Jerry Goodman & Jan Hammer - Like Children. 1974 USA

Two very well known fusion artists collaborate on this album to excellent results. Jan Hammer, originally from Czechoslovakia,, had been a resident of the US since 1968. This would be, in fact, his first recording. Long before fame and fortune came his way, especially with Miami Vice in the 80s. Most of this album sounds like a full band effort, though it's just the duo. Goodman, who is most known for his violin virtuosity (Mahavishnu Orchestra, Flock) also proves to play a mean guitar. And Jan Hammer, who is very well known for his keyboard and synthesizer skills, plays drums here as well. Who knew? So 8 of the songs are collaborative with occasional, shall we say odd, vocals. 'No Fear' is Jan Hammer's solo contribution and 'I Remember Me' is Goodman's (though Hammer does provide background keyboards). Awesome thick production too.

Ownership: LP: 1974 Nemperor. Single sleeve. One more from the 25 cent haul.

new entry

Wrathchild America - Climbin' the Walls. 1989 USA-Virginia

Here's a blast from the past. I bought this real time at a record store in Evansville, Indiana while touring through. In the mid 90s when I did the great LP purge (still no regrets believe it or not, made plenty of money for the collection, and most I could care less about), this was part of that. My opinion of this kind of metal has softened over the years, and when a local b&m had it on "their wall", I used some trade credit to nail it. Musically it belongs to thrash metal, but of the wordy kind. From the Virginia area, Wrathchild America (who appended America to avoid confusion with the UK glam group) had a few more ideas per meter than the average thrash band of the era. The style was already becoming a bit tired, and only the most inventive bands were keeping it alive. And they threw in a cover of Pink Floyd's 'Time', so it wasn't only Voivod looking backwards to a proggy past in 1989. Good one here. 

Ownership: LP: 1989 Atlantic. Single sleeve. Obtained as noted above.

2/26/21

Motley Crue - Too Fast for Love. 1981 USA-California

...And now for something completely different.  Even back in the day, I kind of knew Motley Crue weren't my thing. They're not really now either, but I can appreciate it on a macro level. These guys were (and are I think) loathsome degenerates all the way, and the music is just good enough to pass muster, especially for the era. It's muscled up hard rock essentially. More Van Halen than Iron Maiden that's for sure. There's enough here for me to keep - doubtful for the long haul though.

Ownership: LP: 1982 Elektra. Single sleeve. I had some trade credit with my friends at What's Left here in town, and grabbed this one. Back in the early 80s, I used to see the Leathur originals at a Dallas local store that carried privately released metal. It's the same place I bought Manilla Road's Crystal Logic on Roadster and Savatage's Siren on Par. Had I bought Too Fast for Love real time, most assuredly I would have ditched it without any return on my investment. Today all 3 original Leathur pressings are worth a small fortune. Though even this mass released Elektra version is starting to go for some good coin.

2/25/21 (LP v2.5); 12/10/21 (new entry)

Herbie Mann ~ USA

Memphis Underground (1969)

Even though I truly enjoy flute jazz, I'm not so keen on Herbie Mann. The hairy chested one (what was with that anyway?) tended to be too steeped in tradition to break into the next level of spiritual jazz or heavy fusion. And honestly, Memphis Underground isn't that much different in terms of style. Except Larry Coryell and Sonny Sharrock were on board for this recording, and it's their variations of psychedelic guitar that make the album intriguing.

Former ownership: 1969 Atlantic (LP). Acquired in 2021. Downsized in 2026.

11/30/21 (review)
 

Herbie Mann & The Bill Evans Trio - Nirvana (1964)

Nirvana was originally released in 1964 (and recorded in 1961 / 62). There are Three tracks on each side, and the first two of each are seriously M..E..L...l...l....o.....w. What a great late night listen. Highly recommended for people who can get high strung - like me. The final piece is a Herbie Mann original 'Cashmere', which is more upbeat but still a fine composition. The only "standard" is Cole Porter's 'I Love You' which is just OK. Fine album for those who enjoy soft flute and piano. Makes you want to sit in some dimly lit place, near the piano, softly speaking with a sultry long haired vixen smoking a long stemmed cigarette.

Former ownership: 1984 Atlantic Jazzlore (LP). Acquired in 2021. Downsized in 2026.

2/25/21 (review)

12/10/21 (new entry)

Fastway - All Fired Up! 1984 England

Fastway was originally created by Fast Eddie Clarke of Motorhead and Pete Way of UFO (hence the name), but the latter didn't stick around long enough to record. This new band was all the talk in the metal magazines of 1982 and 1983. When I heard the debut - or at least parts of it - it wasn't heavy enough for me, and I passed on the band. Here we are some 38 years later, and I'm hearing a Fastway album for the first time all the way through. All Fired Up! is their sophomore effort, and isn't really metal at all. This is tried and true mid 1970s hard rock, bluesy style. Better than Whitesnake, but not as nuanced as Led Zeppelin. Dave King is an excellent singer and Clarke's guitar riffs and solos are solid. Good album for the style, though nothing that climbs a new mountain. I'll keep it for now. Maybe it's just me, but doesn't Clarke look like one of the Founding Fathers? Put a powdered wig on him and take a gander. There's a thought - Fast Eddie Clarke penning the US Constitution. Why not - everything else seems to have happened in the last 5 years...

Ownership: LP: 1984 Columbia (USA). Single sleeve. Always happy to find albums by bands like Fastway in the thrift bin, which is highly unusual, especially in mint condition like this. 

1/30/21; 12/10/21 (new entry)

Manchester Bridge Band - Mysteries / I Get By. 1971 USA-Pennsylvania

Who the Manchester Bridge Band were is anyone's guess, so 'Mysteries' indeed. The first side is pure dreamy psych, with haunting organ and trippy vocals. Kind of like Music Emporium. I love this style, and you just don't hear it that much. 'I Get By' picks up the tempo with some fine rhythm guitar, active bass work, and snotty vocals. Which leads to a ripping mid song fuzz solo. This is an excellent two sider. 

OK, I found a newspaper article from 1971 advertising a show by the band and that they were from Ohio. Have to presume it's the same group.  45cat lists the record at 1971 as well. Wow - no wonder nobody heard of them. Waaay too late for this kind of sound. Which is cool with me!

12/10/21 update: As you can see in the comments, Cleveland is not right either, though it's very possible they would have played there. We're now being told Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, which is northeast of Pittsburgh.

