EVERMORE BLUES

BILL PERRY - CRAZY KIND OF LOVE 2002

2012-01-11T18:57:00.003+01:00

Crazy Kind Of Life, is a natural progression of Bill Perry continued growth as an artist, his most complete and self-assured recording to date. While not seeking to break any stylistic barriers, it nonetheless offers an alluring package of what Bill calls "modern traditional" blues.

With Jimmy Vivino and Paul Orofino once again at the helm, Perry's gutsy vocals, guitar ferocity, and go-for-broke intensity highlight the album. Perry was much more involved in the songwriting this time around. He and Vivino had a hand in writing all the songs, with the exception of the Rolling Stones chestnut "No Expectations," on which special guest Richie Havens achingly interprets one of best blues tunes to ever come out of the rock idiom.

Perry's songwriting is very personal, going far beyond the usual "woke up this morning..." approach, while at the same time, his songs have a universal "everyman" appeal with an underlying sense of humor. "I really felt this album," says Bill. "I felt good making it."

Tracks :

1. Trouble in the Shotgun 2:50
2. Crazy Kind of Life 5:00
3. Too Hot 3:12
4. Honey Pie 3:22
5. Take You Down 3:35
6. 500 Miles 3:42
7. Junkie 3:01
8. Can't Buy My Love 4:36
9. Morning Spiritual 3:51
10. Girl's Gone Crazy 3:40
11. No Expectations 5:54

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Artwork Included

TINY TIM - CONCERT IN FAIRYLAND 1974

2011-12-26T14:14:00.000+01:00

During his proverbial 15 minutes of fame in the late '60s, Tiny Tim was one of the most bizarre spectacles on television: a heavy, six-foot-tall man with long, unkempt ringlets of hair, an enormous nose, and a garish plaid wardrobe; warbling the old-time pop standard "Tip-Toe Through the Tulips" in a quavering, shockingly high falsetto while accompanying himself on the ukulele. Pegged as strictly a novelty act, Tim actually possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of vintage American pop and vaudeville songs; he was an avid collector of 78 rpm records and sheet music, and often scoured the New York Public Library's musical archives for material. And, although he was best-known for his falsetto, Tim was also a creditable baritone crooner in the pre-Bing Crosby mold, which allowed him to sing duets with himself. Tiny Tim's initial novelty wore off with the public after a couple of years, but he was so genuinely, guilelessly eccentric that he was never really forgotten, remaining something of a pop-culture icon for decades to come.

Tiny Tim was born Herbert Khaury, and gave his birth date as April 12, 1933, though some sources list 1932, 1930, and even 1926. The son of a Lebanese father and Jewish mother, he grew up in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan, and was (unsurprisingly) a misfit and loner, eventually dropping out of high school. His interest in American popular music (chiefly from the 1890s to the 1930s) began at a young age, as did his desire to be a singer, and accordingly he learned guitar and ukulele. His first performances -- under the alias Larry Love -- took place in the early '50s, and according to legend, he debuted at a lesbian cabaret in Greenwich Village called the Page 3, where he became a regular. Khaury performed at small clubs, parties, and talent shows under a variety of names; his parents tried to discourage him at first, but relented when they saw that not every gig ended in ridicule. By the early '60s, he had gained a cult following around the thriving Greenwich Village music scene, particularly after he began to incorporate bizarre renditions of contemporary songs into his repertoire. He finally settled on the name Tiny Tim after the character in Dickens' A Christmas Carol (according to some accounts, it was suggested by a manager accustomed to working with midgets).

Tim's appearance in the film You Are What You Eat led to a booking on the hugely popular comedy series Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In. He was an instant sensation; whether or not he was seen as an object of ridicule, no one had ever seen anything like him. He appeared several more times on Laugh-In, and became a frequent guest on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, also performing on the Ed Sullivan and Jackie Gleason variety shows. His eccentric personality became as well-known as his music: he was obsessed with bodily cleanliness, and his distaste for sex seemed logical when paired with his gentle, asexual demeanor. A hot commodity, Tim signed a record deal with Reprise and issued his debut album, God Bless Tiny Tim, in 1968. His signature rendition of "Tip-Toe Through the Tulips" became a hit, and the LP sold over 200,000 copies. Striking while the iron was hot, Tim recorded a follow-up, Tiny Tim's Second Album, which was released in 1969; so was its follow-up, an album of children's songs titled For All My Little Friends. On December 17 of that year, Tim pulled off one of the highest-rated stunts in television history: he actually married his girlfriend, 17-year-old Victoria Budinger (known as Miss Vicki, in typically respectful Tim fashion), on the Johnny Carson show. The couple later had a daughter, Tulip, but mostly lived apart, and divorced after eight years.

Following his wedding, Tim continued to perform around the country, including some lucrative gigs in Las Vegas; unfortunately, many of his business associates took advantage of his naïveté, leaving him with few savings from his run of success. By the early '70s, perhaps due to simple familiarity, America's fascination with Tiny Tim had waned. Even after the TV appearances and high-profile gigs dried up, Tim kept plugging away, performing whenever and wherever he could. He spent around a decade off records before returning in 1980, and subsequently recorded steadily for a series of mostly small labels. He remarried in 1984 to 23-year-old Miss Jan, but the relationship dissolved after just under a month; the following year, Tim literally joined a circus for 36 weeks. In the late '80s, he moved to Australia for a few years, then returned to the U.S. to live in Des Moines, IA. In 1993, he married for a third time to Miss Sue, and the couple soon moved to Minneapolis. During the mid-'90s, Tim raised his public profile with appearances on the Conan O'Brien and Howard Stern shows; however, in September of 1996, he suffered a heart attack while performing at a ukulele festival in Massachusetts. Upon his release from the hospital, Tim resumed his concert schedule, but sadly, on November 30, he suffered another heart attack in Minneapolis while performing "Tip-Toe Through the Tulips," and died several hours later. ~ Steve Huey, Rovi

Tracks :

A1 Oh How I Miss You Tonight
A2 Let Me Call You Sweetheart
A3 On the Good Ship Lollipop
A4 Secret Love
A5 Animal Crackers
A6 Indian Love Call
B1 Don't Take Your Love From Me
B2 If I Didn't Care
B3 You Make Me Feel So Young
B4 I Got a Pain in My Sawdust
B5 Be My Love
B6 Toot-Toot-Tootsie / Goodbye

