8. There's One Kind Favor (Anya Cohen, Rick Shorter) - 2:58

9. High Heel Sneakers (Robert Higginbotham) - 2:53

Street

*Will Betz - Bass, Electric Guitar

*Al Camardo - Percussion

*Tom Champion - Drums, Percussion

*Anya Cohen - Vocals, Percussion, Tambourine

*Michael Lynn - Bass, Acoustic, Electric Guitars, Vocals

*John Williamson - Bass, Electric Guitar, Vocals

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Tim Davis - Pipe Dream (1972 us, splendid rhythm 'n' blues psych folk country rock)

Drummer Tim Davis was playing with a band in Madison, WI, in the mid-'60s when a friend from the University of Wisconsin, guitarist/singer Steve Miller, asked him to try forming a blues band with him and another friend, James "Curly" Cooke, in San Francisco. Thus was born what was then known as the Steve Miller Blues Band in 1966. Davis stuck with Miller through those difficult early days -- when there wasn't much paid work or money -- through early appearances supporting Chuck Berry on his Fillmore West live album and at the Monterey Pop Festival. 

They landed a recording contract soon after, and Davis was the band's drummer and percussionist - and also contributed backing vocals on their first five albums, including Brave New World and Number 5. He also managed to work in some playing with the Jefferson Airplane, most notably on the Crown of Creation sessions, during this period. He later played with Ben Sidran, in addition to cutting his own album, Pipe Dream -- featuring contributions from Cooke and the Grateful Dead's Donna Jean Godchaux -- in 1972. 

by Bruce Eder

Tracks

1. On The Rocks - 2:47

2. Don't Mention The Ladies Name - 3:11

3. Nothing Is The Same (Curley Cooke) - 3:39

4. Boogie Woogie F.C.B. - 3:13

5. To Sailors Son - 5:04

6. Love Has Come - 3:59

7. I've Always Tried To Please You (Steve Miller) - 3:18

8. Buzzy Brown (Curley Cooke) - 3:36

9. Sunday (Curley Cooke) - 2:22

10.Beatle Blues - 0:30

11.Rich Kid Blues (Terry Reid) - 3:46

All songs by Tim Davis except where indicated

Personnel

*Tim Davis - Vocals

*Bill Meeker - Drums 

*Donna Thatcher - Vocal 

*Doug Killmer - Bass

*Hart McNee - Saxophone, Flute 

*John McFee - Guitar 

*John Wilmeth - Trumpet 

*Linda Tillary - Vocals, Drums

*Lonnie Turner - Bass 

*Mike Finnigan - B3 Hammond organ  

*Richard Olson - Guitar, Bass  

*Sonny Lewis - Saxophone, Flute

*Stephen Miller - Keyboards 

*Tracy Nelson - Vocals

*Peter Minton

With The Steve Miller Band
1968  Children Of The Future (2012 digipack remaster)
1968  Sailor (2012 digipack remaster)
1969  Brave New World (2012 digipack remaster)
1969  Your Saving Grace (2012 digi pack remaster)

1970  Steve Miller Band - Number 5 (2012 digipak remaster)  

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Gentlehood - Gentlehood (1973 us, pleasing well harmonized folk rock)

Soft unique rocker from this strong harmony oriented three-man US band with impressed soft-to-up-tempo hooks.

Recorded early seventies at Hollywood Sound Recorders, with the support of The Wrecking Crew featuring, Hal Blaine, Joe Osborn among others.

Tracks

1. Oh My - 4:22

2. He Said She Said - 3:11

3. Bridges On Progress Day - 3:09

4. Jacob Salk - 3:25

5. Closer To Me - 3:43

6. Can I Be Your Man - 2:54

7. Finally Home - 3:02

8. America Oui, Oui - 4:34

9. Hey John - 3:09

10.Life Performances Of Hymn - 3:31

Words and Music by Tony Russo, Stan Khanzadian, Tom Fiegel

Gentlehood

*Stan Khanzadian - Vocals

*Tom Feigel - Vocals, Guitar

*Tony Russo - Vocals, Guitar

With

*Hal Blaine  - Drums

*Kathi Grande  - Vocals

*Janet Laing  - Viola

*Dann Mather  - Bass

*Joe Osborn  - Bass

*Gene Pello  - Drums

*Phil Sawyer  - Piano 

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Elysian Field - Elysian Field (1968-71 us, exceptional garage psych classic mainstream rock)

Released as the third part in the Louisville Music series by the Florida-based GearFab Records, this recording contains the work of a band that evolved from Soul, Inc. (featured on the first two of GearFab's Louisville series) in 1968. According to Rick Mattingly's concise liner notes, Marvin Maxwell, Frank Bugbee and Jim Settle left Soul, Inc. to pursue a different musical vision. Throughout their history, the band altered membership by adding (and, other times, subtracting) Gary Johnson, Mark Miceli, Dennis Ledford, Rudy Helm, Steve McNicol and Denny Lile.

