Wooden Shjips ~ USA ~ San Francisco, California

Shijps In The Night: Live in San Francisco, June 8, 2018

I've known about Wooden Shjips for years, but never heard a lick of their music. Imagine my surprise when I found a mint LP copy (in shrink) in the $2 bin at a record store in Denver. I didn't bother to price it out, I just wanted to hear it (some new LP's really do sell for $5). Now that I'm looking it up, somebody clearly made a mistake. I'm certainly not complaining.

I don't usually like to start with a live album (unless the groups themselves do), and it's apparent most, if not all, of these tracks were released on their five studio albums. Guessing it may not matter, as it appears there's some improvising going on, or at least some added kinetic energy. I quite like what I'm hearing here. Very much in the neo psych vein, not so far from others of their ilk like Sun Dial, Black Sun Ensemble, Dungen (if they were English), Plasticland, and Wolf People. The fuzz tone guitar is exactly the sound you want from some obscure 60s psych 45. The hazy and trippy vocals reinforce the psychedelic connection. Same with echoed simulated organ. There's no mistaking the type of music Wooden Shjips peddle in, each track is filled to the brim with psyched out sounds and spaced out interludes.

Ownership: 2019 Silver Current (LP). Embossed cover. Acquired in 2026.

8/12/26 (review)

8/12/26 (new entry)

Santana (& related) ~ USA ~ San Francisco, California

One of the most influential guitarists in history, Carlos Santana assembled a high quality group of multicultural musicians. Coming from the Mission District of San Francisco, Santana was groundbreaking in many ways. But what really makes Carlos special is that he took his fame and fortune and made a go at high art. His "spiritual jazz rock" phase is nothing short of incredible, before settling back into corporate America. And mostly losing his way ever since. There's a religious metaphor in there I think. How ironic. More updates to come eventually.

Borboletta (1974)

---2007

Do you ever look at your shelf of music and see an album and say “you know, the next time I hear it I bet I’ll like it more than I did before?” Well, I bought this LP sometime in the 1980s and doubt I’ve heard it twice since then. Foreshadowing aside, yea I dug it big time. This was released at the tail end of his fusion phase, but there’s still plenty of that sound prevalent throughout. Sure, he’s introducing a slicker, more radio friendly sound here. But it’s not too bad on the whole – in fact some of the melodies are addictive. I think to properly enjoy this album, it’s best to hear Welcome first, rather than Lotus, or even further apart, the first three albums.

---8/7/26

Santana's 6th studio album is the end of the line for his jazz rock phase. Unfortunately. As noted above, sure, Carlos was moving his group into more commercial waters. But he found a peak spot as he's turning the valve, and captures the best of all eras. The atmospheric pieces recall Abraxas, the vocal numbers hint at what's to come with Amigos / Festival (and follows similar with the Welcome album), and finally, the fiery fusion numbers where Carlos lets 'er rip on guitar. I find music like this very easy to listen to.

This phase of his career likely had to come to an end as it wasn't commercially viable for the tightening of the radio medium of the mid 70s through the 80s. Tragedy that.

Ownership: 1974 Columbia (LP). Lyric inner bag. Acquired in 1986.

1986; 2007 (review); 12/29/14; 7/16/16; 8/7/26 (update)

Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles - Live! (1972)

One of the more forgotten of Santana's releases is his collaboration with Buddy Miles for a January concert in Hawaii. It's here that you can really tell that Carlos Santana was hankering to dig deeper into his spiritual consciousness. And explore jazz at a deep level as well. There's still plenty of the Santana III rock band styled music here, but Caravanserai is on the horizon. For fans of that phase of his career, this album is pivotal and represents a key transition.

Ownership: 1972 Columbia (LP). With insert. Acquired in 2025.

4/30/25 (review)

Welcome (1973)

Welcome is Santana's 5th album and was released smack dab in the middle of his spiritual jazz rock phase. Along with Caravanserai, Love Devotion & Surrender, and Lotus, it almost defies belief that a major "pop" artist such as Santana would achieve such great heights with decidedly non-commercial music. Which is the primary gripe of the naysayers even today. Intense guitar heavy jamming is not for everyone, and it's understandable that he lost a good portion of his primary audience. My view is the polar opposite. The older I get the more I appreciate Santana and other artists who followed his way. Welcome is not only a jam heavy guitar and organ extravaganza, but it also features some beautiful songwriting. I love the Leon Thomas sung songs, completely at odds with the rest of the album, yet fits the elevated spirituality that was Carlos Santana in 1973. There's the obvious great with tracks like 'Flame-Sky' and the title track. And then there's the beautiful great with 'Love, Devotion, & Surrender', 'When I Look Into Your Eyes', and 'Light of Life'. They are not mutually exclusive. Yet another Santana album that gets a +1. For whatever reason I didn't buy this album back in college with the rest of them. My mistake as it's one of their best. 

The CD features one more great song ('Mantra') that is not to be missed.

Ownership: 2003 Columbia Legacy (CD). Booklet with liner notes and photos. One bonus track as noted above. Acquired in 2005.

2//05; 2/16/25 (review)

Beyond Appearances (1985)

I find it interesting that Carlos Santana never let go of his iconic psychedelic sound. He really could have been the tip of the spear at any kind renaissance of high quality psych and fusion in the 1980s. But he decided to play ball and follow the trends of the day. So most of the songs are boring, with cringeworthy 80s digitalitis sounds. ...and Carlos' beautiful tone when it's his turn. Oh well, he continued to stick with this formula, and it finally paid off for him commercially about 15 years later. 

Source: 1985 Columbia (LP)

7/31/24 (review)

Santana (1969)

The birth of the movement. Latin Rock remains one of my favorite subgenres of music, and I owe a ton of gratitude to a one Carlos Santana. A fantastic guitar player who had the vision to meld Hispanic culture with the ongoing psychedelic and hard rock movements. His group and extended family spawned many imitators, some maybe even better than anything Santana released. While Carlos deserves heaps of praise, the X-factor in the group has to be Gregg Rolie. His soulful voice, songwriting ability, and Hammond organ work is at the highest levels. The juxtaposition of bluesy hard rock soul numbers like 'Shades of Time', 'Evil Ways', 'Persuasion', 'Treat', and 'You Just Don't Care' against the percussive Latin rockers 'Waiting', 'Savor', 'Jingo', and 'Soul Sacrifice' is what makes the debut so special. Rolie was to Carlos what Roman Bunka was to Christian Burchard (Embryo). Taking a great band to a timeless one. Even though I've known this album for well for 40 years, I still managed a +1 listen out of it. It now resides in the very top tier.

Ownership: 

1969 Columbia (LP). 2 eye original. Acquired in 2026. First copy acquired in 1983 (the current pressing at the time).

1998 Columbia Legacy (CD). Liner notes and photos. Contains three bonus tracks taken from the Woodstock concert. Acquired in 2025.

