2021 Psychedelic / Garage Journal Vol. 4 - Complete

The New Colony Six - Attacking a Straw Man. 1969 Mercury (LP). More from the 25 cent grab at Independent (Nov). This is the 4th album from The New Colony Six, a Chicago area garage band that moved into the Baroque pop psych area at the end of their career. I tend to enjoy Popsike as it is, though this has some of the usual novelty styled sounds that require skip over. There's extensive use of horns (good) and strings (not so good), along with some lovely flute. Nice album, but inessential.

*Eric Burdon & The Animals - The Twain Shall Meet. 1968 MGM mono promo (LP). From RT (Oct). I finally found the Animals album I was looking for. I've loved 'Monterey' since I was a kid, and most of this album matches that quality. I love that part in 'Monterey' where the band's rhythm is driving wildly, and Burdon is doing his usual declarative vocals, and at one point he just says "fly" with spacing before and after. Seems like one of those recording mistakes that they left in. It's so perfect. This promo version is actually very rare, as it's the only US mono pressing they did. 

*The Bee Gees - Holiday / Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show You. 1967 ATCO (SP). From RT (Sep). I've already forgotten the a) side, but the b) side is really trippy - not a sound one usually associates with The Bee Gees. Loaded with mellotron and medieval chanting. What? How this ended up on a single, even for a B side, is craziness.

*The Yardbirds - I'm Not Talking / Shapes of Things. 1966 Epic (SP). From RT (Sep). The b) side is one of The Yardbirds iconic tracks, and I believe it was only released as a single originally. The a) side comes from the album For Your Love, and has a very nice guitar riff. 

Don & The Goodtimes - Sweets For My Sweet / Hey There Mary Mae. 1966 Dunhill (SP). Thrift shop find (Sep). Don & The Goodtimes were a garage band from Portland, Oregon. Big fat beats, and each side has a nice jangly electric guitar solo. A bit like the Stones from this era. Good, but inessential.

*The Spencer Davis Group - I'm a Man / Can't Get Enough Of It. 1967 United Artists (SP). After throwing Davis under the bus below, this 45 came up from RT as well (Sep). But as mentioned, I love 'I'm a Man', just one of those great energetic funky tracks that you always want to hear when in a public setting. The b) side is probably my second favorite Davis tune. Great, both on one 45.

Spencer Davis Group - I'm a Man. 1967 United Artists stereo (LP). From RT (Aug). Love the cover. Musically it's a bummer - put this in the same category as The Animals. Back then, it does seem the A&R guys really did know the best tracks. 'I'm a Man' is super, and groundbreaking for its day (though I still prefer Chicago's version). The rest is pretty boring British r'n'b pop. Comes in as a disappointment. 

Cream - Live Cream Volume II. 1972 ATCO (LP). From RT (Aug). Cream was always better in a live situation, and this album is one more example of that. First place to feature the almost 14 minute jam 'Steppin Out' (I think). The whole album is excellent of course. At some point in my life, this album swept through, but this is my first time to own it. 

The Numbers - Anthology '64-'67. 1983 Voxx. An odd one from the RT collection (Aug). For some unknown reason in the 1980s, bands felt compelled to make up a 60s past and claim their recordings are archival. The Numbers, on the back cover, has the most detail of any band trying to do this back then. Of course it's easy to disprove, and they weren't trying that hard to deceive. As for the music, it sounds all the world like an indie 1980s band. There's nothing 60's garage or psych about this. So we're a long way from Plasticland here. This is a waste of time, really. 

Nazz - Nazz Nazz. 1969 SGC (LP) red vinyl. From RT (Aug). Too bad I didn't get much out of this listen. Fairly ordinary psych garage, especially for 1969. There's a long track here, but it doesn't really gel as a cohesive whole. It's been stitched together. Nothing radical and no memorable songs. It has a pleasant sound like most psych albums do, but nothing that transcends the good. 