While the sound quality of the selections is a little rough since they were dubbed directly from aging Mylar (and two were copied directly from test acetates found in Maxwell's home), you can still sample a band that searched for a sound it couldn't seem to lock in. That's important because Elysian Field was always daring itself to go for something different. You can hear The Jam do the same thing in their Greatest Hits recording. It contains tracks from the band's inception as a punk trio in the UK, then its move into new wave, then horn-based soul, then pop.

This volume of Elysian Field is different, however, because it documents an effort and, like classical mythology, it also teaches. It is a dispatch to musicians in the future. The messages? Try. Play.

The band's lineups throughout its three years as a loose unit are key to how the tracks are arranged in the recording. It opens with the tunes recorded when the band included its best-known lineup of Maxwell, Settle, Ledford, Miceli and Lile, at the center of its relatively short career. The sound then was at once rough and rootsy ("You Again" or "Good Time Living"), cut with shards of slick psychedelia and proto-punk attitude ("Mother Hate," "I Think I Can't Live Without You").

The center third of the recording contains material from the Field's early days in 1969, when the songs were filled with walls of sound encasing lush strings and horns (borrowed from the Louisville Orchestra), sweeping harp runs, harpsichords and some lovely harmonies. Imperial Records, the label that had signed them, wanted to mold them into a unit similar to Dennis Yost and the Classics IV, the lite rock band of their day. While the songs were lovely, their style was derivative, shown in "Strange Changes" with is lounge-samba rhythm and "Alone on Your Doorstep," about an obsessive guy who waits out his unrequited love on the porch of the woman he wants. It may rank up next to "Turn Around, Look At Me" by The Vogues as a stalker's anthem. When the band obviously found more energy and something worthwhile with the harsh sound illustrated in the opening tracks, Imperial cancelled their contract.

The drastic change in style shown in the first portion of the collection mellows in the final third into relaxed southern rock in the manner of The Allman Brothers. Acoustic instruments erase the fuzzy electric guitars, harpsichords and horns from the earlier sound, while the piano becomes an integral part of the rhythm section. There's a vocal melody and harmony as big as the outdoors in "Canada," gritty guitar boogie in "Revolution's in the Air" and soaring beauty in "Sundown Red," a Steve McNicol composition on which he sings lead.

In Greek mythology the Elysian Fields were the delightful place of blessed repose after death. They were the lush afterlife home to heroes, poets, priests and generally nice folks, especially those who helped others. We are now able to hear Elysian Field's experimentation with divergent styles that, for fans and the curious, gives a satisfactory retrospective of the substantial musical talent this city had more than 30 years ago. But for young musicians, it's a lesson plan. 

by Tim Roberts, March 2000

Tracks

1. Mother Hate (Dennis Ledford) - 2:51

2. You Again (Dennis Ledford, Jim Settle) - 2:45

3. Didn't It Feel Good (Marvin Maxwell) - 2:48

4. Reservation (H. Aimes, R. O'Neil) - 2:25

5. I Think I Can't Live Without You (H. Aimes, R. O'Neil) - 3:02

6. I Hate You (Mark Miceli) - 2:51

7. Good Time Living (Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil) - 2:52

8. Bed Of Roses (Prince Bouie, James Cobb) - 1:41

9. 24 Hours Of Loneliness (Prince Bouie, James Cobb) - 2:01

10.Strange Changes (Prince Bouie, James Cobb) - 1:43

11.Kind Of Man (Jim Settle, Frank Bugbee) - 2:43

12.Alone On Your Doorstep (Frank Bugbee) - 2:18

13.Old Oak Tree (Frank Bugbee, Jim Settle) - 2:55

14.Keep Her (Rudy Helm, Jim Settle) - 4:01

15.Canada (Mark Miceli) - 4:54

16.On My Way (Steve McNicol) - 3:56

17.Revolution's In The Air (Rudy Helm, Jim Settle) - 4:00

18.Let The Music Take You Down (Steve McNicol) - 4:45

19.Still I Want You (Rudy Helm) - 1:53

20.Man On Fire (Mark Miceli) - 3:42

21.Sundown Red (Steve McNicol) - 3:25

Elysian Field

*Dennis Ledford - Guitar

*Jim Settle - Bass, Vocals

*Marvin Maxwell - Drums

*Mark Miceli - Guitar

*Frank Bugbee - Guitar

*Steve McNicol - Guitar

*Rudy Helm - Bass

*Denny Lile - Bass

*Gary Johnson - Bass, Vocals 

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Ethos - Ardour (1976 us, amazing prog rock, 2009 japan remaster)

For their 1976 debut album "Ardour", released on the prestigious Capitol Records, Ethos proved themselves the equal of their British progressive counterparts. The band combined the tried and true blueprints for success pioneered by Yes, King Crimson, Gentle Giant and Genesis with their own unique Anglo-American slant. When Ethos released "Adour" the band was a five piece ensemble boasting two flashy keyboardists in Duncan Hammond (organ, synthesizer, piano, ellophonium, voices, Mellotron) and Michael Ponczek (organ, synthesizer, Chamberlain).

