Nobody would have thought twice if this unknown band had debuted with an EP, especially the complete winner they had in them. Imagine The Velvet Underground as country-rock, fragile lyricism colored with fiddle (or viola) and pedal steel and toughened by a commitment to the everyday. The five (out of eight) songs I'd have chosen are the five longest--since sharp and tight aren't where their gifts are, they don't do anything special with terse little rockers. Though they might yet.

(www.robertchristgau.com, A-)

I never bought into the hype surrounding The Silos major label debut in 1990. To a modest extent, they were touted as the next poster children of college radio. Whether that actually came to pass is water under the highest of bridges at this point, but at the time, the Silo’s faint rootsy swagger didn’t sway me.

Although I’m an exceedingly late bloomer to the Silo’s first album (more like mini album) About Her Steps, this is almost precisely what I wanted them to sound like all along.

This eight-song jewel brings to mind such Austin, TX “new sincerity” luminaries as The True Believers and Texas Instruments, even hinting at the Feelies and Velvets. A few pockets of pedal steel and violin, not to mention an undercurrent of sweet jangle helps seal the deal, adding more than enough icing to your proverbial cake. A near-stellar collection. As for the blurry album sleeve, that 's the band's doing, not mine.

(wilfullyobscure.blogspot.com)

After his first number one hit in 1962, "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do," singer/songwriter Neil Sedaka had some hungry years. By 1964, his singing career appeared to be over. He took a job as a staff writer for Don Kirshner at Screen Gems and with partner Howard Greenfield turned out a few hits, including "Workin' on a Groovy Thing" for Patti Drew and, later, for the Fifth Dimension; "Puppet Man" for Tom Jones and the Fifth Dimension again' and "(Is This the Way to) Amarillo" for Tony Christie.

Around the same time that his high school girlfriend recorded Tapestry, Neil tried for a comeback with an album titled Emergence, released on the Kirshner label. Despite some critical approval, it failed to gain airplay or sales, and Sedaka and Greenfield decided to call an end to their long songwriting career. They wrote two more songs, including the sentimental "Our Last Song Together."

Through Kirshner, Neil met lyricist Phil Cody and they began writing together. Neil's agent, Dick Fox, suggested a trip to England might revive Sedaka's recording career. With wife Leba, daughter Dara and son Marc, Neil crossed the Atlantic and toured Great Britain, with an important date scheduled at the Royal Albert Hall in London. He won the audience over with his new songs, especially the finale, "Solitaire." The press loved him, too.

Personal manager Harvey Listberg suggested that while Neil was in Britain, he should record some songs at Strawberry Studios with a new group, Hotlegs (Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme). The result was the Solitaire LP, which did better in the United Kingdom than in the United States. That led to another album recorded with Hotlegs, now rechristened 10cc, at Strawberry Studios. Titled The Tra-La Days Are Over, it was not released in America and a frustrated Neil decided to record his next album in Los Angeles.

British singer/producer Kenny Young recommended producer Robert Appere at Clover Studios on Santa Monica Boulevard. Before leaving London, Phil and Neil wrote a batch of new songs that included "Laughter in the Rain."

An all-star band of session musicians played at the Los Angeles date, including Danny Kortchmar, Leland Sklar, Russ Kunkel and David Foster. Again, the album only had a British release. Although no American company was interested, a single from the album ("Laughter in the Rain") went to number 15 on the British chart.

Neil and Leba celebrated with a party at their London apartment. The guests included the Carpenters, Rod Stewart, Paul McCartney, the members of 10cc and two people who lingered until the end of the evening: Elton John and his manager, John Reid. Neil asked if they would like to sign him to their new American label, Rocket Records. Elton and Reid said yes and soon afterward Neil and Leba were visiting E.J. at the Caribou Ranch in Colorado to discuss Neil's first American release on Rocket.

The resulting album was a compilation of songs from the two albums recorded with 10cc and the LP produced by Appere in Los Angeles. The cover photo of Neil looking like he belonged in The Godfather inspired the title: Sedaka's Back.

Neil chose "Laughter in the Rain" for the first single, but before it was released a cover version by Lea Roberts on United Artists started to get airplay. Not willing to let his American comeback slip away, Neil met with executives at MCA Records, distributor for the new Rocket label. They agreed to rush release "Laughter in the Rain" and within days it was a hit, bounding up the chart. During the week of February 1, 1975, it went to number one in the US. It was the beginning of Neil Sedaka's second career.

After the Sedaka/Greenfield collaboration "Love Will Keep Us Together" was a number one smash for the Captain and Tennille in May 1975, Neil's second recording streak continued four months later with "Bad Blood" (featuring Elton on backing vocals), another number one hit. Neil then did a bluesy reworking of his 1962 hit "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do," which was a Top 10 hit. He charted two more songs into the US Top 40 the next year, "Love In The Shadows" (#16) and "Steppin' Out" (#36). Neil continued to collaborate with his old songwriting partner Howard Greenfield and made numerous TV and concert appearances. In 1980, he recorded "Should've Never Let You Go" with daughter Dara, which reached #19 on the pop chart.

Neil went on to be inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame, and was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award, and a Special International Award from the British professional songwriters association The Ivors. Although his fans mounted a sustained campaign to have him inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame over the years, he was never inducted or nominated. He died in Los Angeles on February 27, 2026. He was 86.

(Fred Bronson, The Billboard Book of Number One Hits, Billboard, 1988.)

A fine album with Pat Alger, featuring "Is There Life on Earth," "Girls of Montreal," and "Riptide."

(by Chip Renner, All Music Guide)

A fine collection of music and friends make this a special album. With Pat Alger, Merle Watson, John Sebastian, Richard Manuel, Maria Muldaur, and Artie Traum.

(by Chip Renner, All Music Guide)

This is a marvelous album by the great Hampton Hawes recorded in Paris in 1968. Listeners acquainted with Hawes' earlier work for Contemporary Records are in for a surprise because great as these earlier dates may be (and they are, don't get me wrong), they are firmly steeped in jazz standards and blues territory of both of which Hawes was an undisputed master. The monumental shift is that on this record we get to hear Hampton Hawes the composer as all the selections are penned by him barring Richard Rodgers' My Romance and boy are they beautiful. By this time in his career Hawes had reached a stage of perfection in his piano playing, more open and lyrical than before, that he never veered away from till the end of his tragically short life. Just listen to him sail through his compositions with the expert support of Jimmy Woode on bass and Arthur Taylor on drums and prepare to be awed.

(by Jimmy Mentis, May 23, 2024, All Music Guide)

Miles' Neffe Vince Wilburn war dafür verantwortlich, den Trompeter aus dem selbstmörderischen Rückzug zu holen, in den er sich seit 1975 verstrickt hatte. Wilburn, Schlagzeuger in einer Chicagoer Gruppe, die Musik spielte, die Funk, Soul und Fusion-Jazz verband, überredete seinen Onkel in New York, mit ihnen ins Studio zu gehen.

Miles verfügte jedoch nicht mehr über die gleichen technischen Möglichkeiten und musste seine Trompetenparts später aufnehmen. Er begegnete auch dem Saxophonisten Bill Evans, dem Bassgitarristen Marcus Miller und holte den Schlagzeuger Al Foster zurück. Das Ergebnis war eine hybride Platte, die sich zwischen den Stücken der Chicagoer Gruppe, die er selbst als "Bubble Gum Music" bezeichnete, und einem sehr freien Jazz-Rock bewegte, der allerdings weniger düster und dicht war als die feuchten Dschungel, durch die er in den 1970er Jahren orientierungslos wanderte. Der Hit "The Man With The Horn" und sein zuckersüßer Refrain wurden von den UKW-Sendern häufig gespielt. Jazzliebhaber, die sich über die Rückkehr von Miles freuten, waren von dem restlichen Repertoire begeistert. Aber es war Mike Sterns glühendes Solo auf "Fat Time", das alle begeisterte.

Most people know Matraca Berg as an accomplished songwriter who's penned hits for Dusty Springfield, Linda Ronstadt, the Dixie Chicks, Patty Loveless, Deanna Carter, Trisha Yearwood, Gretchen Wilson, and more. Fewer know her as an unclassifiable but utterly classy singer/songwriter and recording artist who issued a handful of of excellent but unclassifiable albums between 1990 and 1997 on RCA and Rising Tide. The Dreaming Fields, issued on the reputable established indie Dualtone, is Berg's first record in 14 years. She wrote or co-wrote everything here. It showcases all of her strengths -- as a songwriter and as a vocalist. It was self-produced and recorded with a small group of friends, who understand the plaintive power in Berg's voice; they empathetically underscore her lyrics with only what is necessary. It's so refreshing to hear guitars -- acoustic, electric and pedal steel --and drums sound like nothing but themselves. The sound here is somewhat reminiscent of Emmylou Harris' Pieces of the Sky in its sonic footprint; its songs are poetry with light and shadow in equal but uneasy balance. Check the lonesome shuffle in "If I Had Wings," with its lilting country gospel undertones and the depth of loneliness in the grain of Berg's voice. The heartbreak in the acoustically framed "You and Tequila" is the Nashville equivalent of Don Henley's, Bernie Leadon's, and Glenn Frey's finest early moments (the comparison is made more poignant because Berg is writing about Hollywood). She evokes total surrender to the thing which is greater than we are: poison love, but her protagonist will survive because she can walk away. The sultry minor-key blues of "Your Husband's Cheating on Us" is a unique perspective on infidelity from the "other woman"'s point of view. The title track is a piano and cello-driven ballad that suggests a modern paean akin to Stephen Foster's "Hard Times Come Again No More." (That's as high a compliment as anyone can pay a 21st century song.) "Fall Again" is a searing, naked love song made all the more powerful because its protagonist is singing to an absent beloved. The late Lowell George would have been proud to sing and play on "Oh Cumberland." "South of Heaven" is the finest antiwar song to come from the Afghanistan/Iraq War era because it refuses to preach. Ultimately, The Dreaming Fields is a deeply moving, gloriously articulated album that should not only reawaken the interest of fans, but should win Berg a multitude of new ones.

