Banana And The Bunch - Mid-Mountain Ranch (1972 us, splendid rural roots 'n' roll blues psych rock, 2015 remaster)

So steadfast was their faith in Jesse Colin Young, Warner Brothers ended up giving the frontman and his Youngblood cohorts the keys to a subsidiary label as the 1960s faded out. Raccoon Records would be best known for releasing Michael Hurley’s second and third LPs—a significant measure that can distort the label’s legacy when having to compare the remainder of the catalog to those now-legendary slabs. At the time, however, Snock fit in just fine with the unknowns that made up Raccoon’s non-Youngblood roster: a coterie of friends, acquaintances, and partners of the band running the show. Better yet, the label offered an opportunity for the non-Jesse members of the band an opportunity to bring their ideas to life. At the tail end of the label’s run guitar-, keys-, and anything else he would pick up-man Lowell Levinger gave it a go, leaving us with the overlooked and splendid Mid-Mountain Ranch. 

We’re offered a greasy affair overall. The tunes are rollicking, delightfully out of key at times, and general front porch pickin’ fare. Appropriately, the record begins with Chuck Berry’s “Back in the USA” and about half of the tunes on the record come from the same vein of classic Americana. Bill Monroe’s “Sittin’ Alone in the Moonlight” (also covered by Raccoon labelmates High Country) makes an appearance. “Ocean of Diamonds” by Cliff Carnahan offers Levinger a chance to show off some pedal steel chops and Hank Williams makes an appearance with the group giving “Honky Tonk Blues” an off-kilter swing. The selections and the general atmosphere of camaraderie is cut from the same cloth as The Band’s early output (though with far less emphasis on the tightness of arrangements and harmonies).

Every so often, however, the fellas get cleaned up and down to business. “Vanderbilt’s Lament” is exactly the sort of paganistic midsummer romp needed to liven up an otherwise comfortable affair. Images of the ensemble set against a massive pyre in the middle of a swamp are conjured up as the rabid hootenanny devolves into the far-more-gentle, though equally haunting “Interlude.” The perfect circular instrumental with its flawless dosage of creepiness is as much indebted to John Fahey as Dr. John. “Familiar Patterns” is credited to bassist Michael Kane, and packs a wallop of heartache into the wide open sparse arrangement. The pedal steel returns and lets the tune drift endlessly through one’s ears all day. Before shutting down the show, Banana delivers the fantastic “Lucas Valley Breakdown”, a Flatt and Scruggs style number on which Levinger plays all instruments involved. The record closes with “The Rights of Man”—and Banana’s finest vocal delivery on the LP. Accompanied only by guitar, Levinger adheres to the whole brevity thing, making his point and shutting things down beautifully.

by James Rooney

Tracks

1. Back In The U.S.A (Chuck Berry) - 2:54

2. My True Life Blues (Lowell Levinger) - 3:48

3. Vanderbilt's Lament (Joe Bauer, Richard Anderson, Lowell Levinger, Michael Kane) - 2:49

4. Interlude (Lowell Levinger) - 2:49

5. Double Interlude (Lowell Levinger, Joe Bauer, Steve Swallow) - 0:57

6. Sittin' Alone In The Moonlight (Bill Monroe) - 2:16

7. In Foggy Old London (Al Robinson) - 1:45

8. Before The Sun Goes Down (Jerry Organ, Vernon Claud) - 2:03

9. New Sail Away Ladies (Lowell Levinger) - 2:31

10.Ocean Of Diamonds (Cliff Carnahan) - 3:51

11.Familiar Patterns (Michael Kane) - 3:38

12.Great Blue Heron (Lowell Levinger) - 3:29

13.Honky Tonk Blues (Hank Williams) - 2:09

14.Lucas Valley Breakdown (Lowell Levinger) - 1:37

15.The Rights Of Man (Peter Golden) - 2:00

Personnel

*Lowell Levinger "Banana" -  Banjo, Bass, Claves, Guitar, Mandola, Mandolin, Pedal Steel, Piano*