Ownership: SP: 1971 Comet. Online acquisition from last year. Also featured in our unknown vinyl blog.

5/16/21 (new entry); 12/10/21 

Cream ~ England

Goodbye (1969)

Goodbye was Cream's swan song. I hadn't heard this album prior, or at least not in 35 years. Starts off appropriately enough with a quality lengthy jam of 'I'm So Glad' taken from their debut. This is followed by two live renditions of Wheels of Fire cuts. Then we enter the studio portion of the album with the well-known 'Badge'. The latter would be the only acceptable track to 75% of the reviewers out there. But I found 'What a Bringdown' to be an excellent hard rocker, a direction that Cream could have taken forward. Goodbye is generally known as an odds and sods album not worthy of the good Cream name. But truth be told, it's no different in blend than most of their other output. Cream in a live setting is generally known as their best moments, most of it not captured properly until years later. 

Former ownership: 1969 ATCO (LP). Gatefold. One interesting thing about this version: It's the Presswell release, and it has the older purple / brown ATCO label, whereas all the other pressings have the more familiar yellow label. 

1/9/21 (review)

12/9/21 (new entry)

Jeff Beck ~ England

Truth (1968)

While I can take or leave most of Beck's blues rock works, I think the debut has more spirit than the others. While it's got the usual over reliance on covers, they aren't the usual "standards" and Beck puts in some mean guitar here. You still have to deal with Rod Stewart though lol. I think the CD itself pushed this one into the win column. 

Ownership: 2006 Epic Legacy (CD). Historical liner notes and eight bonus tracks.  

11/16/21 (review)

Jeff Beck Group - Rough and Ready (1971) 

Most of Jeff Beck's works around this time circle the UK blues movement of the late 60s. Rough and Ready is a departure from that, and much more enjoyable to my ears. There's a jazz rock flare, and a bit of straightforward hard rock as well. This is the best Beck album I've heard from his earlier era. 

Ownership: 2015 Iconoclassic (CD). Historical liner notes.

11/18/21 (review)

Jeff Beck / Tim Bogert / Carmine Appice (1973)

Unlike the other Beck's below, I hadn't heard this one prior. Kind of a power trio / blues rock hybrid. For such a lineup it seems kind of toothless to me. There is some great stuff here however, in particular their version of 'Superstition'.

Source: 1973 Epic (LP)  

1/12/21 (review)

There & Back (1980) 

I always thought it was There & Beck lol. This was Beck's first new album since I started listening to FM radio in 1977. I remember liking some it, but never enough to buy a new copy. Much more glossy (80's of course) than his previous output, but nonetheless of similar consistency. Hammer and others bring the latest in keyboard technology while Beck does what Beck does - solid guitar soloing and melody lines.

Source: 1980 Epic (LP)

1/10/21 (review)

Wired (1976)

Both Blow by Blow and Wired go back to my late high school years. I've always enjoyed 'Led Boots' with its super sludgy rhythm section and with Beck and Hammer trading solos. The album overall has a nice melodic undercurrent, and Beck's solos are always tasty. I appreciate Beck's jazz rock works much more as I get older, and after recently reviewing his back catalog, I prefer these.

Ownership: 1976 Epic (LP)

1983 (first acquired); 6/29/12; 3/11/18; 1/8/21 (review)

Blow by Blow (1975)

I go back and forth on this album, but I'm back in the positive camp. For a fusion album, there are a lot of well written melodies. Though my favorite track remains the more aggressive 'Scatterbrain'. I've also always been fond of the FM radio airplay song of 'Freeway Jam'. And 'Thelonius' has a deep heavy funk groove. 

Ownership: 1979 Epic (LP)

1983 (first acquired); 6/29/12; 3/11/18; 11/30/20 (review)

12/9/21 (new entry)

Chase - Chase + Ennea. 1971-72 USA-Nevada

Bill Chase was like many horn players in the late 60s and early 70s, and jumped on the Brass Rock movement. Perhaps just a couple of years too late, no matter, as the band managed to score a few hits before becoming irrelevant like most of the movement. And then, in 1974, Bill and some others in the band died tragically in a plane crash. Were the band to have a future like Tower of Power, we'll never know.

Chase's lineup is a bit unusual for horn rock though. Instead of featuring a trumpet, trombone, and sax/flute member, Chase just took the trumpet section with him. Chairs 1 through 4 in fact. And he combined that with guitar, bass, organ, drums, and a lead vocalist for a whopping Nonet. So the overall sound is very piercing, something akin to Maynard Ferguson times 4. Chase himself was no youngster on the rise, he was already a 37 year old veteran of the jazz circuit, playing the Las Vegas show scene. 

This double LP set features their first two albums in full, and both are similar in construct. One side contains some ripping hard rock meets horn rock numbers whereas the flip has a side-longer (mostly) where progressive ambition creeps in. I enjoyed both albums immensely, being a horn rock fan already. These are albums that are long forgotten today, but its rediscovery awaits.

Ownership: LP: 198? Epic. Gatefold. 2xLP. Chase albums are, as a good friend of the UMR would state, "as common as spit". I heard one of these albums as early as high school, but it wasn't for me at the time. I never did pursue again, and wasn't ever encouraged to do so. So the timing was perfect for this 2 album set to show up in the 25 cent bin. The repressing itself is very odd. Originals were commodities even in the early 80s, and there was never a "brass rock revival", especially during the New Wave years! As superfluous as any pressing ever done, these reissues hit the dollar bin the minute they were released, or so it would seem!

new entry

Patrick Moraz ~ Switzerland

The Story of I (1976)

I'm going to attempt not to be so lazy, and get features out for all albums I decide to keep. It's not that much harder, but for some reason I think it is... Anyway, the "reviews" will be as free associative and useless as always, have no fear. 

Well you know this guy. Many of us literally "know" him - at least he's someone I met once. For whatever reason, even though I'd heard this album a few times in the past, I never thought it collection worthy. But in reflection, most of those listens were in group settings, and that's rarely a good place to discover the musical contents of an album. I do better when it's a solo pursuit, or maybe with one good like-minded friend. 

The Story of I is a busy album, that moves at the pace that we normally associate with the Italian prog scene. On board are a number of Brazilian musicians giving the music an exotic edge. Much better than I had ever recalled, and an easy recommendation. But who am I recommending it to? lol, everyone already has it.