(by Thom Jurek, All Music Guide)

To Satisfy You is one of Steve Young's most curious recordings. Well-known as a songwriter's songwriter, there is only one original on the set ("The River and the Swan") and it's the last track on the album. In addition, for those who view Young -- mistakenly -- as a country artist, his cover of Buddy Holly's "Think It Over" that opens the disc will be a rude awakening. It rocks, rolls, slips, and strolls with Young digging into his blues voice for the heart of the lyric. It isn't cute; it's razor-wire sharp and brutal. His funky version of Waylon Jennings' "To Satisfy You," with its Mack Truck slide guitars, must have done Waylon proud. This is rock & roll that Ronnie VanZandt from Lynyrd Skynyrd would be proud of, given that Young is from Alabama. Walter Vinson's "Top of the World" is offered in a similar funky treatment before Young turns the Jagger/Richards nugget "No Expectations" into an outlaw country rock anthem before finishing the side with Dave Olney's amazing tome "The Contender." The whole song is in overdrive; it's Jerry Lee Lewis meets Bob Dylan and the Band live. "Corrina Corrina" is given a fairly faithful treatment, though it's bright in the same way that latter-day outlaw country music is bright. There's plenty of swing and guts, but there's polish too. Jesse Winchester's "All Your Stories" is given a faithful low-key treatment, and Young makes the song his own. The biggest surprise here is the cover of Cat Stevens' "Wild World," completely reinvented from the ground up with ringing guitar solos bringing in the vocal a full two choruses in. The melody is close, but the tempo is up; the twin leads transform it into an indictment instead of a romantic swan song. W.T. Davidson's "They Call It Love" is too saturated in reverb to be very effective, despite the fact that it's a quality blues song. Finally, Young's own tune is a haunting love song of contradiction and epic proportion as seen through the eyes of the personal. It's a beautiful example of a love song that considers love for the sake of the other rather than as self-fulfillment. Young's voice is strong, ringing deep and wide, with the musical backing painting it for effect. A fine, if confounding, effort, To Satisfy You is one that Young's fans will embrace readily, but does not serve as an introduction to newcomers.

(by Thom Jurek, AMG)

Cissy Strut is a compilation album of thirteen songs released by Island Records in 1974. All songs were originally released by Josie Records on the Meters' first three albums from 1969 to 1970. Robert Christgau had a positive review and called Ziggy Modeliste's drumming "the secret", adding "it's almost as if he's the lead".

(en.wikipedia.org)

The Meters made their anthemic funk cuts on Josie in the late '60s. The New Orleans crew backed Fats Domino, Lee Dorsey, and Aaron Neville before they started jamming on their own in the late '60s. Island issued this anthology of Josie material in the mid-'70s. It came out in the U.S. too. Rounder has since reissued some of this material.

(by Ron Wynn, All Music Guide)

Alles geschieht aus einem bestimmten Grund, Mann." - Leo Nocentelli. Mit nur vierzehn Jahren war Leo Nocentelli die Begleitband von Otis Redding. Bald darauf wirkte er bei Hits von Lee Dorsey, The Supremes und The Temptations mit. Als Gründungsmitglied der Meters schrieb Leo Nocentelli die Klassiker "Cissy Strut" und "Hey Pocky A-Way", aber sein größter Moment auf Platte ist vielleicht völlig unbekannt - bis jetzt.

Aufgenommen in Cosimo Matassas Jazz City Studio in New Orleans in den frühen 70er Jahren und dann für immer verloren, ist Another Side einer der persönlichsten und definitivsten Momente von Leo Nocentelli, die jemals auf Band aufgenommen wurden. Dieses bisher ungehörte Album ist eine Mischung aus funkigem Folk und roher Emotion (man denke an Bill Withers und James Taylor, die in Link Wrays Three Track Shack auf Allen Toussaint trafen) und strahlt wie die Sonne an einem Frühlingstag auf dem Messegelände von New Orleans. Unterstützt wird Nocentelli von einer hochkarätigen Besetzung aus New Orleans, darunter Allen Toussaint (Klavier), James Black (Schlagzeug) sowie George Porter Jr. (Bass) und Zigaboo Modeliste (Schlagzeug) von The Meters.

Das Album ist sehr introspektiv und enthält neun Originalsongs von Nocentelli sowie eine gefühlvolle Interpretation von Elton Johns Your Song" Ein halbes Jahrhundert später klingen diese Aufnahmen so frisch und fesselnd wie an dem Tag, an dem sie aufgenommen wurden. Was Another Side jedoch noch außergewöhnlicher macht, ist die Tatsache, dass das Album - das leicht zu einem Klassiker im Singer-Songwriter-Kanon der 70er Jahre hätte werden können - jahrzehntelang unberührt blieb; wie durch ein Wunder überlebte es den verheerenden Schlag des Hurrikans Katrina, nur um 2018 von dem Plattensammler Mike Nishita 2.000 Meilen entfernt auf einer südkalifornischen Tauschbörse gefunden zu werden. Die unglaubliche Reise des Albums wird in den Linernotes von Sam Sweet (New York Times, Los Angeles Times) dokumentiert, der mit Nocentelli und Nishita über den Aufnahmeprozess und die Wiederentdeckung der Bänder sprach. Die vollständigen Anmerkungen von Sweet erscheinen im Begleitheft der Veröffentlichung zusammen mit handgeschriebenen Texten von Leo Nocentelli.

Die Erstpressung der Vinyl-Edition wird mit einer Goldfolien-Veredelung auf Cover und Rücken versehen. Abgerundet wird die Verpackung durch Originaldesigns und Layout des mehrfachen GRAMMYr-Gewinners Masaki Koike. Die Aufnahme, die Nocentelli liebevoll als sein "Country-und-Western-Album" bezeichnet, zeichnet das Bild eines jungen Mannes, der sich danach sehnt, einen Sinn zu finden. "Ein akustisches Album des größten Funk-Gitarristen, der je gelebt hat" - Sam Sweet

In der beliebten Reihe „What’s In My Bag“ der unabhängigen Plattenladenkette Amoeba Music war kürzlich der Gitarrist Nels Cline zu Gast, den man natürlich unter anderem auch für seine Arbeit bei Wilco kennt, auch wenn das nur die Spitze des Eisbergs ist – die Jazzalben mit den Nels Cline Singers, den Nels Cline 4 und jüngst dem Consentrik Trio lohnen sich alle, ganz zu schweigen von seinem „Lovers“-Album von 2016, auf dem er mit großen Ensemble beeinflusst vom Arrangeur Gil Evans Songs aus dem Great American Songbook, aber auch von etwa Stücke von Arto Lindsay und Sonic Youth als romantische Mood Music interpretiert. Jedenfalls ist Cline, der von 1976 bis 1986 im Plattenladen Rhino Music in West LA arbeitete, eine musikalische Enzyklopädie und zudem noch extrem geschmackssicher. Man kann ihm wirklich trauen. Und er stellte bei „What’s In My Bag“ das mir bisher unbekannte Album „Tribute“ des Schlagzeugers Paul Motian aus dem Jahr 1974 als „one of my favorite records of all time“ vor. Motian kennt man vielleicht durch seine Arbeiten mit dem Gitarristen Bill Frisell. „Tribute“ liefert dafür sozusagen die Grundlage, denn hier spielte Motian bereits mit zwei Gitarristen – Paul Metzke und Sam Brown – zusammen. Dazu – nicht weniger spektakulär – mit dem Saxofonisten Carlos Ward und dem Bassisten Charlie Haden, dessen „Song For Ché“ hier neben Ornette Colemans „War Orphans“ (beide auf Hadens Klassiker „Liberation Music Orchestra“ vertreten) und drei Motian-Originalen zu hören ist. Die Gitarren sind herrlich verspult (man hört sofort den Einfluss, den sie auf Nels Cline gehabt haben müssen), Ward, der nur bei zwei Stücken zu hören ist, spielt expressiv, Motian unberechenbar und impressionistisch, über und unter allem hört man Charlie Haden, der mit seinem reduzierten und klaren Spiel das Chaos ordnet. „Tribute“ ist eine wunderbare Entdeckung, die eigentlich viel zu roh und energisch klingt für eine Platte auf dem ECM-Label, das ja eher für einen unterkühlten Stil bekannt ist. Danke, Nels!

(Maik Brüggemeier, Rolling Stone Newsletter "Wohnzimmer", Folge 90:)

Boyer & Talton got together again in 1977, added three new members to Cowboy, and recorded this self-titled album full of straight pop tunes. "Everyone Knows Your Name" and "Pat's Song" shine, but each track has something to offer. A bit lightweight, Cowboy still holds its own in the band's history.

