Ein avantgardistischer Free-Jazz-Klassiker für die Ewigkeit. Neu gemasterte Wiederveröffentlichung.

Zum 50. Geburtstag des legendären Art Ensemble Of Chicago bringt das Londoner Label Soul Jazz das ursprünglich 1970 veröffentlichte Album »Les Stances à Sophie« noch einmal neu gemastert heraus. Diese Wiederveröffentlichung folgt der ersten Neuauflage von Soul Jazz aus dem Jahr 2000, die ist schon seit langer Zeit vergriffen ist.

An afroamerikanischer Musikkultur interessierte Jazzfans sollten daher schnell zuschlagen, der in Paris eingespielte Soundtrack für den gleichnamigen französischen Film von Moshé Mizrahi ist ein so radikales wie exquisites, den Zeitgeist jener Jahre freigeistig einfangendes Free-Jazz- Dokument, das in keiner Black-Music-Sammlung fehlen darf. Allein schon die 9-minütige Eröffnungsode »Theme de Yoyo«, der die Gastsängerin Fontella Bass ihren unvergleichlichen Stempel aufdrückt, ist schlicht überwältigend.

Weiterhin an den Aufnahmen beteiligt war die Stammcrew des Ensembles, bestehend aus Lester Bowie (Trompete), Joseph Jarman und Roscoe Mitchell (beide Holzblasinstrumente) sowie Malachi Favors am Bass. Neu am Schlagzeug saß Don Moye, was in doppelter Hinsicht ein Novum war: noch kurz zuvor trat die Formation ohne Taktgeber auf.

In 1970, the members of the Art Ensemble of Chicago were living as expatriates in Paris. The group had only recently expanded to its permanent quintet status with the addition of drummer/percussionist Don Moye when they were asked by New Wave director Moshe Misrahi to provide the soundtrack for his movie, Les Stances a Sophie. The music was never used in the film but, luckily, it was recorded. The result was one of the landmark records of the burgeoning avant-garde of the time and, simply put, one of the greatest jazz albums ever. On two of the tracks, the Art Ensemble is joined by vocalist Fontella Bass, at the time the wife of trumpeter Lester Bowie and riding the success of her pop-soul hit Rescue Me. She's featured most prominently on the opening number, Theme De Yoyo, an astounding piece that has achieved legendary status as the finest fusion of funk and avant-garde jazz ever recorded. The mix is indeed seamless, with Moye and Favors laying down a throbbing, infectious groove, Bass singing the surreally erotic lyrics with enormous soul and the horn players soloing with ecstatic abandon. The remaining pieces cover a wide range stylistically with no less beauty and imagination, including two variations on a theme by Monteverdi, intense free improvising and soft, deeply probing sonic investigations.Their extensive knowledge of prior jazz styles, love of unusual sound sources (the so-called "little instruments) and fearless exploration of the furthest reaches of both instrumental and compositional possibilities came into full flower on this record.

(by Brian Olewnick, All Music Guide)

Mit Kamasi Washington in den USA und Shabaka Hutchings/Sons of Kemet, The Ezra Collective, Moses Boyd, Nubya Garcia, Fourtet, Yussef Kamaal, Tenderlonious sowie Binker & Moses in Großbritannien erlebt spiritueller Jazz, die sogenannte Black American Music, aktuell eine kreative Blüte.

Grund genug für Soul Jazz, mit »Time Capsule« das 1992 veröffentlichte, von der Kritik seinerzeit sehr wohlwollend aufgenommene und von John Coltrane, Alice Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, Archie Shepp und Don Cherry inspirierte Fusion- Debüt des Komponisten und Saxofonisten Chris Bowden neu aufzulegen.

»ID« fand für das progressivexperimentelle, Jazz und Elektronik collagierende Album die Worte: »Astro-jazz, luxurious strings and psychoacoustic electronica. A journey to the centre of the head.«

Die Kollegen von »The Face« schlossen sich mit der Aussage an: »Lush strings and woodwind with a powerful combination of dub beats and classical orchestration. True future music.«

Und beim renommierten »Guardian« wählte man das Werk mit der Auszeichnung »Sounding like a Michael Nyman tune that took a wrong turn and bumped into a Miles Davis record« zum »Album der Woche«. Für die Wiederveröffentlichung wurde »Time Capsule« tontechnisch auf den modernsten Stand gebracht.

Lloyd McNeill ist auf vielen Feldern aktiv und auf allen sehr erfolgreich. Neben seiner Tätigkeit als Komponist und Flötist betätigt er sich in den Bereichen Fotografie und Lehre, ist ein beachteter Schriftsteller und ein weltweit angesehener bildender Künstler. Als solcher hat er auch mit Picasso zusammengearbeitet, bei der Musik waren es unter anderem Nina Simone, Eric Dolphy und Lionel Hampton. Diese beeindruckende Biografie nimmt musikalische Gestalt an in seiner „Washington Suite“, die er für die Capital Ballet Company komponiert und 1970 mit Jazz-Ensemble eingespielt hat. Das Quartett besteht neben McNeill an der Flöte aus Eugene Rush am elektrischen Piano, Marshall Hawkins am Bass und Eric Gravatt am Schlagzeug, zusätzlich ist ein Bläserquartett an Bord, das mit Fagott, Oboe, Klarinette und Horn auch nicht gerade standardmäßig besetzt ist. Die Original-LP wurde nur in kleiner Aufl age auf einem Privatlabel veröffentlicht und ist dementsprechend teuer, selbst die erste Neuauflage von 2011 wird einem nicht gerade nachgeworfen. Nun haben wieder 1000 Käufer das Glück, diese hochkarätige LP zu erwerben, wozu nur dringend geraten werden kann. Die vor Lebendigkeit sprühende Aufnahme bezieht ihren Reiz vor allem aus dem Gegensatz von elektrischem Piano und den Blasinstrumenten.

Die B-Seite beginnt mit „Fountain in the Circle“, das nur durch die Bläser bestritten wird, danach folgt der fast zwanzigminütige Zyklus „City Tryptic“, dem die Leichtigkeit der A-Seite zwar etwas abgeht, dafür aber umso spannender ist. Die Aufnahme klingt sehr ordentlich, bei der Verarbeitung des Vinyls hätte man etwas mehr Sorgfalt aufwenden können. Der beiliegende Downloadcode kann leicht übersehen werden, denn er besteht aus einem recht winzigen Aufkleber auf der bunt bedruckten Innenhülle.

Grandiose Musik eines beeindruckenden Künstlers.

(LP, Ausgabe 6 / 2017)

+ Gene Rush, Steve Novosel, Eric Gravatt, Paul Hawkins

Neben The Art Ensemble of Chicago, Stanley Cowell oder Alice Coltrane gehörte auch der 1935 geborene Flötist Lloyd McNeill in den Sechzigern zum »New Thing!«: Einem Kreis afroamerikanischer Musiker, die – geprägt von der amerikanischen Bürgerrechtsbewegung – auf der Grundlage von Jazz Einflüsse aus Funk, Blues, Soul und Gospel, aus afrikanischer und fernöstlicher Musik sowie aus Tanz und Klassik mit Utopien, Philosophie und Mythen zu einem Sound verwoben, der bis heute nichts von seiner Faszination und Aktualität eingebüßt hat.

Insofern ist es auch nicht weiter verwunderlich, dass Soul Jazz nach 2011 das Album »Asha« noch einmal herausbringt. Dieses Mal allerdings nicht »versteckt« auf dem Sublabel Universal Sound, sondern digital remastered in einer Auflage von jeweils 1000 Exemplaren als CD und LP im Hauptprogramm.

Lloyd McNeill machte keine Unterschiede zwischen Musik, Malerei und Poesie, war politisch und künstlerisch engagiert und in den USA, Brasilien und Frankreich zuhause. »Asha« veröffentlichte er ursprünglich 1969 als Privatpressung auf seinem eigenen, gleichnamigen Label in Washington D.C.

For his second album, Rodriguez decamped to London at the request of producer Steve Rowland, who had heard Cold Fact and wanted to produce him. Since Cold Fact had made little in the way of commercial movement, Rodriguez jumped at the opportunity. Session musicians like renowned guitarist Chris Spedding lent a hand on production, which was overseen by Steve Rowland. (Curiously, the latter would go on to use about half of Cold Fact for Family Dogg's oddity The View from Roland's Head.) By far not as striking as his debut, Coming from Reality offers up some haunting stream-of-consciousness gems in "Sandrevan Lullaby" and "Cause." Rodriguez's lyrics still come off as mildly anti-establishment; "Heikki's Suburbia Bus Tour" apparently recalls a trip Rodriguez and friends undertook to Grosse Pointe to retaliate against the rich folks who often came to the inner city of Detroit to make fun of the hippies. He also spends lots of time with the low life, as he reminisces in the prologue to "A Most Disgusting Song": "I've played every kind of gig there is to play now/I've played faggot bars, hooker bars, motorcycle funerals, opera houses, concert houses, halfway houses." Slightly more slick than the debut, but still retaining the haunted personality (if not the gritty funk), the album sadly went nowhere in the United States and Europe. Faced, however, with the unexpected success of Cold Fact in South Africa, Sussex re-released Coming from Reality in 1976 as After the Fact. It lay out of print worldwide for several decades until 2009, when Light in the Attic resurrected it, along with the debut, and added three bonus tracks recorded during 1972-1973, back in Detroit, with Mike Theodore and Dennis Coffey again producing.

(by Quint Kik, All Music Guide)

There was a mini-genre of singer/songwriters in the late '60s and early '70s that has never gotten a name. They were folky but not exactly folk-rock and certainly not laid-back; sometimes pissed off but not full of rage; alienated but not incoherent; psychedelic-tinged but not that weird; not averse to using orchestration in some cases but not that elaborately produced. And they sold very few records, eluding to a large degree even rediscovery by collectors. Jeff Monn, Paul Martin, John Braheny, and Billy Joe Becoat were some of them, and Sixto Rodriguez was another on his 1970 LP, Cold Fact. Imagine an above-average Dylanesque street busker managing to record an album with fairly full and imaginative arrangements, and you're somewhat close to the atmosphere. Rodriguez projected the image of the aloof, alienated folk-rock songwriter, his songs jammed with gentle, stream-of-consciousness, indirect putdowns of straight society and its tensions. Likewise, he had his problems with romance, simultaneously putting down (again gently) women for their hang-ups and intimating that he could get along without them anyway ("I wonder how many times you had sex, and I wonder do you know who'll be next" he chides in the lilting "I Wonder"). At the same time, the songs were catchy and concise, with dabs of inventive backup: a dancing string section here, odd electronic yelps there, tinkling steel drums elsewhere. It's an album whose lyrics are evocative yet hard to get a handle on even after repeated listenings, with song titles like "Hate Street Dialogue," "Inner City Blues" (not the Marvin Gaye tune), and "Crucify Your Mind" representative of his eccentric, slightly troubled mindset. As it goes with folk-rock-psych singer/songwriters possessing captivating non sequitur turns of the phrase, he's just behind Arthur Lee and Skip Spence, but still worth your consideration.

(by Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide)

Lee Hazlewood verbrachte einen Großteil der späten 1960er Jahre auf einer riesigen Weltreise, während der er Platten produzierte und Business-Verträge unterschrieb. Eine Reihe Hits mit Nancy Sinatra ermöglichte es ihm, ein Mini- Medienimperium namens Lee Hazlewood Industries (LHI) aufzubauen und für eine Weile alle möglichen Ressourcen anzuzapfen. Am Ende des Jahrzehnts war LHI Records pleite, hatte mit einem halben Dutzend Vertrieben zusammen gearbeitet und trotzdem nicht den Erfolg in den Charts gehabt, den man nach »These Boots Are Made For Walking« erwartet hätte. Lee hatte Glück, dass es einen Ort gab, an dem das Geschäft noch boomte: Schweden. Am Rande einer LHI-Promotiontour in Stockholm traf Lee den schwedischen Filmemacher Torbjörn Axelman. Dies führte zu einer 38 Jahre währenden geschäftlichen Partnerschaft als auch Freundschaft. Diese gab Lee die Kraft weiter zu machen, nachdem LHI in Los Angeles gescheitert war.

Light In The Attic bringt nun in Fortführung der Lee Hazlewood Serie »Cowboy In Sweden« als erweiterte Auflage heraus. »Cowboy In Sweden« begleitete als Soundtrack den gleichnamigen, zum Kultklassiker avancierten Film, in dem Hazlewood auch mitspielte. Der psychedelische Film passte gut zu der Zusammenstellung von Hazlewoods besten Songs, die er während seiner dreijährigen Weltreise geschrieben hatte. Das Album wurde in Paris, London, Los Angeles und Stockholm zusammen mit einer ganzen Menge talentierter Menschen produziert.

»Cowboy in Sweden« ist die wahrscheinlich reinste Ausprägung des Hazlewood-Sounds, melancholischer Country-Pop mit Augenzwinkern (»Pray Them Bars Away«), etwas Enttäuschung (»Cold Hard Times«), schöne Sängerinnen (»Leather & Lace« & » Hey Cowboy«) und sogar ein paar Antikriegs-Songs um das ganze abzurunden (»No Train to Stockholm« & »For A Day Like Today«). Der von David »Bitter Sweet Symphony« Whitaker arrangierte orchestrale Popsong »What's More I Don't Need Her« und der Hazlewood-Klassiker »The Night Before« machen klar, dass wir es hier mit dem absolut besten Album in der Geschichte von LHI Records zu tun haben – ironischerweise war es auch das letzte auf dem Label.

At the turn of the '60s, Lee Hazlewood decided to leave America for Sweden. He had already spent time in the country, appearing as an actor in two television productions, so his decision wasn't completely out of the blue — especially since he had become close with the Swedish artist/filmmaker Torbjörn Axelman. The year that he arrived in Sweden, he starred in Axelman's television production Cowboy in Sweden and cut an album of the same name. Judging by the album alone, the film must have been exceedingly surreal, since the record exists in its own space and time. At its core, it's a collection of country and cowboy tunes, much like the work he did with Nancy Sinatra, but the production is cinematic and psychedelic, creating a druggy, discombobulated sound like no other. This is mind-altering music — the combination of country song structures, Hazlewood's deep baritone, the sweet voices of Nina Lizell and Suzi Jane Hokom, rolling acoustic guitars, ominous strings, harpsichords and flutes, eerie pianos, and endless echo is stranger than outright avant-garde music, since the familiar is undone by unexpected arrangements. Though the songs are all well-written, Cowboy in Sweden is ultimately about the sound and mood it evokes — and it's quite singular in that regard.

(by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide)

Auf Cherry Red Records erscheint eine exklusive Veröffentlichung der Indie-Rock-Formation Lost Girls. Nachdem die beiden Musiker Patrick Fitzgerald (Kitchens Of Destruction) und Heidi Berry (4AD) aus ihren alten Bands ausgestiegen waren, gründeten sie 1997 die Band Lost Girls.

Die Band bestand aus Patrick Fitzgerald, Heidi Berry, Ashley Wood, Dave Morgan und Kim Smith. Lost Girls spielten Ende der 90er einige Live-Shows und veröffentlichten 1999 die Single "Needle's Eye, ein Album wurde jedoch bis heute nicht veröffentlicht. Mit dem Album "Lost Girls" erscheint nun erstmals das komplette Songmaterial der Band auf einer 2CD, darunter Titel wie "All Fall Away", "Hold Me Down", "A Reason To Live", u.v.a. Patrick Fitzgerald beschreibt den Release wie folgt:

"I'm so glad these songs at last get to be heard - ragged and raw, done and undone, whatever, they were loved and not at all Lost after all ..." Definitv ein Must-have für alle Indie-Rock-Fans!

Ein Album für Ornithologen und Folkfreunde

»Avocet« ist das zwölfte Studioalbum des 2001 verstorbenen britischen Singer-Songwriters Bert Jansch. 2016 präsentiert Earth Recordings ein Reissue des legendären Longplayers, der im Original 1978 in Dänemark und ein Jahr später in England erschienen war.

In insgesamt sechs Songs trifft auf »Avocet« traditioneller Folk auf Folkrock. Bei allen Stücken handelt es sich um reine Instrumentalstücke. Unterstütz wird Jansch, der auf dem Album Gitarre und Piano spielt, von Martin Jenkins an Bassmandoline, Violine und Flöte sowie von Pentangle-Kollege Danny Thompson am Bass.

Der Titel des Albums und des Titeltracks stammt vom gleichnamigen Watvogel »Avocet«. Auch alle anderen Songtitel auf dem Album benannte der Musiker nach einer dieser besonderen Vogelarten.

»Avocet« gibt es jetzt erneut auf CD und LP. Die Linernotes verfasste der Jansch-Spezialist Colin Harper. Er ist unter anderem der Autor von »Dazzling Stranger: Bert Jansch and the British Folk and Blues Revival«.