1983; 6/13/16; 11/26/23 (review)

Festival (1977)

About a year ago I had a chance to revisit Moonflower to great results. Would I have a similar experience here? And the answer is a resounding yes. While it doesn't have a jaw dropper like 'Europa' (what does?), Festival is more consistent. The first three tracks are Santana at his absolute best, mixing in his purposely naïve view of the world with molten licks. And so it goes, with his usual mix of ethnic and harder rocking tracks. He pretty much let go of the funk that permeated Amigos. There are two tracks that are too Vegas-y for me 'Give Me Love' and 'The River', which still leaves 36 minutes of great music.

Ownership: 1977 Columbia (LP). Reacquired in 2021. First purchased in 1987.

1987; 8/9/21 (review)

Amigos (1976)

Funny about these albums sitting in the collection forever, that go back to childhood, and yet I couldn't tell you squat about it. I only kept the LP all these years because of 'Europa'. More on that one in a minute. What of the other six tracks, are they really that bad? No, not all actually. Well, save one.

'Dance Sister Dance' is a hybrid classic Santana Latin number with some creeping funk influence. The latter half of this song jams quite well. Which then segues nicely into the album's hidden gem 'Take Me With You', which sounds like early Santana ripping and roaring, until it puts the brakes on for a nice journey on The Love Boat. C'mon now, the girls are pretty and this is the perfect soundtrack. 'Let Me' isn't so bad really. Yes, it's got that Herbie Hancock Clavinet thing going and I could probably go without the "soul sista" chorus that were annoying even back then... and especially now. But Santana is there to lay down a killer lick or two, so it's OK.

'Gitano' is Amigos' contribution to Latin music. There are times when it seems it's about to take off into another killer jam, but it stays within the rails too much. 'Tell Me Are You Tired'. (OK, if you insist). This one is a bit too much funk pop for me, with more soul sista chorus, but not egregious on the whole.

This leads to 'Europa', which is just simply one of the most beautiful - and powerful - instrumentals ever committed to tape. Been hearing it for over 40 years, and I still get goosebumps throughout the entire song. Had it only been 20 minutes.... In any case this leads to...

'Let it Shine', the track that does everything in its power to desecrate the previous - that what was once holy and sacred. I mean I can deal with a little boogie woogie now and then, but seriously this is just plain awful. OK, let's just forget it ever happened. Nothing to see here.

And so with that - an album that is far better than I ever recalled. Glad I kept it.

Ownership: 1980s Columbia (LP). Acquired in 1989.

1989; 11/30/07; 9/21/18 (review)

Other albums I own: Abraxas; Santana III; Caravanserai; Love Devotion Surrender; Lotus; Moonflower; Live at the Fillmore 1968; Blues For Salvador; Santana Live

Previous owned: Inner Secrets; Marathon

9/21/18 (new entry)

Smoke ~ USA ~ San Francisco, California

Everything (1973)

---12/16/11

Smoke's Everything is a varied, but super cool atmospheric jazz rock album. Freaky in the MPS tradition, though group is California based (rather than German as is often thought). The bass clarinet piece recalls Lard Free on I'm Around About Midnight. Speaking of which, lots of great midnight lounge organ sounds. No other album like this one. A kozmigroov classic.

---6/20/26

That was the CDRWL entry. Today I received in the mail the first legit reissue. Popped it right into the changer immediately, something I rarely do anymore. Let's see if that original review holds up.

A1 is a relatively sane and mellow atmospheric jazz rock opening. A2 borders Krautrock with its haunting sounds. A3 goes for the deep groove. It really does remind me of Lard Free on I'm Around About Midnight. Though some of the winds soloing gets a bit unhinged until the organ saves the day.

B1 adds in some cool African percussion and female wordless vocals. B2 really gets out there, almost like an Ethereal Wave album with echoed female vocals and piano. Then another deep groove sets in with echoed vibes on top, as only the Germans would do it. B3 seemingly is going to be a straight jazzer, until it too goes into deep space with a stoned Milt Jackson styled vibes sound. It does eventually get into a bit of hard bop with some free jazz sax blow. He seems to be the most jazz oriented of the bunch. Fortunately the organist comes in to stop him from going completely mad and bring us back to what one expects from the MPS label. B4 is the most representative of the Kozmigroov sound.

Overall I enjoyed a +1 listen.

Ownership: 2026 Solid / MPS (CD). Liner notes in Japanese. The original back cover liner notes are here as well (in both German and English), but you'll need a magnifying glass to see them. Acquired in 2026.

12/16/11 (review); 6/20/26 (update)

They have another album from 1970 that I have yet to hear.

6/20/26 (new entry)

Metallica ~ USA ~ San Francisco, California

Garage Inc. (1998)

It had been my intention to follow up the original Garage Days listen below with the 1998 updated album, as they're both on the same CD. I put it aside, then it got buried under other CDs, and finally forgotten altogether. Eventually managed to find it and put on a listening list, and here we are.

From the below I wrote: "I don't technically like cover tunes, as I see them as something of a novelty. But in the hands of Metallica it somehow seems different." At least that was the case in the 80s lol. Somewhere along the line, Metallica lost interest in thrash, and by the 90s they were more like a bluesy metal band. And their popularity, at least from a critical response perspective, also sank to the bottom as I also noted in the Hardwired review. Though financially, I seriously doubt they felt the pinch. They obviously don't care about their legacy, and so be it. They are a hell of a lot richer than their brethren, but less respected. So is Elon Musk. Each were once worshipped and now derided by many (and loved by others). Big deal, I'm sure they collectively feel.

If there was an album that afforded them a modicum of street cred in the 90s, it was Garage, Inc. Whereas the covers on the 1987 effort were well researched underground metal, here they are a bit more typical classic rock fare. Not sure I need to hear Metallica cover Bob Seger, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Nick Cave. Black Sabbath and Thin Lizzy feel obligatory. Doing punk covers, while actually sounding like a punk band, is beneath them. 

So what does that leave? Yea, the 11 minute Mercyful Fate medley. A really great fit for classic era Metallica, and exactly the type of music they embraced a decade earlier. The other is the intriguing choice of 'Astronomy'. Proggy Blue Oyster Cult meets Metallica? Funny to hear Hetfield try to actually sing. I think it's hard to replicate the atmosphere without the piano, but they did an admirable arrangement job here. Makes you wonder what they would have come up with if covering Yes or Genesis? Embarrassing or enlightening? Hey, I wouldn't underestimate them that much. 

I'll keep this CD in the "extra" category, primarily for the bonus tracks on Disc 2, which is mostly 80s material.

Ownership: 1998 Elektra (2xCD) with Garage Days Re-Revisited. Booklet with extensive liner notes and photos. Plus many bonus. Acquired in 2025.