The Blues Project - Live at Town Hall. 1967 Verve (LP). From RT (Aug). Similar in many ways to the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, The Blues Project is taking traditional blues out for a psychedelic run. Nowhere is this more apparent than the proto Krautrock 'Electric Flute Thing'. Still, it's mostly blues rock, and some of the improvisations go nowhere. This is their second live album, and it's the first album for me to hear, having once owned a copy of Projections but unfortunately it wasn't in playable condition. 

Traffic. 199? Island (CD) (1968). Been looking for this one in the wilds on LP, but no such luck. I found this CD last week at a thrift shop (Jul), and it's NM, so why not try it via this medium instead? I believe this is the first time for me to hear Traffic's second album all the way through. This appears to be another album that I'm supposed to like, but I'm not feeling it. On that topic of feeling, the one song I recognize from this set is 'Feelin' Alright', which seems to receive unanimous approval as a great song. I never liked it and I still don't. Sometimes I wonder if I'm even part of the human race... Other than the hard rocking 'Pearly Queen', I can live without the first six tracks. It does get better from B2 to B4, before going to back to their folk and blues rock ways on the final track. Albums like this have to survive on the quality of the composition. And this one doesn't make the cut for my tastes. Good only. 

Moby Grape. 1967 Columbia stereo (LP). Another one from RT (Jul). Yet another one of those classic psychedelic era albums that the majority (i.e. those from that era) insists is brilliant, and we all must agree on that right? (shrug). I just don't hear anything that warrants gaga-isms. Moby Grape is another album that you can tell came out of the folk music movement of the mid 60s. Really not that far from The Byrds here, minus their truly psych numbers like 'Eight Miles High'. As for the songs, I didn't recognize a one of them, which is usually a good thing. But in this case, the album kind of blows by without notice. I would still categorize it overall as good, but like with many of these 60s San Francisco groups, the legend is questionable. It's a 2 eye Columbia original with a beautifully preserved poster. But alas, it's still a second press, as the "middle finger" has been airbrushed out. Bummer.

The Who - Happy Jack. 1967 Decca mono (LP). From the RT collection (Jul). I had never heard the album proper, but was familiar with a couple of the tracks, especially the title song. I find The Who at this stage more charming than dangerous. For 1966 (original release date), they were definitely beginning to branch into different directions. Very good for its vintage, though not something I need to hold onto. This seems to be the theme with me and The Who at this stage of my life. Happy Jack is the US release, and the track itself is not on the original UK edition (known as A Quick One). By the time the album hit these shores, 'Happy Jack' was a successful single so they appended it onto the album and changed the name (no way in 1967 were the censors going to allow "A Quick One"). It replaced a track called 'Heatwave' which I'm not sure I've heard before.

* - Keeping for the collection

2021 Classic Rock / AOR Journal Vol. 3 - Complete

Manfred Mann's Earth Band - The Roaring Silence. 198? Warner Bros (LP). Found this two years ago at a garage sale (2019), before I was detailing these kind of discoveries. Once I made the decision to keep it, I knew this day would be coming. I just didn't know when. These were exactly the type of LPs I didn't keep 25+ years ago. But I had made some room in the collection for additions, and this was "good enough". Now it's at the bottom of the ranking. But should it be? This is a really odd album. First released in 1976 (the one I found is a tan label, so it's likely to be from the 80s), I remember hearing 'Blinded by the Light' back then, and thinking it was a really cool track. I still do - such a bizarre song to begin with considering its swirling organ and synthesizers, and crazy vocals. I've not heard Bruce Springsteen's debut album, but Mann mined it for two megahits - the other being 'Spirit of the Night' which was appended to later editions of this album (like mine). But what of the rest? 'Singing the Dolphin' (a song by Mike Heron) seems to be Mann trying to channel Camel, and failing miserably. What a dull song. Contrarily, 'Waiter, There's a Yawn in My Ear' is a killer instrumental prog track, something I would have been happy to get a whole album of. Side 2 is more mixed, but still brings the goods like 'The Road to Babylon' and 'Questions'. A very good album but ultimately I decided to let it go. (Aug)

Ambrosia - Life Beyond LA. 1978 Warner Bros (LP). Another one of those anomalies in the RT collection (Jul). Ambrosia are practically the definition of what we now call Yacht Rock. A sophisticated style of pop designed for the wealthy in-crowd. No sweat and dirt allowed here. Ambrosia's background is one of a prog band, so they do bring the instrumentation and production qualities with them - along with a middling set of FM/AM radio tunes. The big hit here is 'How Much I Feel', which you will instantly recognize once you hear it. It has creepy machismo lyrics into the bargain. I don't feel like typing them out, but find the last stanzas... Good for what it is, but this was too deep in the catalog for me. 

