Rockasteria

Saturday, January 30, 2021

Michael Bloomfield - If You Love These Blues Play'em As You Please (1976 us, legendary electric acoustic traditional blues, 2004 reissue)

On 15 February 1981, the blues guitar legend was found dead from a drugs overdose, slumped in his car in a side street in San Francisco.

During the 1960s, his guitar playing had ignited "live" performances and recordings by Bob Dylan, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band and The Electric Flag, among others. He had also provided much of the focus for the Super Session and Live Adventures projects on which he shared joint headline credit with Al Kooper.

Personal problems, and unease with the formulaic approach that success often demands, dogged many of his later recordings and diminished in many people's eyes the great contribution he had, undoubtedly, made to the electric guitar sound of the 60s.

“If You Love These Blues, Play 'Em As You Please” is a timely reminder of what a consummate musician he was. 22 tracks of this CD were recorded in 1976 and released originally with the same album title on Guitar Player/Takoma 3002. The remaining nine tracks come from the Norman Dayron recorded session featuring Bloomfield with guitarist Woody Harris and were originally released on Kicking Mule KM 164.

The 1976 sides were conceived by Bloomfield as a way of repaying the debt he felt he owed to his musical influences, the many black blues and white hillbilly performers from whom he had learned so much. Consequently, the musical performances range across a breadth of styles and are linked by simple narratives recited by Bloomfield himself. Rather than being something that wears thin with repetition, these link narratives are a rare opportunity to hear the man himself, talking about the music he loved best.

Recorded in a relaxed atmosphere in the dark San Francisco basement studio of David Blossom, the sessions obviously took Bloomfield back to the dark Chicago clubs that he had enjoyed so much in his youth and missed badly in the era of the stadium concert. His singing is warm and unforced and works well with his stunning guitar playing and the laid-back support from such musical friends as singer/guitarist Nick Gravenites, organist Ira Kamin, bassist Doug Kilmer, drummers Tom Donlinger and Dave Neditch plus the occasional added horns of Ron Stallings and Hart McNee.

For the session three years later with Woody Harris, the emphasis shifts from the secular to the sacred. All the tunes are gospel songs and the warm collaboration between the two guitarists is a joy. With the aid of studio overdubbing, Bloomfield plays both electric slide and acoustic guitars on the closing Peace In The Valley and both guitars, piano, organ, bass and drums on The Altar Song. Especially fine is Bloomfield's stinging, distorted electric guitar on Gonna Need Somebody On My Bond and Just A Closer Walk With Thee, both beautifully underpinned by Harris's acoustic guitar chords and picking.

by John Crosby

Tracks

1. If You Love These Blues (Michael Bloomfield) - 1:10

2. Hey, Foreman (Michael Bloomfield) - 2:53

3. Narrative #1 - 0:35

4. Wdia (Michael Bloomfield) - 4:11

5. Narrative #2 - 0:10

6. Death Cell Rounder Blues (Michael Bloomfield) - 3:46

7. Narrative #3 - 0:05

8. City Girl (Michael Bloomfield) - 4:35

9. Narrative #4 - 0:19

10.Kansas City Blues (Jim Jackson) - 3:28

11.Narrative #5 - 0:15

12.Mama Lion (Nick Gravenites) - 4:05

13.Narrative #6 - 0:09

14.Thrift Shop Rag (Michael Bloomfield) - 2:00

15.Narrative #7 - 0:14

16.Death In My Family (Michael Bloomfield) - 4:12

17.East Colorado Blues (Stefan Grossman) - 1:34

18.Blue Ghost Blues (Lonnie Johnson) - 2:18

19.Narrative #8 - 0:24

20.The Train Is Gone (Michael Bloomfield) - 3:23

21.Narrative #9 - 0:06

22.The Altar Song (Traditional) - 2:25

23.I'll Overcome (Traditional) - 4:00

24.I Must See Jesus (Traditional) - 4:38

25.Great Dreams From Heaven (Traditional) - 2:54

26.Gonna Need Somebody On My Bond (Traditional) - 4:23

27.I Am A Pligrim (Traditional) - 2:43

28.Just A Closer Walk With Thee (Traditional) - 3:09

29.Have Thine Own Way (Traditional) - 2:23

30.Farther Along (Traditional) - 2:35

31.Peace In The Valley (Traditional) - 5:03

Personnel

*Michael Bloomfield - Electric, Acoustic, Slide Guitars, Bass, Piano, Vocals

*Doug Kilmer - Bass

*Tom Donlinger - Drums

*Ira Kamin - Organ, Piano

*Eric Kriss - Piano

*Hart McNee - Baritone Saxophone

*Ron Stallings - Tenor Saxophone

*Roger Troy - Bass

*Nick Gravenites - Guitar, Vocals

*David Neditch - Drums

*Woody Harris - Acoustic Guitar

1964 The Original Lost Elektra Sessions
1965 The Paul Butterfield Blues Band
1966 East West
1966 The Butterfield Blues Band - East-West (2014 Hybrid SACD limited adition)
1966-68 Strawberry Jam
1967 Electric Flag - The Trip
1968 Mike Bloomfield, Al Kooper, Steve Stills - The Super Sessions (2014 Hybrid Multichannel SACD 24/88)
1968-69 Electric Flag - An American Music Band / A Long Time Comin'
196?-7? The Electric Flag - Live
1968 Al Kooper, Mike Bloomfield - The Lost Concert Tapes, Filmore East
1969 Mike Bloomfield And Al Kooper - The Live Adventures
1969 Michael Bloomfield with Nick Gravenites And Friends - Live At Bill Graham's Fillmore West
1969 Nick Gravenites - My Labors
1970-71 Big Brother And The Holding Company - Be A Brother / How Hard It Is

1972 Nick Gravenites And Mike Bloomfield - Steel Yard Blues (2015 remaster)
1973 Bloomfield, Hammond, Dr.John - Triumvirate (Japan remaster)
1976 KGB - KGB
1976-77 Michael Bloomfield - Live at the Old Waldorf
1977 Prescription For The Blues

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Friday, January 22, 2021

Siegel Schwall Band - Live The Last Summer (1974 us, fine chicago blues, 2018 reissue )

Siegel–Schwall Band's ninth album, was recorded live in the summer of 1973 at the Brewery in Lansing, Michigan and at the Quiet Knight in Chicago, Illinois. They had a regular Tuesday night spot there. The Quiet Night has been gone for over 30 years now, but the memory lives on in this recording. The Siegel-Schwall Band was an American electric blues band from Chicago, Illinois.

