Crypt Sermon - The Ruins of Fading Light. 2019 USA-Pennsylvania

And continuing on the theme of the Oh Sees, Crypt Sermon are another band that I was tipped to by my friends here in town. Contrary to what I stated about the Oh Sees, Crypt Sermon are the type of group I would still seek out. I've just noticed that RYM has added a new genre, one they call Epic Doom Metal, named naturally enough after Candlemass. I agree with this designation, as I've always felt that Candlemass and their ilk were closer tied to the Manilla Road and Cirith Ungol's of this world than those that strictly adhere to the formulaic slow paced metal doctrine.

The Ruins of Fading Light is the second release from Crypt Sermon and is a natural follow-up to the debut. I've recently written about Out of the Garden, and here are some thoughts from that release: "When I first saw the LP, I asked the record store owner what kind of music it was, and that cinched it for me. It reminded me of first discovering Manilla Road's Crystal Logic in 1983 - no way a cover like that would house anything but an interesting record. And I was rewarded with a fine album in the doom metal space. I'm not too keen on the funereal side of the genre and prefer some crunchy mid paced riffing, and that's precisely what Out of the Garden provides. Vocals are more matter-of-fact than the operatic Candlemass style, but otherwise the comparison holds true." How about that? If this is a genre that interests you, then Philadelphia's Crypt Sermon is an easy recommendation.

Ownership: LP: 2019 Dark Descent. Acquired from What's Left Records. As noted before, the label is based here in Colorado Springs. 2 LP set with 3 sides of music. Beautiful gatefold cover (lyrics and recording details inside) with poster insert.

7/28/21 (new entry)

Oh Sees - Smote Reverser. 2018 USA-California

Up through about 1994 or 1995, I made an earnest attempt to keep up with all new progressive rock releases. Back then, new prog albums came out in a trickle from various places around the globe. And then suddenly, progressive albums were being released from all types of labels and genres, many of them unlikely sources. It became an impossible task. So I begin to focus on what I enjoyed most in the modern era, while continuing to deep dive into the 70s and early 80s. 

Oh Sees is exactly the type of band that I've missed all these years. Originally known as Thee Oh Sees, the San Francisco based group has released close to 3 dozen albums. And I'd never even heard of them. Of course they've changed their styles over the years, and based on what I've read, perhaps their earlier work would be of less interest to me.

On a side note, one of the problems with partnering with a local "hip" record store is the constant "push" for me to use my trade credit on new albums that I otherwise wouldn't consider. Why is that a problem - isn't that a good thing? Yes... and no. The exposure is great, of course I want to hear new things. But I absolutely must downsize, and there's plenty of older albums I still want to get. Remember I prefer CDs to LPs for modern music. So here's what happens: "You should check this out". 9 times out of 10, it's stoner music. I don't really like that stuff - never have. OK, there was a Kyuss stretch in the early 90s, but otherwise... And I usually get this back "You don't like anything... you just like old stuff... like you". LOL. All true, you know. But it's not that I don't like it, it's that I can't own everything under the sun. Which gets us back to the first paragraph.

But it was hard to deny Smote Reverser, as this album contains everything I like about modern progressive. It's psychedelic influenced, and the analog instrumentation is fantastic. You'd think a band that puts out as much product as Oh Sees has, wouldn't be able to bring this kind of creativity, but they certainly do here. They do a great job of laying down a complex beat followed by a jam or other progressions. In many ways I was reminded of late 90s acts such as Mushroom or Cosmic Invention. It's definitely Krautrock influenced. So yea, Can and Neu! are in this conversation. You'll also hear some Group 1850, Hawkwind, and even a little bit of Motorhead. And for another modern comparison, maybe Titan comes to mind.

It would be easy to want to explore the band's full catalog, and maybe I will. But not all at once.

Ownership: LP: 2018 Castle Face. Acquired at What's Next here in the Springs. 2 LP set cut at 45 rpm. Single sleeve cover, with colorful inners and an insert with recording details. Has a download card too. A very nice package overall. Oh, and the cover is entirely misleading. It looks like something Celtic Frost or similar would release. Not a prog like cover, that's for sure.

Peter Wale - The Memoirs of Hakeford Wart. 1972 South Africa

Here's another old CDRWL entry. Once again this was an AC discovery, and he provided detailed notes about both the music and the artist (see the bottom of this post for all his thoughts). Up until that point, the album was a complete unknown, and originals are pretty much still in that state. In hearing this album again last night, my opinion remains similar. The music is based in folk, though it definitely has an underground progressive rock edge. It reminds me of some of the private presses coming from England during this time. Flute is one of the primary instruments, and this only underscores the progressive rock angle. Also features some fine fuzz and wah wah electric guitar, and a real feeling of subversion permeates throughout. This doesn't feel like a politrock or civil protest album, but you know he's jabbin' at the man. And after this, Wale got the hell of out Dodge, and headed to South America via boat. And eventually ended up in Seattle. So overall, not a head twirler, but most certainly an excellent artifact from the time and place.

Ownership: LP: 2019 Strawberry Rain (Canada). Recent online acquisition. 3 LP set cut at 45 RPM. Features the original album plus many bonus cuts. Were it at the regular 33 speed, then it would have been a 2 LP set. Comes in a single box-like cover, similar to the 1980s releases of double albums. Included is an insert with full liner notes from Wale himself. Overall, an excellent package. I mentioned on the Giant Step reissue that I wasn't aware the Strawberry Rain label was still going, and that's when I realized I missed this release from two years ago.  Given the nature and price of this 3 album set, I thought I may have missed out entirely. Fortunately a reasonably priced used copy came my way. Our understanding back in 2014 was that Strawberry Rain had intended to imminently reissue this on CD. Obviously that didn't happen. Not sure if the label still has any appetite for CD reissues, as all of their current releases are LP.