Charlie - Lines. 1978 Janus (LP). Thrift shop find (Jul), different one than the other two. I've been looking for some Charlie in the thrift bins since I started this. Mainly the 70s variety. When I do find them, they are trashed, so it was nice to see a minty copy last week. Charlie were one of the early bands I was first exposed to when listening to FM radio in the mid to late 70s as a preteen. I remember some of their music having cool riffs, though obviously not enough to pursue buying a full LP. Whatever the case, this album is devoid of anything hard rocking. This is pure unadulterated FM soft pop rock. AOR at its most obvious and pandering. A couple of decent cuts for sure, but I was disappointed. I recall none of this. I'll try their first two albums as well (when I find them), curious what I had heard from my youth. I do like the model on the cover, though. This gal, whoever she is, represented the sexy female ideal of the late 70s.

Slade - Nobody's Fool. 1976 Warner Bros (LP). With the Stones albums above (Jul). Slade are one of those bands that I've heard all of my life but never actually heard, if that makes sense. Meaning, I know some of their songs, but never bothered to hear a full album. Quiet Riot may have had something to do with that... Were Slade just a hard rock band, this would have been more enjoyable. For that style they are reasonably accomplished. But they were a glam band in the end, and they mix in other genres (like 50s rock n roll). They have their audience, and they play to it. That audience does not include me. Average on the whole. 

The Who - Who Are You. 1978 MCA (Canada) (LP). From an estate sale (Jul). It's been forever and a day since I heard Who Are You. I'm thinking 40+ years ago. Inexplicably I still appended a rating of "good" on it (I do not usually rate albums that I haven't heard since college or before). Well, it was a pretty accurate assessment, though I'd say I was being a bit generous. I hear this album as average at best, typical of the UK mega stadium bands of their era. The title track being the most recognizable song, and frankly, the best of them. 

***The following were all from the same thrift shop find (Jul)

Van Morrison - Moondance. 198? Warner Bros. (1970) (LP). 80s reissue (has the bar code) of Van Morrison's 3rd album from 1970. The only track I recognized was the title song, which I've always enjoyed. Has an odd lounge angle I find appealing. The rest? I just don't get it. But I don't get Bob Dylan either. I find his voice somewhat irritating and the music dull. This is considered one of his landmark works, so clearly it is I who remains in the dark. Others in my shoes would no doubt call it overrated or hyped, but that's awfully self-absorbed. No it's not overrated. It's that I disagree with the popular opinion on this title (and artist likely).

Electric Light Orchestra - Out of the Blue. 1977 Jet / United Artists (2xLP). Out of the Blue was yet another mega seller when I was first getting into FM radio in 1977. I didn't think much of it back then... and I still don't. A sprawling double LP that sounds like a mutant baby of Queen and Supertramp, with the Beatles somewhere in the DNA hierarchy. This weird strain of late 70s British AOR music that inexplicably was more popular here than in their homeland. A couple of good songs, but this one isn't for me. I'll hear every ELO as they come to me, but so far I'm not finding myself enjoying any of them.

Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms. 1985 Warner Bros (LP). Their most famous album, Brothers in Arms is actually Dire Straits' 5th release. I've never really understood the appeal of this group, though one could state they were the antithesis of the outrageous New Wave and Hair Metal bands that were proliferating at the time. How 'bout some good old fashioned unassuming rock? It's certainly inoffensive enough with no real highs to call out. A Dave Matthews Band of their day. Kind of blows by without notice, though of course I recognize all the megahits here that have been inculcated into our collective brains. 

