Bead Game - Bead Game (Slipstream Records) 1970

Review Bead Game were a rock band from Boston and released their well respected debut, WELCOME in 1970 a complex multi-textured hybrid of jazz tinged with progressive rock with psych flourishes. They then reached a high point with a movie soundtrack which spawned the majestic Sweet Medusa. Originally recorded in 1970/71 but unable to secure record company interest this, the Bead Game's second album was shelved. 40+ years on this fine album finally has its first official release. Remastered from the original master tapes by original band member John Sheldon and including the original intended artwork with a 28 page band history. Welcome to the Bead Game. After Bead Game's demise lead singer and drummer Jim Hodder went on to become a founding member of Steely Dan and sung their sublime Midnite Cruiser and first ever single, the criminally ignored Dallas. This album, in places, mirrors the Dan sound.

Tracklist
01.What A Day

02.20 Dollars Bill
03.Steamballin'

04.She's On The Rollin' Pin

05.This Is True

06.Roller Skatin' Baby

07.Sweet Love

08.Water Boy

09.Baptism

10.Nude Bathin'

11.Mr Sorry

Line-up

K. Westland Haag - Guitars, Vocals

Jim Hodder - Vocals, Drums

R. Gass - Keyboards

Lassie Sachs - Bass

John Sheldon - Guitars

Bead Game - Welcome (Fallout Records) 1970

Biography US outfit BEAD GAME was formed in Cambridge, Massachussets sometime in the lates 60's, and consisted of K. Westland Haag (guitars, vocals), Jim Hodder (vocals, drums), R. Gass (keyboards), Lassie Sachs (bass) and John Sheldon (guitars). The band managed to build up a local following in the Boston club circuit, which landed them a record deal with AVCO Embassy Records, who released their debut album Welcome in 1970. While Bead Game were working on their second album Baptism in 1970, the band fell apart. Their sophomore effort was shelved, but saw a very belated release 26 years later. Today this band is first and foremost remembered as the first band of Jim Hodder, who would later make a name for himself in US act Steely Dan. progarchives

Tracklist

01.Punchin Judy 5:12

02.Lady 4:22

03.Wax Circus 4:29

04.Mora 4:20

05.Natural Song 3:55

06.Country Girls 2:36

07.Amos n' Andy 4:47

08.Slipping 8:23

Line-up

K. Westland Haag - Guitars, Vocals

Jim Hodder - Vocals, Drums

R. Gass - Keyboards

Lassie Sachs - Bass

John Sheldon - Guitars

Charisma - Beasts and Fiends (Wounded Bird Records) 1970

Biography Before the recording of the second album, Mike DeLisa decided to go his own way, leaving the job of lead vocalist to guitarist Tom. Beasts and Fiends was recorded at the Record Plant in NYC during the summer of 1970. The lead engineer was the top engineer in the business: Jack Hunt (the Woodstock album, Electric Ladyland), assisted by Dave Ragno (the Woodstock album), and Tom Fly (the Woodstock album, former drummer of Lother and the Hand People). While credit was given to Bruce McGaw and Ed Vallone for production, fact is the album was produced by Charisma with interference run by Jack Hunt. Charisma was offered the option to record a third album for Roulette Records, but let it pass by. Probably a mistake. Both albums sold better in Europe than they did in the USA. All income went to Roulette Records. Charisma got squat. Same old story. It looked like Charisma was headed for a breakup as drummer Rich Tortorigi and keyboardist Bob Mocarsky decided to leave the band, but Tom and Bernie located drummer Jim Roselle and keyboardist Mike Reynolds and decided to give it another go. Jim recruited Paul Midney to play saxes and flute, and Ray Mase to play trumpet, piccolo trumpet and coronetto. For a while, Charisma became Midney, named after Paul (?!!), but ended up changing their name back to Charisma. Paul eventually ended up leaving the group to do his own thing in the world of meditation and Ray went on to play with the American Brass Quintet. About this time Charisma, along with sound engineers Ron Scalise (now at ESPN) and Norman Campbell (now in California) began building a recording studio. Charisma spent the next few years in the studio. But to be able to do that they were forced to compromise their principles by playing commercial music to raise money to pay for the studio addiction. Charisma auditioned several singers as front men and finally decided on Brian Salke. Brian was not allowed to do the few non-commercial gigs that came up once in a while, but he did appear on some of Charisma’s homegrown recordings. In 1976, Charisma disbanded, leaving one incomplete recording. (Prairie Prince Minsky) (Great Album, Great Music) link

Tracklist

01.Street Theatre 3:58

02.No-Tell Motel 5:08

03.Dirty Pigs Don't Get Far in This World 2:37

04.Bizwambi: Ritual Dance of the Reptiles 4:50

05.Leopold's Ghost 4:57

06.Age of the Reptiles 3:26

07.Beasts and Fiends 8:08

08.Pray for Lockjaw 3:21

Line-up

Bernie Kornowicz - Bass

Ritchie Tortoridge - Drums

Tom Majesky - Guitar, Vocals

Bob Mocarsky - Keyboards, Percussion

Living Force - Living Force (WM New Zealand) 1977

Biography Living Force were formed from the ashes of another obscure New Zealand band called Spacefarm. In reviewing their sole album, 1972-1974 era Santana is the obvious blueprint here. Plenty of Sri Chinmoy spirituality references, not to mention Carlos' trademark sustain guitar style. A bit out of its era, but wonderfully so. The Santana reference also is apparent on the percussion heavy instrumentals. The songwriter tracks are more in line with other bands from Australasia during the 70s. I hear bits of Pantha in particular, and smaller doses of Dragon, Ragnarok, and Sebastian Hardie. The album's only misstep is 'Sail This Boat', an insipid pop number that wouldn’t be out of place on a time travel American Idol episode. One wishes they would have attempted an entirely instrumental album... that would’ve been a killer. (Great Album! only front, not my rip)

