QUATRAIN
Quatrain
(Tetragrammaton T 5002) 5/69
At its best this is entertaining psychedelic hard rock, with some cool garage grooves, catchy choruses and guitar solos. Winners include the mighty opener ‘Fragments’ (check out the scratchy riff that takes over from the gentle opening), likeable ‘Fields Of Love’, thumping ‘Ask Me No Questions’ and wild ‘The Tree’, but over the course of 12 tracks there isn’t enough variety to sustain interest. (RMJ)

QUICKSILVER MESSENGER SERVICE
Quicksilver Messenger Service
(Capitol ST-2904) 6/68



‘It contains every-thing that’s good about San Fran-cisco rock – accomplished musician-ship, a good understanding of the way the San Francisco sound should be produced, and an infectious feeling that isn’t bogged down in San Francisco dirge. The long tracks, though not as musical as one would hope for from jazz-influenced pieces, never bore and frequently delight. This is a group of four intertwined personalities sounding like one, just be-cause they’ve been wanting to and doing it for a long time’ – Eye, August 1968

Happy Trails
(Capitol ST-120) 3/69
Happy Trails is the most heavily instrumental of all rock (not jazz-rock) classics. The album approaches 50 minutes with barely a couple of minutes of singing at the beginning and end of each side, none of it written by the band. In between are a wide variety of guitar solos, both live and studio-recorded. The long jam concept was a staple of psychedelia at the time, but there’s nothing at all psychedelic about side one, and if there’s a feeling of trippiness on side two, it’s from the shimmering guitar tone (‘Maiden Of The Cancer Moon’ has some of the most stunning moments ever recorded, triumphs of pure sound) and the free-form experimentation on ‘Calvary’. There’s no Country Joe-like sense of altered-consciousness, and, of course, no drugged-out lyrics. I think that the best moments on side two rank with the best guitar-rock by anyone, and there are some real high points on side one as well – but it takes them a while to find themselves on an album that’s a good 17 minutes longer than their debut. I really wish that at this point in their career they’d hired a producer who also happened to be a songwriter (and maybe a singer). They had a masterpiece in them, but without clear-headed guidance and the proper structure for their guitar brilliance, there was no way it was ever going to find its way out. (AM)

THE RASPBERRIES
Fresh
(Capitol ST 611123) 11/72
‘Second LP from the group that hit the top 10 with ‘Go All The Way’ proves another winner. Set leads off with their current single, ‘I Wanna Be With You,” another unpretentious, unabashed rocker that sets the pace for the set - strong lead and harmony vocals and basic but solid musicianship. Three fine singers and writers in Eric Carmen, David Smalley and Wally Bryson help the band’ - Billboard, 25/11/72

They changed their approach a bit for their second album. No more hard rock, no more progressive classical rock, the very bare minimum of orchestration, no long songs. They achieved two modest hits, ‘I Wanna Be With You’ and ‘Let’s Pretend’, both of which are superb, only slightly below ‘Go All The Way’ in quality because they lack its groundbreaking hard rock edge. Nothing else is anywhere near as good, but there are no real duds this time, either (the songs from Carmen’s bandmates are quite a bit better than last time). Unlike the debut, Fresh is a consistently good pop album at a time when virtually nobody else was making music like this. (AM)

THE RATIONALS
The Rationals
(Crewe CR 1334) 1970
‘A brilliant interaction between R&B and contemporary white forms. They have always been more interested in the rhythm than the blues, and their rhythmical range has been expanded to include a wealth of assimilated influences… Probably the finest white R&B group in the country today. Anyone willing to take the initiative to discover this record and this band on their own will not be disappointed. The Rationals, more than any other band I can think of at the present time, are deserving of your effort’ – Circus, August 1970

THE RED KRAYOLA
God Bless The Red Krayola And All Who Sail With It
(International Artists IA LP 7) 1967
This isn’t as overtly psychedelic as Parable Of Arable Land, but it’s just as unfocused. In place of the dense arrangements and extensive guest cast on their debut, God Bless is restrained and skeletal, with a low-key vibe and barely any electric guitar. It has 19 short songs (or fragments thereof), which means nothing outstays its welcome – but nor is anything especially interesting. The lyrics are intermittently arresting, but tunes are absent and the spectre of self-indulgence hovers over it. Unsurprisingly, the most enjoyable tracks are the most fully-realised, such as ‘Dairymaid’s Lament’, ‘Sherlock Holmes’ and ‘The Jewels Of The Madonna’. In 1967 this sort of disjointed, impressionistic album was far from the cliché it has since become. It therefore deserves to be called original – but that doesn’t make it any less scrappy or tedious to listen to. (RMJ)

LOU REED
Metal Machine Music
(RCA APD2-1101) 7/75
This is second to only Jandek in the ‘more interesting to read about than listen to’ sweepstakes. In fact, the various things Reed has said about it over the years – from dismissals and claims that it was serious, to tongue-in-cheek statements that there are classical themes buried in it – rival Dylan’s commentary on Self Portrait as the most purposefully contradictory and confounding assessment of any rock artist’s own work. I have to wonder how RCA actually allowed him to get away with it. Don’t contractual obligations mean that you actually have to release something the label approves? As with any recorded joke, over the years there have been people who have defended and re-assessed it, but the fact is that for three or four minutes it’s reasonably interesting industrial noise that was unwittingly ahead of its time (when in the right mood I do find myself enjoying it in small doses), but it would have been worked best as the B-side of a single. Ah, but then it wouldn’t have become such a legend! Sonic Youth, among others, have used elements of it in their music, but, of course, made something more sensible out of it. Perhaps the most amazing thing about Metal Machine Music is that it sold 10,000 copies. (AM)

THE REMAINS
The Remains
(Epic LN 24214 / BN 26214) 9/66
‘Could be good, could even be much better than good! But they’re too influenced by Dylan. This is mostly apparent in ‘You’ve Got A Hard Time Coming’ and ‘Say You’re Sorry’. They aren’t yet original enough, but I sure hope they’ll become so very quickly’ – Hullabaloo, March 1967

PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS
Midnight Ride
(Columbia CL 2721 / CS 7271) 5/66
Opening with their anti-drug smash ‘Kicks’, this is a considerable improvement on its predecessor. ‘There’s Always Tomorrow’ is especially good, with a great scratchy guitar line running through it and an intense solo, but there are decent guitar parts and a tough attitude on several tracks here. ‘Louie, Go Home’ has a particularly cool guitar solo. There are a couple of dull ballads and a so-so ‘(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone’ (predating The Monkees’ version), meaning it’s no classic, but it’s still one of the most convincing American LPs as of its release date. Sadly, guitarist Drake Levin departed after it was recorded. (RMJ)

WALLY RICHARDSON
Soul Guru
(Prestige PRST 7569) 7/68
An under-heralded guitarist who could twang with the best of them, and covered a lot of territory on his sole album. Soul Guru finds Richardson leading two different groups: a more conventional guitar / piano / bass / drums quartet, and a larger band with combinations of lead guitar, 12-string guitar, clarinet, Fender bass, drums and conga / Israeli drum. The 4-piece performances, unsurprisingly, are more straight-ahead blues instrumentals at varying tempos. ‘Elbow Blues’ is a slower number, and sounds equal parts T-Bone Walker and Albert King. ‘Surf Side Shuffle’ and ‘Square Heels, White Stockings’ will, at the very least, move you to toe-tapping, as Richardson effectively uses the ultra-tight rhythm section as a backdrop for his tasty guitar chops. The large group performances are funkier and more experimental. Both of the ‘Boogaloos’ – ‘Senor’ and ‘Khyber Pass’ – are reminiscent of similar groove-laden material by Grant Green and Ivan ‘Boogaloo Joe’ Jones, the instrumental cover of ‘Monday Monday’ features imaginative guitar overdubbing, while ‘Lonely Rider’ (an interpretation of a piece from the soundtrack of the Charlton Heston Western Will Penny) finds Richardson unexpectedly producing an impressive sitar-like sound from his instrument. The Indian and Middle Eastern-infused title track, again featuring that wonderful sitar-esque guitar and sounding like a Sandy Bull / Quicksilver hybrid, ranks among the finest examples of raga-rock that you’ll find on any record from the late 1960s. (SDW)

RICH MOUNTAIN TOWER
Rich Mountain Tower
(Ovation SHO 8427)‏ 9/71
Hard to pin down, this Tennessee band mixes country-rock musings (in the style of the Dead or Mountain Bus) with progressive experiments that occasionally recall a better-tutored Majic Ship, or even Elton John. Side one flies out of the traps with scorching opener ‘Uncle Bob White’, with furiously strummed acoustic guitars, tambourine and the best harmonica playing this side of Stevie Wonder. ‘Thank You, Maggie’ ain’t bad either, with its considered melody and subtle electronics. ‘Our Passage Home’, which closes the side, is also noteworthy, mining a truly progressive seam with its McCartney-style bass lines, time-changes, acid guitar and strings. The album is less interesting on the generic country-rock numbers, and I’d like to have heard more of the electronica that graces ‘Song Of The Sea’, for instance, but this is certainly a grower. Perhaps the strangest thing about the record is the fact it features a male lead singer called Dana; one can only imagine the ribbing he got in the playground. (DS)

RIVERSON
Riverson
(Columbia ES 90136) 1/73 [Canada only]