***end of sale

* - Keeping for the collection

2021 Classic Rock / AOR Journal Vol. 1 - Complete

Supertramp - Even In the Quietest Moments... 1977 A&M (LP). Thrift shop find (Apr). Supertramp have become quite collectable in recent years - even their most commoditized albums are going for a tenner. Other than their out-of-nowhere 1985 prog(gy) album Brother Where You Bound, I've never had any use for Supertramp. But I'm trying to keep an open mind, and listening throughout to albums that I've dismissed in the past. To quote a part of my review for Brother: "And here comes along Supertramp - one of those bands that contributed to the dire state of the radio in the first place." Yep. The opener 'Give a Little Bit' is exactly what I was talking about there. Most folks will point out the album's closer as the grand progressive rock moment. 'Fool's Overture' is 10 minutes, and about double the length it needs to be. It's of the slow symphonic type, nothing overly progressive in my book. 'Lover Boy' is probably my favorite track, and I would call that one "good". It's not a bad album overall, but it's fairly average really. Oh well.

America - Hearts. 1975 Warner Bros. From RT (Apr). America are a band that I've passed on many times - even in thrift stores. Odd in that they have at least four songs that I think are superb - some of the best songs to ever be played on radio. In college, my roommate bought the America's History album, which is of course their famous greatest hits collection. Even then I loved those four songs. So when I went to our local used record store back then, I bought Holiday, which had one of these gems. I don't remember liking anything else, and sold the record off not too long after. Not surprised to see America in folk collector RT's stack. Maybe to amend that, I'm more surprised this is the only one I've run into so far. Now this album doesn't have any of those great four songs (which I won't mention until we get to their albums - if we get there). But it does have the 5th favorite, and that would be 'Sister Golden Hair', which is pretty good. In hearing the album opener 'Daisy Jane' - also on History - it's better than I recall. The best track for me is 'Company' and was that fuzz bass on 'Woman Tonight'? The rest is boring folk rock. So that assessment I made about America way back in 1986 seems to still hold court. Bummer.

Lighthouse - Can You Feel It. 1973 Polydor (LP). From the same estate sale (Mar). Being an enthusiastic horn rock fan, Lighthouse of course is a band that I do enjoy. Especially the debut album which has some fine horn charts, great melodies, and excellent lead guitar. By 1973, while Chicago is still cranking out hits, Canada's Lighthouse is desperately clinging on for survival, trying hard to regain that magic. The first thing you notice, while looking at the cover, is the band could have used a good dental plan. Then on the back cover, the producer is making excuses as to why it doesn't really sound that good. Too much music I believe was the lame excuse. He's right about one thing - it doesn't sound right. It has no heft whatsoever. It's a shame that a large talented band like this couldn't have come up with something more innovative. They should have gone full-on prog or funk or hard rock or something. But jeez, hearing them try so hard for radio airplay that sound like they're from 1970, just doesn't work. I think one track did manage to do OK on Canadian radio, and it's probably the best one here ('Pretty Lady'). I hesitated to buy this for fear of being stuck with it. But it does have the large poster, so that will help. Of course the giant 4 panel poster replicates the album cover... which highlights their teeth. Some guys just never do get plugged in right.

Mose Jones - Get Right. 1973 MCA / Sounds of the South (LP). From an estate sale (Mar). Mose Jones were a southern rock band, though they did have some groove to them. Probably the oddest aspect of their sound is the copious use of mellotron, hardly a southern rock staple. The music is as eclectic as their instrumentation, and is a mix of gospel, rock, funk, r'n'b, and folk. Highlights for me were the haunting acid folk of 'Ode to Drugan' and the jamming 'Julia's Beautiful Friend'. Interesting album, but not one for me to keep. Looks like Sounds of the South was a Al Kooper directed imprint back in the day, though it's new to me. The main group to have been on the short-lived project was Lynryd Skynryd. Nice gatefold cover.

Queen - A Day at the Races. 1976 Elektra (LP). Thrift shop find (Mar). The more I hear Queen, the less I like them. I figured it would be the opposite. They're just not for me. I find myself liking Brian May's guitar work... and little else. I've had good luck finding their albums at thrift shops and garage sales, which is great because they're easy to flip. I haven't heard them all yet, but A Day at the Races is my least favorite of their 70s output that I've heard to date.