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Artwork Included

McKENDREE SPRING - McKENDREE SPRING 3 1972

2011-12-26T14:04:00.000+01:00

In the McKendree Spring exhibit at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame & Museum in Cleveland, Ohio is an attribution that says: Experimental and innovative, McKendree Spring mixed blues, folk and country with a progressive musical vision. Over the course of seven albums, they highlighted the songs of singer/guitarist Fran McKendree and offered up unique interpretations of songs by Bob Dylan, Neil Young and James Taylor. McKendree Spring built much of its reputation as a live act by featuring the virtuosity of guitarist Marty Slutsky and violinist Mike (Doc) Dreyfuss. McKendree Spring formed in 1969 as a drumerless four-piece folk-rock ensemble that promoter/manager Bill Graham dubbed "one of the best unknown bands in the world." McKendree Spring toured with some of the most exciting artists of the 70's and shared the stage with performers such as the Everly Brothers, Fleetwood Mac, Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention, Elton John, Ike & Tina Turner, Joni Mitchell, Randy Newman, the Byrds, Jethro Tull, and Van Morrison. McKendree Spring played various memorable venues as well including Carnegie Hall, the Fillmore East, Lincoln Center, and Kennedy Center. Not to mention venues that got them there - like My Father's Place on Long Island, the Agoras in Columbus and Cleveland, the College Coffee House Circuit, and Ohio University in Athens. On May 8th, 1972 McKendree Spring performed with Billy Preston in the first-ever rock concert at legendary New York Radio City Music Hall. The band played to a million plus people at the Washington Monument to protest war in Vietnam, and starred on the BBC TV’s Old Grey Whistle Test in London with Cleo Lane. McKendree Spring has a knack for covering songs that sounded as if they were written by them or for them. The group is noted for its live shows that brought the crowds - and there are crowds - to their feet.

Tracks :

1. Down By The River
2. Fading Lady
3. Flying Dutchman
4. Heart Is Like A Wheel
5. Feeling Bad Ain*t Good Enough
6. Hobo Lady
7. Oh, In The Morning
8. God Bless The Conspiracy

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Artwork Included

MARK HENLEY - RIVERSONG 1976

2011-12-26T13:48:00.000+01:00

Mark Henley is a song writer from the Been There and Done That School of Hard Knocks. He writes from his heart about his life and experiences during the long, strange trip. Some of his influences are Neil Young, John Prine and David Allan Coe.
His style is plain, based in southern rock and modern country. Some of his songs are spiritual and others are definitely in the flesh. Some are silly and others slice to the bone. He shares his love for Jesus as well as his struggle to reach for a better life.

Tracks :

1.Everyone Tuesday
2.Full Moon Of April
3.Mona Ray
4.Don't You Go Under
5.After Saturday
6.Give Me Time
7.Place And Old Friends
8.Froggin'
9.Riversong
10.Strawberry Moon

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Artwork Inluded

MAN - MAN 1969 US

2011-12-26T13:35:00.000+01:00

Man consisted of Richard Supa (lead guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals), Dennis Belline (rhythm guitar, piano, vocals), Richie Cardenas (bass, vocals), Gilbert Slavin (organ, piano, harpsichord, flute), Antony Krasinski (drums, percussion, harmonica).

The production was done by the legendary Bob Johnston. The album gets five stars for extraordinary songwriting. "Riverhead Jail", "Brother John" and "Far Too Many Changes Came" hold up well today.

If you've heard anything, it's probably "Sister Salvation", a "turntable hit" on a few progressive rock stations at the time the record was released. "Man" has a high degree of imagination, is very accessible, and has a unique singer with Richard Supa. Unfortunately, the group never jelled, and broke up after this record. It's a great addition to a 60s collection, and a long lost musical treasure.

The album jacket has a misty photo of the band members. Richard Supa and Dennis Belline collaborated in an obscure band called Denny Belline and The Rich Kids. They released one album on RCA in 1966. Richard Supa went onto a career as a session player and songwriter. His song "Chip Away The Stone" has been covered by Aerosmith and Humble Pie among others. Supa also released four solo albums between 1971 and 1978.

Man also produced a cover of Bob Dylan's "Girl From The North Country" that has to be heard to be believed. As far as we know it was only available on 45 rpm.

Info taken from http://cousin-mike.ucoz.com/blog/man_man_us_band_1969/2011-04-14-863

Tracks :

1. Sleepy Eyes And Butterflies (5:50)
2. Riverhead Jail (4:20)
3. When Can I Call You Friend (4:57)
4. Brother John (3:58)
5. Far Too Many Changes Came (8:21)
6. Sister Salvation (2:58)
7. Camp Of The Gypsies (3:36)
8. O, Child, In Time (4:4

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Artwork Inluded

2011-12-26T13:25:00.000+01:00

Hokus Poke were a early UK British blues band on the Vertigo label. They only released Earth Harmony in 1972. Essentially, Hokus Poke follow along the lines of the electric blues pioneered by Cream five years earlier. However, the first half of the album is much more acoustic based which gives them their own sound.

Tracks :

01.H.P. Boogie
02.Sunrise Sunset(The Sunset)
03.Big World Small Guy
04.Down in the Street
05.Hag Rag
06.Living in Harmony
07.Time and Space
08.The Poke

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Artwork Inluded

FLEETWOOD MAC - PENGUIN 1973

2011-12-26T13:18:00.000+01:00

Fleetwood Mac's first album made after the departure of Danny Kirwan features the additions of guitarist Bob Weston and singer Dave Walker. By now Bob Welch and Christine McVie were the dominant forces in the band, and all traces of blues-rock were gone, replaced by Welch's hypnotic melodies and McVie's romantic sentiments married to up-tempo pop tunes. This album gave Fleetwood Mac its best U.S. chart showing yet, but the wonder is that this phase in the band's career wasn't even more popular.

Review by William Ruhlmann

Tracks :

01. Remember Me (Christine McVie) – 2:41
02. Bright Fire (Bob Welch) – 4:31
03. Dissatisfied (Christine McVie) – 3:41
04. (I'm A) Road Runner (Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Edward Holland) – 4:52
05. The Derelict (Dave Walker) – 2:45
06. Revelation (Welch) – 4:57
07. Did You Ever Love Me (Christine McVie, Welch) – 3:41
08. Night Watch (Welch) – 6:16
09. Caught In The Rain (Bob Weston) – 2:41

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Artwork Inluded

FERMATA - FERMATA / PIESEN Z HOL 1975-76

2011-12-26T13:13:00.001+01:00

What an underrated band!. If you like your jazz rock fusion with prog overtones and excellent musicianship than this is for you. In the same vein as late Missus Beastly, Release Music Orchestra and maybe even a bit of Brand X and Coloseum II. But Fermata deserves more recognition because even when you fell all these influences what comes out is quite theirs. Their second is also great! Looking foward to hearing their 3rd called 'Huascaran' which everybody says is their best. Highly recommended if any of the bands mentioned tickle your fancy. (reviewed by mhiraldo)

