Plain and Fancy

Sunday, February 5, 2023

The Yellow Balloon - The Yellow Balloon (1967 us, beautiful sunny baroque psych)

The Yellow Balloon is basically the story of one producer & songwriter Gary Zekley who, disappointed with the results after having Jan and Dean record one of his songs, decided to record it again himself. Then, with an unexpected smash hit song on his hands, quickly recorded a full album of material with studio musicians, then contacted his friend, multi-instrumentalist & singer Don Grady (better known as Robbie Douglas from the TV show My Three Sons) to assemble a “real” five-piece band to work up a live set and make a bunch of TV appearances in the wake of the hit.

Beginning with album opener “How Can I Be Down?” the material has an unapologetically positive and uplifting vibe, heavily influenced by the “Good Vibrations”-era Beach Boys sound and the sunshine pop of the period (think Millenium, The Association, Sunshine Company, etc.) full of melody, simple happy-go-lucky rhythms, fun lyrics that intentionally eschew the social consciousness of the times, and meticulously arranged elaborate multi-part vocal harmonies.

All songs are all short, no-nonsense pieces that concisely showcase and support the songwriting, and although musicianship is top notch throughout, there’s not a lot of room here for solos. Songs like “Follow the Sunshine,” “Stained Glass Window,” “Baby Baby It’s You,” and “Springtime Girl” are all as strong as the better known title track. Eight bonus tracks include singles, demos, and four cuts by Don Grady and his pre-YB Windupwatchband. All taken, an important, if somewhat obscure slice of 60s pop history.

by Peter Thelen, Published 2005-03-01

A songwriting assignment from Dean Torrence led to a rich musical career for Los Angeles pop- genius Gary Zekley. Zekley - a man whose body of work stands up to any of the precocious Brill Building bunch from five years earlier - originally penned the song "Yellow Balloon" for Jan and Dean, but also recorded the tune himself. When Zekley's version went Top Thirty in April of 1967, he assembled a band, called the Yellow Balloon (natch), with the likes of lead singer Alex Valdez and multi-talented drummer/vocalist Don Grady, already a TV superstar as Robbie, Fred MacMurray's oldest kid on My Three Sons.

The Yellow Balloon album itself, is a day-glo gem- a wispy bridge spanning the lush yet trippy studio wizardry of Sagittarius and the mindbending delights of The Beach Boys' Smile-era recordings. Sundazed's Yellow Balloon disc contains 20 tracks, including the complete original stereo album, vintage single-only sides, a Zekley demo, both ultra-rare Don Grady singles, and a 20 page booklet stuffed with striking color outtakes of the group's photo sessions, acquired from the original band members-all of whom were interviewed by West Coast studio-expert Domenic Priore for the liner notes-and a penetrating on-disc interview with the late Gary Zekley, himself. Lush, plush and gorgeous!!!

Sundazed

Tracks

1. How Can I Be Down (Don Altfeld, Gary Zekley, Jill Gibson) - 2:14

2. Stained Glass Window (Don Agrati, Gary Zekley) - 2:03

3. Baby Baby It's You (Dick St. John, Gary Zekley) - 1:57

4. Panama Red (Gary Zekley, Jay Lee) - 1:34

5. I've Got A Feeling For Love (Don Altfeld, Gary Zekley, Jay Lee, Jill Gibson) - 2:18

6. Yellow Balloon (Dick St. John, Gary Zekley, Jay Lee) - 2:16

7. Good Feelin' Time (Don Agrati, Gary Zekley) - 2:12

8. Follow The Sunshine (Patrick Ferrell, Paul Byrne) - 2:35

9. Springtime Girl (Patrick Ferrell, Paul Byrne) - 2:06

10.Can't Get Enough Of Your Love (Dick St. John, Gary Zekley, Mariene Anthony) - 2:16

11.Junk Maker Shoppe (Don Agrati) - 2:37

12.Noollab Wolley (Dick St. John, Gary Zekley, Jay Lee) - 2:16

13.The Children Of St. Monica (Don Grady) - 3:10

14.A Good Man To Have Around The House (Don Grady) - 2:34

15.Impressions With Syvonne (Don Grady) - 2:50

16.Leaving It Up To You (Don Grady) - 2:10

17.Can't Get Enough Of Your Love (Dick St. John, Gary Zekley, Mariene Anthony) - 1:32

18.Follow The Sunshine (Patrick Ferrell, Paul Byrne) - 2:34

19.How Can I Be Down (Don Altfeld, Gary Zekley, Jill Gibson) - 2:04

20.Gary Zekley Interview - 7:09

Tracks 13-14 as Don Grady With The Windupwatchband

Tracks 15-16 as Don Grady

Tracks 19-20 as Gary Zekley

Musicians

*Gary Zekley - Vocals

*Don Braucht - Bass, Rhythm Guitar, Tambourine, Percussion, Backing Vocals

*Luke R. Yoo - Vocals, Drums, Electric Piano, Keyboards, Vibraphone

*Alex Valdez - Vocals, Drums, Tambourine, Washboard

*Mike Deasy - Guitar

*Paul Cannella - Lead Guitar, Glockenspiel, Percussion, Backing Vocals

*Frosty Green - Vocals, Organ, Harpsichord, Tambourine, Piano, Clavinet

*Stan Farber - Vocals

*Bob West - Acoustic Bass, Piano

*Joe Saxon - Cello

*Eddie Rubin - French Horn, Percussion

*Mike Post - Guitar

*Carole Kaye - Bass

*Jack Schulman - Violin

*Gary Nuttycombe - Viola

*John DeVoogdt - Violin

*Jim Gordon - Drums

*Dennis Buddimir - Guitar

*Don Peake - Guitar

*Mike Rubini - Harpsichord, Keyboards

*Don Randi - Piano, Organ

*Ron Benson - Bass

*Al Casey - Guitar

*Jerry Cole - Guitar

*Bill Hinshaw - French Horn

*Jim Horn - Saxophone

*Lou Blackburn - Trombone

Free Text

Just Paste

Friday, February 3, 2023

The Amazing Rhythm Aces - How The Hell Do You Spell Rhythum (1980 us, excellent southern classic rock, 2004 remaster)

A record that really works drives all errant thoughts out of your mind and makes you listen. The Amazing Rhythm Aces '"How the Hell Do You Spell Rythum?" does that for me. Many of the reasons are subjective, of course, but not all. The objective ones relate to how well this band –surely one of the best around– has mastered what are, for me, the fundamentals. You might think any band good enough to be recorded several times must have the fundamentals down- but then you might think the same of any team competing in the National Football League, where the Pittsburgh Steelers, like the Green Bay Packers before them, beat up everyone for years simply by being better at the basics.