1/19/26 (review)
 

Garage Days Re-Revisited (1987)

After reading the below, it should come as no surprise I bought this EP on Day 1. I don't technically like cover tunes, as I see them as something of a novelty. But in the hands of Metallica it somehow seems different. They make great songs even better, especially in their 80s heyday. And their choices of songs proves once again that they were quite well versed in metal history. Choosing bands like Diamond Head, Budgie, and Holocaust was next level research for 1987. This was the album that introduced bassist Jason Newsted, and a key transitional moment that Metallica wasn't going to give up after Cliff Burton's untimely accidental death. Another one of those albums I have no documentation of hearing since purchase, though once again I know that's not accurate. 

While I'm here I should cover off on the extended 1984 Garage Days Revisited single that includes the devasting 'Am I Evil?' from Diamond Head plus the excellent NWOBHM Blitzkrieg track.

Ownership:

1987 Elektra (EP). Acquired in 1987.

1998 Elektra (2xCD) on Garage, Inc: Disc 2 - Tracks 1-5 (6-7). Acquired in 2025.

8//87; 7/29/25 (review) 

Kill 'em All (1983)

It all starts here. This album. The one that put thrash metal on the map, and perhaps was the jet fuel the entire heavy metal genre needed to survive for the ages. As I noted on Accept's Restless and Wild, they lit the match. Metallica took that fire to the torch and scorched the earth with it.

For me personally I was looking for a sound. I didn't know what it was, but I needed a place to burn some pent up energy, both mind and body. By 1983, I was a huge fan of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Saxon, the aforementioned Accept album and a few others. Iron Maiden was the closest to what I was seeking, but they weren't ever really that heavy to be honest. But they had the right idea compositionally with 'Phantom of the Opera', 'Hallowed Be Thy Name', 'To Tame a Land', and many others. According to RYM, Kill 'em All was released on July 25, 1983. That ties to my memory as well. It wasn't until August that I purchased my copy (which I still own) after reading about it in Kerrang. The timing is important because it was only a couple of weeks before I entered college. One of those identity defining moments at a key time in life.

I remember hearing the album for the first time and my reaction to it. 'Hit the Lights' was a perfect opener. A lot of albums back then had a perfect opener. But would it sustain? Then came 'Four Horseman'. And there it was - that was the sound I was looking for! The riffs, the production, the meter changes, everything about it was so perfect. ...And it never let up from there. The album was relentless in its pursuit of heaviness with a bit of brainpower. Some of their best tracks can be found here (including the two openers), especially 'No Remorse', 'Whiplash', 'Jump in the Fire', and 'Seek & Destroy'. 

They were to improve dramatically on their next two albums in the areas of songwriting, technique (including vocals), lyrics, and production heaviness. And yet Kill 'em All was already miles ahead of any perceived competition.

As I stated - it was an album that shaped an identity. As noted here a few times, I attended Texas Tech. That school is in Lubbock, in the middle of hardcore West Texas. Country music ruled supreme and many young cowboys from the area went to school there. I had nothing in common with any of them. I was a city kid from Dallas. There were a few of us like that. It would be three months before I even met someone who knew who Metallica was. Instant friendships were bonded in that way. Long haired, torn denim, tennis shoes wearing metal heads in the world of clean cut cowboys complete with hat and boots. The only downside was that all the pretty girls (and there were many of them!) liked the cowboys. Sigh. 

I acquired this album not long after release at a mall record store as noted above. Funny to think about that too. At a mall store... Probably right next to Men at Work's Cargo.

A true story: One early afternoon after class, I needed to burn off some energy (common theme apparently), and was jamming to 'Whiplash'. Two of my dorm mates were walking down the hall. Imagine 6' 4" tall cowboys, tight jeans, boots, and black hats - walking in lockstep. They saunter past my door. They stop and look backwards into my room and ask in a western twang:

 "What the hell is that sh*t?". 

"It's Metallica, dude" 

"What?" 

"Metallica".

"Well that sh*t SUCKS. Keep it down!"

Ownership: 

1983 Megaforce (LP). Lyric inner bag. Acquired in 1983.

Vertigo Argentina (CD). Two hidden bonus tracks taken from the 'Creeping Death' EP: 'Am I Evil?' and 'Blitzkrieg'. Acquired in 2019.

1988 Elektra (MC). With the same two bonus tracks as the CD. Acquired in 2026.

8//83; 1//04; 8/8/15; 8/8/24 (review)

Hardwired... To Self-Destruct (2016)

I got this in a bulk metal buy about four years ago. Just now getting to it. No time like the present. There's so much I could say about Metallica, having purchased Kill 'em All not long after being first released (see above). They were so far ahead of the pack in the 1980s, the whole world was scrambling to catch up. And still couldn't keep up. Their last innovative offering was And Justice For All, way back in 1988. Metallica knew that it would have been impossible to stay on top of emerging trends, so they pivoted to a completely new sound. I dropped out at that time as well. Their 1991 album tends to get a pass today (an album I didn't appreciate until recently myself). And everything else they've released since then comes with a cargo ship full of hate mail. If I were to write a fast thesis, it would be interesting to note the fan trajectory of a peer like Iron Maiden, who today is as highly admired as ever before. Which gets us to Hardwired, an album that I should be saying is their latest, but I piddled long enough for them to sneak a new album in. That new album is taking the same poisoned arrows as anything else they're released since the 80s. I liked Death Magnetic (2008), their first album to consider their own legacy. I couldn't tell you much about it, but I do own the CD. But my guess is I'm holding onto to that for the same reason I'm holding on to this. It's probably temporary in any case for both. So what about the music of Hardwired? It's very good actually. Not extraordinary. No chance taking, no ten minute tracks about Celts and Samurai warriors like Iron Maiden is doing (to mixed reviews, but consider me a huge fan of Iron Maiden continuing to push the envelope). Rather Metallica cusses like a 14 year old juvenile delinquent and isn't even that heavy by today's standards. And they were the trailblazers of the modern metal sound. Nothing was as heavy as Master of Puppets in 1986. But Hardwired is almost like juiced up hard rock. They give you one full disc of music on two, and within all those minutes there is some good stuff. But no heart racers as they did in their youth. In the end, the band has nothing to be ashamed of on Hardwired, but they really gave away their place in history long ago. But those first four albums... Wow. (Jun)

Ownership: 2016 Blackened (2xCD). Triple FOC. Acquired in 2023.