Among the five or so best albums to emerge from Canada in this period, Riverson’s sole LP blends rural rock of the Neil Young school with first-rate songwriting and perfectly-judged instrumental performances. Highlights including the poignant, catchy single ‘Clear Night’ (which should have been a worldwide hit) and a powerful cover of ‘Eleanor Rigby’, but there are no real weak points. Unsurprisingly, this is an expensive and sought-after LP, even though they enjoyed some minor chart success in Canada at the time. Most (if not all) copies have a pressing fault during ‘Take Me’ at the end of side one, causing the needle to stick. This makes it even more of a crying shame that the disc has never been reissued. Franki Hart had previously been a member of Freedom North, whilst Rayburn Blake and Brian Edwards was ex-Mashmakhan. (RF)

ROGER RODIER
Upon Velveatur
(Columbia ES 90065, with booklet) 10/72 [Canada only]



This enigmatic singer-songwriter peers out of his sole LP’s sleeve like a stoned hobbit, and his songs perfectly complement the image. Upon Velveatur largely consists of lush ballads whose weird edges aren’t immediately apparent. There’s a compelling elegance and control to the sound of the record (and his singing), and his inscrutable lyrics frequently bring the listener up short. There are unexpected musical flourishes, too, such as the burst of theremin on ‘My Spirit’s Calling’ and awesome electric guitar / phasing on ‘Am I Supposed To Let It By Again?’. But the album’s masterstroke is the intense and freaky ‘While My Castle’s Burning’, a very bad trip indeed, on which Rodier’s frightened voice cries out against relentless, jagged electric guitar. In keeping with Canadian Columbia’s commercially suicidal attitude towards obscure local artists, this record came armed with a 20-page booklet, featuring Rodier’s lyrics transcribed in his unique runic hand. (RMJ)

ROTARY CONNECTION
Aladdin
(Cadet Concept LPS 317) 10/68
Second time round they eschewed covers and embraced a more mainstream rock sound, though the arrangements still feature prominent horns and strings. There are numerous highlights – opener ‘Life Could’ marries heavy psychedelic guitar to a fat beat and blaring horns, ‘Teach Me How To Fly’ is irresistible, twitchy pop with squalling electronics, the title track is melodic and funky, ‘I Took A Ride (Caravan)’ rides a heavy Eastern groove to powerful, progressive effect, and ‘I Feel Sorry’ has some tough distorted guitar. The result is more coherent in sound and mood than their debut, and more satisfying. One complaint, though: given that Riperton had one of the largest vocal ranges in pop, it’s a shame she’s featured so sparingly. (RMJ)

THE RUBBER BAND
The Cream Songbook
(GRT 10000) 1969
Overseen by Michael Lloyd (whose involvement in albums by The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, The Smoke and October Country indicate that he should have known better), this is a totally unnecessary collection of cheesy Cream covers, including a string orchestra and organ. If you though Ginger Baker’s solos were self-indulgent, wait till you hear them imitated by a third-rate drummer – you’ll be tearing your hair out. Want more? They also did an album of Hendrix covers that’s marginally better, and albums of Beatles and Doors covers, which may well be marginally worse. The same musicians also conspired to produce a Creedence covers set as The Waterfall. (JMG)

TODD RUNDGREN
Runt
(Ampex 10105) 1970



Rundgren’s first ‘solo’ album (Runt was a band of sorts, featuring the Sales brothers, but they’re his backing band, not a genuine collaborative group) finds him in a playful mood, retaining surprisingly little of Nazz’s psychedelic sound. The songs range from pure pop and blues-rock to soulful piano singer-songwriter music and old-fashioned upbeat rock and roll. It’s a solid batch of tunes, and even got him a hit with the ridiculously sexist ‘We Gotta Get You A Woman’ (‘They may be stupid, but they sure are fun’ puts him in rarified territory even in the context of rock and roll). While Runt doesn’t anticipate the outrageous directions he’d take a few years later, it does show that right from the start he had no fear of putting together an eclectic, wildly divergent set of songs, a strategy that works fine so long as the quality is high, as it is here. He would soon make more challenging records with higher high points, but Runt is as consistently good as any Rundgren album from any era. Note: Ampex mistakenly pressed 5000 copies of a rejected 12-song master of the album, and distributed it along with the official copies. The sleeves are the same, but these copies can easily be identified by looking at the grooves. They not only contain two new songs, but also alternate mixes of some of the others. Most collectors don’t know this, but the mistake was actually the second pressing of the LP, so these alternate versions are stock store copies, not promos. (AM)

SAINT STEVEN
Saint Steven
(Probe CPLP 4506) 7/69
‘Some performers are given record dates before they are ready (in some cases they might never be ready). Saint Steven? Is it a group or a single performer (a singer-guitarist)? The liner copy is no help. However, the pictures would indicate that Saint Steven is a lone musician backed by a studio combo. No matter. He tries to be hip by incorporating animal sounds and noise, but comes out sounding like a modern-day version of Ricky Nelson-gets-social-consciousness. Forget it’ – Jazz & Pop, January 1970

SANTANA
Caravanserai
(Columbia KC 31610) 11/72
The opening bird noises and nature sound effects sound a warning bell: this is the LP on which Carlos finally ate the whole mystical / spiritual hog. The song titles (‘Eternal Caravan Of Reincarnation’, ‘Waves Within’, ‘Song Of The Wind’ etc) paint the picture perfectly. There are no vocals until a mercifully brief offering from Greg Rolie towards the end of side one, and the madcap percussion on side two sounds like an explosion in a saucepan factory. It’s almost as if Carlos had to send the poor listener to purgatory as part of his quest for nirvana. The album is utterly stuck in its time, and hideous throughout. As someone who rates Abraxas as one of the finest albums of the period, these are hard words to write. (GH)

THE SAVAGE RESURRECTION
The Savage Resurrection
(Mercury MG 21156 / SR 61156) 3/68



‘If San Francisco’s so-called ‘heavy’ groups are your scene, then you’ll like this first album by The Savage Resurrection. With touches of Hendrix and The Cream to reinforce the native West Coast sound, the group pound their music into the listener’s head’ – Go, 12/4/68

Very near the top of the heap for major label acid rock, with vicious twin leads from youthful axemen Randy Hammon and John Palmer on ace tracks like the snarling ‘Thing In E’ (chorus: “My world’s better than your world”) and irresistible ‘Fox Is Sick’. They slow things down effectively on the Eastern-tinged ‘Tahitian Melody’ and ominous ‘Someone’s Changing’, and things only really flag on the overlong blues workout ‘Jammin’’. There’s a lot of punk energy on the LP, and anyone who’s into heavy psychedelic guitar will feast on it. Most stock copies have considerable surface noise, so blue-label promos are preferable. (RMJ)

BOZ SCAGGS
Boz
(Polydor International LPHM 46253) 1965 [Sweden only]
Recorded almost by accident when the young and obscure Scaggs was busking around Europe and happened to catch the ear of the right person in Stockholm, this is a possibly unique example of a future star being recorded as a nascent hopeful. It consists of guitar-and-harmonica covers of folk and blues chestnuts, including ‘Girl From The North Country’, ‘Stormy Monday Blues’ and ‘CC Rider’, as well as renditions of ‘Gangster Of Love’ and ‘You’re So Fine’, which both cropped up on The Steve Miller Band’s Sailor three years later (Miller is referred to on the back cover as Scaggs’s ‘best friend and teacher’). The album was recorded in a single session on September 30th 1965, only appeared in Sweden, and has never been reissued. For serious fans, Scaggs also recorded a rare 45 in Sweden with local band The Merrymen, ‘Searchin’’ / ‘Understand’, on the Karussell label. (RMJ)

SCORPION
Scorpion
(Tower ST 5171) 1969
An enjoyable mixture of soul, rock and funk, with the odd Hendrix / psychedelic influence. Tracks like ‘Please Make My Mind Right’ and ‘Happy Blues Time’ would have graced any number of Blaxploitation movies from the period, and it’s not hard to envisage Richard Roundtree burning rubber as the record spins. The playing is tight, with some nice wah-wah guitar, and the group hit solid grooves while rocking out. ‘Running by Myself’ and ‘Wildflower’ are perhaps the funkiest things here, and whilst hardly Funkadelic, both are good to play when driving. This isn’t music to analyse; its energy and rhythm come from the heart and soul, and if you like period Temptations, early Funkadelic and Hendrix you’ll just slap it on and ‘do your own thing’. (SC)

THE SEEDS
A Web Of Sound
(GNP Crescendo 2033) 9/66
As good an advert for Los Angeles garage psych as you’ll find, with a sound that’s trippier, funkier and shinier than the debut. If you can imagine The Doors on laughing gas, you’ll get close to what’s on offer here. The album spans terrific dancefloor pop-punkers like ‘Tripmaker’ and ‘Pictures And Designs’, complete with slide and fuzz guitars which buzz like wasps above the grinding two chord riffs, as well as the mentalist repetition of closer ‘Up In Her Room’, The Seeds’ very own ‘Sister Ray’ or ‘Goin’ Home’. They also explore fabulous pastoral tones on opener ‘Mr Farmer’, with a keyboard sound straight out of the Floyd’s ‘Scarecrow’, loose drumming and Sky Saxon drawing out the word ‘crops’ in the chorus, to create a sound not unlike a cool breeze whistling through some heavy, sticky buds in Laurel Canyon. This sense of elasticity is also explored within the great funk of ‘Just Let Go’, which nails a sound similar to fellow LA brethren Darius or Damon. Sky’s vocals are also top-notch throughout: quivering, ancient, girly and macho all at once, like Roky Erickson on poppers. It’s a mystery why this band were never bigger. (DS)