---

Here are AC's notes, which are more thorough than the reissue! "Peter Wale is a singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Cape Town, South Africa. He was the leader of a band called Wakeford Hart who were active in the local underground rock scene around 1970. After that band dissolved, he seems to have gathered a new group of musicians to help him perform under his own name. However, he quickly became disillusioned with the state of affairs (both musically and politically) in South Africa, and decided he was going to pack up and set off for South America as a crew member on a yacht. But before that, he decided to give one more concert with his group in early 1972, almost as a sort of protest event. Shortly afterwards, he selected a handful of tracks from the performance and privately pressed around 300 or 400 copies of this LP, to be sold around Cape Town on a fairly informal basis shortly before he left. Apparently he didn't make too much headway with this, and very few were sold or have survived to the present day. Fast forward to 2010, and Peter Wale, now married and living in the Seattle area, receives word from a gentleman back in South Africa that the original master tapes of the 1972 concert have been discovered. Astonished by this news (his own lone copy of LP hadn't even survived the trip overseas), he set about remastering the tapes, recently making them available for purchase as a handmade CD-R set. Unfortunately the set doesn't replicate the cool original LP cover (the back of which features a hilarious Monty Python-esque history of Wakeford Hart and its untimely demise), but it does include lyrics and liner-notes.

Now that we have that bit of (rather remarkable) backstory out of the way, let's talk about the music. The original LP was a selection of 4 songs (at around 40 minutes) from the concert tapes, but the entire show actually ran for about 90 minutes over the course of 14 individual tracks, so there's plenty to digest here. I'd tend to describe it as a mixture of psychedelic, progressive and folk rock. Song-oriented, but with plenty of room given for extended instrumental jamming. There's a kind of easy, natural flow to the whole set, and Peter Wale is a fine songwriter. Instrumentally, it's dominated by acoustic piano and fantastic liquid electric guitar work (with plenty of fuzz and wah-wah) over a solid rhythm section. And if you happen to like flute in a rock setting, you'll be in heaven here, as the band featured a dedicated flautist, fluttering and echoing all over the place in decidedly trippy fashion. The vocals (both male and female) are also very good. He did a great job with the remastering as well. The sound is crystal clear and is a marked improvement over the original LP. As mentioned, it's quite a lengthy set, and there are a couple of brief sing-songy tracks and some audience banter that could be edited out, but overall this material is remarkably strong. I'd even go as far as to say that this is amongst the very best that the classic early 70s South African psych/prog scene had to offer, which makes it all the more unfortunate that it's remained buried and undiscovered for so long. This would seem to be a no-brainer reissue project for one of the current crop of psych-oriented labels out there, especially since albums from "exotic" locals in Africa, Asia and South America seem to be all the rage with many of them.

2/14/2014 (CDRWL)

2021 Funk / Soul Journal Vol. 3 - Complete

***The following all came from the 10 cent bin of 45s at Independent (Jul):

Jean Knight - Do Me / Save the Last Kiss For Me. 1972 Stax (SP). 'Do Me' has a big fat beat, but is still mostly female sung soul music. The B side is even more geared that way. Average to good for the style I'd rate. Both tracks are non-LP.

Willie Hutch - Theme of Foxy Brown. 1974 Motown promo mono/stereo (SP). This is one of those promo 45s with one track, each in stereo and mono. Wah wah rhythms and soaring strings, with Hutch crooning on top. It's the Isaac Hayes / Marvin Gaye formula. Not bad, but at 2:25, you're left wanting more. There's a full album of this from the movie, and I'll have to hear it at some point.

Chakachas - African Yama (Vocal/Instrumental). 1974 Janus promo (SP). I know of this Belgian band Chakachas, but haven't heard too much beyond a sample or two. This one has a really nice groove to it, with fine wah and horns. The vocal part lives up to its African heritage, but overall it's a bit dull for repeated listening. Sounds more like incidental TV music. Both of these versions can be found on a very obscure Brazilian release known as Vendo Mango. To the best of my knowledge, despite the US single, the album was never released here domestically.

***end of sale

Dennis Coffey and The Detroit Guitar Band - Evolution. 1971 Sussex (LP). Thrift shop find (Jul). I had been tipped that this album was a strong instrumental heavy funk album with wah wah guitar. Which is mostly true, except it's not particularly heavy or overly funky. There's a three guitar attack here, and a couple of the tracks are really great. But mostly it flies by as background music. Reminds me of another obscuro I once owned from Memphis called Washrag. Good on the whole, but not necessary. 

King Errisson - The Magic Man. 1976 Westbound (LP). This was next to the above album in the thrift (Jul). And now I know why. Dennis Coffey is the guitar player! And I'm certainly not going to pass up anything on the Westbound label anyway. When the needle first hit I thought I was in for some monster funk grooves. But not so. It's more ear friendly, with some references to Errisson's Caribbean upbringing. There's some cover tracks and steel drums here and there. Good on the whole, and one for Westbound and funk deep divers, but it was all way too above the surface for me to keep. 

Thelma Houston & Pressure Cooker - I've Got the Music In Me. 1975 Sheffield Lab (LP). From Independent (Jul). Thelma Houston went on to become a soul megastar in the late 70s, but right before that, she released this one album on the well respected audiophile label Sheffield Lab. Houston sings on half the album, and mostly it's standard soul music. The other half are instrumentals by the band Pressure Cooker (who of course provide the music for Houston as well). Their tunes are wide ranging from reggae to Dixieland to jazz to horn rock. The latter track is titled after the band, and is the clear highlight. A good album on the whole, though not something I'll need to keep. Comes in a fine gatefold cover.