Ein legendäres Album neu aufgelegt. »Avocet« von Bert Jansch ist eine Hommage an die britischen Vögel, ebenso wie an die Freiheit und die Musik.

Barockmusik, Psychedelic, Jazz, Folk und Anklänge an indische Raga gingen bei diesem Konzeptalbum eine höchst harmonische Ehe ein.

(Stereo, Mai 2016)

Vor einigen Jahren lud Neil Young den Songwriter und Gitarristen Bert Jansch zum Essen auf seine Ranch ein und legte ihm nahe, gemeinsam auf Konzertreise zu gehen, damit der Brite endlich ein größeres Publikum erreiche. Jansch, frei von Eitelkeit, fühlte sich geehrt aber zögerte, denn die Vorstellung, von kleinen Clubbühnen in Mehrzweck-Arenen zu wechseln, schreckte den Künstler ab. Zugesagt hat er dann aber doch. Er habe noch mal erleben wollen, wie es sei, auf den ganz großen Bühnen zu spielen, erinnerte er sich später. Also begleitete der introvertierte Jansch den Grummler Young einige Monate lang durch amerikanische Stadien und Arenen. Das war 2010. Ein Jahr später starb Jansch im Alter von 67 Jahren an Krebs.

Die zahlreichen Nachrufe auf Bert Jansch waren voller Superlative, mit denen noch einmal verdeutlicht werden sollte, was für ein begabter und einflussreicher Künstler da abgetreten war. Tatsächlich ist die Galerie der Musiker, die Bert Janschs Einfluss auf ihr Schaffen preisen, lang und beeindruckend, sie reicht von Jimmy Page über Paul Simon, Nick Drake, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Donovan und eben Neil Young bis hin zu Johnny Marr, Laura Marling, Graham Coxon, Bernard Butler und Pete Doherty. Trotzdem ist Bert Jansch überwiegend nur ein Titan unter seinesgleichen geblieben. Nie wurde er so populär wie viele der Kollegen die er prägte.

Jansch selbst war das allerdings ziemlich egal. Er wurde lieber in Ruhe gelassen und ging schien jeder größeren Aufmerksamkeit instinktiv aus dem Weg zu gehen.

Der in Glasgow geborene Jansch fiel früh als hochbegabt auf, ein wortkarger Wuschelkopf, der als Teenager bei Konzerten ganz vorne stand, den Musikern auf die Finger starrte und das, was er dort sah, nach der Show besser beherrschte als seine Vorbilder. Was er sich bei anderen abschaute, erweiterte Jansch zu einem eigenen Stil, der von lustvoller Improvisation geprägt war. Obendrein mischte er die Folkszene auf, indem er sich nicht, wie so viele seiner Zeitgenossen, auf Protestlieder und Standards beschränkte, sondern auch eigene autobiografische Songs vortrug.

"Dauerrausch" mit Pentangle

Sein 1965 veröffentlichtes Debüt-Album "Bert Jansch" sorgte für Aufsehen in der Szene. Led-Zeppelin-Gitarrist Jimmy Page gehörte zu den Beeindruckten und sagte einst, das Jansch "allen anderen weit voraus gewesen sei". Er habe die Kunst, Gitarre zu spielen, "neu erfunden", attestierte ihm Johnny Marr, der mit The Smiths bekannt wurde. Jansch erweiterte damals Folksongs um Blues- und Jazz-Elemente und erzeugte so innerhalb des Genres ein völlig neues Spannungsgeld.

Ende der Sechzigerjahre startete Jansch dann mit seinem Gitarristen-Kumpel John Renbourn die Folkband Pentangle, die überraschend erfolgreich wurde. Zu Beginn der Siebziger, nach der Implosion der Beatles, herrschte in der britischen Musikwelt eine gewisse Ratlosigkeit. Damals einigten sich viele auf eine Sehnsucht nach Traditionen, wozu ein Folk-Revival gut passte. Bands wie Fairport Convention, The Incredible String Band und eben Pentangle begeisterten ein großes Publikum.

Dem Eremiten Jansch war die Sache allerdings nicht geheuer, so dass er sich jedes Konzert schöntrinken musste. Kein Wunder, dass er die Jahre mit Pentangle als "Dauerrausch" beschrieb. Endgültig zog er 1973 die Bremse, verließ die Band und versteckte sich für zwei Jahre auf einer Farm in Wales, um Schafe zu züchten. Als ihm das zu eintönig wurde, zog er zurück nach London um weiter zu trinken. Für Musik interessierte er sich erst wieder, als ihm die Ärzte ins Gewissen redeten. Damals, 1978, spielte er "Avocet" ein. Eine Platte die erneut die Kritiker euphorisierte, nur in kleiner Auflage erschien, rasch vergriffen war und dann ein teures Sammlerstück wurde.

Nun wurde dieser späte Höhepunkt aus Janschs Karriere restauriert, um ein herrliches Booklet erweitert und frisch aufgelegt. Das ungewöhnliche Werk, eingespielt als Trio mit dem Pentangle-Bassisten Danny Thompson sowie Martin Jenkins an Flöte, Geige und Mandoline, klingt wie die Ruhe nach dem Sturm. Über die Distanz von sechs instrumentalen, nahezu meditativen und nach Vögeln benannten Songs, variiert Jansch Folk mit Jazz und Kammermusik zu einem wundersamen Tagtraum-Sound, der damals, als Punkrock begann, wie aus einem Parallel-Universum wirkte.

Es folgten noch einige weitere Alben, von denen aber keines die Klasse von "Avocet" erreichte. Eine Krebserkrankung setzte Bert Jansch schließlich so zu, dass er nicht mehr aufnehmen konnte. Kurz nach der Diagnose erreichte ihn damals die Einladung von Neil Young, der sich später erinnerte, dass junge Zuhörer tief von Jansch beeindruckt waren; Sie wussten, sagte Young, "this is the real shit!".

(www.spiegel.de)

"Eine der unglaublichsten Leistungen, die eine weiße Bluesband jemals zuwege brachte!"

(Good Times, April / Mai 2012)

The Blues Project was one of the most innovative and influential bands of the 1960s. Rising from the vibrant Greenwich Village music scene, the New York quintet created a visionary fusion of electric blues, folk-rock, jazz and psychedelia, and delivered it with gritty, effortless expertise.

1966’s Projections is generally regarded as the Blues Project’s best—the studio album features the legendary lineup of keyboardist Al Kooper, guitarists Danny Kalb and Steve Katz, bassist Andy Kulberg and drummer Roy Blumenfeld.

At the time of its release, Projections quickly became a fixture on underground radio and featured seminal tracks such as “I Can’t Keep from Crying”, the ’60s garage anthem “Wake Me, Shake Me,” Kalb’s epic blues showcase “Two Trains Running,” and the space-jazz instrumental “Flute Thing” featuring Andy Kulberg.

Produced by Tom Wilson (Dylan, Zappa), the Blues Project's second effort was their finest hour. In less than a year the enthusiastic live band had matured into a seasoned studio ensemble. Steve Katz's features are lightweight folk but Al Kooper reworks two gospel themes ("Wake Me, Shake Me," "I Can't Keep from Crying") into ambitious blues-rock compositions, and Danny Kalb proves he's no mere folkie on extended versions of "Two Trains Running" and "Caress Me Baby." Bassist Andy Kulberg switches to flute and Kalb gets psychedelic on the jazzy "Flute Thing," penned by Kooper.

(Dan Forte, www.allmusic.com)

Neu remastered in den Londonder Abbey-Road-Studios, in 180-Gramm-Vinyl gepresst und natürlich in den berühmten Original-Gatefold-Hüllen.

Für einige war Sun Ra nichts weiter als ein großer Scharlatan, für andere einer der ganz großen Mystiker und Innovatoren des Jazz. Fakt ist: Das verschrobene Genie, das stets leugnete irdischer Abstammung zu sein, schuf ein wirklich einzigartiges, abenteurliches Klanguniversum, das er ab den Mittfünfzigern bis zu seinem Abschied vom Planeten Erde (und seine Rückkehr zum Saturn) 1993 mit seinem Sun Ra Arkestra unermüdlich bereiste und erforschte.

Während seines Aufenthalts auf der Erde nahm er über einhundert Alben auf, die meisten davon für sein eigenes Label El Saturn. Das faszinierende Album »Space Is The Place« entstand 1972 ursprünglich für Blue Thumb Records und wurde später von Impulse! wiederveröffentlicht.

Die Reunion-Konzerte von '93 gibt's in zwei Varianten: als Einzel-CD im lila Cover mit zehn Songs, als Doppel-CD mit 34 Stücken im blauen Cover. Die zweite ist klar erste Wahl, weil nur sie die ungebrochene Faszination der originalen Underground-Helden Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison und Moe Tucker in allen schillernden Facetten vermittelt.

(© Audio)

Die Sensation ist perfekt: Velvet Undergrond; die Urzelle aller neuzeitlichen Untergrund-Bands, geht nach 20jähriger Pause in der originalen Quartett-Besetzung wieder auf Tournee. Ihrer Rolle als Säulenheilige des unverbogenen Minimal-Rock sind sich Lou Reed, John Clae, Sterling Morrison und Maureen "Moe" Tucker wohl bewußt - dafür sprechen schon die lateinischen Lettern in der Jahresangabe des jetzt auf CD festgehaltenen "Live"-Events. "MCMXCIII", 1993, im Juni, gastierten die vier Velvets für drei Nächte im ehrwürdigen Pariser "Olympia". Dort spielten sie ihr klassisches Schauerrepertoire, von "Venus in Furs" und "Femme Fatale" bis "White Light / White Heat", angereichert um weniger berühmte Underground-Perlen und den brandneuen Song "Coyote". Diese ergrauten Wüteriche sind, daran läßt der vorliegende Mitschnitt keinen Zweifel, "still crazy after all these years". An spontanen Beifallswellen des Publikums kann der CD-Hörer ablesen, daß einer der vier jung gebliebenen Exzentriker immer mal wieder auf einen effektgewissen Egotrip geht. Musikalisch lieben es die Velvets immer noch sehr laut, aber disziplinierter. Das macht, daß diese Livekonserve - kratzt man einmal das Goldlamé der Heldenverehrung ab und läßt man die unbestreitbare Qualität der Kompositionen außer acht - nicht viel mehr Aura hat als die mancher gestandenen "normalen" Rockband. Lou Reed & Co. legen hier eine spielerische Routine an den Tag, die das Dämonische, Unberechenbare, Bösartige, Kakophonische ihrer Kunst allenfalls erahnen läßt. Ausnahmen, wie John Claes Interpretation von "All Tomorrows Parties" und Teile des Finales, bestätigen die Regel. Das Paris-Konzert ist auch in einer komprimierten Fassung als Einzel-CD (WEA 9362-45465-2) erhältlich.

(© Stereoplay)

Unter solch einem Haufen Platten nach stundenlangem Hören noch an sich selbst zu denken und sowas wie eine "Lieblings-LP" herauszufinden, ist nicht einfach. Aber bei Krokodils Doppelalbum SWEAT AND SWIM ... machte mir die Suche einfach. Endlich mal eine Gruppe, die sich dem Rhythm & Blues verschrieben hat. Jede Menge echter Ohrwürmer sind auf der Platte, z.B. die Auftaktnummer "Talking Worid War III Blues". Drei Harmonien hat das Stück, aber die bekommen durch die monotone Wiederholung eine unbeschreibliche Faszination. Vor allen Dingen aber ist wichtig, wer sie wie wiederholt. Walti Anselmos Sprechgesang mit einer verrücktmachend spröden Stimme vorgetragen, sein Gitarrenspiel (hier zusammen mit Gast Rainer Marz), Moyo Weidelis jammernde Mundharmonika, Terry Stevens Bass-Stakkatos und Düde Dürsts tour de force auf dem Schlagzeug, das alles zusammen ist so technisch perfekt, hat soviel Swing und zeugt von soviel Phantasie, daß man sich an den Kopf' fasst und sich fragen muß, weshalb denn dais Krokodil bei uns immer noch im Schatten dahinvegetiert - Schade, der Platz hier reicht leider nicht aus, sich weiter zu begeistern. Bei dieser Platte würde ich es gerne tun. Doch ein Stück muss ich noch erwähnen, nämlich "Linger", das die gesamte Seite 3 einnimmt. Ganz langsam, mit einem langen Flötensolo von Moyo Weideli, schleicht es sich in den Kopf, um dann immer schneller werdend mit raisenden Gitarren und heulendem Synthesizer dort zu explodieren. Wen's interessiert, das Ganze ist übrigens in echtem Vierkanal aufgenommen. Ich hab's bei einem reichen Mann getestet, und das macht die Platte tatsächlich noch besser. Nur, wer hat schon Geld zuviel?

(Sounds, 1973)

15er 140g-Vinyl-Reissue, Klappcover. Von 1973. Damals z.B. in der „Sounds“ hoch gelobt, sind die Schweizer nun ziemlich vergessen. Im Zentrum steht das 18-minütige Linger, das ganz zart beginnened sich immer mehr hypnotisch verdichtet, de Gitarren- teilweise von Flöten-Dominanz und sanftem Gesang abgelöst – ob man das jetzt Psyche, Prog oder Kraut nennt, ist egal. Später wird daraus ein Boogie-Guitar-Jam ähnlich Man (an die auch der leise Beginn erinnert). Ansonsten: Neben dem wunderbaren poetischen Kris Kristofferson-Cover Baby Dee (purer Songwriter-Country!) und einem langen Roots-Rocker viel Blues/R´n´B-Einfluß, gern in rockender/abziehender Form, mal lakonisch in Lou Reed-Nähe, auch kleine Psyche/Prog-Spritzerchen, Wah-Wah. Oft unterstützt eine Harmonica die Gitarren.

(dvd, Glitterhouse 2015)

Das dritte Album von The Monochrome Set ist einer der unentdeckten Klassiker der frühen achtziger Jahre getarnt als geistreicher, wortgewandter und gebildeter Pop. Das Album ist heute noch so frisch wie zur Zeit seiner Entstehung 1982.

Das ungeheuer einflussreiche «Eligible Bachelors« ist eine Achterbahnfahrt des Geistes und der musikalischen Vorstellungskraft. Es versammelt einige der amüsantesten Songs, die jemals auf Vinyl gepresst wurden und beginnt mit «Jet Set Junta«, das neben «The Ruling Class« die Psychosen der Reichen beleuchtet. «The Mating Game« ist eine amüsante Gebrauchsanweisung des anderen Geschlechts mit Textzeilen wie: «Blond, brunette or redhead, black, yellow or white / They taste the same, in the mating game.« Doch es geht nicht nur lustig zu. «The Midas Touch« ist eine kleine Laune zu einem fast perfekten Gitarrenriff mit einer emotionalen Reichweite, hinter der sich die meisten Songwriter verstecken können.

Originalalbum produzert von Booker T. Jones. Mit dem Originalartwork, das für den Original Release 1971 gedacht war; zum ersten Mal realisiert. Sämtliche Songs wurden nie zuvor veröffentlicht.

Als hippielastiges Soul-Rock, Folk-Rock, Psych-Rock Juwel, das jahrzehntelang in den Archiven verschollen war klingt „A Fire Somewhere“ von Ray Stinnett heute genauso frisch wie am Tag seiner Aufnahme und fügt Linernotes hinzu, die das faszinierende Leben des chronisch unterbewerteten Reisenden des Rock dokumentieren.

Geboren 1944 in Memphis bekam Ray Stinnett im Alter von 12 Jahren seine erste Gitarre von dem gleichen Pfandleiher, bei dem auch Elvis seine erste Gitarre kaufte, erinnert sich Stinnett daran, dass an der nächsten Ampel ein pink Cadillac neben der Stinnett’schen Familienkutsche auftauchte: Elvis‘ Cadillac. Ray hielt seine Gitarre hoch und rief „Ey, Elvis“, woraufhin der King herüberschaute und „Hey cat“ sagte. Ray schwor seinem Vater, dass er hart arbeiten und eine goldene Schallplatte bekommen würde. Genau wie Elvis.

In Form der Teenband Johnny And The Electros, später im Duo mit dem Schlagzeuger Jerry Patterson und schließlich mit Sam The Sham & The Pharaos nahm der Plan Gestalt an.