Info taken from PROGNOTFROG

Tracks :

Fermata -75

1. Rumunska rapsodia (5:52)
2. Perpetuum II (10:27)
3. Postavim si vodu na caj (4:19)
4. Valcik pre krstnu mamu (7:03)
5. Perpetuum III (11:06)

Piesen z hol' -76

6. Piesen z hol (11:08)
7. Svadba na medvedej luke (4:17)
8. Posledny jarmok v Radvani (4:32)
9. Priadky (7:38)
10. Dolu Vahom (2:21)
11. Vo Zvolene zvony zvonia (10:10)

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Artwork Inluded

DEARDORFF & JOSEPH 1976

2011-12-26T12:56:00.000+01:00

Deardorff & Joseph were not widely heard or remembered, but that doesn't mean they were forgotten or even felt. Their 1976 debut became a cult item for collectors of soft Californian '70s pop, and it also marked the first time Jeffrey Comanor's "We'll Never Have to Say Goodbye Again" was heard (a few years later, England Dan & John Ford Coley brought it into the Top Ten). At the time, the album was largely ignored, even if it was a first-class professional production firmly within the Californian commercial sound of the mid-'70s and featured musical support by such luminaries as Dan Seals, Jeff Porcaro and his brothers Mike and Joe, Dean Parks, Jim Horn, and David Paich. Perhaps there was simply too much soft rock in the market in 1976, or perhaps listeners found Danny Deardorff's voice slightly thin and whiny, two things that would have killed any hopes of big commercial success for the duo. Nevertheless, time has treated Deardorff & Joseph well. Deardorff's voice remains just this side of an acquired taste -- in contrast, Marcus Joseph's voice is sweet and friendly, perfectly fitting the breezy feel of the music -- but both the songs and production are better than average, with a nicely enveloping lush, layered sound and some very good tunes, largely written by Deardorff, who may not break from the laid-back singer/songwriter tradition but does some nice work within it. Though the album sags a bit on the slower songs, this is a remarkably consistent, enjoyable record that sounds as if it could have been a hit at the time, even if it doesn't really have a cut that sounds like a lost classic. Nevertheless, the album as a whole is a bit of a lost classic of sorts for fans of Crosby, Stills & Nash-influenced Californian soft rock singer/songwriters -- think America, Seals & Crofts, England Dan & John Ford Coley, in particular -- because it is both rare and very good. Unlike some cult items, this winds up delivering on its promise and is worth seeking out for those listeners who can never get enough of the mellow Californian sound.

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Tracks :

01. One More Story To Tell (3:26)
02. We'll Never Have To Say Goodbye Again (3:22)
03. Chicago Blue (3:05)
04. Nighttime Love (3:00)
05. Sentimental Lady (3:47)
06. The Castle (2:39)
07. Golden Road (3:14)
08. Lovely Lady (3:03)
09. Sing My Song (2:39)
10. Little Kings Of Earth (3:50)

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Artwork Inluded

AMAZING BLONDEL - MULGRAVE STREET 1974

2011-12-26T12:47:00.001+01:00

British Folk-Rock / Prog group Amazing Blondel, one of the most unique and sophisticated bands to appear on the scene in the 1970s. After recording four wonderful albums for the Island label, the band switched to the DJM label, where they recorded four additional albums before disbanding. With the departure of John Galdwin following the recording of "England", the duo of Terry Wincott and Edward Baird continued to carry the band's tradition, utilizing well-known Rock musicians as guest artists and modifying the sound to a more contemporary rockier song format. However, the Folk elements and occasional medieval music elements were still incorporated into the music, with their vocal harmonies remaining second to none. On this album the guests include Free's guitarist Paul Kossoff, drummer Simon Kirke and keyboardist John Bundrick. This is quite different from the first incarnation of the group, but still a great testimony of the times now long gone. Worth investigation!

Tracks :

1. Mulgrave Street (7:24)
2. Iron & Steel / Leader of the Band* (4:52)
3. Light Your Light (3:03)
4. Hole in the Head (2:17)
5. Help Us Get Along (3:48)
6. See 'em Shining (2:34)
7. Love Must Be the Time of Your Life (2:32)
8. All I Can Do (2:40)
9. Goodbye Our Friends* (3:15)
10. Sad to See You Go (3:20)

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Artwork Inluded

DION -SIT DOWN OLD FRIEND & YOU'RE NOT ALONE 1970 - 1971

2011-11-30T18:58:00.000+01:00

Dion's early-'70s albums have been quite overlooked, even in comparison to his similar late-'60s folk-rock records, and even by many Dion fans. This single-disc CD pairs 1970's Sit Down Old Friend with 1971's You're Not Alone, both records showing Dion continuing to mature as a singer/songwriter and blender of folk, rock, and blues stylings. Sit Down Old Friend was a change of pace even by the standards of his mellower, folk-rockish late-'60s comeback records. This was Dion unplugged: just him on acoustic guitar (both classical and steel string), and no other accompaniment, with all but three of the songs written or co-written by the singer. There's an intimate warmth and vulnerability here that you associate with demos that tend not to be issued in this original form, instead being embellished and worked over into something slicker. For whatever reason, in this case Dion was able to slip the material through to the consumer in this unadorned format. It's a wistful and reflective set, as unplugged acoustic guitar albums tend to be. But the inherent mellowness of the format is given a harder and more emotional edge by Dion's blues leanings, and the sense of a man emerging from hard times into something better. His voice has rarely been more expressive than it is on "I Don't Believe My Race Is Run" and the cover of Jacques Brel's "If We Only Have Love." It's a quality overlooked effort of the early singer/songwriter era, though it's missing any classic or hitbound tunes that might have made it a major work. You're Not Alone was a low-key record in which Dion continued his explorations into introspective music that bridged the folk-rock and singer/songwriter styles. Whereas Sit Down Old Friend was solo acoustic, though, Dion did revert to full-band arrangements for the follow-up. Fortunately, the backing -- including notable session players Paul Griffin on organ and Hugh McCracken on both electric and acoustic guitar -- was tastefully understated, which would not often be the case the further Dion moved into the 1970s. It's respectable, yet not as good as Sit Down Old Friend and his best late-'60s folk-rock records, with a slight slide in the quality of the material, and less of the near-naked atmosphere that made Sit Down Old Friend stand out. Sometimes the slow and introspective tenor of the tunes gets sluggish, rather in the same way as Bobby Darin's folk-rock records of the 1960s, though Dion was always a better and edgier folk-rock singer than Darin was. Most of the set is self-composed, and it's fair but not exceptional singer/songwriting, with covers varying from effective (Melanie's "Close to It All") to unimaginative (the Beatles' "Let It Be"). There's just one outing into the rootsy blues that Dion had developed a flair for from the mid-'60s onward, "The Stuff I Got"; "Attraction Works Better Than Promotion" has to qualify as one of his most offbeat song titles. The CD also adds a 1973 track, "Doctor Rock'n'Roll," as a bonus cut.