The band was formed in 1964 by Corky Siegel (harmonica and piano) and Jim Schwall (guitar). Corky and Jim met each other when both were music students at Roosevelt University. Corky was originally a saxophonist interested in blues and Jim's background was mostly in country music. They combined these two genres producing a lighter sounding blues.

Tracks

1. Rock Me Baby (B.B. King, Joe Josea) - 5:31

2. You Don't Love Me Like That (Jim Schwall) - 3:47

3. I Won't Hold My Breath (Corky Siegel) - 4:25

4. Sun Is Shining (Jimmy Reed) - 6:13

5. Let's Boogie (Ken Goerres) - 0:08

6. Hey, Billie Jean (Jim Post, Corky Siegel) - 7:29

7. West Coast Blues (Jim Schwall) - 5:28

8. Out-A-Gas? (Corky Siegel) - 7:12

The Siegel Schwall Band

*Corky Siegel - Piano, Harmonica, Vocals

*Jim Schwall - Guitar, Vocals

*Rollo Radford - Bass, Vocals

*Shelly Plotkin - Drums, Percussion

1966-70 The Siegel Schwall Band - The Complete Vanguard Recordings And More (three disc box set)

1971 The Siegel-Schwall Band

1972 Sleepy Hollow
1973 953 West
1974 R.I.P. Siegel-Schwall (Vinyl issue)

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Monday, January 18, 2021

The Outsiders - The Outsiders (1966-67 holland, excellent punkadelic, 2018 japan double disc remaster)

The Amsterdam-based combo were one of the most popular homegrown bands in the Netherlands from 1965 to 1967, and have since become a favorite among historians of the beat music era; Richie Unterberger wrote that The Outsiders "could issue a serious claim for consideration as the finest rock band of the '60s to hail from a non-English-speaking nation," and Richard Mason penned an essay on the group calling them "the most underrated band ever."

The Outsiders were formed in 1964 by Wally Tax (vocals and rhythm guitar), Ronald Splinter (lead guitar), Appie Rammers (bass), and Lendert "Buzz" Busch (drums); the band embraced an eclectic style that made room for R&B, folk-rock, pop, and beat influences, as well as psychedelic accents as the decade wore on. After earning a reputation as a powerful live act (and adding additional guitarist Tom Krabbendam), The Outsiders made their recoding debut in 1965 with "You Mistreat Me" b/w "Sun's Going Down," which was released by the Muziek Express label. Both songs were originals, and The Outsiders were unusual among beat groups of the era in that they never recorded cover tunes.

As the band's reputation as a striking live act grew (their show was frantic enough to get them banned from several major venues), The Outsiders found themselves opening for many leading U.K. beat groups touring the Netherlands, including the Pretty Things and the Rolling Stones, and after releasing a second single for Muziek Express, they signed a deal with Relax Records. After a handful of singles and an EP, they released their first full-length album in 1967, simply called The Outsiders, which featured one side of studio recordings and another taken from live performances. That same year, the single "Summer Is Here" b/w "Teach Me to Forget You" went Top Ten in the Netherlands, and a second album that compiled the group's single sides was issued. In 1968, Tom Krabbendam and Appie Rammers left the group; Frank Beek was recruited to play bass and keyboards, and the band opted not to replace Krabbendam.

The same year, Relax Records was absorbed by Polydor, who released the third Outsiders album, CQ. Named for an amateur radio term meaning "Is anyone listening?," CQ was an ambitious set that combined the band's beat music influences with outré psychedelia and avant-garde sounds that were far ahead of the curve for the era. However, Polydor failed to promote the album properly -- the initial pressing was reportedly a mere 500 copies -- and The Outsiders disbanded in 1969. Ronnie Splinter dropped out of the music business, while Wally Tax and Lendert Busch started a new band, Tax Free. The Outsiders staged a successful reunion tour in 1997, but the group's story came to a permanent close with the death of Wally Tax in 2005.

by Mark Deming

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Story 16 - 6:39

2. Tears Are Falling From My Eyes - 3:36

3. Ain't Gonna Miss You - 2:11

4. I Wish I Could - 4:10

5. Afraid Of The Dark - 3:25

6. Teach Me To Forget You - 3:15

7. Filthy Rich - 2:42

8. I Would Love You - 2:50

9. Don't You Cry - 2:23

10.Won't You Listen - 2:51

11.If You Don't Treat Me Right - 2:13

All songs by Ronnie Splinter, Wally Tax

Disc 2

1. You Mistreat Me - 2:00

2. Sun’s Going Down - 2:41

3. Felt Like I Wanna To Cry - 2:46

4. I Love Her Still, I Always Will - 3:26

5. Thinking About Today - 2:46

6. Lying All The Time - 3:14

7. Keep On Trying - 2:57

8. That’s Your Problem - 2:37

9. Touch - 3:13

10.The Ballad Of John B - 5:58

11.Monkey On Your Back - 3:43

12.What’s Wrong With You - 3:19

13.Summer Is Here - 3:26

14.I’ve Been Loving You So Long - 3:15

15.I’m Only Trying To Prove To Myself That I’m Not Like Everybody Else - 2:32

16 Don’t You Worry About Me - 3:26

17.Bird In A Cage - 3:03

All songs by Ronnie Splinter, Wally Tax

The Outsiders

*Wally Tax - Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica

*Ronnie Splinter - Lead, 12String Guitars, Bass, Vocals

*Appie Rammers - Bass

*Tom Krabbendam - Guitar

*Leendert "Buzz" Busch - Drums

1965-69 The Outsiders - Strange Things Are Happening The Complete Singles

1965-68 The Outsiders - Thinking About Today Their Complete Works (2013 remaster double disc)
1968 The Outsiders - CQ (remaster and expanded)
1967-94 The Outsiders - Singles A's And B's
Related Acts
1967 Wally Tax - Love In (2012 edition)