*Michael Kane - Bass, Mandolin, Piano, Vocals

*Joe Bauer - Drums, Percussion

*Steve Swallow - Bass

*Richard Earthquake Anderson - Harp

Related Act

1967/69  The Youngbloods / Earth Music / Elephant Mountain (2014 Japan Blu Spec Edition)

1969  Elephant Mountain (Sundazed expanded and  2014 Japan Blu Spec Edition)
1970  The Youngbloods - Rock Festival
1971  Beautiful! Live In San Francisco (Sundazed edition)

1971  Youngbloods - Ride The Wind (2003 remaster) 
1972  High On A Ridge Top (Sundazed remaster)

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Tractor - Tractor (1972 uk, rough and raw acid folk psych space rock, anniversary special edition)

Coming on like Hawkwind’s ‘You Shouldn’t Do That’ with tone generators and bleeping underground noises, ‘All Ends Up’ crashes in with a massive Phil Spector-type buzzsaw guitar rhythm undercut by more splatter-clatter drumfills from Steve Clayton, before setting off on a super-paranoid tale of The Man and how to avoid him. Suggestions for not getting ripped off: don’t remotely engage The Man, don’t even step into the portals of his office, don’t believe his words whatever they are, and you’ll be safe. Ish. Funnily enough, I know from experience what they mean and they were right, though staying in Rochdale and doing an LP every few years throughout the coming 70s and 80s on a tiny independent label does seem like a pretty bleak alternative to me. Whatever, ‘All Ends Up’ has that insanely claustrophobic and hugely over-dubbed sound that (experience tells me) you can only get from working in studios with huge limitations. Excellent indeed, and really one of the best ways to achieve high rock’n’roll magnificence.

Although the epic eight minutes of ‘Little Girl in Yellow’ kicks off like the heads’ answer to Jake Thackaray (complete with a fey acoustic northern-accented tale of fairies and goblins) it’s soon blasting into a grim reaper scythe-wielding territory of 6/4 electric guitar rhythms and we could be in the middle of one of those epic Krautrock LPs by Kalakackra or their ilk. Is this the best piece of music on the entire record? Probably! Massive solo guitars undermine everything but the rhythm of the hi-hats and the sound gets more heavy rock than any heavy rock band on a major label ever could or ever did. Think of the ever-changing sound on Speed, Glue & Shinki LPs or even 1969’s somewhat similar Saint Stephen LP, wherein everything temporarily disappears down a shock corridor before emerging blinking and bleary-eyed in the cold light of day. This is a severely psychedelic mixing desk freakout in the best Dieter Dierks-stylee, and could only have increased in massiveness by lasting for the whole of the side.

Unfortunately, this otherwise monstrous and mind manifesting LP finishes disappointingly, without style or consideration of any kind, first with the acoustic drivel of ‘The Watcher’ (‘he knows that willingness in others is a blessing’? Even in 1972, oh puh-leaze!) followed swiftly by the cod electric blues of ‘Ravenscroft’s 13-Bar Boogie’. The first mentioned could have been on THE WAY WE LIVE and is trite shite indeed, whereas the final track at least has the charm of being acceptably generic boogie of The Yardbirds’ ‘Nazz is Blue’ variety. However, as this Album of the Month only achieves its place because of the sad death of Tractor’s mentor John Peel, let’s offer up a bit of compassion and state this – when six of the eight tracks are as good as those offered within these grooves, it would take someone more churlish than I to (in these circumstances) give the final two under-achieving tracks a merciless kicking. Instead, let’s just blank them out and pretend the whole LP is a riot from beginning to end, and hope that M’Lud John ‘Ravenscroft’ Peel is currently spinning his favourite vinyl for the angels and devils of both heaven and hell as we speak. Because we have kenned John Peel all these past years, and we have listened, learned and been changed forever. Hey John Peel, wherever you are, we salute ye! U-Know!