6/30/23 (review)

Master of Puppets (1986)

Presumably I don't need to review this album so you can know how it sounds. But what I can tell you is my own story. I was a junior in college when this was released (and purchased on LP - the copy referenced below in fact), and was probably the most anticipated release I can think of... ever. I had already bought their first two albums immediately upon release, and was subsequently blown away by each. That did not happen here. Make no mistake - my rating in 1986 would have been 4.5 stars had RYM existed then. In fact my opinion of this album has remained unchanged in 32 years of hearing it. I love every minute of it. And yet I couldn't help thinking it was a slight disappointment at the time, and even now. Why would I say such a thing about a universally acclaimed masterpiece? Well... think about the debut and then the follow up. Both were mind numbingly creative for their time. Master of Puppets was more or less a repeat of Ride the Lightning - more perfected sure, and objectively better. But subjectively perhaps not. Gone was the raw creativity, and in was the pure professionalism of it all. From here, Metallica continued in a similar manner - to the point of losing focus altogether. So Master of Puppets was the beginning of the end, though it didn't seem that way at the time. Yes, of course, it deserves all the accolades it gets and I'm one of those positive voters. 

Ownership: 

1986 Elektra (LP). Acquired in 1986.

Vertigo Japan (CD) Papersleeve. Acquired in 2015.

3//86; 8/13/15; 7/30/18 (review)

Ride the Lightning (1984)

To truly appreciate Metallica, I think it's important to understand the history. When Metallica debuted with Kill 'Em All, they had rewritten the rules of metal as we knew them. There just simply wasn't any band playing that heavy, that fast, and that clear in those days. Sure it was a bit simple minded, and the lyrics were a little on the bonehead side, but still the album had most young males heart racing faster than Secretariat at the Derby. It was an exciting beginning, and Metallica could've stayed with this style and been heralded as a pioneer much in the same way we view Motorhead and Iron Maiden.

Then came Ride the Lightning. Metallica still hadn't ironed out all of their contractual deals with Elektra, and I happened to be in London at the time of its initial release. Their UK deal was with the relatively minor underground label Music For Nations, and I just couldn't wait and bought the album at HMV. And dragged it with me for another two weeks. It's a decision I never regretted (and still have my well worn LP copy, that will stay with me until the end).

The album opens with 'Fight Fire With Fire', and that track still gets my adrenaline up. James Hetfield's vocals, as Xavier Russell hilariously noted in Kerrang at the time, was more like "Fight Vodka With Bourbon". It's been almost 25 years since Ride the Lightning came out, and tens of thousands of metal albums have copied every note of this album, with better production techniques and STILL I'm blown away by this cut. Consider that there was a time when I would hear this song almost every day! This is followed by the title track, an awesomely mid paced super heavy song, that is as melodic as it is pulverizing. And so it goes through the remainder of the album. One big jaw dropping event. Especially for 1984. The band had improved exponentially on an already impressive debut. The songwriting has an almost progressive rock quality to it. And the band made a conscious decision to take an intellectual Iron Maiden approach to the lyrics. So instead of metal armies, banging that head that doesn't bang, and other testosterone fueled brainlessness, Metallica opted to sing about the ethics of capital punishment, cryogenics, the anguish of contemplating suicide, the Egyptians perspective of Passover, and musical interpretations of Ernest Hemingway and H.P. Lovecraft. WHAT? How could any one band rewrite the rules so fast?

In effect, Ride the Lightning was so far ahead of the curve it would take years for anyone to catch up. One can argue that Master of Puppets is a stronger album, as it took the Ride the Lightning concept and improved on it. But it seemed a little more clinical and less of the moment. By ...And Justice For All, Metallica were reaching for even more creative ideas. But it wasn't right. Their heart wasn't what would later be called a progressive metal group. It was a bit too wooden for their own good, though still a fine album. And their playing of 'One' at the Grammy's was a watershed moment for heavy metal overall. From here they lost their way to the hardcore original fans... and for many others they were just about to be introduced to a more radio friendly Metallica. But back to 1984, Ride the Lightning has to be considered one of the most revolutionary albums ever made.

Ownership: 

1984 Music For Nations (LP). Acquired in 1984.

2010 Vertigo Japan (CD). Papersleeve. Acquired in 2015.

8/17/84; 6/25/09 (review); 8/10/15

Also own: And Justice For All; The Black Album; Death Magnetic

6/25/09 (new entry)

Quicksilver Messenger Service ~ USA ~ San Francisco, California

Quicksilver Messenger Service (1968)

Quicksilver Messenger Service's debut is an album I'm largely unfamiliar with, despite having a long history with the follow up Happy Trails. It's one of those albums, that if you do find the LP, it's usually been too "well loved" for comfortable listening. So finding this CD for 69 cents allows me a chance to fully evaluate the contents. The album is comprised of six songs, four of them that attempt songwriting, and the other two are primarily jam oriented. For my tastes anyway, the songs flew by without notice. Not memorable or particularly interesting. The jams, however, are the opposite. Not unlike many early 70s Krautrock albums, that were to distill the experimentation and intensity to the next level. Certainly Quicksilver Messenger Service played a role in the development of that, though I'd still submit Iron Butterfly were closer to the prototype. More of historical importance than substantive, Quicksilver Messenger Service represents a time and place quite well. Seems another jam or two would have elevated its reputation even more.

Ownership: 1992 Edsel (CD). Booklet with photos, lyrics, and extensive historical liner notes. Acquired in 2026.

1/5/26 (review)

What About Me (1970)

Of all the bands from the Bay Area Summer of Love, Quicksilver Messenger Service certainly embraced the culture of San Francisco the most. The cover is awesome depicting Haight Ashbury on a ship against the commercial skyline. The back is no less awesome with all the elements that make San Francisco such a great city (good news - it's coming back to excellence now that they have a mayor who cares about the city not just themselves). But it's 1970, and as I've said countless times, the bands coming out of psychedelia didn't know what to do. Country? Folk? Hard rock? Soft rock? Prog? Jazz? Keep going with Psych rock? All of the above, with no focus or great songs. If they had just extended the instrumental sections, then that would have been more preferable. So each and every one of them sunk to the bottom of the ocean while the English bands took over FM radio. What About Me starts off promisingly enough with some flute, and it seems they may be up to some challenging material. If only. Much of this owes more to a drunken saloon rather than a classic rock club setting. One wonders what they were thinking while making this album. No hooks, no edges, and no composition acumen. Apparently it was recorded haphazardly in Hawaii with no discipline whatsoever. It sounds like it. The album sold well despite the lack of anything to listen to. Like with Iron Butterfly, they let their brand name tarnish long before necessary. 

Source: 1974 Capitol (LP)

9/6/25 (review)

Solid Silver (1975) 

I've seen this in the thrifts before, but passed on it. Usually not in very good shape, and it's not exactly a top seller. And there's a reason for that. It's just not very good. Starts off decent with 'Gypsy Lights', but it's clear the band have long shed their psychedelic tendencies and are trying to make it in the mid 70s rock world. The rest of the side is made up of country and boogie rock. Which are probably my least favorite forms of the genre. Side 2 starts off similar, and then the rest is pretty good from a soft rock perspective. One can see the band interviewing for Rolling Stone stating "Yea, we're back together, and this is our best stuff yet. We're really excited." They always say that. And it's rarely true. Throw QMS in the Iron Butterfly and Rare Earth stack - bands that were poised for the big time for many years, but it never materialized.