Janis Joplin - Pearl. 1971 Columbia (LP). Thrift shop find (Feb). I don't know if I've ever been able to sit through a Janis Joplin album all the way through, which would include Big Brother and the Holding Company of course. It's obvious she puts everything into her singing. But ugh, that voice. She's just not my kind of girl (in any way, shape, or form). Her singing is both annoying and irritating. My favorite track on the album is 'Buried Alive in the Blues', which is instrumental lol. If she had been able to conquer her demons, my best guess is she'd eventually found her way to Country music, and obtained more fame there for the long haul. You can hear that twang in her singing. Just needed some control. Alright, so now I've heard one of her albums throughout. An accomplishment in of itself. 

J. Geils Band - Love Stinks. 1980 EMI (LP). One more from the 1980 era RT stack (Jan). There's a fine line between opportunist and selling out. Whereas REO Speedwagon is a clear example of the latter, J. Geils is more the former. At least that's how I hear Love Stinks. The title track is the most known song here, and 'Just Can't Wait' was another hit. Jay Geils and crew were from Boston, going back to the 60s, and clawed their way to the top with a fine mix of early rock n' roll, funk, and R'n'B. They're meant to be a fun group and yet they do bring some edge with them too. Of course they were smart to latch onto the late 70s AOR sound. I can respect this album, though it does stray from my personal interest area. A well spent 37 minutes before heading to the sell bin.

REO Speedwagon - Hi Infidelity. 1980 Epic (LP) Ha. Early 60s folk collector RT would just buy about anything on occasion it appears (Jan). This album is more like the 38 Special album below, in that it was played so often, it's pretty much part of my DNA. Unlike 38 Special, this is pure dreck. One of the most obvious pandering to the great FM radio god there ever has been. Even Journey put some elbow grease into their pop slop. I really tried to be objective, but it's just dentist-office painful to sit through. A couple of decent guitar solos I suppose. I had to spray down the stereo after playing this.

Shoes - Present Tense. 1979 Elektra (LP). Also from RT (Jan). This is exactly the kind of power pop that has gained a following in the last few years. Borrowing from the happy late 60s but with a modern indie styled vocal and songcraft approach. I kind of remember these guys back then, but they didn't make a mark. This really isn't my thing, but it wasn't painful to get through at least. I'm a bit surprised this album isn't more expensive, as most LP's in this genre have gone way up.

Blind Faith. 1977 RSO (LP) From RT (Jan). Another one of those albums that is highly praised (and has been all my life) but leaves me scratching my head. Early supergroup (1969) of Cream, Traffic, and Family but it doesn't remind me of any of them. Maybe a more bluesy Traffic. Like the Beck / Bogert / Appice, this album lacks bite. This has the girl cover, but is a later reissue. Not for me.

The Who - Face Dances. 1981 Warner Bros. (LP) From RT (Jan) Face Dances is not a critic or fan favorite, and has generally been panned across the board. And while I'm certainly not going to fall on my sword for it, I don't find it any better or worse than most major artist albums from this era. This was the first studio album without Keith Moon, so you know how that goes with the die-hard fans ("It's not The Who without Keith Moon" grumble, grumble, grumble...). But the year 1981 had more to do with the output than the personnel methinks. 'You Better You Bet' was the big hit of the day and it's pretty good. 

38 Special - Wild-Eyed Southern Boys. 1980 A&M (LP). From the RT collection (Jan). 38 Special were a band from Jacksonville, Florida, so they are often compared to The Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd. And certainly 38 Special have southern rock tendencies, but mostly they are a rocking AOR band, pretty far removed from the above groups. Once again, 38 Special were a band that enjoyed great radio airplay success while I was in high school. In hearing this album for the first time throughout, tracks like 'Hold on Loosely' and 'Fantasy Girl' were already etched into my DNA due to repeatedly listening to them for 40+ years. On the whole though, the album isn't so bad. It has a bit more muscle than others of its ilk, and the guitar work is a cut above. And since it's from 1980, the music definitely has a 70s sheen to it.