Der Pharaos Song „Wolly Bully“ war die meistverkaufteste Platte des Jahres 1965. Das Rockstarleben folgte, bis sich die Pharaos nach Managerproblemen von Sam trennten und als The Violations weitermachten. Ray machte sich nach San Francisco auf und freundete sich mit Booker T. Jones an, der Rays unveröffentlichtes „Sun Tree At Pepper West“ Album produzierte. Als Jones nach Malibu zog, arbeitete Ray mit seinen alten Freunden Jerry Paterson und Mike Plunk trotzdem mit ihm und dem Co-Mixer Richard Rosebrough (Chris Bell, Big Star) weiter und verarbeitete schließlich seine Erfahrung des Ruhm und darüber hinaus in den Songs, die zu „A Fire Somewhere“ werden sollten. Die Songs gründete sich auf den Fried Country Twang und die Boogie Woogie Grooves seiner Heimat und seiner Jugend, waren aber auch durchzogen von der neuen Psychedelia – verzerrte Gitarre, experimentelle Jams und Akustikversionen.

In the early '60s, Ray Stinnett was a kid from Memphis who dug R&B and wanted to have a hit record just like Elvis. By mid-decade, Stinnett had scored that monster hit single as a member of Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs, playing guitar on "Wooly Bully," and by the dawn of the 1970s, Stinnett and his wife were living on a commune in California and searching for spiritual enlightenment. Stinnett's life path reflects the shifting cultural Zeitgeist of the 1960s with commendable accuracy, but thankfully he never stopped playing guitar like a Memphis boy who dug the blues, as evidenced by A Fire Somewhere, an album Stinnett recorded in 1971 that finally earned a long-overdue release in 2012. Stinnett was a protégé of Booker T. Jones, and when Jones signed a deal with A&M Records, he persuaded them to sign Stinnett as well, and if what Stinnett was writing was a long way from classic Memphis R&B, Stinnett's sharp, emphatic guitar work and easygoing sense of timing suggest he learned more than a little from the cats at Stax Records, though his vocals weren't always on a par with his picking. As a songwriter, Stinnett conjures up a fine, swampy fusion of soul, country, blues, and rock, with occasional side trips into psychedelia and gospel, and though it's true Stinnett's spiritual and philosophical conceits sometimes sound a bit clumsy after 40 years of gathering dust, Stinnett never sounds less than entirely sincere, and when he deals with the nuts and bolts of love and relationships, he strikes a bull's-eye. And Stinnett was blessed with a rhythm section as idiosyncratically gifted as he was in bassist Mike Plunk and drummer Jerry Patterson. Differences with A&M over marketing and management caused Stinnett to walk away from his record deal, and A Fire Somewhere got left by the wayside, buried in the label's vaults; Light in the Attic's release of the album doesn't quite resurrect a lost classic, but this is an entertaining, often fascinating set of well-crafted swamp rock that showcases a talent that deserved a hearing it didn't get in 1971. The album was remastered from the original session tapes, and Jessica Hundley's liner notes (with plenty of quotes from Stinnett) tell as much as you could care to know about Stinnett and his long lost album.

(by Mark Deming, All Music Guide)

1991 gründeten Schneider a. k.a. Dirk Dresselhaus (Schneider TM, Hip Young Things) und Krite a. k.a. Christopher Uhe (Speed Niggs, Sharon Stoned, Floor) Locust Fudge. Nach diversen gemeinsamen Konzerten ihrer verschiedenen Bands taten sie sich zusammen, um die Bielefelder Bevölkerung in der Fussgängerzone mit ihren Hits in akustischer Version zu beglücken. Davon hörte Reinhard Holstein, seineszeichens Chef von Glitterhouse Records, dem Label, das zu der Zeit noch für die europäischen Releases des Sub Pop Labels verantworlich war.

Holstein wollte ein Album für sein Label und er bekam es: »Flush« wurde 1993 veröffentlicht. Das Album enthält je vier Songs, die Schneider vorher mit den Hip Young Things sowie Krite mit den Speed Niggs aufgenommen haben. Daneben gibt es noch Coverversionen von The Notwist, Lou Reed und Neil Young. Nach diversen Konzerten als Duo entschieden sich die beiden ihren Sound zu verändern. Weg vom fast klassischen Singer-Songwriter-Stil hin zu etwas, das sie »Lofi-Glam-Folk« nannten. Das Ergebnis nannte sich »Royal Flush« und erschien 1995 ebenfalls auf Glitterhouse Records.

Nachdem 1996 noch die EP »Business Express« erschien, nahmen sich die beiden eine Auszeit von dem Projekt, ohne sich je aufzulösen. Ein letztes musikalisches Lebenszeichen gab es 2004 mit einem Beitrag zu dem The Fall Tribute Sampler »Perverted by Mark E.«. Im Dezember 2014 erscheinen »Flush« und »Royal Flush« nun endlich als gemeinsame Doppel-LP auf dem Bielefelder Label Kapitän Platte.

Wiederveröffentlichung der ersten beiden Alben dieses von uns höchst geschätzten Duos auf dem Bielefelder Label Kapitän Platte. Erstmalig auf Vinyl, auf 500 Stck. limitiert, als Doppel-LP im Klappcover, mit haufenweise Linernotes plus Downloadcode. 1991 gründeten Schneider a.k.a. Dirk Dresselhaus (Schneider TM, Hip Young Things) und Krite a.k.a. Christopher Uhe (Speed Niggs, Sharon Stoned, Floor) Locust Fudge. Ihr Debüt “Flush“ erschien 1993 auf Glitterhouse. Vier Songs aus Schneiders Feder, vier aus Krites. Dazu Covers von The Notwist, Neil Young und Lou Reed. Alles im reduzierten klassischen Singer-/Songwriter- Stil - Schönklang mit Brüchen, mit Tiefe und Herzensbildung, changierend zwischen Unschuld und weltgebeutelter Expertise. So unfertig, unschuldig und bewusst unperfekt das Album klingen mag, „Flush“ ist ein Juwel, nicht weniger als das, ein Klassiker im Glitterhouse-Label-Katalog. 1995 kam „Royal Flush“ der inhaltlich nicht zwangsläufige Nachfolger. Schneider und Krite selbst meinten, ein lebensbejahendes Easy-Listening-Album aufzunehmen. Weit gefehlt. Das Album ist eher „eine wunderschöne Sammlung verpatzter Radio-Hits mit Tiefenschärfe“ wie es der damalige Infotext ausdrückte, „Lofi-Glam-Folk“ nannten sie das selbst. Keyboards und rumpelnde Beats halten Einzug, es wird verstohlen an Knöpfchen gedreht, das ist nie ungebrochen, da lauert immer irgendwo ein Kloß im Hals. Locust Fudge flirten mit dem Desaster, gehen lächelnd Risiken ein, nehmen vorweg, was Jahre später mal an Indie-Rock gut sein sollte, haben Songs, für die andere morden würden und Soundvorstellungen, für die es Phantasie und Weitblick braucht. „Cake“ z.B. oder „Racing Horse“ sind verflucht einnehmende Großtaten, die in einer besseren Welt seit 20 Jahren die Charts dominieren würden. Eine schändlich übersehene bzw. fast vergessene Band, die nicht wieder in Vergessenheit geraten sollte. Bitte bevorraten Sie sich.

(rs, Glitterhouse)

Reissue des 1993er-Albums der US-Band mit vielen Extras.

1993 erschien das sechste Studioalbum der amerikanischen Indierockband Yo La Tengo. »Painful« markierte eine stilistische Wende in der Geschichte der 1984 gegründeten Gruppe aus Hoboken, New Jersey.

Atmosphärische Ambient-Sounds vermischen sich mit Ira Kaplans berüchtigten Feedback-Noise-Schleifen. Gleichzeitig ist »Painful« eine noch weitere Öffnung Richtung Melodie und Songwriting.

Yo La Tengo has released several fine albums before, but only Painful encapsulates their folky guitar experimentalism perfectly. Alternating between dreamy Velvet Underground-style ballads and raving, Sonic Youth guitar squalls, Painful also finds the group improving their songwriting skills immeasurably. Before, they relied on soundscapes; now, the sound fleshes out their songs, from the trance-like "Nowhere Near" to the dense "From a Motel 6" and the two versions of "Big Day Coming," which cover both ends of the spectrum. A subtly addicting album.

(by Stephen Thomas Erlewin, All Music Guide)

Considered to be his finest moment, Bull's second record goes beyond his first, wearing an electric halo while he continues to explore the boundaries of the guitar. "Blend 2", his answer to his first record's opus "Blend", is a must have for all of those who love John Fahey and Six Organs Of Admittance. A ghostly, warm record as a whole: Bull is on top of his game and once again reinventing the way the ear hears the hand as it plays the guitar. Original artwork.

Mighty Baby's music wasn't extremely similar to the Grateful Dead's, but there are similarities in how their music is presented and received, albeit on a much, much smaller scale than the Dead's. Much of Mighty Baby's material was based around loose, semi-improvisational grooves combining numerous styles; their cult of fans, though far less numerous than the Dead's, exhibits similar ardor for their heroes; and that passion simply doesn't translate to many outside of the cult, who are a bit puzzled as to what the fuss is all about. All of the above applies to this extensive (63-minute) CD of previously unreleased material, recorded in 1970 between their two official LP releases. The first three tracks, in decent fidelity, are taken from a live gig in support of Love in March 1970, highlighted by the nearly 15-minute instrumental "Now You See It," which fuses their love for John Coltrane's Indian-influenced jazz with more rock-oriented instrumentation and rhythm. In contrast, the two other songs from that concert, "Stone Unhenged" (another instrumental) and "Sweet Mandarin" (which, like all of the songs on this disc, were not included on their pair of official LPs) are run-of-the-mill country-blues-rock -- the kind of thing you could imagine an obscure local support band to the Grateful Dead playing in 1970, for instance. The remainder of the CD was cut in the studio soon after the March 1970 concert, and is devoted mostly to the four-part, 40-minute improvised instrumental "Now You Don't." This again draws from both the exotic jazz of Coltrane's final years and the more straightforward power of psychedelic rock, and fairly impressively, rather in the way -- as much as some Mighty Baby fans might find the comparison odd or inappropriate -- Soft Machine did on their early-'70s jazz-rock recordings. Closing the set is another cut from those studio sessions, the brief and seemingly incomplete "Winter Passes," which heads off in another direction, its mellow early-'70s-styled rock with Crosby, Stills & Nash-ish harmonies gliding into an extended, laid-back, instrumental jazzy passage. The extended instrumental pieces far outdistance this CD's vocal numbers in quality, and partly for that reason, on the whole the disc is erratic enough that it can't be considered on a par with the albums Mighty Baby officially released at the time. But as none of the songs appear on these albums, and those instrumental numbers in particular show sides of the band not fully displayed on those LPs, this should be considered as a vital missing piece to the Mighty Baby discography by fans of the band, if not quite something that could be considered an actual fully developed, unreleased album.

(by Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide)

Imagine a jazzy John Sebastian who's into Eastern culture and vaudeville. This is pleasant, unambitious hippie groove music for a lazy, sunny afternoon. If you're in that mood, it will take you to a warm, fuzzy place.

(by Mark Allan, All Music Guide)

Formed in Memphis in 1968 by blues guitar legend Lee Baker. Upon hearing Baker play, Jimmy Page is said to have commented, "that's the best white bluesman I ever heard!" Produced, written and arranged by Don Nix (Mar-Keys and Paris Pilot) at Memphis' Ardent Studios, Moloch's 1970 debut album was is an excellent mix of hard blues and acid rock, with amazing guitar solos by Baker. It was also the first time the song "Goin' Down" appeared on record (famously covered by Jeff Beck). Although Moloch definitely had the chops to make it big (apparently Freddie King covered a few of the band's songs and would hang out and jam with Baker when ever he was in town), they lacked distribution. The band also got panned in Rolling Stone magazine, but Rolling Stone also panned Led Zeppelin's first albums, so.

Produced by Don Nix (widely credited as a key architect of the ‘Memphis Sound’), this hard-hitting collection of bluesy acid rock first appeared on Stax subsidiary Enterprise in 1970. Featuring the outstanding guitar playing of the late Lee Baker (later to play with Alex Chilton) and the original version of Going Down (covered by Freddie King, Jeff Beck, Pearl Jam, JJ Cale and others), the album makes its CD debut here, complete with two rare bonus tracks, and is an essential purchase for all fans of blues-influenced rock and roll.

Moloch emerged from the fertile music scene in Memphis, Tennessee in 1969. Led by guitarist Lee Baker (who had played with the Memphis Blazers throughout the decade, toured with the Mar-Keys and is often called ‘the greatest guitarist you’ve never heard of’), they gigged alongside the MC5 and the Stooges and were offered the opportunity to make an album for local Stax subsidiary Enterprise in 1970. Recorded at the legendary Ardent studios with local producer Don Nix (a collaborator with Lonnie Mack, Furry Lewis, Freddy King, Albert King, Delaney & Bonnie, Isaac Hayes, The Staple Singers and others, and often credited as a key architect of the ‘Memphis Sound’), they laid down a rich stew of 12-bar blues peppered with fiery guitar, fat organ and taut drumming. Though the bulk of the songs were penned by Nix (including the original version of Goin' Down, later to become a blues standard covered by Eric Clapton, Freddie King, Deep Purple, Pearl Jam and others), the sound is unmistakably theirs, and betrays the influence of the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Blue Cheer as well as blues musicians like Mississippi Fred McDowell, Sleepy John Estes and Bukka White (all of whom Baker had played with at the legendary Memphis Country Blues Festivals of the late 60s).

The album was a triumph, but failed to sell, prompting the band to split in 1971. The following year, Baker assembled another version of Moloch (featuring bassist Michael Jones, later to play with Talking Heads) and released a one-off 45 on a tiny local label called Booger. This featured even more vicious guitar than the LP, but was doomed to obscurity from the start. Baker went on to play with fellow local hero Alex Chilton (whose Big Star were to suffer a similar fate to Moloch on another Stax subsidiary, Ardent), contributing guitar to his legendary Third / Sister Lovers LP and the Like Flies On Sherbet album later in the decade. Baker also formed Mudboy & the Neutrons with friends Jim Dickinson, Sid Selvidge and Jimmy Crosthwait (dubbed ‘the great band that nobody can find’ by Bob Dylan), and collaborated extensively with pioneering blues guitarist Furry Lewis. He was still prominent on the Memphis music scene when he was senselessly murdered in September 1996, and it is to be hoped that this reissue will bring his astonishing guitar player to a wider audience.

(www.theraremusicshop.com)

Originally released in 1970, At Home is the debut album of the obscure Los Angeles folk-rock duo Lambert & Nuttycombe. This album of original ballads was recorded live at the home of Craig Nuttycombe and Denis Lambert in Sausalito, California in 1970 and co-produced by David Anderle (The Doors), Glyn Johns (The Beatles, Rolling Stones) and Chad Stuart (Chad and Jeremy) And although the album-with its intimate vocals and subtle guitar work-generated serious interest at the time, drawing parallels to Nick Drake, the band members' increasing drug problems eventually blocked their road to stardom. Lambert tragically ended up committing suicide in 1997.

1969er-Album des Vibraphonisten Bobby Hutcherson mit Sänger Eugene McDaniels. Spiritual Soul Jazz at ist best!

Ganz im progressiven Geiste einer (seinerzeit) neuen black consciousness konzipiertes Album in der Besetzung Harold Land (Tenor-Saxophon), Kenny Barron (Piano), Stanley Cowell (Piano), Wally Richardson (Gitarre), Herbie Lewis (Bass), Joe Chambers (Drums) und Candido Camero (Congas) sowie Leadsänger Eugene McDaniels (aus dessen Feder der Jazz / Soul-Protestsong Compared To What stammt) und einem fünfstimmigen Backgound- Chor. Ein Meisterwerk.

Now! is one of Bobby Hutcherson's most adventurous recordings. Cut with the Harold Land Quintet in 1969, Hutcherson augments the lineup with vocalist the Right Reverend Eugene McDaniels (then Gene McDaniels) and a chorus at the height of Black Power consciousness. While this band may not appeal to straight hard and post-bop listeners who prefer their music instrumentally, it is a compelling and even stunning record if accepted on its own terms. The compositions reflect the tightrope Hutcherson and Land walked on their earlier outings together between post-bop and vanguard jazz The interplay between Hutcherson and Stanley Cowell's 's piano in the instrumental passages in "Slow Change" is so intuitive and symbiotic it may slip by the listener who is not paying attention. Land's solo too, comes out for the post-Coltrane ethos and fills the vocal lines powerfully and convincingly. Elsewhere, on "Hello to the Wind," written by drummer Joe Chambers and McDaniels, the influence of Terry Callier is evident in the tune's dynamic and melody line that is led by Wally Richardson's guitar. With fine piano work by Kenny Barron and a fluid, modal bassline by Herbie Lewis. McDaniels' voice is in fine form here, his husky baritone effortlessly coloring the mix. The title cut is a short lullaby written by Hutcherson and McDaniels, tender, simple and haunting as Land's saxophone winds through the shouts of female voices with restraint and elegance. The utter creative vision of Herbie Lewis' "The Creators" showcases the band at the height of its powers with Cowell holding the piano chair with killer Latin rhythms, psychedelic electric guitar and a provocative engagement between Land, Hutcherson and the chorus. The original set ends with "Black Heroes" by Land. A scatted, syncopated piece of counterculture beat jazz, it offers a better portrait of the band than it does of McDaniels or the choral group. A hard bop piece with a striated and knotty vocal intro and finish, it is a fitting and exciting final track.

