John Mayall - Thru the Years 1972

A grab bag of rare tracks from the '60s, some of which stand among Mayall's finest. His debut 1964 single "Crawling up a Hill" is one of his best originals; this comp also includes a couple of 1964-65 flipsides that were never otherwise issued in the U.S. The eight songs featuring Peter Green include some top-notch material that outpaces much of the only album recorded by the Green lineup (A Hard Road), particularly the Green originals "Missing You" and "Out of Reach," a great B-side with devastating, icy guitar lines and downbeat lyrics that ranks as one of the great lost blues-rock cuts of the '60s. The set is filled out with a few songs from the Mick Taylor era, the highlight being the vicious instrumental "Knockers Step Forward." Look for the CD reissue and not the early-'70s double U.S. album of the same name, which includes a lot of superfluous material and omits the three 1964-65 songs from British 45s. AMG.

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General Caine - Let me in 1978

Alternately known as Caine and Kane, this artist was born Mitch McDowell and remembered for hard-hitting funk. Technically, General Caine is a group, but McDowell was so clearly the front man that many consider him a solo artist. He adopted the General moniker after a role model from his stint in a military academy; less is known about the origin of Caine, although if you look at the second album, it’s pretty obvious.
His first foray into music was with the short-lived group Booty People, whose sole album was released in 1977. The following year, he signed with producer Grover Wimberly’s Groove Time label and released the extremely funky Let Me In. The follow-up, Get Down Attack, featured the underground classic “Shake” and prompted interest from larger labels.

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Karthago - Second Step 1973

Just months after their formation in Berlin in 1970, Karthago began recording music for their first album. Karthago's sound was influenced more by North American rock than by anything that was coming out of Europe, composed of a tapered and rather simplistic mixture of light funk and freestyle jazz with a basic rock & roll substratum for everything else to rest on. Within the album's nine tracks are melodies that are accommodating and recognizable, quite different than what was otherwise coming out Germany's music scene in the early '70s. "String Rambler," "Black Fire," and "Morning Surprise" best represent Karthago's breezy, undemanding air, led by the bright organ playing of Ingo Bischoff and fastened by Wolfgang Brock's unmitigated drum work. "Why Don't You Stop Buggin' Me" and the shimmering "wow" of "But I Know"'s keyboard-guided intro lead into some electrifying pieces, with comparisons to Steppenwolf, Procul Harum, and even early Chicago arising from the melodies. Although labeled as a progressive band, Karthago's sound is more along the lines of German rock rather than prog, with shorter song lengths and a tendency to balance out the keyboards, guitar, and percussion equally throughout their music. After their fourth album in 1976, Karthago broke up, with Gerald Hartwig joining the more prominent Guru Guru and Bischof hooking up with Kraan. Second Step (1973) and 1974's Rock 'N' Roll Testament begin to show signs of commercial leanings, but their last installment, entitled Live at the Roxy, is just as impressive as their debut album. AMG.

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Hudson-Ford - Free Spirit 1974

With three-fifths of the lineup in the Strawbs on hand, a newcomer to Hudson Ford might expect something folky or progressive, but that's hardly the case. The band was largely a manifestation of Hudson and Ford's desire to indulge in the sort of pop and softer rock discouraged within the Strawbs. As such efforts go, this is not bad, with the peppy title track, the spiky guitar of "Don't Want to Be a Star," and the subtle orchestral touchs throughout from keyboardist Chris Parren. That said, it doesn't exactly make you jump out of your chair either. Unless you've grown really tired of your Wings and Stealers Wheel collections, it's hard to imagine this release getting much attention from anyone except Strawbs completists. AMG.

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Leonda - Woman in The Sun 1969

Though it was released on a major label (Columbia's Epic subsidiary) in the late '60s, Leonda's sole album, Woman in the Sun, is extremely rare, and little known even among fans of singer/songwriters of the era. Because Leonda is Native American, and sometimes uses prominent vibrato in her vocal phrasing, she might generate comparisons to the most well-known Native American singer/songwriter of that era, Buffy Sainte-Marie. Actually, however, she's almost as similar to Annisette of Savage Rose or (more distantly) Melanie, or perhaps some of the gutsier woman singers from late-'60s West Coast rock bands. While Leonda has an appealing, somewhat raspy voice, her folk-bluesy material (with backup help from members of the Canadian rock band the Paupers) is less impressive. The songs are fairly meandering and not all that tuneful, if good-natured with a vaguely hippie uplifting vibe. Things are better when she moves away from a blues base to a folkier one, as she does with the orchestrated "When I Lived in My Grandmother's House" and the acoustic "Zono My Bird." The album was reissued on CD by Fallout in 2007. AMG.