Unsung 

Tracks

1. All Ends-Up - 6:50

2. Little Girl in Yellow - 8:12

3. The Watcher - 2:00

4. Ravenscroft's 13 Bar Boogie - 3:26

5. Shubunkin - 3:08

6. Hope in Flavour - 2:47

7. Everytime It Happens - 5:58

8. Make the Journey - 9:52

9. Siderial - 5:20

10.No More Lies - 5:29

11.Mr. Revolution Man - 3:08

12.Everytime It Happens - 4:02

13.The Storm - 2:44

14.The Watcher - 2:23

All songs by Steve Clayton, Jim Milne

Track 9 Recorded Live At Glastonbury Festival 2002

Track 10 Recorded During 2001/2 In Various Studios

Tracks 11-14  Demos From Jim Milne

Tractor

*Jim Milne - Guitar, Bass, Vocals

*Steve Clayton - Drums, Percussions, Bass, Backing Vocals

With

*Thomas Hewitt - Guitar

*Nik Turner - Saxophone, Flute

Related Act

1971  The Way We Live - A Candle For Judith (2009 japan remaster) 

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Steel - Steel (1971 us, solid bluesy hard rock)

Steel was a US  rock group with members (keyboardist/vocalist Duane Hitchings, guitarist Steve Busfield, bassist Roland Robinson, drummer Jerry Norris and singer/backing vocalist Carl Sims). . Some of them are well known on the rock and blues circuit. Duane Hitchings was a member of the Buddy Miles Express and Roland Robinson, in addition to working for the Stax label, had the opportunity to jam with Jimi Hendrix (he is credited on the title "Jimi/Jimmy Jam" in the posthumous album, “Nine To The Universe” published in 1980). In 1971 the quintet released their self-titled LP on behalf of Epic with Hendrix's sound engineer, Eddie Kramer, at the helm.

10 tracks for an LP totaling 33 minutes, this album offers excellent hard rock rich in melodies which flirts with prog but especially with soul music. Vocals are shared between Duane Hitchings and Carl Sims, the latter providing backing vocals on all of the songs. The leaden biker riffs of many of the tracks (“Eye To Eye” in the opening, “Road Runner”, “Rosie Lee”) recall those of Leslie West from Mountain. The quintet offers celestial heavy ballads (“Never On A Monday”, “Merry Go Round”). The musicians focus on boogie (“Maybe” and the instrumental “Loving You”) but also rhythm ‘n’ blues (“Can’t Watch One Hand”). The vinyl ends in a hard blues register with “Driving Wheel” and “To You Who Are Watching” more funky for the latter.

A promising, endearing, well-made record, very pleasant to listen to but which unfortunately did not meet with success, leading to the separation of Steel. Carl Sims will attempt a solo career in the funk style. Steve Busfield joined the Buddy Miles Express in 1973. Duane Hitchings, Roland Robinson and Jerry Norris will join guitarist Mike Pinera in The New Cactus for the short-lived album, Son Of Cactus released in 1973. Subsequently Roland Robinson and Duane Hitchings will write the hit “Infatuation” for Rod Stewart.

Tracks

1. Eye To Eye (Duane Hitchings) - 2:22

2. Never On A Monday (Duane Hitchings) - 3:09

3. Roadrunner (Brian Holland, Edward Holland, Jr., Lamont Dozier) - 2:58 

4. Merry Go Round (Roland Robinson) - 3:16

5. Maybe (Duane Hitchings) - 2:45

6. Can't Watch One Hand  (Roland Robinson) - 3:39

7. Rosie Lee (Roland Robinson) - 2:30

8. Loving You (Duane Hitchings) - 3:03

9. Driving Wheel (Riley B. King, Jules Taub) - 5:06

10.To You Who Are Watching (Roland Robinson) - 5:04

Steel

*Carl Sims - Vocals

*Duane Hitchings - Organ, Piano, Keyboard, Bass

*Roland Robinson - Bass, Vocals

*Steve Busfield - Guitar, Vocals

*Jerry Norris - Drums, Vocals

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Malachi - Malachi (1971 uk, organ drivin' soft psych prog rock, 2008 digipak edition)

UK band released only this album in Belgium, combines the feel-good groovy instrumental organ rock of Eden Rose with the more measured introspective UK scene like Cressida or Still Life. Sounds a bit dated for 1971, more like 1969 - probably due to the ‚"carnival‚" sound of the organ, which is the dominant instrument. Flute is put to good use as well. No guitars, which is unusual for the era. Also pick up some Julian Jay Savarin in places. Yet another creative version of ‚"Eleanor Rigby‚". A good one.