Ownership: Virgin Europe (CD). Booklet with historical liner notes. Acquired in 2026.

First copy: 1976 Atlantic (LP). Gatefold with intricate recording details inner. Acquired in 2021.

12/7/21 (review)

12/7/21 (new entry)

Rhesus O. 1971 France

Rhesus O were an early French jazz rock group who dabbled with the oncoming progressive rock movement. Opener 'Cigue' is most auspicious and is exactly the kind of music I love. Melodic with a jazzy backbone and some excellent analog instrumental textures. There are plenty of other similar segments of music throughout that will have you tapping your toes and swaying your head. Rhesus O is one of those albums that requires some thought as to where it belongs in the collection. For years I had it as part of my progressive rock section, but really it belongs to jazz. And it's the more hardcore aspects of that sound that lower the grade (slightly) for me. Alain Hatot's saxophone is far too unhinged for my liking, and a little discipline (which he shows on occasion) would have gone a long way to putting this in the highest rating category. There are free jazz elements here that rattle one's teeth. But hearing it with a mind towards jazz helps with the appreciation of its contents. Rhesus O is a relatively short album, so not enough material to bury the bad parts, and one keeps hoping there may be more solid compositions in a drawer somewhere for a future archival release. Rhesus O are a band that oftentimes gets lumped in with the Canterbury scene, but that's a pretty loose definition of said sound. And while the best moments here do recall Moving Gelatine Plates, they are fleeting, and not really what Rhesus O were about. Worth noting, Rhesus O are also famous for featuring future Magma bassists Francis Moze and Bernard Paganotti. Though, once again, this is far from the Zeuhl world. Though, as we mentioned recently, Magma's debut has a similar jazzy disposition.

A friend from Paris adds more: "Regarding Rhesus O's Magma connections : pianist Jean-Paul Asseline was also in Magma for a short spell circa 1973 (apparently, he abruptly left the band due to heavy mental health problems - he was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophreniac), and Alain Hatot actually played as a guest on Udu Wudu.. Artistic director Claude Delcloo was actually involved in free-jazz and the BYG/Actuel record label (he even recorded a rare album as a leader for BYG/Actuel if I remember well..)."

Ownership: CD: 1996 Musea. The first copy I owned was the original LP on Epic, picked up from a mail order dealer in the early 90s. It wasn't in the best condition, and this kind of jazz was pretty far away from my interest area back then. So off it went in trade. Around 2003 or so I decided to pick up the CD and the music was far more welcoming by then. As usual, Musea provides excellent historical notes (in both French and English, though the French is one page longer). Unfortunately there are no bonus tracks, and this is an album that could have really used them.

1/2/10

2021 Electronic Journal Vol. 1 - Complete

Lucia Hwong - Secret Luminescence. 1987 Private (LP). 25 cent find from Independent (Nov). I haven't yet run into any of Peter Baumann's Private label. Same deal, very easy to find as a couch surfer, not so much in the wilds. Unfortunately this is pretty typical New Age music for the era. I'm finding at this point of my life a certain acceptance of the style, but not this variation. Way too pre-packaged for my liking. Same production values as the Haycock. I admit to falling asleep last night almost immediately on each side. Took another scan this morning, but there's just not enough here to make the grade. And the melodies are a bit too much "Asian standard", and seems superficial. How about that cover though? With that title, and her photo, I'm sure it was male fantasy overload for many buyers...

*David Parsons - Himalaya. 1989 Fortuna (CD). Thrift shop find (Nov). Himalaya was really popular with electronic fans when this came out. Audion magazine sung its praises as did other like minded outlets (Eurock also comes to mind). I know of at least one electronic fan who holds this album in the highest esteem. You really have to be in the mood for something like this, but apparently I was. Very soothing and deep ambient. Certainly has Indian / Nepalese undertones as to be expected. 

*Tangerine Dream - 220 Volt Live. 1993 Miramar (CD). Thrift shop find (Oct). My attitude towards post Virgin Tangerine Dream has completely reversed in the last year. I'm thinking the Pilots of Purple Twilight box set really set my nostalgia meter to the red zone for this era (and future eras) of the band. And while I have no intention of "loading up", I will certainly not turn a blind eye to any CD or LP I find that I either long gave up on, or most likely, never heard. I saw Tangerine Dream live in 1988 (in Dallas), and contrary to their studio material at the time, the concert was mostly based on their 70s and early 80s work. It was a brilliant show. 220 Volt Live is mostly a spirited set, with raging sequencers (though I don't think they were still lugging around the Modular Moog) and most importantly, Froese wailing on the guitar. I had no idea he was still doing that by 1993! There's a couple of Kenny G styled smooth jazz songs with sax that can easily be skipped over, but mostly this CD came as a big pleasant surprise for me.

Enigma - Le Roi est Mort, Vive le Roi! 1996 Virgin (MC). Thrift shop find (Aug). When Enigma burst onto the scene in 1990 with MCMXC a.D., it was a new exciting sound. A mix of Gregorian Chants, electronica, and... sex. I was always intrigued by that album, and eventually picked up the CD. My wife has always enjoyed it as well. Upon release, I had a chance to hear their follow-up The Cross of Changes, but it wasn't too much to my liking, and that was really the end of my exploration of Enigma. I wasn't sure what to expect here, but Le Roi est Mort, Vive le Roi! doesn't take any chances. One can tell they are looking to recreate the magic of the debut. But that idea was good for one album, and the lack of progression here is obvious. It's not a bad album, but very boring without quality songwriting or melodies. It fails to capture the imagination as the debut did. Going through the motions here. Average on the whole.

Michael Stearns - Chronos. 1985 Sonic Atmospheres (LP). With the below two (Aug). Time to calm the nerves before bed. When I think of Stearns, I go right to the 80s and the Hearts of Space label. But his roots are in the 70s. On the back cover you will see Stearns playing the Serge Modular - and it looks all the world like a 70s photo. With that, one would think this to be a Berlin School extravaganza, with thick wedgy analog sequences. It's nothing of the sort of course. This is music for the IMAX theater, and that's the one place where I'm sure it sounds great. As for late night listening, it's best you don't lean too far on the couch, for sleepytime awaits you. Wide open spacious music is what Chronos brings. Other than B1 that generates some rhythm, most of this belongs to the ambient genre. I oftentimes struggle to discern what is good ambient from boring ambient, but I'll split the difference on this one. 