But for their 1977 follow-up - "Open Up" - the band paired down to four: Wil Sharpe (guitars, mandolin, vocals), Brad Stephenson (bass and bass pedals, vocals), Mark Richards (drums, percussion, effects), and Michael Ponczek assumed sole responsibility for keyboards.

Ethos possessed the uncanny ability to mesh the pastoral textures, sonic dynamics, and the sophisticated syncopation and complex time signatures of early Yes, King Crimson, and Gentle Giant without succumbing to the outright mimicry of a band like Starcastle, who were tagged with the unflattering 'YES-light' label early in their career. Ethos were undeniably a symphonic progressive rock band, yet established their own distinctive harder edged style thanks in no small part to lead vocalist and primary songwriter Will Sharpe, who did not try to parrot the vocal styling of either Jon Anderson, Greg Lake, or Peter Gabriel to favor grace with fans of British progressive rock.

The interplay between Sharpe's guitar and Michael Ponczak's moody Chamberlain (an electro-mechanical keyboard instrument similar to the Mellotron) converged as a haunting reminder of the early Crimson classics "In The Court Of The Crimson King" and "In The Wake Of Poseidon". So comparisons to early Crimson are not without merit.

In fact when asked why Ethos ultimately broke up Will Sharpe writes in the linear notes of the CD "Relics": "We desperately wanted to become the American response to King Crimson, but America didn't want a response."

Echoes of Crimson's "21st Century Schizoid Man" and "Pictures Of A City" are ever present throughout the the first track "Pimp City".

"Memories" employes the moody ethereal Chamberlain washes, in much the same way as Ian McDonald manipulates his Mellotron on the Crimson ballad "I Talk To The Wind", then the tune abruptly soars into the cosmos with a sequence of otherworldly beeps and blips from Ponzek's Mini and Polly-Moog.

"Player Of The Game" begins with extraneous studio noodling and chatter before ripping into some creative syncopated instrumental interplay and complex tempo changes courtesy of drummer extraordinaire Mark Richards and bassist Brad Stephenson. I'm reminded of Pink Floyd's "Money".

"Start Anew" brings back memories of the first time I experienced "The YES Album" with Chris Squire's ferocious Rickenbacker 4001 bass licks and Steve Howes blistering guitar work. Will Sharpe and Brad Stephenson share that same symbiotic relationship as Squire and Howe. The tune picks up even more kinetic energy as it progresses channeling elements of Frank Zappa and Happy The Man during the instrumental interlude.

"U.V. Melody" is a 32 second snippet performed with Chamberlain flutes, evoking images of the Renaissance Age and a band of traveling troubadours. Comparable to Gryphon, Focus, and Gentle Giant.

"Marathon II" borrows heavily from their earlier tune "Everyman" from the "Adour" album, dominated by Michael Ponzek's regal Chamberlain and Will Sharpe vocals. "Sedona" is a hypnotic dreamlike ballad you might expect to hear on Pete Sinfield's soothing debut album "Still". We are whisked away courtesy of Sharpe's classical nylon guitar and Ponzek's soaring synths and orchestral Chamberlain arrangement. Quite easy to imagine yourself sitting on a deserted beach, bare toes in the sand, sipping coconut milk while a brisk tropic breeze blows gently on your face, without a care in the world.

The album saves the best for last - "Close Your Eyes", a killer powerhouse track drenched with eerie Fripp-style guitar distortion, creative tempo shifts, awash with symphonic Chamberlain sweeps, and some of the flashiest portamento Moog solos this side of Kit Watkins or Patrick Moraz.

This is amazing music that deserves to be experienced by all fans of the genre. Unfortunately the album remains securely locked in the vaults of Capitol Records, and quite doubtful that it will ever be re-issued. Although it was released on CD for a short time in Japan so you might be fortunate enough to secure a copy on Ebay, Amazon, or specialty shops like Greg Walker's Syn-Phonic Music (Japanese Tachika Mini LP Sleeve).

Based on the sheer number of groups dabbling in prog/rock during the mid to late 70s' it was indeed a most productive time for the genre. But by the time the American artists dipped their toe in the progressive waters the popularity was on the wane. Even YES and Genesis were streamlining their approach to become more commercially accessible as the 80s' approached.