Tracks

1. Return Of A Stranger (Barry Kirsch) - 2:40

2. Little Victim (Julian Kirsch) - 3:30

3. Clog I (Barry Kirsch, Pinder Paul) - 2:30

4. Clog II (Pinder Paul) - 2:35

5. Only A Sad Thing (Barry Kirsch, Ashford Jon, Wilson Robert) - 4:35

6. Steamer (Barry Kirsch) - 2:10

7. Island (Barry Kirsch) - 4:00

8. Freeway (Barry Kirsch, Wilson Robert) - 4:40

9. Eleanor Rigby (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 2:25

10.Suite For Selena (Barry Kirsch) - 8:40

.a) You Are My.../  b) Motivation / c) Thursday 32nd / d) Make Me / e) Malachi

Malachi

*Barry Kirsch - Organ, Piano, Vocal

*Robert Wilson - Bass, Vocal

*Paul Binder - Drums, Flute, Egyptian Cymbals

*Jon Ashford - Congas, Bongos

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rep> Black Merda - The Folks From Mother's Mixer (1970-72 us, excellent funky psych blues rock, 2004 remaster)

Black Merda were a funky rock combo with a significant debt to Jimi Hendrix, mixing fuzz-toned, psychedelic blues-rock with folky acoustic passages and contemporary late-'60s soul. Featuring guitarists Anthony and Charles Hawkins, bassist VC Veasey (aka Veesee L. Veasey), and drummer Tyrone Hite, the group got its start in the late '60s after Veasey, Hite, and Anthony Hawkins had spent time in a band called the Soul Agents, backing Edwin Starr and Gene Chandler. Inspired by Jimi Hendrix's Are You Experienced?, they added Anthony's younger brother Charles on second guitar and christened themselves Black Merda. Despite some interest around their Detroit base -- including Norman Whitfield and Eddie Kendricks -- Black Merda signed to Chess, thanks in part to the psychedelic soul eccentric Fugi (aka Ellington Jordan), who they also backed on his Mary, Don't Take Me on No Bad Trip LP for Chess.

Black Merda's self-titled album sounded revolutionary enough, although the bandmembers were disappointed that it didn't reflect their heavy live shows. They then moved to the West Coast to continue playing with Fugi, but returned to Chicago to record a second album. Shortening their name to Mer-Da, the group returned in 1971 with Long Burn the Fire, a funkier outing that bore a likeness to early Funkadelic. The band quickly fizzled out, but over the next three decades, continued record-collector interest in the group eventually resulted in a reunion with Veasey, both Hawkins brothers, and Fugi, although Hite had died in 2004. 

by Steve Huey

Usually linked in with the brief explosion of "black rock" bands that followed Jimi Hendrix in the late '60s and early '70s, Black Merda's formula was a good bit more complicated than most, and their debut album blends elements of hard rock, blues, soul, folk, and embryonic funk with a tough and uncompromising political consciousness that makes the disc at once a product of its time and not quite like anything else around back in the day. 

The guitar work from Anthony Hawkins and Charles Hawkins is tough and organic, whether they're stretching out on extended blues jams such as "Over and Over" and "Windsong" or cutting some hard R&B-accented rock on "Cynthy-Ruth" and "Prophet." Bassist Vessee L. Veasy (who also contributes most of the lead vocals) and percussionist Tyrone Hite generate a lean but effective groove throughout as they jump from the streetwise soul of "Reality" to the acoustic meditation of "Think of Me." But as good as the music is on this album (and despite bland production from someone named Swan, most of it is very good indeed), what really sets it apart is the dark vibe reflected in the minor-key tenor of the melodies and the bitter realities of the lyrics. 

