Frank Zappa & The Mothers - Over-Nite Sensation 1973

Love it or hate it, Over-Nite Sensation was a watershed album for Frank Zappa, the point where his post-'60s aesthetic was truly established; it became his second gold album, and most of these songs became staples of his live shows for years to come. Whereas the Flo and Eddie years were dominated by rambling, off-color comedy routines, Over-Nite Sensation tightened up the song structures and tucked sexual and social humor into melodic, technically accomplished heavy guitar rock with jazzy chord changes and funky rhythms; meanwhile, Zappa's growling new post-accident voice takes over the storytelling. While the music is some of Zappa's most accessible, the apparent callousness and/or stunning sexual explicitness of "Camarillo Brillo," "Dirty Love," and especially "Dinah-Moe Humm" leave him on shaky aesthetic ground. Zappa often protested that the charges of misogyny leveled at such material missed out on the implicit satire of male stupidity, and also confirmed intellectuals' self-conscious reticence about indulging in dumb fun; however, the glee in his voice as he spins his adolescent fantasies can undermine his point. Indeed, that enjoyment, also evident in the silly wordplay, suggests that Zappa is throwing his juvenile crassness in the face of critical expectation, asserting his right to follow his muse even if it leads him into blatant stupidity (ironic or otherwise). One can read this motif into the absurd shaggy-dog story of a dental floss rancher in "Montana," the album's indisputable highlight, which features amazing, uncredited vocal backing from Tina Turner and the Ikettes. As with much of Zappa's best '70s and '80s material, Over-Nite Sensation could be perceived as ideologically problematic (if you haven't got the constitution for FZ's humor), but musically, it's terrific. AMG.

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Eric Burdon and War - The Black-Man's Burdon 1970

Eric Burdon's second and final album with War, Black-Man's Burdon was a double set that could have benefited from a bit of judicious editing. Composed mostly of sprawling psychedelic funk jams, it finds War mapping out much of the jazz/Latin/soul grooves that would shortly bring them success on their own. Highlights include the soulful vamps "Pretty Colors" and "They Can't Take Away Our Music"; the 13-minute "Paint It Black" medley reflects the height of their eccentricity, and there isn't one, but two covers of "Nights in White Satin." AMG.

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Linda Lewis - Lark 1972

The best of Linda Lewis' early-'70s output, Lark was cut before she broke into public gaze via her cameo performance on David Bowie's Aladdin Sane, and thus provided a point of reference for anyone induced to find out more about her. Built, again, around her instinctive musical (and personal) partnership with guitarist Jim Cregan, Lark is nevertheless light years ahead of her debut album, showcasing Lewis alongside a hard-hitting rhythm section that would, just a year or so later, be providing similar duties for John Cale, bassist Pat Donaldson, and drummer Gerry Conway. Only the absence of Say No More guitarist Chris Spedding spoils the party, but Cregan is equal to the task. The biggest difference between this album and its predecessor is in the presentation of Lewis' voice. No longer a wild weapon that can soar from childlike lilt to screaming dog whistle without a moment's notice, she channels her range to the emotions it demands, an economy most noticeable on the folky "It's the Frame," which finds her accompanied by her own guitar alone. Produced by Cregan and Lewis, Lark also finds space for some dramatic experimentation -- opening and closing the album, the gentle "Spring Song" and the poetic "Little Indians" find her working against a landscape of Emile Latimer's dramatic percussion (and muted guitars), with the latter recorded live at Croydon's legendary Fairfield Hall, in front of an audience that is clearly spellbound by the event. Also of note is the keys-heavy title track, a studio tour de force, conjuring up atmospheres as free and easy as Lewis' vocal gymnastics. The end result is an album that, even today, defines Lewis at her dramatic best -- and sounds as fresh to modern ears as it did to Bowie fans back then.

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Julius Victor - From The Nest 1969

A short-lived band from New York was obviously heavily influenced by the "Iron Butterfly". Their album with very eye-catching body and original material written by Lawrence "Zea" Engstrom (drums) using Kimball Lee (organ), produced by the famous jazz musician Ahmad Jamal.

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Jonathan Kelly's Outside - ...Waiting On You 1974

In 1973, he formed Jonathan Kelly’s Outside, with Snowy White - on guitar and Chas Jenkel - on bass among the members. Snowy White went on to play with Pink Floyd, Peter Green, Thin Lizzy, and Chas Jenkel and was central to the wonderful British funk of Ian Dury and the Blockheads. Led by Ledingham, this line-up made one album together, which was 1974’s ...Waiting On You.