Francois Breant - Sons Optiques. 1978 Egg (LP). Collection revisit (Aug). When I started going to import stores in the 80s, Breant's debut was readily found in a new state. I never did buy the album back then, uncertain it was the kind of underground electronic / prog I was looking for. The cover was hardly inspiring. About seven years ago, a cheap copy came up online, and I nabbed it (2014). The album is almost as I would have imagined it to be, had I not heard it. It's like a compilation of the Egg label at that time: A little Patrick Vian, some Ose, a bit of Michel Magne, some more of Tim Blake and Alain Markusfeld. It's not an electronic album per se, but it's of the ilk. There's some prog movements too. Overall it seems a bit underdeveloped. I liked it enough to keep on initial impact, but this one doesn't have staying power. 

*Tangerine Dream - The Keep. 2020 Virgin (Pilots of Purple Twilight box set). This is the final CD in the box set. I'm going to stick it in here verse a feature (Mar). For many hardcore fans, this lost album was a primary driver in obtaining the box set in the first place. That wouldn't be me, as I didn't even know about it. It's definitely better than The Soldier (also in the box), but compared to their earlier soundtrack works such as Sorcerer and Thief, it's not quite as impactful. Like Thief, The Keep (1983) is another Michael Mann flick, and according to some of the movie reviews I could find, the music overrode the dialog. Maybe a good thing? Musically it sounds more like a Edgar Froese solo album than a Tangerine Dream collective effort. In particular Pinnacles comes to mind here. So yes, very good on the whole, works well as "bonus" material, but I wouldn't move mountains to get it myself. This concludes the Pilots of Purple Twilight listening regimen. Overall, just a super package. Not quite at the level of In Search of Hades (what is?), which had more unreleased material to work with - but certainly as fine a CD set as I have anywhere else in the collection.

---2020

*Gershon Kingsley - Music to Moog By. 1969 Audio Fidelity (LP). Now wasn't this a surprise? I've never seen it before until curating through RT's collection (Nov). As a rule, I usually look up "Moog" albums at the thrifts, as every once in a while they have some worth. I figured this would find itself to our dollar bin, just like most albums such as this. I mean Gershon Kingsley and Music to Moog By do not instill confidence that this is a major score. First thing I noticed is it had significant value. A quick sample to check the condition convinced me to add to the listening box. And that listen happened last night. The music is a mix of covers and originals, and it's a full band effort. The music is strikingly ahead of its time, and there are moments when you wouldn't be wrong in hearing some Krautrock styled sounds. If only there was more psychedelic guitar (there's a little bit), and less covers, then this would have been a monster album. The recording is incredible! The cover tracks are much better than you would initially think, and are highly original. This one is certainly unique.

* - Keeping for the collection

2021 Fusion / Jazz Journal Vol. 3 - Complete

Quantum Jump - Barracuda. 2015 Esoteric (CD) (1977). Thrift shop find (Oct). I hear Quantum Jump to be very similar to Automatic Man. And just as Automatic Man went whole hog for jazz funk, so did Quantum Jump. But whereas Automatic Man succeeded that genre hop, Quantum Jump failed miserably. There's no groove here, and the melodies are lifeless. They were just jumping (so to speak) on the bandwagon hoping to gain radio airplay. It failed on that front, and it fails as an album. On the plus side, the Esoteric reissue is excellent and provides a full length concert entitled BBC Radio One In Concert 16th July 1977. This is much better - some of the same tunes but sounding more raw and played with more energy. Not enough to keep, mind.

*Quantum Jump. 1998 Voiceprint (CD) (1976). With the above (Oct). This is another album I had no use for even in recent times. But loving it now. And once again, this album has no sense of purpose, almost guaranteeing its place in obscurity lists for time immortal. Another excellent reissue with full liners and five bonus tracks.

The Don Ellis Orchestra - Electric Bath. 1967 Columbia (LP). Two years ago (2019), we had here in the Springs what was known as the "14,000 album sale". A former antique shop booth owner had passed away, and left behind an enormous collection. Not just records, but that was the primary in this case. He lived in a "goat path" house, which is a term meaning he was a hoarder. His family took over a lot of it, and they continue to run a booth up in Denver. So these 14,000 were not even the "good" stuff. A lot of us weren't sure what to expect, but they did let out plenty of great albums anyway (and many of them were either sealed or perfect mint, since they remained unplayed (like this one)). Some of which I've already covered in the pages as features. It's also where I started my classical record business. I had a lot to learn about classical (I mean a lot), but my instincts did allow me to make a very nice profit on this sale (and I still have inventory). At the end of the day - on two visits - I bought over 100 albums. This was one of them. Always loved the cover and the title. Its reputation is well earned given the experimentation beyond traditional big band. For 1967, jazz artists like Ellis going out on a limb like this must have been exciting. One genre you'll hear in regards to Electric Bath is Third Stream, a mixture of jazz and classical. All that said, it's not really a favorite style of mine to begin with, and it's a stretch to continue to hold onto it. So I won't. (Aug)

*Miles Davis - Agharta. 1991 Columbia Legacy (2xCD) (1975). Collection revisit (Jul). Even though I had been well versed in Miles Davis' recordings, thanks to a local Dallas friend who was a huge fan, I didn't own any product until I picked up this CD in 1998 from Rasputin's in Pleasant Hill, California. Because of the when and where, I know Agharta better than any of his other releases, having played it pretty much non stop in the rental car going to and from my office at the time. Many of you know this album, and the story that it's the afternoon concert, later followed by an evening show (which is on Pangaea). No wonder Davis was sick and ill by this point. These are intense concerts, and to be playing five to six hours a day in front of large audiences is insane. By this time, Davis' band was a machine, and it was all about the deep groove. I love his organ sound as well. Tons of wah wah rhythm, which I've mentioned many times is a favorite around here. And also great sax, trumpet (sort of), and guitar solos. Hendrix meets Stockhausen I've read. With a dose of deep funk. That encapsulates it. I would rate Agharta even higher if there were more melodic tracks such as 'Maiysha' in the mix. That's not really what Davis was going for though. I have to say I prefer this "light" concert to the "dark" show (Pangaea). Light being a relevant term. Because of my familiarity with this, this remains one of my favorite Miles Davis albums. I think if it were another release from his Bitches' Brew period, I'd feel similar about that one as well. Comes in an old school "fat box" jewel case with 2 discs. I always liked those. Plenty of room for the booklet, of which this has of course. Typically great Legacy release. 