The groundswell support for the disco revolution - spurred on by the blockbuster film "Saturday Night Fever" - as well as the burgeoning underground punk scene sounded the death knell for the upstart American progressive groups at the close of the decade. And as a result brilliant bands like Ethos are reduced to little more than a footnote in the history of the genre - or worse yet - completely forgotten.

Don't allow the memory or music of Ethos to dissolve into oblivion. Seek out the three Ethos albums: "Adour", "Open Up" or "Relics" and add them to your collection. You won't be disappointed.

by Joseph Shingler on January 6th, 2012

Tracks

1. Intrepid Traveller - 6:19

2. Space Brothers - 6:11

3. Everyman - 5:00

4. Atlanteans - 7:08

5. The Spirit Of Music - 3:54

6. Longdancer - 5:21

7. The Dimension Man - 7:56

8. E'Mocean (Mark Richards) - 4:35

All compositions by Wil Sharpe except where noted

Ethos

*Wil Sharpe - Acoutic, Electric Guitars, Voice, Mandolin

*Michael Ponczek – Mini Moog, Poly Moog, Hammond Organ, Chamberlin, Rhodes Piano

*Mark Richards - Percussions

*Brad Stephenson - Bass, Voice

*Steve Marra - Vocals, Bass, Flute

*Duncan Hammond - Organ, Synthesizer, Piano, Ellophonium, Voices, Mellotron

1973-75  Ethos - Relics  

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Pete Townshend And Ronnie Lane - Rough Mix (1977 uk, awesome classic roots rock, 2006 digipak remaster)

It’s almost impossible to avoid describing Rough Mix as devotional music, but it’s equally difficult to reconcile that description with some of the album’s components. Townshend’s stinging guitar on “My Baby Gives It Away,” the chugging. Faces-like title instrumental and the wailing saxophone coda on Lane’s Fifties-style “Catmelody” are hardly typical of spiritual music. But then matters meditative have never before been fully integrated into the ugly, angry sounds we call rock & roll. Their juxtaposition here, in fact, might be one meaning of Rough Mix; it certainly ain’t smooth.

The Who’s Townshend and former Face Lane come by their rock & roll inclinations honestly, and obviously, but spiritual inclination is their long suit here. Both men are followers of Meher Baba, the Indian spiritual master who died in 1969, and this has given the album a sort of humility — not to say modesty — which is its special virtue.

Not surprisingly, almost everything Townshend does here owes a debt to the Who. “My Baby Gives It Away” is one of his improbable sexual misadventures, like “I’m a Boy” or “Pictures of Lily.” “Misunderstood” is more understated musically — just voice, guitar, harmonica, cowbell and a drum machine — but belongs with his best boasts, in the tradition of “My Generation.” “Just one want to be misunderstood/Want to be feared in my neighborhood.” Ten years ago, this probably would have been called a Dylan parody, but the resolution of the lyric is actually a lot closer to the self-doubt of The Who by Numbers.

“Street in the City” is helped by Townshend’s marvelous acoustic guitar, but it is dominated by an utterly unlikely horn and string arrangement. It is schmaltzy enough to pass for an outtake from Days of Future Passed, and as the album’s longest track, it is simply its most vexing.

“Keep Me Turning” is a spiritual parable that is undoubtedly much clearer to its author than to any other listener. The organ, guitar and drum interplay makes the song exciting, but what draws me back time and again is the yearning and vulnerable quality of Townshend’s vocal. This is spiritual rock & roll in the very best sense: it doesn’t always make sense except in the heart, which won’t ignore it. Its wit and charm strike beyond the confusion of its verses to the heart of the chorus, where the devotional imagery is most complete, and the guitar part at the bridge, which is among the most supple and liquid Townshend has ever done.

Lane’s songs reflect his recent work with Slim Chance; his last album, which has not been released in the U.S., had a hint (“Harvest Home”) of what is fully realized here. Lane has moved past straight rock & roll — although he makes his share of it on “Catmelody” and “Rough Mix” — into a merger of rock with Irish ballads and Scottish and English folk music. There is a kind of wisdom and assurance to these songs, and when he sings, “God bless us all,” or, of “all of my family and all of my friends,” he does so with sincere conviction. More wonderfully, there is no distance, no sense of trying to recapture something lost in a modern age. In addition, as John Prine once said of Jackson Browne. I don’t know where Lane gets his melodies. but I’d sure like to go there.

Lane makes his music with guitars, fiddles, banjos, drums, harmonica, electric bass. Although that sounds like a formula for folk rock, there is nothing of the haunted quality or joyousness of the greatest folk rock. Instead, there is a meditative air to the music, captured eloquently in the opening verse of his best song here, “Annie”.