THE BOB SEGER SYSTEM
Noah
(Capitol ST 236) 9/69
There are conflicting stories about this oddity, on which Seger splits songwriting and singing duties with one Tom Neme. Whether Neme joined the band because Capitol thought he would add commerciality (one story) or because Seger had a breakdown of sorts and wasn’t up to carrying the load for a full album at this time (the more likely story, corroborated many years later by Neme), Seger was unhappy with the result, and actually briefly quit the music business after its release. If it was a marketing ploy by Capitol, it failed miserably: the album didn’t chart. As you might expect, Noah is a pretty strange and disjointed mix of songs, with some rockers in Seger’s usual style, some soulful but surprisingly poppy songs that are totally out of character, some light psychedelia, and the weirdest (and maybe worst) song Seger ever recorded, the 6-minute percussion-and-random-vocal freakout ‘Cat’. The title song is an unexpected (and catchy) mix of Beatlesque pop and ‘Yakety Sax’, and actually sounds like it could have been a hit. Other highlights include the hard rocking ‘Innervenus Eyes’ and the remarkably bleak closer, ‘Death Row’, which sounds more like Seger’s early non-LP singles (or a lost Pebbles-style acid punk song) than anything else on any of his LPs. (It was the B-side of the previous album’s ‘2+2 = ?’, so it was certainly recorded before anything else on Noah.) The songs with Neme on lead are OK, but not only do they sound out of place, it just doesn’t make sense to under-use a singer as powerful as Seger. Seger has made sure that there will be no legitimate re-release of Noah (and also Brand New Morning) as long as he has any say over it, so even though it’s probably the weakest (and definitely the most inconsistent) of his early albums, it has become quite collectable. (AM)

DEL SHANNON
The Further Adventures Of Charles Westover
(Liberty LST 7539) 2/68
Another example of a pre-beat popster wrestling with current trends and coming up trumps. Shannon had recorded an (unreleased) LP’s worth of tunes in the UK with Andrew Oldham by the time he undertook the sessions that became this LP, so he already knew where the boundaries were (or weren’t). Even so, he takes this to another place: a curiously sinister aura pervades these songs. ‘Silver Birch’ in particular has a near-malevolent air about it, and even the more commercial cuts (‘Gemini’ was the lead 45) have a sense of forboding, transforming what could have been a throwaway psych cash-in into the genuine article. (HW)

JUDEE SILL
Heart Food
(Asylum SD 5063, with attached booklet ) 3/73
‘This is the much anticipated second album from Ms. Sill. In this one she not only sings, plays, and writes everything, she also co-produces (with engineer Henry Lewy) and even orchestrates and conducts. It would be difficult to make a more personal statement… Yet there is something passive about this new set. Good as Ms. Sill is, I’m a bit disappointed that she has not taken all that musicality into a new space. Nowhere is there a new harmonic notion… The most interesting track is ‘The Donor’, featuring a long, loose and heartfelt ‘Kyrie eleison’ passage… One lyric, ‘When The Bridegroom Comes’, is written by David Omer Bearden, to whom the album is dedicated. One of them must be giving the other lessons, for they both write in the same passive, private way, speaking to each other and to God more than to us out here. In her orchestrations. Ms. Sill’s musical instincts are impeccable as always… Congratulations to her for taking on the challenge of orchestration, almost a no-woman’s land in record-ing. I look forward to hearing what Ms. Sill writes once she has a real working knowledge of the instruments of an orchestra. She already has everything else. Heart Food is an honest, earnest album. It is rich with taste and talent, even if it is a bit timid. Let’s wait for the next set, the one in which Judee Sill really cuts loose’ – High Fidelity, September 1973

SILVER APPLES
Contact
(Kapp KS 3584) 11/68



‘Silver Apples jet into the nether-nether land of psychedelic, electronic-inspired musical tricks of tomorrow. Don’t run away! Stay right there and suffer along with me… You need to be on a trip to get the most out of it. Stone cold sober and without the benefit of even an antihistamine tablet, it’s a bit puzzling… Fact 1: you can’t dance to Silver Apples. Fact 2: you can’t listen to Silver Apples without experiencing an overwhelming impulse to break the record into several thousand pieces. Fact 3: Silver Apples drives cats and dogs bananas, so if you have pets don’t play the record unless you want them to be unhappy’ – Stereo Review, June 1969

SIMON & GARFUNKEL
Bridge Over Troubled Water
(Columbia 9914) 1/70
‘Simon & Garfunkel have made some profound allegorical statements in the past, such as ‘Seven O’clock News’, ‘A Poem On The Underground Wall’ and ‘Save The Life Of My Child’. This album, however, is full of wayward at-tempts at allegory which fail for a kaleidoscope of reasons… S&G even botch their ‘lovelorn’ effort this time out. In the past they have always managed to in elude one effective chick-oriented ballad – from ‘Kathy’s Song’ to ‘April Come She Will’ to ‘For Emily’ – but here we have only ‘Cecilia’, full of chorusing, hand-clapping and sounding too much like a Sonny & Cher effort to let even a little S&G slip through. But that’s all the bum-rapping I can do – the rest of the cuts are really commendable and worth the album price… An album of ups and downs. An album of excesses and a few in-roads that somehow manages to keep its head above water even with the profundity of abortive ‘messages’ and over-orchestrations that plague it’ – Fusion, 3/4/70

FRANK SINATRA
Watertown
(Reprise 1031) 1970
So why is there a review of a Frank Sinatra LP here? The story goes that Sinatra heard The Four Seasons’ Genuine Imitation Life Gazette, liked what he heard, and invited the composers of said magnum opus to work with him on his next project. The writers concerned – Jake Holmes and Bob Gaudio – constructed a thematically linked set of songs detailing the life of a small-town guy whose wife has abandoned him with his children. One can certainly hear parallels between Watertown and some of Sinatra’s earlier work; Only The Lonely, maybe, or No One Cares. This was the man who invented the concept album, after all. But Watertown took it to the next level; the album might as well have been a soundtrack to a stage musical (a TV special was in fact planned), so precise is its storyline. Lyrically, the homely yet stark realism reminds me of David Ackles’ best work. Sinatra could have been out of his depth in a musical setting such as this, but he’s right on the money throughout, apparently adapting little to the times, yet singing with real empathy. Even the occasional hesitation in his voice seems to lend the protagonist an extra layer of humanity. And the desolate finale kills me every time. (HW)

SIR LORD BALTIMORE
Kingdom Come
(Mercury 61328) 12/70



‘This album is a crusher… It’s a far cry from the currently prevalent Grand Funk sludge, because Sir Lord Baltimore seems to have down pat most all the best heavy metal tricks in the book. Precisely, they sound like a mix between the uptempo noiseblasts of Led Zeppelin (instrumentally) and singing that’s like an unending Johnny Winter shriek… No slow blooze for these guys… If you’re going to listen to heavy music, why listen to leaden, plodding slop like Free and Grand Funk when you can have classic slug-you-in-the-gut, knock-your-brains-out efforts like Led Zeppelin II or this album? Really. Buy Kingdom Come by Sir Lord Baltimore, and be the first on your block to have your brains blown out’ – Creem, May 1971

BOB SMITH
The Visit
(Kent KST 551, with poster) 11/70
An excellent album – but not one that I’ve ever been able to listen to in one sitting. It’s not even a solo album proper, as he’s backed by eight musicians. The music is mainly instrumental, with a mystical, shimmering psychedelic haze. It covers pop, hard rock, psych, jazz and free-form experimentation. It also has some nice bluesy tracks, such as ‘Source Your Blues’ and ‘Sunlight Sweet’. Smith, a damn good guitarist, takes everything in his stride. Highlights: ‘Can You Jump Rope?’, a hard rocker with percussion and a weird time-signature; ‘Please’, a mid-tempo ballad with a distinctly lysergic edge, whose harmonies sound like The Cyrkle on an acid trip; ‘Ocean Song’, a superlative jazz piece. Smith and his group weren’t afraid to experiment with styles and instruments. My biggest bugbear is the long experimental instrumental jam ‘Indian Summer’, but even that has its moments, if you’re in the right mood. For a double album, there are three solid sides and one that’s so-so – a pretty good average. Copies retaining the huge psychedelic poster (which must have cost a fortune to print) are especially sought-after. (SC)

KATHY SMITH
Some Songs I’ve Saved
(Stormy Forest SFS 6003) 12/70
The enigmatic Kathleen Smith was part of the same late-60s Topanga Canyon set as Linda Ronstadt, The Gentle Soul, Tim Buckley, Jackson Browne and others, but she came late to the recording studio, and has been largely forgotten. This is a shame, as Some Songs I’ve Saved is a classic, consistently blending strong melodies with intriguing arrangements, striking lyrics and powerful, Judy Collins-inspired singing. My particular favourite is Polland’s ‘A Vision Of Two Saints’, but Smith’s ‘Topanga’, ‘Same Old Lady’ and ‘Russel: Gemeni II’ are brilliant too, and she hits an incredible emotional peak on Jimmie Spheeris’s ‘Blackbird And The Pearl’. Some songs are concise, some seem to drift, but all are tightly controlled and structured, with world-class backing from serious jazz and folk musicians who were clearly committed to the project, not just watching the clock. Almost every female singer-songwriter of the late 60s / early 70s gets lazily compared to Joni Mitchell, but Smith is entirely her own person. Forget male or female – this is unequivocally one of the best singer-songwriter albums of its time. (RMJ)