(by James Chrispell, All Music Guide)

"Rock and roll" is scrawled across of the front of this late-'70s album, but it appears to be simply some well-chosen graffiti in the photograph and not the actual album title. It would have been both generic and appropriate if that had been the choice rather than simply Blondie Chaplin as a title for the debut solo effort from an artist better known for his collaborative efforts with such large-scale cheeses as the Rolling Stones. "It's only rock & roll but I like it," was one of the latter band's mantras. Such is the nature of this walloping musical style that listeners could have completely missed out on Chaplin -- indeed, many did -- and really not have missed a thing. At least in terms of this album: although certainly groovy, it doesn't contain a lick that any amount of exposure to '60s and '70s rock wouldn't have already served up. These would be many of the stylistic trademarks of this era, particularly the later years and the temporarily hip Asylum label, aspects that will evoke smiles or fits of vomiting depending on the audience's aesthetic. To continue the crude comparison to digestive processes, this menu highlights tight arrangements, what they used to call "chick singers" (think "Hummingbird," meticulous horn sections, and a mixture of soul and pop flavors that was only possible in an era when these dishes were constantly served back to back on radio stations). Often, however, when a song seems like it is over or an instrumental break not really necessary, here comes the waiter with a dessert tray featuring an assortment of sweet lead guitar solos. One reason this record sounds like so many others is that the people that played on those other records are on this one, too. That includes Dave Mason of Traffic fame, Garth Hudson of the Band, and legendary session keyboardist Richard Tee. The South African Chaplin seems obsessed not with sounding different than the heroes of the day, but rather with being able to duplicate any of them at will, a talent that deserves plenty of praise. He can sing like John Fogerty or Spencer Davis yet also shines on complex copies of the Beatles. In light of what was happening on the music scene in the '70s, Chaplin must have just seemed like someone whose performances were fun but who never established a sound that he could call his own. Future hitmakers who relentlessly plunder the '60s and '70s make him look good in retrospective -- his tracks sound just as good, if not better, than anything recorded in 2004. Note: the title "For Your Love" is a Chaplin original, like everything else on the album, not a cover of the great song by the Yardbirds.

(by Eugene Chadbourne, All Music Guide)

Terence William "Blondie" Chaplin, originally with the South African soul-cover band The Flames, best known as guitarist and singer in the Beach Boys from 1972 to 1974 and for his session-work with the Rolling Stones, joined the Band when they went back on the road after Richard Manuel's death in 1986. Singing Richard's vocal parts, and doubling on guitar and drums, Blondie Chaplin stayed with the Band until the tour was over at the end of the year. Chaplin also played on Rick Danko's first solo album and on the Band's 1996 release High on the Hog. In the early '80s, Blondie Chaplin worked with Rick Danko and members of the Byrds, doing a "Byrds reunion" tour.

Garth Hudson's accordion can be heard on the track "Riverboat Queen" from Chaplin's self-titled 1977 Asylum effort. Blondie Chaplin was re-released on CD by Wounded Bird Records in 2008, two years after his second solo album Between Us came out on the Big Karma label.

Blondie Chaplin is bursting with energy, and the list of guest musicians is impressive, featuring amongst others Richard Tee and Garth. The drums are played by none other than old Flames and Beach Boys ally, Ricky Fataar. The album is dedicated to Henry Chaplin, shown in an old sepia coloured photo, playing a banjo. Presumably this is Blondie's father, providing the musical heritage. On the whole the album has a overproduced feel, with Blondie trying to find his own musical direction. There are a few stand-out tracks, like "Can You Hear Me," with its backward guitar solo and "Lonely Traveler" with its atmospheric piano introduction. But on the whole, the album would have benefited from a looser, more open mix or perhaps even a live recording. The album's main flaw is that Blondie Chaplin is trying to write songs in an existing mold. He is deliberately writing for his audience, instead of for himself, and catering for what he believes they want. Still it makes a good listen, even after more than a quarter of a century.

(theband.hiof.no)

Tommy Talton you might know from Cowboy. Johnny Sandlin used to play with Hour Glass (feat. Duane & Gregg Allman) and went on to become sessionplayer and producer at Capricorn studios. Bill Stewart has played for Capricorn as well. Basically they are the Capricorn Rhythm Section. A 'supergroup' that sounds, not surprisingly, an awful lot like Cowboy ...

(skydogselysium.blogspot.com)

An offshoot from Cowboy, Happy to Be Alive shouldn't be written off as a one-time-only affair, as the three musicians credited here, as well as their support artists, all have either been in Cowboy or helped out on various Cowboy releases. Happy to Be Alive is mainly Tommy Talton's record, though, and he shines like a rough-hewn diamond. Best cuts include "It Might Be the Rain" and a cover of Allen Toussaint's "Working in a Coal Mine." Hard to find, but well worth seeking out.

(by James Chrispell, All Music Guide)

Because Funky Kings were based around three fine songwriters, song for song their one and only release holds up much better than most country-rock records of the time. Jules Shear, Jack Tempchin and Richard Stekol turn in a fine batch of tunes ranging from the Eagle-like country-rock of Tempchin's "Singing in the Streets" to Shear's rocking "Let Me Go" and Stekol's bittersweet "My Old Pals." The backing by rhythm section Bill Bodine and Frank Cotinola, and Greg Leisz on steel, dobro and guitar, is first-rate throughout. Funky Kings remains quite listenable and stands as one of the better efforts to come out of the mid-'70s L.A. sound.

(by Brett Hartenbach, All Music Guide)

The Soft Boys, like so many other underground miscreants in the '70s, spent their formative years (unbeknownst to them) generating enough critical capital to earn much sought-after biographical adjectives like “influential” and “underrated.” The Robyn Hitchcock-led, Cambridge, England-born, pseudo-psych rock outfit's shared love for all things Byrds, Beatles, Dylan, and Syd Barrett was both venerated and blown to smithereens on their 1979 debut long-player, A Can of Bees. More angular and jarring than the band’s beloved 1980 follow-up, Underwater Moonlight, Hitchcock, Kimberly Rew, Morris Windsor, and Andy Metcalfe sounded positively possessed, channeling both '60s progressive rock and late-'70s punk into an unholy guitar-driven onslaught fueled by Hitchcock's surreal lyrics: opening a record with a line like “feel like asking a tree for an autograph” is one thing, but backing up those words with an atonal, apocalyptic blues riff is another. It’s an often brutish affair that works more often than it should, with highlights arriving by way of the pounding and addictive “Leppo and the Jooves,” the incendiary “Do the Chisel,” and the impossibly dumb but nearly perfect pop gem “Sandra’s Having Her Brain Out.” A Can of Bees has seen its fair share of iterations over the years, often boasting multiple bonus cuts and conflicting track listings (the impossibly prolific Hitchcock would eventually become notorious for this with his solo releases), but they’re all more or less complete, and the material continues to inspire, even if it’s only a handful of ears at a time.

(by James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide)

Der britische Radio-DJ John Peel, der ja immer ein Fan von eigenwillig-charakteristisch klingenden Bands war, hatte sich schon früh als großer Fan der Iren MICRODISNEY geoutet. Bereits kurz nach Erscheinen ihres auf Rough Trade veröffentlichten Debütalbums „Everybody Is Fantastic“ von 1984 (produziert von John Porter, der im selben Jahr auch das THE SMITHS-Debüt abgemischt hatte) lud Peel MICRODISNEY zu drei seiner „Peel Sessions“ ein.

Es ist ein noch etwas sprödes Debüt, von Cathal Coughlan (später bei THE FATIMA MANSIONS) und Sean O’Hagan (THE HIGH LLAMAS) noch überwiegend als Duo eingespielt, bei dem aber der grundsätzliche MICRODISNEY-Sound bereits vorhanden war.

Ein irritierend euphorischer, fast etwas seichter Gitarrenpop mit erstaunlicher Langzeitwirkung, der gut kaschierte, dass Sänger Coughlan nicht gerade ausgesprochene „Feelgood“-Lyrics schrieb.

Mit den Nachwehen von Punk in Form von New Wave und Post-Punk hatten MICRODISNEY wenig zu tun, waren aber wie THE SMITHS verantwortlich für eine Renaissance traditionellerer Gitarrenmusik in England beziehungsweise dem, was man heute unter Indierock versteht.

1985 entstand mit „The Clock Comes Down The Stairs“ ihr insgesamt bestes Album, dem man anmerkt, dass es sich inzwischen um eine vollwertige Band handelte, und auch, dass Coughlans und O’Hagans Songwriting deutlich ausgereifter war.

Das brachte dann Virgin auf den Plan, die wohl kommerzielles Potenzial bei MICRODISNEY witterten, was sich aber nach zwei Platten als Trugschluss entpuppte, gefolgt von der Auflösung der Band.

(www.ox-fanzine.de)

The genesis of Waterpistol is one of the most convoluted in all of indie pop, and it's one of the genre's most legendary stories. The album was recorded in 1991, but (shades of Tater Totz's Alien Sleestacks from Brazil) the master tapes were destroyed when the studio caught fire. All was not lost, however, as producer Chris Allison had made a DAT safety copy before he left for an American vacation. Unfortunately, not knowing about the fire, Allison inadvertently left his DAT in his rental car. Amazingly, he was able to track it down with the help of the car rental company, but given that Shack's record company had gone under and the band had split up in the interim, the album didn't come out until the German label Marina Records rescued it in 1995. Like an acoustic-oriented version of the first Stone Roses album (or perhaps a less '60s-obsessed La's), Waterpistol mixes shimmering jangle pop tunes with leader Michael Head's alternately wistful and depressive lyrics. Melancholy without being overwhelmingly sad, Waterpistol includes a number of remarkably strong songs, like the relatively cheery "Mood of the Morning" and the achingly wistful ballads "Undecided" and "London Town," all of which top anything Head's previous combo, the Pale Fountains, managed. Though its non-release at the time was an exacerbating influence on Head's temporary descent into drugs and depression, Waterpistol is one of those rare "lost" albums that's actually as good or better than the hype suggests. This may actually be better than the more lauded H.M.S. Fable.