Review

by Richie Unterberger

Tracks :

1 Natural Man Abbott, Holler

2 I Don't Believe My Race Is Run DiMucci, Fasce

3 Jammed Up Blues DiMucci

4 Little Pink Pony DiMucci

5 You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover Dixon

6 If We Only Have Love Blau, Brel, Shuman

7 Sweet Pea DiMucci

8 Just a Little Girl DiMucci

9 Let Go, Let God DiMucci

10 King con Man DiMucci

11 Sit Down Old Friend DiMucci, Fasce

12 Close to It All Safka

13 Sunnland DiMucci, Fasce

14 Windows DiMucci, Tuohy

15 The Vistor DiMucci, Fasce, Tuohy

16 Peacefule Place DiMucci, Fasce

17 Let It Be Lennon, McCartney

18 The Stuff I Got DiMucci

19 Blackbird Lennon, McCartney

20 Joise DiMucci, Fasce

21 Attraction Works Better ThanPromotion DiMucci, Fasce

22 Doctor Rock'n'Roll DiMucci

Artwork Included

EMMA MYLDENBERGER - EMMAZ LIVE! 1981 (2007 reissue)

2011-10-25T20:22:00.000+02:00

Previously only available trough cassettes (79 copies produced to be exact), this third EM album (and last if you do not count the Radio Noisz Ensemble, which is the logic continuation of this venture), the superb Garden Of Delight label reissued this album very recently for our pure enjoyment. And enjoyment it is, because this lengthy (68 mins + 3 bonus tracks for 81 mins) live recording is of excellent sound quality and there are much "new" material that weren't present on the two studio albums, but rehearsed live for a possible third studio album, which would never come. Sporting a colourized version of the cassette photo as artwork, corrected running times, some group pictures, the GOD release is the usual excellent product that gives progheads so many joys over the years.

Some of the previously heard songs are in fairly different versions here, often with less vocals or presented in a different light. The superb RAA and Regenreigen Suite are both presented with excellent live alternatives. The last three songs on the original cassette were foreseen for the third album (as would the last two bonus tracks), thus giving you an idea that this third album would've at least as good as their debut and approach the second's outstanding relevance.

Of the three bonus tracks, the jig of Narrentanz is the least interesting (and already present in the first studio album), but Schäfer Von Rotterdam and Alina are superb medieval-sounding tracks that we're all used to hearing. More added value for a Live album which turns out to be just as essential as the studio ones.

Review by Sean Trane
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Prog Folker

Tracks :

01. Live Rückkehr aus Emmarokkoko
02. Lenyas Fantasie
03. Opus 4
04. Ferngespräch Vorwahl 030
05. RAA
06. Regenreigen Suite
07. Ala Dalona
08. Capt. Bla Blau
09. Space Fasching In Zweischlingen
10. Narrentanz (Bonus track)
11. Der Schäfer Von Rotterdam (Bonus track)
12. Alina (Bonus track)

Artwork Included

KALEIDON - FREE LOVE 1973

2011-10-13T10:46:00.000+02:00

Despite strong differences in their musical style, these groups are often mentioned together because Kaleidon came out from the ashes of the promising Free Love after two of these band's members died in a car accident. One of the surviving members, Stefano Sabatini, formed the new group that dedicated their only album in 1973 to the old band.

Born at the end of the 60's in Rome, Free Love only released two good rock singles in their short career, one of which was used as soundtrack to a spaghetti-western film. The original line-up featured the US-born brothers Carl and Steve Stogel, Gianni Caia and a singer whose name was Tony, and it recorded both the band's singles, being pictured on their covers. Later, towards the end of 1969, the group was joined by Canadian violinist John Picard and, for a short time, singer/percussionist Ricky Cellini. The line-up became more stable in 1970 with new keyboardist Stefano Sabatini (after Tony and Cellini had left) and various concerts in Northern Italy, Switzerland and Sardinia. They seemed to have a very promising career ahead, as demonstrated by their participation in Rome's Caracalla Pop festivals in 1970 and 1971, but before the last of these two events had to suffer a line-up change when Sabatini left, replaced by Fabio Cammarota. A few months later Picard quit, moving to France.

This group broke up towards the end of the year and Caia and Steve Stogel, along with bass player Mauro Montaldo, reunited with Stefano Sabatini to tour as backing band of Mia Martini. It was in February 1972, while coming back from a concert in Sicily, that the musicians' van was involved in a road accident: two of them, Gianni Caia and Steve Stogel, died while the others, Stefano Sabatini and Mauro Montaldo were severely injured.

A concert was held at Rome's Piper to commemorate the musicians and collect some money to support their families.

A new line-up with the namd Free Love was assembled in the summer, and this included Stefano Sabatini, Carl Stogel, drummer Giovanni Liberti and saxophonist Stefano Cesaroni, later replaced by Massimo Balla for the Caracalla-Wembley concert in Rome in Autumn 1972.

From this line-up, with newcomer bassist Franco Tallarita, derived the new group Kaleidon, whose only album in 1973 was in fact entitled Free love; totally instrumental, strongly veering toward jazz, it went unnoticed, with the band having a strong line-up change right after its release and splitting after the fourth edition of the "Festival d'Avanguardia e Nuove Tendenze" held in Rome in June 1974.

After leaving Kaleidon, bassist Franco Tallarita joined Ut. His replacement Gianni Colaiacomo later played with Banco del Mutuo Soccorso.

The last Kaleidon drummer, Francesco Froggio Francica, had previously played with Raccomandata con Ricevuta di Ritorno and shortly Procession.

Stefano Sabatini was involved in the short-lived Samadhi supergroup and later Mediterraneo (featuring some ex-Samadhi members), in 1978 he moved to Los Angeles where he played with many important jazz musicians, and after returning to Italy in 1982 he has had an intense activity in the jazz field, which lasts today.

source :

http://www.italianprog.com/a_kaleidon.htm

Tracks :

1. Kaleidon (8:29)

2. Inverno '43 (6:31)

3. Dopo La Festa (7:27)

4. Polvere (6:36)

5. Oceano (6:14)

6. Free Love (4:48)

No artwork

SPIROGYRA BURN THE BRIDGES THE DEMO TAPES 1970 -1971

2011-09-03T21:35:00.000+02:00

This is a rather intriguing compilation of pre-‘St. Radigunds’ Spirogyra music, one that would more properly be called an ‘early recordings’ than demo tapes. The band hadn’t yet grown a full-time drummer so the sound is a bit more sparse than Radigunds, and due most likely to the times and the band’s inexperience the tracks are less polished than the band’s later albums (relatively speaking – this is folk prog after all).