(by Thom Jurek, All Music Guide)

Der Nachfolger zum selbstbetitelten 1970er Album des brasilianischen Sängers, Songwriters und Musikers Marcos Valle, „Garra“, nimmt eine gesellschaftlich-wachsame Haltung ein, die hier mit einem verspielten Mix aus Samba, Bossa Nova, Baiao (einem rhythmischen Beat aus der ländlichen Nordosten Brasiliens), schwarzer amerikanischer Musik und psychedelischem Rock gewürzt wird.

Marcos und sein lyrisch begabter Bruder Paulo nahmen das Album mit einigen der besten Studiomusiker Brasiliens auf – „Garra“ ist ihr politisch deutlichstes Werk. Aufgenommen zwischen den Session für Seifenoper Soundtracks, mit denen Valle sein Geld verdiente, provozierte das Album wissentlich die staatlich Zensur. Unglücklicherweise kamen einige von Valles Zeitgenossen nicht so ungeschoren davon wie er und wurden für ihre politisch „fragwürdigen“ Inhalte entweder ins Exil geschickt (wie die Ikonen des Tropicalia Gilberto Gil und Caetano Veloso) oder mussten in die USA oder nach Europa flüchten.

„Garra“ erschien ursprünglich 1971 und verzückte mit dem Rare Groove Klassiker „Wanda Vidal“, der noch Jahre nach der ursprünglichen Veröffentlichung von britischen, europäischen und japanischen Musikfans hochgelobt wurde. Inmitten einer aufregenden Aufstellung von Instrumenten verbirgt sich ein ernsthafter Kern.

Tempering his funkier inclinations to create a Baroque masterpiece of easy listening Brazilian pop, Marcos Valle recorded the most entertaining album of his career, and perhaps the best Brazilian pop album of all time. Garra begins with the elegant "Jesus Meu Rei," with a magisterial men's choir echoing Valle's sentiments while textured piano and organ complete the rich sonic palette. Second track "Com Mais de 30," only the first of several ingenious transitions, offers a light, breezy alternative, bouncing back and forth from main melody to an excellent bridge. Indeed, nearly every song has a bridge as strong as -- or stronger than -- the main melody, and Valle proves himself a master at weaving together the various studio musicians at his disposal. Valle moves briskly and assuredly from piano lines to acoustic guitar and back for "Com Mais de 30," combines flutes and a Mellotron for a tight bridge on the title track, and coaxes all manner of emotions from a symphonic orchestra -- hushed yet gradually building strings, bleating brass -- for the unabashed "Black Is Beautiful." Every song is excellent, most in the easy-pop vein of Samba '68. "Wanda Vidal," "Vinte e Seis Anos de Vida Normal," and the perfectly done closer, "O Cafona," are seamless blends of funk and easy listening; the last features a rangy bassline, organ, and wah-wah guitar working together with handclaps and separated men's and women's backing choruses while Valle breathily repeats words and phrases several times before climaxing at the end of nearly every line. Continually besting symphonic seducers from Esquivel to Brian Wilson, Marcos Valle recorded his masterpiece with Garra.

(by John Bush, All Music Guide)

During the hot Brazilian summer of 1971, Marcos and Paulo Sergio Valle, along with their significant others and six additional couples, rented a few modest fisherman shacks in the small village of Búzios to escape from Rio's more populated beaches. The focus was making music and soul searching, as was the practice for affluent young hippies back then. They stayed for two months. "I wanted to go in a new direction," says Marcos looking back. "I wanted to try out a rock influence and to risk a little bit more." Shifting away from the studio musicians used on 1971's Garra, Vento Sul (translation "South Wind") was a rewarding collaboration with Brazilian progressive rockers O Terço. Originally released in 1972, Vento Sul not only channeled the Búzios beach bum vibe, but also manifested a floating dream like psychedelic sound. Any way you spin it, we at Light In The Attic are extremely proud to present Vento Sul as part of our four-album Marcos Valle reissue campaign. Consisting of an ambitious string of early 1970s landmark studio sessions (sympathetic in spirit to Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye's game changing work from the same era) and released on LP, Vento Sul features extensive liner notes by San Francisco-based writer Allen Thayer (Wax Poetics) with exclusive interview content and song-by-song breakdown from Marcos himself. Fans new and old will finally have easy breezy access to these once hard-to-find Brazilian classics. Elevated by a strong union between Valle and O Terço, Vento Sul'smagical spell of an album is a welcome addition to any South American friendly record collection and sits proudly with the best of Brazil. File after Os Mutantes and before Caetano Veloso.

Für heutige Ohren fällt diese exotische Mischung aus Flöten, E-Gitarren, Gainsbourg-Bass und entrückten Satzgesängen, die ebenso viele Kanten wie schwungvolle Rundungen aufweist, eigentümlich unvermittelt aus Zeit und Raum.

(stereoplay, März 2013)

When Marcos Valle recorded 1972's Vento Sul, he'd been a wildly successful, well-established songwriter, producer, and recording artist for nearly a decade, furthering the horizons of bossa nova and samba in the pre-MPB era. Due to that success, each successive recording brought higher expectations. In the face of mounting pressure, Valle dropped out for a bit, took a vacation, and in the process wrote the music for the album that was to become his hardest left turn to that point. Nothing could have prepared listeners for what transpired on Vento Sul (translation: South Wind). Even after the revolution tropicalia had wrought, this album was radical. The set was composed by Valle and brother Paulo Sérgio Valle in Buzios, then a mellow, out-of-the-way beach town that offered young people great surfing and a cosmic communal hippie vibe provided by the Valles and 14 companions who had taken the two-month summer retreat with them. When Valle returned to Rio, he sought to re-create the laid-back dreamy collaborative atmosphere of Buzios in the studio. He'd been backed live by Brazilian psychedelic, proto-prog rockers O Terço (translation: The Rosary), who included drummer and future guitar hero Vinicius Cantuária. He also employed arrangers Ian Guest and Hugo Bellard and studio aces such as guitarist Claudio Guimarães, drummer Robertinho Silva, and flutist Paulo Guimarães. Some of the music here retains undeniable elements of both bossa and samba ("Malena," "Rosto Barbado," and even the tripped-out "Paisagem de Mariana"), but they are wrapped in expansive psychedelic rock and baroque pop textures. Art rock makes its presence known in opener "Revolução Orgânica," with its contrasting hyper flute and hard rock guitar -- but make no mistake, this is not tropicalia; if anything it reflects the influence of O Terço most, and here too, samba makes its voice known in the bridge. There are Pet Sounds-era Beach Boys sounds, textures, and harmonies throughout, but best heard on cuts such as "Mi Hermoza" (even with its mean electric guitar breaks) and the instrumental "Bôdas de Sangu." "Democústico" is a hallucinatory, political, spoken word number, with phased wah-wah guitars, flutes, harpsichord, and Latin percussion. The title track, by contrast, with its layered piano, guitars, and stretched-to-the-breaking-point waltz rhythm, is so dreamy, spacious, romantic, and sparse, it's the set masterpiece. Vento Sul was greeted with hostility by Valle fans and critics alike, but time has proven that criticism unfounded. It remains one of Valle's most provocative albums, but it's also one of his most beautiful, mysterious, and enduring ones.

(by Thom Jurek, All Music Guide)

Der Nachfolger zum selbstbetitelten 1970er Album des brasilianischen Sängers, Songwriters und Musikers Marcos Valle, „Garra“, nimmt eine gesellschaftlich-wachsame Haltung ein, die hier mit einem verspielten Mix aus Samba, Bossa Nova, Baiao (einem rhythmischen Beat aus der ländlichen Nordosten Brasiliens), schwarzer amerikanischer Musik und psychedelischem Rock gewürzt wird.

Marcos und sein lyrisch begabter Bruder Paulo nahmen das Album mit einigen der besten Studiomusiker Brasiliens auf – „Garra“ ist ihr politisch deutlichstes Werk. Aufgenommen zwischen den Session für Seifenoper Soundtracks, mit denen Valle sein Geld verdiente, provozierte das Album wissentlich die staatlich Zensur. Unglücklicherweise kamen einige von Valles Zeitgenossen nicht so ungeschoren davon wie er und wurden für ihre politisch „fragwürdigen“ Inhalte entweder ins Exil geschickt (wie die Ikonen des Tropicalia Gilberto Gil und Caetano Veloso) oder mussten in die USA oder nach Europa flüchten.

„Garra“ erschien ursprünglich 1971 und verzückte mit dem Rare Groove Klassiker „Wanda Vidal“, der noch Jahre nach der ursprünglichen Veröffentlichung von britischen, europäischen und japanischen Musikfans hochgelobt wurde. Inmitten einer aufregenden Aufstellung von Instrumenten verbirgt sich ein ernsthafter Kern.

Tempering his funkier inclinations to create a Baroque masterpiece of easy listening Brazilian pop, Marcos Valle recorded the most entertaining album of his career, and perhaps the best Brazilian pop album of all time. Garra begins with the elegant "Jesus Meu Rei," with a magisterial men's choir echoing Valle's sentiments while textured piano and organ complete the rich sonic palette. Second track "Com Mais de 30," only the first of several ingenious transitions, offers a light, breezy alternative, bouncing back and forth from main melody to an excellent bridge. Indeed, nearly every song has a bridge as strong as -- or stronger than -- the main melody, and Valle proves himself a master at weaving together the various studio musicians at his disposal. Valle moves briskly and assuredly from piano lines to acoustic guitar and back for "Com Mais de 30," combines flutes and a Mellotron for a tight bridge on the title track, and coaxes all manner of emotions from a symphonic orchestra -- hushed yet gradually building strings, bleating brass -- for the unabashed "Black Is Beautiful." Every song is excellent, most in the easy-pop vein of Samba '68. "Wanda Vidal," "Vinte e Seis Anos de Vida Normal," and the perfectly done closer, "O Cafona," are seamless blends of funk and easy listening; the last features a rangy bassline, organ, and wah-wah guitar working together with handclaps and separated men's and women's backing choruses while Valle breathily repeats words and phrases several times before climaxing at the end of nearly every line. Continually besting symphonic seducers from Esquivel to Brian Wilson, Marcos Valle recorded his masterpiece with Garra.

(by John Bush, All Music Guide)

Mit den Texten auf Englisch und Portugiesisch. Zehn Jahre, nachdem das Debüt von Marcos Valle („Samba Demais") Liebhaber brasilianischer Musik mit dem unglaublichen Talent der Valle-Brüder bekannt machte, half eine neue Richtung und eine neue Backing Band dem Sänger dabei, seine musikalische Palette auszuweiten.

Groovy Funk und Jazz-Fusion, die Hilfe der Band Azimuth (später Azymuth), Synthies, Fender Rhodes und elektronische Sounds ließen den Samba, Bossa Nova und Baiao von Valle zusammen mit der Inspiration aus schwarzer amerikanischer Musik und dem Psych Rock früherer Alben neue Dimensionen erschließen. Obwohl sich Valle nicht komplett vom Sound seiner Vergangenheit entfernte, bringen der Gesang, die Grooves und die tiefgründigen Songs auf „Previsao Do Tempo" den Hörer dazu, sich frei zu fühlen und nachzudenken.

„Previsao Do Tempo" erschien ursprünglich 1973 und mauserte sich schnell zum Liebling der Valle-Jünger. Neue und alte Fans werden den einfachen Zugang zu diesem ehemals kaum zu findenden brasilianischen Klassiker lieben.

„Previsao Do Tempo" ist ein Highlight in der Valle-Diskographie und ein willkommener Neuzugang in jeder südamerikanisch angehauchten Plattensammlung. File after Os Mutantes and before Caetano Veloso.

While Garra had seen all of Marcos Valle's talented parts -- songwriting, production, singing, and performing -- coalesce into the most beautiful whole ever seen in Brazilian music, Previsão do Tempo represented a slight pulling back from those lofty heights. Easygoing and relaxed where Garra had been nearly giddy with joy, the album still didn't lack for career-topping moments -- most of them due to the sunny groove produced by Valle with his backing band (soon to break away and form the boundary-pushing Azymuth). With Valle on Fender Rhodes and Jose Roberto Bertrami on Mini-Moog and ARP, the album is more electronic than electric, but with soloists as talented as these, and a lifetime of musical instincts to draw on, the results are absolutely pristine. (Only Stevie Wonder was capable of coaxing the same type of warm, fluid grooves from his coterie of synthesizers, and integrating them so flawlessly into his productions.) As could be expected, narrative songwriting takes a backseat. In its place are loose, aqueous, funk-filled jams with synth and electric bass leading the way. Garra is still the peak of Marcos Valle's '70s output, but Previsão do Tempo is its own masterpiece, one where a listener plays connect-the-dots to hear the beauty inside.

(by John Bush, All Music Guide)

Not to be confused with the Henry Threadgill led unit, the Japanese jazz group, or the massively popular French duo, this is the group led by the husband and wife team of Tom and Googie Copolla, on keys and vocals respectively, who cut one record for Herbie Mann's Embryo label in 1971. Produced by Mann, Air's sole release is a tasty slice of jazz-rock and soul-rock with vocals reminiscent of the great Laura Nyro. Featuring help from Randy Brecker and Jan Hammer this Queensbred group steams through ten originals and close out with a scorching version of the classic "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free." On CD for the first time ever.

No one ever accused the Holy Modal Rounders of being the most disciplined folk ensemble in the history of the world but, by 1976, Peter Stampfel's leadership had become loose enough that the group had in essence spread out into three interrelated acts -- Stampfel's Unholy Modal Rounders (so named in deference to the absence of Steve Weber), Jeffrey Frederick & the Clamtones, and Michael Hurley. Of course, given the laissez faire attitude of the nine players on board, no one bothers to identify which "band" is playing on any given track of Have Moicy!, credited to the three aforementioned ensembles, and no one sounds as if they're likely to be worried about such things -- Have Moicy! has the loose, amiable feel of a folky guitar pull, though a closer listen betrays the fact these performances are actually pretty tight (had these people been...practicing?), and the three lead singers each display a distinct if symbiotic personality -- genial folky eccentric Stampfel, barroom philosopher Hurley, and nice-guy-with-shady-habits Frederick. All parties involved are also writing at the top of their game, and come up with witty and curiously profound songs about the most mundane subjects; a meditation on the wonders of food includes a few thoughts on the digestive system ("Slurf Song"), listeners learn how much fun armed robbery can be ("Robbin' Banks"), romance blooms in both Europe and rural America ("Midnight in Paris," "Griselda"), and the puzzling disappearance of fast food leads to meditations of mortality ("What Made My Hamburger Disappear"). Charming, tuneful, and a good bit weightier than its playful surfaces might suggest, Have Moicy! is as close to a masterpiece as a group of people this genially laid-back would ever be capable of creating.

(by Mark Deming, All Music Guide)

Have Moicy! was recorded over the course of three days back in 1975 by the musical equivalent of the Yippies. Leading the way was Holy Model Rounders founder Peter Stampfel, aided and abetted by fellow travelers Michael Hurley and Jeff Fredrick. The lot of them patched together a never-too-cute assortment of country-folk novelty numbers that are playful, irreverent, randy, and ribald ("We fill up our guts and then we turn it into shit and then get rid of it"). Just the sort of stuff folk music had misplaced and desperately needed in order to remain relevant. Singer/songwriters may have become bogged down in self-reflection, but not these loons. Here was Hurley contemplating baked potatoes and pork chops ("The Slurf Song," "Sweet Lucy"). Frederick, meanwhile, fretted his way through "What Made My Hamburger Disappear" and Stampfel wailed with out-of-tune gusto on "Griselda" (indie rockers Yo La Tengo salvaged the latter on its beguiling collection of covers, Fakebook). It's nearly impossible not to like Have Moicy!, and it's damn easy to love it.

(Steven Stolder, Amazon.com)

1969's Heaven/Earth is the Free Design's third album. It carries on the tradition of excellence the group's first two albums had firmly established. It was also very much of a piece with the rest of their output -- no big changes. The record is overflowing with beauty and weirdness and lush arrangements with plenty of groovy touches that instantly date the record but also give it a hipness that is lacking in other MOR vocal group records. However, the true genius of the band is the fresh clear voices of the Dedrick siblings and the way Chris Dedrick arranged them. Tunes like the swinging "Now Is the Time," the witty and alarmingly cynical "2002 - A Hit Song," and the quietly inventive version of "If I Was a Carpenter" have sublime and unusual vocal harmonies that soar and swoop like psychedelic eagles, always surprising and often breathtaking. Some of the other tracks here worth mention are the sweet samba of "My Very Own Angel, Girls Alone," which features Sandy and Ellen harmonizing over a full big-band arrangement, and the moody and quite amazing "Dorian Benediction," which manages to sound like the Electric Prunes with Miles Davis sitting in and the hippest monks on earth chanting along. Heaven/Earth is worth a listen by anyone who likes vocal harmony and the sweet, innocent sounds of sunshine pop.