THE SMOKE
The Smoke
(Sidewalk / Tower ST 5912) 4/68
‘The Smoke, a new group with a well-controlled electronic sound and easy harmony, feature an assortment of tunes that touch lightly and rhythmically on the senses, uncluttered by gimmicks or other psychedelic tricks. ‘Gold Is The Color Of Thought’ (with its own changes of pace), ‘The Hobbit Symphony’ (an electronic instrumental) and ‘Song Thru Perception’ mark this LP with merit and surefire chart potential’ – Billboard, 13/4/68

SNOW
Snow
(Epic BN 26435) 3/69
‘Since Snow is a group of five kids (to judge from their youthful shadowy faces on the cover), why must they be reminiscing already? But then I keep forgetting that it is really only the young who are sentimental over hound dogs, barn doors, first kisses and – get this – their very first trips on LSD. To compound their crying over yesterday’s still-freshly spilt milk, they do it with sitars and plugged-in instruments all thundering that dreadful monotonous beat of the Orient… This album proves that these five little nightmares may have gotten out of the second grade and into Biology I, but they are emotional drop-outs and musical cop-outs, relying on volume and a passing electronic fancy. I’m sure their next album (God forbid) will wax sentimental about the passing of the Moog synthesizer’ – Stereo Review, June 1969

SPACE OPERA
Space Opera
(Columbia KE 32117, with insert) 1972 [Canada]
‘Space Opera is David Bullock, Scott Fraser, Phil White and Brett Wilson in just about equal proportions. Their approach to music is as original as the music they create. David, Scott and Phil provide vocals in all possible combinations, and are the writers for the group. A typical concert performance finds them switching frequently to various configurations of the multitude of instruments they own and play. Their music is complex, executed so smoothly as to seem almost effortlessly simple, and now – after two and a half months of work at Manta Studios in Toronto – their dream has materialized’ – Columbia press release, Autumn 1972

ALEXANDER SPENCE
Oar
(Columbia CS 9831) 6/69



‘The word solo never had more meaning, as Spence wrote, arranged, played all the instruments, sang and produced everything on the album… Oar is sometimes inaudible, largely implausible and only partly enjoyable. His voice is gruff and the musicianship is sloppy, which supposedly makes the album a free-form work, but somehow it doesn’t quite work. After a few listenings, cuts like ‘Little Hands’ and ‘Diana’ begin to have meaning, and lead us to believe that Spence can come up with something worthwhile, but he may have overestimated his own virtuosity on Oar. The record is good in its intention, if not the result, and should be noted as a commendable effort’ – Circus, September 1969

SPIRIT
The Family That Plays Together
(Ode Z12 44014) 12/68
‘Spirit hangs together a lot better now, and has very few loose ends left dangling. This second album is much more cohesive than their first, probably because it is a second album. In songs as ‘Gramophone Man’ from the first album, it seemed as if they had recorded jazz breaks separately and then inserted them into a number of songs with-out regard for any sense of unity or mood. In The Family That Plays Together, integration has been accomplished by reducing the jazz elements to a minimum. Except for such more-pop-than-jazz-oriented things as ‘It Shall Be’, it is very nearly an all-rock album… It almost seems that in giving up experimentation, Spirit has also lost much of its originality… This is not a bad album; ‘She Smiled’ is very pretty and ‘Darlin’ If’ is wonderful, but I don’t really see any growth between this album and the first’ – Jazz & Pop, April / May 1969

The Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus
(Epic KE 30267) 11/70
‘Spirit sure has lost something. They were a tight, well-rehearsed West-Coast rock band that had just enough feeling for jazz to raise their music well above the ordinary. Now they appear to have been led down the garden path of commercialism. The jazz feeling is dissipated, replaced by a vaguely eclectic hard-rock feeling that sacrifices the group’s uniqueness. Too bad. What’s spirit without a little soul?’ – Stereo Review, June 1971

SRC
Milestones
(Capitol ST 134) 3/69
‘SRC is a group from Detroit (where this al-bum was recorded) with a sound that stays pretty much the same throughout this record-ing. That sound is moderately psychedelic and reminiscent of three or four years ago, when the whole psychedelic thing started (yes, it was that short a time ago). With the exception of ‘Bolero’, the SRC has written all the material on this disc; some of it is quite good (‘No Secret Destination’ and ‘Turn Into Love’). In general their composing efforts are superior to their performances, which tend to be rather self-resembling. Whether this is owing to an attempt to create a specific image for the group or simply that this is the only way they can perform is a question that I can’t answer. I can tell you, though, that it makes for some monotonous listening’ – Stereo Review, September 1969

Traveler’s Tale
(Capitol SKAO 273) 3/70
‘The SRC has its roots in two classic Detroit bands, The Chosen Few (who, with the MC5 opened the Grande Ball-room in October 1966) and The Fugitives, who did some local recording on the Hideout label… The SRC are an excellent rock and roll band too, and the only flaw in this album is the last song, a wimpy fantasy moan called ‘The Offering’, which deserves only to be offed, and is offed by the rest of the music on the record... This music is hardcore representative Detroit / Ann Arbor music, and they’re more powerful in person too’ – Jazz & Pop, November 1970

STAINED GLASS
Aurora
(Capitol ST 242) 6/69
‘A likable trio who have taken some of the Springfield’s basic instrumental riffs, pulled off several precise vocal imitations of them, and served it all up as the shiny trimmings on a somewhat lumpy porridge of clichés, current and classic… This is a fine album, essayed for the most part with comfortably-rocking ease and assurance – good ephemeral listening, if you don’t expect too much’ – Rolling Stone, 7/2/70

With new lead guitarist Tom Bryant, this is in a looser, more jamming style, and doesn’t sound like the work of the band that made Crazy Horse Roads. The languid ‘Getting On’s Getting Rough’ is a strong start, but thereafter it’s less distinctive, and there are few hooks. The ethereal ‘Inca Treasure’ is quite appealing, and ‘The Kibitzer’ is a funky number with some decent interplay, but much of the material is pretty anonymous. A disappointment. (RMJ)

STEPPENWOLF
For Ladies Only
(ABC Dunhill DSX 50110) 10/71
Their sixth studio LP in two and a half years (!) would be the last from their initial period. Only ‘Ride With Me’ matches anything from their first three albums; otherwise it’s tired MOR, with a sexist flavour. (GH)

THE STOOGES
The Stooges
(Elektra EKS 74051) 7/69



‘The Stooges are supposedly Ann Arbor’s answer to the MC5 – another hard rock band that plays music with some kind of political import. This is supposedly the music of revolution. Well, if being told over and over for 4 minutes that ‘It’s 1969, baby’ is your idea of a political statement, there may be something in this album for you. All I can hear is crude, repetitious, extremely dull material, no-talent instrumentalists and a pretentious, no-voice singer. The 10-minute ‘We Will Fall’, a constantly-repeated chant with some kind of mutterings by the lead singer (including several minutes of ‘goodbye’ at the end), is undoubtedly the worst rock track I have ever heard. In fact, I have little hesitation in nominating this as the worst album of the season. Ann Arbor should have kept its mouth shut’ – American Record Guide, April 1970

Fun House
(Elektra 74071) 7/70
‘The Stooges were the first young American group to acknowledge the influence of the Velvet Underground – and it shows heavily in their second album. The early Velvets had the good sense to realize that, whatever your capabilities, music with a simple base was the best… The Stooges started out not being able to do anything else but play rock-bottom simple – they formed the concept of the band before half of them knew how to play, which figures… The Stooges’ music comes out of a primal illiterate chaos gradually taking shape as a uniquely personal style, emerges from a tradition of American music that runs from the primordial woolly rags of backwoods bands up to the magic promise eternally made and occasionally fulfilled by rock: that a band can start out bone-primitive, untutored and uncertain, and evolve into a powerful and eloquent ensemble’ – Creem, December 1970

Raw Power
(Columbia KC 32111, with inner) 2/73
‘Probably the strongest effort yet from this powerful rock band. Nobody has ever accused Iggy Pop of possessing a good voice, but he does have one of the most maniacal voices in rock, and The Stooges, with James Williamson now handling lead guitar, are much improved as a band over their last album some two years ago. Though an extremely visual act, the band manages to push their brand of deviant rock well on disk’ – Billboard, 31/3/73

THE STRAWBERRY ALARM CLOCK
Wake Up… It’s Tomorrow
(Uni 73025) 6/68
‘This long-awaited second album should move strongly into the top ten, as did their Incense & Peppermints LP, because it shows how advanced and creative the SAC are, both musically and lyrically. Side two, especially, offers provocative excitement from first cut to last. All instrumentation was done solely by The Strawberry Alarm Clock, which serves as another testament to their musicianship and creativity’ – Go, 28/6/68

Second time around they nailed it. This is one of the best pop-psych records of the decade, full of mellow guitar tones, vocal harmonies and oddball songs, with vibraphones, sitar and fuzz guitar floating in and out of the mix. Everything is self-penned, and the standard is consistently high. Opener ‘Nightmare Of Percussion’ is kitsch psych of the first order, and much further-out than anything on their debut. Thereafter the LP spans dainty pop (‘Soft Skies, No Lies’, ‘Pretty Song From Psych-Out’), mellow psychedelia (‘Tomorrow’), gorgeous acid balladry (‘They Saw The Fat One Coming’) and trippy pop (‘Sit With The Guru’), before concluding with ‘Black Butter, Past’, ‘Black Butter, Present’ and ‘Black Butter, Future’. These boast fine electric guitar, sitar and a spaced-out vibe, but are a trilogy only in name. All in all, it’s hard to imagine anyone who enjoys 60s music not getting a kick out of this fine LP. (RMJ)