(by Stewart Mason, All Music Guide)

Originally released in 1977, the second live album from these funky, soulful southerners was reissued in 1999 with five extra cuts, adding a whopping 30 minutes to the original vinyl record's limited playing time. With a completely different track listing than 1973's excellent Drippin' Wet, Left Coast Live captures all that was memorable about Wet Willie. They tear through soul standards, like Jimmy Reed's "Shame, Shame, Shame," Little Milton's "Grits Ain't Groceries," and a shimmering 13 minute slow blues version of Billy Eckstein's "Jelly Jelly" (featuring guest guitarist Toy Caldwell on loan from the Marshall Tucker Band), with obvious passion for not only the songs, but for performing them in front of an enthusiastic audience like the one fortunate to be at this 1976 second set at L.A.'s Roxy club. Lead vocal, sax, and harmonica man Jimmy Hall is in solid form as he hoots, hollers, shouts, moans, and blows like the soul men he obviously idolizes and the band, now tightened through almost a decade of playing one night stands, chugs along like a fine tuned engine pumped with high octane gas. Pianist Mike Duke pounds the ivories with religious fervor and guitarist Ricky Hersh plays with barely controlled passion throughout. Featuring touches of gospel on "Ring You Up," Sly Stone styled funk with "Baby Fat," and southern fried R&B on their show stopping 12 minute version of "Lucy Was in Trouble," it's evident how overlooked this group was as one of the most eclectic, soulful, and talented bands to emerge from the glutted '70s southern rock circuit. Oddly the album's least impressive moment is a rote rendition of their biggest hit, "Keep on Smiling," played without the energy injected into the rest of the show. Wet Willie lost the majority of its original members and direction after this final, contract fulfilling Capricorn release, but Left Coast Live remains a compelling and often exhilarating document of a gifted band in their prime.

(by Hal Horowitz, All Music Guide)

This classic recording by the sibling of Livingston and James Taylor offers valuable insight for fans of Carole King's landmark album, Tapestry, but Sister Kate is also a great work in its own right. Peter Asher of Peter & Gordon was the guiding hand behind James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt, and to have his vision of Carole King's "Where You Lead" and "Home Again" from Tapestry with the musicians who helped King paint her masterpiece is a major treat. (Lou Adler's perspective on these tunes was what helped reshape music in the '70s, and to have another successful producer issuing the same music at the exact moment in time is essential study for Musicology 101.) "Where You Lead" has a totally different flavor from both King's classic album track and Barbara Streisand's hit. Vocally, Kate Taylor isn't Chi Coltrane or Jessi Colter, but she's very musical just the same. It's interesting that she would do versions of two songs Rod Stewart covered. Stewart got some serious airplay with "Handbags and Gladrags," but he didn't have Carole King, Linda Ronstadt, Merry Clayton, and most of the Tapestry players on his version of the Mike D'Abo tune -- Kate Taylor gets that honor. She also does a fine rendition of the Elton John/Bernie Taupin track which Stewart got FM album airplay with, "Country Comforts," and takes it a step further by covering "Ballad of a Well Known Gun" from the John/Taupin catalog as well. Beverly Martyn's "Sweet Honesty" plays like Donovan's "Season of the Witch," and it works well for this place in time, but the real knockout tunes here are, coincidentally, Taylor's rendition of Livingston Taylor's "Be That Way," and her takes on James Taylor's "Lo and Behold" and "You Can Close Your Eyes." These three go right out of the park, so you can draw your own conclusions as to how well-schooled she was on the music being made by her brothers. The addition of "Jesus Is Just All Right" somewhat mars "Lo and Behold"; the two form a medley, with "Lo and Behold's chorus pressing up against the "Jesus Is Just All Right" melody, but once again, the choice of what would become a '70s standard for the Doobie Brothers two years later shows the intuitive nature of this project. Mort Shuman and Jerry Ragavoy got attention the year before when Janis Joplin's Pearl contained her dynamic version of their "Get It While You Can." Kate Taylor is better suited to their "Look at Granny Run, Run," and she does a fine job with it here. This is the album that got away, and all serious fans of pop, '70s rock, and good music in general owe it to themselves to seek Sister Kate out. It's a very impressive work of art. Collapse

(by Joe Viglione, All Music Guide)

"Bush Doctor", 1978 veröffentlicht ..., ist Peter Toshs drittes Soloalbum und sein erstes unter dem Plattenlabel der Rolling Stones.

Das Album enthält Kollaborationen mit namhaften Künstlern, darunter Mick Jagger und Keith Richards. Bekannt für seine Verschmelzung von Reggae- und Rockelementen, enthält "Bush Doctor" Stücke wie den titelgebenden "Bush Doctor" und "(You Gotta Walk) Don't Look Back", die große Aufmerksamkeit erregten. Dieses Album setzt Toshs Tradition fort, soziale Themen anzusprechen und gleichzeitig Themen der persönlichen und kollektiven Heilung durch Musik zu erforschen, und etablierte ihn als vielseitigen und einflussreichen Künstler im Reggae-Genre.

Pale Saints appeared on some micro-indie compilations in 1988 and early 1989, but it was a demo that enticed the 4AD label's Ivo Watts-Russell, who without haste caught a gig and consequently signed the band (along with support act Lush). Watts-Russell was particularly taken with "Sight of You," and in a few months, a remixed/retouched version of the drifting ballad led Pale Saints' debut EP. Almost sickly sweet and seemingly innocent until Ian Masters' chorister-like voice lets slip a covetous blood-soaked fantasy -- the escalation from "bad"/"sad" to "red/"dead" is easy to miss -- "Sight of You" went over well, landed on BBC DJ John Peel's listener-driven Festive 50 for 1989, and was covered by Ride. The following February, coincidentally between the recording and broadcast of Ride's take for a Peel session, "Sight of You" was placed in a new context on The Comforts of Madness. Perhaps seen as too significant to be left off, and downplayed so as to not overstress its signature status, "Sight of You" was tucked deep into the LP's second side, thereby emphasizing the many other colors of frayed-nerve dream pop -- as filtered through avant-folk, West Coast psychedelia, the Paisley Underground, power pop, and C-86 -- the trio had to offer. The album creates a kind of whiplash effect by starting with a violent existential tantrum, recharging with a swirling assault that gathers steam (concluding with "I'll destroy you," or something else suggesting emotional rupture), and halting with a chilling and diaphanous ballad cast in a soft shimmer (line one: "You're body's cold"). The rest of the sequence moves from one extreme to another, from the resemblance of a sugared-up Dream Syndicate in a wind tunnel to sighing and strumming through plaintive material ripe for This Mortal Coil picking. All the turbulence is mitigated by Masters' singular tenor, and further eased from song to song with Bad Moon Rising-style noise segues and subtle crossfading. These first steps still delight, startle, and chill.

(by Andy Kellman, All Music Guide)

On the eve of a post-Thatcherite Britain, the Pale Saints, alongside the likes of Lush, Ride and Slowdive, were ushering in a new wave of British indie. And in 4AD, they found a perfect home for their music - an exciting & undeniable meld of noise and dream-pop.

Their 1990 debut album, The Comforts of Madness, didn't disappoint, now standing as one of the best of its era. Pitchfork placed it in their recent piece on The Best 50 Shoegaze Albums Of All Time saying, »There's a restless urgency, particularly when the volume swells and the rhythms intensify. That energy not only keeps (it) vital, it emphasizes Pale Saints' inventiveness, how they channelled softness and rage into something distinctive.«

30 years later, and The Comforts of Madness is finally getting the reissue treatment, both coming with a bonus disc of previously unreleased demos and the band's only Peel Session, recorded in 1989.

Loving & Free has masterful production by Elton John and Clive Franks, and if anything, it is as lovingly produced as it is performed. One of four strong Kiki Dee originals is the title track, which opens up this soulful album, reflected so beautifully in the cover photo of young Dee on a bicycle with flowers in a field. It's reminiscent of Lesley Duncan's "Love Song," and lo and behold, Duncan shows up on backing vocals on the very next song, "If It Rains." Elton John plays keyboards on seven of the ten tracks, including the short gospel piece "If It Rains," written by Dee, and the Bernie Taupin/Elton John number "Lonnie and Josie." Both these tracks could be outtakes from Tumbleweed Connection, and with covers of Jackson Browne and Stealers Wheel's Joe Egan and Gerry Rafferty, you know the direction here is not going to be the all-out assault which landed in the Top 15 the very next year, "I Got the Music in Me." Dee, performing the band Free's "Travellin' in Style," adds blues/pop to the disc, the tune moving harder than most of the tracks on side one. Egan and Rafferty's "You Put Something Better Inside Me" plays with more heart than what Stealers Wheel did on their own, and fits this country-flavored pop record just perfectly. Another Elton John/Bernie Taupin composition opens side two, and "Supercool" gets the nod as the hardest-rocking track on this otherwise low-key and beautifully mellow disc. It isn't as raucous as "I Got the Music in Me," but it still feels a little out of place on this set; still, how can one resist any contribution from John and Taupin? "Rest My Head" is the singer showing she can write, and like many of the tracks on Loving & Free, performed with members of Elton John's band from this era behind her. "Amoureuse," written by Véronique Sanson and Gary Osborne, is unique in that it brings one of John's other songwriting partners into the mix. Jackson Browne's "Song for Adam" and the song which Elton John performed and put on the flip of one of his singles, "Sugar on the Floor," conclude this album and make the sequel to Tumbleweed Connection so valid. That was one of Elton John's most heartfelt and non-commercial discs, and he gets to reprise it here. Loving & Free is an underrated, under-valued, ambitious, and completely forgotten work which shows Kiki Dee to be an extremely valuable artist who deserved all the support she got from her friends in the industry. It is too bad the public didn't embrace such important music, which got the sincere blessing of Elton John.

(by Joe Viglione, All Music Guide)

This was the album that established McCaslin as a major folk performer. Her interpretive skills are in evidence on covers of "Let It Be" and Randy Newman's "Living Without You," but most of the set was devoted to original material, showing her to be an impressive songwriter (if not quite as impressive a singer). The title track and "San Bernardino Waltz" are standouts, the latter being probably her most famous song.