Weather Report. 1971 Columbia (LP). Thrift shop find (Jul). All these years and I've never heard the debut by Weather Report. It's a very intriguing album and I was on the fence about the contents. It's interesting to hear the band operate in experimental jazz fashion verse their more well known slick fusion sound. Fuzz bass and atonal sax are hardly ear friendly, but one cannot help but pickup the 1970 European jazz style on display here. I had to listen to it three times to determine its fate. A year ago, I would have held onto this, but this would just end up on the bottom of the stack today. Very good on the whole, though it's not something I would typically reach for. I do think this is an album that could have used some electric guitar to provide balance.

Weather Report - I Sing the Body Electric. 1972 Columbia (LP). With the above (Jul). I used to have a very nice French digipak CD of this one, but sold when offered a good price for it. Interesting in hearing it again, as my observation about not knowing too much about Weather Report's jazz era was not entirely correct. This is definitely cut from the same cloth as the debut, especially Side 1, whereas Side 2 is full-on Miles Davis styled. Once again, I think a guitar presence would have gone a long way to me appreciating this more. But the solo work is almost entirely left to Wayne Shorter, and I'm not a big fan of his oftentimes atonal sax playing. The rest of the band provide an excellent backbone, with some superb fuzzy analog sounds from Zawinul. I enjoyed a +1 listen here, but not enough for me to want to keep.

* - Keeping for the collection

2021 Hard Rock Journal Vol. 2 - Complete

Pete Haycock - Guitar and Son. 1988 IRS No Speak (LP). 25 cents at Independent (Nov).I've been seeking out these No Speak instrumental albums for some time, but haven't found any, even though if I were to go the mail order route, I could buy them dirt cheap. I referenced this label's series in one of the Mathematicians' review some years ago. In the late 80s, many of the progressive rock contingent were pretty gung-ho about the series. And, as it turns out, Pete Haycock was the first to be released. Who is Pete Haycock you ask? He was the guitarist for the Climax Blues Band. In hearing this album for the first time, his guitar playing is quite good here. Just the right amount of hard rock, jazz fusion, and soulful playing. But the rest? Oh boy. Hardcore late 80s digital. The keyboard tones, the dull and canned drumming, the Kenny G styled sax (known here as Sax Phone), and the slick-as-a-butter-dish production. It's soooo 1988. Too bad. Something less professional would have lead to a much stronger release. 

Blackfoot - After the Reign. 1994 Wildcat (CD). Thrift shop find (Oct). One type of CD I look for at thrift shops is past-their-prime releases. Generally these are on small labels, and released without much fanfare. As such, the CDs have become collectible over time, especially with a fan base still intact. Many who might say "I didn't realize they kept going!" And they sell for a premium because inventory is legitimately scarce. I bought Strikes (1979) real time on LP, as the radio airplay track had a mean riff that I liked. But as with Molly Hatchet, Blackfoot were really a 3rd tier Southern Rock band, this time from Jacksonville, Florida. This late era CD is a real drag, and doesn't even possess that "one song". They really have nothing in the tank by this point. Unfortunately one of the worst albums I've heard all year.

West, Bruce & Laing - Live 'n' Kickin. 1974 Columbia / Windfall LP). From Independent (Oct). Well known Mountain / Cream combo. This album gives the listener exactly what it says on the tin - straight up hard rock, no chaser. Very good on the whole, though I have too much of this kind of thing already.

* - Keeping for the collection

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

Sonic Tribe ~ USA ~ Seattle, Washington

Spirit Rising (2002)

Spirit Rising was released at a time when the 60s hippy movement was having its last great swansong, and they were combining New Age, Tribal Electronic, Psychedelic, and lyrics about saving the planet all into one big bag of druggy goodness. Sonic Tribe is part of the Dean Evenson universe, and he was hyperactive during this era, primarily as a solo artist. It's all so very West Coast (Seattle area in this case). I like this one, brings back memories of the early to mid 90s for me, which were the most transformative years of my life. The music contains a certain something I cannot describe in words. Not a mind blowing album (could have used Ed Wynne on a few of these tracks), but I'll take what I can get.

Ownership: 2002 Soundings of the Planet (CD). Acquired in 2021.

12/2/21 (review)

2021 Classic Rock / AOR Journal Vol. 4 - Complete

*Utopia - Ra. 1977 Bearsville (LP). A throw-in on an online deal (Nov). For some reason, I didn't embrace Utopia's second album like I did the first. It's a really odd mix that Rundgren has going here. It's a bit glammy like Queen and ELO at times. But there's some hardcore prog still going on - way out of fashion for when this was released. And of course, as noted eblow, Utopia did in fact embrace pop radio shortly thereafter. But this is unique enough to hold onto, for the short term anyway.

***The following came from a large CD drop at a thrift shop (Oct):

Eno - Here Come the Warm Jets. 2004 Virgin (CD) (1973). To me Brian Eno is something like David Bowie. Not the music content, though while in art rock mode, there are some similarities, but more in the fact that you really never know what you're going to get with him. And his debut definitely fits the "art rock" tag which is a style of music that I never truly embraced. For one, it's hard to define, so it's not always an indication of the music you will hear. Exhibit A would be Here Come the Warm Jets. For the first few songs, I was trying to figure out if I was going to sell it online, in a bulk sale, at the record show, etc... I mean, I'm not keeping it, right? Then comes the second half. Whoa, this is really quite good after all. It's unique, which is a +1 in my book, and probably will keep it here longer than normal. The CD is a dull commodity, and I'll keep an eye out for the LP, which will be tough to score. 

R. Stevie Moore - Phonography. 1998 Flamingo (CD) (1976). I wasn't quite sure which genre to put this in, but this section is sort of my "catch all" grouping. Moore's debut has a cult following among those that worship at the lo-fi bedroom recording altar. I can certainly appreciate the historical perspective, but that doesn't make the music any better. The only saving point is that Moore clearly doesn't take himself seriously here, which for many, ruins the experience. All the same, this isn't a pleasant listen and off it goes. This reissue is unique in that it has 8 bonus tracks. Excellent liner notes as well.