JAMES TAYLOR
Sweet Baby James
(Warner Bros. 1843, with insert) 2/70



‘After making an unsuccessful first disc, this young songwriter-guitarist seems to be hitting his stride. His voice is instantly recognizable, an eagle’s cry in the mechanical wilderness of so much contemporary rock music. And the songs are buoyed along on the clean cool air of originality – a touch of the blues, a trace of country music, even bits and snatches of jazz... Only on his occasional attempt to simulate a black-blues style does Taylor get in beyond his depth’ – Stereo Review, August 1970

THE TEA COMPANY
Come And Have Some Tea With…
(Smash SRS 67105) 6/68
‘This young quartet makes its disc debut with a program relying highly on amplified and electronic sounds. The Tea Company’s almost overpowering versions of such extended cuts as ‘Flowers’ and ‘You Keep Me Hangin’ On’ should win favor with youthful consumers digging the electronic sound’ – Billboard, 29/6/68

The title and silly cover suggest this is going to be a cheapo cash-in, but in fact it’s one of the more truly psychedelic rock albums of the era. There are few conventional songs. Instead, they use most tracks as vehicles for trippy experimentation, with spacey vocals, woozy production effects (especially plentiful echo), discordant acid guitar and so forth. The centrepiece is the 10 minutes-plus of ‘Flowers’, which must have been truly overwhelming in performance. Their 9-minute version of ‘You Keep Me Hangin’ On’ is cool, too, while ‘Love Could Make The World Go Round’ features a spoken rant by leader Frankie Carr, as a disembodied voice in the background chants the chorus to ‘All You Need Is Love’ against soft psych backing. Sure, it’s a bit self-indulgent – but that’s the late 60s for you. Recommended to adventurous heads everywhere. (RMJ)

PETER TESSIER
By Turning A Knob…
(Columbia ES 90202) 1973 [Canada only]
‘More a poet than a musician, Tessier presents an interlocking framework of poems expressing a variety of moods, providing them with an interesting but relatively unimportant rock accompaniment. Appeal will be limited, but the record is good of its kind’ – Ontario Library Review, 1975

As his album’s title and the song ‘Hey Mister Engineer’ imply, Peter (or ‘Pierre’) Tessier was a sound engineer, and worked with Canadian acts such as Life, Robert E. Lee Brigade, Morse Code and Melchior Alias. Spanning ballads and straight pop, By Turning A Knob is an appealing singer-songwriter effort, with full band backing, spacey vocals and some philosophical lyrics (“if God did not exist, would we be here to invent him?” he muses on opener ‘I Cannot Know’, which pops up a couple more times later in the disc). There’s fuzz on ‘Try With Your Heart’, and ‘The Rain On The Brain’ is fairly far-out, but by and large the sound isn’t psychedelic, and his songs are pretty simple and likeable. My favourite is the touching ‘Why Are Old Folks Always Left Alone?’. The album has sold for well over $500, and is one of the rarest Canadian LPs. Tessier was from Quebec, but the album is sung in English. (RMJ)

THE 13th FLOOR ELEVATORS
The Psychedelic Sounds Of…
(International Artists IALP 1) 11/66
‘Psychedelic sounds abound in this powerful rock LP, which serves as a debut for the new group. Their single hit ‘You’re Gonna Miss Me’ and ‘Reverberation (Doubt)’ are the sales leaders, and the album should quickly establish them on the LP chart. The numbers are all new and spotlight the group in many facets’ – Billboard, 21/1/67

‘Psychedelic is a misnomer for the music of The 13th Floor Elevators. Their music is fairly unique, if not always appealing. The material on this LP varies in quality. There is a lot of reverb and neon stuff, there’s also some very solid rock. ‘You’re Gonna Miss Me’ is probably the strongest cut, but the blues-tinged ‘Tried To Hide’ comes off well… Their second single, ‘Reverberation’, is included, and remains a very competent attempt. The softer numbers are handled especially well; the instrumental / chorus arrangement on ‘Splash 1’ is fascinating, and ‘Don’t Fall Down’ drones incessantly, a very catchy melody. If you’ve dug the Elevators in person, you should enjoy the LP. The mixing and general production, while not perfect by any means, do recreate the group’s sound quite well… The Elevators aren’t that interesting yet’ – Mojo Navigator #13, 4/67

T.I.M.E
T.I.M.E
(Liberty LST 7558) 1968



A terrific early psych album, somewhere between garage rock and popsike. The songs are catchy and memorable (and they grow on you), the production is clever and surprising, and it’s full of could-have-been-hits. It’s like listening to a really solid Nuggets-style compilation. One of the very best of its kind. Cool die-cut cover, too. Dumb band name, though (it stands for ‘trust in men everywhere’). (AM)

TROYKA
Troyka
(Cotillion SD 9020) 1/70 [Canada]
‘Troyka is being billed as the first Russian rock band. Actually it’s probably our closest approach yet to the pure irritation of latin jazz at its worst. The vocals are clumsy and utterly spiritless, the guitar solos know not where they wend, the arrangements are strictly third-grader stuff. And the drumming, Jesus, it’s like a sadistic German cuckoo clock’ – Rolling Stone, 14/5/70

THE TURTLES
Battle Of The Bands
(White Whale WWS 7118) 10/68
The world’s first post-modern pop LP? I can’t think of too many precedents for this album, which sees The Turtles take on the guise of 12 different acts – one for each track – and gently take a pop at each genre in which they dabble. No one’s safe; rock n’ roll, bluegrass, psychedelia, country; the band even parody themselves in the ‘Happy Together’-alike ‘Elenore’ (“You’re my pride and joy, etcetera”, they chorus) and in ‘Surfer Dan’, a neat pastiche of their earlier incarnation as The Crossfires. As a deliberate attempt to gain a more credible, underground audience, it’s a crafty idea, way ahead of its time, and one which is by and large successful. However, there’s an over-arching air of smartass about Battle Of The Bands, and sometimes I’m left with the feeling that it’s me that’s being mocked for enjoying the LP as ‘merely’ a collection of great songs – as if that’s not enough – rather than appreciating it as a wry comment on the pop machine. It’s not surprising Flo & Eddie got on so well with Zappa. (HW)

ULTIMATE SPINACH
Ultimate Spinach
(MGM SE-4518) 2/68



‘Ultimate Spinach’s sales disprove the old adage that you can’t hype a bad record. Their leader, Ian Bruce-Douglas, who spent 12 years studying music, has decided that his group’s task is to change the face of contemporary music. He writes the songs, arranges them and even writes the liner notes… His chief theme appears to be a simultaneous put-down of plastic America and of the alternatives – hippies and flower children. He fails at this rather formidable task mainly because of a lack of humor and an overwhelming sense of importance. There aren’t many people who could succeed, except of course Frank Zappa (who can do anything). Bruce-Douglas makes up in part for his lyrical ineptness with good strong melody lines in most of the songs; the best cut on the album is an instrumental, ‘Sacrifice To The Moon’. Unfortunately, the group is not up to playing the songs, and the rhythm section sounds like they learned to play by listening to old Bill Haley records: in the longest cut, ‘(Ballad Of The) Hip Death Goddess’, their redundant patterns destroy the piece… Their biggest problem, apart from their lack of tightness, is their inflated self-image. If they are ever to survive, the Spinach need to come off it’ – Jazz & Pop, June 1968

THE UNFOLDING
How To Blow Your Mind And Have A Freak-Out Party
(Audio Fidelity AFSD 6184, with insert) 1967
‘There’s a certain type of album that no self-respecting rock fan would think of buying – anything with a title like How To Blow Your Mind And Have A Freak-Out Party, for instance. Well, there is an album by that name, and it’s not bad at all. It was done in less than 9 hours of studio time by a group called The Un-folding, headed by composer David Dalton and producer Chris Huston. The songs on side one are solid, straight rock, not too imaginative but very well played. Side two, titled ‘Meditations’, consists of accompanied readings from what I think are authentic Oriental religious texts. Ig-nore the hideous cover and ‘party instructions’ and give the record a chance’ – Cheetah, March 1968

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
The United States Of America
(Columbia 9614, with brown paper outer) 3/68



‘If The United States Of America is where it’s at musically in The United States Of America, I’d like to apply right now for Swiss citizenship. Hearing this electrified psychedelic group is easily the most forgettable oddball experience of the year… ‘Hard Coming Love’ is so dirty I can’t even cite the lyrics. Suffice it to say it’s about sexual intercourse... This music should be sold in plain brown wrappers under the counters of shops that peddle pornographic literature. The United States Of America is the only country in the world where a group like this can play without being arrested… Instant oblivion wouldn’t be soon enough’ – Hi-Fi / Stereo Review, July 1968