1970 Tax Free - Tax Free

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Thursday, January 14, 2021

Toe Fat - BBC Sessions (1969-70 uk, splendid hard bluesy rock, 2013 release)

Toe Fat - the improbable teaming of a slick, classy, 60's Soulster and three-quarters of an obscure Psychedelic/Blues outfit from the sticks - are one of those bands who invariably turn up in the middle of one of Pete Frame's Family Trees, the soile raison d'etre for their existence apparently being to act as the link between various seemingly disparate music and and groups. In Toe's case they provide the unlikely point of reference between Uriah Heep and Jethro Tull at one end of the spectrum, Cliff Bennett & the Rebel Rousers somewhere near the center, and the Bee Gees and Chas & Dave at the other. And yet although they were highly regarded, their albums critically well-received, and they'd begun to make a significant commercial impact in the United States, the band was abruptly terminated when their American management pulled the financial rug from under them following a stock flotation.

Consequently, Toe Fat have rather been consigned to the ranks rather more for their album sleeve artwork and the subsequent career paths of their members than for anything they achieved under their own steam. Furthermore, despite their relatively short life-span (although they cut two albums they were together little more than a year) their history is both convoluted and confusing, a 50% turnover in personnel allied to a curious staffing credit on their album sleeves having led to mucho conjecture as to exactly who did actually play in the band. And yet - as this CD readily confirms - with just a little kinder shake of the dice they could so easily have evolved into one of that elite half-dozen or so English bands who carved out spectacularly successful American careers, far outstripping their popularity back home in dear ol' Blighty.

Now, way back in the late sixties, as Rock music got bluesier, heavier, and more self-conscious, a great many working muse's adapted to the changing musical and social climate simply by growing their hair, sprouting bushy sidebeards and droopy moustaches (the full beard was optional), widening their flares, dressing down, and going back to playing much the same stuff they'd been playing five years earlier - but several megawatts louder (and frequently with longer, considerably more self-indulgent solos). And Cliff Bennett was pretty much a case-in-point: following his split with the Rebel Rousers in the Summer of 1968 he grew his barnet, cultivated the regulation mutton-chops, underwent sartorial refit, and duly went Heavy. He recruited Billy J. Kramer's former backing group The Dakotas - by that time down to a trio, comprising former Pirates Mick Green (gtr) & Frank "All By Myself" Farley (drums), together with original member Robin McDonald (bass) - and added a four-piece brass section: billed as the Cliff Bennett Band, they subsequently set about trying to become London's equivalent of Blood, Sweat & Tears.

Bennett surely needs no introduction: but briefly, he'd formed the first line-up of the Rebel Rousers in the West Drayton/Hayes area way back in 1958 - they took their name from Duane Eddy's hit - with a sound, style, and repertoire based firmly on roots R&R. However, during the 60's they had evolved into a powerful R&B-flavoured Soul outfit and become one of the most in-demand bands on the live circuit, far more popular than their meager three entries in the Guinness Book Of Hit Singles would suggest. Bennett and his Rebels eventually parted company in less than wholly amicable circumstances: he wanted to get into rather more contemporary material - specifically, to move in the same direction as Blood, Sweat & Tears - whereas his band preferred to stick to their tried-and-tested good-time formula. Hence the (inevitable) split. The lads stayed together, initially as the Roy Young Band, eventually shedding half their members and evolving into Black Claw. Finally, in 1973, they slimmed down further and became Chas & Dave.

Meanwhile, the Cliff Bennett Band were struggling to get the right balance. The brass section had been jettisoned fairly early on, and then Green and McDonald had quit in March '69 to take rather more lucrative positions in Englebert Humperdink's Las Vegas-based backing band. They were replaced by Ken Hensley (formerly with The Gods) and a bassist no-one quite remembers, but is believed to have been Paul Bass. The multi-talented Hensley had indeed proven to be a real find: although he'd joined simply as a guitarist, he was a powerful frontline singer in his own right, equally adept on both keyboards and guitar, and a songwriter of enormous potential.

This revised line-up had really begun to gel, both live and as a recording unit. They cut one single for Parlophone, "Memphis Street"/"But I'm Wrong" (R5792), but had broken up by the time of its release, grinding to a sudden and rather ignominious halt in June '69 following an accident during the course of which a long-forgotten keyboards player rolled the band's van, which duly burned out. All their gear - which was uninsured, unfortunately - perished with said van, and in the absence of a record or management deal drummer Farley was ultimately forced to quit life on the road in order to take a proper day job. However, Bennett & Hensley elected to stick together and try to form a new band - and eventually, following a couple of false-starts elsewhere, they decided to recruit a pair of the latter's former colleagues, viz: the Gods' rhythm section of John Glasscock (bass) and Lee Kerslake (drums).

The Hensley/Glasscock/Kerslake axis were in fact quite an experienced unit, having (along with guitarist Joe Konas) just cut two albums for EMI - and furthermore, the Gods had a messy, rather convoluted history themselves. They'd originally formed in Hatfield in '65 when Hensley (kbds/voc) and the preciously gifted 17-year old Mick Taylor (gtr) had teamed up with the Glasscock brothers, John & Brian, on bass and drums respectively.