Utopia - Oops! Wrong Planet. 1995 Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (CD) (1977). Wasn't sure I'd even listen to this one all the way through, but it really isn't so bad. It's the 3rd Utopia release, and they've clearly cut ties with their proggy past. Mostly standard issue AOR with some hard rock passages. Not really very consistent style-wise, but the 45 minutes flew by without discomfort. These gold discs always go for good coin, which is the primary reason I bought it.

***end of sale

*Klaatu - 3:47 E.S.T. 2002 Bullseye (CD) (1976). Thrift shop (Oct). Klaatu are one of those bands that I somehow managed to avoid in my initial record collecting days of the 1980s and early 90s. I sensed they were more of a pop rock group than the type of underground prog I was looking for, and yet that cover always drew me in. My instincts proved correct, and I'm certain this is an album I wouldn't have enjoyed much back then. But I do now. And one can sense they are a prog band in a pop group's body. One can also understand the comparisons to The Beatles (supposedly they were the Fab Four in disguise, as the story once went). The music has a lot of similarities to Abbey Road, if looking for one album to relate it to. I found myself enjoying it quite a bit, to the grade of excellent. There's quite a bit of mellotron as well. Very fine CD, with lyrics and historical notes. Another quality thrift shop find - always on the lookout for obscure reissues like this, which carry value. 

*Klaatu - Hope. 2002 Bullseye (CD) (1977). This was sitting next to 3:47 naturally enough (Oct). More pop oriented this go round, as to be expected, but certainly still falls into the very good category. I love the sound this band possesses. The album once again does not disappoint.

*David Bowie - Space Oddity / The Man Who Sold the World. 1972 RCA with picture sleeve (SP). From the RT collection (Sep). 'Space Oddity' is one of Bowie's signature songs, and is really an odd one for commercial radio to have picked up on. The b) side is even more strange. Bowie was always operating in his own world and on his own terms.

Heart - Little Queen. 1977 Portrait (MC). Thrift shop find and the beginning of my quest for cassettes (Aug). This is one of those albums that go to the very beginning of my LP buying experience. I can remember even contemplating buying the album at age 12 - and it would have been one of the first ten I ever bought. 'Barracuda' was the big hit and I loved it. If you think about it, up until that point, Heart had struck gold with 'Magic Man' (proggy hard rock), 'Crazy on You' (hard rock), and the aforementioned 'Barracuda'. Which tells us that Heart were an excellent hard rock band. Which further makes you wonder why everyone insisted they be a sugar and spice band instead. The Wilson sisters were tough broads at the end of the day, and spice was their comfort zone. You'll often hear references that Heart were nothing more than a Led Zeppelin copy band. Certainly one can hear 'Achilles Last Stand' in 'Barracuda', but as I often say, influence is not the same thing as copy. Honestly Heart should have focused more on Zep and less on the radio charts. I'm sure the record execs of the day had a hand in this ultimately bad decision. In any case, there's a few other fine tracks here including the title song and 'Go on Cry', but for the most part, 'Barracuda' ends up still being the highlight. I'll go +1 here, but it's not enough to keep.

Boston - Third Stage. 1986 MCA (MC). With the above (Aug). Going back to the beginning of these journals, I noted that I had finally warmed up to Boston's debut (1976), no doubt a combination of nostalgia and a reluctant easing of years of vitriol towards it. I have no history with Third Stage, and honestly have no idea of Boston's history past Don't Look Back (1978). At what point does a band become a caricature of itself? Allow me to introduce Exhibit A: Third Stage. As stated in that journal, Boston always had a reputation for purposely crafting the perfect AOR record, maybe even as an hypothesis. They were so successful, the pressure was on to surpass that, which Don't Look Back did not manage to do. By Third Stage, madness clearly had crept in, and one can see Tom Scholz spending years re-recording each note. "No no wait... it has to sound just like this.. no, no, hold on, no like this... no no....". Meanwhile Boston misses the entire 80s experience, including MTV's heyday. Those crucial early 80s years of dumbo AOR bands like Journey, Kansas, Styx, REO Speedwagon, ad nauseum, raking in millions and millions of dollars, while Boston is in the lab trying to perfect the formula. And finally, in 1986, Boston releases Third Stage. Yes - the perfect album for 1980! All the new music buyers looking around saying "who's Boston again?". Dad Rock long before the term existed. The whole musical world had changed, and here's Boston recreating Boston (the album). I guess one cannot say it's a bad album, it pretty much sounds just like the previous two. But it was so out of time, it must have been hilarious to those who waited. By 1986, I could care less what a band like Boston were doing, and doubt I even noticed it when released. I'm sure my story is similar to many others. Boston let opportunity slip by. A tragic tale.

Melting Pot - Fire Burn, Cauldron Bubble. 1970 Ampex promo (LP). From Independent (Aug). This title goes back to my CDRWL days. Looks like I never featured it. In any case, Melting Pot were one more band trying to capitalize on the horn rock movement. When the group sticks to brass rock, they do an excellent job of creating the magic of same period Chicago or Blood, Sweat, & Tears. But like a lot of brass rockers, Melting Pot ventured into soul and the blues, while also trying their hand at cover tunes. All of which disappoint. So it's about half excellent and half OK. I'll give it a +1, but it's not going to stick around here. Comes in a cool thick gatefold cover. Though obscure, the record company clearly thought they had a big winner here. There are no less than five domestic pressings plus this promo. And there's also a Canadian and South African pressing. As such, not an expensive record, though you won't likely find it at a local record store, as I did here.

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Green River. 1969 Fantasy (LP). Thrift shop find (Aug). I forced myself to listen to this, given its universal high ratings. Yep - sounds like CCR to me. For my tastes, it's a slog to get through albums like this. About the only track I liked is 'Sinister Purpose', mainly because it doesn't sound like them. I just don't get the allure for CCR.

Small Faces - First Step. 1970 Warner Bros. (LP). From the RT collection (Aug). A couple of seconds in and that sounds like Rod Stewart to me. Oh sure enough, there's his ugly mug right up front. I never knew Rod Stewart was in Small Faces. But then again, I wouldn't know who was in Small Faces to begin with. Apparently this is a late era revamped lineup. Pretty much what you would expect, this is mostly UK styled blues rock, which I could take or leave. What saves this is Ian McLagan's Hammond organ work, which is really great, especially on the instrumental 'Looking Out the Window'. Overall I'll grade it out as good.

