Nicky Hopkins - The Tin Man Was A Dreamer 1973

Nicky Hopkins' finest solo album, the memorably titled The Tin Man Was A Dreamer is a solid piece of engagingly edgy pop-rock -- picture Elton John's early '70s work with more variety, a few rough edges, and a bit less ego. As one would expect, Hopkins' piano playing (augmented by the organ in spots) dominates most of the songs, but there's ample room for strong contributions from George Harrison (working as "George O'Hara") on lead and slide guitar on four of the tracks, and Mick Taylor on lead and acoustic guitars on four tracks; the rest of the band includes Klaus Voormann on bass and Bobby Keys on sax, as well as future Tubes alumnus Prairie Prince on drums. Highlights include the hauntingly beautiful ballad "Dolly", the closest thing to a potential hit on this album, featuring a moving vocal performance by Hopkins (who wasn't known as a singer), with a beautifully understated lead guitar contribution by Taylor; the instrumental "Edward", featuring Hopkins' piano and organ rippling across a wide range of musical textures; the pounding, pumping rocker "Speed On", which offers Hopkins and his songwriting partner Jerry Williams on vocals; the wittily scatalogoical "Banana Anna"; "Lawyer's Lament", with its exquisite harmonies and Taylor's sensitive lead playing; and the rollicking "Pig's Boogie", which crosses paths with the work of Merrill Moore and Jerry Lee Lewis. This isn't a perfect album, lacking the pronounced pop hooks of, say, Elton John's work of the same period, to put it across to the public, or the personality flash to go with the virtuosity to make Hopkins into a star, but it is a very worthwhile foray into center-stage by one of rock's most renowned side- and session men. Reissued on CD by Sony Music in Japan in the 1990's. AMG.

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Ian Hunter - You’re Never Alone With a Schizophrenic 1979

This classic album from 1979 is considered by many to be the high point of Ian Hunter's solo career. Although its sales never matched up to the enthusiastic critical reaction it received, this polished hard rock gem has held up nicely through the years and is definitely deserving of its strong cult reputation. You're Never Alone with a Schizophrenic also marked the reunion of Hunter with his finest creative ally, Mick Ronson, who had been forced to sit out of Hunter's last few albums due to management problems. Together, the reunited duo put together an album that matches Hunter's literate lyrics to a set of catchy, finely crafted tunes brimming with rock & roll energy. Two of the finest tracks are "Cleveland Rocks," an affectionate, Mott the Hoople-styled tribute to an unsung rock & roll city that later became the theme for The Drew Carey Show, and "Ships," a heartrending ballad built on a spooky and ethereal keyboard-driven melody that was later covered with great success by Barry Manilow. Elsewhere, the album features plenty of tunes that soon became mainstays of Hunter's live show: "Just Another Night" is a rollicking rocker with an infectious, piano-pounding melody reminiscent of 1970s-era Rolling Stones, and "Bastard" is a pulsating rocker that features guest star John Cale contributing to its ominous hard rock atmosphere. However, the unsung gem of the album is "When the Daylight Comes," a beautifully crafted mid-tempo rocker that balances a soulful, organ-driven melody with rousing guitar riffs and surprisingly vulnerable lyrics about romance. It should also be noted that You're Never Alone with a Schizophrenic benefits from a sterling mix by Bob Clearmountain, who gives the sound a muscular quality that makes it leap out of the stereo speakers. In the end, You're Never Alone with a Schizophrenic is not only Ian Hunter's finest and most consistent album but one of the true gems of late-'70s rock & roll. AMG.

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Rainman - Rainman 1970

Originally released only in Holland, this is the first CD reissue of the superb 1970 solo LP from the lead guitarist of legendary Dutch blues / psych-rockers Q65. A moody blend of folk, pop, and psychedelia, with some blazing guitar leads, the album also features his Q65 bandmate Jay Baar, as well as Dick Beekman (Cuby & the Blizzards), Francois Content (Swinging Soul Machine) and other leading Dutch musicians on flute, vibes, congas and other instruments. It's presented here complete with an ultra-rare bonus track taken from his sole, non-LP 45, making it an essential purchase for all fans of acid-tinged singer-songwriting.

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A Tint of Darkness - A Tint of Darkness 1978

American soul/funk act from the Bay Area, California. Active in the 1970s and early 1980s. 

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Garolou - Lougarou 1976

Garolou was a pan-Eastern Canadian group with members from Ontario through to the Maritimes. Its origins could be traced to Franco-Ontarian brothers Marc and Michel Lalonde who were living in Prince Edward Island in 1974 and part of a theatre troupe. Their musical career began humbly as a folk duo, but their interests and their popularity resulted in expansion to a full rock ensemble including keyboards, bass, and drums, performing revved up and re-interpreted folk songs with plenty of progressive flourishes, Canada's answer to Steeleye Span if you will. The group was ultimately based in Quebec, partly because a studio in the Laurentian Mountains was kind enough to provide free time to produce their first recording, even without any label signing, which eventually came. Their history is a turbulent one. While personnel changes were frequent and almost de rigueur for the communal lifestyles of the period, Garolou survived the indignity of a name change from their original Lougarou moniker, resulting of a threatened lawsuit from a folk dance troupe with a very similar name. The original name is a contraction of the French word for werewolf, while Garolou is a play on words at several levels, perhaps at least one being a slight at the dance troupe. One interpretation is "Beware the Wolf", while another is "Boy of the Wolf".