What Lane does is hardly unprecedented. Dylan’s soundtrack to Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, Eric Clapton’s 461 Ocean Boulevard, even Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” share a part of its wise and ancient spirit. (Clapton brings a blues guitar to “April Fool” that is its prettiest touch.) Townshend has made his share of songs with a similar feeling — silly as it was, The Who by Numbers’ “Blue, Red and Grey” had it — as has Lane himself: listen to the Faces’ “Debris.” What’s important is that the dedication and beauty of the music is as crucial as the homage it pays to its masters and traditions.

So the final numbers on Rough Mix, among the few true collaborations on the record, have a special flavor. Don Williams’ “‘Til the Rivers All Run Dry” is a country love song, but in this context — and considering Baba’s love for Jim Reeves’ “There’s a Heartache Following Me,” which Townshend did on his first solo album — it is clearly a tribute to the master.

“Heart to Hang Onto,” written by Townshend but on which Lane sings the verses and Townshend the choruses, wears an even thinner veil. There’s a brutal war going on in the song’s midsection between Townshend’s Tommy-like guitar and John Entwistle’s brass arrangement. This is the perfect musical expression of the cosmic quest — this is the real “The Seeker.” The lesson here is stated through a series of metaphorical characters, the most tragic of whom is Danny: “Danny, he wants to save for a new guitar/He’s gonna learn to play but he won’t get far.” Implicitly, Danny’s not going anywhere because he hasn’t made the connection; he has no “heart to hang onto,” which is to say he lacks the spirit to make the music move.

The glory of this album and of the work of Pete Townshend and Ronnie Lane throughout their careers is that art and the deepest spiritual aspiration are completely intertwined. Often, of course, that makes for a rough mix, and a rougher life. But it’s worth the turbulence, for it touches closer to the heart of the rock & roll experience than almost anything I know.

by Dave Marsh, October 6, 1977 

Tracks

1. My Baby Gives It Away (Pete Townshend) - 4:03

2. Nowhere to Run (Ronnie Lane) - 3:17

3. Rough Mix (Pete Townshend, Ronnie Lane) - 3:12

4. Annie (Eric Clapton, Kate Lambert, Ronnie Lane) - 2:56

5. Keep Me Turning (Pete Townshend) - 3:46

6. Catmelody (Kate Lambert, Ronnie Lane) - 3:12

7. Misunderstood (Pete Townshend) - 3:01

8. April Fool (Ronnie Lane) - 3:34

9. Street in the City (Pete Townshend) - 6:07

10.Heart to Hang Onto (Pete Townshend) - 4:28

11.Till the Rivers All Run Dry (Don Williams, Wayland Holyfield) - 3:54

12.Only You (Ronnie Lane) - 4:29

13.Good Question (Pete Townshend) - 3:34

14.Silly Little Man (Ronnie Lane) - 3:44

Musicians

*Ronnie Lane - Vocals, Guitars, Mandolins, Bass Guitars, Banjos, Ukuleles 

*Pete Townshend - Vocals, Guitars, Mandolins, Bass Guitars, Banjos, Ukuleles

*Charlie Hart - Violin (Track 4)

*John Entwistle - Horns (Track 10), Vocal (Track 11)

*Mel Collins - Saxophones (Track 6)

*Peter Hope Evans - Harmonica (Tracks 2,7)

*Benny Gallagher - Accordion (Track 4)

*John "Rabbit" Bundrick - Organ, Fender Rhodes (Tracks 2,3,5,10)

*Ian Stewart - Piano (Track 6)

*Eric Clapton - Electric Guitar (Track 3), Acoustic Guitar (Track 4), Dobro (Tracks 8,11)

*Graham Lyle - Twelve-String Guitar (Track 4)

*Dave Markee - Double Bass (Tracks 4,8)

*Boz Burrell - Bass Guitar (Tracks 10,11)

*Henry Spinetti - Drums (Tracks 2,3,5,10,11)

*Charlie Watts - Drums (Tracks 1,6)

*Julian Diggle - Percussion (Track 7)

*Billy Nicholls - Vocal Help (Track 11)

*Edwin Astley - Orchestrations (Track 9)

*Tony Gilbert - Orchestral Leader (Track 9)

*Charles Vorsanger - Principal Second Violin (Track 9)

*Steve Shingles - Principal Viola (Track 9)

*Chris Green - Principal Cello (Track 9)

*Chris Laurence - Principal Bass (Track 9)

Related Acts

1965-69  Small Faces - The Immediate Years (four discs box, 1st edition)
1967  Small Faces - Green Circles / First Immediate Album (rare Sequel release)
1968  The Small Faces - Ogden's Nut Gone Flake (2006 three disc box set)
1974-76  Ronnie Lane And Slim Chance - Ooh La La An Island Harvest (2014 double disc)  