One of the more appealing characteristics here is the greater prominence of Barbara Gaskin’s vocals than on most of the rest of the Spirogyra music I’ve heard. She has a wonderful voice that transcends folk without veering into psych territory like so many of her peers tended to do. The result is an unsophisticated timbre that still manages to draw the listener into the band’s tales and fancies. The other standout performance comes from Julian Cusack on violin. The sporadic nature of the instrument makes for a nice compliment rather than a dominant role, which seems to suit this style of music quite well. Martin Cockerham plays a fair guitar, although he doesn’t seem to stretch himself all that often but is instead content to strum in accompaniment for the most part.

A few tracks stand out; “I Gotta Woman” (in which Cusack switches to piano), “Hey Lady” where Cockerham sings lead but in a more subdued manner and where Cusack fronts the instruments on violin for a change, and “The Forest of Dean” where Gaskin and Cockerham duet in a silly and happy ditty. “Jerusalem” is another noteworthy track even though there is nothing exceptional about the playing; it’s simply a mellow and peaceful tune that is made more wistful by the light-hearted whistling scattered throughout.

This isn’t quite as cohesive as the band’s studio works, but it is a great representation of a period where pure folk bands were beginning to stretch their sound, and one where the influences of psych and drug- induced music don’t spoil the purity of the overall sound like so many early seventies recordings do. I believe Repertoire was the first label to issue this on CD, but it is also available from Si-Wan, is pretty easy to find and reasonably priced. Fans of folk prog could do worse than to add this to their collection. Three stars easily, and I’m inclined to add another for the large selection of tracks and the surprisingly good sonic quality of these old recordings. So I guess four stars it is, and well recommended.

Review by ClemofNazareth

Tracks :

1. Turn Again Lane (7:13)
2. Bring Me Back (3:04)
3. She's The One (3:30)
4. Nothing To Hide (2:37)
5. Where There's A Will There's A Way (4:06)
6. I Gotta Woman (2:43)
7. Counting The Cars (2:52)
8. We're Going Over (4:58)
9. Mackerels And Fishes (2:53)
10. Defender Of The Faith (4:12)
11. Hey Lady (3:01)
12. Sing It Simple (2:57)
13. The Forest Of Dean (4:27)
14. A Northern Lament (3:48)
15. Jerusalem (3:19)
16. I Hear You're Going Somewhere (Joe Really) (2:27)
17. Burn The Bridges (4:04)

Artwork Included

BEGGARS HILL 1976

2011-08-13T13:19:00.001+02:00

With only 500 pressed, original 1976 vinyl copies of the sole album by unsung Surrey-based folk-rock foundlings Beggars’ Hill are failsafe wallet-lighteners these days, fetching anything up to £250 – ie, £247.40 more than the initial asking price. Had the album contained any original compositions you could arguably double its true value.

Beggars’ Hill – gimlet-eyed sleuths will notice a wandering apostrophe on the CD spine and on the disc itself – were a young, open-ended collective who specialised in diligent, dignified rearrangements of worthy folk fare, whether drawn from traditional sources (Jack Hall, Here’s To The Last To Die) or from then-contemporaries (New St George and Poor Ditching Boy by Richard Thompson; If You’d Been There by Bridget St John). In the main, their poised and painstaking approach works a treat – notably so in their commendably gentle, lyrical interpretation of the Robin and Barry Dransfield arrangement of The Wild Rover. Folk-ophobes may admittedly find all of their prejudices confirmed – everything is sung straight down the nose, with a palpable sense of real ale retention, finger-in-ear earnestness and beard/jumper interdependency – but just as strong is the sense of warm, familial, humanistic conviviality which any decent folk club provides.

Reviewed by Marco Rossi

Tracks :

1 New St. George
2 Cannily, Cannily
3 Jack Hill
4 Here's to the Last to Die
5 Let It Be Me
6 Who Knows Where the Time Goes
7 When Will I Be Loved
8 Sailor Home From The Sea
9 If You'd Been There
10 Poor Ditching Boy
11 Wild Rover

Artwork

Artwork Included

LYNYRD SKYNYRD - SECOND HELPING 1974

2011-08-13T12:53:00.001+02:00

Lynyrd Skynyrd wrote the book on Southern rock with their first album, so it only made sense that they followed it for their second album, aptly titled Second Helping. Sticking with producer Al Kooper (who, after all, discovered them), the group turned out a record that replicated all the strengths of the original, but was a little tighter and a little more professional. It also revealed that the band, under the direction of songwriter Ronnie Van Zant, was developing a truly original voice. Of course, the band had already developed their own musical voice, but it was enhanced considerably by Van Zant's writing, which was at turns plainly poetic, surprisingly clever, and always revealing. Though Second Helping isn't as hard a rock record as Pronounced, it's the songs that make the record. "Sweet Home Alabama" became ubiquitous, yet it's rivaled by such terrific songs as the snide, punkish "Workin' for MCA," the Southern groove of "Don't Ask Me No Questions," the affecting "The Ballad of Curtis Loew," and "The Needle and the Spoon," a drug tale as affecting as their rival Neil Young's "Needle and the Damage Done," but much harder rocking. This is the part of Skynyrd that most people forget -- they were a great band, but they were indelible because that was married to great writing. And nowhere was that more evident than on Second Helping.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine, allmusic com

Tracks :

01. Sweet Home Alabama
02. I Need You
03. Don't Ask Me No Questions
04. Workin' For MCA
05. The Ballad Of Curtis Loew
06. Swamp Music
07. The Needle And The Spoon
08. Call Me The Breeze

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Artwork Included

RENAISSANCE - SCHEHERAZADE AND OTHER STORIES 1975

2011-06-21T13:44:00.000+02:00

Is a 1975 album by progressive rock band Renaissance. It has often been considered their overall best album. This album marked the first time that Renaissance (Annie Haslam’s version) did not use quotes from actual classical pieces in their songs. Song of Scheherazade is based on Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, including numerous recurring motifs that are from or allude to the work, most notably the beginning six notes.

Information about the album:
There has been some confusion over just where the sections of Song of Scheherazade begin and end. This was caused by the fact that ”Fanfare” and ”The Betrayal” together sound like a single section, while ”Festival Preparations” has two distinct parts of its own (4:00 and 1:11 in length). This confusion was reflected in the packaging and labels of original LP copies of this album, and in the mistitling of ”Festival Preparations” (part 1) as ”The Young Prince and Princess” on the 1990 Tales Of 1001 Nights, Volume I compilation.