In the case of "How Do You Spell…..," your body notes the difference between merely good timing and excellent timing even if you don't form conscious thoughts about it, and timing is the most fundamental of the fundamentals. Studying Van Morrison's Wild Night, in which timing is virtually everything, will show you the Aces were on top of it during these sessions.

Their whole approach is fundamental to start with, in the sense of sticking close to the main sources of rock: basic black and basic white, commonly called blues or r-&-b and country, the two kinds of music that Elvis Presley started with. A Muscle Shoals product, this album never strays far from either and ends with a probe back into each with gospel overtones: I Got the Feeling, written by Eddie Hinton and Dan Penn, is r-&-b with black-gospel feel ings tugging at it, and Give Me Flowers While I'm Living, by Louise Certain, Elvin Bigger, and Gladys Stacey, is both bluegrass and white gospel.

The Aces get a soaring slide solo from Duncan Cameron on Taj Mahal's Farther On Down the Road and some high-profile moments from sax player Al Garth, guesting from the Dirt Band, but generally they feature a modest sneakiness among the instrumentalists rather than big showy displays. If any- one is spotlighted, it is-as it should be- vocalist Russell Smith, who just keeps getting better and better. He has grown by leaps and bounds technically, but he hasn't lost anything of the odd combination of boyish and worldly attitudes he brings to a song.

Behind him the band leaves the optimal amount of air and plays some fills that will roll your socks up and down while generally making everything seem simple and easy. It may be simple, but albums of this stature are rare enough to prove it isn't easy.

by Noel Coppag

Tracks

1. What Kind Of Love Is This? (Duncan Cameron) - 4:20

2. Object Of My Affection (Delbert McClinton) - 2:41

3. You Left The Water Running (Rick Hall, Dan Penn, Oscar Frank) - 3:20

4. I Musta Died And Gone To Texas (Russell Smith) - 3:06

5. Living On Borrowed Time (David H. McDade) - 3:45

6. Wild Night (Van Morrison) - 3:42

7. Big Ole Brew (Russell Smith) - 2:43

8. Farther On Down The Road (Taj Mahal, Jesse Ed Davis) - 4:41

9. I Got The Feeling (Eddie Hinton) - 5:46

10.Give Me The Flowers While I'm Living (Louise Certain, Elvin Bigger, Gladys Stacey Flatt) - 2:29

The Amazing Rhythm Aces

*James Hooker - Clavinet, Keyboards, Piano, Electric Piano, Vocal Harmony, Vocals

*Butch McDade - Drums, Percussion, Tambourine, Vocal Harmony, Vocals

*Russell Smith - Composer, Guitar, Vocals

*Duncan Cameron - Dobro, Guitar, Steel Guitar, Mandolin, Vocal Harmony, Vocals

*Jeff "Stick" Davis - Bass

*Billy Earheart - Accordion, Keyboards, Organ

With

*Ronnie Eades - Baritone Saxophone

*Harrison Galloway - Trumpet

*Al Garth - Horn Arrangements, Alto Saxophone

*Mickey Buckins - Percussion

*Harrison Calloway, Jr. - Trumpet

*Jimmy Johnson - Rhythm Guitar

1975-76 The Amazing Rhythm Aces - Stacked Deck / Too Stuffed To Jump

1977-78 The Amazing Rhythm Aces - Toucan Do It Too / Burning The Ballroom Down (2000 edition)

1979 The Amazing Rhythm Aces - The Amazing Rhythm Aces (2001 remaster)

1981 The Amazing Rhythm Aces - Full House Aces High

Free Text

Just Paste

Thursday, February 2, 2023

The Clique - Sugar On Sunday The Definitive Collection (1967-70 us, gorgeous baroque sunny beat psychedelia, 2006 remaster)

The sole album by the Clique is in reality the last full album cult hero Gary Zekley would produce. (Though the Austin-based band, also renowned in garage-psych circles for the first known cover of a Roky Erickson song, had recorded several previous singles, they did not play on the album; only singer Randy Shaw appears, with backing vocalists and musicians pulled from Zekley's usual stable of L.A. session pros.)

Although the album spawned a Top 40 hit in the Tommy James-penned "Sugar on Sunday" and is best known for containing the original "Superman," an underground garage rock classic given a new commercial life when R.E.M. covered it on Lifes Rich Pageant, it's not really Zekley's best work. By 1969, Zekley's brand of sunshine pop was out of commercial favor, and too much of The Clique is taken up with blatant copies of the current AM chart favorites. "Hallelujah!" is a blatant Blood, Sweat & Tears rip-off, and "Judy Judy Judy" is pure Three Dog Night (with the "Sock it to me!" chorus shamelessly added to tie into Laugh-In star Judy Carne's popularity). For all the shameless hucksterism, though, Zekley still manages a few gems, particularly the Tommy James-like "Little Miss Lucy" and the hyper-dramatic "My Darkest Hour." (The cover of the Bee Gees' "Holiday" is nice, too, though it adds little to the original.) And, true, "Superman" deserves every bit of its acclaim; it's by far the best song on the album.