(by Richie Unterberger , All Music Guide)

Folk-rockers Edie Brickell & New Bohemians returned in 1990 with Ghost of a Dog, the follow-up to their extremely successful debut, Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars. Once again, the musicianship and instrumentation are supremely appropriate, right down to the guest accordion licks that set the playful mood for "Carmelito." Top that with thoughtful, thought-provoking lyrics and memorable melodies and you have a great second record on the New Bos resume. Brickell has a way with phrases unlike most other songwriters. She finds the similarity in differences and uses it to her advantage, spinning webs with words entangled in unique rhymes and patterns. The opening lines are a perfect example: "If a child lives with money, he learns to spend his time/If a child lives with crazy, he goes out of his mind." This record is full of such cleverness. And as bouncy and whimsical as some of the songs are, such as "Woyaho," "Oak Cliff Bra," and "Carmelito," things get downright poignant, if not serious, on "He Said," "10,000 Angels," and "This Eye." However exquisite Brickell is as a songwriter and vocalist, enough can't be said of the guys who support her musically. Kenny Withrow, Wes Burt-Martin, Brad Houser, John Bush, and Matt Chamberlain are wonderfully creative musicians, and the cohesiveness of their sound is exciting to hear. These guys know what it means to play together, each giving his all without stepping on anyone's toes. Ghost of a Dog is definitely a record to own if you love the music that came out of the early '90s folk-rock scene. Along with the efforts of bands like 10,000 Maniacs, it stands the test of time and can be enjoyed over the years. But, sadly, it marks the second and last release from this band.

(by Kelly McCartney, All Music Guide)

The most surprising, diverse, and possibly the most satisfying of all of Jimmy Webb's early solo LPs, Letters presents the singer/songwriter in an unexpectedly wide-ranging series of musical settings, all of which complement his somewhat restricted vocal abilities. There are surprises throughout, beginning with the opening cut, "Galveston." Sung by Webb with only a pair of acoustic guitars for accompaniment, this version of the song would never challenge Glen Campbell's recording for time of AM radio, but it is delivered with a quiet fervor and intimacy, and a close embrace of every word, that Campbell's version, for all of its polish, never gets near. Much of the rest of the album, however, has Webb working within a more conventional pop/rock setting, beginning with "Campo de Encino," which comes complete with flute courtesy of Skip Mosher. Webb brushes up against the outer boundaries of his vocal range and expressiveness on several of these numbers, yet, surprisingly, moves nimbly through a rendition of the classic "Love Hurts," which also benefits from a fairly inventive, slightly dissonant, and airy orchestration. Much of the album is hooked around lost or unrequited love on some level, but the sounds are sufficiently varied to hold one's interest. "Simile"'s gently rippling solo piano accompaniment is followed by the soaring and highly emotional "Hurt Me Well," which shows Webb at the height of his emotional connection with a song, in the midst of an instrumental setting that's close to the ornate arrangements that he wrote for Richard Harris in the 1960s as he ever got on his own records. Lest one worry that the album is totally steeped in romantic angst, it isn't quite -- one trio of songs deals with different sides of being a songwriter, "Catharsis" casting Webb in a lyrical, gently reflective mood in approaching the dark aspects of fame and creativity; while the hard-rocking, fuzz tone-laden "Song Seller" (which previously appeared in another version on Words & Music) deals with the creative/business treadmill on which composers can find themselves trapped; and "Piano" is about the solitude that all creativity seems to entail, at some point. These might invite accusations of self-pity, but Webb never descends to that level in his performances, and the lyrics are complex enough to invite a close look and analysis of the words -- indeed, this is like a John Lennon album of the period. And "When Can Brown Begin" recaptures, in its tempo, texture, and accompaniment, the most poignant elements of Webb's collaborations with Richard Harris. Arguably the best of Webb's solo albums, Letters was reissued on CD in Japan in 1999, with full lyrics.

(by Bruce Eder, All Music Guide)

Although always prone to country music, the second album by the Stars of Heaven is more reminiscent of Tennessee than their native Dublin. The production is far slicker than the primitive Sacred Heart Hotel. Ryan's vocals are well-suited to the tender melodies and bittersweet lyrics that are so prevalent on this album. Not that the Stars of Heaven can't rock when they want to. "28" (so called because it is twice as fast as Love's "7x7") consists of crashing guitars and a driving bassline, whereas "Three Kings Day" -- in which the protagonist drinks "wine as cheap as Hollywood" -- pulsates with fast guitars and up-tempo drumming. However, it is on the more tender songs that the Stars of Heaven really make their mark. Was there ever a more touching love song than "2 O'Clock Waltz"? Despite growing interest in their music, the Stars of Heaven disbanded very soon after the release of this album. Heaven only knows how successful they might have been.

(by Christian Smillie, All Music Guide)

Veloso continues to show his pre-eminence as a singer and songwriter with Noites Do Norte. He may be almost 60, but he's far from set in his ways, still chipping away at lyrical and musical boundaries. But where he looked outward many years ago, getting inspiration from the rock music of Britain and America, these days he looks inside, at Brazil, making songs like his version of Jorge Ben's "Zumbi" a cinematic journey across Brazil. The title track delves back into history, its words taken directly from the writing of 19th century abolitionist Joaquim Nabuco. Inevitably, samba and bossa nova remain the musical touchstones, but they're also the jumping-off point for experimentation, such as the hip-hop drumming (up front in the mix) on the opener, "Zera a Reza," or "13 De Maio," where son Moreno Veloso offers his own idiosyncratic approach to the playing and engineering. "Ia" uses electric guitar and drums to make a swirling soundscape that's almost modern psychedelia behind Veloso's instantly recognizable voice. Never content to tread ground he's already covered, Veloso continues to go off the map.

(by Chris Nickson, All Music Guide)

Nearly 35 years after the advent of tropicalia, the Brazilian movement that fused native music and visuals with Anglo/psychedelic flavors, singer-songwriter Caetano Veloso continues his deep, playful experimentation. Noites do Norte ("Northern Nights") is a striking art-pop fusion whose intellectualism is often bound up with the beauty of its layered tones. Concerns from the country's national identity and ongoing racial crises--a theme that fed Veloso's 2000 soundtrack to Orfeu, an update of the Black Orpheus story--to early memories, broken hearts, and the artist's adoration of filmmaker Michelangelo Antonioni swim through a colorful aural canvas. But for all of Veloso's trademark verbal surprises (for one, the Antonioni tribute is sung in Italian), it's easy to believe his claim that initially "I did not think about the songs. I went to the studio looking for sounds." Whether juxtaposing a Milesian trumpet with lush reeds and strings ("Sou Seu Sabiá"), deploying screeching rock guitar ("Rock 'n' Raul," "Ia") and machine noises ("Cantiga de Boi") in the midst of acoustic sound, or contrasting a troupe of drummers with baroque strings over the discrete movements of the three-minute title track, Veloso fills the disc with so much music that it seems to suspend or expand the listener's sense of time: a rare trick from a rare trickster.

(by Rickey Wright, amazon.com )

Legend has it that Joe Camilleri was kicked out of one of his earliest bands for sounding too much like Mick Jagger. If that's the case, Camilleri managed to overcome his problem in a unique way by the time of this, Black Sorrows' fifth album: Here, he makes himself sound just like Van Morrison instead. In fact, on tracks like "Glorybound" and "The Chosen Ones," Camilleri manages to channel the voice and persona of the Belfast bluesman so convincingly, it's hard to believe that Camilleri's performance pseudonym "Joey Vincent" isn't actually a cover for the "Van the Man" himself. Still, as impressive as that achievement may be, Hold On to Me isn't merely some sort of second-rate Van Morrison knock-off or tribute album. Camilleri and company may borrow many of the same ingredients that Morrison uses to make his music -- blues, soul, and R&B, as well as flashes of gospel, country, folk, and even Brill building pop -- but the trick is in mixing those well-worn ingredients together and coming up with something new. That's where Black Sorrows show that they're fit to be mentioned in the same breath with artists like Van Morrison and the Rolling Stones (or more contemporary critical favorites like John Hiatt, Paul Kelly, or Nick Lowe) -- every song on Hold On to Me sounds like it could be a classic (and classy) radio staple, without sounding like a copy of anything else. Not only is Hold On to Me's literate songwriting (by Camilleri and lyricist Nick Smith) superb, but the playing is also uniformly excellent (and, at times, positively inspired), and vocalists Camilleri and Linda and Vika Bull (the latter two making their debut on a Black Sorrows record) are soulful and gritty throughout. In the Sorrows' native Australia, Hold On to Me spawned three hit singles (the title track, "The Crack-Up," and "Chained to the Wheel"), and came to be regarded as an all-time homegrown masterpiece. But Hold On to Me deserves to be remembered as more than just an Australian classic -- this is a record that deserves to be heard and hailed by music fans the world over.

(by Rudyard Kennedy, All Music Guide)

It may be that the only thing that kept Souther from becoming a major star in the '70s was that his friends the Eagles beat him to the country-rock style demonstrated on this album, which features "The Fast One" and "Run Like a Thief," both recorded by Linda Ronstadt.

(by William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide)

For their second Reprise Records outing, Pearls Before Swine worked primarily with Nashville-based musicians, including a small orchestra who provide a stately feel to the highly intimate nature of the material. According to Tom Rapp's comments in the liner booklet accompanying the Jewels Were the Stars (2003) box , the songs were written while he and his wife were living in the Netherlands, which Rapp said contributed significantly to the air of romanticism throughout. "Jeweller" opens the album with an exquisite tale that exemplifies Rapp's remarkable abilities to draw upon disparate metaphors such as shining coins and worshiping God, both involving the Use of Ashes -- hence the title. The rural mood created by the notable Music City USA stalwarts effortlessly fuses with David Briggs' baroque-flavored harpsichord on the delicate "From the Movie of the Same Name," featuring Rapp and spouse Elisabeth on non-verbal vocalizations as they "da-da-da" the melody. Although "Rocket Man" predates the Elton John cut by a couple of years, Bernie Taupin cites it as his inspiration for the lyrics behind John's 1972 Top Ten hit. The words are credited as having been influenced by a Ray Bradbury novella that dealt with the universal emotion of loss. Again, Briggs' keyboard runs relate the story with subdued refinement. By contrast, "God Save the Child" is one of the more amplified inclusions, making good use of session heavies Kenneth A. Buttrey (drums) and Charlie McCoy (guitar), especially when placed against the restrained string section. Another sonic texture in the tapestry is the jazzy "Tell Me Why," shimmering with an uncredited vibraphone lead gliding beneath Rapp's whimsical lines. These tracks are offset by the noir "When the War Began," the ethereal love song "Margery," and the mid-tempo retelling of the "Riegal," a ship whose 4,000 inhabitants perished during World War II. Rapp's juxtaposition of stark imagery reveals that while Pearls Before Swine might not have continued the bombastic direction set about on their earlier protest works "Uncle John" or "Drop Out," they maintained social and political relevance ...