This first line-up lasted a couple of years, but had drifted apart in June '67 when Taylor was lured away to join his hero John Mayall. Hensley - by now based in Hampshire - reformed the band later in the year with new members, who at various junctures included Konas (gtr), bassists Paul Newton (later in Spice and Uriah Heep), Greg Lake (ditto King Crimson, Emerson Lake & Palmer, etc.) & Glasscock, and Kerslake (drums) - but they were never really a stable unit. Nonetheless, in the Summer of '68 they secured a deal with EMI and cut the superb "Genesis" (Columbia SCX 6286), an album which stacks up surprisingly well to this day. However, although a prolific studio band, cutting a trio of singles and a second album "To Samuel A Son" (SCX 6372) - which eventually came out in February '70, many months after they'd ceased trading - the cracks were already showing, and they were destined to break up again within just a few months. Which is roughly where Bennett came in.

In retrospect, it seems clear that the death throes of the Gods and the birth pangs of Toe Fat must have overlapped considerably, as the former were very much an operational recording band - indeed, they were still in the process of cutting their second album - long after Hensley had "left" in March '69 and they'd begun working with Bennett sometime later that Summer. But whatever the circumstances, EMI house producer Jonathan Peel (no, not the deejay) seems to have been the catalyst in their finally getting together, and so eventually, with their new line-up in place - i.e. Bennett (voc/piano), Hensley (gtr/kbds/voc), Glasscock (bass/voc), and Kerslake (drums) - they were up and running.

Having decided on a major realignment in musical direction - based largely on the new bluesier material which Hensley was writing - and realizing that a more "progressive" moniker was required to go with their new, heavier style, someone came up with TOE FAT. Bennett seems to recall that he and co-manager John Gunnell dreamed it up over dinner one night (apparently, it was the most disgusting name they could think of!) Initially, their live appearances were rather low-key affairs as Bennett's identity was still being kept pretty much under wraps: however, they set out on the UK colleges, pubs and clubs' circuits where they duly broke in their new material, on the back of which they scored an American record deal with Rare Earth, Motown's white/Rock-oriented label.

by Robert M. Corich,

additional information by Roger Dopson

thanks to Cliff Bennett, Frank Farley and Pete Frame

Tracks

1. Born To Be Wild (Mars Bonfire) - 3:23

2. Interview With Cliff Bennett - 1:01

3. Memphis Street (Neil Diamond) - 3:03

4. Im Yours And Im Hers (Johnny Winter) - 2:57

5. That's My Love For You (Cliff Bennett, Frank Allen, M. Roberts) - 3:53

6. Bad Side Of The Moon (Elton John, Bernie Taupin) - 3:28

7. I Done Told You (Jimmy Witherspoon) - 5:01

8. Turns Out Like The Rest (Cliff Bennett, Alan Kendall) - 2:16

9. Idol (Alan Kendall) - 3:26

10.Gone (Cliff Bennett, Alan Kendall) - 3:14

11.Three Times (Alan Kendall, Cliff Bennett) - 4:00

12.Midnight Sun (Alan Kendall, Cliff Bennett) - 3:21

13.A New Way (Alan Kendall, Cliff Bennett) - 9:05

14.We'll Be Travellin On (Alan Kendall, Cliff Bennett) - 6:10

15.I Love Everybody (Johnny Winter) - 4:03

16.There Will Be Changes (Alan Kendall, Cliff Bennett) - 6:40

17.Midnight Sun (Alan Kendall, Cliff Bennett) - 7:37

18.Come On Down To My Boat Baby (A-Side) (Jerry Goldstein, Wes Farrell) - 2:46

19.Garage Man (B-Side) (Ken Hensley) - 2:29

Tracks 1-4 recorded on 23rd July 1969

Tracks 5-8 recorded on 19th February 1970

Tracks 9-10 recorded on 14th April 1970

Tracks 11-13 recorded on 6th October 1970

Tracks 14-17 recorded live in Port Chester, NY on 5th December 1970

Tracks 18-19 as The Gods

Toe Fat

*Ken Hensley - Guitar, Organ, Piano, Vocals

*Cliff Bennett - Lead Vocals, Piano

*Alan Kendall - Guitar (Tracks 5-17)

*Lee Kerslake - Drums, Vocals (Tracks 1-10)

*John Konas - Bass, Vocals (Tracks 5-17)

*Brian Glascock - Drums (Tracks 11-17)

*John Glascock - Bass (Tracks 5-17)

The Gods

*Gregg Lake - Vocals, Bass

*John Konas - Guitar

*Lee Kerslake - Drums

*Ken Hensley - Guitar, Organ, Vocals

1975 Ken Hensley - Eager To Please (2010 bonus track remaster)

1973-74 Carmen - Fandangos In Space / Dancing On A Cold Wind (2006 remaster and expanded)

1975/77 Iggy Pop And James Williamson - Kill City (2010 edition)

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Saturday, January 9, 2021

Dan Penn - Nobody's Fool (1973 us, essential country soul funk, 2016 japan remaster)

Nobody’s Fool was recorded by Penn for Bell Records in 1973, and remained his only solo album for more than two decades. Penn, the co-author of such unquestioned classics as “The Dark End of the Street,” “Do Right Man, Do Right Woman,” “I’m Your Puppet,” and “Cry Like a Baby,” has a soft, reedy drawl of a voice that he deploys to soulful effect on tracks like the opening anthem and title song, “Nobody’s Fool.” The track introduces Mike Utley’s warm keyboards, John Huey’s steel guitar, and the combined Nashville Horns and Strings. (Renowned arranger Bergen White, no slouch in the songwriting department himself, handled the strings and Nashville Horns, while Wayne Jackson and Andrew Love wrote the charts for The Memphis Horns heard on later tracks.)

Though the personnel shifts from track to track, the feel remains consistent as it blends deep soul and country with commercial pop gloss (strings, background vocals, etc.) circa 1973. One could easily hear Elvis Presley singing these songs, though Penn acquits himself well. Alex Chilton, lead singer of The Box Tops and later Big Star, actually did cover the loner’s anthem “Nobody’s Fool” nearly fifteen years later.