"Waiting On You" was something Jonathan had always wanted, at heart he was always a bit of a Rock and roller.  This album cover was designed by Tim Staffell. However, this album wasn't as warmly received and Jonathan was hurt by some of the criticism of it, the music press wanted him pigeonholed as a folk singer. A single was also released to coincide with this album called 'Outside' backed with 'Waiting on You'. Jonathan was particularly fond of Outside because it encompassed the musicians and styles which he enjoyed and which had influenced him and the type of music they played covered rock through to jazz and not forgetting the soul influences! Thanks to Rckasteria.

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The Baker Gurvitz Army - The Baker Gurvitz Army 1974

Ginger Baker's mid-'70s profile took another unexpected turn following Cream's blues-rock blood and thunder and his Afro-beat matchups with Fela Kuti. He formed this straight-ahead power trio with the guitar- and bass-playing brother team of Adrian and Paul Gurvitz, who'd briefly lit up the '60s U.K. charts as Gun (of "Race With the Devil" fame). Such a step might have seemed subversively normal for Baker, but he and the brothers had an undeniable chemistry; not surprisingly, their debut album is a self-assured, aggressive affair. "Help Me" and "I Wanna Live Again" are punchy and succinct; so are the hard-driving instrumentals "Love Is" and its funkier cousin, "Phil 4." The band leavens their hard-hitting delivery with subtle orchestration and piano; the latter instrument works to haunting effect on the introspective "Memory Lane." There's some engaging humor, too; "Mad Jack"'s lyrics about a reckless outback race are silly, but kitschy fun. The only real clinker is "Since Beginning," which is bogged down from self-consciously "meaningful" lyrics and meandering delivery; its eight minutes could have benefited from judicious pruning. Naturally, no Ginger Baker album could pass without some drum solos, but they're tastefully done. He's very much a team player here, in contrast to infamous stick-bashing marathons like "Toad." That said, this album's a strong, decisive statement, and if hard rock's what you crave, you won't be disappointed. AMG.

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High Tide - Sea Shanties 1969

 

With the Misunderstood, Tony Hill co-wrote epochal psych-rock anthems like "Children of the Sun"; however, while High Tide's sound has roots in the peace-and-love era, the band was also in tune with the post-psychedelic comedown at the decade's darker end. On Sea Shanties, there's nothing fey and flowery in Hill's bleak lyrics or his doomy Jim Morrison-like delivery, and psychedelia's melodic whimsy is supplanted by a physicality more in line with the visceral heft of metal progenitors such as Cream, Blue Cheer, and the Jeff Beck Group. Hill's grinding riffage and searing, effects-laden guitar pyrotechnics combine with the punishing rhythms of drummer Roger Hadden and bassist Pete Pavli to forge some of the heavier sounds to emerge from Britain in 1969: tracks like "Futilist's Lament" are matched only by Led Zeppelin for sheer weight. High Tide wasn't a power trio, though, and it was the interplay of Hill's guitar with Simon House's violin that created the band's unique signature. Showing that rock violin needn't be a marginal adornment, House whips up an aggressive edge that rivals the guitar: on the nine-minute "Death Warmed Up," House refuses to play second fiddle and matches Hill's scorching assault all the way, while on the album's other epic, "Missing Out," the violin generates a trance-inducing Eastern groove. High Tide had the muscularity of a no-nonsense proto-metal band, but they also ventured into prog territory with changing time signatures and tempos, soft-hard dynamics, multi-part arrangements, and even some ornate faux-Baroque interludes. Indeed, "Pushed, but Not Forgotten" and "Walking Down Their Outlook" share common ground with King Crimson (especially Crimson's mid-'70s work with violinist David Cross). Far from the collection of nautical ditties its name suggests, Sea Shanties is an overlooked gem encapsulating the shifting musical currents in late-'60s British rock. AMG.