(by Tim Sendra, All Music Guide)

There Is a Song was the last Free Design record the group made until 2001's Cosmic Peekaboo. It was recorded during a time of change for the group and the Dedrick family, as the group had parted with its label, Project 3, and Chris Dedrick moved to Canada. The album was released on the tiny New York label Ambrotype and was even easier to ignore than their other releases. Luckily for fans of the band, Light in the Attic rescued it from its fate and put the album out on CD, because it is definitely worth hearing. The group moved away from the big arrangements and orchestras of its past releases; most of the album is anchored musically by simple acoustic guitars and colored in subtly by just a few horns and strings. Their rich vocal harmonies hadn't changed at all, however, as Chris and sisters Ellen and Sandra sound as innocent and star-struck as ever. Despite its obscurity, the album holds some of the group's finest compositions and performances, like the relentlessly upbeat "Canada in Springtime," the sweetly spiritual "Peter, Paul and Mary," the bouncy "I Wanna Be There," and the breathtakingly clear-and-cool title track. The Dedricks fell in with a philosophy professor named Arthur Mills while in Canada, and many of the songs have a trippy, deeply felt intellectual point of view that comes from his teachings. As Chris says in the liner notes, they were exploring new definitions of love, freeing themselves from previously held notions of love, and opening themselves up to the possibilities of love and life. Songs like "The Symbols Ring," "Love Does Not Die," and "There Is a Song" delve into these issues, but manage to escape being pedantic or clunky by being so wonderfully melodic and beautiful. In fact, the entire record is beautiful, and while it doesn't have any jaw-dropping moments like "Kites are Fun," "Bubbles," or "My Brother Woody," the album may be the group's most fully realized and rewarding endeavor.

(orexisofdeath.blogspot.com/)

There Is a Song was the last Free Design record the group made until 2001's Cosmic Peekaboo. It was recorded during a time of change for the group and the Dedrick family, as the group had parted with its label, Project 3, and Chris Dedrick moved to Canada. The album was released on the tiny New York label Ambrotype and was even easier to ignore than their other releases. Luckily for fans of the band, Light in the Attic rescued it from its fate and put the album out on CD, because it is definitely worth hearing. The group moved away from the big arrangements and orchestras of its past releases; most of the album is anchored musically by simple acoustic guitars and colored in subtly by just a few horns and strings. Their rich vocal harmonies hadn't changed at all, however, as Chris and sisters Ellen and Sandra sound as innocent and star-struck as ever. Despite its obscurity, the album holds some of the group's finest compositions and performances, like the relentlessly upbeat "Canada in Springtime," the sweetly spiritual "Peter, Paul and Mary," the bouncy "I Wanna Be There," and the breathtakingly clear-and-cool title track. The Dedricks fell in with a philosophy professor named Arthur Mills while in Canada, and many of the songs have a trippy, deeply felt intellectual point of view that comes from his teachings. As Chris says in the liner notes, they were exploring new definitions of love, freeing themselves from previously held notions of love, and opening themselves up to the possibilities of love and life. Songs like "The Symbols Ring," "Love Does Not Die," and "There Is a Song" delve into these issues, but manage to escape being pedantic or clunky by being so wonderfully melodic and beautiful. In fact, the entire record is beautiful, and while it doesn't have any jaw-dropping moments like "Kites are Fun," "Bubbles," or "My Brother Woody," the album may be the group's most fully realized and rewarding endeavor.

(by Tim Sendra, All Music Guide)

This 1972 record would be the last one the band would record for Project 3, and while it may lack some of the great songs that marked their earlier records, it's still marked by charm. Sounding more like the Carpenters than the Association, the band indulge in some covers and light funk, and end up making a record that occasionally betters either of those. On par for a Free Design record, they serve up music and arrangements that are as light and breezy as you can imagine, but the lyrics are often bitter and pointed -- often attributed to the band's frustration at their lack of success. Musically, the harmonies and tight arrangements are in fine form. The opening and title track, "One by One" soars, while "Felt So Good" shows the markings of a new decade with it's less crystallized production, happy, laid-back guitar, and punching horns. Brass sections make repeat appearances on the record, with "Like to Love" aflutter with spirited horn arrangements and hip-swinging ultra-light funk, and their cover of "Light My Fire" uses muted horns and ends up evoking the sounds of some proto-quiet storm radio broadcasts. The high point of the record is the impossibly simple light rock of "Friendly Man," with its orchestral flourishes, country-rock guitar, heavenly harmonies, and the chorus of "friendly man/friendly person." When the tambourine kicks in and the big sing-along refrain follows it's endemic of everything that is great about the band. Another high point of the record is the mid-paced piano ballad "Going Back." The album ends thunderously with "Friends." It's a grandiose affair with a big buildup (a multitude of electric guitar squeals) and a heavy air of drama that almost seems to point out that the band knew they were at the end of their tenure as undervalued pop songwriters.

(by Jon Pruett, All Music Guide)

Die beiden Alben der britischen Band auf einem BGO-Reissue. Kleine Juwelen sind das, die da 1971 und 1972 auf Island Records erschienen, relaxter britischer Country-Rock à la Help Yourself oder Brinsley Schwarz, durchaus mit Americana-Wurzeln. Gitarrist Kevin Hammond und Bassist John Pasternak kamen von der Band Of Joy, Robbie Blunt (später Silverhead und Robert Plant) an der Gitarre und Pete Robinson (Drums) bildeten die exzellente Instrumentalseite der Truppe. Aber das Pfund, mit dem man wuchern konnte, war Sänger Jess Roden, frisch beim Alan Bown Set ausgestiegen und ganz sicher eine der besten Soul-Blues-Rock-Stimmen dieser Ära. Ewig unterbewertet, aber der Mann sorgte mit seiner Intensität für absolute Gänsehaut. Als Roden die Band für eine Solokarriere verließ und Blunt den Saitenposten ebenfalls aufgab, lahmte Bronco recht schnell. Mit Ersatzleuten veröffentlichte die Band noch Smoking Mixture (73), das aber sofort in der Versenkung verschwand.

(rh, Glitterhouse)

In some ways, Marc Ellington's Rains/Reins of Change two-fer sounds like a late-'60s Fairport Convention album that doesn't happen to have members of Fairport Convention on vocals. In others, it sounds like a blend of Fairport Convention with late-'60s/early-'70s Californian country-rock; this is not as odd a stretch as it might appear, since there was some mutual admiration between players in those bands. The connections aren't at all coincidental, as several members of Fairport actually contribute to the record, with Richard Thompson playing electric guitar, Dave Mattacks handling some of the drums, Dave Pegg handling some of the bass, and Ian Matthews and Sandy Denny singing some backup vocals. Other guys from limbs of the Fairport family tree are here too (bassist Pat Donaldson, drummer Gerry Conway, and Trevor Lucas, all of whom played with Denny in Fotheringay), and the Californian country-rock flavor is made that much more authentic with contributions from Chris Hillman, Sneaky Pete, and Rick Roberts of the Flying Burrito Brothers. All of this makes the record necessary and desirable to major Fairport Convention fans, and to country-rock completists. What, though, of the music of Ellington himself — who, after all, sings lead and writes or co-writes all of the original songs? He's an alright rootsy folk-rock songwriter, but to be a little unfair, you can't help wondering how much better some of these tracks would sound with Denny or Matthews on vocals. For Ellington's just an adequate singer, and though he's a somewhat better songwriter, perhaps his talents would have been better served had the Denny-Matthews lineup of Fairport managed to cover some of his better songs (had that short-lived lineup managed to continue in the first place). There's an agreeable reflective, at times Band-like tone to his compositions. But Denny in particular could have worked much better wonders with the darker and more melancholic tunes, like the title track and "Days Used to Be Warmer," the latter of which in particular has the kind of haunting minor-keyed chill associated with some of the best late-'60s/early-'70s British folk-rock. One of the two traditional songs here, "Yarrow" is another standout, with a melody and attitude reminiscent of (but not identical to) classics like "Scarborough Fair" and "John Riley."

(by Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide)

... endlich, endlich, endlich! Das legendäre, fast einviertel Jahrhundert alte, längst verschollene Debütwerk der Jayhawks (1986, auf Bunkhouse) kommt erstmalig als regulärer Silberling-Release raus (mit aktuellen Liner Notes von Mark Olson) und sollte alsbald alle Country Rock-erprobten CD-Player dieser Welt auf Wochen und Monate blockieren! Soooo stark!! Wohlgemerkt, das waren die Jayhawks im ganz jungen Alter (Anfang 20), drei Jahre vor 'Blue Earth', das fälschlicherweise viele als eigentliches Debüt wahrgenommen hatten, sechs Jahre vor 'Hollywood Town Hall', das bei den meisten als Jayhawks-Nonplusultra im Rocklexikon steht. Das war die ganz fest in der blühenden Minneapolis Indie-Szene verankerte Band von Mark Olson, der als Leadsänger im geradezu "unverschämt" unverblümten Gram Parsons-Stil und nahezu alleiniger Songautor klar vorneweg marschierte. Gary Louris erhielt immerhin schon drei Co-Credits, spielte die ständig twangig-präsente, chicken-pickende, an James Burton und Clarence White angelehnte Electric Lead, sang die einzige Harmoniestimme. Marc Perlman am Bass und Norm Rogers als Drummer komplettierten das Quartett, der eher in konventionelleren Kreisen (Leo Kottke, Steve Young, Peter Lang) verkehrende Cal Hand steuerte herrlich heulende Pedal Steel-Licks bei und Producer Charlie Pine bearbeitete auf 'King Of Kings' ein Honky Tonk-Piano. 'Sweetheart Of The Rodeo', 'Gilded Palace Of Sin', 'Burrito Deluxe', 'GP' und 'Grievous Angel' watch out, those were the Jayhawks back in 86!

(Glitterhouse)

The major change on Dando Shaft's second album was the addition of singer Polly Bolton, whose lead and harmony singing added considerable color and appeal to the group's vocal blend. The band might have been edging just a bit closer to the folk-rock mainstream, too, with a more standard rhythmic and melodic base to some of the tunes. Generally, though, they remained in the same mindset as they were on their 1970 debut: just barely rock-influenced folk, similar to Pentangle but folkier, and given to a greater emphasis on mandolin, violin, and unusual tempos. While something like "Whispering Ned" sounded as traditional as British folk-rock got, other songs nodded a bit toward the more wistful romantic pop song tradition, like "Sometimes," "'Til the Morning Comes," and "Waves Upon the Ether." The nature imagery of the debut was still present, too, if not as prominent, in songs like "Riverboat" (one of the highlights, with its lovely Bolton vocal).

(by Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide)

Dando Shaft's third album wasn't all that different from its predecessor, Dando Shaft: rollicking folk-rock tunes that were more folk than rock, heavy on rhythmic interplay among mandolin, guitar, and violin. Nor was it at times all that different from Pentangle, particularly on one of the best tracks, "Road Song," which sounded quite a bit like some of the more up-tempo Pentangle tunes on which Bert Jansch took lead vocals; "The Black Prince of Paradise" trod pretty far into Pentangle territory too. And as with Pentangle, the woman singer, Polly Bolton, was the best of the vocalists, though the male singers weren't bad and served as good counterpoints. Perhaps their songwriting and instrumental approach broadened just a bit to take in more pop and rock influences, with occasional flute (and, on "The Magnetic Beggar," harpsichord). In all, though it's not as original as the best British folk-rock of the period, it's very well played and fairly well written, guaranteed to appeal to fans of bands like Pentangle, to restate the inevitable comparison.

(by Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide)

Pamela Polland had shown promise as a singer/songwriter in the mid-'60s as part of the folk-rock group Gentle Soul, but it wasn't until 1972 that she was able to release a solo album. There's nothing seriously flawed about the record, but it's a somewhat underwhelming, low-energy period, singer/songwriter effort, very much in the laid-back style of the early '70s. Her vocals are strong and earthier than those of the average confessional singer/songwriter of the period, and her compositions are competent statements of both reflective romanticism and uplifting optimism, with occasional traces of gospel and blues. The songs include both piano-anchored ballads and rootsier rockers, and are graced with guest appearances by a number of notable figures, including Taj Mahal, Nicky Hopkins, David Briggs, Eddie Hinton, and the Rowan Brothers. But the material just isn't that interesting, and though it's amiable enough, its impact fades pretty quickly after the music's over.

(by Jimmy James, All Music Guide)

Had events taken a different turn, Kathy McCord might now be regarded as a 60s pop icon, rather than a cult heroine. It was her early mentor Chip Taylor’s intention that she would record the original of the now-classic ‘Angel Of The Morning’, but his partner Al Gorgoni favoured Evie Sands. Instead Kathy got to record a single for their Rainy Day label in 1968 that fell stillborn from the presses.

A year later, Kathy became the first non-jazz artist to be signed to Creed Taylor’s renowned CTI imprint. Her eponymous album featured musicians of the calibre of John Hall, future founder of Orleans, on guitar and flautist Hubert Laws. Its ethereal beauty failed to reach its intended audience, and it was not until years later – decades, even – that it started to achieve a belated recognition, particularly among those who enjoy the works of such McCord peers as Nick Drake and Vashti Bunyan. Copies of the original LP have crept up in price and nowadays fetch a pretty penny when offered for sale. A limited edition Japanese CD from the mid-90s sold out almost before it hit the streets.

In the 21st century, the cult of Kat continues to snowball. When the opportunity arose for Ace to license and re-reissue “Kathy McCord”, we jumped at it. She is, after all, family by relation – her big brother Billy Vera has long been part of the Ace team, as both compiler and annotator. Billy is a thrilled as we are that we’re able to give his little sister the treatment that her small but mighty catalogue deserves. It was Billy who approached her on our behalf to see if she had unissued material lurking in corners or cupboards that we could use to make that catalogue even bigger.

To everyone’s delight, Kathy trawled through her tapes and found 16 tracks that make up CD2 of this set. The fi is not always hi on these, but her abundant talent shines through on each and every one of them. They were recorded at various times during the 1970s, while Kathy was living in Woodstock and hanging out with the likes of the Fabulous Rhinestones, Amos Garrett, Paul Butterfield and assorted members of the Band – most if not all of whom can be heard in this half of our programme.

Listening to the repertoire of “New Jersey To Woodstock”, it’s quite incredible that Kathy never got the kind of breaks that were afforded to considerably less talented contemporaries of hers. She had the look, and the looks. She wrote most of her own material and sung it with supreme confidence and soulfulness. Her lack of success can only be down to a matter of being on the wrong label, or in the wrong place, at the wrong time. But it’s never too late to travel from New Jersey To Woodstock, so buy your ticket and let Kathy McCord make your journey worthwhile.

(By Tony Rounce, Ace Records)

Kathy McCord released a lone self-titled LP in 1970, the first release from Creed Taylor’s CTI Records, and it was a truly odd and unique album featuring a kind of folk-rock acid jazz groove that later made it a highly sought-after rarity for collectors. The album was recorded and engineered by Rudy Van Gelder at his Englewood Cliffs, NJ, studio on November 18, 19, 20, and 24, and December 2, 1969, and featured flute by Hubert Laws, organ by Paul Harris, and arrangements by Don Sebesky. McCord’s dreamy singing approach made the whole project feel like it was recorded in San Francisco with everyone wearing flowers in their hair, but the end result was oddly compelling and absolutely unforgettable. The LP sold poorly and copies were traded for years on the rarities market. A limited-edition CD version was issued in Japan in the 1990s. Then in 2010 Big Beat UK finally packaged the LP with some scattered tracks McCord recorded for the Rainy Day label in 1968, plus a whole second disc of sides she cut in the 1970s but never released, as the double-disc set New Jersey to Woodstock.

(by Steve Leggett, All Music Guide)

Zusammen mit internationalen Spitzenmusikern lotet Rolf Kühn hier groovenden Fusion-Jazz aus. Rolf Kühn - clarinet, Gerd Dudek - tenor & soprano sax, Albert Mangelsdorff - trombone, Joachim Kühn - piano & electric piano, Philip Catherine - guitar, Bo Stief - bass, Daniel Humair - drums, Kasper Winding - drums, The Brass Band arranged by Rolf Kühn. Recorded January 29, 1975 at Cornet Studio, Cologne. Originally released as MPS 15 392.