The Clique is perfectly listenable and occasionally terrific, but this is not Zekley at the peak of his powers; try the Yellow Balloon's self-titled disc or the Fun and Games' Elephant Candy for that. The Varese Sarabande reissue adds seven tracks from demos and singles, including two songs produced by Tommy James and featuring the Shondells as Shaw's backing group.

by Stewart Mason

Tracks

1. Sugar On Sunday (Mike Vale, Tommy James, William Stevenson Jr) - 3:09

2. My Darkest Hour (Gary Zekley, Mitchell Bottler) - 2:47

3. Holiday (Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb) - 3:11

4. Hallelujah! (Gary Zekley, Lucylle Manns, Mitchell Bottler) - 2:22

5. I'll Hold Out My Hand (Al Gorgoni, Chip Taylor) - 2:36

6. Judy, Judy, Judy (Gary Zekley, Mitchell Bottler) - 2:32

7. Little Miss Lucy (Gary Zekley, Mitchell Bottler) - 3:17

8. Soul Mates (Sam Weatherly, Fred Allen Roberts) - 2:11

9. (There Ain't) No Such Thing As Love (Gary Zekley, Mitchell Bottler, Twain Baskin) - 2:31

10.Superman (Gary Zekley, Mitchell Bottler) - 2:33

11.Shadow Of Your Love (Diane Colby) - 2:54

12.Sparkle And Shine (Robert King, Ritchie Cordell, Tommy James) - 2:30

13.I'm Alive (Peter Lucia, Tommy James) - 1:58

14.Memphis (Chuck Berry) - 3:31

15.Southbound Wind (Kerry Magness, Steve Lalor) - 2:31

16.Superman (Gary Zekley, Mitchell Bottler) - 2:33

17.Shadow Of Your Love (Diane Colby) - 2:47

18.Splash 1 (Roky Erickson, Tommy Hall) - 2:37

19.Stand By Me (Larry Lawson) - 1:56

20.Love Ain't Easy (George Klein, Mark James) - 2:38

21.Gotta Get Away (Bob Brogan) - 1:51

Bonus Tracks 12-21

The Clique

*Larry Lawson - Vocals, Keyboards, Saxophone, Trumpet

*Cooper Hawthorne - Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals

*David Dunham - Saxophone

*Bruce Tinch - Bass

*John Kanesaw - Drums

*Randy Shaw - Vocals

*Sid Templeton - Guitar (1969)

*Oscar Houchins - Keyboards (1969)

*Jerry Cope - Drums (1969)

*Tommy Pena - Bass (1969)

With

*Hal Blaine - Drums

*Ben Benay - Guitar, Harmonica

*Ray Pohlman - Bass

*Leon Russell - Keyboards, Piano

*Don Randi - Keyboards, Organ, Harpsichord

Free Text

Just Paste

Tuesday, January 31, 2023

John's Children - A Strange Affair (1965-70 uk, sharply dressed cult mod psych, 2013 double disc remaster)

A compendiously thorough John’s Children compilation? About bloody time. In fact – ghastly smirk – It’s Been A Long Time. If you didn’t already recognize that as the title of the atypically baroque and ruminative Andy Ellison solo single that glinted deep within the Mulberry Bush soundtrack in 1968, A Strange Affair will set you right. Collated herein is most everything John’s Children recorded in their tumultuous, episodic half-life: the copious addenda consists of alternate mixes, solo recordings by vocalist Ellison (including that aforementioned gemstone) and some floppy, formative, mid-60s gaucherie from The Silence, John’s Children in all but name.

With their spotty discography, lazy penchant for blatantly pilfering other people’s material and a damaging reputation as barely competent, sensationalist, controversy-courting chancers, the band have rarely been taken seriously for anything other than briefly providing a home for the fledgling Marc Bolan and his tranche of inimitable songs. Round here, though, we love them for gamely ticking so many cool boxes en route to oblivion: swaggering, pop-art freakbeat (Jagged Time Lapse, Desdemonacheapskate, have-a-go pop-psych (Remember Thomas A Becket, Smashed! Blocked!) and delinquent, hod-carrying proto-glam (Just What You Want – Just What You’ll Get, Not The Sort Of Girl You Take To Bed). Let Me Know even prefigures Should I Stay Or Should I Go.

by Oregano Rathbone, 22 January 2014.