Tracklist

01.Changes (Mann) 6:14

02.Matter Monster (Mann) 5:40

03.Jaya (Matepi) 3:30

04.Only You (Hansen) 4:40

05.Sweet Inspiration (Living Force) 3:43

06.Baja Sri (Living Force) 5:08

07.Hello Friend (Hansen) 4:23

08.Sail This Boat (Hansen) 4:19

09.Hari Bol (Hansen) 5:29

Line-up

Matt Matepi - vocals, guitar, percussion

Harvey Mann - guitar, bass, vocals

Eddie Hansen - guitar, bass, vocals

John Pepper - keyboards

Mike Fisher - congas, percussion

Glen Absolum - drums, percussion

Eternity's Children - Timeless (Rev-Ola) 1968

Biography Eternity's Children's second and last LP, oddly, was only released in Canada. After working with Curt Boettcher and Keith Olsen for their first album, they switched to another renowned California producer, Gary Paxton. Surprisingly, perhaps, Timeless is yet more happy-go-lucky than its predecessor, with weaker material, though it retains a chipper male-female sunshine pop harmonic base. The songs are upbeat, though the blue-eyed soul of "Get Outta Here" is an exception (one is even titled "Sunshine and Flowers"), but forgettable even if much effort clearly went into the vocal and instrumental arrangements. There are a couple of unlikely obscure Byrds connections here in songs co-written with Jan Paxton by both Gene Parsons ("Christina in My Dreams") and Clarence White ("Nature's Child"), while the "Nature Boy"-styled Jan Paxton-Ben Benay composition "Gypsy Minstrel Man" provides the sole change of pace from the relentless cheerfulness. This mighty rare album is included on the Cherry Red CD compilation Eternity's Children, which also includes their first album, also titled Eternity's Children, and some tracks from non-LP singles. allmusic.com

Tracklist

01.I Wanna Be With You 2:09

02.Nature's Child 2:12

03.The Other Side Of Me 2:03

04.Look Away 2:18

05.Christina In My Dreams 2:19

06.Sunshine And Flowers 2:56

07.Till I Hear It From You 2:08

08.Get Outta Here 2:38

09.Gypsy Minstrel Man 2:34

10.The Thinking Animal 2:48

Line-up

Linda Lawley - Vocals

Charles Ross - Vocals, Bass

Mike "Kid" McClain - Vocals, Keyboards

Roy Whittaker - Drums

Bo Wagner - Drums

(Repost) Farm - Farm (3 Chord Records) 1971

Biography Recorded at Golden Voice Recording Studios in South Pekin, Illinois and released on a small record label from Flora, Illinois, this Farm released a very obscure and rare album of heavy garage psych with fuzz guitars, congas, mouth harp, organ, bottleneck and timbales. The album contains five tracks including Jungle Song, Let That Boy Boogie and Sunshine In My Window. They thank a certain George Leeman as their friend and spiritual guide. (Stephane Rebeschini) (Fuzz, Acid & Flowers)

Tracklist

01.Sunshine In My Window 3:53

02.Cottonfield Woman 3:57

03.Statesboro Blues (Blind Willie McTell) 4:20

04.Jungle Song 7:45

05.Let That Boy Boogie 8:10

Line-up

Del Herbert - lead guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar

Gary Gordon - 2nd guitar, bottleneck guitar, vocals

Jim Elwyn - bass, vocals

Steve Evanchik - congas, timbales, cymbals, mouth harp

Roger Greenwalt - organ, piano

Mike Young - drums

Eagle - Come Under Nancy's Tent (Akarma Digipack) 1970

Biography From the remnants of Beantown's pseudo-psychedelic Beacon Street Union flew the equally short-lived Eagle.

After issuing two virtually unheard long-players, the BSU were unceremoniously dropped by their record company in late 1968. By 1970, John Lincoln Wright (vocals), Robert Rosenblatt (keyboards/brass), Richard Weissberg (drums/percussion), and Wayne Ulaky (bass) had honed their sound in a much more earthy fashion, creating an accessible vibe, contrasting the over-produced sound of their former incarnation. However, they did maintain the strong melodic sensibility that had driven the better material from both Eyes of the Beacon Street Union (1968) and The Clown Died in Marvin Gardens (1968). In keeping with the current trends, Come Under Nancy's Tent (1970), which was ultimately Eagle's sole release, blends both solid and otherwise aggressive electric rock with the lilting countrified sound of the singer/songwriter and early-'70s folk movement. "Pack Up" commences the effort with a driving, propulsive Bo Diddley beat and traveling rhythm. "Brown Hair" stands as one of the better sides on the disc, with its easier acoustic melody. This counters the noir brooding of "City Girl" and the exemplary and slightly trippy "Comin' Home Day." There are a couple of straight-laced rockers as well "Snake in the Grass" has a danceable groove that is uncannily similar to the Routers' early surf instrumental "Let's Go," and "Separated" is likewise an uptempo toe-tapper. In 2003, Come Under Nancy's Tent was issued on CD as part of the three-disc State of the Union box set, restoring the title after over 30 years of being out of print. allmusic.com