1965  My Generation (two disc japan SHM-CD remaster)
1966  A Quick One (japan SHM-CD double disc box remaster)
1967  Sell Out (double disc japan SHM expanded edition)

1968  The Who - Live At Fillmore East

1971  The Who - Who's Next (Japan SHM)  

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Felix Pappalardi - Don't Worry Ma (1979 us, excellent amalgam of rhythm 'n' blues and classic rock, 2004 edition)

The late 1970s were a strange time. Many of the movers and shakers of the previous decade and a half had believed the press releases, and taken the ‘Year Zero’ impact of punk as being real, rather than a creation of various record company marketing departments. Punk was supposed to have cleaned out the Augean stables of the music industry, sweeping away all the old rockers of the '60s and early '70s with a cleansing tide of three chord noise.

Of course it didn’t happen like that but it is amazing how many people still believe that it did. Most of the famous musicians of previous years carried on regardless, often becoming more successful post-punk than they were before, albeit with shorter haircuts and less references to Middle Earth. However, others made a definite attempt to change their MO. One such was famous bassist and producer Felix Pappalardi.

As a producer, Pappalardi is perhaps best known for his work with British psychedelic blues-rock power trio Cream, beginning with their second album, Disraeli Gears. Pappalardi has been referred to in various interviews with the members of Cream as "the fourth member of the band" as he generally had a role in arranging their music. He also played a session role on the songs he helped them record. He also produced The Youngbloods' first album.

As a musician Pappalardi is widely recognized as a bassist, vocalist and founding member of the American hard rock band/ heavy metal forerunner Mountain, a band born out of his working with future bandmate Leslie West's soul-inspired rock and roll band The Vagrants, and producing West's 1969 Mountain solo album. The band's original incarnation actively recorded and toured between 1969 and 1971. Felix produced the band's albums, and co-wrote and arranged a number of the band's songs with his wife Gail Collins and with Leslie West.

In 1978 there were rumours that Pappalardi was reuniting with former Mountain drummer Corky Laing and joining Ian Hunter and Mick Ronson in a new supergroup. If that had happened it would have been fantastic but sadly it was pure rumour. Instead he did something completely unexpected: he made a soul album.

William Ruhlmann writes: '1979's Don't Worry, Ma was a Pappalardi solo effort, the follow-up to his 1976 album Felix Pappalardi & Creation, in which he teamed with a Japanese rock quartet. This time, he employed a bunch of New York super-session musicians, only acting as singer with a basic band consisting of guitarist Eric Gale, keyboardist Richard Tee, bassist Chuck Rainey, and drummer Bernard Purdie (who also, amazingly, was the credited producer instead of Pappalardi), plus a collection of strings, reeds, and horns, as well as a trio of female backup singers.

'Nor had Pappalardi, as he usually did, co-written original material with his wife and lyricist, Gail Collins. Instead, this is a collection of covers including the leadoff track, the folk-blues standard "Bring It with You When You Come," the folk standard "Water Is Wide," Tommy Tucker's 1964 R&B hit "Hi-Heel Sneakers," and, in a funk arrangement, Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love" (for which Pappalardi produced the original recording). The arrangements are in a bluesy, funky style, for the most part, suggesting Memphis soul or James Brown's band”.'