Tracks

Disc 1

1. The Love I Thought I'd Found (John Hewlett, Simon Napier-Bell) - 3:01

2. Strange Affair (Andy Ellison, Simon Napier-Bell) - 2:06

3. Just What You Want - Just What You'll Get (John Hewlett, Chris Townson, Andy Ellison, Geoff McClelland) - 3:01

4. But She's Mine (John Hewlett, Chris Townson, Andy Ellison) - 1:59

5. Desdemona (Marc Bolan) - 2:24

6. Remember Thomas A Becket (John Hewlett, Andy Ellison) - 2:20

7. Midsummer Night's Scene (Marc Bolan) - 2:35

8. Sara, Crazy Child (Marc Bolan) - 2:04

9. Come And Play With Me In The Garden (John Hewlett, Andy Ellison) - 2:17

10.Go-Go Girl (Marc Bolan) - 2:09

11.Jagged Time Lapse (John Hewlett, Geoff McClelland) - 2:47

12.Arthur Green (John Hewlett, Andy Ellison) - 3:42

13.It's Been A Long Time (Andy Ellison, Chris Townson, Simon Napier-Bell) - 3:21

14.Fool From Upper Eden (George Alexander) - 2:54

15.Another Lucky Lie (Andy Ellison) - 1:57

16.You Can't Do That (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 2:48

17.Cornflake Zoo (Marc Bolan, Andy Ellison) - 2:03

18.Help! (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 2:49

19.Casbah Candy (Marc Bolan, Andy Ellison) - 2:02

20.Hippy Gumbo (Marc Bolan) - 2:08

21.Down Down (Andy Ellison) - 3:00

22.Cold On Me (Andy Ellison, John Hewlett) - 3:04

23.Forgive Me If I'm Wrong (Andy Ellison, Chris Dawsett) - 4:06

24.Mustang Ford (Marc Bolan) - 2:24

25.Not The Sort Of Girl You Take To Bed (John Hewlett, Andy Ellison) - 2:27

26.Sally Was An Angel (Marc Bolan) - 3:11

Tracks 12-20 as Andy Ellison

Tracks 21-23 as The Silence

Disc 2

1. Killer Ben (John Hewlett, Andy Ellison) - 2:29

2. Jagged Time Lapse (John Hewlett, Geoff McClelland) - 3:12

3. Smashed! Blocked! (John Hewlett, Simon Napier-Bell) - 3:19

4. You're A Nothing (Chris Townson, Geoff McClelland, John Hewlett, Andy Ellison) - 3:33

5. Not The Sort Of Girl (John Hewlett, Andy Ellison) - 2:07

6. Cold On Me (Andy Ellison, John Hewlett) - 2:50

7. Leave Me Alone (John Hewlett, Andy Ellison) - 3:11

8. Let Me Know (Andy Ellison) - 3:25

9. Just What You Want - Just What You'll Get (John Hewlett, Chris Townson, Andy Ellison, Geoff McClelland) - 3:32

10.Why Do You Lie (John Hewlett, Chris Townson) - 5:06

11.Strange Affair (John Hewlett, Simon Napier-Bell) - 2:02

12.But She's Mine (John Hewlett, Chris Townson, Andy Ellison) - 2:00

13.The Love I Thought I'd Found (John Hewlett, Simon Napier-Bell) - 3:09

14.Desdemona (Marc Bolan) - 2:24

15.Remember Thomas A Becket (John Hewlett, Andy Ellison) - 2:36

16.Midsummer Night's Scene (Marc Bolan) - 2:37

17.Sara, Crazy Child (Marc Bolan) - 2:28

18.Jagged Time Lapse (John Hewlett, Geoff McClelland) - 2:48

19.It's Been A Long Time (Andy Child, Jon Child, Simon Napier-Bell) - 3:10

20.You Can't Do That (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 2:59

21.Hippy Gumbo (Marc Bolan) - 2:36

22.Not The Sort Of Girl You Take To Bed (John Hewlett, Andy Ellison) - 2:41

23.Sally Was An Angel (Marc Bolan) - 3:11

24.Come And Play With Me In The Garden (John Hewlett, Andy Ellison) - 2:10

25.The Perfumed Garden Of Gulliver Smith (Marc Bolan) - 2:41

26.Midsummer Night's Scene (Marc Bolan) - 2:37

Tracks 19-20 as Andy Ellison

Tracks 1-10 Orgasm LP 1970

Bonus Tracks 11-26

John's Children

*Andy Ellison - Vocals

*Chris Townson - Drums, Guitar

*Chris Colville - Drums

*John Hewlett - Bass

*Geoff McClelland - Guitar (1964-67)

*Marc Bolan - Guitar, Vocals (1967)

*Chris Dawsett - Keyboards (The Silence)

1970 Tyrannosaurus Rex - A Beard Of Stars (2014 double disc deluxe edition)

1970 T. Rex - T. Rex (2014 double disc deluxe edition)

1972-77 T. Rex - Great Hits The A Sides

Free Text

Just Paste

Saturday, January 21, 2023

Ikarus - Ikarus (1971 germany, fusion prog krautrock, 2015 bonus track remaster)

Germany is even a bigger hotbed of prog rock than one might imagine. Sure everyone knows bands like Can, Ash Ra Tempel, Tangerine Dream, Amon Düül II, Faust, Neu, Kraftwerk, and similar bands (bands that might not always be considered prog, but are of interest to prog fans). But the countries was also full of more traditional symphonic prog acts like Eloy, Novalis, Grobschnitt, and the likes (all three were quite successful in their native country, by the way). Then there are tons of rare and obscure albums that simply disappeared through the cracks, and Ikarus is one of them.

Ikarus is often described as one of the first progressive jazz-rock groups to come out of Germany, giving one the impression they might be that country’s answer to bands like Colosseum. But actually they’re much more in the Van der Graaf Generator vein, with vocals that bring to mind Peter Hammill (but without his dynamics), lots of sax, and Hammond organ. But the biggest problem lies in the lyrics. For example, the opening cut, “Eclipse” shows the band expressing environmental concerns, which I am very happy about, but with lyrics that go, “Save the nature/it’s a treasure”, it’s really obvious that these guys are in dire need of brushing up on their English before using their pen. But regardless, they still put out some great prog rock. “Eclipse”, despite the badly written lyrics, is a rather complex song, with some great sax work from Jochen Petersen and a great organ jam from Wulf Dieter Struntz. Real strings are also included as well (which are very well done and does not distract).

I love the mood of this song, it’s totally early ’70s. “Mesentery” is the next song, the lyrics are a little better. Again, the more great organ work, with almost a psych feel to it. The strings pop up again near the end. “The Raven” features lyrics based on the poem by the same name from Edgar Allen Poe. The music here seems more unstructured than the first two songs, so it’s more inaccessible, but after several listens, you’ll find out it’s another great piece. Some space rock tendencies pop up as well with the use of glissando guitar. The second half of the song is in a more mellow, atmospheric manner.

The last one is “Early Bells Voice”, again, with some more space rock tendencies, especially the Hammond organ at the end. While finding this album on LP is a bit difficult to come by, a small German label called Second Battle had reissued this on CD. I just love finding obscure gems that are simply amazing, and this self-entitled 1971 album from Ikarus is that example. So, aside from the lyrics, I can very highly recommended this to all prog rock fans, especially VdGG fans.

by Ben Miler

Tracks

1. Eclipse (Divided In Scyscrapers And Sooner Or Later) (Manfred Schulz, Jochen Petersen, Lorenz Köhler) - 15:24

2. Mesentery (Jochen Petersen) - 6:11

3. The Raven (including "Theme For James Marshall") (Jochen Petersen, Manfred Schulz, Lorenz Köhler, Wulf Dieter Struntz, Wolfgang Kracht) - 11:42

4. Early Bell's Voice (Wolfgang Kracht, Wulf Dieter Struntz, Manfred Schulz) - 7:51

5. Sunwave (Traditional) - 15:16

Bonus Track 5, as Beatique In Corporation recorded in Ernst-Merck Halle Hamburg, March 1970

Ikarus

*Wulf Dieter Struntz - Organ, Piano

*Jochen Petersen - 12 String Guitar, Alto And Tenor Saxophones, Flute, Clarinet, Vocals