Tracklist

01.Pack Up 3:56

02.Come In, It's All For Free 2:58

03.Brown Hair 3:26

04.Dance On Little Beauty 2:15

05.City Girl 2:59

06.Kickin' It Back To You 2:36

07.Separated 3:30

08.We Got A Good Thing Goin'/Get A Hit And Run 3:36

09.Snake In The Grass 3:12

10.Comin' Home Day 3:09

11.Working Man (Non LP-Single) (Bonus Track) 3:02

Line-up

John Lincoln Wright - Vocals

Robert Rosenblatt - Keyboards, Brass

Richard Weisberg - Drums, Percussion

Wayne Ulaky - Bass

Paul Tartachny - Lead & Rhytym Guitars

Bobby Hastings - Bass

The Flame - Psychedelic Essentials (2011 Purple Pyramid) 1970

Biography The Flame are most known for their connections to the Beach Boys, though they'd been active for quite some time in a much different part of the world than Southern California before they came to the Beach Boys' attention. Originally known as the Flames, the group with brothers Ricky Fataar, Steve Fataar, and Edries Fataar, as well as Blondie Chaplin was a popular act in their native South Africa in the mid- to late '60s, moving to London near the end of the decade to try to break into a larger market. Still using the name the Flames, they put out an obscure album in the U.K. in 1968, Burning Soul. In July 1969, they were seen at the London nightclub Blaise's by Beach Boys guitarist Al Jardine, who brought the band's other guitarist, Carl Wilson, to see them the following night. Wilson offered to produce an album for the band on the Beach Boys' label, Brother, in California, although it wasn't until the late '70s that the LP was released. By this time, the group was using the name the Flame to avoid confusion with James Brown's backup singers, the Famous Flames.

Abbey Road The album (also called The Flame) didn't actually sound much like the Beach Boys, instead bearing a quite prominent late-'60s Beatles influence in the intricately arranged vocal harmonies and guitars, as well as showing traces of other, more hard rock-oriented late-'60s British acts. Cuts such as "Don't Worry, Bill," "Another Day Like Heaven," and "Highs and Lows," in fact, came about as close as anyone did to simulating the feel of Abbey Road, though the material wasn't as brilliant as that penned by the Beatles. Although a single from the album, "See the Light," made the bottom reaches of the national charts, a second album was recorded but not released, the band breaking up shortly afterward. Ricky Fataar and Blondie Chaplin were absorbed into the Beach Boys for some recordings and touring in the mid-'70s, and Ricky Fataar, in addition to acting and recording as part of the Beatles parody group the Rutles, played on numerous sessions (mostly as a drummer). Chaplin has also had a busy session career, mostly notably in the studio and on-stage with the Rolling Stones since the late '90s. allmusic.com

Tracklist

01.See The Light 3:06

02.Dove 2:18

03.Make It Easy 3:06

04.Get Your Mind Made Up 4:10

05.Don't Worry, Bill 3:17

06.Lady 3:28

07.I'm So Happy 3:17

08.Another Day Like Heaven 5:42

09.Hey Lord 3:49

10.Highs And Lows 4:49

11.See The Light (Reprise) 1:28

Line-up

Brother Fataar - Bass, Vocals

Ricky Fataar - Drums, Vocals

Blondie Chaplin - Guitar, Vocals

Steve Fataar - Guitar, Vocals

Cochise - Cochise (2002 Kissing Spell) 1970

Biography There was a lot of talent involved in the making of Cochise's debut album. Guitarist Mick Grabham went on to play in Procol Harum; bassist Rick Wills would later join Foreigner; B.J. Cole would be an in-demand pedal steel player on many sessions over the next few decades; drummer Willie Wilson would play with Pink Floyd; Dick Taylor, who'd just left the Pretty Things, produced; and Storm Thorgerson of Hipgnosis (famous for working on Pink Floyd LP covers) designed a striking and, for the period, daring cover of a woman's unadorned breasts. The credits on a résumé don't always guarantee an outstanding album, however, and Cochise is one of those '60s-turning-into-'70s records that treads an uneasy line between eclectic diversity and a lack of direction. It's so-so period 1970 British rock, distinguished just slightly by a more country-ish flavor than the norm, courtesy of Cole's pedal steel. It's not country-rock, however, and some of the songs in fact owe little or nothing to the form. Numbers like "Painted Lady" and "Moment and the End" are tense, meandering hard rock tunes; the latter cut, in fact (as well as sections of some others, like "Velvet Mountain") sounds kind of like late-'60s/early-'70s Guess Who LP filler. There's a wistful rural feel to parts of the material that suggests some promise, but that mood's shattered by an unnecessary, pedestrian heavy rock cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "59th Street Bridge Song." allmusic.com