*Hidden Strength. 1975 United Artists (Canada) (LP). From an estate sale (Jul). I never heard of Hidden Strength before, but a quick lookup demonstrated this was sought after funk, so I definitely want to hear it. Yea, this has the right sound for sure. 'It Didn't Have to be This Way' starts off perfectly with a killer funk groove, wah wah guitar, harmony vocals, and various soloing.  And it doesn't stop from there with Robin Kenyatta guesting on flute for 'Happy Song' along with some great Moog on the dance floor 'Hustle on Up', which has two versions, one on each side. 'Angel of Love' is the only crybaby soul ballad here, and I can live without that. I can always live without those. But for the rest, yea it's supreme stuff. The album was originally released as a private pressing, with only one version of 'Hustle on Up' (and titled 'Karate' there). Comparisons to Earth Wind & Fire are compulsory, but it reminded me more of a Philly obscuro in my collection by the name of Yellow Sunshine. Speaking of origin, I had a hard time figuring that out. Best clue I have is that the private release was managed by a company in New York City, so we'll go with that for now.

MFSB - Love is the Message. 1973 Philadelphia International (LP). From Independent (Jul). I had the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack on my mind (which I recently posted on), and tend to forget that MFSB is very affordable. They had a perfect mint one (in shrink with hype stickers too) for $5, so it's a deal regardless. I'd heard this album before and placed a "good" rating on it (they have another album that I rate "excellent"). Well, I'm afraid to say, my original rating is correct. It's amazing just how "corporate" this sounds. This isn't edgy Philly ghetto music that's for sure (if you do want that, definitely seek out Del Jones' Positive Vibes). Honestly these guys aren't that far removed from what Andre Kostelanetz or Bert Kaempfert were doing in those days. All instrumental easy listening music I would submit. Though for sure MFSB is a better name than Gamble-Huff and their Orchestra. The album has its moments, in particular the closer 'Bitter Sweet'. But, yea, this was an unnecessary pickup for sure.

*Saturday Night Fever. 1977 RSO (2xLP). From an estate sale (Jun). I forget how I first obtained this album, but it was sometime in the early 90s. It survived until my final LP purge in the mid 2000s. Most of what I was ditching then were iffy LP reissues, and I'm really glad I got rid of them. But I should have kept this one. However every time I find one, it's trashed. Sometimes it will have only one LP, or the cover has been run over by a truck or ripped in half, and the vinyl is even worse. But this copy is pristine, similar to the one I used to have. It took 2 years to find a decent copy. This album, for a lot of people, represents disco music and the years of 1977/78. It's really a phenomenal gathering of songs. The Bee Gees will likely be vilified for all of their remaining lives, and from those who came of age during this time (like me), but it's highly unfair. They banged in no less than FOUR platinum best sellers - and that's just the opening of the album! Every one of them is iconic. It's not easy to write songs like this, and their mastery of harmony went a long way to mega seller success. This is followed by Yvonne Elliman, whose contribution was also a major hit. Side 2 opens with Walter Murphy's Fifth of Beethoven from one year earlier, which is a heck of a lot of fun. I remember liking this song when I was 11. I still do. Tavares then does a cover of one of the Bee Gees hits on Side 1. And it was a hit too! Then we get our first David Shire instrumental. He's the true soundtrack guy, and represents "the suit" as it were. 'Manhattan Skyline' is an uplifting track. I remember playing this song in our high school marching band. For some reason I never put the two together until last night. The final track on album #1 is Ralph McDonald's lengthy 'Calypso Breakdown', which has an air of respectability, but I don't care for it personally. Shire opens disc 2 with 'Night on Disco Mountain', his homage to Murphy's Beethoven track no doubt. I'm sure they had a lot of fun with this. I like it too. 'Open Sesame' reminds me that I really need to investigate Kool & the Gang further. I never have found their albums in the wild (except for the 80s stuff), and they go for decent coin online (9/17/24 ED: Still haven't!). This is followed by two earlier Bee Gees hits 'Jive Talkin' and 'You Should be Dancing' both just as good as the '77 compositions. While I do like some KC & The Sunshine Band, I'm not a fan of 'Boogie Shoes', probably the weakest track here, and not a good representative of the group. Shire's final instrumental 'Salsation' is an excellent disco rendition of a serious dance step. After all, the movie is about dancing, and the choreography is brilliant throughout. For my tastes, the best track here is 'K-Jee' which is often forgotten about. I think its placement towards the end of the album is why no one really talks about it. MFSB *is* the Philly Sound. It's a killer track, one that could have been a funk classic too had they altered the beat a bit. And finally that leads to the 11+ minute 'Disco Inferno' by The Trammps. It's too long for sit down listening, but it's the right length if you just want to get down and boogie. Overall, Saturday Night Fever is as good as it gets for the style. For some, that style is abhorrent. But try to look past the beats and strings, and there's a lot underneath to savor. 

Paul Anka - Anka. 1974 United Artists (LP). Probably doesn't belong in this category, but there's really nowhere else to put this. Got this LP from a neighbor's collection about eight years ago (2013). Since I'm thinning the herd, this was an easy target. Like going deer hunting, but decided to shoot a cow instead. Only because it's just standing there, all fat and happy. I kept it because it has quite a bit of mellotron (think about that), and the album's first track 'Bring the Wine' has an eerie PFM feel about it. But... there's also 'One Man Woman / One Woman Man' to endure. You'd think maybe he was predicting a transgendered future. But nope, he's just another 70s sleazeball "But I'm a Two Timin' man...". Nice. And, of course, who could miss '(You're) Having My Baby'. Sooo... is that an observation, a guess, or... a command! Dammit, you're having my baby... baby. And why is You're listed as (You're). I have a lot of questions here for ol' Paulie while I watch this sail to the dollar bin. (Jun)

James Walsh Gypsy Band. 1978 RCA (LP). From an estate sale (Jun). This is the Minneapolis based Gypsy band whose first couple of albums are collectable in the hard rock world. James Walsh was one of the members, and he clearly usurped the name and logo for himself. Looking at the eight pasty *very white* looking guys on the back cover, does not indicate this will be a soul disco album. But that's mostly what it is. First couple of tracks aren't too bad, but then it becomes somewhat tedious. Side 2 is where you'll want to direct your compass. 'Gray Tears' is super, very much a throwback to the early Chicago horn rock days. Superb lead guitar and brass charts. 'My Star' is a weird little electronic rock number that recalls Stardrive of all things. Then it goes back to soul and disco. These two tracks were almost enough to have me keep this. Almost.