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V.A. - The Philadelphia International All-Stars - Let's Clean Up The Ghetto 1977

Issued in July 1977 as Let's Clean Up the Ghetto by the Philadelphia International All-Stars, this is one of Philly soul's most socially aware efforts. The album's title track was a coming together of artists signed to Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International Records: Lou Rawls, Billy Paul, Archie Bell, Teddy Pendergrass, Dee Dee Sharp Gamble, and Eddie Levert and Walter Williams of the O'Jays. The compelling track with its "we're on the move'' bassline went to number four R&B, number 91 pop on Billboard's charts in summer 1977. The profits were allotted to a charity program. Even though the rest of the LP consists of various unreleased tracks, the result is consistent. The brassy "The Big Gangster" by the O'Jays got airplay as an album track. Other highlights are the fervent "Now Is the Time to Do It" by Teddy Pendergrass; the buoyant, optimistic "New World Comin'" by Billy Paul' and Archie Bell & the Drells' celebration of seniors, "Old People," produced by Bunny Sigler. The earnest cut is on Beach Music Anthology, Vol. 3 released by Ripete Records on April 11, 2000. ["Let's Clean Up the Ghetto" can be found on the 1996 Wotre CD Mega Funk and Greatest Hits of Philadelphia: 1976-1986 issued by Empire on June 13, 2000.] AMG.

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Space Farm - Space Farm 1972

Space Farm is the name of a trio from New Zealand: Harvey Mann on guitar, Billy Williams on bass and Glen Absolum on drums. Space Farm evolved from another group, the Underdogs, before cutting this album in 1972. Judging from the liner notes, Space Farm thought of themselves as fitting into an introspective yet spacey fold in the music of their time. The cover art certainly conveys this concept.

Alas, while their music features some of these elements, I hesitate to really consider them Prog. Rather, it may be best filed under a mishmash of bluesy-psych-pop with a touch of funk. The song structures are pretty straight forward with little complication (what sparks interest for Prog listeners, in other words). Still, the album has its moments. Mann’s guitar turns out some jangly rags, and there’s a great deal of organ (though no one is credited with this instrument anyplace), which can make for some occasional interesting moments. Not essential by any means, this is something more for the times you’re in the mood for exploring musical tangents.

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Sweet Salvation - Sweet Salvation 1972

Sweet Salvation is another one of those rare albums from the early 1970s that has grown in popularity over the years. Sweet Salvation, a righteous little soul group with a hip early 70s crossover vibe! There’s a mix of gospel, soul, and funk going down here - almost with a rootsy Swamp Dogg style at times, but a bit more put together too - yet thankfully not nearly as slick or polished as some other major label efforts of this nature from the time. We know very little about the group, but they’ve got a feel that would be right at home with the cultural mixing of the Bay Area scene of the early 70s. www.funkmysoul.gr

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Ruby Starr - Ruby Starr & Gey Ghost 1975

Singer Ruby Starr was best-known as a backup singer for '70s macho man rockers Black Oak Arkansas, but also issued several recordings as a solo artist as well. Born Constance Henrietta Mierzwiak in Toledo, OH, in 1949, the future rock singer got her start at the age of nine (performing renditions of Brenda Lee songs) before changing her stage name to Connie Little and forming the Phil Spector-esque Connie & the Blu-Beats. Following stints in such obscure outfits as the Downtowners and the Blue Grange Ramblers (aka BGR), the latter of which mutated into the outfit Ruby Jones (a name that the singer was going by at the time). Signed to Curtis Mayfield's Curtom label, the recording of Ruby Jones' 1971 self-titled was even supervised by Mayfield. Shortly after the album's release, Black Oak Arkansas frontman Jim Dandy spotted Starr singing in an Evansville, IN, club and persuaded her to join his band, as she assumed her best-known stage name Ruby Starr.