Tracklist

01.Velvet Mountain 3:28

02.China 3:57

03.Trafalgar Day 5:11

04.Moment And The End 6:00 

05.Watch This Space 3:59

06.59th Street Bridge Song 3:42

07.Past Loves 3:41

08.Painted Lady 7:06

09.Black Is The Colour 0:56

Line-up

Stewart Brown - guitar, vocals

B.J. Cole - dobro, guitar, pedal steel, cello, steel guitar

Mick Grabham - organ, guitar, piano, keyboards, vocals

Rick Wills - bass, vocals

John "Sly" Wilson - percussion, drums, vocals

Chain - Toward The Blues (2007 Picar Records) 1971

Biography Over 40 musicians have been a member of Chain, one of Australia's premier blues bands that has been going strong for over three decades. Formed from the remnants of Perth band the Beaten Tracks in 1968, the Chain were named by singer Wendy Saddington after the classic soul track "Chain of Fools." Saddington soon left and the band released one of Australia's first progressive blues singles, "Show Me Home," in 1969. Soon after, the Chain shortened their moniker to Chain. In June 1970, Chain recorded the classic live album, Live Chain, at Caesar's Palace discotheque, and along with other Australian acts like Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs, Carson, and the Adderley Smith Blues Band, were considered at the forefront of the Australian blues movement. Signing a new deal with Infinity, the blues subsidiary of Festival, Chain released the single "Black and Blue," which reached number ten on the national charts in May 1971. The classic album Toward the Blues peaked at number six in 1971 and is considered one of Australia's greatest blues albums. The follow-up single, "Judgement," established Chain as the nation's leading progressive blues band. Chain Live Again was released in October 1972 and Chain went on to appear at the first Sunbury Festival in January 1972. In 1973, the band singed with the new Mushroom label and issued the Two of a Kind album. Chain's rotating lineup broke up in 1974 and Mushroom issued the retrospective History of Chain album. Six years later, interest in Chain was still strong and they played at the Mushroom Evolution Concert in January 1982 to celebrate Mushroom's tenth anniversary. They re-formed permanently in 1983 and released Child of the Street in October 1985. Their next album, Australian Rhythm and Blues, was released in April 1988, followed by Blue Metal in May 1990. Several members undertook a tour of Australia in 1991 as Blues Power, while another member, Matt Taylor, toured as Matt Taylor's Chain, who released the album Walls 2 McGoo (Trouble in the Wind) in 1992. The original Chain again undertook a national tour in 1995. allmusic.com

Tracklist
01.Thirty Two-Twenty Blues 4:09
02.Snatch it Back and Hold It (adapted from the stage version) 5:02
03.Boogie 10:43
04.Booze is Bad News Blues 7:45
05.Albert Goose's Gonna Turn the Blue's Loose's 7:04
06.Black and Blue 4:49
07.Undgemend 3:27
08.Blow in D 6:00
09.Mr. President 3:39
10.Leaving 2:46
11.Two of A Kind 4:43
12.Forever 5:06
13.I'm Gonna Miss You Babe 3:29
14.Gertrude Street Blues 5:00

Line-up
Matt Taylor - Vocals, Harmonica
Phil Manning - Guitar, Vocals
Barry Sullivan - Bass
Barry Harvey - Drums

REPOST : Dragonwyck - Chapter 2 (2006 World in Sound) 1972

Biography In 1972, Dragonwyck became the Saturday night house band at The Viking. The Viking Saloon was a loud, packed, smoke filled rock club that featured live entertainment, hard liquor and a rowdy crowd six nights a week. It was THE place to get drunk,get high and listen to loud bands. Dragonwyck’s popularity at The Viking led to engagements at other Cleveland clubs (Otto’s Site, Tom Jones Backroom, The Crazy Horse, The Spectrum, The Avon and Amherst Jail Night Clubs, The Cove at Geneva on the Lake) and a series of High School and College concerts.

After 8 months of performing their new sound live, Dragonwyck set out to record a new album. As copies of the Dragonwyck II album began to circulate in early 1973, the interest of the press, audiences and agencies became much greater. As people began to realize the talents of the band,they began playing better venues and drawing larger crowds.,they performed at the Cleveland Agora (the premier venue in the area), with “Dan Hicks and his Hot Licks” and opened for the newly formed English band, “FOGHAT”.

With Dragonwycks’ unusual musical arrangements and lead singer Bill Petijohn’s stage theatrics, the bands live concerts were drawing more and more attention. By 1974,they moved to much larger clubs, added weeknight shows sponsored by Budweiser Beer at Cleveland’s House of Bud.

Concert dates supporting THE EDGAR WINTER GROUP and GOLDEN EARING added to Dragonwyck’s offers to tour nationally. However, John Hall had a promising career as a design engineer and had no desire to travel outside of the Northern Ohio area. Not wanting Dragonwyck to miss opportunities that were being presented to them, he asked to be replaced..Having found Hall’s replacement in keyboardist, Jerry Moran,whose playing was harder and more rock orientated than that of Hall’s orchestrated approach. Dragonwyck recorded a single,“Lovin’ The Boys” b/w “The Music” in 1974. Shortly after this release the band broke up. - When World In Sound Records,released in 2004 the music of Dragonwyck, Tom Brehm felt like doing it again. In 2006 he set up his 1968 original Dragonwyck guitar, a Gibson 335, and with other World In Sound musicians,the right line-up is found to return back on stage with the music written between 1968-73.

Dragonwyck personnel 2006: Tom Brehm - Guitar, Vocals; Steff Bollack - Drums; Karsten Kullinna - Bass; Josh Maccoy - Vocals; Winfried Rimbach-Sator - Keyboards. Review by adamus67

Tracklist
01.Kimberly 0:32
02.He Loves You 3:18
03.Fire Climbs 6:41
04.Relics 5:11
05.Freedom Son 3:57
06.Lady 3:47
07.Run To The Devil 3:45
08.Dead Man 4:15
09.The Music 3:14
10.Forever Only Last A Little While 4:40
11.Lovin' The Boys (Single 74) 3:14
12.The Music (Single 74) 3:07

Line-up
Tom Brehm - guitars
Bill Pettijohn - vocals
John Hall - keyboards
Mikey Gerchak - bass
Jack Boessneck - drums

Corporation - The Corporation (Repertoire Records) 1969

Biography The Corporation formed in 1968, when the Kondos brothers joined up with members of a band called Eastern Mean Time, and they started appearing at the Galaxy Club, located in Cudahy, Wisconsin, a southeastern suburb of Milwaukee. A few months later, they were discovered by Capitol Records executives, while playing at The Bastille club. The Corporation members were Daniel Peil (born Daniel Vincent Peil in Superior, Wisconsin; September 26, 1942  January 3, 2012) on lead vocals; Gerard Jon Smith on lead guitar and backing Vocals; John Alexander Kondos on guitar, flute, harp, piano, and backing vocals; his brother Nicholas Alexander "Sandie" Kondos on drums and backing vocals; Kenneth Bernard Berdoll on bass and backing vocals; and Patrick Daneil McCarthy on keyboards and trombone. Their debut, self-named album was a regional hit in early 1969 and was in the Billboard Top LP Chart for four weeks, while hitting number three in Milwaukee and doing relatively well in Little Rock, Arkansas. Τhe whole second side was taken up by The Corporation's version of John Coltrane's "India."