* - Keeping for the collection

Lite Storm - Warning. 1972 USA-California

Lite Storm is a new name for me, though I was aware of their heritage, namely a one Kali Bahlu. Though band leader Johnima Wintergate was from Victoria, Canada, he relocated to Los Angeles and subsequently got caught up in the hippy movement. This is where he met his future wife Kalassu (Kali), Sui-San, and Silver. Yep - it's that kind of commune-like grouping. I had read comparisons to fellow Angelinos' Music Emporium, and that was too much to resist, so I popped for the LP reissue. And really, it's not a bad comparison. While Music Emporium were art school trained, Lite Storm provide a more earthy alternative. And Wintergate's idiosyncratic vocals only add a touch of mystery to the proceedings. He also provides some mean fuzz guitar when called for. All 10 tracks are excellent, and varied including a couple of instrumentals. The music was apparently recorded in 1967 and 1968, and for that era, this is a superb historical document. It was eventually released in 1972, only as a promo. By then a complete afterthought, and the music world had moved on. So yet another great discovery from our America, a country who seemed hellbent on hiding our best talent.

Ownership: LP: 2019 Out-sider / Guerssen (Spain). Recent online acquisition. Single sleeve with an insert containing the original album advert, and a thorough recent interview from UMR's friend Klemen Breznikar (It's Psychedelic Baby). This interview provides us a full history of the band. Originals are scarce and no legit CDs exist.

Plebb - Yes It Isn't It. 1979 Sweden

Here's another old CDRWL entry. My notes from back then: "Plebb are in essence a hard rock band with that patented twin guitar attack. They offer a smorgasbord of musical styles presenting the instrumental palette of two guitars, bass, and drums. With Yes It Isn't It you will hear reggae influenced hard rock ('Reaggie IIb'); Brilliantly intense dual guitar jamming like the Dutch group Cargo ('Push Box'); Hard rock party music ('Rockaria'); Early riffing metal with nice melodic leads ('Tankar om Natten'); Heavy rock balladry / proto Power Pop like early 80's Scorpions ('Förflutet'); Instrumental dual acoustic guitar ('Psst'); And proggy hard rock ('Fresh Fish'). Some of the lead electric guitar work presented here is truly sublime. Swedish vocals add an exotic touch, for us English speakers anyway ('Fresh Fish' is sung in English). 'Push Box', 'Fresh Fish', and 'Tankar Om Natten" are the highlights for sure. This album has grown on me over time."

Those notes are pretty thorough, and I really don't have much to add at all. This is an album for hard rock fans who like variety, but aren't asking for too much. No keyboards, but the two guitarists more than make up for any lost timbres. And they have a great acidic tone as well.

Ownership: LP: 2021 Sommor / Guerssen (Spain). Recent online acquisition. Single sleeve with 4 page insert including a modest history, photos, lyrics, and recording details. We had heard from band member Tommy Gustavsson back in 2013 about this album being available for streaming. But this is the first legal physical reissue. No word if it will be pressed on CD or not, so we'll leave the tag here. Original LPs are a 4 figure fortune, and rarely offered.

12/17/13 (CDRWL)

Blackkout - Ignorance of Man. 1989 USA-Florida

And the hits keep on coming. It continues to baffle me just how many creative American metal bands were in existence from the late 80 through to the early 90s. I was still paying attention real time for acts such as this, though I wasn't really focused on the cassette culture. And I should have been, because that's how many of these albums were released in the first place. And many used the full length, allowing them to release that much more music than an LP, or a cheaper alternative to the still-too-expensive new medium called CDs. Thank goodness for the reissue label - or in many cases - the archival labels. Many of these labels aren't even here in the States, but in Europe, especially Germany, Greece, and Italy.

As noted, the cassette tape afforded bands a chance to release a lot of music. And that certainly was the case with Ignorance of Man, where there are a whopping 17 tracks here, including a 10 minute epic closer. From what I understand, but is poorly documented, this tape itself was a compilation of the band's recorded (or written) music throughout the 1980s. While it certainly all belongs to thrash metal, there are variations in both sound and structure, that indicates the band had flourishes of progressive mindedness along with more traditional approaches. Fortunately, most of the material on Ignorance of Man is fascinating, and well worth hearing. There are a few tracks where galloping guitars and gang vocals define the music. These are pretty ordinary, and would have been for the 80s as well. But the majority have passages that we used to call technical metal. And the kicker is the instrumentation. Even though Blackkout are only a 3 piece (with dubbed guitars to make it sound like a quartet), the leader of the group brings along not only a flute, but also an electric violin! The former immediately draws comparisons to one of progressive thrash's greatest groups in Psychotic Waltz. Electric violin on top of that? That's highly unique. While I wouldn't say these instruments are predominant in any way, they do add flourish to many of the tracks. As noted, the album closes with a 10 minute epic, which is one for the ages. 'The Talisman' goes through all sorts of twists and turns, similar in some ways to Manilla Road, but more thrash oriented. All in all, a must for fans of late 80s adventurous metal.

Blackkout were from America's richest metal talent area of Tampa / St. Pete, though they weren't part of the death metal wave that the region became most famous for.  The CD also (remarkably) includes their 1985 single, which is similar in construct to the album proper.

Ownership: CD: 2010 Arkeyn Steel (Greece). Recent online acquisition. Numbered edition (mine is #584) jewel case with a full booklet containing recording details (though no specific dates), photos, and lyrics. Excellent in every way, except it's missing a history, which I think would have helped provide context.