*Manfred Schulz - Guitar, Vocals

*Wolfgang Kracht - Bass, Vocals

*Lorenz Köhler - Lead Vocals

*Bernd Schröder - Drums, Percussion

Free Text

Just Paste

Friday, January 20, 2023

Hands - Hands (1977-80 us, experimental avant garde prog rock, 2002 remaster)

Inspired by the artistry and commercial success of several prog rock bands, Hands began as an idea between Michael Clay and Michael Barreyre. While still in high school, the two, inspired by new and experimental music, hatched the idea of a progressive rock band. The group would be a cross between Yes and the Soft Machine. Concurrently, Ernie Myers, John Rousseau, and Steve Parker were jamming together above the concession stand of a drive-in theater. The three also were active playing in front of live audiences. Meanwhile, Clay and Barreyre were joining with David Carlisle and Sonny Solell. The four began to rehearse in Clay's bedroom, honing cover tunes of Pink Floyd and Mahavishnu John McLaughlin. Through a mutual friend in high school, the two groups of musicians began to blend. Rousseau, Clay, and Myers grouped together for a while but were soon disbanded when Myers moved to California.

At that turn, Rousseau, Barreyre, Carlisle, Solell, and Clay formed Ibis and began to rehearse in Solell's den. The name Ibis came from "Flight of the Ibis," a song from the McDonald & Giles solo album. Ibis played a number of gigs in and about the Dallas area. Playing an eclectic cover list that included everything from King Crimson, Frank Zappa, and PFM to Johnny Winter and the Allman Brothers, Ibis grew accustomed to playing technically challenging material in clubs that were ill-suited to their unusual playlist. Still, Ibis managed to book a gig at Deb's Danceland which proved to be Carlisle's last with the band. At that point, Parker entered as the bass player. Although not a bass player at the time, Parker quickly adapted to the bass and lead-vocal duties.

The band changed its name from Ibis to Prism and continued to record and play gigs while incorporating more and more originals into the set list. Clay felt that the original compositions the band were starting to play with would benefit from having a string player in the band. Through a newspaper ad discovered by Rousseau, Paul Bunker joined the group. From that point, the band took on a completely different sound and a seriousness of purpose. Finally, citing artistic differences and an increasing reticence to work together, Barreyre was asked to leave the band. While that particular rift was brewing, Myers had returned from Los Angeles where he had met flutist and composer Skip Durbin, who was asked to join Prism.

Solell retired from Prism and Durbin quickly joined, and the sound of the group changed again to a more melodic and flowing sort of sound. Myers' father came to a rehearsal one night with one of his associates. Hearing the sincerity and originality of the band, he invested a sum of money for the band to make a recording. Meanwhile, Rousseau had been busy making contact with the promoters of a Gentle Giant concert that was scheduled for the Dallas area. Through sheer persistence, Rousseau secured the opening spot for the Gentle Giant concert. Spurred on by the great reception they received playing the Gentle Giant gig, the band entered January Sound in fall of 1977 and recorded what would be, some 25 years later, the Hands CD.

1978 was a year of grueling practice and songwriting. The group had to endure another practice-room change, to a storefront warehouse in East Dallas, and, learning of the Canadian band of the same name on Arista Records, had to change their name. After a series of long discussions, they finally decided on Hands. The name seemed to sum up a great deal about the band; just a coordination of hands moving about to make music. The name actual predated many of the minimalist names that would appear throughout the early '80s.

During this period, the band courted Ken Scott, the seminal producer of slick pop/rock. Scott had just finished producing and sinking some of his own money into the band Happy the Man. Although Scott heard the music of Hands and enjoyed it, he was in no position to produce or recommend the band to any label. While Happy the Man, a great progressive rock band applauded to this day, were artistically a success, they did not have the sales to match their great music. Ken Scott could really do nothing. With the advent of music that was less and less sophisticated and the ubiquitous drone of disco plodding incessantly along, Hands found it harder and harder to maintain their goals and the ideals of their sound. In 1979, Michael Clay left the band.

Undaunted, Hands continued with keyboard virtuoso Shanon Day. Day was a great player from a heavy rock band called Point Blank. He brought a meaty, Hammond B3 sound to the band and a greater rock sensibility. The band also added the vocals of Gary Stone. His high range and smooth vibrato gave the band vocal appeal.This lineup, consisting of Myers, Parker, Durbin, Day, Bunker, Rousseau, and Stone, went into Crystal Clear Sound for a marathon recording session. In record time, they recorded a tremendous amount of music, including epics such as Myers' "Mindgrind," "Antarctica," and Durbin's elegiac "New Skies." This material would later form the bulk of the CD Palm Mystery.

Hands played an inspired show at the Wintergarten Ballroom in 1980. It proved to be the last public appearance of the band in that form. The concert was well attended and expertly played. However, the years, changing public tastes, and the restless careers of the musicians themselves eventually pulled Hands apart.

by Cesar Lanzarini

Tracks

1. Zombieroch (Michael Clay) - 4:19

2. Prelude #2 (Michael Clay) - 1:35

3. Triangle Of New Flight (Ernie Myers, Michael Clay, Steve Parker, John Rousseau, Skip Durbin, Paul Bunker) - 6:50

4. Mutineer's Panorama (Skip Durbin) - 3:12

5. Worlds Apart (Michael Clay, Steve Parker) - 4:08

6. Dreamsearch (Ernie Myers, Michael Clay, Steve Parker, John Rousseau, Skip Durbin, Paul Bunker) - 9:49

7. Left Behind (Ernie Myers) - 6:02

8. Mindgrind (Ernie Myers) - 5:40

9. Greansoap (Ernie Myers, Skip Durbin) - 2:27

10.I Want One Of Those (Ernie Myers) - 3:16

11.Antarctica (Ernie Myers) - 10:32

12.The Tiburon Treasure (Ernie Myers) - 2:25

13.Dreamsearch (Ernie Myers, Michael Clay, Steve Parker, John Rousseau, Skip Durbin, Paul Bunker) - 9:41

Bonus Track 13

Hands

*Ernie Myers - Guitar, Mandolin, Vocals

*Michael Clay - Keyboards, Guitar, Tuned Percussion

*Steve Parker - Bass, Guitar, Vocals

*John Rousseau - Drums, Percussion

*Paul Bunker - Viola, Violin, Vitar, Cuatro, Guitar

*Skip Durbin - Woodwinds

With

*Gary Stone - Vocals (Tracks 8,11)