Except for appearances in Chicago and St.Paul, the band remained local, without television appearances or corporate promotion. A European tour was in the planning stages, but it fell apart when disagreements with Capitol Records surfaced. Within two years, The Corporation made two further albums, Hassels In My Mind and Get On Our Swing, on the Age Of Aquarius label, a custom rock imprint of Cuca Records. Cuca was a Wisconsin recording studio and pressing plant whose output was subsequently anthologised by Ace Records in a 3-volume CD.

The band broke up in 1970. allmusic.com

Tracklist

01.I Want to Get out of my Grave 5:31

02.Ring That Bell 4:52

03.Smile 2:51

04.Highway 3:04

05.Drifting 4:05

06.India 19:33

Line-up

Kenneth Berdoll - Bass, Vocals

John Kondos - Guitar, Keyboards, Fute

Nick Kondos - Drums, Vocals

Patrick McCarthy - Keyboards, Trombone

Daniel Vincent Peil - Vocals

Gerard Jon Smith - Lead Guitar, Vocals

Flower Travellin' Band - Make Up (Won-Sin Music) 1972

Biography Flower Travellin' Band had followed the seismic proto-prog metal of 1971's career-defining Satori album by allowing themselves to be significantly neutered by a jazz-loving keyboard-playing producer on 1972's inconsistent Made in Japan -- which was in fact recorded in Canada. So as they returned to their homeland and attempted to work up new material for their next album, it was Afro-sporting singer Akira "Joe" Yamanaka who emerged as the dominant songwriter, rather than the band's former driving force, guitar Godzilla Hideki Ishima, whose confidence had clearly been shaken by recent events. And when it became apparent that these new songs were neither numerous nor strong enough to fill out a complete album, the band's visionary manager/producer, Yuya Utchida, suggested they record a live album instead. This, as it turned out, would be captured amid a typhoon that wound up compromising most of the recordings, but with a double LP already promised to Atlantic Records, Utchida was forced to go back to the aborted earlier sessions and rescue the better studio and concert material to create Flower Travellin' Band's fourth album (discounting their first foray as simply the Flowers), 1973's Make Up. Not surprisingly, the end results were inconsistent to say the least, ranging from the rambling psych-acoustic hodgepodge of "Look at My Window," to the Zeppelin-like heavy blues of "Shadows of Lost Days," to bassist Jun Kosuki's bizarre romantic ode to all of the strings he'd discarded over the years, obviously named "Broken Strings." Elsewhere, organs contributed by guest keyboardist Nobuhiko Shinohara managed to transform the title track into a powerful but still very derivative Deep Purple-style juggernaut, completed by Ishima's swooping guitar legatos and Joe's Gillan-esque yelps, and the tireless Utchida even joined the group on stage for a few songs, stealing lead vocals for a misplaced romp through his beloved "Blue Suede Shoes" (he'd begun his long career in the late ‘50s as an Elvis acolyte!). Then there was "Hiroshima": a 24-minute jam colossus occupying all of the original vinyl edition's third side that divided opinions into extremes of both pain (the seemingly interminable solo spots) and pleasure (Ishima's glorious bookending guitar theme, steeped in both Middle Eastern exoticism and Hendrixian acid dreams), and put the entire project's rampant confusion into full perspective. So even though some of these issues were deflected upon release by Make Up's peerless packaging inside a leather-bound attaché case, the album's eventual commercial and artistic failures would result in a tragic twist of fate, or at least of title in Flower Travellin' Band's breakup. allmusic.com

Tracklist

01.All The Days 6:39

02.Make Up 10:58

03.Look At My Window 6:08

04.Slowly But Surely 6:05

05.Shadow Of Lost Days 4:41

06.Broken Strings 7:17

07.Hiroshima 23:49

08.Blue Suede Shoes 3:51

09.After The Concert 7:24

Line-up

Joe Yamanaka - vocals, percussion

Hideki Ishima - lead guitar, acoustic guitar

Jun Kozuki - bass, acoustic guitar

George Wada - drums

Nobuhiko Shinohara - keyboards

Yuya Uchida - vocals on "Blue Suede Shoes

The Avengers - Everyone's Gonna Wonder - The Complete Singles Collection....plus (2016 Frenzy Music) 1967 - 1969

Biography One of the more successful New Zealand pop bands of the late 1960s, the Avengers were formed in Wellington in mid-1966. (Confusingly, another group with the same name -- a backing unit for singer Ray Woolf -- emerged in Auckland at much the same time.) The Avengers were formed at the behest of promoter Ken Cooper, who was seeking a house band for his nightclub the Place; he first approached guitarist Dave Brown, who in turn recruited guitarist Clive Cockburn, bassist Eddie McDonald and drummer Hank Davis. With their name decided as a result of a local newspaper contest, the quartet amassed a repertoire of some 75 Beatles songs in addition to covers of hits by Herman's Hermits and the Hollies; within a year, they were easily Wellington's most popular group, and in mid-1967 issued their debut single, the Top Ten hit "Everyone's Gonna Wonder." A series of smashes followed, including "Only Once in My Life," "1941," "Love Hate Revenge" and "Days of Pearly Spencer." However, the Avengers' success remained confined to New Zealand's shores, with all attempts to crack the lucrative Australian market proving futile; they disbanded in mid-1969, leaving a legacy which included the LP The Avengers Live at Ali Baba's (the first live album in the annals of Kiwi rock). allmusic.com