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Chick Corea - Return To Forever 1972

The legendary first lineup of Chick Corea's fusion band Return to Forever debuted on this classic album (titled after the group but credited to Corea), featuring Joe Farrell on soprano sax and flute, the Brazilian team of vocalist Flora Purim and drummer/percussionist Airto Moreira, and electric bass whiz Stanley Clarke. It wasn't actually released in the U.S. until 1975, which was why the group's second album, Light as a Feather, initially made the Return to Forever name. Nonetheless, Return to Forever is every bit as classic, using a similar blend of spacy electric-piano fusion and Brazilian and Latin rhythms. It's all very warm, light, and airy, like a soft breeze on a tropical beach -- hardly the sort of firebrand approach to fusion that Miles Davis, Tony Williams, and the Mahavishnu Orchestra were exploring, and far less rooted in funk or rock. Corea also bathes the album in an undertone of trippy mysticism, not only in the (admittedly dated) lyrics, but in his cosmic keyboard wanderings, which remain melodic and accessible through most of the record. There's one genuine pop song in the groovy samba "What Game Shall We Play Today," and while "Sometime Ago" has similar elements, it's part of an ambitious side-long medley that features a stream-of-consciousness intro and a jubilant, Spanish/Mexican-style closing section called "La Fiesta," complete with castanets and flamenco modes. The title track is another multi-sectioned work, featuring Corea and Purim in wordless unison on two different, catchy themes, plus breezy work from Farrell and lots of Brazilian-flavored rhythmic interplay. And the dreamy, meditative "Crystal Silence" is an underrated gem waiting to be rediscovered. Certainly, this edition of Return to Forever wasn't inclined toward high-voltage jazz-rock (as the next one was), but this group's two albums still stand as some of the most imaginative and distinctive early fusion recordings. AMG.

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Mick Greenwood - Living Game 1971

Living Game is the most appealing of Mick Greenwood's '70s trilogy of albums, more focused than 1972's To Friends and much less slick than 1974's Midnight Dreamer. Recorded with members of Fotheringay (drummer Gerry Conway) and Fairport Convention (bassist Dave Pegg), among others, Living Game is a straightforward British folk-rock album with some pop and psychedelic influences. The lilting opener, "Taxi," sounds rather like Kiln House-era Fleetwood Mac (although Lyn Dobson's fluid, mellow flute work adds a not-unappealing hippie-ish edge) and the quite pretty, Indian-accented closer, "Sight," features both the album's best lyrics and strongest melody. Some of what lies between is forgettable post-hippie singer/songwriter stuff, but surprisingly, what could potentially have been the album's worst track, the lengthy centerpiece "After the First World War," is one of its triumphs. Greenwood and lead guitarist Jerry Donahue up their instrumental intensity a few notches here, for a sound that melds folkish grace and heavy electrics in the manner of contemporaneous Fairport Convention, and Greenwood spits out the ironic lyrics in a credible sneer. Living Game isn't a buried treasure or anything, but it has much that would interest a curious fan of British folk-rock. AMG.

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Alan Ross - Are You Free On Saturday 1977

British guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist, died June 2019. Initially in the group Ro Ro with bassist Warwick Rose he soon collaborated with John Entwistle and then formed his own band Ross which recorded two mellow funk-rock albums for RSO, contributed to Tommy (Original Soundtrack Recording), and released two LPs with Stars and another as The Alan Ross Band. He later became a session musician, working with several well-known pop acts until the mid-2000s.

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Gasolin' - Gasolin' 1971

Often referred to as Denmark's answer to the Beatles, Danish rock band Gasolin' is widely regarded as the nation's most popular band to date. Established in 1969 by Kim Larsen, Franz Beckerlee, and Wili Jonsson, Gasolin' started with English-language material such as "Silky Sally," "Child of the Institution," and "Johnny the Jackpot," released in 1970. Lacking the success and acceptance they'd hoped for, the band members began recording music in their native language and experienced an immediate turnaround in their popularity. Released in 1971, the band's self-titled debut was very well received. With subsequent records such as Gasolin' 2 and Gasolin' 3, among others, the band quickly became Denmark's best-selling pop group, dominating national radio and playing Denmark's most important venues. Throughout the '70s, Gasolin' attempted to crack the international market, re-releasing albums in English and playing clubs throughout the U.K. Despite winning an iconic reputation on its home soil, the band's inability to conquer the English-language market caused tension and stress among its members, who ultimately broke up in the early '80s. Frontman Kim Larsen began a successful solo career in 1984 with his debut record, Midt Om Natten, one of Denmark's best-selling albums of all time. Gasolin' collections and compilations began with Supermix in 1980 and have continued all the way up through 2003's Black Box box set and 2009's Masser af Succes. The Gasolin' story was documented in the award-winning film Gasolin'-4-Ever, directed by Anders Ostergaard, whipping up renewed interest in the group's history and music. AMG.