*Tom Reed - Vocals (Track 13)

*Shannon Day - Keyboards (Tracks 4, 8-11)

*Sonny Sollel - Woodwinds, Vocals

*Mark Menikos - Violin, Mandolin, Guitar, Vocals

*Rex Bozarth - Bass, Chapman Stick, Cello, Vocals

*David Carlisle - Bass

*John Fiveash - Drums, Percussion

*Martin Mccall - Drums, Percussion

*Mike Barreyre - Guitar, Vocals

Free Text

Just Paste

Tuesday, January 17, 2023

Michael Martin Murphey - Michael Murphey (1974 us, elegant country folk rock, 2016 japan remaster)

Before Michael Murphey traded in his outlaw country cred and became Michael Martin Murphey, the Americana Adult Contemporary singing cowboy, he created a couple of my favorite LPs from the 1970s. Now that two of his first three albums are available on major streaming platforms, I decided it’s time to unburden myself of my feelings about his self-titled third album.

A native of Texas, Murphey rubbed elbows with a number of Lone Star musicians in his college years, and even more musicians as a grad student in Los Angeles in the mid-60s. He was in a band with future Monkee Michael Nesmith, and later contributed the song “What Am I Doing Hangin’ Round” to The Monkees’ album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd., which sold over five million copies. Eventually tiring of the So-Cal music scene, he hot-footed it back to Texas about 1971, just in time to be part of the nascent Outlaw Country movement. He was signed to A&M Records by legendary producer Bob Johnston, who produced his first several albums, including the stellar Geronimo’s Cadillac in 1972, Cosmic Cowboy Souvenir in 1973, and after moving to Epic Records, Michael Murphey in 1974, all recorded in Nashville with session players including a few latter day A Team members like Buddy Spicher and Kenny Buttrey.

I have to confess that I first became aware of Murphey when nearly everybody else in the listening public did, with the release of his fourth album Blue Sky Night Thunder and its multi-platinum single “Wildfire.” It was a new sound at the time, a polished version of what we now call Americana, filled with lushly recorded, very romantic songs.

As on the previous two albums, Murphey here mixes up the types of music he loved, a lot of which he had in common with other Texas singer-songwriters of the era: rock, classic country, Western ballads, gospel, folk. He kicks it off with some soulful rock on the defiant “Nobody’s Gonna Tell Me How To Play My Music.” That’s the first verse in the pull quote above, and it’s quite the rave-up with a big band, a full backing choir, and yes some ironically placed philharmonic strings. This theme seems to have been a popular sentiment among musicians in the early ’70s as things transitioned from the heady days of the anything goes ’60s to the corporate dominated arena rock ’70s — compare this one with Jimmy Buffett’s “Makin’ Music For Money,” also cut in 1974.

Michael Murphey doesn’t have a “Geronimo’s Cadillac” or “Cosmic Cowboy” hit single, but the closing track “Southwestern Pilgrimage” has at least as long a pair of legs as either of those, presaging as it did his turn to acoustic cowboy fare. (It’s one of the best and earliest examples of the adage that the final track on an album often points forward to the musician’s next effort.) It was my first favorite on the album, but lacks the poignancy and more universal themes of those that appeal to me more, nearly 50 years on: the gospel-folk “Healing Springs” with its use of water as a metaphor for art; or the gentle poetry of the quietly acoustic “Rye By-The-Sea” with its roundelay structure; or the spiritual yearning of “Observer.” Speaking of gospel, two sides of that coin are presented in the back to back “Holy Roller” and “Good Ol’ Natural Habits.” To me, though, the strongest songs are the pure Texas outlaw country songs: “You Can Only Say So Much” wouldn’t be out of place on a Michael Nesmith solo record, and both “Ace In The Hole and the played-for-laughs “Fort Worth I Love You” are just plain shit-kicking country rockers to rival any of the era’s best.

Michael Nesmith went on to cover at least one more of Murphey’s songs including one of the best, “Texas Morning,” sagely pairing it with a psychedelic cover of the old Sons of the Pioneers chestnut “Tumbling Tumbleweeds” on his final outing with the First National Band. In the end, I much preferred the truly cosmic and literate version of urbane country that Nesmith continued to turn out over the cowboy fare Murphey turned to. But after three albums of steadily declining chart numbers, Murphey on his fourth, Blue Sky Night Thunder, found an opening to a music career that has sustained him longer than I suspect he’d have had with his idiosyncratic take on country rock, even if the latter was more appealing to fringe fans like me.

by Gary Whitehouse

Tracks

1. Nobody's Gonna Tell Me How to Play My Music - 4:17

2. Healing Springs - 5:21

3. Rye by-the-Sea - 3:10

4. You Can Only Say So Much - 3:25

5. Observer - 4:55

6. Holy Roller - 3:57

7. Good Ol' Natural Habits (Craig Hillis) - 3:17

8. Fort Worth I Love You - 1:43

9. Ace in the Hole (Michael Murphey, Craig Hillis) - 3:03

10.Southwestern Pilgrimage - 3:46

All songs by Michael Murphey except where stated

Musicians

*Michael Martin Murphey - Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica, Piano, Organ, Concertina

*Herb Steiner - Fiddle, Mandolin, Steel Guitar

*Buddy Spicher - Fiddle

*Craig Hillis - Guitar

*Bill Farmer - Piano

*Bob Holmes - Organ

*Tommy Cogbill - Bass

*Kenneth A. Buttrey - Drums, Percussion

*John Hill - Drums

*Patricia Henderson - Background Vocals

*Pat Henderson - Vocals

*Clydie King - Vocals, Background Vocals

*Pat Powdrill - Vocals, Background Vocals

*Andy Johnston - Vocals, Background Vocals

*Merry Clayton - Vocals, Background Vocals

1975 Michael Murphey - Blue Sky Night Thunder (2017 japan)

Free Text

Just Paste

Monday, January 16, 2023

Bob Carpenter - Silent Passage (1971-74 canada, remarkable country folk rock, 2007 korean remaster)

In the mid-‘70s Canadian singer-songwriter Bob Carpenter cut an LP for Warner Brothers, though a contract dispute kept it from coming out when it should’ve; it finally saw release a decade later via Canadian roots imprint Stony Plain. Carpenter never made another album, but the lack of profile doesn’t mean fans of the country and folk material serving as foundation for contemporary music’s Americana wing shouldn’t proceed directly to Silent Passage. It was recently reissued by the No Quarter label.