It would appear the band may have been going for the Yacht Rock scene. The cover displays that they took the budget route instead.

Source: 1975 Capitol (LP)

5/25/21 (review)

Happy Trails (1969) 

Quicksilver Messenger Service are at their best here, just letting the jams fly. Nothing too sophisticated, and songwriting is optional. I wish I could go back and visit San Francisco in 1969. My first time there was in 1995 - long after Silicon Valley had been established. To be fair, I spent many years in the SF Bay Area afterward, because of said industry. It's so hard now to imagine San Francisco as a "city of the Western frontier".

Ownership: 2000 Repertoire (CD). Historical liner notes from Chris Welch. Acquired in 2026.

Former ownership: 1969 Capitol (LP). Reacquired in 2020. First acquired in 1991. Replaced in 2026.

1991; 11//05; 9/23/17; 9/20/20 (review)

1/5/26 (new entry)

Mushroom ~ USA ~ San Francisco, California

Joint Happening (2007)

This was to be the last album I picked up from Mushroom, a long running band from San Francisco that continues to this day. Technically listed as Mushroom with Eddie Gale, the latter provides trumpet and is a key component of this album's sound. I had a very high rating on this from my only listen upon release. I'm curious if it holds up some 18 years later. 

The opening track 'Peace' by itself is something to take notice of. Sounding every bit like Tangerine Dream's Phaedra, complete with flute mellotron. Then Eddie Gale provides the Miles Davis styled muted trumpet layered on top. Bitches Brew meets Rubycon is a cocktail I'll drink all day. Track 3 is Mushroom at their Krautrock deep groove best. Laying down the Can groove with flute, trumpet, piano, organ, and whoever else wants to jam on top. It can get intense at times. At 18 minutes, it's the centerpiece of the album. It isn't until the sixth cut 'Our Love' that the psychedelic guitar kicks in. This leads to the other lengthy track and closer 'The Spirit'. Similar in construct to the third song, it's band leader and drummer Pat Thomas laying down a repetitive groove and letting the others jam on top. On this cut the music has more of an Embryo feel minus the rhythms which remain firmly in the Can camp. 

Joint Happening is a tough album to categorize. The instrumentation and loose feeling belong to jazz. The hypnotic groove and psychedelic nature are more space rock oriented. I probably did have this one a half star too high, only in that the tree could have used some trimming. Where to trim? That's the tough question and why jazz improv is jazz improv. Great album all the same.

Ownership: 2007 Hyena (CD). Booklet with recording details. Acquired in 2007

11/11/07; 8/25/25 (review)  

Cream of Mushroom (1998)

The hype sticker on the casing states "Debut CD from Mushroom with Krautrock, psychedelic & jazz fusion influences. Their sound is similar to Tortoise, Miles Davis, Can, Soft Machine." And with that Mushroom threw down the gauntlet. This was in the early days of the American Krautrock revival, and where better to start than San Francisco. Of course only Can above could be considered Krautrock but it is the centerpiece of the CD - namely the 24 minute 'The Reeperbahn'. This track has Can written all over it with its hypnotic repetitive groove and analog sounds dropped on top. As it turns out, the CD incorporates Mushroom's true debut, 1997's LP of the same name as the lengthy track, along with four new compositions. From the LP we also hear 'On the Corner (Part 2)' which of course covers the Miles reference. And there's some fuzz bass, so I guess that's to be the Hopper nod. Graham Connah is the keyboardist here, and his next venture would be Jettison Slinky, one of the few American bands who paid homage to the Canterbury scene. In the end what you get with Mushroom are all the obvious pop culture references and musical influences. As a listener, it would be easy to write it off as hipster imitation. But what I hear is an innovative band taking in all the influences and creating something wholly unique. Mushroom would continue to be a fascinating band for the next ten years or so before fizzling out. If curious, this CD debut would be as good as any place to start, though not their very best.

Ownership: 1998 Normal (CD). Booklet with recording details. Acquired in 1998.

4/5/98; 8/27/20; 1/19/21 (review)

---

Also own: Hydrogen Jukebox; Analog Hi-Fi Surprise; Foxy Music; Glazed Popems

Previously owned: Leni Riefenstahl; Yesterday, I Saw You Kissing Tiny Flowers

1/19/21 (new entry)

Golden Dragon ~ USA ~ San Francisco, California

---9/5/16

I had wondered what had happened to any of the members from the San Francisco based Filipino community band Dakila. In my mind, they were close to the top of the stack when talking Latin rock as first proposed by Santana. So I was thrilled to see the connection here, on this fine effort by the very obscure Golden Dragon.

In 1981, you still had a few artists hanging onto the original Jimi Hendrix experience as it were. Most notably Frank Marino, but even Robin Trower with his Victims of the Fury, paid homage. Of course, by 1981, this type of music was just as informed by 70s hard rock as it was late 60s heavy psych. And this is where Golden Dragon finds their sound as well. Perhaps fellow San Francisco artist Leland provides another guidepost. There was much more of this type of music to be found in the clubs of the day, but very little recorded material. A nice little LP, that could certainly use a CD reissue. The album is only 26 minutes, so hopefully there's more in the can, as they say.

Ownership: 2021 Subliminal Sounds (LP). Liner notes and photos. 

No CD as of yet (3/31/25). Given that the LP reissue does not have bonus tracks, it would seem this is all there is. That's unfortunate.

9/5/16 (review); 6/16/24 (update / new entry)

Wendy & Bonnie ~ USA ~ San Francisco, California

Genesis (1969)

Last night I followed up my listen of Master of Reality with... Wendy & Bonnie. Of course I did. A reverse one-two punch I suppose. 

Quite simply Genesis is one of the most beautiful and "pure" albums ever made. If this album doesn't make you melt, you really ought to seek therapy with your anger management issues. The Flower sisters (their real last name if you can believe it) are the epitome of late 60s psychedelic innocence. Every single track is beautiful, from the soft drifty folk numbers to the more energetic psych rock dancers.

I've owned this album for 34 years, but it's only now that I'm realizing that it was 100% within the universe of Gary McFarland and Gabor Szabo. It's only been in the last five years that I've become enthralled with the latter. And now the album makes sense. The San Francisco based Flower family were friends with Cal Tjader, one of the co-owners of the Skye label (along with the above two gentlemen). This is why Genesis is so unique - a combination of young talented teenage girls with professional jazz musicians. According to the liner notes of the CD, McFarland and Szabo were a great support and offered guidance throughout. Not to mention providing A-lister jazz musicians to the recordings. Had the label not run into financial trouble, it's very well possible Wendy & Bonnie would be household names today. The Free Design would be about the only guidepost I can offer here, and even they were a distant type of sound to what is on offer here.

Stunningly beautiful in every way possible.