Tracks

1. Bring It With You When You Come (Traditional) - 3:43

2. As The Years Go Passing By (Deadric Malone) - 4:11

3. Railroad Angels (Marty Simon, Mylon LeFevre) - 4:35

4. High Heel Sneakers (Robert Higginbotham) - 4:45

5. The Water Is Wide (Felix Pappalardi, Gail Collins) - 3:00

6. Sunshine Of Your Love (Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Pete Brown) - 4:34

7. Caught A Fever (W. Kane) - 4:35

8. White Boy Blues (Panama Red) - 3:59

9. Farmer's Daughter (Gib Guilbeau, Mickey McGee, Thad Maxwell) - 4:12

Musicians

*Felix Pappalardi - Bass, Keyboards, Vocals

*Eric Gale - Guitar

*Chuck Tainey - Bass

*Bernard "Pretty" Purdie - Drums, Tambourine, Timpani

*Chuck Rainey - Bass

*Richard Tee - Keyboards, Piano

*Sanford Allen - Violin

*Julien Barber - Viola

*Al Brown - Viola

*Doreen Callender - Violin

*Norman Carr - Violin

*Jack Cavari - Guitar

*Arthur "Babe" Clarke - Clarinet 

*Selwart Clarke - Viola

*Burt Collins - Trumpet

*Eddie Daniels - Clarinet, Flute, Tenor Saxophone

*Noel de Costa - Violin

*Peter Dimitriades - Violin

*Corky Hale - Harp

*Hilda Harris - Background Vocals

*Kathryn Krienke - Violin

*George Marge - Oboe, Piccolo

*Irvin "Marky" Markowitz - Flugelhorn, Trumpet

*Yolanda McCullough - Background Vocals

*Kermit Moore - Cello

*Pancho Morales - Congas

*George Opalisky - Flute 

*Gene Orloff - Violin

*Horace Ott - Arranger, Conductor

*Victor Paz - Flugelhorn, Trumpet

*Maretha Stewart - Background Vocals

*David Tofani - Flute, Tenor Saxophone

*Robert Tozek - Violin

*Frank Wess - Flute, Tenor Saxophone

*Wilmer Wise - Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone

*George Young - Flute, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone

Related Acts

1969  Leslie West - Mountain (Japanese edition)

1969-73  Mountain ‎- Setlist The Very Best Of Mountain Live (2011 release)

1970  Mountain - Climbing! (2013 blu spec edition) 

1971  Mountain - Nantucket Sleighride (2013 Blu Spec japan)   

1974  Mountain - Twin Peaks (2005 digi pak)  

1976  The (Blues) Creation With Felix Pappalardi - Live At Budokan (rare double disc japan issue)

1969  Kensington Market - Aardvark (2008 remaster)   

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Why Not - Revolution Inc. (1967-80 uk, solid tough roots 'n' roll, 2000 edistion)

WHY NOT first started off in October 1965 when Ian Scotney met up with Geoff "Mad Dog" Horgan and had a jam together and decided to form a band. Importing Neil Adams on Drums and Platon Georgiades on Bass they decided to call their band THE PSYCHEDELIC SCORZONERA. (Scorzonera being a Spanish name for Hash or Pot). Geoff Horgan wanted the band name Why Not but was out voted by the other band members. At the time Beat Music was all the rage, but these four lads were not into that kind of music but were more interested in Psychedelic rock that was coming out of Chicago and Detriot at that time. In March 1966 they changed the name of the band to THE REVOLUTION. 

Importing a Manager to the Band they took on BIG GEOFF DULLEY who have performed in a blues band and who showed them the rope and found gigs for the band to perform. 

In 1967 the signed to Modern Home Music Records a small independent label in London, England and released their first Single titled A Side I´VE GONE penned by Geoff Horgan (Mad Dog as he was later known to fans) and the B Side WALKING BY MYSELF penned by Jans Laine.  The Single was quite a success and sold around 18,000 Vinyl Singles per mail order and at gigs of the band. Then was released their first long play Record titled "REVOLUTION 99" now available on Downloads worldwide. Many other albums were recorded and tracks released independently by the band on plain music cassettes and sold at their gigs.  

In 1968 the Band changed its name once again to NEW LIFE having imported a new Drummer into the Band KEN (last name unknown) and Neil Adams became Lead Singer and on Keyboards. They were to record with this line-up lots more independent recordings sold on music cassettes at their gigs. Geoff Horgan /Later known as Mad Dog) was writing all the songs at that time and they were recording hundreds of tracks in Neil´s garage or front room on 4 track and 8 track tape machines. A lot of those tracks are now available under New Life, The Revolution, and Why Not on downloads. They were turning out what one could call a new album nearly every week, a massive amount of tracks which WHY NOT now producer Dirk Buro at DB Tonstudio is now re-mastering for a series of Why Not Re-Masters Series being loaded onto the Internet very soon on hundreds of Albums on downloads eventally.

In June 1968 as well NEW LIFE got to perform the now famous free open air concert in Hitchin in Bedforshire (North Of London) before thousands of hippies performing all original songs in psychedleic mode. some photos of that gig you can see in Photos of Why Not above, and in the CD Booklet from their Revolution Inc. Album.

In 1969 the band members split up with Ian Scotney  moving to live in Australia.  

Geoff "Mad Dog" Horgan went out into the wilderness and decided to take up playing lead guitar and performed with various other bands, including an audition for the band Yes which he got turned down for, and eventually teamed up with a band called TOAD whom he only performed 2 gigs with but very well attended gigs. 

In December 1970 Geoff Horgan teamed up once again with Platon Georgiades on Bass and Neil Adams on Lead Vocals and two new members Rob Godwin on Drums and Chris Page on Keyboards (Cousin of Jimmy Page) and so Geoff Horgan got his way and WHY NOT was born onto the Rock scene, and so it is WHY NOT carries on still today.