Cerebrum - Eagle Death. 1969-70 Spain (archival)

A little over 3 years ago, while sitting in a Baltimore hotel room after dinner, and with not much else going, I decided to hit YouTube and sample some recommended heavy psych 45s. This was the beginning of my foray into the medium, that I had neglected up to that point. This ultimately lead to me buying CD comps, and actual vintage 45s. One of the earliest I sampled was Spain's Cerebrum. After hearing the Eagle Death 45, I wrote simply: "Franco had to know the gig was up when he couldn't stop this from coming out." I knew that this compilation had existed, but forgot all about it until now.

It's hard to imagine a band like Cerebrum (or Mas as they were originally known) could exist during Franco's dictatorship, though things had loosened considerably by then. Cerebrum basically plays a ferocious style of psychedelic blues. The two singles are the highlights, and represent their studio recordings from 1970. The other 5 tracks are live in the studio from 1969. The latter is more blues oriented whereas the later material is more hard rock. Heavy guitar is the key ingredient to everything here. While similar to Catalan's Maquina, it's clear that Madrid's Cerebrum was a full step ahead when it came to heaviness. But alas it wasn't meant to be. Essential pickup for fans of early European heavy psych and hard rock.

Ownership: CD: 2012 Shadoks (Germany). Recent online acquisition. Jewel case contains fat booklet with excellent liner notes in both English and Spanish, along with recording details, photos, poster slicks, and lyrics. Sound is more than fine for the time and place. Excellent all around.

Noah - Brain Suck. 1972 USA-Ohio (archival)

Brain Suck is an old CDRWL entry brought back to light. Here were my notes from back then: "Archival LP release from somewhere in Ohio, unearthed by one Al Simones, who put out a couple of freaked out psych guitar albums in the 1990s. The LP has been carefully distributed, and so its scarcity has caused the value to remain high. The kind of release that used to be the sole domain of Rockadelic Records. Fuzz guitar and organ lead the psych rock parade. Very much a product of the great Midwest, and the time and place are very apparent. Compositions stray more towards the thinking man's genre, ala Cleveland's Dragonwyck. A nice discovery, and would definitely benefit from a CD reissue."

Considering the latter, that day has finally come about. See the Ownership section for more. It was presumed back then that the music was from 1969, so the sound would have to be considered advanced for the era. Ah, but now we know it's from 1972 - which is much more in line with the times. What you get with Brain Suck is a very strong hard rock album, with an enormous amount of heavy organ and - of course - loud guitar leads. There really wasn't too much of this kind of music being released here in the States real time in 1972. Bands like Sir Lord Baltimore and Bang come to mind, though Noah has a stronger organ presence. That small town in Ohio turns out to be Salem, which is pretty close to Youngstown, one of the premier steel towns in America. The birthplace of Poobah as well. 

In addition to the full release of Brain Suck, the CD contains two unreleased tracks from the band from one year earlier that are similar in construct. And then finally, there are 6 tracks from Noah's predecessor band known as The Sound Barrier. This group did manage to get out two singles in 1967 and 1969. All 4 tracks from the 45s plus two demos from 1968 are on this CD. The music here would generally be classified as heavy psych, and are not to be missed. The '69 single represents two cover tunes and features female vocals. One can tell the band is seeking for some commercial success, but did not achieve any. Thus Noah was born. An excellent archival release, essential for fans of early 70s American hard rock.

Ownership: CD: 2021 Guerssen / Galactic Archive (Spain). Recent online acquisition. Jewel case with a full booklet containing liner notes, photos, and recording details. Guerssen continues to be a gold star reissuer. For vinyl fans, they also released the album as a 2 LP set, which appears to be the exact same. Interesting to note that the original release from 1995 turned out to be unofficial (which I didn't know until Paul Hess wrote into the CDRWL a year later). While not addressed in the liner notes, it was stated as such in the press release for this reissue. As I noted above, the supply had been carefully controlled, and therefore was prohibitively expensive. Good thing I had waited for the proper release, and it is far more comprehensive. 

12/20/09 (CDRWL)

Quintessence - Dive Deep. 1971 England

It was only some 3 years ago that I wrote about Quintessence's debut, an album that I had only been introduced to in 2014. You can read my thoughts there, but it's remarkable that Quintessence possess exactly the kind of sound I enjoy, yet I was so late to the party. I knew their second and third albums were supposed to be similar, and I secretly hoped I would find them in the wilds. After all, I do recall seeing them in the record bins in the 80s and 90s. But no such luck. Since I was happy with Repertoire's CD of In Blissful Company, I decided to cut in line and grab Dive Deep. 

Dive Deep is the 3rd Quintessence album and is very similar in construct to the debut. They have a distinct psychedelic edge, which I attribute more towards their interest in Indian music. Other than the final track, all of the music is laced with psychy guitar, flute, and percussion. They're a full 6 piece, so you don't get shorted on instrumentation. I'm not quite as reminded of Marsupilami as I was for In Blissful Company, but one could see this as a direction they could have gone as well. Because the album ends with a more traditional Indian piece, it seems many have written the album off as background restaurant music, or something similar. But Dive Deep would be awfully irritating for that setting I would think. Yet another excellent album, and I look forward to hearing their second album at some point.

Ownership: CD: 2005 Repertoire. Recent online acquisition. Colorful digi-pak with excellent liner notes from Chris Welch. The notes contain a band overview, and are slightly different to Welch's notes on In Blissful Company, which he had penned 2 years earlier.

Slauter Xstroyes - Winter Kill. 1985 USA-Illinois

It's been 5 years since we last spoke of Chicago's Slauter Xstroyes. I had just purchased Free the Beast, which is an archival release including what was to be their second album + demos, etc... But what of the debut, the album that did manage to get released? Well... it was impossible to find at a decent price. All the reissues were going for serious money and, of course, the original is priced sky high. Leave it to Cult Metal Classics of Greece to come through once again. This is the same label that brought us the Legend From the Fjords CD. 