Not all lost records are equally deserving of being found. Often through collusion spiraling from deep within smoky dens of promotional intent, slabs ranging from pretty good to okay to suspect to downright crummy are suddenly championed, breathlessly even, as vessels of unknown brilliance valiantly rescued out of the clutches of unjust neglect to take their rightful place as timeless classics.

This sort of fervent stumping was once far more common. These days internet access and a set of speakers obviously allow interested parties to take a disc for a test drive prior to dropping their ducats on the barrelhead, and that’s quite a difference from sending off a check based totally on descriptions in a distributor’s quarterly catalog. Yes, many such transactions were conducted by mail order, distance only adding to the existential vacuum (envision a lonely Charlie Brown staring out from a comic strip panel) when a guaranteed garage monster was revealed to be a bunch of crusty also-rans. (Good grief).

There’s a noted deficiency of hype surrounding Bob Carpenter. With Tom Rush, Emmylou Harris, Billy-Joe Shaver, and others recording his songs, his abilities as a writer are secure. Plus, the musicians involved in the making of Silent Passage, amongst them Harris, Little Feat members Lowell George and Bill Payne, steel guitarist Buddy Cage (Jerry Garcia’s replacement in New Riders of the Purple Sage) and session heavyweights Russ Kunkel and Lee Sklar, establish it as more than an ordinary affair. But the absence of calculated overstatement is filled by a persistent lack of appreciation.

Half Ojibway, Bob Carpenter was born on a reserve in Tamagami, Northern Ontario. Orphanages and foster homes figured in his childhood, as did the Navy as a young adult. His early musical activities came through the Yorkville folk scene, a milieu that included Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, and Gordon Lightfoot. Experience grew with travel, and Carpenter was eventually drawn into the sphere of producer Brian Ahern.

Apparently recording didn’t suit Carpenter. His background portrays him as having problems with discipline both in the Navy and in the studio. Silent Passage took years to complete, though that span isn’t detrimental. Opener “Miracle Man” finds those sessioneers employed to full advantage, with George’s trademark slide and Payne’s barrelhouse piano lending unsurprising hints of Little Feat as the gospel-like flow of the backing by Dianne Brooks and Anne Murray (yes, that Anne Murray) bring the track touches of individual personality.

Less buoyant and more introspective is the title cut. The ambiance remains crisp and vivid, featuring well-done pedal steel from Ben Keith, swell backing by Harris, and a string arrangement of uninhibited pleasantry (it would’ve plainly been a personal buzzkill around 20 years ago) though thankfully non-overwrought (which means I can handle it just fine in the everlovin’ now).

Actually, those strings provide nice counterpoint to the sturdy non-polish of Carpenter’s voice, though please don’t get the impression he’s gravelly or strained. On the almost funky throb of “Old Friends” he sounds like warm fertile earth (or Cat Stevens, take your pick), the song fleshed out by momentary tastes of Payne’s organ and Don Thompson’s saxophone, his instrument stubbornly trumpet-ish to my ear.

Another series of adjustments comes with “First Light,” the participants scaled back to just Carpenter’s vocals and guitar, Milan Kymlicka’s string chart and Payne’s organ as the tune presents a spiritual angle; specifically oriented toward Jesus, it’s basically impossible to miss. But Silent Passage isn’t accurately pegged as Christian Rock (the lyrics are much too varied), and it certainly isn’t Christian psychedelia, just in case you were wondering (or hoping).

The closest the LP gets to any kind of expansiveness is during “Morning Train,” which offers a fluttering delicateness alternating with uptempo shifts somewhat reminiscent of “Miracle Man.” And it’s here that it becomes manifest why Ahern and Warner Brothers invested time and money in the guy, Carpenter hitting a spot likely to thrill ears into Croce and Taylor.

For some, those names won’t be a selling point. And I agree; naturally, I perceive merits in Silent Passage that extend beyond the realms of mere singer-songwriter geniality. For one instance, there’s the intensity of the guitar in “The Believer” and how it contrasts with the sheer amiability of the strings (this time arranged by Jim Pirie) and Peter Pringle’s harmonium as Carpenter’s unique throatiness bonds these extremes into a winning whole.

And “Gypsy Boy,” with its abundance of guitar (Ahern steps in on 12-string) and violin (by Ben Mink and Paul Armin) emits a distinct dark air of Brit folk, especially in Carpenter’s singing, a storytelling style with vocal croak tougher than on any previous track. Had this album shipped retail on schedule, it’s seems unlikely “Gypsy Boy” would’ve been pulled as the first single.

Faring a little better as a hypothetical 45 is “Down Along the Border,” though the unsmooth surfaces of voice, here reminding me more than slightly of departed singer-songwriter-guitarist Vic Chesnutt, is commercially limiting. The very strong “Before My Time” registers nearest to the gentle strains of ‘60s coffeehouse folk that helped to shape Carpenter’s artistry.

Yes, those added strings are ultimately superfluous, but their inclusion was in essence inevitable for a folkie of Carpenter’s temperament that shared a producer with Anne Murray and was recording his debut on Warner Brothers’ dime. However, the LP does fit into that label’s still impressive ‘60s-‘70s run; if it had managed to land in stores with the company’s logo on the sleeve, Silent Passage would surely be known and valued more highly, even if it didn’t prove a hit.

The concise “Now and Then” delivers a powerful finish, doing nothing particularly dissimilar from the nine earlier numbers, though Bill Speer’s piano is a fine aspect in the send out. And if Silent Passage contains elements reinforcing it as the product of a certain era, it’s also far more than just a period piece. At its core are songs; frequently excellent, never less than very good, and with the exception of the digital only Eight Demos 1979 (definitely not a footnote, it’s also not the place to begin) this is the full extent of the work Carpenter left behind.