THE UNSPOKEN WORD
Tuesday April 19th
(Ascot AS 16028) 8/68



A nice, underrated album that should appeal to fans of mellow folk-rock and female vocal pop-rock. It’s full of delicate but not wimpy songs, with lovely vocals and intricate arrangements. It’s not exactly soft-rock or folk-rock, not really baroque either. A few songs have a light Eastern feel to them, especially the great opener ‘The Anniversary Of My Mind’. The occasional use of orchestration and horns is a very effective match with the unusual melodies, subtle shifts from quiet to loud, and clever use of backing vocals. The bass is prominent throughout, almost in the mode of the first Country Joe album. This is dreamy and lovely and rewards close listens. Though Dede Puma is an exciting singer, she only takes the lead on four and a half songs. There’s kind of a communal feel to the vocal arrangements, though, so it makes sense to have different people singing from song to song (or, in some cases, from one section of a song to another.) This album is a bit slight, perhaps, but very nice and highly recommended. I don’t know much about the Ascot label, but these were very poor pressings – even mint copies have surface noise. (AM)

DINO VALENTI
Dino Valenti
(Epic BN 26335, with plastic outer) 8/68
The only solo LP by the legendary folkie and founder member of Quicksilver Messenger Service is a disappointing hotch-potch, especially given the quality of his songs covered by others (‘Let’s Get Together’ by The Youngbloods et al and ‘Something On Your Mind’ by Karen Dalton spring to mind). Opener ‘Time’ is a dreamy ballad whose spacey production suits his drawling delivery well, but not everything here is as melodic or assured, and several tracks have a tendency to drift, with horns and saxes wafting aimlessly in and out of the mix. This approach reaches its natural conclusion on the free-form closer ‘Test’, which finds him moaning over a flute and echoing 12-string guitar (this may make it sound more interesting than it is). The album is occasionally dramatic and involving, but more often tedious, with Valenti’s voice often painfully straining for notes beyond reach. Other than ‘Time’, the best track is perhaps the stirring ‘Tomorrow’, underpinned by attractive strings and the only one to feature drums – but there are far better records of this sort out there. His name is misspelled ‘Valente’ on the sleeve. (RMJ)

VANILLA FUDGE
Rock & Roll
(Atco SD 33-303) 9/69
Conventional, plodding hard rock that offers nothing that wasn’t being done a lot better elsewhere. There’s some meaty organ, but so what? Offering originals like ‘Street Walking Woman’ alongside a lachrymose, endless cover of ‘Windmills Of Your Mind’, Vanilla Fudge had easily outlived their usefulness by the time this appeared. Authentically abysmal. (RMJ)

TOWNES VAN ZANDT
Our Mother The Mountain
(Poppy 40004) 6/69



‘Unfortunately, this urban would-be Jack Elliott sounds more like a mournful Joan Baez. Everything he does is a drag’ – Circus, August 1969

‘By no means can his voice be described as unique or fantastic, but it is a good, solid, romantic folk voice with a Nashville overtone thrown in… It is really frighten-ing that an unknown ‘cowboy from Houston and points in-between’ can put together two dynamite albums nearly totally on his own… His compositions are amazing and must be acknowledged as some of the best folk songs to appear in quite a while… Further-more, his lyrics are pure poetry, with unbelievable metaphors’ – Fusion, 12/12/69

‘Townes Van Zandt is a superb country folk singer, a very personal performer and composer. His first album is an impressive collection of originals, recorded with some of Nashville’s top studio men. ‘St. John The Gambler’ and ‘Tecumseh Valley’ are masterful’ – Down Beat, 5/2/70

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Easy Rider
(Dunhill DSX 50063) 8/69
‘To underline what he hoped was the relevancy of his film, Peter Fonda selected some representative contemporary music for the soundtrack… Smith substitutes on the record for The Band, who were too snotty to allow themselves to be included’ – High Fidelity, March 1970

Whilst the movie has dated to an almost embarrassing degree, its accompanying soundtrack remains one of the most perfect snapshots of the time. Both vehicles stand as an elegy for the hippie ideal, marking an end to the 60s as powerfully as Altamont would that December. Steppenwolf’s ‘The Pusher’ is a perfect start – a lament to the lost idealism of drug use, as cannabis was replaced by more toxic substances. The band sound beautifully weary and disenchanted, turning in a fittingly ragged performance. The immortal ‘Born To Be Wild’, meanwhile, predicts the violence and antagonism that would replace love and idealism in the 70s. The remainder of the record strikes a perfect balance between out-there psychedelia (The Holy Modal Rounders, Jimi Hendrix and The Electric Prunes) and blessed-out campfire music (The Byrds, Smith, Fraternity Of Man and Roger McGuinn). McGuinn’s rendition of ‘The Ballad Of Easy Rider’ is painfully heartfelt, compared to The Byrds’ own lush arrangement. It’s a plea for a better, more innocent age that had passed too quickly, and neatly encapsulates the record’s oddly mournful feel. (GH)

Riot On Sunset Strip
(Tower 5056) 3/67



‘Riot On Sunset Strip will be a smash at record shops. Alive and pulsating, this track features The Standells along with seven other rock groups. A powerful package from the company that scored so well with The Wild Angels’ – Billboard, 8/4/67

‘There’s no place quite like Hollywood’s fabulous Sunset Strip. Action like you can’t believe. This flick catches it all in its frantic extreme. The music is as wild as the movie, and is performed here by various groups including The Standells and The Chocolate Watch Band’ – TeenSet, June 1967

THE VELVET UNDERGROUND
The Velvet Underground & Nico
(Verve V / V6 5008) 1/67



‘The sound is electronic, and you are going to have to learn to live with electronic sounds if you want to reach this music. Like the tamboura in Indian classical music, it can be pretty distracting if you focus on it, but once you learn to hear through the electronics and into the lyrics, the tossing rhythm pat-terns and the transfixing aural densities, it all begins to sound much better… The lyrics are penetratingly contemporary – a legacy of Bob Dylan – as a few of the titles will indicate. But this is not to suggest that contrast is lacking. The record opens with an exceedingly gentle ballad sung by Nico, a kind of pop Marlene Dietrich, and closes with a roaring, electronic improvisation. In be-tween, most of the current pop bases are touched, including a paean to the spike of heroin. Most of the pieces were written by lead guitarist Lou Reed; on the basis of his work here he must be considered an important new (to me) talent’ – American Record Guide, May 1967

White Light / White Heat
(Verve V / V6 5046) 1/68
‘Dealers who cater to the underground market will find this disk a hot seller, for The Velvet Underground (minus Nico) feature intriguing lyrics penned by two of the group, Lou Reed and Sterling Morrison. Though the words tend to be drowned out by the pulsating instrumentation, those not minding to cuddle up will joy to narrative songs such as ‘The Gift’, the story of a boy and a girl’ – Billboard, 24/2/68

The Velvet Underground
(MGM SE 4617) 3/69
The third great instalment in their saga heralded the exit of John Cale and the arrival of Doug Yule. If White Light / White Heat was the sound of clanging, David Lynch-esque machinery, this LP is woozy and becalmed for the most part, with an atmosphere of sadness permeating it. Reed unconvincingly sings “There are problems in these times, but whew, none of them are mine” on ‘Beginning To See The Light’, explores the healing balm of Christianity on ‘Jesus’, and gets his heart broken by a married woman with whom he’s been having an affair on ‘Pale Blue Eyes’ – a track of outstanding, fragile beauty which pretty much formed the blueprint for much 90s alternative balladry. ‘What Goes On’, meanwhile, is a superb rocker, with Tucker holding down a machine-like beat beneath a central section in which Reed and Morrison’s guitars duel, sounding not unlike mewling bagpipes. The whole thing sounds like it was recorded on a shoestring, and the photograph on the sleeve is almost entirely without artifice, as if the band are trying hard to shed their fashionable Warhol trappings of two years earlier. (DS)

Loaded
(Cotillion SD 9034) 11/70
‘Although The Velvet Underground hasn’t often been recognized, they should have been. Lou Reed has the knack for catching street and teenage stories in street and teenage language. Loaded is a collection of twelve singles-length winners. I realize that record buying is getting to be an absurdly expensive proposition, but I really don’t think any pop fan will want to miss this album’ – High Fidelity, March 1971

PETER WALKER
Rainy Day Raga
(Vanguard VRS 9238) 3/67
‘This guitarist has based a style upon his version of East Indian classical music. His accompani-ment includes a tamboura – referred to here only as a 12-string drone – a second guitarist, tambourine, bells, om and flute. Walker’s procedure is to set up a rolling drone pattern, then improvise on top of it. It works well enough for one or two tracks, particularly in the case of McCartney and Lennon’s ‘Norwegian Wood’, the only non-Walker composition included, but the technique soon wears thin… It seems to me that his method of using the superficial trappings without digging into the music itself is based on an artistically fraudulent premise’ – American Record Guide, July 1967

WARPIG
Warpig
(Fonthill 103) 1970 [Canada only]
‘On its first album, this four-man group performs only its own compositions. Playing straight and heavy, reminiscent of Cream, they are too good to need their intrusive special effects’ – Ontario Library Review, 1974

One of the surprisingly few North American 70s prog-rock LPs that bears closer inspection – just don’t expect the heaviness of the Black Sabbath song they took their name from. Despite lacklustre production, the playing and arrangements are well above par. Highlights include the fast riffing on ‘Tough Nuts’, the full-blown prog instrumental ‘Melody With Balls’ (featuring some nifty piano-guitar interplay), the ‘Fireball’ pastiche of ‘Advance AM’, and some great pseudo-harpsichord and guitar work on ‘Sunflight’. Certainly worth tracking down. In 1973 the album was picked up by London Records and reissued with different artwork (as NAS 13528). This release was also Canadian-only. (GH)