Grinding poverty, racism, political and social inequality, the ongoing nightmare of Vietnam, the growing schism between youth culture and the establishment, and the absence of any easy answers to the dilemmas of a nation spinning out of control dominate songs such as "Reality," "Ashamed," and "That's the Way It Goes," and the grim but wholly appropriate fable of "I Don't Want to Die" ends this album as if a lid were being slammed shut on a coffin. 

Black Merda anticipates the grim consciousness-raising session of Sly and the Family Stone's There's a Riot Goin' On, which wouldn't arrive in stores until a year after this album, and if it isn't the stark masterpiece that Sly's album was, it's good enough that this group deserves to be regarded as much more than a footnote in the black music scene of the early '70s. 

by Mark Deming

Tracks
1. Prophet (Anthony Hawkins) - 2:54
2. Think of Me (Anthony Hawkins, Charles Hawkins, Tyrone Hite) - 2:33
3. Cynthy-Ruth (Roosevelt Veasey) - 3:06
4. Over and Over (Anthony Hawkins, Charles Hawkins, Tyrone Hite) - 5:33
5. Ashamed (Anthony Hawkins) - 3:52
6. Reality (Roosevelt Veasey) - 2:01
7. Windsong (Anthony Hawkins, Charles Hawkins, Tyrone Hite) - 4:14
8. Good Luck (Anthony Hawkins) - 3:46
9. That's the Way It Goes (Roosevelt Veasey) - 3:16
10.I Don't Want to Die (Anthony Hawkins, Charles Hawkins, Tyrone Hite) - 3:52
11.Set Me Free (Anthony Hawkins) - 0:43

12.For You - 4:43

13.The Folks From Mother's Mixer - 4:13

14.My Mistake - 5:30

15.Lying - 3:30

16.Long Burn The Fire - 3:21

17.Sometimes I Wish - 3:45

18.I Got A Woman - 5:01

19.We Made Up - 3:45

Songs from 12 to 19 were written by Anthony Hawkins, Charles Hawkins, Roosevelt Veasey

Tracks 1-11 from "Black Merda" 1970

Tracks 12-19 from "Long Burn The Fire" 1972

Black Merda
*Anthony Hawkins - Guitar, Vocals
*Charles Hawkins - Guitar, Vocals

*Roosevelt Veasey - Bass, Vocals 

*Tyrone Hite - Drums, Vocals (Tracks 1-11)

*Bob Crowder - Drums (Tracks 12-19)

*Mary Hawkins Veasey - Background Vocals (Tracks 12-19)

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Grinderswitch - Have Band Will Travel (1981 us, fine roots 'n' roll southern rock, 2010 reissue)

In late 70’s Grinderswitch’s record sales suffered and they finally broke up in 1982 after releasing 5 albums between 1974 and 1982. There is also 1977 recorded unreleased album under the name “Chasing Wild Desires”, that hopefully sees release in the future.

After Grinderswitch, Dru Lombar formed Dr. Hector and The Groove Injectors in 1986 and released five albums. Larry Howard has also recorded several albums under his own name.

In 2004 Dru Lombar put Grinderswitch back together with new members Wally Condon on drums, Eddie Stone (from Doc Holliday fame) on keyboards , Jack Corcaran on guitar and  Steve Miller on bass. They released new album “Ghost Train From Georgia” in 2005, but Dru Lombar’s death in September 2005 put Grinderswitch back to rest for good.