Starr toured with the band for several years (appearing on the albums Street Party and Balls of Fire, as well as their lone hit single "Jim Dandy") before leaving the group to form the Ruby Jones Band in 1976, and issuing Scene Stealer the same year. By the dawn of the '80s, Jones/Starr had formed Grey Star, issuing a pair of recordings -- 1981's self-titled debut and 1983's Telephone Sex -- before forming the group Henrietta Kahn in the late '80s. In the '90s, Starr was diagnosed with cancer, eventually passing away at home in Toledo in January of 1995. After her passing, several archival releases that featured Starr were issued, including the live Black Oak Arkansas recording, King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents, and a reissue of Ruby Jones' debut album, retitled as Stone Junkie. AMG.

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Asha Puthli -Asha Puthli 1973

The debut long-player by Indian-born and Euro-bred soul singer Asha Puthli is a wild mix of electric, funky grooves and mystic spaceship R&B. Puthli, who contributed vocals to Ornette Coleman's Skies of America album, and Columbia tried to establish herself as an international pop star with this album. Utilizing her wide range and weird voice and an even stranger choice of material, Puthli came off as some soul singer turned sexy jazz maven who was beating a slick path to the dancefloor with sensibility not unlike Donna Summer's a few years later. This isn't so odd in and of itself, but when you consider her song choices: George Harrison's "I Dig Love," J.J. Cale's "Right Down Here" and "Lies," Jimmy Webb's "This Is Your Life," and Jim Weatherly's "Neither One Of Us Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye," among others, and arrangements and backing that don't even closely resemble the originals, you have one very strange album. The best track is "Lies," which is full of screaming, wailing, yelling, and completely freakazoid echo, compression, and phase shifter effects -- before Giorgio Moroder made them standard on every record. Puthli's jazzed-up rendition of Neil Sedaka's "I Am a Song" that steams over into an anthemic disco romp is a riot. This may be an album of its time, but Puthli is an original as a singer. She's a stylist at the very least, and, at most, a campy genius. AMG.

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Sand - Sand 1973

Produced by Ken Mansfield, this Oregon group mixed two fluid electric guitars with vocal harmonies a la CSN&Y. The musicianship is competent and all their material was original but is not strong enough to retain attention. The album was pressed on two one-sided discs to allow continuous play on an automatic record changer! The band had another album, a private pressing from about the same time.
In the eighties, a couple of the members were in FM-rockers Quarterflash.
SAND - s/t Barnaby Records BRS 15006 [4/73] The album has a gatefold cover picturing a sandwich covered in sand, with 2-one sided LPs (apparently the idea was to put both disks on a stackable turntable and play one after the other:"freeflowing Sand") - just before the 70's energy crisis made the LP expensive to produce. The band was from Portland Oregon, and included Jack Meussdorffer (aka Jack Charles, guitar/vocals), Dan Ross (steel guitar/guitar/vocals), Dan Wilson (guitar/vocals), Rich Gooch (bass/vocals), and Steve Williams (drums). Meussdorffer and Gooch later played in Quarterflash (with the hit "Harden My Heart"). 1973 Oregon band; double-album set is gimmick of two one-sided LPs (equal ... one full LP!); musically good rural/CSNY rock with nice electric guitar. The other side of each record was blank! The idea was that you'd put this on your automatic turntable (slam!) and have an uninterrupted album of music (freeflowing sand - get it?) to listen to!

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Truth And Janey - No Rest For The Wicked 1976