Meine Aufnahmen für MPS entstanden immer in einer Atmosphäre großer künstlerischer Freiheit, für die ich dem verstorbenen Labelgründer Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer heute noch dankbar bin. Persönlich war er eher im traditionellen Jazz verwurzelt, speziell swingendem Piano-Jazz. Seine Produktionen mit Oscar Peterson sind ja heute noch legendär. Trotzdem ließ er auch progressiveren Jazz zu. Ich lernte Brunner-Schwer zwar über Pianist Horst Jankowski kennen, aber als ich bei MPS einen Vertrag unterschrieb, war trotzdem klar, dass ich freieren, moderneren Jazz aufnehmen würde. MPS war die erste deutsche Plattenfirma, die wirklich konzentriert Jazzaufnahmen produzierte und offen dafür war, neue Experimentierfelder abzubilden.

(Rolf Kühn)

Comus' first album contains an imaginative if elusive brand of experimental folk-rock, with a tense and sometimes distressed vibe. Although there are elements of traditional British folk music, there's an edginess to the songwriting and arrangements that would be entirely alien in a Fairport Convention or Pentangle disc. At times, this straddles the border between folk-rock and the kind of songs you'd expect to be sung at a witches' brew fest, the haunting supernatural atmosphere enhanced by bursts of what sound like a theramin-like violin, hand drums, flute, oboe, ghostly female backup vocals, and detours into almost tribal rhythms. All of this might be making the album sound more attractive than it is; the songs are extremely elongated and fragmented, and the male vocals often have a grating munchkin-like quality, sometimes sounding like a wizened Marc Bolan. The lyrics are impenetrable musings, mixing pastoral scenes of nature with images of gore, torture, madness, and even rape, like particularly disturbing myths being set to music. It's been reissued on CD, but here's one case where you might want to get the LP reissue (on Get Back) instead, as it comes with a bonus 12" of three songs in a similar vein as their rare 1971 EP.

(by Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide)

Peaceful World is a wonderful blend of soul, jazz, and funk that never found an audience. Perhaps it was because the positive sentiments expressed in the lyrics were unfortunately becoming passé; perhaps it was the diversity of the two-record set itself. Despite its lack of commercial success, this was an artistic triumph for Felix Cavaliere. With a supporting cast including jazz luminaries Joe Farrell, Hubert Laws, Alice Coltrane, and Ron Carter, Cavaliere creates a musical vision of the Peaceful World conjured up by the album's title. The single, "Love Me," which barely cracked the Hot 100, is a piece of funk in a Sly Stone vein. Guitarist Buzz Feiten's "In and Out of Love" is one of those shoulda-been-a-hit-single songs. Many of the tracks, including the side-long (21:25) title track, are mellow jazz excursions. This ambitious album took the Rascals to the place Cavaliere had been headed over the course of the last couple of albums — but, sadly, the fans didn't follow.

(by Jim Newsom, All Music Guide)

After The Beau Brummels dissolved in 1968 following their swan song, Bradley's Barn, it was doubtful that we'd ever hear from the band again, despite their individual and collective brilliance. The group did somehow reunite in 1975, however, for this fine and somewhat understated album. The band's weaving of folk, country,k and pop stylings hadn't really changed that much from their prime in the mid- to late '60s. Ron Elliot has several superb songs on here, notably "Tennessee Walker" and the excellent album closer, "Today by Day," which is sung by Sal Valentino in his most soulful and intense style. Unfortunately, the group's appeal was probably lost in the mid-'70s arena rock world, and precious few people bought the record. This, however, does not take anything away from a record that, for all intents and purposes, was one of the most successful "reunion" projects of its time.

(by Matthew Greenwald, All Music Guide)

Robin Scott's 1969 album Woman from the Warm Grass was very much in the mold of many British folk-ground artists of the time who were gingerly making the transition to a folk-rock sound. In fact, in material and presentation, Scott was fairly similar in feel to a few other artists that producer Sandy Roberton worked with, including Al Jones, Keith Christmas, and Shelagh McDonald. Scott's vocals and songs were earnest and verbose, with the reflective fragile moodiness (and yearning, sometimes florid romanticism) found in many British folk/folk-rock singer/songwriters of the era, from Al Stewart and Donovan on down. As artists in this genre go, Scott's pleasant and reasonably interesting, though not distinguished. He and Roberton do vary the arrangements, sometimes opting for just solo acoustic guitar and voice, at others using full rock backing from the band Mighty Baby. Generally, the unplugged tracks work better; "The Sound of Rain," with subdued orchestration backing the acoustic guitar, has the sort of narrative-oriented mystical acid folk pioneered by Donovan, while "Song of the Sun" has the poetic wordy gray melancholy very particular to this period of British folk. So there's a lot here for listeners who dig this particular micro-style in general, with the notable exception of an overwhelmingly strong vocal or songwriting individuality, though Scott's likable enough. [The 2006 CD reissue on Sunbeam adds a nice bonus cut from a BBC session, "Tattoed Lady," that doesn't appear on the original album in any form. This track has lead singing by Scott's girlfriend of the time, Penny Lamb (with Scott on guitar and vocal harmonies), and a slightly brighter, poppier, and more melodic feel than the material that had been recorded for the LP.]

(by Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide)

Das wunderbare 73er Charisma Album, produziert von Michael Nesmith, aufgenommen mit Klaus Voorman, Red Rhodes, Jesse Ed David, Byron Berline, Danny Laine etc. Kommt mit drei Alternativversionen, einer Weihnachtssingle und einem 13-minütigen Film von den Sessions. Von Bert Jansch feinst remastert, mit überarbeitetem Booklet, Memorabilia und Linernotes - erstmals auf CD erhältlich.

(Glitterhouse)

The late Larry Young was an organist whose fairly brief career had lots of highs and very few middles or lows. Take this session from 1973 — his first non-Blue Note date as a leader and post-Lifetime — as a for instance. It is startling for its fresh look at how the organ is used in jazz and in improvisation, period. On Lawrence of Newark, Young enlisted a host of younger New York session cats who were hanging around the fringes of the funk and avant-garde scenes — James Blood Ulmer, trumpeter Charles MacGee, Cedric Lawson, and about a dozen others all jumped into Young's dark and freaky musical stew. Made up of only five tracks, rhythm is the hallmark of the date as evidenced by the conga and contrabass intro to "Sunshine Fly Away." Deirdre Johnson's cello opens up a droning modal line for Young to slide his organ over in what passes for a melody but is more of an idea for a theme and a trio of variations. Armen Halburian's congas echo the accents at the end of the drum kit and Young's own tapering pronouncements moving back and forth between two and four chords with a host of improvisers inducing a transcendent harmonic hypnosis. The centerpiece of the album is "Khalid of Space Pt. 2: Welcome." Sun Ra's edict about all of his musicians being percussionists holds almost literally true in Young's case. The soprano saxophonist sounds as if it could be Sonny Fortune (billed as "mystery guest"), but he's way out on an Eastern modal limb. Young's right hand is punching home the counterpoint rhythm as Abdul Shadi runs all over his kit. Blood Ulmer is accenting the end of each line with overdriven power chords, and various bells, drums, congas, and djembes enter and depart the mix mysteriously. Young is digging deep into the minor and open drone chords, signaling — à la Miles — changes in intonation, tempo, and frequency of rhythmic attack. And the cut never loses its pocket funk for all that improvisation. It's steamy, dark, brooding, and saturated with groove. The CD reissue has fine sound and sells for a budget price; it should not be overlooked. The DJs just haven't discovered this one yet. Awesome.

(by Thom Jurek, All Music Guide)

The aesthetic and cultural merits of Eddie Gale's Ghetto Music cannot be overstated. That it is one of the most obscure recordings in Blue Note's catalogue — paid for out of label co-founder Francis Wolff's own pocket — should tell us something. This is an apocryphal album, one that seamlessly blends the new jazz of the '60s — Gale was a member of the Sun Ra Arkestra before and after these sides, and played on Cecil Taylor's Blue Note debut Unit Structures — with gospel, soul, and the blues. Gale's sextet included two bass players and two drummers — in 1968 — as well as a chorus of 11 voices, male and female. Sound like a mess? Far from it. This is some of the most spiritually engaged, forward-thinking, and finely wrought music of 1968. What's more is that, unlike lots of post-Coltrane new jazz, it's ultimately very listenable. Soloists comes and go, but modes, melodies, and harmonies remain firmly intact. The beautiful strains of African folk music and Latin jazz sounds in "Fulton Street," for example, create a veritable chromatic rainbow. "A Walk With Thee" is a spiritual written to a march tempo with drummers playing counterpoint to one another and the front line creating elongated melodic lines via an Eastern harmonic sensibility. Does it swing? Hell yeah! The final cut, "The Coming of Gwilu," moves from the tribal to the urban and everywhere in between using Jamaican thumb piano's, soaring vocals à la the Arkestra, polyrhythmic invention, and good old fashioned groove jazz, making something entirely new in the process. While Albert Ayler's New Grass was a failure for all its adventurousness, Ghetto Music, while a bit narrower in scope, succeeds because it concentrates on creating a space for the myriad voices of an emerging African-American cultural force to be heard in a single architecture.

(by Thom Jurek, All Music Guide)

It is often difficult to gauge the relative importance or message of an artwork, years or decades after its initial release. Truly impressive are those works that not only retain their Zeitgeist, the spirit of the times, but also find relevance and significance with the present. Listening to the re-release of 1968's Eddie Gale's Ghetto Music, one not only senses the social awakening of the late 1960s, there is an equal and unfortunate awareness of our current cultural waste. Francis Wolff, co-founder of Blue Note, felt so strongly about this album that he personally financed the production and release of this music in 1968, after recording Gale on Cecil Taylor's Unit Structures and Larry Young's Of Love and Peace.

Along with its companion piece, Black Rhythm Happening, Eddie Gale's Ghetto Music fell victim to the chaos following Liberty Records' takeover of Blue Note. Both pieces never appeared beyond their initial releases, until now.

The good people at San Francisco-based Water Music have taken the initiative and re-released Eddie Gale's Ghetto Music on CD. The success of the album stems from its unique use of folk, blues, gospel, soul and jazz to create a wildly vibrant, urban force. "The Rain," with Joan Gale's soft, assured delivery, sets the pace for the entire album, as it morphs from a single guitar strum into a massive entity of sound, rhythm, and swing. Surprising, since 17 musicians appear on the album, is the precision and efficiency of the music.

On "Fulton Street," for example, the feel of the famous Brooklyn street is captured immediately by the child-like voices pronouncing its name proudly: "Fulton Street, baby!" Then, the low down riff comes in, the singers mimic the sound of the horns, they interchange riffs, and someone runs here, somebody else goes there, and you feel it, you're on Fulton Street, baby. It welcomes you.

Once in, it may well be difficult to relinquish the sensation of songs like "A Walk With Thee" or "The Coming of Gwilu." Both burn as deep, groove as hard, as anything else on the vaunted Blue Note catalog. For that reason, those that rarely venture outside the hard bop fringes of Blue Note will be most rewarded by the music here, as it presents new possibilities without abandoning the "Blue Note sound."

(Germein Linares, www.allaboutjazz.com)

In 1967, an ailing Alfred Lion left Blue Note Records, the label he had founded in the late 1930s and sold to Liberty Records in 1965. Though staff producers Duke Pearson and Francis Wolff put some memorable records together after his departure, Blue Note declined in stature and relevance into the early seventies. Surprising, then, to find a great Eddie Gale Blue Note record from 1968 (and another solid one from 1969)—records inexplicably avoided by the reconstituted EMI-owned Blue Note's own rigorous reissue-and-reissue-again policy—recently made available thanks to Water Records.

Gale is a trumpeter, most famous for his performance on Cecil Taylor's celebrated 1966 Unit Structures album on Blue Note, who also spent significant time with Sun Ra. There's a deep reserve of space in his playing, built cumulatively of longish pauses between phrases, and he has a concise sound that's brassy like Freddie Hubbard, but frayed around the edges like Woody Shaw or Johnny Coles. His melodies and ideas are original and a bit acerbic.

For these two records, his first as a leader—and last for many years except as a sideman—Gale was thinking big: Amalgamating soul, gospel, African music and jazz into a single sound, executed with a jazz group and chorus. The level of ambition, ritualistic clothes (the musicians appearing in monk's robes on the covers of the records) and cosmic philosophy of some of the lyrics point squarely to Sun Ra's influence, but it's Gale's own show to be sure.

Ghetto Music is certainly one of the last great records released by the original Blue Note (another is Herbie Hancock's The Prisoner) and the finest example of voices-plus-jazz-group on the label—more organic than Donald Byrd's famous 1963 album A New Perspective, cooler and more soulful than Andrew Hill's 1969 album Lift Every Voice. The eleven-voice choir is perfectly matched with Gale's two-drummer sextet; sometimes singing over the top of joyful songs, and sometimes weaving chant and syllable singing through the sextet.

"The Rain" is an extraordinary merger of fast jazz waltz, gospel singing, and what sounds like a British folk song influence. It begins with Joann Gale's (Eddie's sister) strummed guitar, and her lovely, measured performance of the tune's folky melody. It wouldn't be out of place on a Fairport Convention or Pentangle album; that is, until the thunderous band rolls into step behind her. "A Understanding" is a swirling spiritual piece, in the style of late-period Coltrane, which sets a platform for some of Gale's finest playing on the record. His solo is remarkable for the single-mindedness with which he pursues a long tension-filled arc. The performance is far enough ahead of its time that it wouldn't sound out of place on a late 90s Matthew Shipp record. "A Walk With Thee" shows off the two drummers, Richard Hackett and Thomas Holman, at their best (and they're excellent throughout). It's reminiscent of some of Masada's music. "The Coming of Gwilu" opens with thumb piano, bird whistle and flute, leaving the urban spirituality of the earlier pieces for a distant natural atmosphere. It opens into a hypnotic rolling 6/4 jazz vamp, over which steel drums announce a beautiful vocal call and response section. Ghetto Music is well paced and cumulatively powerful. It's also one of the better sounding records of the period.

(James Beaudreau, 16 April 2004, www.onefinalnote.com)

Although The Man in the Bowler Hat is without question the most fully realized and lavishly produced (by George Martin) Stackridge album, most fans of the band would probably gravitate toward Friendliness as their favorite. Here can be found every quality that endeared the West Country five-piece to a loyal — but never quite large enough — following. There's Beatlesque melody, gently surreal humor, and considerable instrumental dexterity that ranged freely between the worlds of pop, folk, jazz, classical, and prog rock. The rollicking instrumental "Lummy Days" is a perfect scene-setter, with Mike Evans' violin and Mutter Slater's flute lyrical one moment and bucolic the next as the melody sweeps between hoedown, bolero, and Vaughan Williams — all in less than four minutes. Next comes the weightless beauty of the title track, with James Warren's choirboy vocals multi-tracked to bewitching effect. That's followed, even more improbably, by the '30-style foppery of "Anyone for Tennis," and not long after by the Eastern-tinged "Syracuse the Elephant," at over eight minutes long and with Mellotron aplenty, clear evidence that Stackridge could have staked their share of the prog market if they could have kept a straight face long enough. But they couldn't, and to prove it, the next track is a piece of cod-reggae about a cow, called "Amazingly Agnes." In truth this and the heads-down, no-nonsense boogie "Keep on Clucking" (a whimsical diatribe against battery farming) always did sound like grudging concessions to commercialism, and decades later they still do. But the album finishes in triumph with the haunting "Teatime," arguably one of the most convincing fusions of folk, jazz, and classical music in the entire prog rock canon, with none of the ego-fuelled blowing that so discredited the genre. [The CD reissue contains three extra tracks, including the instrumental stage favorite "Purple Spaceships Over Yatton."]

(by Christopher Evans, All Music Guide)

Produced by George Martin, The Man in the Bowler Hat continues Stackridge's brand of satiric rock marbled with elements of folk and to some extent, even country. The lyrics are just as witty as in their first two releases, and the poetry glistens with a jovial Englishness that became the band's most identifiable trademark. With Martin's help, though, the album became one of their better releases, as the music rises to the top before the words do, sounding fresher, livelier, and noticeably sharper than both their debut and 1972's Friendliness. Stackridge's best song, "Dangerous Bacon," was released as a single, and it's in this song as well as "The Galloping Gaucho" and "The Indifferent Hedgehog" in which their sound comes alive. The eccentric combination of Mutter Slater's flute and the playful airiness of Mike Evans' violin give the melodies a lightheartedness that is catchy and original. Andy Davis' keyboard work doesn't hide the warmth of the strings or the woodwinds, and the album as a whole sports a cheeriness which disappointingly began to subside on Stackridge's later album's, mainly because the novelty of their music was wearing off. The reissued version of The Man in the Bowler Hat contains three impressive bonus tracks, including "Do the Stanley" and "Let There Be Lids," which involves some rather exceptional fiddle playing.