Also, as has been admitted by the administrators of the official Renaissance site, Northern Lights, it is difficult to assign exact composing credits to the individual sections since the composers clearly borrowed themes from each other. For example, based on the official credits (which differ slightly between the actual album package and the official Renaissance site), a particular melodic phrase ends up being attributed to both Dunford (”The Sultan”) and Tout (”Fugue for the Sultan”); and lyricist Betty Thatcher is, for some reason, not credited for her lyrics on ”Finale” (which are repeated from ”The Sultan”).

Trip to the Fair was about Annie Haslam’s first date with Roy Wood.
Ocean Gypsy has since been covered by Blackmore’s Night.

http://www.last.fm/music/Renaissance/Scheherazade+and+other+stories/+wiki

Track listing:

1. “Trip to the Fair” (Dunford-Thatcher-Tout) - 10:51
2. “The Vultures Fly High” (Dunford-Thatcher) - 3:04
3. “Ocean Gypsy” (Dunford-Thatcher) - 7:05
4. “Song of Scheherazade” (Camp-Dunford-Thatcher-Tout) - 24:39
1. i. Fanfare - :38 (instrumental)
2. ii. The Betrayal - 2:05 (instrumental)
3. iii. The Sultan - 4:45
4. iv. Love Theme - 2:42 (instrumental)
5. v. The Young Prince and Princess as told by Scheherazade - 2:29
6. vi. Festival Preparations - 5:11 (instrumental)
7. vii. Fugue for the Sultan - 2:10 (instrumental)
8. viii. The Festival - 2:10
9. ix. Finale - 2:29

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Artwork Included

CHRIS FARLOWE - THE ART OF CHRIS FARLOWE 1966

2011-05-17T09:10:00.001+02:00

Chris Farlowe's second Immediate Records LP (and his second album of 1966) was probably generated more by Andrew Oldham's need for ready cash than any real need for a second long-player -- he'd had a number one hit with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards' "Out of Time" and an accompanying LP was the way to go; luckily, he had the pipes and the inspiration to pull it off. He roars out of the starting gate with a sizzling rendition of "What Becomes of the Broken-Hearted" and "We're Doing Fine," but then Oldham had him look in-house for a song, "Life Is but Nothing" by Skinner and Rose (aka Twice as Much) (which isn't nearly as strong as their "You're so Good to Me," also here), and threw on two too many additional Jagger/Richards songs, in the violin-laden "Paint It Black" and the lightweight "Yesterday's Papers" ("I'm Free," by contrast, does work), interspersed with the harder "Open the Door to Your Heart," "It Was Easier to Hurt Her," "I've Been Loving You Too Long," and "Reach Out I'll Be There," and even the Farlowe co-authored "Cuttin' In." Except for the two weaker Jagger/Richards covers (we'll forgive "Out of Time," as it sort of had to be here) and the one Skinner/Rose miscalculation, this is as strong a soul album as Farlowe's debut, and only somewhat diluted from that perfection, at the weak points. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi

Tracks :

Side 1

"What Becomes of the Broken Hearted" (James Dean, Paul Riser, William Weatherspoon) -2:40
"We're Doing Fine" (Horace Ott) -2:38
"Life is But Nothing" (Andrew Rose, Donald Ross Skinner) -4:06
"Paint It, Black" (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards) -3:01
"Cuttin' In" (Johnny Watson) -2:59
"Open the Door to Your Heart" (Darrell Banks) -2:34
"Out of Time" (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards)

Side 2

"North South East West" (Chris Farlowe)
"You're So Good For Me" (William Bell, Andrew Loog Oldham, Andrew Rose, Donald Ross Skinner) -2:15
"It Was Easier to Hurt Her" (Jerry Ragovoy, Bert Russell) -3:45
"I'm Free" (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards) -2:23
"I've Been Loving You Too Long" (Jerry Butler, Otis Redding) -3:00
"Reach Out (I'll Be There)" (Lamont Dozier, Eddie Holland) -3:15
"Ride On, Baby" (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards) -2:55

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Artwork Included

TONY JOE WHITE - TONY JOE 1970

2011-05-12T13:48:00.000+02:00

Tony Joe White has accomplished much in the years since he emerged from his home in Louisiana’s swamp country and the hardscrabble circuit of Texas honky-tonks. His music is part of America’s soundtrack – sparse and elegant, filled with shadows, sadness and beauty. Nobody else writes songs like these – songs that evoke both the mysteries of the place were he was raised and the spirits that haunt us all in our most private, lonely moments.

Nobody sings them like White either. That dark baritone, scarred and sweet, brings these songs to life like none other. Even so, others have memorably interpreted his songs, from Brook Benton’s unforgettable take on “Rainy Night in Georgia” in 1970 to Tina Turner’s intensely soulful rendition of “Steamy Windows.” Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, Roy Orbison, Dusty Springfield, Etta James – iconic artists in their own right have honored “the Swamp Fox” by cutting his tunes. Others have joined White, with Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Michael McDonald, Waylon Jennings, Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams and Shelby Lynne among those who have paid tribute as guests on recent, theme-oriented projects such as The Heroines and Uncovered.

But with The Shine, released September 28 on White’s Swamp Records imprint, this long road circles and comes back toward where it began. Before exploding onto the Top 10 with “Polk Salad Annie” in 1969, before beginning his ongoing commitment to perform regularly for fans in markets as distant as Europe and Australia, White built his vision on a bedrock of blues, backwoods country, and sounds too much his own to categorize. This foundation is simple yet seductive and strong: Within its fabric of raw guitar, hypnotic rhythm and spellbinding lyrical imagery, White’s soul pulls from its roots and reasserts itself with deep conviction.

There are no all-star cameos on The Shine – only White on guitar, harmonica and vocals, bassist George Hawkins, drummer “Swamp Man” Jack Bruno, Tyson Rogers on keyboards, John Catchings on cello, and a selection of songs that had sprouted in White’s imagination over the previous few months. “They just started stacking up on me and my wife Leann over the wintertime,” White says. “They hit me every day and every night. When I’d go to bed, they were going through my mind. It was really cool stuff, and I was like, ‘Man, I’ve got to put these down, just to see what they sound like.’”

Each one told a different story, but taken together they seemed to call White back to the well that had first nourished him. From the feverish, dreamlike images that course through “Season Man” to the heartbreak that colors the romantic nostalgia of “All,” these tracks live on their own yet exist together as memories and premonitions of a single story.

“They’re all about truth and life and daily or nightly happenings,” White says. “They all came to me, the guitar parts and the words, maybe at a campfire down by the river with a few cold beers. I’ll sit there, strum a little bit, and all of a sudden a lick will come – except for the ones I wrote with Leann. She’s a real word person, so she’ll say ‘what do you think about this,’ and all of a sudden a little light goes off in my head, a guitar chord will pop up and here we go.”