“Raining in Memphis,” co-written with Mic Lietz and Penn’s greatest collaborator, Spooner Oldham, has one of the album’s most potent melodies, with a catchy chorus and atmospheric verses. It could also have been a major hit for The King or another blue-eyed soul great like Bill Medley. But Penn’s laid-back growl is appealing on this tuneful slice of R&B, even if the N’awlins brass and varied arrangement threatens to overwhelm the delicacy of the song. The Penn/Oldham team also supplied “Ain’t No Love,” allowing the singer to cut loose with a fiery performance.

“Tearjoint,” a co-write with veteran session keyboardist Donnie Fritts, is pure twangy country-and-western. Penn and Tommy Richards share guitar duties, while Leo LaBlanc adds the requisite steel touch. “I Hate You,” authored by Penn and Leroy Daniels, is similarly in the classic country vein of tears and heartbreak, and features the great session players David Hood and Roger Hawkins on drums and bass, respectively.

The master songwriter obviously thought enough of John Fogerty’s “Lodi” to make it the only cover selection on the album, and his down-home treatment is far-removed from Creedence Clearwater Revival’s swamp-rock original. With Spooner Oldham’s graceful keys as fine support, Penn digs into the lyric with rough-hewn passion. He also brings fire to the closing trilogy of songs, the socially conscious mini-suite of “Prayer for Peace,” “If Love Was Money,” and the spoken-word-over-instrumental “Skin.” The affecting “Peace” is one of the many tracks to feature background vocals by Mary and Ginger Holiday, has a gospel flavor and even a spoken “sermon” from the good Rev. Penn. “If Love Was Money” is another shoulda-been-a-hit track, with its propulsive rhythm, big chorus, and brassy orchestration.

The album finale “Skin” melds a mawkish if heartfelt rumination on race over a grand string composition and what sounds like backwards music. It makes for an unexpected conclusion to a low-key, enjoyable album from the moonlighting songwriter. While Penn’s vocals are sometimes lost in the album’s very-separated stereo mix, his voice as a composer and lyricist always comes through loud and clear.

Analog Spark’s reissue is housed in a single-pocket gatefold digipak, and sound is up to the label’s usual high standards. There are no new liner notes nor are any bonus tracks present. Dan Penn released one other single for Bell Records, “Stony” b/w “Blind Leading the Blind,” which might have made for a nice addition to this fine reissue. (Interestingly, “Nobody’s Fool,” “Prayer for Peace” and “If Love Was Money” were issued on Dunhill’s Happy Tiger subsidiary prior to the Bell album, along with the non-LP track “Buckaroo Bill.”) Nobody’s Fool would be worthy alone for the title track, “Raining in Memphis” and “If Love Was Money,” all of which can stand tall with Penn’s finest compositions. In its entirety, the album is a fascinating lost statement from an underappreciated talent. This under-the-radar reissue is one that connoisseurs of deep soul and lost pop shouldn’t miss.

by Joe Marchese, January 26, 2017

Dan Penn is one of the great songwriters. His work and his life are what legends are made of, and so is this recording. Penn wrote or co-wrote such ’60s classics as “Dark End Of The Street”, “Do Right Woman” and “I’m Your Puppet”; Nobody’s Fool, released in 1972, was his first solo record. His voice and demo recordings had been spoken about with great reverence, and he had written hits, so Bell records might have expected such a record from him. The sad truth was that it wasn’t very successful saleswise and didn’t stay in print very long.

Penn’s 1994 release on Sire Records, Do Right Man, covered the famous bases. It was a reminder and a testament to his talents and ability. That was a fine and necessary work, but Nobody’s Fool is even more interesting because it doesn’t rely on the tried and true. On this record, he stings hard with what he does best and still finds time, by the end, to walk out on the limb a bit.

Penn had a hand in writing all the material here, with the exception of John Fogerty’s “Lodi”. Penn’s reading of the Creedence classic is a natural; his incredibly soulful voice and a great arrangement make this an ideal cover choice. The title track, which opens the disc, is a loner’s anthem that sounds like a standard the first time your hear it. The great country-soul of “I Hate You” is also a stunner, with Penn’s warm voice lamenting in the first degree.

One of the mysteries of this record is why “If Love Was Money” wasn’t a massive hit. At the time this record was released, radio was eating this kind of thing up. A song that catches you big-time from the first note, it’s 3:22 long, which is about right for most great singles, but it’s never enough; it demands to be played again.

A couple of slightly self-indulgent forays in to the social concerns of the day make the end of the record seem a little overblown, but they don’t diminish the high worthiness of this work. This is an essential recording by an essential artist. They just don’t make records like this anymore, and it’s a shame.

No Depression

Tracks

1. Nobody's Fool (Bobby Emmons, Dan Penn) - 2:52

2. Raining In Memphis (Dan Penn, Mic Lietz, Spooner Oldham) - 3:43

3. Tearjoint (Dan Penn, Donnie Fritts) - 2:55

4. Time (Dan Penn) - 2:22

5. Lodi (John Fogerty) - 3:17

6. Ain't No Love (Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham) - 3:36

7. I Hate You (Dan Penn, Leroy Daniels) - 2:26

8. Prayer For Peace (Bill Rennie, Dan Penn, Greg Reding) - 2:45

9. If Love Was Money (Bill Phillips, Dan Penn) - 3:32

10.Skin (Dan Penn) - 2:47

Musicians

*Dan Penn - Vocals, Guitar

*Spooner Oldham - Organ

*Jay Spell - Piano, Keyboards

*David Hood - Bass

*Sammy Creason - Drums

*Bill Phillips - Organ

*Greg Reding - Organ

*Mike Utley - Keyboards,

*Tommy Richard - Guitar

*Charlie Freeman - Guitar

*Jim Johnson - Bass

*Tommy McClure - Bass

*Dulin Lancaster - Drums, Backing Vocals, Horns

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Tuesday, January 5, 2021

White Duck - White Duck (1971 us, awesome swamp country rock, 2014 korean remaster)

A whole herd of various ducks and ducklings nested on the rock scene of the seventies. This one is the debut album of the American band White Duck, which consisted of musicians who accompanied Jimmy Buffett's performances before starting their own band. Lanny Fiel also previously had experience with the Willie And The Red Rubber Band. The first self-titled album was recorded and mixed within two months at Creative Workshop under the direction of Buzz Cason ... A kind of lively psycho-folk-country rock.