Tracks

1. One Hour Into Sunday (June Black) - 3:10

2. Real Good Sign (Dru Lombar) - 3:11

3. The Warm Kind (Stephen Miller) - 3:46

4. Ashes And Stone (David Anderson, Owen Davis) - 4:42

5. Golden Minutes (Stephen Miller) - 3:49

6. Lady Luck (Dru Lombar) - 3:25

7. Open Road (Dru Lombar, Joe Dan Petty, Larry Howard, Rick Burnett, Stephen Miller) - 3:12

8. The Fever (Dru Lombar) - 4:08

9. Bound And Determined (Dru Lombar, Stephen Miller) - 3:17

Grinderswitch

*Joe Dan Petty - Vocals, Bass

*Stephen Miller - Keyboards, Vocals

*Rick Burnett - Drums

*Dru Lombar - Guitar, Vocals

*Austin Pettit - Guitar, Vocals

With

*Bonnie Bramlett - Backup Vocals

*Brett Rowan - Acoustc Guitar

*Muscle Shoals Horns - Horns

1974  Grinderswitch - Honest To Goodness

1975  Grinderswitch - Macon Tracks (2009 edition) 

1976  Grinderswitch - Pullin' Together (2010 issue)
1977  Grinderswitch - Redwing (2010 edition)

1977  Grinderswitch - Unfinished Business (2012 edition)
Related Acts
1968 Linn County - Proud Flesh Soothseer 
1969 Linn County - Fever Shot 
1970  Linn County - 'Till The Break Of Dawn
1969-70/72  Elvin Bishop - Party Till The Cows Come Home

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White Water - Out Of The Darkness (1973 us, awesome funk jazz brass psych rock)

Early seventies New York based horn-band, previous known as The Blue Jays. Their "Out Of The Darkness" LP released in 1973 produced by Vini Poncia.

Dick Domane was born as Richard DiDomenico in Providence, subsequently a member of the New York based horn-band White Water. Dick Domane passed away February 10, 2022.

John Vastano οbituary was the lead singer/song writer of the Blue Jays and White Water RCA recording artists. He wrote the Olivia Newton John hit "Deeper Than The Night", as well as songs for Leo Sayer, Melissa Manchester, Cher, Peter Criss of Kiss, Carol Bayer Sager and many other artists. He also wrote motion picture soundtracks for "The Warriors" and "Hugo the Hippo". Johnny  passed away September 21, 2018.

Tracks

1. Let Me Take You Down - 5:33

2. Storm In My Soul - 6:14

3. (Caught Up In) White Water - 5:32

4. Ain't Nothin' So Bad - 5:35

5. Reach On Out (Johnny Vastano, Vini Poncia) - 4:05

6. Long Time Ago (Johnny Vastano) - 3:36

7. Out Of The Darkness (Johnny Vastano, Vini Poncia) - 4:31

8. The People Say (Dick Domane) - 8:46

All songs by Dick Domane, Johnny Vastano, Vini Poncia except where indicated

White Water

*Johnny Vastano - Lead Vocals, Guitar, 

*Bob Fiocco - Bass, Trombone, 

*Conrad Catalano - Drums, Percussion, 

*John Emma - Saxophone, 

*Dick Domane - Organ, Trumpet, 

*Paul Phillips - Trumpet, Flugel Horn

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Two Guns - Balls Out (1979 us, excellent southern rock, 2009 edition)

The Two Guns album Balls Out is the first and last album of a talented band that were unfortunately getting signed when Southern Rock made its last stand. Released by Capricorn Records, the label was three releases away from getting bankrupt. How's that for a healthy future? Well, obviously, these guys never had much of a chance and this is where it ended to the public eye.

This record is a true masterpiece of Southern rock and was released at a time when the genre was already in agony. It overshadows everything that was produced at that time - the year was 1979 - by the 'first generation' of Southern rock, be it the ABB, the Henry Paul Band or .38 Special. The tragedy of Two Guns' failure and their disappearance into the endless sea of oblivion lay not only in the 'death throes' of the genre, but above all in the bankruptcy of Capricorn Records. A number of other bands were unable to cope with the collapse of this stroke of luck for Southern Rock - just think of Stillwater.