As for the music, no surprise that this is exactly the type of metal I love. It's ridiculously non-linear, make-it-up-as-you-go, small-venue heavy metal. It's progressive for sure, though not in a calculated way. These guys keep spinning in different directions. It's not particularly heavy by metal standards - at least not by 1985 - but it's certainly of the genre. This is one of those albums you could hear 10 times in a row, and have 10 different opinions of it. Certainly pioneers like Iron Maiden and Mercyful Fate provide the blueprint, and then Slauter Xstroyes runs with it from there. Just like the more known Manilla Road, the only rule applied is an endless imagination. I know there are modern metal bands out there who attempt to make music like this. I haven't heard too many, but I think it would be tough to take a 2021 brain and relive the 80s underground experience. I missed Slauter Xstroyes in their day, but I was aware of others like them. It was a magical time for music such as this.

Ownership: CD: 2021 Cult Metal Classics (Greece). Recent online acquisition. Jewel case with booklet containing a retro 1998 interview from the label owner, which is informative. Also includes 3 bonus tracks, one a newly unearthed track from 1985! Another is a live track from 2015. And the other is a studio recording from 2016. So they did get back together for a short while anyway. Would love to see new product from these guys. 

Moose Loose - Transition. 1976 Norway

Transition is the second and last album from Norway's Moose Loose. The album's opener 'Funky Hi-Way' had me thinking that I really need to stop buying albums like this. Don't get me wrong, I think it's very good, but this kind of fusion has been played many times over. Here they sound like a cross between No Mystery era Return to Forever and mid 70s Jean-Luc Ponty. And despite the song title, Moose Loose have definitely downplayed the funky aspects of their sound. In fact this first track does begin to tell the story of Transition, as the title of the album is also descriptive. Gone is heavy-on-the-Clavinet Brynjulf Blix (what a name!) and in his place is fusion keyboardist Håkon Graf, who we know best from the Blow Out album that shares his name. But more importantly, though, is the addition of violinist Trond Villa (another great name!). He adds a whole new dimension to Moose Loose. Things improve on the 10.5 minute 'Trees' where the solo instruments begin to shine (especially Jon Eberson's guitar), and the rhythms become more interesting. After two excellent interludes close side 1 and open side 2, the album really finds its groove on 'White' and 'Graf'. I first heard this album - like so many others - via a cd-r blitz a decade ago. They all started to blend together. Like with Ozric Tentacles, one must separate the listens over time to truly appreciate the contents on their own merit. So while I do miss the rawer psychedelic qualities of Elgen Er Løs, I find Transition just as compelling, even though its more restrained and, dare I say, professional.

Ownership: CD: 2021 Norske Albumklassikere. Recent online acquisition that replaces the cd-r mentioned above. Similar to Elgen Er Løs, this comes in a thin digi-file sleeve with liner notes in Norwegian. This is the first reissue of Transition.

2021 X-Wave Journal Vol. 1 - Complete

***The following all came from a collection dump at a thrift shop, most in pristine condition (Jul)

Men Without Hats - Pop Goes the World. 1987 Mercury (LP). For some reason, I had Men at Work in mind when I picked this up. Different group of course. Men Without Hats are from Canada and are most famous for the song 'Safety Dance' which I remember from high school. This is a few years after that, but it's still in-the-pocket New Wave music. Pleasant enough listen, but nothing really grabbed me here. Average for the style I would submit. In reading some reviews, it seems to be a cult classic of some sort. Not sure I hear anything radical enough to warrant that, but there it is.

Blondie - Autoamerican. 1980 Chrysalis (LP). My previous rating was somewhat mediocre, and in hearing the first couple of tracks, I thought I may have been too harsh. It starts off in serious orchestral mode before going into her disco comfort zone. Then a 40's number, a reggae bit, and on and on. Yea, my rating of average is right. I'm not too fond of genre hopping anyway, but especially from a group like Blondie.

Tom Tom Club - Close to the Bone. 1983 Sire (LP). The second album from Tom Tom Club is clearly less art pop, and more geared toward the dance floor. At first, I thought this album to be lesser. But as it went on, it became more infectious. 'The Man with the 4-Way Hips" is so ridiculous, you can't help but like it. Sometimes I wish I was more silly when I was 18 - I would have liked this. But alas, I was not a silly kid. In any case - fun listen, but not something I need to own.

Roxy Music - Avalon. 1982 EG / Warner Bros. (LP). Roxy Music has always been a preferred group for "The Smart Set". But since I'm a charter member of "The Dumb Set", I haven't ever really been drawn to their sound. They're the anti-Yes, and find favor with 70s arty songwriter fans. Not surprising at all that they were able to draw a new fan base with their take on 80s New Wave / Art Pop music. This was to be their last album, though it is considered one of their best. I found it pleasant enough, not overly distinctive from their peers. But then again, "select the next pattern that best represents the sequence of abstract shapes below" was never really my thing. 

Joe Jackson - Night and Day. 1982 A&M (LP). This was a true nostalgia pickup, as I bought this album my senior year of high school, when it first came out. I was trying to "broaden my horizons" obviously lol. My social set in those days was a mix of the cool kids and the long haired freaks. The latter was my metal outlet, and early adventure into prog. The former was all about early 80s contemporary music. I thought 'Steppin' Out' was great, so why not? It's by far my favorite track on the album, and one wishes there was more of this kind of music in general. It's almost a throw back to Burt Bacharach before doing such was fashionable. But Jackson was always an odd bird. I held onto this album for some years before parting with it. In hearing it again, I have to agree with that decision, even though I'm moving the grade from good to very good. There's just not enough nostalgia pull here (I barely remember the rest), and it's not something I'm going to be excited to listen to. 

Devo - Freedom of Choice. 1980 Warner Bros. (LP). This was also in the 80s collection I picked up three years ago (2019). I did manage to hear it all the way through last time, so my grade hasn't changed on this listen. Ohio's Devo captured the spirit of the era perfectly. They're a bit silly honestly, but it's all good fun. Not something for me to keep.