Based on the fantasy album cover, to be honest, 'Billy Goat' was nothing like what I expected. Built on a funky little riff and showcasing Kloetzke's rugged, blue-eyed soul vocals, the tune sounded like something a Memphis band like Big Star might have recorded. Icing on the cake came in the form of Lanny Fiel's slide guitar. 'World (Keep On Turnin')' revealed itself as a sweet acoustic ballad. The tune showcased Kloetzke's glistening twelve string guitar and the band's impressive hamronies, with Tabet's percussion adding a subtle Celtic edge.

Opening up with some lovely piano, 'Lonely' caught me totally off guard. In fact, for a second I wondered if I'd mistakenly slapped on a Beatles album. Penned by Kloetzke, the song was a beautiful keyboard powered ballad with vocals that bore an uncanny resemblance to McCartney. It wasn't just the vocals - the entire song seemed to project a Fab Four vibe. Always loved Friedel's melodic bass work on this one. Possibly one of the best Beatles songs they never wrote. What started out as an attractive, but pedestrian pop tune turned out to be one of the album highlights. Of course you had to wait until "Black-Eyed Susan" was half over which is when Lanny and Rick kicked in with their lysergic tinged backwards guitar solos.

Another song that opened up with some attractive Kloetzke piano, 'Really' may have been the album's most original and commercial track. The song had a wonderful melody (with a great bass line) and some gorgeous harmony vocals. The title and the opening sound collage left me thinking this was going to be a throwaway. Instead, this was another slice of McCartney-the-rocker influenced hard rock. Built on a tasty little guitar riff, this one would have made George Harrison proud.

With driving lead guitar and a strong Kloetzke vocal 'No Time' got an A+ in the folk-rock awards. Their backing vocals were truly impressive, making you wish this one had stretched on longer. The rocker 'I Never Wanna Go' found the band returning to a Memphis garage-rock feel. With an insidiously catchy riff, this one as simply awesome and another track that faded out too early.

Until his death in 2009, Lanny Field remain active in music. Friedel returned to Wisconsin. At least for a time he appears to have been the Director of the non-profit Wisconsin School Music Association Inc. The Association focuses on supporting Wisconsin music teachers. Kloetzke had actually started his career as an artist and returned to art after the band called it quits. He's known for portraits of wildlife, Green Bay Packer fans, and World War II aircraft. Tabet relocated to Las Vegas where he played in various Casino house bands for the next 40 years, He died of heart failure in June, 2015.

After the release of the first White Duck album front men/brothers Lanny and Rick Fiel left White Duck. Bassist Mario Friedel, keyboard player Don Kloetzke and drummer Paul Tabet elected to continue the nameplate recruiting a young John Hiatt (then working as a Nashville-based songwriter).

Bad-Cat

Tracks

1. Billy Goat (Don Kloetzke, Rick Fiel, Lanny Fiel) - 4:10

2. World (Keep On Turning) (Don Kloetzke, Lanny Fiel) - 2:43

3. No (Don Kloetzke, Mario Friedel) - 2:47

4. Lonely (Don Kloetzke) - 3:03

5. Black-Eyed Susan (Rick Fiel) - 2:24

6. Really (Lanny Fiel, Paul Tabet, Don Kloetzke, Mario Friedel, Rick Fiel) - 3:53

7. Don`t Mix With Politics (Don Kloetzke, Rick Fiel, Lanny Fiel) - 3:02

8. Anna Belle (Mario Friedel, Paul Wittenburger) - 2:33

9. No Time (Paul Tabet, Lanny Fiel) - 2:36

10.I Never Wanna Go (Lanny Fiel, Don Kloetzke) - 2:21

White Duck

*Lanny Fiel – Guitar, Horn, Vocals

*Rick Fiel – Guitars, Keyboards, Vocals

*Mario Friedel – Bass, Keyboards, Vocals

*Don Kloetzke – Keyboards, Vocals

*Skip Rogers – Vocals

*Paul Tabet – Drums, Vocals

1972 White Duck - In Season (2014 korean remaster)

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Friday, January 1, 2021

Willie And The Red Rubber Band - We're Comin' Up (1969 us, awesome r 'n' b garage psych, original Vinyl)

Texas band, lead by Willie Redden and released two albums in the late 60's. This is their second effort "We're Comin' Up" saw the light of the day in 1969. A really pleasant trip with roots n' roll and blues to psych sunshine pop, influenced by Ray Charles, Muddy Waters, Buddy Holly among the others.

Way down deep roots, bare feet on warm earth - warm spreading, comin' up filling the vessel, gotta come out, come up and sounding like the Blues. Roots down deep in the soil of West Texas, the Blues lives there, is the soil, the warm earth, endless sky. Tapping the roots is all, filling the vessel.