Ownership:

1969 Skye (LP)

2001 Sundazed (CD). Liner notes. There are five bonus tracks, but only one is of keen interest - a rare acetate by a predecessor band called Crystal Fountain. The other four are primitive outtakes.

1990 (acquired); 2001; 3/16/10; 1/6/24 (review / new entry)

Window ~ USA ~ San Francisco, California

The Empyreal Ballet (1978)

---9/10/11

Window were a San Francisco / Bay Area based group, and they released this one very good progressive rock album. Honestly, I was certain I was going to find out the band were from Illinois or Missouri, because it does have that Midwest progressive rock sound, especially apparent in the vocal sections. The mix of complex progressive rock, piano jazz-rock, and AOR FM radio ambition only cements the comparison. Excellent electric / acoustic guitar work, flute, tuned percussion, with a horn section and complex rhythms is what you'll find on Empyreal Ballet.

---10/20/23

Last night's listen almost resulted in a +1 as it's really an exceptionally great album. Side 1 in particular is strong. I'm not sure how I managed to get through that first review without mentioning Gentle Giant as that's the most obvious influence here. Fireballet also comes to mind, in both sound and overall aesthetic. I've seen some folks go out of their way to poo-poo this release, but don't pay attention to them. For whatever reason the mere mention of horns along with melodic songwriting sends them into a rage they cannot seem to control. This is an album for hardcore prog fans. For us alone.

Ownership: 1978 Cottage (LP)

No reissues exist as of 3/31/25.

9/10/11 (review); 10/20/23 (update / new entry)

Sapo ~ USA ~ San Francisco, California

Sapo (1974)

---8/19/21

This is another one of those fantastic Latin rock albums from the early 70s. Sapo has Malo written all over them, and if you like Malo, you're highly likely to enjoy this. The primary difference is that Sapo is not as guitar centered as the Santana influenced bands can be. Oscar Estrella (ironically not the star) is a very competent guitarist, but he gets scant chance to show off. In his place is some dynamite horn charts, some thumpin' rhythms, and Kincaid Miller's excellent electric piano and Clavinet work. All the tracks have great melodies and they usually segue into each other for one super listening session.

---6/11/23

And my opinion remains the same after last night's listen. Chango, Dakila, Macondo, El Chicano, and the rest of them could be tossed into this stack. It's a winning formula where the percussion and bass drive each track forward, followed by the main course of organ, guitar, horns, etc... And just as the music shuts down to close off the track, the engine starts again for another drive. I, for one, would like to see a Latin Rock renaissance.

Ownership: 1974 Bell (LP)

No reissues as of 4/2/25.

10/18/10 (first listen); 8/19/21 (review); 6/11/23 (update / new entry)

Death Angel ~ USA ~ San Francisco, California

The Ultra-Violence (1987)

I purchased this new upon release in my final semester in college. One of the real treasures of my metal collection. As an aside, I recently returned from a energized sales conference in Las Vegas with thousands of attendees (early March). Before every executive would enter the stage, they would play a hard rock or heavy metal classic tune to introduce them. Similar to relief pitchers in baseball when they come onto the field. If I were to be in their shoes (and I have no intention of doing so), I would dig a little deeper and find a segment from the title track found here. What a monster of a track this is. A full TEN and a half instrumental thrash metal track that never sits still and gets very intense with real climaxes. It's astonishing to know these Filipino's were still only teenagers living in the Mission District of San Francisco at the time. The rest of the album is no slouch either, with oddly the opener being the weakest and most mundane thrasher here. 'Evil Priest' is another killer track. 

Ownership: 

1987 Enigma (LP). Lyric insert. Acquired in 1987.

1993 Restless (CD) 

1987; 2004; 3/4/23 (review)

Also own: The Evil Divide

Once owned: Act III. Need to hear this one again.

4/10/23 (new entry)

Ronnie Montrose / Gamma ~ USA ~ San Francisco, California

Gamma 3 (1982)

This guy again. Gamma 3 is essentially the final album from the band, though there was a comeback album in 2000. I thought I had the narrative of this one locked up early on. When one looks back to the 1982 music landscape, Montrose had a big choice in front of him: Does he muscle up and join the burgeoning heavy metal movement? Maybe it's time to participate in the AOR New Wave sweepstakes and get some radio airplay? Or just keep playing spruced up hard rock? From the first two tracks it appeared it was time to "sell out" and beg for FM recognition. So basically Gamma 3 was one too many albums from the band and it was time to hang it up. Review done. Right?

Wrong. Then the album gets very interesting. There are hints on 'Moving Violation' that the band have a few interesting ideas left in the tank. But it's the lengthy side closer 'Mobile Devotion' where the album seals its fate as a keeper. Proggy hard rock, more so than anything he'd done on the first two albums. By now, with a different perspective, the commercial songs start to sound advanced. Side 2 features a killer instrumental in 'Condition Yellow', and there are other tracks that sound like Tangerine Dream went for a go at AORish hard rock. Yes, it's very synthesizer heavy, but that's OK with me - they didn't use them just as a backdrop like so many New Wave bands of the era did. No, they are a feature here. Along with Montrose's great guitar solos of course.  The cover is indicative of the musical direction the band chose here. Gamma 3 ended up being a very pleasant surprise, especially considering the mediocre grades it's received.

Ownership: 1982 Elektra (LP)

12/21/21 (acquired / review)

Gamma 2 (1980)

And one more from the Ronnie Montrose factory. This one is a more conscious attempt to be part of the new 80s decade. It's punchier and more focused than its predecessor, and just as satisfying. Highlight here for me is 'Voyager' which could have been lifted right off of Robin Trower's Bridge of Sighs - another guitarist who hasn't yet got his full due. This isn't fancy pants hard rock - Gamma 2 just brings the meat and potatoes. Great album cover as well.

Ownership: 1980 Elektra (LP)

12/17/21 (acquired / review)

Gamma 1 (1979)

Continuing on with my Ronnie Montrose kick, Gamma was his next collective after Montrose's namesake group. I remember when this album came out, the FM rock stations of the era were quite stoked about it. In fact I recorded the whole album to cassette on one of those "debut nights". For my untrained ears back then, I didn't quite get what Montrose was doing and never pursued further. To my untrained ears now, this is exactly what I'm looking for. Gamma 1 has an updated sound, primarily due to the synthesizers, and Montrose is keeping up in the hard rock sweepstakes as well. Compared to what a band like Whitesnake were doing in 1979, Gamma were much further along. There are some excellent tracks here. My favorite has to be 'Razor King' which sounds like Manuel Gottsching doing hard rock! Yea, imagine that one.

Ownership: 1979 Elektra (LP)

12/10/21 (acquired / review)

Music From Here (1994)

This ticked a couple of boxes: 1) Late era album by forgotten musician and 2) Ronnie Montrose. And boy does it deliver. Montrose is just one of the great hard rock guitarists that never really got his due - somewhat like Frank Marino in that regard. And this is a killer set. Really bizarre album cover too. I love these kind of finds.