(by Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide)

Sonny Greenwich's vision of a guitar-based version of the John Coltrane Quartet circa 1963 is realized only intermittently on this 1978 live recording from Toronto. In his quest, the Canadian guitarist often adopts a purposefully primitive style, bringing a faux-naif, childlike approach to technique, execution, and intonation. That's fine. The problem is with Greenwich's general lack of dynamics and tone. As a result, the date remains largely earthbound, when something more cosmic was clearly intended. Pianist Don Thompson and bassist Gene Perla, both formidable talents, have difficulty accommodating themselves to Greenwich's conception. Thompson relegates himself to minimalist comping, while Perla frequently seems superfluous. The real action is between Greenwich and drummer Claude Ranger. The drummer is, in fact, the main point of interest. He is attuned to Greenwich's objective and engages the guitarist throughout, at times coming close to the type of intense communication that occurred between Elvin Jones and Coltrane in the later work of the classic quartet. This release also has its more orthodox stretches, such as the lively treatment of Horace Silver's "Nica's Dream" and the fairly straight reading of the Mercer-Mandel ballad "Emily." The most successful track, though, is the title track, where the Greenwich-Ranger axis hits a vein of pure energy, with the guitarist's primitivism and the drummer's free-pulsing torrent combining for a few moments of apocalyptic grandeur.

(by Jim Todd, All Music Guide)

Singer/songwriter Syd Straw's 1989 debut album Surprise charted a path soon followed by a number of more famous female rockers, makes herself different from the rest of the female rock artists of the '80s and '90s. She's earnest in a way that doesn't have to be automatically friendly or mysteriously cunning. Surprise was reissued by the Koch label ten years after its initial release and marks the album's simplistic beauty. Representing a departure from her '80s work with the Golden Palominos, Surprise finds Straw in the role of down-home girl with a heart to be mended, singing of love like everyone else but with a style all her own. The album exhibits Straw's broad range, from brooding songs like "Crazy American" and "Sphinx" to "Future 40s (String of Pearls)," a twangy lovesucker featuring backup from R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe. (Straw's abrasiveness on this track is utterly perfect, especially in contrast to Stipe's calmer vocal approach.) But Surprise isn't based entirely around Straw's patented vocal style, earnest while neither overly friendly nor mysteriously cunning. This is also an album of strong musicianship from Straw (her guitar work is impeccable throughout) and an all-star cast including Daniel Lanois, Benmont Tench, John Doe of X, and Richard Thompson. The album's style and production mix jangle pop elements from the preceding decade with a roots rock tone, and the overall result has a healthy folkish disposition. Surprise anticipates what was to come for females in rock during the '90s; Syd Straw was first in a line of artists who most prominently included Sheryl Crow, Joan Osborne, and Edie Brickell.

(by MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide)

Imagine an album on which every track is a fully conceived and superbly executed pop gem, at once timeless and unique, with hooks to die for, gorgeous, chiming guitar breaks, compelling, literate, emotionally charged lyrics, and a passionate and driven vocalist who ties all these distinct elements together into a perfect package, without the slightest trace of gimmickry or trendiness. Now imagine that this record is released with virtually no record label support, is totally ignored by radio and the music press--even the "hip" music press--and subsequently stiffs in the racks, disappearing without a trace. Such is the tragic truth of Interview self-titled second LP (titled Snakes and Lovers overseas), released in 1980.

The Bath band's 1979 debut, Big Oceans, was a lackluster effort, notable primarily for interesting fretless bass work and some intellectually appealing subject matter, as on "Hart Crane In Mexico," and "Academies To Anger." What an unexpected turn of events then, when the band re-emerged the following year with what is unquestionably one of the greatest rock albums ever. From the opening strains of "Adventurers," with its rhyming guitars sounding the album's arrival, the listener knows that something very special lies ahead. As vocalist Jeff Starrs mounts the chorus, "On a day like today/I can help you be/Tall, brave, and strong," those rousing guitars enter once again, and my God, you believe him.

There is simply no let up in quality on this record. The single "Hide and Seek," with its enchanting chorus and pseudo-"Mr. Sandman" backing vocals has "hit" written all over every note. The record did nothing. The list of sure-fire shouldabeens continues: "It's Over Now," ("How can I comfort you/When you don't want me to?"), the metaphorical "Crossing Borders," and the confusion of lost love of "To the People" all delivered with confidence and maturity, and an uncanny knack for pop hooks, are classic examples of what pop music can become in the right hands.

Elsewhere, we find the gentle piano and soft cushion of synthesized keyboards of "Union Man," utterly resigned in attitude, in which the failure of a workers' uprising is as predictable as the coming of the spring rain. Starrs, and co-writers Alan Brain and Peter Allerhand never glorify, as other, less mature outfits might (U2 come to mind). They merely observe. "The Conqueror" is a scathing attack against female domesticity: "'Let's go get married'/Is that all I hear you say?/There's a conqueror here I have to slay." On an album of masterpieces, this track may be the most masterful of all. The tempo has been slowed, giving Starrs time milk every note of all its energy, as he seethes with anger and inner turmoil.

By album's end, after eight overwhelming minutes of shame and personal wreckage in "Until I Hold Her," ("There's nothing that I can do until I hold her/And you must never tell her that I told you"), a musical equivalent of the destruction scene in Citizen Kane, the listener is exhausted, drained, but still hoping for more. Unfortunately, there is no more. INTERVIEW died as quietly as they arrived, and no one even showed up for the funeral.

Whose fault is it that Interview were never given a chance? Surely, their label, Virgin Records is the primary culprit, making no attempt whatsoever to market the band. The music press too is culpable. While it's expected that corporate beasts like Rolling Stone should ignore them, nary a word was written about the band in either Trouser Press or New York Rocker, the two finest music magazines of that era. (Okay, to be fair, "Hide and Seek" had a nice sentence written about it by Ken Barnes in NYR, and even the folks at Rolling Stone give the album a few words of (misdirected) praise in their otherwise laughable Record Guide.) Certainly, radio, both corporate and college, could have provided INTERVIEW with their most obvious and natural home. It didn't.

It's futile to wallow in such past blunders at this late date, unless, of course, some label decides to pick up the record for release on CD, in which case Interview might, just might, have the chance to finally be recognized for what they were.

(www.seedyroad.com)

Recorded at the Village Vanguard in the spring of 1978, this album is an obscure classic of hard-hitting, post-bop New York jazz. It consists of only three tunes, played by a tremendous lineup -- Liebman on tenor and soprano saxes (he'd soon switch to soprano exclusively, then back again around 1996), Randy Brecker on trumpet, Richard Beirach on piano, Frank Tusa on bass, and Al Foster on drums. The quintet begins with Beirach's modal milestone "Pendulum" and hammers away at it for over 18 minutes. Liebman's mid-tempo, boppish "Piccadilly Lilly" is next, followed by a 17-minute romp on Wayne Shorter's "Footprints." The original LP includes photos of the band, in garish '70s garb, kicking back with Max Gordon, the late owner of the Vanguard. There's also a booklet with Liebman's shop-talking liner notes, an early Liebman discography, and lead sheets for "Piccadilly Lilly" and "Pendulum." A collector's item, and a terrific listen as well.

(by David R. Adler, All Music Guide)

Die vier D�nen aus Aarhus sind seit Jahren die Band von Howe Gelb, mithin die europ�ischen Giant Sand, fungieren au�erdem u.a. als Band f�r Isobel Campbell und Mark Lanegan, sowie Kurt Wagner oder Scout Niblett und sind als Nive Nielsen�s Deer Children oder mit Plastic Horse auf Tour. Aber neben ihrem Ansatz �to play with anyone interesting around� sind sie als The DeSoto Caucus ganz sie selbst.

Mit eigenen Songs, die ihre Einfl�sse (�mainly all kinds of Cosmic American Music�) widerspiegeln, die aber nicht nur nach Joshua Tree, W�ste oder Sessions am Lagerfeuer klingen, sondern vielschichtig und in ihrer unpr�tenti�sen Brillanz atemnehmend sind.

Zum �ber allen Zweifel erhabenen Songwriting gesellt sich h�chste musikalische Akkuratesse, einhergehend mit einer l�ssigen Chuzpe, f�r die es keinen anderen Begriff als �cool� gibt. Komplexe Grooves und coole Gitarren in einer zeitlosen Vintage-Klanglandschaft - The DeSoto Caucus verbinden Geschmack, Stil und Kennerschaft. Die Jungs wissen was sie tun. Und das tun sie begeisternd. So begeisternd dass sie j�ngst mit weit offenen Armen in der Glitterhouse Records Family Of Music aufgenommen wurden. "Offramp Rodeo" ist ihr zweites Album.

(Glitterhouse)

�Offramp Rodeo� is the second album from Howe Gelb affiliates, The DeSoto Caucus, and their first international release.

After years of touring as part of Giant Sand, these are the impressions from the dusty trail, transformed by the native Danes into a slightly melancholic singer-songwriter based indie-rock. A very original music with brilliant and sometimes downright complex grooves, cool guitar work, and a timeless vintage soundscape inhabited by organs, maracas and vibraphones. Add to that two handfuls of clever and intriguing lyrics, haunting voices, and great dynamics, and you get the picture.