MUDDY WATERS
Electric Mud
(Cadet Concept LPS 314, with booklet) 9/68
‘With so many English blues groups recording today, it seemed logical that someone should start pushing some authentic American blues singers. But if this is what they intend to do, I hope they forget about it. They’ve given Waters a Jimi Hendrix-type background, and somehow he manages to sound like a white singer trying to sound black. At any rate, it’s a dismal and disappointing job’ – Go, 27/9/68

‘If Blue Cheer’s ‘Satisfaction’ is comical, I can’t say much more for Muddy Waters’ ‘Let’s Spend the Night Together’ on Electric Mud. Someone made the mistake of backing Muddy’s great voice with a group of imitation ‘psychedelic’ musicians. The results should be forgotten as soon as possible’ – Eye, January 1969

Electric Mud was greeted with outrage by blues purists, who assumed (rightly or wrongly) that their hero had been coerced into making a crass rock record. Four decades on such things matter to few, and Electric Mud stands as a highly entertaining collection of standards set to expansive rock arrangements, with flute, harp and some piercing guitar leads (from Phil Upchurch), employing fuzzboxes and wah-wah pedals. Some of it is rather plodding, but it’s a kick hearing Waters’s authoritative voice roaring against dense, quasi-psychedelic backing, as on the thunderous, sludgy ‘Let’s Spend The Night Together’. It’s no masterpiece, but good fun and not to be taken too seriously. The band, incidentally, originally wanted to call themselves The Electric Niggers. Now that would have been controversial. The 8-page booklet that came with early pressings consists of black and white photos of Waters having his hair cut, and casts no light on the sessions or music. (RMJ)

THE WEST COAST POP ART EXPERIMENTAL BAND
Part One
(Reprise R / RS 6247) 2/67



‘Eerie wails, incredible noises of notes, and soft, loving vocals make this one of the most original man-made LPs we’ve heard. The great ‘I Won’t Hurt You’ is a quiet thunder of smooth singing. This group keeps their musical freak-out under control at all times’ – KRLA Beat, 11/3/67

‘The immensity of the sound created by groups in this new bag is almost overwhelming. One writer described the WCPAEB as creating ‘sustained walls of sound’. But this material only makes sense if played at levels approaching the threshold of pain; total concentration is required. In spite of a few claims to the contrary, this music can’t provide a sonic trip. When you’re really ready for it, however, it can be an absorbing experience’ – TeenSet, June 1967

‘Another studio production turns up a really anonymous group called The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band. As with many such re-leases, the producer (in this case Bob Markley) is listed on the record as author or co-author of many of the songs. Almost everything is relatively undistinguished, so I don’t suppose this really matters. The music itself is performed with precision, which suggests the presence of some West Coast studio men. But there is not much here that will interest you, I am sure’ – American Record Guide, April 1968

DAVID WIFFEN
David Wiffen
(Fantasy 8411) 1971
This English-born singer-songwriter, whose deep voice is not dissimilar to Fred Neil’s, had sung with Toronto folk-rockers 3’s A Crowd, and travelled to California to record this solo LP in 1970. Though not as consistently strong as Coast To Coast Fever, it’s extremely charming and should strongly appeal to singer-songwriter aficionados. It features a number of widely-covered songs: ‘Driving Wheel’ (Tom Rush, Roger McGuinn and later The Cowboy Junkies), ‘More Often Than Not’ (Ian & Sylvia, Jerry Jeff Walker and Eric Anderson), and ‘Mr Wiffen’ (Harry Belafonte). In the US it appeared only as a promo, and is quite rare. (NW)

WILKINSON TRI-CYCLE
Wilkinson Tri-Cycle
(Date TES 4016, with insert) 3/69
This curio is a pretty decent mixed bag of prevailing musical styles – ‘Leavin Trunk’ is nifty blues-rock, ‘Pourscha Poe is floaty psychedelia, ‘Antique Locomotives’ is 60s psych-pop, ‘David’s Rush’ is a pretty ballad and the Hendrixy ‘9-5 ’59’ is acid rock. Well worth a spin. (GH)

PAUL WILLIAMS
Someday Man
(Reprise RS 6401) 5/70
‘I admit an initial apprehension toward this record, for ballad singers, especially those who write their entire repertoire, have seldom been particularly compelling to me – but Paul Williams proves the pleasant exception. His songs, in collaboration with composer Roger Nichols, are clever, with delicate intricacy, and even a bit elfin, made all that much more charming by the mellow quiver in Williams’ vocal manner: the perfect album for a spring afternoon, or whenever’ – Down Beat, 4/3/71

Williams’ solo debut proper is top-quality mainstream pop-rock, with immaculate arrangements by Roger Nichols, Chad Stuart and others. The production is slick and smooth, and though some might find certain songs rather bland, at its best it’s stunning, the equal of anything in the genre. These include the majestic title track, melodic ‘So Many People’ and dreamy ‘Roan Pony’. (RMJ)

THE DEIRDRE WILSON TABAC
The Deirdre Wilson Tabac
(RCA LSP 4283) 6/70
‘For all of side one this walks the tightrope between soul music and cocktail jazz, a diverting performance. Side two topples into the Martinis, but something of a sleeper anyway’ – Village Voice, 18/6/70

A taut mixture of pop, funk and soul, with prominent drums, nifty Hammond organ, horns and sassy vocals, reminiscent of The Rotary Connection. Other than three covers (a slinky take on ‘Get Back’, a jazzy canter through ‘I Can’t Keep From Cryin’ Sometimes’ and a pretty perfunctory ‘Sittin On The Dock Of The Bay’), all the tracks are penned by the trio’s producer, arranger and drummer Sonny Casella. The best of them are the smoking opener ‘The Other Side Of Life’, rousing ‘Let’s All Join Together’ and snappy ‘Look In My Face’. Others like ‘Angel Baby’ and ‘The Last Thing On His Mind’ are somewhat blander, but this is pretty enjoyable throughout, and benefits from a crisp sound. The trio pictured on the cover are referred to only as ‘Barbara, Stu and Deirdre’ on the sleeve, though all other musicians are properly credited. Stu is in fact keyboard player Stu Freeman, who played in mid-60s NY garage rockers The Magic Mushrooms, also managed by Casella. (RMJ)

DENNIS WILSON
Pacific Ocean Blue
(Caribou PZ 34354, with inner) 8/77
With the obvious exception of Pet Sounds, Pacific Ocean Blue is probably the most feted album in the entire Beach Boys canon. So what’s the appeal? It’s certainly an album of contrasts, reflecting the two main facets of Dennis’ personality: clodhopping machismo and boundless romanticism. In the former category we have ‘What’s Wrong’, whose opening line is the none-more-dumb “Love the way you move me / Love the way you groove me / I believe in rock & roll”. The ballads are more successful, lacking subtlety maybe, but with moments of real power in the arrangements, particularly in the gospel-flavoured opener ‘River Song’ and the extraordinary central section of ‘Thoughts Of You’. The bossa-styled soft-rocker ‘You & I’ sits rather uneasily amongst all this bravado and testosterone, though it’s one of the few songs on the album with anything like a conventional structure. Most of them meander without a verse or chorus to tie them down, which gives Dennis free rein to express his emotions, but also means that they lack the memorable hooks for which his band are so fondly remembered. Maybe I’m missing the point. Anyway, it’s all a million miles away from The Beach Boys’ contemporaneous recordings on the MIU Album (on which Dennis is conspicuous by his near-absence), though this is perhaps by necessity rather than design. Dennis’s voice was never the strongest in terms of carrying a tune, but his guttural rasp could certainly convey the image of a dishevelled, emotionally confused man. Which – by all accounts – is exactly what he was. (HW)

THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS
The Wind In The Willows
(Capitol SKAO 2956) 7/68
‘One of the very worst groups I’ve heard in several years. They exude an absolute paucity of personality and an abundance of No-Talent. They don’t even sound like a group, but rather like a bunch of isolated clods, hopelessly square and out of it, brought together by lobotomized studio men for a session of fake rock. Harmonies are insipid, melodies non-existent, musicianship amateurish. They are to rock what Howard John-son is to food. The vocal style (ha!) is derived large-ly from Mamas & The Papas rejects. Instrumentally they are all-styles, or no-style. You’ll hear bits and snatches of The Beatles, The Blues Project, and dozens of stylistic motifs that are so over-used, so steeped in cliché, that they defy dis-tinct categorization. This album is as appetizing as moldy white bread’ – High Fidelity, October 1968

‘Not only are some perfectly dreadful lyrics reprinted inside a double sleeve jacket (in the type size in which they print special editions of The New York Times for those who have trouble seeing), but there is an additional folder, a bulky and separate entity labeled ‘Lyric Portfolio’, which looks like a tutti-frutti nightmare straight off the kiddy rack at Doubleday’s. I am baffled by its contents: a pack of stickers, a mini-mobile and suitable-for-framing illustrated versions of the same lyrics have already been printed inside the album (which scarcely bear scrutiny once, let alone twice). The performances are threadbare of anything resembling talent, and reach their nadir in an interminable and horrendously performed reading out of Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind In The Willows… Down, down and away’ – Stereo Review, November 1968