Ownership: 1994 Fearless Urge (CD)

11/13/21 (acquired / review) 

Montrose (1973)

I remember Montrose in my early days of collecting, but mainly his later solo stuff or, in particular, his band Gamma. I don't recall enjoying any of them too much (I've since reconciled as you see above). But in reading various reviews, it becomes quickly apparent that Montrose's debut is a groundbreaking hard rock album. And after hearing this for the first time, I have to agree. Most hard rock from the early 70s still had a strong blues base (even Sabbath), and a few bands were playing around with prog. Keyboards (organ in particular) were a big part of any hard rock band's setup. Not so with Montrose's debut. At least on this album, Montrose went straight for the jugular. This is hard rock extract - a formula many bands would follow later. It's about high energy rock, and especially "the riff". Had I been a teen in 1973, I'm sure I would have gone completely nuts over this album in real time. As it turns out, I was 13 when Van Halen's debut exploded onto the scene (1978), and it has remained a favorite album ever since. In many ways, Van Halen's debut is Montrose ver 2.0. Ted Templeman was the producer for both, and the Warner Bros. connection was no accident. Van Halen took Montrose's concept to the next level, and predicted the rise of the heavy metal movement worldwide. Montrose weren't the only band doing this in the early 70s, but the ones that were, generally were in the underground like Poobah or that crazy Icelandic band Icecross. Montrose isn't perfect, and they did slip in a couple of boogie numbers to ruin the flow, but for the time and place - yea - this kicks ass. One more Van Halen connection: The singer? "Sam" Hagar. Perhaps you've heard of him? 

Ownership: 1973 Warner Bros. (LP)

7/21/21 (acquired / review)

12/10/21 (new entry)

Forbidden ~ USA ~ San Francisco, California

Twisted Into Form (1990)

After hearing Forbidden Evil I was most excited to check out this sophomore effort. By all accounts, Twisted Into Form features better songwriting, production, and was even more complex than its predecessor. And given this was from 1990, right in the epicenter of the prog thrash movement, I figured this would go into my all-time favorites stack for the genre. Everything proved to be true from my above statement, except the conclusion. I preferred Forbidden Evil. It starts off - as one person humorously stated about another metal album - with the Federally mandated clean acoustic guitar instrumental. And of course this leads to the inevitable bludgeoning of 'Infinite'. At this point my hopes were super high, as this track just kills with riff after riff, and multiple thematic changes. After this comes 'Out of Body', and the album begins to lose its luster. I'm waiting for the quirks of the genre to show up, the make-it-up-as-we-go-along aesthetic. But it's all too... too... professional. In this way, I'm most reminded of Testament and their transition from the rough and ready Legacy to the polished New Order. From a pure ratings perspective I find Twisted Into Form about the same as Forbidden Evil, but the latter has more potential for growth in this area. Other great tracks include the lengthy 'R.I.P.' and the closer 'One Foot in Hell'. It's a great album, yes everyone is correct on that front, but it's not unique enough to stand out as a pillar. Bummer.

The CD also includes a reissue of their EP entitled Raw Evil 1989 - Live at the Dynamo. On paper this looks great, as it features three tracks from their debut plus Judas Priest's masterpiece 'Victim of Changes'. Had I bought this real time after Forbidden Evil, I would have been completely disappointed. It starts with the Priest track. Quick history of 'Victim of Changes': This was a blues rock piece, going back to the early 70s, written by Judas Priest founder and original vocalist Al Atkins. It made its debut on Sad Wings of Destiny (1976) and proved to be a superb hard rock meets progressive rock number while still maintaining its blues foundation. But it was on 1979's Unleashed in the East, that the track became one of the greatest metal songs of all time. Priest amped it up from hard rock to metal, and added an incredible amount of emotional intensity. Gives one goose bumps just thinking about it. So what will a talented thrash band do with such a masterpiece? Ruin it, that's what. 'Victim of Changes' calls for subtlety and proper pacing. Forbidden rushes through it as if they have to go to the bathroom. It's a horrible rendition and they would have been far better served to cover something like 'Exciter' or 'Killing Machine'. I think only a progressive rock band could tackle 'Victim of Changes' and make it unique and exciting. The other three tracks are typical metal concert fare. With a husky voice: "This song is [about][comes from]" (unintelligible) blaaahhhhhrraa (cue high hat) - then huge racket ensues. It's not that they can't play live - they most certainly can - it's just so much gets lost in translation. The studio brings out the best of most bands like this.

Ownership: 2008 Nuclear Blast Germany (CD)

1/23/21 (acquired / review)

Forbidden Evil (1988)

By 1988 my interest in metal had waned significantly. I was interested in new and different kinds of metal, but primarily my focus had shifted almost entirely to international progressive rock, in particular Italy had become my new drug of choice. So when Forbidden showed up on the stage, they were touted as yet another Bay Area thrash metal band. That ship had already taken off as far as I was concerned. Having been a diehard for the previous five years starting with Metallica's Kill 'em All, I had absorbed quite a bit of the style up to that point. My personal bookends to this scene were two new bands at the time: Testament and Death Angel. The last semester in college, they were to be my swansong of managing my anger while trying to get my engineering degree. After that, a new day was born.

I provide this introduction for context. For if Forbidden Evil had been released just one year prior, it would have been my favorite from the current new crop of bands. In reality, Forbidden were tapping into the progressive thrash market, something that bands like Metallica had dabbled in, but never focused on. Over the years, I continue to add metal albums from the late 80s and early 90s that were performing music similar to what Forbidden are here. It's complex, yes, but also heavy (in a rough sort of way) and the tunes are very interesting, constantly weaving in different directions. 'Through Eyes of Glass' in particular sees Forbidden at their most creative. Of course the solos tend to be a million miles an hour, which was de rigueur for the day, so those tend to lack impact over time. And there's also this strange pig squeal guitar noise that pops up here and there, which begins to sound like a gimmick after awhile. Small gripes on an otherwise excellent effort.

Ownership: 2008 Nuclear Blast Germany (CD). Contains a short history, lyrics, photos, and memorabilia. There's also four live bonus tracks. Like most metal bands, they tend to be raw run-throughs of the studio material. Improvisation is not one of the major tenets of the thrash genre.

1/21/21 (acquired / review)

1/21/21 (new entry)

Testament ~ USA ~ San Francisco, California

The Gathering (1999)

As noted prior when I picked up the first five OAS on CD, Testament's debut The Legacy was at the tail end of my metal phase, coinciding with my graduation from college. Their sophomore effort The New Order never really resonated, and it wasn't until a couple of years ago that I reunited with the band's latest works. But I had missed everything between. One of those is The Gathering, an album considered by many to be their grand comeback, coming off a couple of groove and death metal releases (which I've not heard). 1999 was not a great time for traditional thrash bands, and Testament would have been an anomaly to go back to their roots as it were. The opening track 'D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate)' packs a wallop and recalls the very best of the early albums. But Testament didn't turn their back on their newly found fans, and there's plenty of very aggressive music here, with occasional death growls. Chuck Billy has the type of voice to pull it off, but my tastes will likely never quite adjust to it. His regular voice would have made these tracks better in my opinion, but OK. The album weaves in and out of inventive thrash and more hardcore punky death metal. One could see this being a revelation in 1999 for fans of thrash metal who never abandoned the cause. For myself, I barely listened to any metal during these years, so it's all revisionist history. 