(by Mike DeGagne, All Music Guide)

Bevor Lyle Lovett seine „Step Inside This House“ Doppel-CD veröffentlichte, wird kaum einer von Willis Alan Ramsey Notiz genommen haben. Nun hat Koch das einzige Album des Texaners neu aufgelegt. Das 1972 auf Shelter erschienene Album sorgte damals für einige Aufregung und diverse Songs wurden später von anderen Künstlern (Captain & Tenille, America, Waylon Jennings und schließlich Lyle Lovett) gecovert. Wundervolle Melodien und das typische Texas-Flair ließen auf eine große Karriere schließen, aber Ramsey tauchte Mitte der 70er völlig ab und kaum einer weiß, ob er überhaupt noch lebt.

(Glitterhouse)

„Even if Ramsey had made a dozen more albums, this would still be the record that no home should be without.“

(No Depression)

THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH were originally formed in 1968 by guitarist Garth-Roy and his bass-playing brother Norman. The original line-up included organist Mick Deacon, drummer Ron Prudence and three horns players, Dick Hanson, Tex Phillpotts and Ian Aitcheson. The band's first vocalist was black American Ozzie Lane but he returned to his native New Orleans a year later and was replaced by Colin Horton-Jennings, not only a strong gravel-voiced singer but also quite adept on the guitar, bongos and flute. The group's mixture of R&B soul, jazz and prog rock brought them to the attention of EMI's progressive label Harvest Records, who signed the band and issued, in february 1970, the single, "Real Cool World"/"Again And Again" which, though not a hit in the UK, gave the band a medium-sized hit across Europe where they were also an in-demand live attraction. Both tracks featured on their March 1970 debut LP, "Horizons" which was housed in a distinctive sleeve designed by Hipgnosis and coincided with a Radio One session for Mike Harding on which they played three new songs: "Borderline", "Mountain Song" and "Time". A second session for Harding, in November 1970, featured "The Leader" and "Check Me Into Your Life", the latter of which has never officially been released. "Tell The Story"/"The Mountain Song" had failed to chart when released in September 1970, and the same fate awaited the band's second album "The Going's Easy" though one track from the LP, "Magic Woman Touch" was later released by THE HOLLIES.

The lack of chart success contributed to the band splitting in mid-1971. Ron Prudence, Ian Aitcheson and Tex Phillpotts quit music altogether, whilst Horton-Jennings joined CHASER and later turned up in TAGGET releasing one self-titled album for EMI in 1974. Dick Hanson turned to session work and recorded with the likes of THE BLUES BAND, GRAHAM PARKER, DAVE EDMUNDS, KIRSTY McCOLL and SHAKIN' STEVENS. Mike Deacon joined VINEGAR JOE and then became a member of both the SUZI QUATRO BAND and DARTS. Norman Watt-Roy formed GLENCOE releasing two albums for Epic, "Glencoe" and "The Spirit Of Glencoe". He then formed LOVING AWARENESS, releasing one self-titled LP in 1976 for More Love Records, before the band eventually evolved into THE BLOCKHEADS, the backing band for IAN DURY. Today he is a member of the WILKO JOHNSON BAND. Garth Watt-Roy joined FUZZY DUCK before undertaking session work for the likes of EAST OF EDEN, LIMEY and BONNIE TYLER as well as being a member of MARMELADE, THE Q-TIPS and THE BARRON KNIGHTS.

(Bio written by ANDREW www.progarchives.com)

This recording session was not released until five years after it was done. One can imagine the tapes practically smoldering in their cases, the music is so hot. Sorry, there is nothing "wrong" about this blues album at all. Otis Rush was a great blues expander, a man whose guitar playing was in every molecule pure blues. On his solos on this album he strips the idea of the blues down to very simple gestures (i.e., a bent string, but bent in such a subtle way that the seasoned blues listener will be surprised). As a performer he opens up the blues form with his chord progressions and use of horn sections, the latter instrumentation again added in a wonderfully spare manner, bringing to mind a master painter working certain parts of a canvas in order to bring in more light. Blues fans who get tired of the same old song structures, riff, and rhythms should be delighted with most of Rush's output, and this one is among his best. Sometimes all he does to make a song sound unlike any blues one has ever heard is just a small thing — a chord moving up when one expects it go down, for example. The production is particularly skilled, and the fact that Capitol Records turned this session down after originally producing it can only be reasonably accepted when combined with other decisions this label has made, such as turning down the Doors because singer Jim Morrison had "no charisma." This record doesn't mess around at all. The first track takes off like the man they fire out of a cannon at the end of a circus, a perceived climax swaggeringly representing just the beginning, after all. Some of the finest tracks are the ones that go longer than five minutes, allowing the players room to stretch. And that means more of Rush's great guitar playing, of course. For the final track he leaves the blues behind completely for a moving cover version of "Rainy Night in Georgia" by Tony Joe White.

(by Eugene Chadbourne, All Music Guide)

Bridget St. John has a small legion of fans willing to do battle for their hero, but to most she sounds like a pleasant, secondary British folk-rock artist of the early 1970s. Those impressions won't be changed by this, her third album, mixing low-key originals with covers of songs by Bob Dylan and Buddy Holly, as well as one of her most popular tracks, an interpretation of the traditional folk tune "Lazarus." Simply put, St. John doesn't come within bow-and-arrow range of Sandy Denny or Maddy Prior. She favors a low, slightly husky delivery that sometimes brings to mind what Marianne Faithfull might have sounded like in the late '70s had Faithfull's voice lowered naturally, instead of being ravaged. Reserve can be effective, but it sounds like St. John would need to be roasted over an open flame before her temperature rose.

(by Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide)

On her second album, Bridget St. John expanded her arrangements from the acoustic guitar of her previous effort considerably, with the aid of producer Ron Geesin. While these took the risks of sometimes bathing the songs in too much fruitiness, in general the added cellos, flutes, bassoons, violins, horns, and backup voices did much to add welcome spice to a sound that had gotten a little numbingly similar over the course of her debut. The songs, too, were a little more playful and melodically interesting, though they retained the reserved, even-tempered pastoralism of her prior work. She still sounds like a challenge to raise either a smile or a frown out of most of the time, like a hermit determined to stay out of the city at all costs. It's pleasant if not penetrating rainy-day folk/Baroque, breaking out of that mood with "Seagull-Sunday" (which certainly sounds influenced by Joni Mitchell) and Donovan's "The Pebble and the Man" (with some almost comically eccentric, operatic male backup vocals). She never sounded more like Nico than she did on the too-short 42-second closer, "It Seems Very Strange," with its doom-struck harmonium.

(by Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide)

Remastert von Dieter Dierks und Dennis Flüchter in den Dierks Studios. Walter Wegmüller (1937 - 2020) war ein schweizerisch-jenischer Künstler und wuchs unter schwierigen Verhältnissen in Bern auf.

Nach Ausbildungen in Basel, Bern, Paris und London begann er seine künstlerische Karriere. Neben der Malerei und plastischen Arbeiten beschäftigte sich Walter Wegmüller mit dem ganzen Spektrum der Kunst.

Er erlangte vor allem ab 1974 mit der Publikation seines »Zigeuner-Tarot« international breite Beachtung. Er war auf zahllosen Ausstellungen in Europa und Übersee erfolgreich und wurde immer wieder mit Preisen und Auszeichnungen bedacht.

Er vergaß dabei aber niemals seine Herkunft als Verdingkind und »Rom-Kind aus dem Stamm der Kalderasch«.

Im Jahr 1973 veröffentlichte er mit einer all-star-Band das Album Tarot. In der Band spielen erfolgreiche Musiker wie Klaus Schulze, Manuel Göttsching, Harald Grosskopf, Dieter Dierks, Hartmut Enke, Jürgen Dollase, Walter Westrupp Es blieb der einzige Ausflug von Walter Wegmüller in die Welt der Musik.

Das Album wurde als Vinyl zuletzt im Jahre 1976 veröffentlicht. Als CD im Jahr 2000. Es liegt jetzt erstmalig remastert vor.

Bei Sammlern besonders begehrt ist eine deLuxe Box, die neben 2 Vinylscheiben diverse Karten der Künstler sowie erklärende Texte zu dem TAROT Bezug darstellt und Reprints der Tarot Karten von Walter Wegmüller enthält.

Diese Box wovon nur 1.000 Exemplare hergestellt wurden erzielt heute Preise von bis zu 800 Euro und mehr.

Und selbst die CD-Ausgabe von 2000 ist unter 80 Euro nur schwer zu bekommen. Die originalen, analogen Masterbänder wurden mit höherer Auflösung überspielt und mit großer Sorgfalt remastert.

4fach CD. Das Album kommt gleich in 2 remasterten Versionen. Zum einen von Dierks / Flüchter und dann ein vollkommen anderes Mastering von Dieter Wegner, der bereits viele Alben des Krautrock Kataloges remastert hat u. a.di e Alben der Cosmic Jokers.

Im Internet werden für guterhaltene Vinyls der LP Folk Mond & Flower Dream stattliche Summen geboten. Und Jazz-Sammler fragen seit Jahrzehnten, warum es denn keine CD-Version dieser 1967 aufgenommenen Platte des Albert Mangelsdorff Quintetts gibt. Dabei ist sie ist eine der wichtigsten Platten der deutschen Jazzgeschichte. Das damals popu-lärste deutsche Jazzensemble hatte sie auf dem Höhepunkt einer Epoche aufgenommen, in der aus der Nachkriegsszenerie besonders in Frankfurt am Main eigene stilistische Entwicklungen und großartige Solisten hervorgegangen waren, die damals auch erstmals das Interesse der Welt und besonders der Amerikaner am deutschen Jazz geweckt hat-ten. Die Öffnung zu freien Jazzformen (Free Jazz) folgte unmittelbar im Anschluss an die LP Folk Mond & Flower Dream, die das damals führende deutsche Jazzensemble auf seinem Zenit präsentiert.
Was war geschehen? Warum gab es diese LP weder als Vinyl noch als CD länger als 25 Jahre nicht auf dem Markt?

Horst Lippmann hatte das Album für sein Label L+R Records produziert, und es kam 1968 über die Firma CBS in Frankfurt in die Läden. Um 1986 hatte Horst Lippmann dann seinen L+R-Katalog mit einer großer Zahl von Jazz-, Blues- und Weltmusik-Alben an die Frankfurter Firma Bellaphon verkauft. Zu dieser Zeit eroberte die CompactDisc in rasan-tem Tempo den Markt und verdrängte die Vinyl-LP. Von den drei Albert Mangelsdorff Quintett-Klassikern erschienen als CD und Vinyl-Ersatz nur One Tension und Now Jazz Ramwong. Die andere LP Folk Mond & Flower Dream wurde offenbar unter der Position ‚The Lost Tapes’ abgeschrieben.

Noch zu Lebzeiten hat Albert Mangelsdorff immer wieder nach dieser Platte gefragt. Unter den vielen von ihm aufgenommenen und nie als CD neu herausgekommenen Alben war ihm dies das wichtigste. Nun kommt sie an seinem 79. Geburtstag auf den Markt zurück.

This hour-long CD is one of the best bodies of British psychedelia ever released. It contains the complete Mighty Baby album from Head Records, expanded to 13 tracks with the addition of five tracks cut by the Action during its 1967 transition period. The opening number, "Egyptian Tomb," sets the tone for the entire album -- in terms of content, structure, and beat, it sounds like the early Allman Brothers, or maybe the Grateful Dead in one of their harder-rocking moments, jamming with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young on an impromptu version of CSN's "Pre-Road Downs." The beauty of the original Mighty Baby album tracks is that they're psychedelia with a solid beat, none of that noodle-rock that drugged-up Brits usually engaged in. "A Friend You Know But Never See" mighthave passed muster on the Byrds' Notorious Byrd Brothers album. Other songs noodle around too much, but overall this is some of the most energetic psychedelia to come out of England, and anyone who enjoys psychedelic guitar will love Martin Stone's and Alan King's work on this album. The bonus tracks, all "lost" demos, are even better: highly rhythmic, driving rock (check out "Understanding Love") with lots of spacy guitar and tougher-than-normal flower-power introspective lyrics, with some gorgeous harmonies dressing it all up -- a near perfect meld of garage rock and psychedelic sensibilities.

(by Bruce Eder, All Music Guide)

One of the great debut albums of all time by the UK's Mighty Baby.

Mighty Baby- "Mighty Baby" [Head Records 1969] Sometimes refered to as the "Egyptian Tomb" LP.

by Bob Mickey Spillane, host of The Dangerous R&R Show

Mighty Baby's self titled debut, one of the greatest of all psychedelic records of the 60's, was languishing in obscurity for over 10 years before Psycho Records reissued it in the 80's. After what was a limited pressing it went back in limbo until the advent of CD's when the word eventually got around and it's now considered a psychedelic classic. Hard to find on vinyl when it came out and even harder to find these days at garage sales, attics, musty & moldy basements, or even auctions, it's a skillful blend of psych, jazz, great melodies & songwriting. At it's core the music is wrapped around the instrumental dexterity of Martin Stone and Ian Whiteman's mesmerizing woodwind and keyboard passages.

Mighty Baby was formed in 1968 around Alan "Bam" King [guitar), Mike Evans (bass) and Roger Powell (drums), all were founding members of one of the UK's greatest Mod groups, The Action. Late-period arrivals Martin Stone (guitar, ex-Savoy Brown) and Ian Whiteman (piano, saxophone) completed the lineup and Mighty Baby was born. Stone & Whiteman actually joined the latter days of The Action making what would be known as "The Action/Mighty Baby Demos". Most of my record collecting acquaintances bow their heads and speak in hushed tones when the subject of Mighty Baby comes up. "You donzt have an extra copy kicking around? Do you? It doesn't have to be Mint....I'll take a beat up copy.. just so I have one, you know?"

But I digress.....as mentioned before, the roots of Mighty Baby lie in The Action, a mod band from London who formed in 1963 and gained a healthy following due to their powerhouse live shows and a clutch of five finger poppin' singles released between the years 1965 and 1967 on the Parlophone label. But as the mid 60's turned into the late 60's, striped bell bottoms and frilly chest baring Rod Stewart tops were being turned in for kaftans and acid tabs all around London. [Has anyone told Rod that he's a wee bit not happening these days? I mean really....The Cole Porter Songbook?!!??] Musical barriers weren't just being kicked down they were demolished and conciousness was being expanded. The Action was there front and center ready to mount their assault.

The initial change came when Action acquired guitarist Martin Stone and pianist Ian Whiteman into their fold. Stone was fresh from a stint of trying to psychedelicize Savoy Brown. As the story goes, Stone got Savoy Brown busted for drugs when he was searched at the airport and was promptly tossed out on his arse.....who knows how these rumors start?....you be the judge. One day I will have Martin Stone on The Dangerous R&R Show and we'll ask him. With two highly proficient and willing new members, The Action saw their opportunity to "Tune In, Turn On & Drop Out".

The Action loved jazz and while Mingus & Miles were admired they adored the king of freedom, John Coltrane. When Ian Whiteman joined the band they developed their particular style of "freeform" by covering Coltrane's INDIA. Mighty Baby's recording of this song is only available on a CD entitled FROM THE ATTIC. A live recording made in 1971, discovered in the attic of one of the members, and released by the band. The CD claims "That's all there is, there is no more". When Mighty Baby started playing their rock-fueled version of India with a belly full of enthusiasm and a head full of blotter, they confused the mods and sent dope soaked hippies into outer space.

The quintet's self-titled debut album, released on Head Records in 1969, starts with what is considered their theme song....

EGYPTIAN TOMB: What is this glorious racket coming out of my speakers? What instruments are creating that melody? From the opening my ears are standing up straighter than Lyndon B. Johnson's beagle at a photo shoot. Whitemans' sax [left channel] and Stones' guitar [right channel] are seamless and yet altogether miles apart. Then all of a sudden the chorus comes crashing down and I'm on my knees asking...no.. begging for more. A wonderful blend of jazz, rock and melody seemingly improvised but somehow you know that this isn't possible! Martin Stones' over amplified guitar notes seem liquid.....caressing every nuance....gaining momentum until it's dissipated finality. 5 minutes / 30 seconds of brilliance.

A FRIEND YOU KNOW BUT NEVER SEE: is lighter fare... maybe ....rolling piano, powerful drumming and guitarwork that is certainly skinny dipping in the "Oil-0-Joy" with a riff that The Bevis Frond might have borrowed for "African Violet" this is one outstanding track. I'VE BEEN DOWN SO LONG: the band dips into the west-coast vibe, Whiteman trading in his sax for piano and again the interplay between he and Stone stands out. Michael Evans flexes his muscle on bass and it's Stone's turn to pan left to right. Ahhh.....it was almost 1970 but the lads were keeping the 60's alive for sure.