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Brian Short - Anything For A Laugh 1971

Brian Short (1948 – 2014) was an English singer who emerged as the frontman of Black Cat Bones. His solo album, Anything for a Laugh, appeared in 1971 on Transatlantic Records. The 12-song album features 11 originals, including “Blue Tuesday,” “Don’t You Need Me Anymore,” “Emily,” “Wishing Well” and “Winter Comes.” Also included is a cover of the Randy Newman composition “I Think It’s Going to Rain Today.” The album was produced by Mike Finesilver (Love Sculpture, Kingdom Come, Ross, Gonzalez, J.A.L.N. Band). He later wrote songs for Jeff Beck and Hummingbird. 

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Love - Reel to Real 1974

Arthur Lee had every reason to feel disenchanted with his career in 1974, as his harder rock moves on 1970's False Start and his 1972 solo debut Vindicator didn't please critics or fans and his deal with the fledgling Buffalo Records label left him with an unreleased album, Black Beauty, when the company abruptly crashed and burned. Lee had started dipping his toes into material with a stronger R&B edge on Black Beauty, and when RSO Records gave him another chance at a major-label deal, he dove in headfirst: in a Rolling Stone interview, Lee said Reel to Real was his effort to get "as black and funky as I can, man, on my music." If folks hoping for another Da Capo or Forever Changes weren't pleased with False Start or Vindicator, they were simply confused by Reel to Real's funk grooves and banks of horns and keyboards (not to mention a lineup that featured no previous members of Love but Lee). However, while the album has often been written off as a failure, Reel to Real is an album with more than its share of great moments, even if it's inarguably uneven. Lee's vocals are tough but eloquent on these tunes, and though the music is often rooted in deep funk (especially on the percolating "Who Are You" and "With a Little Energy"), blues ("Which Witch is Which"), and vintage R&B ("Stop the Music"), the fierce guitar work from Lee, Melvan Whittington, and John Sterling makes it clear Lee hadn't cut his ties to rock & roll. Psychedelia doesn't really play a part in this music, but the introspective twists of Lee's lyrics confirm he still had plenty to say about the world around him and the universe inside his mind. The closing acoustic version of "Everybody's Gotta Live" (which first appeared on Vindicator) offered a brief glimpse of the sly, thoughtful hippie who had recorded Forever Changes just seven years earlier. Reel to Real plays more like an Arthur Lee solo effort than a Love album (and was blighted with a singularly ugly cover), but it's a good Arthur Lee album, with a tighter focus and a more thoughtful perspective than Vindicator, proving Lee still had a great deal to say even if his audience didn't care to listen. AMG.

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Edward Bear - Bearings 1969

Formed in 1967 around Larry Evoy (drums, vocals), Danny Marks (guitar), and Paul Weldon (organ), Edward Bear was signed to Capitol. "You, Me & Mexico," from their debut album Bearings, hit the Canadian Top Ten in 1970. After their sophomore LP Eclipse, Edward Bear's 1972 single "Last Song" was another hit in the U.S. as well as Canada and sold over one million copies. Marks and Weldon left around this time; they were replaced by Roger Ellis and Bob Kendall, neither of whom stayed more than two years. Along with The Best of the Bear (1984) and The Edward Bear Collection (1991), a self-titled album from 1972 and 1973's Close Your Eyes is also available. AMG.

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Donovan - A Gift From A Flower To A Garden 1967

Rock music's first two-LP box set, A Gift from a Flower to a Garden overcomes its original shortcomings and stands out as a prime artifact of the flower-power era that produced it. The music still seems a bit fey, and overall more spacy than the average Moody Blues album of this era, but the sheer range of subjects and influences make this a surprisingly rewarding work. Essentially two albums were recorded simultaneously in the summer of 1967, the electric tracks include Jack Bruce among the session players. The acoustic tracks represent an attempt by Donovan to get back to his old sound and depart from the heavily electric singles ("Sunshine Superman," etc.) and albums he'd been doing -- it is folkier and bluesier (in an English folk sense) than much of his recent work. AMG.

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