Tracks

1. Show Me (Willie Redden) - 3:04

2. Last Letter From Mary (Charles Addington) - 2:58

3. Deep Eyes Of Darkness (Smith, Rhodes, Willie Redden) - 2:55

4. L.A. T-H-E Man (Willie Redden) - 2:40

5. Try A New Day On (Willie Redden, Glen Ballard) - 2:4?

6. We're Comin' Up (Willie Redden) - 2:50

7. Watch Out Fool Self (Glen Ballard) - 2:47

8. San Luis Way - Back In '38 (Willie Redden) - 3:09

9. Everytime, And I Get Th' Blues (Willie Redden) - 3:28

10.Daddy, I Think I'm Going Blind (Willie Redden) - 2:28

11.Chicky-Chicky Boom Boom (Willie Redden, Charles Addington, Andrews Jr) - 2:10

Willie And The Red Rubber Band

*Willie Redden - Vocal, Guitar

*Glen Ballard - Guitar, Bass

*Charles Addington - Organ, Piano, Cello

*Conley Bradford - Drums

*Lanny Fiel - Guitar

With

*John Buck Wilken - Guitar

*Begie Chruser - Piano

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Monday, December 28, 2020

Saraband - Close To It All (1973 uk, wonderful folk rock, 2018 korean remaster)

Saraband was a short lived folk band from Rochdale (England), released only album in 1973. They started out as The Honeydew releasing one LP in 1970, befor changing their name to Saraband.

Fragile female vocal well mixed with various acoustic instruments and male vocal harmonies.

This is their sole album, one of the first on the tiny independent Folk Heritage label, and, lacking any distribution network, it was only available at gigs or mail order.

Tracks

1. Close To It All (Melanie Safka) - 4:55

2. Winter Song (Frank Harrison, Barbara Yates) - 4:44

3. This Moment (Mike Heron) - 7:14

4. Retrospect (Frank Harrison) - 3:43

5. I'm Your Man (Frank Harrison, Stuart Mawdsley, Barbara Yates) - 3:04

6. Black Jack Davey (Traditional) - 3:35

7. Peace Will Come (Tom Paxton) - 3:03

8. River (Frank Harrison, Barbara Yates) - 8:32

9. Herbie (Frank Harrison, Barbara Yates) - 3:55

10.All The Way To Richmond (Ed Welch, Tom Paxton) - 4:00

Saraband

*Barbara Yates - Vocals, Tambourine, Recorder

*Frank Harrison - Guitar, Vocals, Mandolin

*Stuart Mawdsley - Guitar, Vocals

With

*Dave Titley - Bass, Electric Guitar, Vocals

*Chris Bradley - Drums, Tambourine, Bongos, Cymbal, Mandolin, Bodhrán

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Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Johnny Winter - Johnny Winter And (1970 us, superb hard blues rock, 2018 japan xpanded)

After two late-'60s albums on Columbia, Johnny Winter hit his stride in 1970 working with Rick Derringer and the McCoys, now recruited as his sidemen and collaborators (and proving with just about every note here how far they'd gotten past "Hang on Sloopy"). In place of the bluesy focus on his first two albums, Winter extended himself into more of a rock-oriented mode here, in both his singing and his selection of material.

This was hard rock with a blues edge, and had a certain commercial smoothness lacking in his earlier work. Derringer's presence on guitar and as a songwriter saw to it that Winter's blues virtuosity was balanced by perfectly placed guitar hooks, and the two guitarists complemented each other perfectly throughout as well.

There wasn't a weak moment anywhere on the record, and if Johnny Winter And wasn't a huge commercial success, it was mostly because of the huge amount of competition at the time from other, equally inspired players, that kept numbers like the Winter originals "Prodigal Son" and "Guess I'll Go Away" as well as Derringer co-authored pieces such as "Look Up" from having the impact they should have had on FM radio.

by Bruce Eder

This album contains—surprise!—no blues. It is Rock and Roll at its very best. Good, solid songs—a few of them instant classics. The singing is funky, full of raspy screams, pushing the music towards some sort of ultimate ... edge. The new band consists of three ex-McCoys, a dyed-in-the-wool Rock Band. They still are. And good musicians—especially Rick Derringer, the guitarist-singer who shares the limelight with Johnny Winter.

The soul of the album is the interplay between Johnny Winter and Rick Derringer. On stage, it's easy to see how it works. Derringer plays guitar straight from the groin: solid-snaky rock lines. The root. Winter seems to play guitar in a state of transported ecstasy, like the bare electric skeleton of rock dancing in the mind-juice river. The branch. Winter's guitar-imagination has greater scope than Derringer's. Winter's guitar builds on Derringer's, elaborating, decorating, getting slinky and sliding right out of your brain. All without ever losing the beat, the sexual thread of the music.

Together, they sound like Hendrix playing behind Clapton. In fact, the album will remind you of the best moments of early Hendrix and early Cream. "Am I Really Here" sounds much like Cream's "White Room." The vocal to "Rock and Roll Hoochiekoo" has the same slide-punch inflections as Hendrix's singing. There are more examples of Influences At Work Here, but Winter and Derringer are much too good to be mere imitations. They have learned; they have transcended their influences and come up with something all their own.

Playing in a rock context has improved Winter's playing (if you can believe that possible). He seems more down-to-earth, more believable. You can dance to it. In fact, you'd better.

The material is surprisingly good — especially Derringer's compositions. "Rock and Roll Hoochiekoo" and "Funky Music" are both sturdy good-time rockers, and would make fine singles. Winter's compositions, though intense and moving, tend to lack form. They sometimes, as on "Nothing Left," fall apart in your ear. But what the hell. This is fine stuff, by far the best thing Johnny Winter has done. And that's saying something.