Steve Miller Band - Fly Like an Eagle. 1976 Capitol (LP). From Independent for 50 cents (Aug). Did Miller hit paydirt with the title track or what? He must have been out of his mind when he wrote that track - it's inspiring on so many levels. And it was exploited to the hilt, rightfully so. This was actually the last 45 RPM record I bought as a kid before moving away from records for about a year, before finally buying full length albums. As for the rest, well it's typical SMB fare, and ultimately a bit dull. I do like 'Wild Mountain Honey' but the other hits on the album I can live without. And there are no hidden gems here. Good on the whole. No need to keep for the title track. I'll hear it next time I'm at the grocery store.

* - Keeping for the collection

2021 Funk / Soul Journal Vol. 5 - Complete

The New Birth - It's Been a Long Time. 1973 RCA (LP). From the quarter bin at Independent (Nov). The New Birth were a band from Louisville, Kentucky that featured cool titles and interesting album covers. The genres attributed to The New Birth are funk and soul, though there's very little of the former - unfortunately. As such this is way too soulsy for my liking. The funky 'Keep On Doin' It' was the sole highlight of the eight tracks presented. Hard to knock it too much, as it may very well be a good album for the genre, but it's not something I'm going to sit still for a listen.

Pleasure - Future Now. 1979 Fantasy (LP). I picked this one up online as a throw-in to another deal (Nov). I had found 'Joyous' at a thrift shop almost two years ago, and heard it a very good jazz funk album. 'Future Now' is later, but maybe even better. One would presume disco by this point, but Pleasure doubled down with some ripping hard guitar and a fine set of funky and fusion tunes. 

Faze-O - Riding High. 1977 She / Atlantic (LP). Thrift shop find (Oct). Solid funk / soul album with nods to disco but never really going there. Mostly party time music with 'Funky Reputation', 'Toe Jam', and especially 'Get Some Booty' (yea, OK, there's a term that didn't age well. Everything was "booty" in those days). Some whiny soul too. It definitely fits with the Earth Wind and Fire camp. Very good but no room left in the collection for albums like this.

Jiva - Something's Goin on Inside L.A. 1975 Dark Horse promo mono/stereo (SP). From RT (Sep). I don't know much about Jiva, but from what I've read, their sole album is a typical mid 70s soft rocker. If that's the case, then this track is truly an outlier. It's a hard funk song with some excellent guitar. But that would not have been uncommon in 1975. Odd choice for George Harrison's label regardless. I'd keep it if there was another side, but this is a radio promo with the same track. 

Cissy Houston - Think it Over. 1978 Private Stock (LP). From Independent and it was free, can't beat that (Aug). Actually this is pretty good disco, a little bit above the norm. So who is Cissy Houston anyway? Turns out she's the mother of a one Whitney Houston (and aunt of the Warwick sisters), and she was 44 years old when this was released (only her third album). That's two Whoa's right there! It's rare for someone to break through at that age, especially back then. Obviously she lived through great tragedy because of her daughter. 

The Blackbyrds. 1974 Fantasy (LP). From Independent (Aug). After researching it, I for certain thought this was going to be an easy keeper. All the ingredients are here. The name, of course, is a play on Donald Byrd, who was teaching at Howard University, the famous all black college in Washington DC (and where Lloyd McNeill also taught). Hence The Blackbyrds. Byrd writes about half the songs, and Larry Mizell is also lending a hand. Perhaps this will be a more funky version of Street Lady? Well, technically yes, but not so much to my liking. I've never been a big fan of "handclap funk" and constant references to "partay", but that's your openers on each side. Oddly, the more funky tracks here are written by Byrd in conjunction with a band member. I prefer Mizell's numbers, especially the instrumental 'Reggins', which is the highlight of the album. After two tries, my interest continued to wane. And considering the beautiful Van Gogh gatefold cover painting, it's a pity I have to let it go. But let it go I must.

Cymande. 1972 Janus promo (LP). Thrift shop find (Aug). Cymande's album cover looks dangerous, like we're in for some serious hard funk with a strong political message. It's something of the opposite. It's a very mellow and peace-loving album, with some excellent grooves. In particular I'm fond of the two longest tracks 'Rickshaw' and 'Dove'. Cymande is a London based group with a Caribbean heritage, and they don't have the edge that their American counterparts bring. What's missing here? Reggae. It's expected, and the band are playing around it, but specifically leaving out the distinctive rhythms. For their part, Cymande calls their music Nyah-Rock. Comes in a cool gatefold. 

Cymande - Second Time Round. 1973 Janus promo (LP). Fortuitously found this with the other one (Aug). Whereas the debut's best cuts are in the middle, here they can be found on the bookends on 'Anthracite' and 'Them and Us'. Fairly similar to the debut, though this is a bit more song oriented, and I'm picking up a bit of Highlife here as well. This one gets further from my personal tastes.

* x-Freddi and Henchi - Moonlightin' / Mr. Funky. 1974 Reprise (SP). These two tracks fall to the heavier side of the funk / soul spectrum. Some nice horns and fat beats. All the same, it's too vocal oriented to keep me engaged for long. And there's a bit of silliness like Funkadelic / Jimmy Castor Bunch - especially the B side. Fairly obscure single. Looks like they're from up the road in Denver! These two songs are not on their sole LP. I'll keep it for the local angle. (Jul)

* - Keeping for the collection; x - not in RYM

2021 Modern Rock Journal Vol. 1 - Complete

M O S E S (Moses) - Leave Leave Leave. 2016 Crosstown (EP). From the 25 cent haul at Independent (Nov). This Moses (stylized different as noted) is a UK band who are tagged with the unflattering "indie" genre. But I wouldn't characterize it as such. I'm picking up an odd combination of post punk, neo psych, and even prog. The latter shows up in the unexpected breaks. And there's some definite psychy guitar. The vocalist very much accentuates his English-ness. The "Yuuu Kyyy" (UK) type pronunciation. I quite liked this, though don't see myself going back to it. Wouldn't mind hearing their full length from 2020, entitled Almost Everything is Bullshit. They got that right.