Their first two albums, Lougarou (1976) and Garolou (1978) are regarded as their best and sold well. The 80s brought forth Romanceros (1980), which received critical acclaim, and Centre-ville (1982), but by then the golden era of Quebecois folk had withered, and the group called it a day in 1983. In 1993 the band re-united and has performed on and off since then. Rekindled interest resulted in re-releases of the four albums packaged as 2 two-fers, a live album, and a 1999 studio recording, all testament to the band's enduring appeal.

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Quiver - Gone In the morning 1972

Gone in the Morning is Quiver's follow-up to their self-titled debut, which was somewhat successful in the U.K., but invisible on American shores, as was this disc. It wasn't until three of the members hooked up with the Sutherland Brothers that the band got any recognition stateside. Cal Batchelor's contributions are what differentiate this group from the band that merged with Iain Sutherland and his brother Gavin, Batchelor having written or co-written eight of the nine tracks here. Tim Renwick's "Green Tree" is more laid-back and the only title not written by or with Batchelor. Renwick played the recorder on Jackie Lomax's Apple releases, and was a member of Junior's Eyes, and musically this Chris Thomas production sets the stage for what the three minstrels who carried the name on would do in the future. There's a nice George Harrison guitar riff that begins the solo on "Love/No Boundaries," and the pop of that song works better than the pseudo-country which keeps seeping through, as on "I Might Stumble." The title track, "Gone in the Morning," is not a bad song, but at nine minutes, it descends into a jam before it re-emerges and concludes -- and that is perhaps the downside with Quiver and this record. There is more focus on riffs and pedestrian jamming than musical experimentation, and a song like "Fung-Kee Laundry," all 55 seconds of it, is a succinct and prime example of what transpires in the middle of the title track. "She's a Lady" is a weird combination of country/reggae/blues. It's competent, well-played, and well-produced, but goes nowhere. The real magic is when the worlds of Quiver and the Sutherland Brothers collide, and this excellent group gets to perform on some meaty material. Or maybe this quartet didn't translate well to record, the Warner Brothers hype around Quiver was that they were "one of England's best-loved live groups" -- which begs the question, why not a live album to launch them? "Don't Let Go" is the most musical and exciting piece on this disc; eerie guitars and vocals conclude the record with some promise. Cal Batchelor was from British Columbia, which might explain the heavy American music styles that permeate this British group; indeed, some of the material sounds like the Canadian offshoot of the Guess Who that was Brave Belt. Gone in the Morning is an interesting artifact, but the end result is a competent disc that doesn't beg repeated listening. Roger Daltrey sang "It's the singer, not the song," and this album proves him wrong. It's definitely the song that matters. AMG.

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The Art Ensemble of Chicago - Certain Blacks 1970

A classic, with spicy and frenetic solos one moment, comic overtones, and clever melodies and rhythms the next. The Art Ensemble at this point were becoming stars overseas, and finding the going increasingly tougher in America. It's outside or avant-garde jazz with soul, heart, and funk. AMG.

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Dave Mason - Alone Together 1970

Dave Mason's first solo album was one of several recordings to come out of the Leon Russell/Delaney & Bonnie axis in 1970. (Other notables included Eric Clapton's solo debut and Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs & Englishmen.) Alone Together contains an excellent batch of melodically pleasing songs, built on a fat bed of strumming acoustic guitars with tasteful electric guitar accents and leads. Mason's vocals are embellished with harmonies from Rita Coolidge, Claudia Lennear, and Delaney & Bonnie. Besides the well-known semi-hit "Only You Know and I Know," and which was also a number 20 hit for Delaney & Bonnie, highlights include the bouncy gospel-inflected "Waitin' on You" and the banjo-bejeweled "Just a Song." "Look at You Look at Me" and the wonderfully wah-wahed "Shouldn't Have Took More Than You Gave" are reminiscent of Mason's former band, Traffic, whose drummer, Jim Capaldi is among the all-star cast assembled here. Alone Together represents Dave Mason at his peak. Later releases would betray lyrical shallowness, forced rhymes, and clichéd guitar licks. But here, everything comes together perfectly. The original vinyl release of Alone Together was also noteworthy for the marble grain of the record itself -- as the record played on the turntable, the tone arm appeared to be floating through the clouds. AMG.