The DeSoto Caucus was started when Anders Pedersen, Th�ger T. Lund and Peter Dombernowsky sat around during their Giant Sand bandleader Howe Gelb's successful run with a bunch of Canadians and The Voices of Praise gospel choir. Elite Continental Custom Club became the first released recording under the Desoto Caucus name and soon the trio started opening for themselves on Giant Sand tours. The initial idea always having been for the band to serve as a basis for playing with anyone interesting around, an invitation from the band's hometown of Aarhus, Denmark offered an opportunity to work with Kurt Wagner as a steady five-piece. Following the success of that cooperation, the band started a tradition of putting on shows at the annual Aarhus Festival, bringing in gifted singers and songwriters for one-off shows under the Medium-Rare Sessions moniker. 2013 it's time for the second album at last.

James Taylor bounced back from the spotty Flag with this all-original album led by his collaboration with J.D. Souther on "Her Town Too," his biggest pop hit since "Handy Man," and his biggest non-cover hit since his first, "Fire and Rain," in 1970. Also included were "Hard Times" and "Summer's Here," not to mention the unusually impassioned "Stand and Fight." After simmering this long, there wasn't much hope Taylor would ever come to a boil, but that track indicated he could at least heat up now and then.

(by Thom Jurek, All Music Guide)

No one, not even Robin Trower, embodied the essence of Jimi Hendrix' playing like this sadly unrecognized guitar god. Recorded only four months after Jimi's death, this powerful performance for an appreciative New York crowd has his spirit and some of his chops shot through it. The album's strength is undercut by a long, meandering treatment of the Jack Bruce tune "Can You Follow?" But rock-solid bassist Mervin Bronson and inventive drummer Harry Wilkinson, longtime sidemen for their fleet-fingered frontman, give him all the freedom he needs to crunch his chords, as well as veer off on some jazzy tangents.

(by Mark Allan, All Music Guide)

Marrying Waldman's sound with the inestimable Muscle Shoals musicians, Gypsy Symphony is a funky, shimmering delight, and other artists weren't slow to notice. "My Love Is All I Know," "The Good Love" and "Mad Mad Me" were recorded by Melissa Manchester, Percy Sledge and Maria Muldaur, respectively. The latter, in particular, showcases Waldman as a more accessible, more accommodating Laura Nyro, and possibly a more deft pianist, too. Most compositions on the record flaunts unexpected chord progressions, adventurous time signatures, snappy horn charts and a maverick spirit that should have shone brightly among some of the bland embarrassments emerging from the West Coast scene at the time; a shame, then, that not many people noticed.

(by Charles Donovan, All Music Guide)

Adventure has to count for something. When the Rascals dropped the word "Young" from the front of their name, it offered listeners and fans the signal was that everything would be different from then on. While the band could � and would still � write infectious, sophisticated blue-eyed soul numbers, they'd heard Blonde on Blonde, Pet Sounds, and Sgt. Pepper's. They were also keenly aware of the time they lived in. Once Upon a Dream, issued in February of 1968, was their first reach into previously uncharted territory, being constructed as an album instead of as a collection of singles. In the 21st century, it stands as one of rock's great overlooked classics with its ambitious production, multi-part expanded songwriting exercises, and some of the most ambitious vocalizing the band had yet attempted. But if that outing had been ambitious and even visionary, Freedom Suite, released in 1969 as the group's fifth album, was off the map. The band dug in and wrote a single LP's worth of solid tunes including a quartet of fine singles. First, there is "People Got to Be Free," which spent five weeks at Number One on the pop (and hit number 14 on the R&B chart as well). Then there's easy summer soul and gospel groove on "A Ray of Hope," which may have only gotten to number 39, but it's among the most enduring cuts in the Rascals legacy. The track "Heaven," which closed the first disc of Freedom Suite, was also wrapped tightly in urban gospel.

"People Got to Be Free" is not typical of the Rascals massive offerings, but neither is it atypical of the first LP in the collection, which contains 11 more or less conventionally written (by Rascals standards) songs. While the four previously mentioned cuts stood out from the rest, there wasn't any filler on that first platter, either. Arif Mardin co-produced with the band and arranged and conducted strings and large horn sections. Some of the soloists included King Curtis on "Of Course," and David "Fathead" Newman on "Adrian's Birthday." Tom Down engineered a couple of cuts, but Adrian Barber did the rest of the session. Eddie Brigati and Felix Cavaliere wrote all but three songs on the first disc, and were as tight a team as ever. Gene Cornish wrote a pair on the first platter including the killer piano soul-jazz cum rock number "Me and My Friends." But it's disc two that flips out everyone at first, wondering if this is indeed the Rascals after all. There's the jazzed up (think Ramsey Lewis Trio groove) "Adrian's Birthday," which was downright funky with popping bass by Chuck Rainey, fuzzed out stereo-effects guitar from Cornish, and a loose as a goose feeling more like a basement jam than a Rascals cut, especially with the gutbucket tenor break from Newman.

But it is a portent of things to come with the two nearly side-long cuts that follow. First, there's "Boom," which clocks in at nearly 14 minutes. It's a Dino Danelli drum solo, all of it. True, Danelli, who'd played with New Orleans jazz legend Henry "Red" Tyler and Lionel Hampton's band could play the hell out of the drums, but 14 minutes on a rock & roll album? Then there's "Cute," running over 15 minutes, which is a jam, period. Beginning with Cavaliere's Hammond B-3 and Danelli's popping drum kit, Cornish digs deep into his soul-jazz hit. This sounds more like a Prestige date by Jack McDuff up until a third of the way through, with one of the three session bassists (Rainey or Gerry Jemmott or Richard Davis; the player isn't named), pulling out he stops and driving the trio. At about five minutes in it begins to slip into tripped out, improvisational territory. For most acts this would be the death knell, but not for these cats. They let it wander for a minute or so and bring the groove back and then let it wander and come back, but Danelli takes too long a drum break given you'd just had nearly 14 minutes of one a track earlier. It's excessive, but it rocks too. The jam works as such for most of its length because the grooves are so dirty and heavy, and the cracking rhythms with killer breakbeats are just what the doctor ordered after an album of pop tunes. But its excesses do overreach, and therefore, that second disc in the set becomes all but superfluous. Freedom Suite reached number 127 on the chart, because of its reach, and would be the second to last Rascals album to produce any singles in the Top 40. The CD version is actually easier to handle with the skip factor, and after "Adrian's Birthday," can be pulled. Still, one needs to hear "Cute" at least once.

(by Thom Jurek, All Music Guide)

Although the Rowans — Peter (guitar/mandolin/vocals), Lorin (guitar/vocals), and Chris (guitar/flute) — hailed from Massachusetts, their rural leanings resurfaced on their third and arguably most accessible collection to date. The trio's strengths as musical chameleons are evident in both their writing and their eclectic performance styles. This is undoubtedly a double-edged sword, as it likewise made them difficult to adequately "market" to the typical mid-'70s pop music audience. Indeed, the term "progressive bluegrass" seems apt in capturing the modern directions that fuse the strict acoustic lineage and prowess of bluegrass with any number of disparate elements, such as jazz, pop, and country-rock. In addition to exploring those aural amalgamations, they venture into a rocksteady Rasta vibe on "Love Is" and even straight-ahead MOR during the slightly Philly soul-influenced "Ooh My Love." They don't stray far for very long, however, as "Tired Hands," "Mongolian Swamp/Kings Men," and the extended eight-plus minute "Joaquin Murrieta" venture closer to their conventional ancestry. The latter title is one of the more obvious examples of Peter Rowan's ability to augment a Spanish-flavored ballad with a sense of the decidedly American bluegrass tradition. The breezy vocals on "If I Only Could" scored the Rowans a little bit of chart action, conjuring up the laid-back slightly folkie sound of other West Coast acts such as the Eagles and America. The same can be said of the equally amiable "No Desanimes Amor (Don't Disappoint Love)," which also provides a suitable backdrop for their robust three-part harmonies. In 2004, Sibling Rivalry was issued on compact disc and paired with the follow-up, Jubilation (1977), onto a two-fer CD. As the LP had been out of print for over two decades, for many enthusiasts this release may well be their first opportunity to enjoy this classic recording. It is also recommended as the perfect starting point for the curious.

(by Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide)

Not surprisingly, Clover's fourth and final album, the second of its British sojourn, had a harder rock edge than its predecessors. Clover had come over to England as a California country-rock outfit, only to land in the middle of the punk rock revolt. Its first British album, Clover (or Unavailable, as it was called in the U.K.) retained the country sound, but by the end of 1977, the band was all up-tempo rock and twin guitar leads, courtesy of Alex Call and John McFee. The music wasn't punk, exactly, but it was more aggressive. Still, Clover remained an essentially good-natured musicians' band, as the loose a cappella version of Leiber & Stoller's "Keep on Rolling" demonstrated. In another time and place, maybe that would have mattered.

(by William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide)

Nicht vom Namen abschrecken lassen, denn das ist eine der aufregendsten Gruppen im Spannungsfeld zwischen Swell, Yo La Tengo, Pavement und den Palace Brothers. Auf dem hier vorliegenden Zweitling bewegt sich das Quartett aus San Francisco um Gitarrist/Geiger und S�nger Kyle Stathan wieder in der angestammten, poetischen Klangwelt, in der langsam-bed�chtige Songskizzen a la Red House Painters mit engmaschigen Gitarrenlinien und br�chig-traurigem Gesang den Ton und die Stimmung vorgeben.

(Glitterhouse)

...eine Sammlung kaputter SloMo/Neo-Folk-Perlen in bester American Music Club/Palace Brothers-Tradition. Keine Frage, diese Platte w�chst und gedeiht, selbst im m�chtigen Schatten der wieder erstarkten SF-Institution Swell ...

(Intro)

Fuck ist die Band, die die wohl bezauberndsten Zeitlupen-Melodien zu schreiben im Stande ist.