Like the latter, Two Guns were absorbed into a black hole and today hardly anything is known about the careers of the four band members. 

The only thing you can find out about Bob Williams on the internet is from the authoritative mouth of his widow Joni Ann. Bob died on May 21, 1999, at the age of forty-four, as a result of a motorcycle accident near Kansas City. Previously, he had to end his musical career after losing a fingertip in an accident at work. After the four-piece from Lawton, Oklahoma, split up in 1980, he played for Chubby Checker and founded his own band under the pseudonym Greg Hockett.

According to Joni Williams, most of the songs on "Balls Out" were written by singer and bassist Mike Sconce - the rest by second shouter Kenny Baker. It is no longer possible to find out which of the two wrote and sang which songs.

The opening "Hard Times" sounds like a jammy number from the Charlie Daniels Band, and not just because of the 'shimmering' Hammond. The work of the two guitarists is outstanding, as they seem to float over a very 'fuzzy' carpet of sound. The chorus sounds very clear  Point Blank, who had their heydays back then. This is a number that could easily have been twice as long. What follows is a crisp Southern Boogie in which the singer (which of the two was it?) knows how to shine.

"Slippin' Into The Night" would have been the natural single release that never happened. The song is hugely jazzed up by the background choirs and the razor-sharp horns of the Muscle Shoals Horns. A wonderful honkytonk piano by Hornsby gives the whole thing the finishing touch. The double leads and the walking bass provide the highlights in "Judgment Plea", a driving blues'n'boogie. “The Daltons” rocks smoothly and fluidly in the country style of the Outlaws. Here the double leads sparkle again, making it a real joy.

It's a shame that Two Guns has been so forgotten. They would undoubtedly have had the potential to valiantly hold up the Southern Cross after Skynyrd's tragic plane crash. Instead, the remaining bands hammered one nail after another into the final resting place of Southern rock through inconsequential LPs. At the end of the 1970s and the beginning of the 1980s, it wasn't even remotely possible to imagine that he would be resurrected in the new century (and definitely not as a zombie).

A simple yet cheerful rocker warms the hearts of listeners with “Seems Like Thunder”. Once again the choirs and the casually strumming piano provide the highlights. "Look In Your Eyes" is initially (at the beginning of the verse) somewhat reminiscent of Skynyrd's "Every Mothers Son" and then escalates into a grooving jam-rocker that sounds like the finest CDB moments - but the same applies here again: doubly so that long would have been perfect! With "There's A Battle Goin' On", a wonderful half-ballad closes a perfect record - but the obligatory guitar battle is ended by a final chorus.

by Steve Braun, 19.12.2011

Tracks

1. Hard Time (Kenny Barker) - 5:05

2. I Just Dropped On By To Tell You (Mike Sconce) - 3:51

3. Slippin' Into The Night (Randy Richards) - 2:57

4. Judgement Plea (Mike Sconce) - 5:58

5. The Daltons (Kenny Barker) - 5:28

6. Seems Like Thunder (Mike Sconce) - 3:50

7. Look In Your Eyes (Kenny Barker) - 4:04

8. There's A Battle Goin' On (Mike Sconce) - 4:52

Two Guns

*Kenny Barker - Guitar, Lead Vocals

*Bob Williams - Guitar, Vocals

*Mike Sconce - Bass, Lead Vocals

*Pat Sconce - Drums

With

*Paul Hornsby - Keyboards

*Dodie Petit - Background Vocals

*Muscle Shoals Horns - Horns

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Cold Chisel - Cold Chisel (1978 australia, tough pub power rock, 2011 digipak remaster)

A singular force of nature, Cold Chisel concocted a sound that merged blues, soul, rockabilly and – of course – pub rock into something quintessentially Australian. Their sound was unvarnished and unfiltered, forged in the country’s thriving but unforgiving live music circuit of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s.

Cold Chisel came together in Adelaide in 1973, featuring Ian Moss on guitar and vocals, Steve Prestwich on drums, Les Kaczmarek on bass, and Don Walker on piano. Jimmy Barnes – still just a teenager – soon arrived as lead singer, joined by Phil Small as Kaczmarek’s replacement as bassist in 1975. 