The Psychedelic Furs - Mirror Moves. 1984 Columbia (LP). Like with Devo, I first heard this in the 2019 80's collection purchase. And again my rating remains the same. The band name is a misnomer of course. Nothing psych about these guys, at least at this point in their career. Mirror Moves is oh-so-British accented New Wave music. By 1984 this style was already played out, but it's still a good example of the genre. Nothing I need though.

Tom Tom Club. 1981 Sire (LP). Tom Tom Club is a new name for me, but I'm sure many of you know that they are an offshoot of The Talking Heads. The music is similar Art Pop meets New Wave. It's heavily percussive as well. An interesting listen, more involved than your usual 80s music - but again not anything that goes beyond "good" in my world.

The New American Orchestra - Blade Runner. 1982 Full Moon / Warner Bros. (LP). This is the original version. Music was composed by Vangelis, but not performed by him. It's a true soundtrack with some decent electronic pieces, but average on the whole.

Bangles - All Over the Place. 1984 Columbia (LP). In my mind the Bangles existed earlier than 1984, but obviously that was not the case. While the 80s collection mentioned above had their more famous Different Light album ('Walk Like an Egyptian'), their debut shows the group to be more of that 80s indie/garage type sound. It's all very safe of course, nothing radical here, but at least the girls prove they weren't just a gimmick act. And as is usually the case, the market rewarded them only for their most ridiculous aspects. Oh well, they cashed in anyway. Nice album, but not anything I need to keep.

2021 Fusion / Jazz Journal Vol. 2 - Complete

*** The following all came from a buy (Jun-Jul) at Independent Records, who were starting to dump LPs and 45s at deep discounts (they were to close in 2023). 

Joe Farrell Quartet. 1970 CTI (LP). OK, this was one Joe Farrell too many for me. His first release as band leader shows Farrell still in pure jazz mode, without any hints of rock. Opens up in fine fashion with a pleasant post bop piece, though again I'm not too fond of Farrell's honking style. 'Collage for Polly' is a fine atmospheric experimental number with flute in the lead. 'Circle in the Square' is exactly what I don't like in jazz. Way too noisy, though not avant garde by any means. This is iffy so far. The first three tracks on Side 2 has Farrell primarily on flute, which I enjoy, though I'm having a hard time finding a comfort zone here. It's a bit loose and lacking memorable melodies or sequences. The final closer 'Motion' is awful. Now this is free jazz, and I'll probably never get my head around why it was popular in the first place. I appreciate the freedom of sound and idea, but you have to do more than make random noise, for me at least. Yuck. Even though John McLaughlin is featured as part of the group, his guitar is almost entirely absent. I'm going to move this one out. Features a nice gatefold cover, typical of the label. In the small print, it states you can get a custom color print of the cover for $19.50. Whoa, that was a lot of money in 1970 for such an item. I wonder if anyone actually took them up on the offer? (Jul)

Spyro Gyra - Shaker Song / Paw Prints. 1978 Amherst promo (SP). Spyro Gyra were popular with my bandmates in high school (early 80s), and I think we even played a couple of their songs in our jazz/stage band. Very pleasant music really. They were one of the prototypes for what would become smooth jazz. Formed in Buffalo, their 1977 debut was a private press that's quite hard to score. Since they were in northwest New York, Amherst picked them up for a brief time, and that's when and where this promo came from. Eventually they were signed to MCA and were major sellers for the label. Both of these tracks are on the debut, and the Amherst and MCA LPs are very easy to score. I just bought this 45 because it was 10 cents. Good on the whole. Won't keep though. (Jul)

Shadowfax - What Goes Around / Maceo. 1986 Windham Hill (SP). I didn't even realize Windham Hill put out 45s! This was with the 10 centers, so why not try it? At this point in their career, Shadowfax is combining bad 80s new age, bad 80s smooth jazz, and bad 80s world fusion into a compendium of everything that was wrong with the 80s. A really great example of that specimen, smelly as it is. They're so far from the Watercourse Way album, they may as well be on another planet by now. Both of these tracks can also be found on their Too Far to Whisper album. (Jul)

*Joe Farrell - Moon Germs. 1973 CTI (LP). I recently reported on two later Farrell albums, and how I enjoyed both immensely. Moon Germs was my introduction to Farrell's solo works, via a CD release. Since it had some value (at the time), I sold it, as I wasn't overly enamored with it. But I definitely wanted to hear it again with a fresh set of ears. After hearing it again, I can certainly see why I was OK letting it go. But I do enjoy it more now. If for nothing else than the excellent closer 'Bass Folk Song' which sounds more like Lloyd McNeill than Joe Farrell. He should have played the flute more, that's for sure. "Stan" Clarke is also having a good time on the bass throughout the album. The other tracks point more to a late era jazz album than the more trendy rock fusion that was penetrating the market back then. Love these CTI bulletproof gatefolds - and it's a great cover too. (Jun)

***end of sale

Pat Metheny & Lyle Mays - As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls. 1981 ECM (LP). Thrift shop find (Jun). Pretty much what you would expect from a Metheny album on ECM in 1981. This is a very mellow, soothing, adult contemporary jazz, typical of the time and place. The side long title track has a little bit of Tangerine Dream in it, which I enjoyed. Overall it's a pretty album, and were I still in accumulation mode, I'd keep it. I consider it on par with First Circle, and since I already have that as a representative, I'll let this one go. Metheny is popular at the record shows.

*Dizzy Gillespie / Lalo Schifrin - Free Ride. 1977 Pablo (LP). From an estate sale (Jun). Put Free Ride in the same category as Donald Byrd's Street Lady. A remarkable set of tunes, it's clear Schifrin put a ton of energy into his compositions here. Yes, it does have a disco beat, but it's a full band effort, and there are no strings to get in the way. Alter that beat slightly, and you have one hell of a jazz funk classic. And Gillespie is filling in for Miles Davis here, while Davis was hiding in the basement. Same sort of random bursts of trumpet. One has to think Davis himself would have put out a record like this in 1977 had he been active. Sacrilege? No way, this is a brilliant album really. Nothing to be ashamed of. Which explains its rarity today. Lot of folks are hip to this one. No less than a baker's dozen of quality jazz musicians play on this, and there's a boatload of killer analog synthesizers too. Great electric guitar, flute, sax, percussion, etc...