Tracklist
01.Everybody's Gonna Wonder
02.Midnight Visitation
03.Summer Set Morning
04.Sunshine Lady
05.Love-Hate-Revenge
06.Days of Pearly Spencer
07.1941
08.Daniel the Postman
09.You Don't Understand
10.Waterpipe
11.Only Once in My Life
12.I Wouldn't Do That
13.Night Time
14.Fisherwoman
15.Take My Hand
16.You Better Come Home
17.Night in the City
18.Sally
19.September Winds
20.Only Last Year
21.What Price Love
22.Flower Girl
23.Out of Sight, Out of Mind
24.Love Is a One Way Ticket
25.Top 20 (Radio Spot)
26.Top 20 Time Check (Radio Spot)
27.This Show Is Groovy (Radio Spot)

Line-up
Ian (Hank) Davis - drums, vocals
Eddie McDonald - bass, vocals
Dave Brown - rhythm guitar, vocals
Clive Cockburn - lead guitar, organ

Vampires - Vampires Underground (2014 Pharaway Sounds) 1971

Biography Where does a band of Indian guys in East South Africa even play, and how on earth would they end up with fuzzy guitar riffs, wah-wah and funky drums? Riddles abound when you discover a platter like this one. Durban, famous for its beaches and also for beach signs that marked off areas for white people, had a very unique dance band scene in 1971. The Vampires are a strange footnote in a strange world, and they slosh through each song like they're having the time of their lives. The mostly instrumental band covers everything from a soundtrack that prefigures the drama of Ennio Morricone fuzz, to middle-of-the-road Nashville country, to Zeppelin, with flute, organ and fuzz guitar high in the mix. Like the undead, the Vampires now rise from having been long buried. But they only showed up to get their dirt in your ears. One of the most obscure psychedelic funk exploitation albums ever, reissued for the first time. Remastered sound, insert/booklet with liner notes by Angela Sawyer (Weirdo Records). allmusic.com

Tracklist

01.Memphis Underground 5:32

02.Into The Fire 3:18

03.Rose Garden 2:41

04.Funky Broadway 4:25

05.Exodus 3:24

06.By The Time I Get To Phoenix 3:46

07.Whole Lot Of Love 3:42

08.Love Story 3:30

09.Get Ready 3:08

10.Unchain My Heart 3:34

11.I'm Your Puppet 2:55

Line-up

Quintet of anonymous Indian expats living in South Africa's Durban port town.

Listening - Listening (2014 Flawed Gems) 1968

Biography Michael Tschudin led the Boston-based band Listening, but it is the contributions by former Velvet Underground bassist Walter Powers and guitarist Peter Malick which make this album historic. Powers performed over the years with keyboardist Willie Alexander as members of Capitol Recording Artist the Lost, the aforementioned Velvets, and on Autre Chose, a live album from Alexander released on New Rose in Paris. Peter Malick is best known for being Otis Spann's guitarist and a member of the James Montgomery Band on Capricorn. Their legendary status in Boston rock & roll history brings positive notoriety to the fine music on this Vanguard release. "So Happy" is the poppiest tune, a cross between the Monkees and the Mojo Men, which is quite misleading. The album runs the gamut from pop to blues to jazz. "Baby Where Are You" is some strange fusion of Motown and the Spencer Davis Group which then veers off in a frenzy of effects and musical jam. Eight of the 11 tracks are written by keyboard/vocalist Michael Tschudin, with three titles attributed to the group. "See You Again," one of the group efforts, is another jam with riffs the Who would greatly appreciate. Phish's success validates how ahead of its time Listening truly was. There is certainly an identity here as Tschudin takes the boys through all sorts of styles inside the tune "Laugh at the Stars." Elements of Jimi Hendrix, the Band, and the Vanilla Fudge swirl around in the pretty decent production by Michael Chechik. Where peer group the Peanut Butter Conspiracy sound forced, Listening is right on target. There's just no hit single here that could launch these gentlemen from the trap known as "The Bosstown Sound." "9/8 Song" is definite jazz, kind of like latter-day Rascals, and we know how good that was, and how far it didn't go. "Stoned Is" sounds like the Velvet Underground performing "Chest Fever" by way of Lou Reed's "New York Stars" from Sally Can't Dance. It would fit perfectly on the '60s film soundtrack Psych-Out. Listening has punch and creativity which deserved a better fate. allmusic.com 

Tracklist

01.You're Not There 4:06 

02.Laugh at the Stars 4:15 

03.9/8 Song 4:28 

04.Stoned Is 4:51 

05.Forget It, Man! 3:24 

06.I Can Teach You 2:23 

07.So Happy 2:33 

08.Cuando 2:51 

09.Baby: Where Are You? 6:23 

10.Fantasy 1:02 

11.See You Again 3:45

Line-up

Michael Tschudin - Vocals, Vibes, Keyboards, Conga Drum

Walter Powers - Bass

Peter Malick - Guitars

Ernie Kamanis - Vocals, Drums

Big Sleep - Bluebell Wood (2007 Esoteric Recordings) 1971

Biography Neither their 1968 debut Crossroads of Time nor their proggier, Quincy Jones produced follow-up In Fields of Ardath brought the commercial success Eyes of Blue so sought. Although the Welsh quintet were losing hope, their label head and manager Lou Reizener wasn't throwing in the towel yet. In his view, only a new moniker stood in the way of stardom; thus Eyes were renamed Big Sleep and set to work on their third and final album, 1971's Bluebell Wood.