Ownership: 2020 Nuclear Blast (LP). Gatefold. Orange vinyl. Acquired in 2020.

11/20/20 (review)

Also own: The Legacy; The New Order; Practice What You Preach; Souls Of Black; The Ritual; Dark Roots Of Earth; Brotherhood Of The Snake

11/20/20 (new entry)

Mad River ~ USA ~ San Francisco, California

Mad River (1968)

Though originally from Ohio, Mad River had relocated to northern California to be a part of the psychedelic scene of the era. I was first exposed to the LP via a friend way back in 1990 or so. It was just too early in my collecting career to comprehend it. Having initially come from a heavy metal perspective - and by then fully ensconced into the world of 70s progressive rock - 60s psychedelia was beyond my reach. And so I wrote it off. Here we are 30 years later, and the reviews clearly point to a pioneering album - way beyond the usual psych fare. And they are correct. Now that I listen to 60s music as much as 70s it becomes apparent that Mad River was an exceptional album for its era. And quite bold for a major label release. So my friend had been right all along, though his perspective had been from the 60s. And that helps with this album.

Ownership: 1968 Capitol (LP). Acquired in 2022.

First copy: 2013 BGO (CD). Includes their second album Paradise Bar & Grill. Full liner notes, photos, etc... The second album is more like country rock, not atypical of the San Francisco scene of the time. It's not without merit though, with some fine instrumental passages, and is perfect for bonus tracks. Not really worth owning by itself for my tastes. Acquired in 2020. Downsized in 2026.

6/30/20 (review / new entry)

Other Music ~ USA ~ San Francisco, California

Incidents Out of Context (1983)

Other Music were a band from Marin County north of San Francisco who managed to put out two albums before splintering. To date I haven't heard their debut Prime Numbers but Incidents Out of Context is a fine example of World Fusion and experimental music. A mix of systems electronic music, Asian ethnic scales/instruments, unusual tuned percussion, classical chamber music structures and.... fuzz guitar. This latter element just slays me every time, especially in this context (so to speak). One of a kind, that's for sure.

---

In 1998, yours truly had a four month long-term consulting engagement in Manhattan. The gig was in Soho on the edge of Greenwich Village and my hotel was in Chinatown / Little Italy. Not only did I eat like a king, but at least once a week I'd work off the meal by taking a brisk 20-25 minute walk up Lafayette to Other Music, one of the great "hipster" stores that featured all kinds of our style of music. I have often wondered if they arrived at the store name via this San Francisco based group - an album they most assuredly would have found somewhere during the 1980s or early 90s (as I did).

Former ownership: 1983 Flying Fish (LP). Acquired in 1993.

Not reissued as I update this post (4/7/26).

1993; 4/3/19 (review / new entry)

Devil's Kitchen ~ USA ~ San Francisco, California

Devil's Kitchen (1968-69 / 2011)

Very fine discovery of live / studio recordings from legendary San Francisco band of the late 60s. Jamming psychedelic and blues rock are the main drivers here. Hard to avoid a Quicksilver Messenger Service reference here and definitely fits the "West Coast" sound.

---7/4/26

Devil's Kitchen never released anything in their lifetime, not even a 45. A1, B1, B2, and B5 are from the studio. The rest are live recordings.

I think the primary interest here lies in the archival nature of the recordings. As time passes, the amount of authentic psychedelic music from that era which was never released, is quite limited. There's a lot of extended jamming on this album, and blues is the foundation for most of the compositions. Is it essential that it was released? Absolutely. Is it essential to own? Not for me, but I can appreciate why others feel differently.

The band were originally from Carbondale, Illinois (same town as Thunderpussy), though it appears they were based in San Francisco for their professional career.

Former ownership: 2011 Lysergic Sound Distributors (LP). With postcard bill insert. Copy #819 / 1000. The website that was provided for the band history, photos, etc.. is now gone. That's the problem with that method of providing historical data. Should have been included in the LP package. The pressing is also of substandard quality. Acquired in 2015. Downsized in 2026.

11/14/15 (review / new entry); 7/4/26 (update)

Shiver ~ USA ~ San Francisco, California

San Francisco's Shiver (1972)

Hard to fathom now, but San Francisco was once a blue collar town filled with longshoreman, canning slugs, underpaid brewery and chocolate factory workers. Even the beats like Jack Kerouac championed it. Despite this, there were a surprising few bands that represented that downtrodden underbelly of SF Society, and today are all but forgotten as the mega-millionaire software moguls, leftist academics, and clueless hipster culture freaks have overrun the place and celebrate what they don’t understand. 

Enter Shiver, one of the most insane power trios to ever play anywhere, anytime. Recorded in that uncertain time between hippy-dippy psychedelia and the gritty days of post OPEC oil embargoes, Shiver gives us a peek into a time / place that is largely forgotten. We’ll make this review real simple: If you like long instrumental jams, with loads of effects applied to the guitar, and a relentless rhythm section, then you need this. Yesterday. The songs themselves are mere blues rock skeletons (with male Joplin-like vocal grittiness), in reality nothing more than excuses to launch into the next crazy jam. ‘Tough as Nails’, ‘Fixer’, ‘Bone Shaker’, ‘Interstellar Vision’ and the 14+ minute ‘Alpha Man’ are all about rocking you into oblivion. 

Rockadelic originally unearthed these archived recordings a few years back, and now Shadoks has taken the role of the CD issuer. Certainly in the top echelon of amazing finds from the good investigators of Rockadelic, an LP specialist label that has found more rare treasure than anyone else. Soundboard recording is in amazing shape, and isn’t too far removed from a major label live release of the era. 

Shadoks’ CD adds four more tracks, in lesser sound, and quite frankly, lesser quality, as they call out Shiver’s more basic blues rock roots to no purpose. Quit at the original Rockadelic release and you have a full album that is essential for those that dig cosmic blues jams. More rough and ready than the spaced out Krauts of Ash Ra Tempel and Guru Guru, but we’re in the same ballpark here. Actually as I reflect on my own review, the German band Silberbart would be a good comparison here.

Ownership: 2001 Shadoks (CD) Booklet with liner notes and bonus tracks as noted above. Acquired in 2006.

First copy: 2000 Rockadelic (LP). Acquired in 2000.

2000; 10//06 (review)

2/6/10 (new entry)