SAME WAY FROM THE SUN: Martin begins in the left channel working his way to the middle setting the stage for Alan Bam King..excellent vocal! The song morphs into a psych rave this time Stone jamming with himself. Just when it seems that the song is over [a big psych crash] the band comes fading back, speeding up things and here Whiteman shines on the big B-3 Hammond.

HOUSE WITHOUT WINDOWS: the laid back vibe is evident. Stone setting the pace, Whiteman picking it up for the first verse, a staggered chorus then back to the main theme, second chorus leading into another Stone mind-melting solo! Big business, Atom bombs, fighting for the Queen, reasons to exist again...."in a house without windowsz in a house where no wind blows"... Indeed.

TRIALS OF A CITY: rockin' in the Status Quo vein here..excellent production.. guitars, piano, sax, bass, drums....fun stuff with one of my favorite studio tricks, hand claps.

I'M FROM THE COUNTRY: opens with Stones' acoustic but it only takes a couple of bars before the band is in full bloom with their early take on "Americana". Martin Stone demonstrates that he's comfortable with a variety of styles, here taking on the Clarence White [Byrds] style of country rock guitar.

AT A POINT BETWEEN FATE AND DESTINY: recalls the pastoral musings of fellow countrymen, Barclay James Harvest. The rhythm is laid down with the acoustic guitar and Whiteman adds some soaring B-3 organ. Every passing minute gets you closer to the patented Mighty Baby jazz/rock improvisation. The tension is there teasing you but never quite fulfilling the promise making you want to turn the record back to side one for more.....brilliant IMHO.

Having dipped into that intoxicating world of psychedelia, I can say that this is perhaps one of the best debuts of the 60's, most certainly on every psychedelic record collectors top 10 list.

(Bob Mickey Spillane, It's Psychedelic Baby Magazine, 23.12.2013)

Dass ein tragisches Leben eine triumphale Kunst hervorbringen kann und die Schönheit oft aus den hässlichsten Ecken des Lebens kommt, kann man natürlich nicht nur am Beispiel Hank Williams zeigen. Judee Sill, 1944 in Studio City/Los Angeles geboren, wurde nach dem frühen Tod ihres Vaters als Teenager von ihrem Stiefvater missbraucht, rebellierte gegen das Elternhaus, landete in der Besserungsanstalt, wo die die Kirchenorgel spielte, überfiel mit einer Affäre Schnapsläden und Tankstellen, verfiel LSD und Heroin, ging anschaffen und schlitterte von einer unheilvollen Beziehung in die nächste.

Sie schrieb aber auch einige der betörendsten und komplexesten Lieder der goldenen Songwriter-Ära. Ihr Debüt war 1971 eine der ersten Veröffentlichungen auf David Geffens neu gegründetem Label Asylum. Es war kein großer Erfolg. Aber die im letzten Moment noch auf dem Album platzierte, von Graham Nash produzierte Single „Jesus Was A Crossmaker“, die sie – inspiriert von Nikos Kanzantzakis Roman „The Last Temptation of Christ“ –, nach dem dramatischen Ende einer Affäre mit dem Songwriter J.D. Souther schrieb, wurde ein kleiner Radiohit und im Jahr darauf von den Hollies und Cass Elliott gecovert. Das brachte ihr immerhin eine Titelgeschichte im ROLLING STONE, die sich nicht wie das Porträt einer aufstrebenden Künstlerin, sondern eher wie die Westküsten-Version von Hubert Selbys „Last Exit To Brooklyn“ liest.

Der Nachfolger, den sie, wie schon den Großteil ihres Debüts, mit Joni Mitchells Toningenieur Henry Lewy aufnahm, sollte den kommerziellen Durchbruch bringen. Nicht mit Hitsingles, sondern mit purem Genie. Das Eröffnungsstück, „There's a Rugged Road“, klingt mit Fiddle und Pedal Steel noch wie eine clevere Country-Nummer, doch bereits mit „The Kiss“ – laut XTCs Andy Partridge der schönste Song, der je geschrieben wurde – hebt „Heart Food“ in Dimensionen ab, zu denen nur sehr wenige Songwriter:innen überhaupt einen Zugang haben (Brian Wilson vielleicht, bevor er Ende der Sechziger den Schlüssel verlor).

In „Heart Food“ stecken Folk und Gospel, Choräle und Fugen, Copland und Bach, Entrückung und Erlösung. „Songs from so deep/ While I'm sleepin', seep in/ Sweepin' over me/ Still the echo's achin'‘/ ,Leave us not forsaken‘“, barmt Sill im achtminütigen Schlussstück „The Donor“ und singt auf Dutzenden von Spuren das „Kyrie Eleison“.

Doch die Welt kannte kein Erbarmen – „Heart Food“ wurde wiederum kein Erfolg. Sill war frustiert, wollte nicht länger im Vorprogramm von „snotty rock bands“ auftreten und gab Labelchef Geffen, dem sie auf ihrem Debüt noch ihre Liebe gestanden hatte, die Schuld an allem. Ende 1973 wurde Sill mit einem Volkswagen, den sie sich von ihrem Ex-Lover Souther geliehen hatte, in einen Unfall verwickelt. Angeblich wurde sie von dem Schauspieler Danny Kaye angefahren, und John Wayne soll sie ins Krankenhaus gebracht haben. Ein Jahr später wurde sie Opfer häuslicher Gewalt, ein Lover stieß sie eine Treppe hinunter und sie und musste mehrfach am Rücken operiert werden. Die starken Schmerzen versuchte sie – eine Parallele zu Hank Williams – mit Drogen zu bekämpfen. „Alles ist verloren. Keine Hilfe mehr. Vielleicht kann die heilige Judy mir helfen? Bin auch in meinen Armen fixiert worden. Bin wieder schwer im Junkie-Dasein“, schrieb sie damals in ihr Tagebuch, in dem sich auch Ideen für neue Songs fanden.

Mit dem Bassisten Bill Plummer nahm sie 1974 noch unter starken Schmerzen im Studio von Ex-Monkee Michael Nesmith acht Demos auf. In dem neuen Song „Dreams Come True“, der dem nächsten Album den Titel geben sollte, sang sie: „Every way beauty is slain, it's seen/Though no word is uttered, a grave silence rings.“ Es sollte Sills letzte Studiosession bleiben, das Projekt wurde von Asylum auf Eis gelegt (und erschien 30 Jahre später in einem Mix von Jim O’Rourke).

Am 23. November 1973, einen Tag nach Thanksgiving, wurde Sill tot in ihrer Wohnung in North Hollywood aufgefunden. In ihrem Blut fand man eine tödliche Mischung aus Kokain und Codein. Sie war 35 Jahre alt. „Once a crystal choir appeared/ While I was sleeping and called my name/ And when they came down nearer, saying, ,Dying is done‘/ Then a new song was sung until somewhere we breathed as one“, heißt es in „The Kiss“, dem schönsten Song, der je geschrieben wurde. Dass jeder, der mal in die faszinierende Welt von Judee Sill eingetaucht ist, bei Nennung ihres Namens als erstes an ihre strahlenden Lieder denkt und nicht an ihre tragische Lebensgeschichte, ist das beste Zeugnis ihres Genies.

(Maik Brüggemeier, ROLLING STONE-Wohnzimmer, Folge 42, 18.09.2023)

The second album Judee Sill made proved to be her last. A notoriously slow songwriter, this brief though enjoyable outing took its toll on Sill during its making, turning her back to her recently kicked heroin addiction and away from the desire to create more music. Instead of using an outside arranger for the strings (as she did on her previous album), Sill did all of the work herself. Her lack of formal training and the immense amount of orchestral overdubs certainly would have made such an outing a hardship for anyone. The album doesn't suffer much from its sometimes syrupy exterior, though -- the songs are almost as strong as any of those from her debut. To wit, Heart Food suffers only in comparison to its predecessor; otherwise, it's a stellar example of the kind of singer/songwriter fare the music industry was mining in the early '70s. The supporting cast of top L.A. studio musicians solidifies Sill's unique brand country-flavored pop, which moves from introspective meanderings to loping rock, often within a single song.

(by Alex Stimmel, All Music Guide)

Sometimes myths become reality, or apocryphal tales bear enough weight to be documented as fact. Heart Food, Judee Sill's legendary -- and up until now very rare -- second and final album, was recorded and released in 1973 by Asylum Records when she was 29; she passed away six years later. Heart Food has been equated with Laura Nyro's classic New York Tendaberry, Essra Mohawk's Primordial Lovers, and Carole King's Tapestry as being a definitive moment in the work of female singer/songwriters. Part of this myth comes out of the reality that Heart Food has not been in print in more than 20 years. Rhino Handmade has issued the album on CD, along with its predecessor, Judee Sill [Expanded], for a limited time. The original (second) album is rounded out with nine extra tracks of live and demo material, is accompanied by a handsome package, a complete liner note essay by Michele Kort, and a slew of photographs. Now that it is available again, it is easy to see how that comparison by the critical pop establishment of the day was made: it's because it is accurate.

The beautifully rough edges on Sill's debut have all been smoothed out here by an engagement with subtle yet pervasive orchestration, stellar arrangements, tightly crafted songs that open up form the inside their musical frameworks, and draw on influences as varied as Tin Pan Alley to gospel and country to Mozart and Bach. The wildest thing is that Ms. Sill was responsible for all of it. She had complete artistic control and creative freedom in the studio -- those who know David Geffen's reputation will be surprised. And the cast of players bears out the confidence in Ms. Sill's abilities: Doug Dillard, Gloria Jones, Ray Kelly, Chris Ethridge, Spooner Oldham, Buddy Emmons, Jim Gordon, and many others.

Musically, Heart Food [Expanded] is a song suite whose songs all dovetail one another in relating an ache so deep in the gray matter of the soul that it threatens to burn the listener. One listen to "Down Where The Valleys Are Low" is enough to know that the hounds of hell have left their mark on the singer: "Push me on from the danger that's pullin' me and hold me so strong/Send a song on the wind to deliver me/Take me and rise, when the fire is on/Take the reins and the loneliness fillin' me/And make my fear fuel and the fuel hi-octane...." A church organ, a xylophone, and a Steve Cropper-ish lead guitar slowly hollow out the groove that is filled by a trio of backing vocalists doo-wopping gospel underneath, as Sill sings her heart out into a void only she can see through. Elsewhere, in the honky tonk, funky gospel of "Soldier of the Heart," Sill creates the entire tune in chorus form; each line is a testament: "The battlefield's so cold/Take my love as a token/I want to give it to you...." And as the band slips deeper into the openness of the rhythm track, Sill strides forth with her vocal into the very pit of loneliness and danger, and tries not only to be delivered herself, but to carry her listeners with her. This is naked music; there is no separation between artist and audience, no separation between forces of light and dark, everything is in this glorious pop maelstrom where life and death are just two sides of the same coin, and the desire for holiness and wholeness are nearly overwhelming in their intensity. But her approach is ecstatic, the neediness is in the words, but the music is pure, expressive joy. The bonus material, a series of outtakes and demos, bear out that the process was never effortless, but came easy to one who was adept at baring her soul. Heart Food deserves its rating as a classic because it has so few peers, and as music heard thirty years after the fact, its dignity remains unblemished; its innovation and creativity are still cause for wonder and awe.

(about the Rhino-Handmade-Reissue by Thom Jurek , All Music Guide)

Der romantische back-to-the-roots-Groove der Texte, die minimale Instrumentierung (u. a. mit Robin Williamson) und der kindsfrauliche Gesang führten zu minimalen Plattenverkäufen. Vor zehn Jahren wurde das Album auf CD neu aufgelegt - und Bunyan im großen Stil entdeckt. Sie ist heute wieder auf Bühnen und im Studio tätig, das Album gilt als Meisterwerk kunstvoller Hippieromantik.

(musikexpress., 10 / 2010)

About five years after briefly surfacing as part of Andrew Loog Oldham's stable, Vashti -- now billing herself with her full name, Vashti Bunyan -- made her only album. A folkier and more serious-minded effort than her initial mid-'60s recordings, it is a pleasing yet overly dainty slice of British rock-tinged folk, produced by Joe Boyd. A certain similarity to some other acts under Boyd's supervision, such as the Incredible String Band and Fairport Convention, was assured by contributions from the ISB's Robin Williamson and Fairport's Dave Swarbrick and Simon Nicol. For good measure, there were string and recorder arrangements by Robert Kirby, who had done some string arrangements for Nick Drake, another Boyd-produced artist. Comprised solely of original material, Just Another Diamond Day contained dignified yet slightly sad ruminations with a pastoral, indeed rural feel, imbued with images of solitary meditations upon rain, wind, sunsets, and open fields. The drum-less, acoustic arrangements yielded an intimate ambience well-suited for Vashti's fragile, measured, almost despondently wispy vocals. These were rather in the manner of Marianne Faithfull's highest and most whispery early efforts, albeit with far folkier setting and more vivid lyrics. The CD reissue of this rarity (on Spinney) is enhanced by four bonus tracks that, with an oh-so-slight poppier bent, actually rate as the best material on the disc: the 1966 B-side "Love Song," a pair of unreleased 1966-1967 acetates, and a 1969 version of "Iris' Song" (to be redone as "Iris's Song for Us" on the LP). It's too bad, though, that the other three songs from her official 1965-1966 singles weren't added, as well, to make this a more complete retrospective.

(by Richie Unterberger , All Music Guide)

Easily the best album the group ever recorded, Nicely Out Of Tune is one of the prettiest folk-rock albums of the late 1960s. If Lindisfarne had never recorded anything else, they'd be one of the most fondly remembered acts of their era just for this album. "Lady Eleanor" is a very pretty tune that manages to incorporate elegant mandolin over some heavy rock riffing. "Road To Kingdom Come" is closer in spirit to the group's usual pub-rock sound, a singalong-type number with lots of really crunchy harmonica, mandolin, and fiddle, and a really catchy chorus -- "Jackhammer Blues" is pretty nearly as good a rocker. But "Winter Song" is one of the gentlest, most haunting folk ballads of its period, almost too pretty to have come from a rock band, and "Alan In The River With Flowers" isn't far behind. The rest is in the same class and league, and as a bonus the CD contains two lost B-sides, "Knackers Yard Blues" and "Nothing But The Marvelous Is Beautiful" -- they're not bad, either.

(by Bruce Eder, AllMusicGuide)

(Songwriter/Folk/Rock/Blues/Roots) 2004 Columbia - klasse Wiederveröffentlichung (remastered, im Ausklappdigipack) der 3. LP von 1974 eines der wichtigsten Americana/Roots-Meisters, bevor diese Begriffe überhaupt verwendet wurden. Wie kaum ein anderer verband der gleichermaßen als Multiinstrumentalist, Sänger und Komponist beschlagene Musiker Folk und Blues, Country und Rock, Bluegrass und Jazz, West- und Ostküstensound, Bläsersection und Fiddle/Mandoline. Die ersten 4 Stücke wurden alle am 17.4.72 aufgenommen, feat. Garcia/Lesh/Godchaux/Kreutzmann von Grateful Dead, Tracy Nelson & Mother Earth oder die Sweet Inspirations als Backgroundchor sowie Andy Statman, Peter Ecklund, Jay Ungar, Steve Burgh u.a. Die Tracks 5-9 sind Studio/Live-Aufnahmen vom September 73 mit der damaligen Bromberg (Big) Band und solo. Soooo schade, dass es seit einer Ewigkeit nichts offizielles Neues mehr von ihm gibt. Wenigstens ist sein Kalender für 2004 wieder prall gefüllt mit Auftritten!

A fantastic set turned in by David and company. We get some quiet acoustic numbers, some live tunes, David backed by the members of the Grateful Dead and some numbers in his "big band" setting. Horns, fiddles and the ever present guitar of the master of his own style of Chicago by way of New Orleans blues. Ever the master storyteller Bromberg never lets the music get in the way of the tale, but neither does he hold back the tune for fear of trampling the melody. A fine balancing act from clever musicans having fun. The cover places Bromberg in the roll of the King (Kong that is) about to be strafed by a flock of Faye Wray type heroines. Flip it over and you've got a bit of the old peeping Kong and there you have it. Like good wine and friendships, Davids music just grows better with age.

(tralfaz-archive)

"...ein Jahr nach “Rust Never Sleeps” und “Live Rust” veröffentlicht und im Vergleich mit diesen Giganten eher leichtgewichtig. Was aber nicht bedeuten soll, dass diese 9-Song-Sammlung mit countryeskem Material nicht die eine oder andere Überraschung parat hätte. Als Ganzes gehört ergibt sich ein angenehmes Album, das vielleicht nicht in die Neil Top-10 gehört, aber doch eine Handbreit über vergleichbarem Material liegt. Vor allem, wenn man sich überlegt, welcher Sound 1980 vorherrschte und welcher Mist damals veröffentlicht wurde."

(Glitterhouse)