Even in a time of feverish experimentation, the group had an incredibly unique hybrid sound that seamlessly stitched together pop elements, classical, R&B and blues, psychedelia and rock with incredibly tight and egalitarian arrangements. That latter was important, as every bandmember was a virtuoso, and thus each deserved the space to shine. Unusually, the group boasted two keyboardists, but forget comparisons to the likes of ELP, as Big Sleep's numbers often counterpointed lavish organ passages with R&B styled piano or electric keyboard, underpinning their numbers with a jazzy or bluesy aura. Acoustic guitars further enhanced the rich atmospheres, and usually followed the organ's lead. The electric guitars arrived well into the pieces, a further musical counterpoint that accentuated psychedelic organ passages or pulled the numbers into rock. Although there's an improvisational feel to it all, the songs are, in fact, very tightly structured, including the fiery guitar solos that wind around the keyboards. The band's pop sensibilities are evident too, especially on the catchy chorus of "Aunty James," passages within "Death of a Hope," and particularly on the clap along R&B of "When the Sun Was Out."

However, it was the epic eleven-plus-minute title track that sent prog rock fans wild, a showcase of Big Sleep's many styles and talents. Filled with the kind of dynamics that any modern emo band would die for, quiet passages give way to grand up-tempo segments, downbeat blues shift into raging psychedelia, and strings pile onto ballads before the band breaks into rock and the splendid vocals fill the air: Bluebell Wood had it all. Yet the album still failed to excite the masses. The band never even took the stage under their Big Sleep name, and folded soon after the set's release. So much talent would eventually find homes elsewhere (notably with Gentle Giant and Man), but it's no wonder the album has been long sought after by collectors. Now remastered and sporting its original artwork, everyone can venture back into this stunning Wood. allmusic.com

Tracklist
01.Death Of A Hope 5:36
02.Odd Song 3:54
03.Free Life 6:29
04.Aunty James 4:45
05.Saint & Sceptic 6:36
06.Bluebell Wood 11:26
07.Watching Love Grow 2:35
08.When The Sun Was Out 3:42

Line-up
Phil Ryan - organ, piano
Ritchie Francis - bass, piano, vocals
John "Pugwash" Weathers - drums, vocals
Raymond "Taff" Williams - guitar
Gary Pickford Hopkins - vocals, guitar

Fat - Fat (Radioactive Records) 1970

Biography Engineered by legends Roy Cicala who worked with Genya Ravan, Lori Burton, and John Lennon, along with Shelly Yakus (spelt Shelly Yokas on the album jacket) of Stevie Knicks and so many others fame, Fat is comprised of five men who, other than this outing, appear to have remained pretty much unknown. According to urban legend, this production by Eddie Jason saw only 400 copies released by RCA. For a band coming at the end of the debacle known as "The Bosstown Sound," this actually plays better than Eden's Children and Ultimate Spinach. With a cover photo of five dudes dressed like they are going camping, no image whatsoever, these longhairs deliver a decent set of tunes, despite the fact they aren't stellar musicians. There is a spirit here, however, from "Shape I'm In" on side two, to the lengthy "Journey" and "Highway." "Black Sunday" is inspired and has a sound very influenced by Quicksilver Messenger Service. Via default they seem to have created a strange amalgam of East Coast blues and psychedelia that Ultimate Spinach was searching for. "Country Girl" has Cream riffs galore, and where you might expect a folk tune, it rocks out. Where Alive & Kickin' released the same year on Roulette and were woefully deficient on the musical side of things, these cats have a style and a sound. Peter Newland's voice and harp reflect the darkness James Kaminski and Michael Benson lay down with their guitars. Not a bad recording for a band with no look and riffs that Bachman Turner Overdrive would explore and exploit just four years later. "Duck Sweat" is the bluesy rock that the cover indicates, but "Lonely Lady" and "Mine Eyes Have Seen" take the group into other directions. An interesting artifact. allmusic.com

Tracklist

01.House On The Corner 3:06

02.Black Sunday 3:20

03.Mine Eyes Have Seen 4:11

04.Lonely Lady 4:46

05.Journey 5:02

06.Shape I?m In 2:29

07.Country Girl 5:44

08.Over The Hill 3:12

09.Duck Sweat 4:04

10.Highway 6:05

Line-up

James Kaminski - Guitar

William Benjamin - Vocals, Drums

James Kaminski - Guitar, Vocals

Guy DeVito - Bass, Vocals

Peter Newland - Vocals, Harmonica

Michael Benson - Guitar

Byzantium - Seasons Changing (2013 Prog Temple) 1973

Biography The final album from Byzantium is a real eclectic mix of sounds, more of a sampler of the various members’ backgrounds and stylistic experiences than any kind of cohesive band effort.

And that’s okay for the most part; the tracks here are all very well arranged, and the production is mostly good. The bass and drums seem to wash out from time to time, but that’s not really all that unusual for heavy rock/prog bands of that time period.

Nico Ramsden had moved on to a career of solo and session work by the time this album was released, replaced by guitarists Jamie Rubenstein and Mike Barakan. Both these guys also contribute vocals throughout, as do the rest of the members except drummer Stephen Corduner.

Their first album is impossible to find, but I’ve heard the second several times and have noted in reviews that it sounds a bit like a cross between Uriah Heep and Wishbone Ash. That’s not quite true of this, the band’s third and final album. The first track maybe, but with a little bit of Edgar Winter prog-blues keyboards thrown in for good measure. The group also shows a definite tendency toward commercial-sounding riffs mixed in with some excellent extended guitar jamming. So the roots of proglike music is here, but these guys were all journeymen musicians looking to make their careers in the business, so they weren’t going to shy away from sounds that might either sell, or at least gain the ear of a record executive. In fact, at least three of these guys left good old England and landed in the Los Angeles music scene after Byzantium’s breakup.