He died of brain cancer in 1995, but not before becoming a Buddhist monk, a fact underlining that Carpenter’s tale, if dominated by a rather whopping missed/squandered opportunity, isn’t a sad one. And by this date, his album is no longer aptly described as lost; No Quarter’s reissue isn’t the first, but to my knowledge its last vinyl pressing was in ’84.

Sans desperate sales pitch, Silent Passage quietly endures as one of the finer examples of unearthed ‘70s worthiness.

by Joseph Neff, September 25, 2014

Tracks

1. Miracle Man - 3:16

2. Silent Passage - 2:51

3. Old Friends - 3:42

4. First Light - 4:53

5. Morning Train - 4:32

6. The Believer - 3:44

7. Gypsy Boy - 4:40

8. Down Along The Border - 2:53

9. Before My Time - 4:46

10.Now And Then - 2:23

Music and Lyrics by Bob Carpenter

Musicians

*Bob Carpenter - Vocals, Guitar

*Lee Skar - Bass

*Russ Kunkel - Drums

*Bill Payne - Piano, Organ

*George Lowell - Bottelneck, Electric Guitar

*Ben Keith - Steel

*Buddy Cage - Steel

*Milan Kymlicka - Strings

*Skip Beckwith - Bass

*Tim Pirie - Strings

*Peter Pringle - Harmonium

*Brian Ahern - Percussion, String

*Don Thompson - Sax

*Dianne Brooks - Backing Vocals

*Anne Murray - Backing Vocals

*Emmylou Harris - Backing Vocals

Free Text

Just Paste

Sunday, January 15, 2023

Jefferson Airplane - Last Flight (1972 us, an exciting live set, 2007 double disc remaster)

By 1972 Jefferson Airplane had evolved from the psychedelic folkrockers whose classic Surrealistic Pillow had soundtracked 1967’s Summer Of Love. Vocalist/founder Marty Balin was gone, though he rejoins the group for one of the high points here: an extraordinary, rousing encore of Diana/ Volunteers that would have had the hippy audience screaming for the revolution.

Taking Balin’s place as singer for this tour was David Freiberg (ex-Quicksilver Messenger Service), while veteran electric violinist Papa John Creach had joined in 1970 and former Turtle Johnny Barbata provides drums. The four remaining members from their heyday would soon split: lead guitarist Jorma Kaukonen and bassist Jack Casady concentrating on bluesy side project Hot Tuna; frontwoman Grace Slick and Paul Kantner (vocals/guitar) forming Jefferson Starship.

Despite this, Airplane were still formidable live. Kaukonen shines with fiery soloing on Twilight Double Leader and Feel So Good. Grace Slick is in fine form throughout, her powerful voice soaring over the maelstrom of sound as the group stretch out.ï¿½While fans of …Pillow will find the heavy blues-rock of Come Back Baby or boogie of Papa John’s Down Home Blues far from essential, the superb, loose version of Somebody To Love will delight them.

by Jon Harrington, 29 August 2007

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Introduction By Bill Graham - 1:14

2. Somebody To Love (Darby Slick) - 4:39

3. Twilight Double Leader (Paul Kantner) - 4:30

4. Wooden Ships (David Crosby, Paul Kantner, Stephen Stills) - 6:17

5. Milk Train (Grace Slick, Papa John Creach, Roger Spotts) - 4:09

6. Blind John (CJ Stetson, Peter Monk) - 4:27

7. Come Back Baby (Traditional) - 7:01

8. The Son Of Jesus (Paul Kantner) - 5:13

9. Long John Silver (Jack Casady, Grace Slick) - 5:15

10.When The Earth Moves Again (Paul Kantner) - 3:55

11.Papa John's Down Home Blues (Papa John Creach, Roger Spotts) - 5:26

12.Eat Starch Mom (Jorma Kaukonen, Grace Slick) - 5:35

Recorded live at the Winterland Arena, San Francisco on 22nd September 1972

Disc 2

1. John's Other (Papa John Creach) - 6:08

2. Trial By Fire (Jorma Kaukonen) - 4:24

3. Law Man (Grace Slick) - 2:40

4. Have You Seen The Saucers? (Paul Kantner) - 4:04

5. Aerie (Gang Of Eagles) (Grace Slick) - 3:30

6. Feel So Good (Jorma Kaukonen) - 11:00

7. Crown Of Creation (Paul Kantner) - 3:23

8. Walking The Tou Tou (Jorma Kaukonen) - 5:11

9. Diana / Volunteers (Paul Kantner, Grace Slick / Martin Balin, Paul Kantner) - 5:21

Recorded live at the Winterland Arena, San Francisco on 22nd September 1972

Jefferson Airplane

*Grace Slick - Vocals

*Paul Kantner - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar

*Jorma Kaukonen - Lead Guitar, Vocals

*Jack Casady - Bass

*John Barbata - Drums, Percussion

*Papa John Creach - Electric Violin, Vocals

*David Freiberg - Vocals, Tambourine, Guitar (Disc 1 Track 6)

*Marty Balin - Vocals (Disc 2 Track 9b)

1966 Jefferson Airplane - Takes Off (2013 audiophile remaster)

1967 Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow (2013 audiophile and 2003 xpanded)

1967 Jefferson Airplane - After Bathing At Baxter's (2013 audiophile and 2003 xpanded)

1968 Jefferson Airplane - Crown Of Creation (2013 audiophile and 2003 xpanded issue)

1969 Jefferson Airplane - Volunteers (2013 Audiophile, 2003 xpanded)

1973 Jefferson Airplane - Thirty Seconds Over Winterland (2013 Audiophile and 2009 expanded)

1971 Grace Slick With Paul Kantner - Sunfighter

1973 Paul Kantner, Grace Slick, David Freiberg - Baron Von Tollbooth And The Chrome Nun

1972 Hot Tuna - Burgers (2012 audiophile Vinyl replica)

1975 Hot Tuna - Yellow Fever (2012 Audiophile)

Free Text

Just Paste

Saturday, January 14, 2023

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