They would disband just eight years later, but not before leaving behind a strong five-album run that started with their self-titled debut album in 1978 and culminated in 1984 with Twentieth Century. Before myriad reunions, before their ARIA Hall of Fame induction, before they even had a street named after them in Adelaide, that flawed first album set them on their way to national stardom. 

Back to 1978: perhaps a retrospective success, more than an immediate one, Cold Chisel’s debut album has nevertheless earned its place in the country’s music history. What do two of its makers recall of that time, though? For Barnes, making the album was all “a bit of a blur.”

In terms of its structure, the band was firmly committed to not being a singles band, according to Barnes.

“We thought we’d just release albums and keep away from the singles chart,” he explains, reflecting an attitude that feels more and more rare in today’s musical landscape. 

That was until one certain song changed things. When Cold Chisel came out with “Khe Sanh” – a single that told the story of the Vietnam vets, in a style that epitomises what was so popular at the time – it’s little wonder it became such a resonant sound in Australian pop culture. 

by Conor Lochrie, April 11, 2023

Tracks

1. Juliet (Don Walker, Jimmy Barnes) - 2:44

2. Khe Sanh - 4:14

3. Home And Broken Hearted - 3:25

4. One Long Day - 7:24

5. Northbound - 3:15

6. Rosaline - 4:47

7. Daskarzine - 5:10

8. Just How Many Times - 5:14

All songs by Don Walker except where noted

Cold Chisel 

*Ian Moss - Guitar, Vocals

*Jimmy Barnes - Vocals

*Steve Prestwich - Drums

*Phil Small - Bass

*Don Walker - Organ, Piano, Background Vocals

With

*David Blight - Harmonica

*Joe Camilleri - Saxophone

*Janice Slater - Background Vocals

*Wilbur Wilde - Saxophone

*Carol Stubbley - Background Vocals

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Smokey John Bull - Smokey John Bull (1971 us, fine spiritual blues psych rock)

Smokey John Bull were a communal gospelblues group from the Hartford Connecticut area. The album was produced by Lewis Merenstein, producer of Van Morrisons Astral Weeks and is a mix of gospel, rock, blues, and funk. The album features two Bob Dylan covers, He Was A Friend Of Mine and The Mighty Quinn plus Tom Cosgroves Hitchin To Memphis. Also included is the albums highlight, Jeff Gordons E-Z Rider Jack Dominilla.

Tracks

1. He Was A Friend Of Mine / Worried Man Blues / Shorty George (Bob Dylan / Woody Guthrie / Traditional) - 2:58

2. The Mighty Quinn (Bob Dylan) - 3:10

3. Looking For America (Mark Lipson, Ben Mochan) - 3:35

4. Gotta Get Away Man (Mark Lipson, Ben Mochan) - 3:31

5. E-Z Rider (Jeff Gordon) - 7:20

6. The Gospel Song (Mark Lipson, Ben Mochan) - 4:24

7. I'll Try To Make It Up To You (Mark Lipson, Ben Mochan) - 3:36 

8. Georgia Home (Mark Lipson, Steve Loeb, Ben Mochan) - 3:05

9. Chances Are Better (Steve Loeb) - 2:50

10.Hitchin' To Memphis (Tom Cosgrove) - 2:39

Smokey John Bull

*Shelly Rosen - Bass

*Gary Linke - Drums, Percussion

*Bob Mintzer - Flute, Saxophone

*Lenny Nelson - Lead Guitar, Bass

*Alex Brierly - Lead Vocals

*Bob King - Lead Vocals

*Steve Loeb - Piano, Organ, Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Electric Piano

*Barry Buxbaum - Vocals

*Debbie Gray - Vocals

*Pat Thomason - Vocals

*Ben Mochan - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Harmonica, Autoharp, Percussion

*Mark Lipson - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Percussion

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