Not to be dismissed because of its underground status, Truth and Janey's only LP, No Rest for the Wicked, was another incredible find for indie record label Monster Records, which has always specialized in digging up long-forgotten American hard rock nuggets from the '70s, but really struck gold this time around. Boasting a swaggering, bluesy grit, piercing twin-harmony licks, and the most righteously ferocious rhythm guitar tone this side of Ted Nugent, opener "Down the Road I Go" instantly establishes the band's '70s hard rock aesthetic whose roots, not surprisingly, lie in English giants like Cream, Jeff Beck, and even more so in Rory Gallagher's Taste, on this particular track. The powerful influence of these '60s guitar heroes can also be heard in Truth and Janey's revved-up blues covers (Willie Dixon's "I'm Ready" and Mississippi John Hurt's "Ain't No Tellin'") and groove-driven originals ("The Light"), while a slightly more distinctive voice emerges in truly memorable, half-electric/half-acoustic creations like "It's All Above Us" and the title track (showcasing frantic sprints between six-stringer Billy Janey and powerhouse drummer Denis Bunce). And this being the '70s, there was bound to be a progressive-sized epic on hand, and it's pleasant to discover that No Rest for the Wicked's entry -- a nine-minute opus called "Remember" -- is no throwaway. Quite the opposite, as it offers at least four or five contrasting passages that range from delicate melodies accompanied by equally timid falsettos, to dexterously improvised jazz-rock breaks, to orchestrated battalions of ascending hard rock power chords, climaxing intermittently in sterling guitar histrionics. (Followers of overlooked Welsh trio Budgie and Canadian legends Rush alike take heed of this, and also the familiar, Alex Lifeson/Rush "By-Tor and the Snow Dog" effects on "My Mind.") Bassist Steven Bock, the last bandmember not yet named, was no slouch himself, not only producing all of these tracks, but sharing duo and solo lead vocals with Janey to give most of these tracks yet another Cream-descended flavor. Sure, Truth and Janey depend pretty heavily on dual guitar harmonies for a one-guitar power trio, but that's just wasteful nit-picking for a band so long departed, and whose overlooked gem of an album still sounds so amazingly vital and engaging today. [No Rest for the Wicked's long-awaited CD issue covered all bases by adding all four tracks Truth and Janey released as singles in the early '70s; including significantly less focused blues rockers of their own design, and a rather unique, boogie charged rendition of the Rolling Stones' "Under My Thumb."] AMG.

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Serge Gainsbourg - L'homme à tête de chou 1976

Even tolerant music fans shudder inwardly at the mention of the concept album, a largely prog rock genre that spawned many of the greatest aesthetic indiscretions of the '70s. L'Homme à Tête de Chou (The Man with the Cabbage Head) is a concept album and shares some of prog's general characteristics, but it's unlike anything emanating from rock's beardy depths. In the spirit of his 1971 masterpiece Histoire de Melody Nelson, Gainsbourg sets this album's brief tale amid a widescreen musical canvas. Whereas Melody Nelson was provocative without being explicit, the gravel-voiced Gallic lecher goes X-rated here -- albeit without sacrificing his poetic élan. In this morbidly comic song cycle the narrator's muse is Marilou, a black shampoo girl: during their ill-fated fling, he descends into unhinged obsession, beats her to death with a fire extinguisher and ends up in a psychiatric hospital (convinced his head has turned into a cabbage). Although the title track retains something of Melody Nelson's cool Baroque pop gravitas, Chou doesn't replicate that earlier record's alternately brooding and soaring melodic grandeur. Instead, it draws on an adventurously varied palette, spanning rock, country, disco, jazz, reggae, and funk. In places, the shifting styles match the different images or situations that Gainsbourg presents, sometimes without concern for subtlety: "Marilou Reggae" finds Marilou grooving to Caribbean sounds, while tribal rhythms on "Transit à Marilou" heavy-handedly signify her exotic sexuality. The songs are most satisfying when the relationship between lyrics and music is less literal, more evocative -- especially "Lunatic Asylum," where tympani, didgeridoo-like drones, dramatic organ, and insistent percussion soundtrack the protagonist's insanity. Elsewhere, subject matter and sound are divorced completely, the cheery funk of "Ma Lou Marilou" contrasting with the narrator's murderous thoughts. L'Homme à Tête de Chou is an underrated Gainsbourg album. Notwithstanding some dubious synth coloring, it's his second-best '70s release, ranking among his finest recordings. AMG.

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The Doors - Absolutely Live 1970

While this double disc (later combined with Alive, She Cried and Live at the Hollywood Bowl for CD release under the title In Concert) is valuable in that it contains material the Doors didn't release on their studio albums, it's also tilted toward some of their more boorish aspects. Recorded at concerts in 1969 and 1970, this was an era in which Jim Morrison was becoming increasingly dissolute and increasingly disinterested in the whole rock machine. During much of this set, he seems not to be taking himself or the songs too seriously, tossing flippant asides to the audience that seem to treat the whole exercise as a charade. As for the music, the haunting "Universal Mind" and the basic blues-rocker "Build Me a Woman" are originals that are not found on their proper albums; "Close to You" is a dull Muddy Waters cover sung by Ray Manzarek; "Who Do You Love" is a fair cover of the Bo Diddley standard; and the controversial "The Celebration of the Lizard" is a drawn-out opus that is as much poetry recitation as music. There are also extended versions of "Soul Kitchen," "Break On Through," and "When the Music's Over" that flag considerably in comparison to the sleeker studio versions. AMG.

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