THE WIZARDS FROM KANSAS
The Wizards From Kansas
(Mercury SR 61309) 10/70
‘Formerly known as Pig Newton & The Wizards From Kansas, this group offers a strong debut album of blues-rock. The guitar work stands out. The quintet’s versions of ‘High Flying Bird’ and ‘Codine’ stand out, as do such cuts as ‘She Rides With Witches’ and ‘Misty Mountainside’’ – Billboard, 7/11/70

Fantastically assured ballroom psych, with cosmic country touches. A good production ensures space and separation between the reverbed campfire vocals, precisely-plucked acoustic guitar, bluesy piano, wailing fuzz leads and jazzy drumming. They do themselves proud on a mixture of covers (breathing new life into opener ‘High Flying Bird’) and jammy originals, singing with a soulful passion that probably had Spiritualised’s Jason Pierce nodding his head 40 years later. ‘Freedom Speech’ is particularly funky, its sweet mid-range harmonies complemented by a danceable beat and flashes of guitar that recall Mick Taylor at his Sticky Fingers best. It’s not surprising, however, to read that the band fell apart before the LP could be properly marketed, owing to certain members departing to pursue jazz. The jazzy restlessness makes for a fluid listening experience, but also lends a certain sense of incompleteness (the drum solo in the final track, ‘She Rides With Witches’, is unnecessary, for example). Nonetheless, this is still well worth tracking down. (DS)

JOHN WONDERLING
Daybreaks
(Paramount PAS 6063, with inner) 1973
A fine set of atmospheric pop ballads, with a low-key, spacey vibe. The material takes in the slow-burning opener ‘Long Way Home’ (with lyrics about him bumming around Europe), the dramatic ‘Jessica Stone’, touching ‘Someone Like You’ and ‘Shadows’, wistful ‘M’Lady’ and ‘Reach The Ground’ and gentle instrumental ‘Cowboy Lullaby’. Also included is the creepy ‘Man Of Straw’ (which had been issued as a 45 five years earlier). It’s a fine psych track, but rather incongruous here, as is the good-timey ‘Follow Me’ (whey did so many albums feel the ned to include one?). The arrangements are more layered than it seems at first, with piano, organ, steel guitar, wah-wah, backing vocals and more all adding texture. Daybreaks is one of the best singer-songwriter obscurities of the era, and inexplicably rare. Wonderling went on to have a varied career in production and music publishing, becoming creative manager for Arista and working with Pat Benatar, Aaron Neville, Chaka Khan and others. He died of a heart attack aged 58 in September 2003, which means that the many vintage demos and outtakes he is known to have possessed may never be released. (RMJ)

THE YANKEE DOLLAR
The Yankee Dollar
(Dot DLP 25874) 9/68
‘Strongly folk-flavored, this young California group should have wide appeal through this, their initial album. Their contemporary approach is perfect for a different version of ‘The Times They Are A-Changin’’. ‘Follow Your Dream’s Way’ is a good extended number. Liza Gonzales and Dave Riodan supply the sextet’s fine vocals’ – Billboard, 28/9/68

One of a number of Jefferson Airplane-lite outfits to land a major label deal, Yankee Dollar were also one of the better examples. Their sole album has an agreeably mellow groove, with rich harmony vocals and organ textures, plus some assertive fuzz guitar soloing and even a drum solo on the one extended cut, ‘Follow Your Dream’s Way’. The Donovan and Dylan covers are also interesting, being almost unrecognisable owing to radically reworked arrangements. Unsurprisingly, the LP has long been sought-after by collectors. (RF)

NEIL YOUNG
Neil Young
(Reprise RS 6317) 11/68 [Canada]



‘An excellent first solo effort. With strong melodies beautifully played, and simple, sincere lyrics, The Loner is a complete album. Neil Young has proven himself to be an extraordinary composer when he was with the Springfield, and now he is able to synthesize all he learned into his own sound… Young is able to take the simple and arrange it so that it comes across as anything but simplistic. From ‘If I Could Have Her Tonight’, with its strong guitar, to the bluesy ‘I’ve Been Wait-ing For You’, all cuts are well above what we’ve come to expect. There are no gimmicks here, only gentle songs beautifully played and lovingly sung. Young, too, has employed other musicians, and the piano, violins and cellos heighten the songs without overshadow-ing the basic quality of the music. Nothing is added with-out care, nothing sung without honesty’ – TeenSet, March 1969

On The Beach
(Reprise R 2180, with inner) 7/74
‘Something in the obsessiveness of this music is easy to dislike, and something in its thinness hard to enjoy. But there is no question of dishonesty, as there was with his biggest album, Harvest, and as there remains with the mammoth grosses he split with touring associates Crosby, Stills & Nash this summer… On The Beach is an attempt to recast Time Fades Away in studio terms… It rehashes Young’s hostility towards rednecks, whimpers about Mansonoid pseudo-revolutionaries with little more charity than Terry Melcher, and spells out the artist’s confusion in metaphors that are sometimes opaque rather than merely elusive… Young has talents worthy of his serious-ness, and for those who don’t demand instant shoogity-boogity, On The Beach offers its rewards. But as always, it is tempting to wish that the star could have sussed out his dilemma a little more fully. Are we to endure his paradox forever?’ – Creem, October 1974

FRANK ZAPPA
Lumpy Gravy
(Verve V / V6 8741) 5/68



‘It’s a very strange record: the musical styles range from John Cage-like random improvisation to a Henry Mancini Hollywood sound, with stages of pop Stravinsky and Edgar Varese in be-tween. If you listen to the individual bands on the record, it sounds incoherent: there is certainly no basic musical structure uniting all these styles. But the record as a whole is coherent; what holds it together is what also unifies the Mothers’ records and performances: Zappa’s sense of theater, his sharp instincts for musical pacing and timing. The shifts between styles are sudden and unnerving, but they are al-ways right. If only the materials them-selves were more carefully written, I’d say this was a thoroughly successful album’ – Cheetah, February 1968

Hot Rats
(Bizarre / Reprise RS 6356) 1969
‘There is a good deal of utterly inspired music here, plus a lot of straightahead rock n’ roll which is good and groovy and virtuoso and all, but not breathtaking. Zappa’s underlying premise seems to be that there’s something very special about rock, but he doesn’t know quite what. So he knocks it in interviews and liner notes and parodies it in his music, but he retains various elements of it nonetheless… ‘Peaches En Regalia’ is the least rock-like track. Here Zappa is concerned primarily with textures, and so a reasonably simple com-position is restated in a number of fascinating ways… ‘Willie The Pimp’ is one riff, repeated four times, and it’s a showcase for guitar. Zappa’s solo is logical and accomplished, but he does go on a bit… ‘Little Umbrellas’ has some incredible voicings, especially on the melody restatement… It’s a good session, no question. Some-thing’s missing – maybe the sound of maniacal surprise, which makes sense in retrospect, that’s found in some of the Mothers’ records. But Zappa can play wah-wah rock guitar with almost anybody’ – Down Beat, 19/3/70

ZEPHYR
Zephyr
(ABC Probe CP 4510) 1969



‘A heavy-rock / blues group with jazz connections. The vocals are by a young lady, identity unknown to me, who seems to have reasoned that a cross between Janis Joplin and Grace Slick was what the world needed. The tiny segment of the world that is me was doing just fine without it. The Zephyr instrumentals are well-played, but lean too heavily on the organ for my taste. The group seems somehow not together much of the time, and lacks spontaneity… The group never seems to reach its potential on this disc, mainly because it isn’t getting the mileage out of the voice and organ as blues instruments’ – Stereo Review, August 1970

THE ZODIAC
Cosmic Sounds
(Elektra EKS 74009) 5/67



‘With Cosmic Sounds you can groove to astrology on your record player and hear the workings of the stars and planets in stereo, instead of reading books about it. Rock, mood music, jazz, the wham of electronic music, voices, readings – all combine toward some-thing out of this world. Whether you’re Sagitta-rius or Aries, you should program this album into your future’ – Hullabaloo, September 1967

Strictly kitsch musical interpretations of star signs, complete with ludicrous narrations from Cyrus Faryar, of all people. It’s good fun, if repetitive, with lots of sitar, flute, keyboards and quite tough guitar from assorted session musicians, as well as exotic percussion from Emil Richards and electronic effects (and early Moog) from Paul Beaver. It’s too slick and musical to be filed under exploito, but comes perilously close (the back cover instructs ‘MUST BE PLAYED IN THE DARK’). An entertaining period piece. (RMJ)

ZZ TOP
ZZ Top’s First Album
(London PS 584) 1/71



‘ZZ Top is a hot rock group with blues overtones, which incubated in Texas. The boys made some noise in the singles market with ‘(Somebody Else Been) Shaking Your Tree’ (included in this debut LP), which draws a lot of attention to Billy Gibbons. His classic blues vocalizing on ‘Brown Sugar’ is another plus for the album’ – Billboard, 30/1/71

What makes ZZ Top stand out from their peers, and affords them their extraordinary longevity, is the way in which their swampy Southern blues-rock really swings. Their music is nothing if not danceable, and their debut is a case in point. There isn’t a bad song here, from the heavy ‘Shaking Your Tree’ and proto-‘Waitin’ On A Bus’ of ‘Brown Sugar’ to the funky ‘Neighbour Neighbour’ – and those are just a handful of the highlights here. Their knack for lyrical storytelling is also evident on ‘Going Down To Mexico’. Ironically, the sleeve boasts of a lack of synthesizers and multi-tracking – tools that would have them straddling the world in the 80s. (GH)