“Paintings on a Mountain” is one example of this collaboration between Tony Joe and Leann White. “We have a place up in Taos, New Mexico,” he says. “Our house sits on land that backs up to an Indian village. It’s a magic spot. In the late afternoon, the sun makes so many paintings on the mountainside; they change as the sun moves on. A lot of that was written by Leann.”

The guiding principle for The Shine can be heard in one of its details, from “Tell Me Why,” which preaches “it’s all about the song, keeping it simple. Got to have passion. Got to have soul.” That was the mission when White and his musicians began cutting these tracks in the living room of his home south of Nashville. Beneath high ceilings, on original hardwood floors in a building old enough to have been used as a battlefield hospital during the Civil War, they played with minimal direction, trusting in the moment as they brought these songs to life. “Sometimes I would say ‘simplify,’ but that’s all,” White remembers. “It was almost like I was a bystander. I had this weird feeling of looking at everybody as we played, watching the song happen without really trying very hard to make it happen.”

Most songs were captured in one take. The emotions and connections were so strong that even without any rehearsal, with only the barest indication of which chord followed the next, each one seemed to draw deeper from somewhere within White. He sensed this himself, sometimes not even singing where he was supposed to because the music they were laying down was so compelling. “All of a sudden I’d remember, ‘Hey, you should have been singing right there,’” White says, chuckling. “So I’d go back later and punch it in. But we were all very aware that something was happening in the air between us. Maybe there were some spirits walking about.”

They roamed especially free on the one track where White recorded solo, “Roll Train Roll.” “I think that one was a matter of being taken back,” he reflects. “That’s what made it sound like I was going back to listening to Lightnin’ Hopkins, when I lived on the Boeuf River in Goodwill, Louisiana, first learning the guitar. That’s the kind of stuff I’d play out on the porch at night.”

One doesn’t have to have been a Tony Joe White fan to appreciate that there is something elusive and hard to define in this music. But these depths surface in The Shine. More than a return to an artist’s seminal references, this project seeks the seed from which his work took form. White finds it on The Shine; from here, all that he produced before and all that will follow come into a revealing and enduring light.

Tracks :

01 - Tony Joe White - Stud Spider
02 - Tony Joe White - High Sheriff of Calhoun Parrish
03 - Tony Joe White - Widow Wimberly
04 - Tony Joe White - Groupy Girl
05 - Tony Joe White - Conjure Woman
06 - Tony Joe White - Save Your Sugar For Me
07 - Tony Joe White - Hard To Handle
08 - Tony Joe White - What Does It Take
09 - Tony Joe White - My Friend
10 - Tony Joe White - Stockholm Blues
11 - Tony Joe White - Boom Boom

12 - Tony Joe White - I protest

Artwork Included

BRUCE COCKBURN 1969

2011-05-08T11:47:00.000+02:00

Bruce Cockburn (prounced Co-burn) got started in 1969 when Neil Young canceled his headliner slot at Canada's Mariposa Folk Festival to appear at Woodstock. His knotty, fascinating blend of folk, jazz, and rock, blending progressive and Christian themes, quickly gained a following in Canada, and he had hits stateside with "Wondering Where the Lions Are," "If I Had a Rocket Launcher," and "Waiting for a Miracle." The diverse list of artists who've recorded Coburn's songs also includes Barenaked Ladies ("Lovers in a Dangerous Time"), Jimmy Buffett (no fewer than four times), the Jerry Garcia Band, and Ani DiFranco. Cockburn's work since the 1980s has been staunchly political and, in recent years, globally oriented in its musical approach.

Tracks :

1 Going to the Country (3:15)
2 Thoughts on a Rainy Afternoon (3:48)
3 Together Alone (2:50)
4 The Bicycle Trip (4:11)
5 The Thirteenth Mountain (4:48)
6 Musical Friends (2:58)
7 Change Your Mind (2:26)
8 Man of a Thousand Faces (5:42)
9 Spring Song (5:02)
10 Keep it Open (1:51)

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Artwork Included

CAROLE KING - TAPESTRY 1971

2011-04-27T22:51:00.000+02:00

Carole King brought the fledgling singer/songwriter phenomenon to the masses withTapestry, one of the most successful albums in pop music history. A remarkably expressive and intimate record, it's a work of consummate craftsmanship. Always a superior pop composer, King reaches even greater heights as a performer; new songs like the hits "It's Too Late" and "I Feel the Earth Move" rank solidly with past glories, while songs like "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow," and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" take on added resonance when delivered in her own warm, compelling voice. With its reliance on pianos and gentle drumming, Tapestry is a light and airy work on its surface, occasionally skirting the boundaries of jazz, but it's also an intensely emotional record, the songs confessional and direct; in its time it connected with listeners like few records before it, and it remains an illuminating experience decades later.

Tracks :

1.I Feel The Earth Move

2.So Far Away

3.It's Too Late

4.Home Again

5.Beautiful

6.Way Over Yonder

7.You've Got A Friend

8.Where You Lead

9.Will You Love Me Tomorrow

10.Smackwater Jack

11.Tapestry

12.You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman

Artwork Included

ANDREAS VOLLENWEIDER - BEHIND THE GARDEN - BEHIND THE WALL - UNDER THE TREE 1981

2011-04-08T18:44:00.000+02:00

Behind the Gardens is a studio album by New Age artist Andreas Vollenweider, released in 1981. It is almost entirely instrumental, and centers around Vollenweider on harp.

While not literally Vollenweider's first album, "Behind the Gardens" is widely regarded as such because it was his breakthrough album, gaining him wide recognition. The earlier and more obscure "Eine Art Suite in XIII Teilen" (An Art Suite in 13 Parts), 1979, remains available chiefly online, while "Behind the Gardens" can still be readily found in music stores worldwide.

The contemplative and moving second track, "Pyramid," is a favorite of fans and has become a concert staple, always garnering applause when the first harp notes are played.

While the album originally stood on its own, in 1990 it and the two following albums (Caverna Magica and White Winds) were re-released as a two-CD set entitled "Trilogy," suggesting they collectively constituted a single musical entity.

The full titles of the first two albums lend creedance to the suggestion that the three albums are thematically connected. The full title of the first album is "Behind the Gardens-Behind the Wall-Under the Tree..." The ellipsis at the end suggests a continuation. The full title of the next album is "Caverna Magica (...Under the Tree - In the Cave...)" The first ellipsis, followed by the repetition of "Under the Tree" from the first album title, clearly indicates a continuation. The second ellipsis suggests another continuation, which would turn out to be "White Winds (Seeker's Journey)." The last track on the White Winds album is entiled "Trilogy (At The White Magic Gardens) & The White Winds".