Nirvana - Bleach. 1992 Sub Pop (MC). Thrift shop find (Aug). Bleach is the famed Nirvana's debut album (1989). An album that mostly flew by without notice upon release. Any original pressings, no matter the media format, are worth serious money because of the lack of supply, which were all gobbled up once Nevermind became the "it album". But even these analog (not digital) reissues go for good coin. Given all the information I've shared with you over the years, it should come as no surprise that I would have had no use for grunge in the late 80s and early 90s. By this point in my life, I was buying strictly hardcore prog albums, or the occasional tech thrash effort. And not much else, though I had just started down a Dead Can Dance path and their ilk. For as long as a rebellious youth exists, as well as rock critics, there will always be a movement to get "back to the basics". For your garden variety male punk, sophisticated music is not what they are seeking. They are looking for a way to express rage, through fashion, words, and music. So while the metal world had clearly gone leaps and bounds from their original premise, grunge offered a chance to get back in the garage, go to clubs, get wasted on cheap beer and drugs, and just create mayhem in general. Since the movement's roots were in Seattle, untucked flannel shirts and wool head coverings became the uniform, and the genre took off for a few years, defining its era. By this time I was already in the workforce, doing the Corporate America thing, while having an obsessive music hobby on the side. "My generation" had already passed as it were. Had grunge come along in the late 70s, I could see myself enjoying it as an early teen. Especially at first. And that gets us to Bleach. It has a great raw sound (according to the original liner notes, on a budget of $600), and the album kicks butt from beginning to end. It's pretty generic, especially for 1989, but again we're talking a new audience looking for a new anger outlet. Bands like Metallica were on the Grammy's by then. "Dude, like total sell-out, ya know?". And, in retrospect, Nirvana's sound isn't new at all. And I don't even mean from a metal perspective, but more from the underground of the early 80s. On labels like Ralph and SST, you would hear similar type sounds. But Nirvana caught lightning in a bottle. Not here though, but the next album. Glad I heard Bleach, definitely a good album, but it wasn't made for me.

*Jane's Addiction - Ritual de Lo Habitual. 1990 Warner Bros. (MC). With the above (Aug). In addition to grunge, you also had funk metal and alternative rock bands running around in the late 80s and early 90s releasing interesting music, though whatever little I would hear (usually via MTV) wasn't enough to encourage me to pursue. See Nirvana above for where my head was at back then. And that would include Jane's Addiction. I didn't recognize any of the songs based on the titles, but yes I do now recall 'Been Caught Stealing'. In hearing this album for the first time, coming in completely objective without bias, all I can say is this is one strange work. One can see why Jane's Addiction were a cult band from the beginning. They mix all the styles above and then some. Side 1 is 20 minutes long and features five songs with more upbeat music, and one can hear bands like Red Hot Chili Peppers or Faith No More in these grooves. Side 2 has only four songs - going 30 minutes! Already a major disparity, and certainly Jane's Addiction is pushing the envelope in multiple ways. I'm not quite sure where I stand on all of this yet, but Ritual de Lo Habitual is way too interesting to let go. 

Gagakirise and EYE - The Flash / Robobird2. 2015 Thrill Jockey. This was inexplicably in the 10 cent bin at Independent (Jul). At that price, I'd buy anything like this. It's complete with the full picture cover and postcard. I think they mismarked it. In any case, this is somewhat typical Japanese noise rock. Not really my thing of course, but not terrible either. Average for the style I'd submit.

* - Keeping for the collection

2021 Funk / Soul Journal Vol. 4 - Complete

***The following came from a large CD drop at a thrift shop (Oct).

*Automatic Man - Visitors. 2005 Lemon (CD) (1977). If you were to read the reviews and interpret the ratings on this one, you'd think they leapt off the pop cliff. Shrieve went packing and so did the hard rock aspect of their sound. Automatic Man thus became Bayete's band. But Pat Thrall was still hanging around throwing in some mean licks. But it's mostly funky fusion by this point, with a dash of soul. It's far more consistent than the debut. And for my tastes at this juncture, I found this just as good as the debut. Not even five years ago that would have been the case. Have I evolved or devolved? Hmmm...

*Axiom Funk - Funkcronomicon. 1995 Axiom (2xCD). This was in the mid 90s when Bill Laswell and the gang were completely dominating this field of music. You've got most of the P-Funk gang on hand, even some archival Eddie Hazel is thrown in here. Remember Praxis? This album is a sprawling set of inconsistency. But it stays due to the massive psychedelic era Funkadelic styled pieces. There are some wonderous jams to be found among the usual silliness, soul, pop, whatever. 

*Netwerk: Electric - Expression Sessions. 2001 Harmonized (CD). I had no idea who these guys were. Netwerk: Electric were a band from Santa Cruz, California and they mixed jazz fusion, funk, and space rock seamlessly. I tend to favor these kind of "tribal" albums of late, so the timing to hit the collection was perfect.

Dawn Silva - All My Funky Friends. 2000 private (CD). Dawn Silva was an active member of the P-Funk tribe and this album brings in many from the collective. This was a comeback solo album of sorts and the reviews indicated this to be a retro funk extravaganza. Eh. Pretty good, but does devolve into the usual soul crooning at points. As my friends in Mexico might say "ees OK". Another rarity in any event.

Infectious Grooves - Mas Borracho / Pneumonia. 2000 Suicidal (CDEP). I was hoping for a Latin Funk banger here. No such luck. I don't remember too much about it now, but it was more modern and lacked the heavy psych that makes the genre endearing. Also rare these days.

Quazar. 2012 Big Break (1978). I had high hopes for this one, promising P-Funk sounds from the late 70s. Not even sure if there really is a P-Funk connection and the music falls mostly to soul versus funk or psych. It's decent for what it is, but not really my thing. Beautiful CD release, that is now quite rare.

Clydie King - The Imperial & Minit Years. 2007 EMI/Stateside (CD). The compilation starts with the three Imperial singles, and all six tracks offer up an excellent Bacharach / Specter take on soul music. Sophisticated arrangements, and King's voice is reminiscent of Dionne Warwick here. In particular, 'Missin' My Baby' is superb. No surprise to learn that these singles go for serious coin these days. Unfortunately it's all downhill from there. The four Minit singles (eight songs) head towards more typical Soul radio standard fare. Too whiny for me, and no arrangements or other interesting background music to keep it interesting. Worth noting that these singles are relatively cheap, so today's market seem to reflect my observations as well. This is followed by eight unreleased tracks, all recorded in 1968. Once again, these follow the Minit style and range from good to disappointing. The CD package is awesome, with a full history of King, and recording details. Really enjoy her mid-60s style, but clearly not enough here to hold onto overall.

***end of sale