Ron Carter - Yellow & Green. 1976 CTI (LP). With the Gillespie (Jun). It wasn't that long ago that I found Blues Farm at an estate sale up north. It was pleasant jazz, with a focus on Carter's bass, and not much else. And... the same can be said for Yellow & Green. In fact, this is a bit lesser honestly. Fairly dull background jazz. Average. As always with CTI, comes in a very fine gatefold. And it's now cuddled up to Blues Farm... in the sell bin.

Lee Morgan - Sonic Boom. 1979 Blue Note (LP). From RT's collection (Jun). OK yea, this is classic post bop - recorded in April of 1967. Not really my style, and had I sampled it, it probably would have gone straight to the sell list with McLean. But I was busy last night doing an administration task on my collection, so I let it play twice all the way through. I really do enjoy Morgan's trumpet playing. Honestly I wish they'd play music like this in restaurants. Pleasing for sure, but not something I need to keep.

*Donald Byrd - Black Byrd. 1973 Blue Note (LP). From Independent (Jun). Ever since hearing Street Lady, I knew I wanted to hear other Byrd albums from the time period. And Black Byrd is the beginning of the sound that we hear on Street Lady. As many have noted, it's pretty much a Mizell Brothers dominated release (i.e. they wrote most of the music). Apparently - in its day - the album caused an uproar with traditional jazz enthusiasts. And that frustration the critics expressed had such a profound effect - that Black Byrd became one of Blue Note's best sellers. Haha. I personally love this kind of analog breezy jazz funk. And Roger Glenn once again shines on flute, along with some innovative trumpet from Byrd. I'm a sucker for wah wah rhythm guitar and active percussion, and there's plenty of that too. Vocals are probably unnecessary but they are sparse. Love the 1897 vintage photo cover from Knoxville, Tennessee. A powerful image. Definitely keeping this one.

*Miles Davis - Miles Smiles. 198? Columbia (LP) (1967). From RT (May). One of those Nice Price deals. Oddly, I have on CD (and a few on LP) just about every Miles Davis album from this period - except this one! So that really worked out nicely. From 1967, Davis is still exploring jazz in the same manner as Kind of Blue. This is one of his more respected titles, and I can see why. The ballads are noirish and the more energetic tracks have some mean rhythms and tight charts. Easy recommendation.

John Mayall - Jazz Blues Fusion. 1972 Polydor (LP). From RT (May). Well it's blues alright. It's John Mayall, so that's to be expected. Jazz? Not so much. There's some trumpet, but jazz never leapt to mind here. And the word fusion I think is literal, verse what the term came to mean a few years later. I'm not a big blues guy (as a genre, though I love the influence), so this one will go.

*David Sancious - Just as I Thought. 1979 Arista (LP). Thrift shop find (May). These finds were all different BTW. Sancious was always an odd bird, sitting somewhere in no man's land between symphonic progressive rock and jazz fusion. Just as I Thought closes the book on this phase of his career. His next album The Bridge (which was part of the find above) is nothing more than introspective piano numbers. Not for me. But this album is excellent. The title track and 'Suite (For the End of an Age)' represent the progressive rock numbers. 'Valley of the Shadow' is highly unique, a mixture of fusion, prog, and electronic. For me, the highlight of the album. Opener 'Run' and the last two tracks offer up the typical fusion of the era. The vocal track 'Again' and the acoustic 'The Naked I', can be skipped, and they're conveniently back to back. This isn't my first time to hear Just as I Thought, and this ended up being a +2 listen.

New York Mary - A Piece of the Apple. 1976 Arista (LP). Thrift shop find (May). Another new name for me. This one was sealed, so off to YouTube I went to hear a couple of tracks. OK good enough, I'll break the seal. A Piece of the Apple is a somewhat typical American styled instrumental fusion group, with a touch of funk. A little Average White Band, some Streetdancer, a bit of Stanley Clarke, and a host of more obscure bands. Tight charts with an in-sync saxophone and rhythm section. Some fine trumpet, electric guitar, and good songs. Not an earth shaker by any means, but a solid entry for fusion fans.

Abercrombie Quartet. 1980 ECM (LP) From What's Left (Apr). Prior to this release, John Abercrombie had been a major player in the jazz rock field for some years, and we just mentioned him very recently on one of Billy Cobham's albums. And his best work, in my opinion, was with the band Friends, one of America's great hidden underground treasures. Instinctively I kind of knew this was going to be too late in the game for me to appreciate much. And that preconceived notion proved to be true. Very adult. There's a reason ECM Jazz has its own genre. In fact, let me quote my thoughts on a recent post about Pat Metheny: "More adult contemporary jazz... fusion. I'll never mature enough for this style of music it seems, but have to admit it provided a pleasant mid-evening listen. Calms the nerves, while not offending anyone. Likely will not keep." That.

Ron Carter - Blues Farm. 1973 CTI (LP). From another estate sale (Apr). When first hearing this title, I thought it should have been part of the jazz-funk collection (two sections below) verse the soul-jazz (one section below). But it's really neither. Ron Carter is a famous bass player, and the music is geared towards his instrument. Unless you're in a Zeuhl band, rare is the bass player that will hold your attention for very long, and Blues Farm is no exception. Hubie Laws does his best to keep it interesting with his fine flute playing, but overall this falls into the pure jazz category, with bass as a feature. Pretty good, but not something I'll pull down for a listen. As always from CTI, the packaging is a fine thick gatefold.

*** - Keeping for the collection