“My Season's changing with the Sun” is a short but interesting three-part vocal harmony number with a simple rhythm and a little syncopated percussion, just the kind of thing that reinforces my opinion that these guys were working out a sound that would gain them a big swing in the popular music business. “Show Me the Way” and “I’ll Always be your Friend” on the other hand sound like a different type of commercial play; specifically, very Jeff Lynne-sounding compositions with lively piano, pop vocals, and a simple beat. “October Andy” is a pleasant enough tune but the production is rather flat on the lower end and it ends up sounding pretty muddled.

The album closes with about twenty minutes of ”Something You Said”, a three-part meandering work that moves from soft blues to early seventies pop to a sort of jazzy slow-tempo section to and extended guitar jam. Very cool, very laid-back, very early seventies. Kind of borders on some of the stuff Santana was doing around the same time, and makes for a great close to an otherwise average album.

A few interesting trivia bits on this lineup: guitarist Mike Barakan would resurface a few years later in Los Angeles as the lead guitarist for the proto-alt.country band Lone Justice (how’s that for a descriptive genre label?). But by then he was (and still is) going by the name Shane Fontayne. I’m not sure which is his real name. Lone Justice of course was a completely Hollywood fabrication compiled around a flurry of hype and promotion, and would have been rather dull were it not for the stellar vocals of a young Maria McKee, sister of Love founder Bryan MacLean. Shortly after Barakan/Fontayne made his westward migration, McKee abandoned Lone Justice and reversed his path, ending up in Ireland and then Germany for a time. To the best of my knowledge she’s still there.

This is not essential prog music, and an argument could be made it isn’t prog at all. But it is an interesting album, probably mostly to real hard-core modern music collectors. As such it is almost by definition a two star album. Not particularly recommended especially since it’s kind of hard to find and not really worth the effort. Enjoy it if you run across it, but don’t try too hard to add it to your collection. Review by ClemofNazareth progarchives.com

Tracklist

01.What A Coincidence 

02.My Season's Changing With The Sun 

03.Show Me The Way 

04.I'll Always Be Your Friend 

05.October Andy 

06.Something You Said - A Trilogy 

- Part 1 (Something You Said) 

- Part 2 (I Can See You) 

- Part 3 (Morning)

Line-up

Robin Lamble - vocal, bass 

Chas Jankel - vocal, guitar, keyboards 

Mike Barakan - vocal, guitar 

Jamie Rubinstein - vocal, guitar 

Steve Corduner  drums 

Guest musicians 

Frank Riccotti - conga, conbassa 

B.J. Cole - pedal steel guitar 

David Hentschel - synthesiser 

Robin Sylvester - synthesiser

Skip Bifferty - Skip Bifferty (2010 Grapefruit Records) 1968

Biography Many genuine psychedelic enthusiasts feel like heading for the hills when the phrase "psychedelic pop" rears its head in reviews, especially when used in connection with British bands of the late '60s one gets sonic images of tinkling harpsichords and trippy pop/rock tunes. Skip Bifferty's self-titled LP is one of the notable exceptions oh, they're cheerfully spaced out, and their music is heavily ornamented with bells, echo, and all manner of sound effects, but at its core, this was a ballsy, hard-playing band that recognized the need for a solid rock & roll base to this kind of music. They might not exactly have been the Rolling Stones but they could have given the Idle Race or the Creation a run for their money. "Guru" is the trippiest number here, a tabla-laden piece of minimalist psychedelia that's all voices chanting and pounding percussion, and it works. "Time Track" is a crunchy, guitar-driven workout with a pleasing (though disjointed) break, and "Gas Board Under Dog" is a cute, comical number that breaks up the mood, while "Orange Lace" is reminiscent of "Pegasus" by the Hollies, a kind of psychedelic lullaby, and it's followed up by the soaring, driving "Planting Bad Seeds," a piece of high-wattage psychedelic punk with a chorus that could have come off of the Move's Shazam album; and "Follow the Path of the Stars" is British psychedelic soul. In all, it's cheerful psychedelia with a hard edge and some great virtuoso playing, pleasingly heavy guitar, soaring choruses, and eerie psych-pop lyrics evoking variant states of mind, somewhat akin to Pink Floyd's early singles laced with the kind of heavy edge that the Creation brought to the genre. The 2001 CD-R reissue features three singles tracks as bonuses, of which two are fairly dire, but the third, "Man in Black," is as good as anything on the original LP. Review by Bruce Eder

Tracklist

01.Money Man 2:55

02.Jeremy Carabine 2:26

03.When She Comes To Stay 2:02

04.Guru 2:46

05.Come Around 2:49

06.Time Track 3:32

07.Gas Board Under Dog 2:21

08.Inside The Secret 3:04

09.Orange Lace 2:34

10.Planting Bad Seeds 2:04

11.Yours For At Least 24 4:07

12.Follow The Path Of The Stars 2:31

13.Prince Germany The First 2:11

14.Clearway 51 2:19

Bonus Track

15.On Love 2:45

16.Cover Girl 2:48

17.Happy Land 2:42

18.Reason To Live 1:45

19.Man In Black 2:45

20.Round And Round 3:46

21.Skizoid Revolution 3:29

22.Jesus Smith(The Other Side Of) 2:23

23.Skizoid Revolution(Alternative Version) 3:28

Line-up

Graham Bell - Vocals

Jon Turnball - Guitar

Micky Gallagher - Keyboards

Colin Gibson - Bass

Tom Jackman - Drums