The title of the first album "is like giving someone directions: "You will find us behind The Garden, behind The Wall, under The Tree...", Vollenweider is quoted as saying on his official web site, http://www.vollenweider.com.^[1]

The title of the second album apparently indicates a continuation of those directions: Under the tree you'll find a magic cavern. This magic cavern could be a metaphor for the recording site. This is borne out by the rest of the Vollenweider quote: "Recording this album we worked completely cut off from the world, in the cellars of the Sinus Studios in Bern (capital of Vollenweider's native Switzerland), which are more than 300 years old. In the shelter of this creative "womb", it was easy to lose track of time and space."

Sinus "was a small, underground studio," stated an article in the April 2003 edition of Mojo magazine, quoted at http://www.higgs1.demon.co.uk/barritt/mojo.htm. "It was entered by wooden shutters in the pavement above, which gave the impression of entering a crypt."^[2]

Tracks :

1. Behind the Gardens-Behind the Wall-Under the Tree
2. Pyramid-In the Wood-In the Bright Light
3. Micro-Macro
4. Skin and Skin
5. Moonlight, Wrapped Around Us
6. Lion and Sheep
7. Sunday
8. Afternoon
9. Hands and Clouds

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Artwork Included

THE DOOBIE BROTHERS - THE CAPTAIN AND ME 1973

2011-04-08T15:11:00.000+02:00

Taking off on the commercial success of Toulouse Street, the Doobie Brothers’ The Captain and Me propelled the group to superstar status. Having spent an entire year on the charts after its March 1973 release, the band’s third record features one classic tune after another, including the mega-hits “China Grove” and “Long Train Runnin’.”

To many, The Captain and Me remains the feel-good California quintet’s best work.Balanced between Tom Johnston’s harder-rocking contributions and Patrick Simmons’ mellow country-laced ballads, the album satisfies all tastes and displays a stunning array of high harmonies and interlocking rhythms. Laidback yet engaged, the stylistic combination belies the Doobies’ roots as a Northern California bar band that played at afternoon jam sessions for members of the Hell’s Angels and its evolution into a more polished, confident mainstream band on par with fellow peers the Eaglesand the Allman Brothers Band.

Such biker-meets-beach mentality can be heard on the lead-off “Natural Thing,” a midtempo tune that feeds of the tension between the acoustic and electric guitars, and on the skyward title track, which builds in energy as it moves towards a climax. And of course, there’s “China Grove” and “Long Train Runnin’,” each a 70s pop-rock hallmark that conjures the liberating feelings of wind blowing through your hair and three-day weekends. Deceptively simple and thoroughly enjoyable, the Doobies understand that music is supposed to be fun—and that it needs to groove.

--Jeff Dorgay, TONE Audio

Tracks :

1. Natural Thing

2. Long Train Runnin'

3. China Grove

4. Dark Eyed Cajun Woman

5. Clear As The Driven Snow

6. Without You

7. South City Midnight Lady

8. Evil Woman

9. Busted Down Around O'Connelly Corners

10. Ukiah Listen Listen

11. The Captian And Me

Artwork Included

HEDGE & DONNA (aka LOVE ) 1968

2011-04-02T21:13:00.001+02:00

Hedge & Donna is gentle, soulful harmony and musical beauty of the late sixties and early seventies at its best. Their trace however in our days is surprisingly very hard to find despite their outstanding contribution to music.

Their legacy of great albums remains unissued in CD.

Tracks :

A1 Can You Hear Me 3:02
A2 Lace Child 2:10
A3 Sea Gull 3:12
A4 Catch The Wind 2:15
A5 Wings 2:54
B1 I've Got A Long Way To Go 2:47
B2 Long Dark Road 2:58
B3 Midnight (All The Songs Have Been Sung) 2:24
B4 I Want You To Want Me 2:34
B5 Follow 5:00

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Artwork Included

THE RFD - LEAD ME HOME 1971

2011-04-02T19:59:00.001+02:00

I once read that the time when there were the most active bands in the US was 1967, right after the release of Sgt. Peppers. Basically, everyone heard that record and started a band. Literally, everyone. If that's a true statistic or an urban legend I'm not sure, but each month there are more reissues of late '60s "Private Press" records. Amazing unearthed artifacts of raw obscurities and dog-eared jams by bands that never made it out of the basement, let alone their hometowns. The RFD's Lead Me Home is a standout example of a truly sick private press record in the ways it both follows the aesthetic of this phenomenon and also befuddles. Okay, under 500 copies originally released on a private label in 1971? Check. Ridiculous non-self conscious band name (RFD stood for "Russ, Fred and Dan", the founding members of the group)? Check. Tripped-out record cover, low-budget home recording, naive lyrics shouldered in astute-yet-understated mellow acid folk songs? All this checks out, but the RFD was also apparently a Christian rock band? Lead track "He Is Coming" fits the mold perfectly for a sub-categorical d.i.y./post-Byrds/stoned at home jam except for the male/female reverb-touched harmonies about Christ "coming in his golden glory." Oh, yeah, a lady named Debbie adds a lot to the record but somehow she and drummer Larry got left out of the acronym. Despite the possible conflict between the heavily hippie/drugged-out underpinnings of the album and the Christian need to walk a straight and narrow path, there also seems to be a conflict in the songs between God's glory and a deep sense of Vietnam-era alienation. Simply stated tunes like "Why Do I Feel Alone?" and "On the Outside Looking In" don't do a lot to obfuscate this theme. Much like the Tony Caro & John record, another stunning private press item that found wider re-release a few years back, the RFD finds textures and ideas that would have been impossible within the confines of record labels, professional equipment and legitimate studios, even in 1971. There's a sense of passion and excitement that's unique to the homespun world of self-edited, self-informed, self-everything songwriting. Contradictions abound and those confounding moments are some of the best parts.

-Fred Thomas (September 26, 2008)

A really groovy early 70s spiritual folk rock record from RFD – with emotionally resonant male & female vocals – and lightly rollicking backdrop of guitar, bass & drums. There's kind of a mix of east coast and west coast folk rock influences – the harmonies have a Byrdsy quality, but the acoustic guitar playing has the feel of east coast troubadours. Quiet and a little eerie in a way, and an all around enjoyable rarity worth checking out! Titles include "He Is Coming", "Loner", "Why Do I Feel Alone", "Take Time", "It Seems", "Rap It Out" and more. (Limited edition.)

Tracks :

He is Coming
Why Do I Feel Alone
Back Into My Mind
Loner
Lead Me Home
Take Time
No Man is a Mountain
Long Time in the Rain
It Seems
On the Outside Looking In
Rap It Out

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Artwork Included