by David Gancher

Tracks

1. Guess I'll Go Away (Johnny Winter) - 3:29

2. Ain't That A Kindness (Mark Klingman) - 3:30

3. No Time To Live (Jim Capaldi, Stevie Winwood) - 4:37

4. Rock And Roll Hoochie Koo (Rick Derringer) - 3:33

5. Am I Here (Randy Zehringer) - 3:25

6. Look Up (Rick Derringer, Robyn Supraner) - 3:35

7. Prodigal Son (Johnny Winter) - 4:18

8. On The Limb (Rick Derringer) - 3:36

9. Let The Music Play (Allan Nicholls, Otis Stephens) - 3:16

10.Nothing Left (Johnny Winter) - 3:31

11.Funky Music (Rick Derringer) - 4:58

12.Guess I'll Go Away (Live) (Johnny Winter) - 4:42

13.Rock And Roll Hoochie Koo (Live) (Rick Derringer) - 4:57

Bonus Tracks 12-13 Live at The Fillmore East, October 3, 1970

Personnel

*Johnny Winter - Vocals, Guitar

*Rick Derringer - Vocals, Guitar

*Randy Jo Hobbs - Vocals, Bass

*Randy Zehringer - Drums

1969-74 Johnny Winter - Original Album Classics (2010 editions)

1969 Johnny Winter - The Progressive Blues Experiment (2000 digi pak and 2005 remaster)

1976 Johnny Winter - Captured Live! (2011 japan remaster)

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Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Keef Hartley Band - British Radio Sessions (1969-71 uk, outstanding blues jazz rock, 2013 release)

The history of rock and roll has produced innumerable drummers. A small number of them have become household names, Ringo Starr, Ginger Baker, Charlie Watts,John Bonham. How many though, have been talented and forceful enough to carve out a successful solo career, without the advantage of being in the public eye, via involvement with a big selling group? The answer must be, very few indeed. This article centres on one such drummer and band leader, Keef Hartley. His recorded legacy spans the era's of Merseybeat, R&B, The British blues boom, and prog rock,leaving a host of highly collectable records in his wake. Additionally, he's contributed his considerable talent to genres as diverse as folk, Jazz, Kraut-rock and one of the biggest selling albums of the 1970's.

To find the start of Keef's career, we must go back to his home town of Preston in Lancashire and the year 1962. At this time Keef was playing with a highly regarded local outfit, "The Thunderbeats". Whilst this name will be unfamiliar to most readers, it is worth a brief mention if only for the fact, that this group would be the starting point for other collectable artists of the next decade. Examples of these include David John and The Mood, Little Free Rock and Thundermother (who were to perform on one side of the extremely rare "Astral Navigations" L.P. released by Holyground in 1971). The Thunderbeats were to perform regularly around the NorthWest, even supporting The Beatles at Morecambe, however Keef was about to make his first move.

When a Liverpool promoter and club owner discovered Keef was keen to turn professional, he offered him the chance to join Rory Storm and the Hurricanes as permanent replacement for Ringo Starr. Keef didn't view his new band too highly, having seen them countless times on the same gig circuit. "Nah, I didn't rate 'em much. I always thought Rory was a bit of a prat, but I couldn't turn down the chance to earn a tenner a week, which was a small fortune in those days". So, Keef became a full time Hurricane, wearing Ringo's old luminous pink stage suit and playing gigs up and down the country. The group recorded only a handful of tracks during their six year existence, and Keef's part in them has never been properly documented before.

However he clearly remembers the day, when John Schroeder from Oriole records came to record the group in the Rialto Ballroom. "I was surprised to read in a back issue of Record Collector (Rory Storm feature, issue 99) that Brian Johnson played on the session, because that was certainly me. It was done very quickly as I remember. We came up did our set, and that was it, time for the next band." These recordings were to appear on the Oriole compilation "This is Merseybeat", and the track "Dr Feelgood",was lifted to become the first single by the group.

Keef's friendship with the producer Mike Vernon enabled him to play on many more great albums, some of which are highly sought after today. Joining friends such as Eric Clapton, Tony McPhee, Peter Green, Mick Taylor and John Mayall, he played on countless sessions for visiting American bluesmen, such as Champion Jack Dupree and Jimmy Witherspoon. This informal group of friends were to also feature (frequently uncredited for contractual reasons) on many other L.P's that Mike Vernon produced for Decca and later Blue Horizon.

The first tentative steps to a solo career were made following a call from Marshall Chess ( owner of Chess Records )to Mike Vernon and Neil Slavern. As Neil remembers, "Marshall was keen for Chess to keep pace with the move from straightforward R&B to a more progressive sort of blues. He'd heard the stuff Mike had produced and was looking for something similar. Keef quickly put a band together consisting of himself, Gary Thain, Paul Rogers and Paul Kossoff. They went into the studio and finished about 3 tracks. These were sent over to the States but nothing came of it."

Keef was keen to push on, and he began auditioning friends and newcomers for the new outfit. The nucleus of this was to be Peter (Dino) Dines on keyboards, Spit James (better known as Ian Cruickshank) on guitar, Gary Thain on bass, Keef on drums and Owen Finnegan on vocals. Things were beginning to gel. The Keef Hartley Band began to gig regularly and their Chicago based blues rock was getting a good audience response.

Of the original band members, Gary Thain went on to join Uriah Heep, but suffered an electric shock on stage from which he never fully recovered. Unable to continue with the band, he became addicted to heroin and died of an overdose at the untimely age of 27.

Peter 'Dino' Dines and Miller Anderson both joined Marc Bolan's backing group, which lasted until Marc himself died tragically in a car crash just before his 30th birthday. Dino then went on to work with Bolan tribute band T Rextasy before he died of a heart attack in 2004 aged 59.

Keef Hartley carried on playing, leading bands and doing sessions, but eventually found himself in constant physical pain from the drumming – a similar fate has befallen Ginger Baker – and had to wear a neck brace. He went into retirement from music in the 80's, working as a cabinet maker, and died of complications arising from surgery, aged 67, in 2011.

Miller Anderson has soldiered on to play a part in The Miller Anderson Band, Hemlock, Savoy Brown, Blood Sweat and Tears, Dog Soldier, T Rex, The Dukes, Stan Webb's Speedway, Chicken Shack, Mountain, and The Spencer Davis group, to name but a few. In July 2016 he released a new album of 12 original tracks called “Through The Mill” and doesn't show any signs of slowing down yet. Long may he run.
by Stevie King