Big Geoff Dulley took on the roll of Road Manager and WHY NOT got a new Manager Graham Rollinson (Penthouse Magazine) who had about 30 other bands under his wing and so WHY NOT turned professional and started 6 years career of recording and touring wth other well know bands. WHY NOT were told that they were never going to be the top band but were employed to merely be the support band for many other top named bands and toured with the likes of: Camel, Deep Purple, Argent, T-Rex, Taste, Stud, The Pretty Things, Colleseum, ELO, Grateful Dead, Formerly Fat Harry, The Who, to name but a few and any more.  They were signed still to Modern Home Records who were now a part of a major record group, and recorded in that period from 1970-1976 three albums, The White Album, The Pink Album and The Orange Album, the original demo recordings of those albums now available on Downloads worlwide.  

They toured all over Europe and the some other parts of the world performing their art of Progressive Rock music as a support band with some headlining dates as well, and two tours in the USA, and Japan. 

In 1976 Why Not split after having made some impact on the world of rock music but their progressive art of music did not catch on so the band members decided since their record contract had come to an end to go their separate ways. All photos of the band were mainly taken by their then Road Manager Big Geoff Dulley and as a result of a fire at his house all of their tour photos were destroyed over night which was a blow to the band as six years of touring all went up in smoke overnight.  

Some photos we retained but not many. If any fans ever saw WHY NOT perform and took photos we would be very happy to make copies of them. 

in 1980 Geoff "Mad Dog" Horgan got the band back together again to record a new idea album and all the original members of WHY NOT started work on this new idea. Geoff´s composing had improved somewhat and they started working on the new album. Memebers would come and go recording this album and it didn´t quite get properly finished so once again the band split up and all the members went onto to other things. That was the final ending of the original line-up of WHY NOT from the 1970´s. 

But it was not over yet by any means. Geoff "Mad Dog" Horgan still continued a career in music working as a songwriter writing songs for many other artists successfully and recording an album under the Why Not flag here and there with various line up´s of musicians as well as recording a lot of tracks that were never released which are now all featured on downloads today. (See Amazon WHY NOT under digital releases, mp3)

In 1992 Geoff met up with Reg Fellows (Producer of such bands as Diamond Head, Radio Moscow, Def Leppard, etc) ad who was also a big fdan on Why Not, and together they set about finishing off the Why Not album which was started in 1980. Together with the help of a few well known session musicians and Geoff re-doing some vocal and guitar parts  by 1994 thew album was finished and ready for release. 

But it took another few years before that album saw the light of day under going yet another digital re-master by Dirk Buro in 1999.

Four guys started the origins of Why Not in 1965 with a zeal to progress in music and now Why Not is in its 51st year in Rock Music with over 600 Albums plus to their credit most of which are on sale on downloads today, a band whose amazing output of songs totals around 6,000 tracks recorded and released, more than any other rock band in the history of Rock Music.  It´s an amazing output of songs and music over 50 years in Rock. 

WHY NOT were never the major label band with all the trimmings of promotion and publicity other rock bands received they always remained and Indie Rock Band recording and performing music of their own liking being free to record what they wanted to without being restricted by commercial output. Perhaps they might not of been the biggest name in Rock Music but they are still around releasing their art of Rock Music even today and as Platon Georgiades (Deceased) once said "Why Not is progression in every note". WHY NOT do music other bands only dream of doing. 

Nigel Molden former General Manager of Warner Bros: WHY NOT is always ten years ahead of the rest no wonder they are never considered a commericial Rock Band but a progressive one".

Fast Eddie Clarke (Ex-Motorhead/Fastway) "We are the old school WHY NOT was around doing one takers and recording lots of tracks hundreds in fact and making rock history they might never have been the top band but they are amazingly still at it if you don´t know WHY NOT then you don´t know Rock!"

Why-Not

Tracks

1. Mods And Rockers - 4:41 

2. Burning Up - 5:01 

3. Don't You Let Me Down - 4:18 

4. We Belong - 4:41 

5. Who Are You? - 5:17

6. I've Gone - 5:09

7. The Revolution - 5:28

8. The End (A Rock Opera) - 8:00

9. Friends - 3:57

10.The Story Of Why Not - 8:16

11.I've Gone - 3:39

12.Walking By Myself (Jans Lane) - 3:13

13.Curtains - 3:44

14.Bring It Down - 3:04

All songs by Geoff F. Horgan except where noted

Why Not

*Neil Adams - Vocals, Percussion

*Geoff F. Horgan - Lead, Rhythm Guitars, Vocals, Keyboards

*Platon Georgiades - Bass Guitar, Vocals

*Rob Godwin - Drums

*Chris Page - Keyboards, Mini Moogs

*Ian Scotney - Lead Guitars (Tracks 11, 12)

*Pete Cooke - Backing Vocals

*Mick Pritchard - Backing Vocals

*Ritch Battersby - Percussion

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