(ME/Sounds)

Fanny Hill is the work of a rock & roll band which goes beyond gender and should have been as popular as it is classic. Beginning with "Ain't That Peculiar," the 1965 Top Ten hit for Marvin Gaye, June Millington's slide guitar is augmented by Bobby Keys' baritone sax creating an entirely new sound for the Motown standard. Recorded at Abbey Studios in London, Fanny cleverly use the Beatles' facility and the Rolling Stones' horn players, an excellent combination. Nickey Barclay's "Knock on My Door" creates a subtle mood; however, the gals can't seem to wait to explode again with "Blind Alley." Jean Millington's "Wonderful Feeling" is very strong, with the musicians weaving textures here as they do on sister June Millington's "Think About the Children." Nickey Barclay's keyboards have that elegant "Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys" sound that Steve Winwood was so enamored of. It is perfect here, with Richard Perry keeping the instruments in their own space, gaining insight into what he would do with the Pointer Sisters years after this album, the density of "You're So Vain" and "Photograph," the producer's neo-Phil Spector radio hits, not employed on Fanny Hill. Perry wisely lets Fanny provide the sound -- as they do so well on one of the finest covers in Beatles history, their definitive version of "Hey Bulldog." It's an all-out assault, more furious than the subdued "Sound and the Fury," a song which the Go Go's needed to fill out their repertoire. Fanny Hill is a special album for many reasons; the most important, though, is the unique vision which paved the way for other artists. The gospel feel of "The First Time" enjoys the brass of Jim Price and defines Richard Perry's approach to this classic recording. He gives listeners a picture-perfect glimpse of musicians who don't need frills to get their point across. Fanny Hill has some exhilarating moments and is a wonderful document of unbridled artistic expression.

(by Joe Viglione, All Music Guide)

The third time really was the charm for Fanny, the pioneering all-female rock band who were the first act of their kind to win a major-label record deal in 1970. While Fanny's second album, 1971's Charity Ball, was a solid and imaginative set whose title track became a minor hit single, their third album, 1972's Fanny Hill, truly caught them at the peak of their strength. Produced by Richard Perry at London's Abbey Road Studio, with Geoff Emerick as engineer (who worked on several of the Beatles' best recordings), Fanny Hill is the group's hardest-rocking set, full of June Millington's big, raunchy guitar figures facing off with Nickey Barclay's rollicking keyboards, the smart but muscular rhythm section of Alice de Buhr on drums and Jean Millington on bass, and the foursome's stellar harmonies. Fanny were more than capable of effectively turning down the tempo for quieter numbers like "You've Got a Home" and "Wonderful Feeling," but it's rockers like "Blind Alley" and their covers of Marvin Gaye's "Ain't That Peculiar" (with Rolling Stones associate Bobby Keys on sax) and the Beatles' "Hey Bulldog" where Fanny demonstrate they were one of the best and most underappreciated American rock bands of the '70s. Fanny Hill still stands out as this group's strongest and most exciting work.

(by Mark Deming, All Music Guide)

Originally released in 1990 and then re-released in 2002 with a solid remastering job and a slew of extra tracks from a Dutch radio session, Today Wonder in many ways was the release that helped determine part (if not all) of Ed Kuepper's future work. Specifically, it's the way around close, quiet, but still tense and strong performances, evident on such later releases as I Was a Mail Order Bridegroom. In the reissue, Kuepper notes how he and drummer Mark Dawson wanted to avoid "the usual 'doing the greatest hits acoustically' routine," and in a series of rehearsals for a tour start tried other approaches with newer songs or cover versions. Dawson himself plays a stripped-down set -- partially using a cardboard box -- while Kuepper uses a variety of unexpected tunings on his guitar, as well as using his familiar, rich voice. The end result's a beauty of a record, captured well on tape with just enough echo (Kuepper semi-jokingly calls the effect "ambient rockabilly," and certainly on songs like "Always the Woman Pays" it could be the Durutti Column at Sun Studios). One of Kuepper's all-time classics, "Everything I've Got Belongs to You," made its first bow here, the killer opening line, "I've designs on you that come from dirty books" still a winner, while an earlier sample of his brilliance, the Saints' "Eternally Yours," also takes a bow. Covers include Tim Hardin's "If I Were a Carpenter" and the title track, actually a medley with Donovan and the Animals adding to Kuepper's original, while self-penned highlights include "What You Don't Know," with a nervous, dramatic edge, and the gentler-paced but not-less-commanding "There's Nothing Natural." The radio-set extras add even more of a frenetic charge to the more commanding songs -- "Always the Woman Pays" practically leaps out at the listener and "Pretty Mary" isn't far behind.

(by Ned Raggett, All Music Guide)

The band's fifth release, Rain Dances is Camel at its best, offering the most consistent and representative package in their saga. The addition of Caravan-cofounder Richard Sinclair proves profitable, as do a few colorist touches by Brian Eno on "Elke." Mel Collins' woodwinds are among the highlights, especially on "Tell Me" and the title track. From beginning to end, this project flows gracefully.

(by Matthew Plichta, All Music Guide)

Just a flat out stunning record. Any fan of the mandolin must spend some time at the house that David built. His self described "Dawg Music" is stylistically apart from the hard-core traditional folk and bluegrass sounds, but rather than renounce the roots of the instrument he manages to evolve it into something beautiful. Consisting of all original pieces save one by the guitar master Django Reinhardt the record just touches the surface before it sadly ends. But never fear gentle reader, David's catalogue is full of great records and he continues to record and share his music with his ever loyal fan base. Any of his recordings, either solo, Dawg or collaborations with Jerry Garcia and Tony Rice are worth a thorough listening. The cover illustration, although consisting of musical clowns, flowers and other circus and natural element, has a slightly dark and sinister feel to it. Reminds me a bit of Hieronymus Bosch in the depth and variety of characters portrayed in his tableaus. Find this puppy and give it a spin or two.

(Tralfaz-Archive)

Jim Capaldi began his solo career just as Traffic had reached their peak, releasing his solo debut Oh How We Danced in early 1972, not long after the high-water marks of John Barleycorn Must Die and The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys. Oh How We Danced isn't so much a break from Traffic but a detour, one where he's joined by then-current and former bandmates (Steve Winwood and Dave Mason, respectively), assisted by Free's Paul Kossoff, the Move's Trevor Burton, Rick Gresch, Jim Gordon and the Muscle Shoals Horns, among other rock luminaries. In feel, this isn't much different than early-'70s Traffic, but the album is quite different in form, relying less on the winding, jazzy improvisations than well-worn, soulful grooves, given heart and by both the Muscle Shoals Horns and Kossoff, who particularly tears it up on a drastic reworking of the Al Jolson-written title track. For as much fire there is here and elsewhere ("Love Is All You Can Try" works up a good head of steam), Oh How We Danced is distinguished by its mellow vibe, generated by the genial familiarity of the players, Capaldi's sweet, unassuming voice, and the emphasis on his set of strong songs instead of the virtuosity of his musicians.

(by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide)

This is not very interesting music. While a fine finger-picking guitarist, Jon Mark is a lousy singer and inane lyricist. With the exception of a couple of brief jazz jams, the material is uniformly slow and draggy. Charles Mingus drummer Dannie Richmond's presence is invisible throughout much of this record. The bright spots here are provided primarily by Johnnie Almond's saxes and flutes, but Mark-Almond II is mostly one long snooze.

(by Jim Newsom, All Music Guide)

Mark Almond is at their best when they are playing either the melodic and harmonic acoustical tunes or the jazz-oriented fast moving jams. The other portion of their material tends to become slow, long-winded, floozy nightclub music. So the main problem with doing this review is the decision whether the good outweighs the bad or vice-versa.

An enterprising public relations man might have hyped this as a �concept� album. Side One is a collection of tunes with the common theme of the beauty of life up north termed The Sausalito Bay Suite. Side Two is the ever-popular �rock-star-away-from-home-and-getting-lonely theme termed Journey through New England.

The first cut is one of the acoustical numbers, �The Bridge,� done very effectively with a simple arrangement of 12-string guitar and the voice of Jon Mark with nice harmonies contributed by the rest of the group. The cut fades into a jazz interlude which is kept short so as not to lose the listener�s attention and then fades back in again to close out the tune.

The following two cuts suffer from the tremendous misconception on the group�s part as to what is effective. Certainly not twelve minutes of an electric piano and bass drooling behind a monotonous vocal interspersed with the accomplished yet sleep-inducing saxophone work of Johnnie Almond.

The first side�s final cut, �Friends,� is, just as the previous was Mark Almond�s worst, Mark Almond�s best.

The second side begins in a John Sebastian vein, with a uplifting theme and arrangement but doesn�t waste too much time before drifting back into the familiar trap in which they seem intent on proving their musical abilities one by one at the expense of the listener. They are tremendously talented musicians but should learn to conserve their talents and contribute them in small doses, in the manner of Traffic.

This album could be best described as a failure on the slow numbers, and a success on the low-keyed, up-tempo tunes. And all I can say after that is that the latter material is good enough to merit constant playing.

(Courtesy of the Door � Cameron Crowe - February 1972)

Elisa Randazzo ist eine US-amerikanische Musikerin, Songwriterin und erfolgreiche Modedesignerin (Dusty Of California und Cameo sind ihre bekanntesten Kollektionen). Sie spielte auf vier Alben der Legende Red Krayola, und ihre Eltern haben Pop-Songs f�r The Zombies, Linda Ronstadt und Frank Sinatra geschrieben. Mit diesen Genen und einer gro�en Portion Talent hat Elisa nun ein tolles Songwriter-Soloalbum abgeliefert.

Dieses Album sollte man unbedingt in entspannter Stimmung h�ren - es vertr�gt einfach keine Hektik.

(Good Times, 10.11 / 2010)

Aussies with a gothic vision of the American South.

(by Robert Gordon, All Music Guide)