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Procol Harum - Home 1970

The group's hardest-rocking classic album is, beyond some superb vocalizing by Gary Brooker, principally a showcase for Robin Trower's high-powered guitar and a rock-hard rhythm section, with B.J. Wilson only a little less animated than Ginger Baker on some of the music. Procol Harum had a split personality by this time, the band juxtaposing straight-ahead rock & roll numbers like "Still There'll Be More" and the Elvis Presley-influenced "Whisky Train" with darker, more dramatic pieces like "Nothing That I Didn't Know" and "Barnyard Story." Chris Copping doubles on organ, replacing Matthew Fisher, but the overall sound is that of a leaner Procol Harum, all except for the ambitious "Whaling Stories" -- even it was a compromise that nearly worked, showcasing Trower's larger-than-life guitar sound (coming off here like King Crimson's Robert Fripp in one of his heavier moments) within a somewhat pretentious art rock concept. It shows the strains within their lineup that the producers chose the lighter, more obviously accessible "Your Own Choice" -- on which Gary Brooker's piano is the lead instrument -- to end the album after "Whaling Stories"' pyrotechnic finish. [Home has appeared several times on CD, in a poor-sounding edition from A&M ages ago, on a rather better-sounding Mobile Fidelity edition in the late '80s, and at the opening of the new century in a Remastered Edition from Europe's Westside label that not only features significantly increased clarity on all of the instruments, but also detailed annotation and the presence of nine bonus tracks from the same sessions, mostly rock & roll warm-ups and early takes of the finished material. And in 2015, Esoteric Recordings reissued Home in a Remastered and Expanded Edition featuring the U.S. single edit of "Whisky Train" as a bonus track. Esoteric also released a two-CD Deluxe Remastered & Expanded Edition of the album that year, featuring 11 bonus tracks including remixes, alternate takes, a previously unreleased BBC session track from 1970, and more; fully restored artwork; and new liner notes by Henry Scott-Irvine.] AMG.

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David Clayton-Thomas - David Clayton-Thomas 1973

By the early '70s, Canadian David Clayton-Thomas had decided that enough was enough and split with Blood, Sweat & Tears to go the solo route with 1972's David Clayton-Thomas. Aided and abetted by wide ranges of studio help, including some of his former bandmates, much of what lies within these grooves sounds very much like his old band. It includes "Magnificent Sanctuary Band" and "Sing a Song," and with it sounding so similar to BS&T, one might wonder why Thomas chose the solo route, but by doing so, he is in charge and doesn't have to rely on others to choose which songs he sings. A competent addition to the big-band rock sound so popular in the early and mid-'70s. AMG.

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Ashman Reynolds - Stop Off 1972

Vocal duo of Aliki Ashman and Harry Reynolds aka Jack Reynolds (7) who was also briefly involved in the Silver Metre band of Leigh Stephens for whom Ashman also guested on his 2nd solo LP. Ashman Reynolds performed two sets for the BBC in July 1972 (viz. Johnnie Walkers Lunchtime Show broadcast the 3rd and a John Peel Session broadcast the 14th). Further members of Ashman Reynolds are: Bob Weston (electric guitar, steel guitar), Keith Boyce (drums), Mickey Keen (electric guitar, acoustic guitar), Rod Edwards (piano, organ, harmonium, vocals, acoustic guitar). Additional vocals were provided by session singers Madeline Bell and Liza Strike.

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Black Artists Group - In Paris, Aries 1973

BAG's neighborhood roots ran deep in the city's Black community: Lake and trumpeters Lester Bowie and LeFlore all studied together in the Sumner High School's jazz program. They continued their jazz education at Lincoln University alongside Hemphill. All played music in clubs, churches, and auditoriums in St. Louis throughout the '60s. The musicians collectively experienced frustration with the lack of performance or recording opportunities due to racism. They were also in deep dialogue with Black actors who had been marginalized in the theater. These two groups began collaborating on artistic productions around the Laclede Town housing development, as well as the Berea Church.

The group of collaborating players and actors found creative and organizational inspiration in Chicago's Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians -- Lester Bowie became a member of AACM when he joined the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Together, these groups co-founded the Black Artists Group, unique for its interdisciplinary collaboration and inclusion; the founders recruited artists from dance, visual arts, and creative writing.

In 1968, "The Black Artists Group, Inc." was incorporated as a nonprofit organization. Their administrators wrote grant proposals and received funding from both the Danforth and Rockefeller Foundations. In July 1969, the group leased a building at 2665 Washington Blvd. for the annual rent of one dollar. There they held workshops, classes, readings, dance, and theater rehearsals, and offered studio space to visual artists. This lasted for three years before many of the BAG's members (particularly but not exclusively musicians) relocated to Paris and other cities in Europe where, as the Art Ensemble revealed in 1968, American musicians were welcome. While touring, BAG recorded a concert and privately released it as In Paris, Aries 1973, their only album. They formally dissolved in 1973. Lake, Hemphill, and Bluiett formed the African Continuum, an outgrowth of BAG, in the years before they joined David Murray and formed the World Saxophone Quartet.

Many BAG artists relocated to New York and Europe during the '70s. The African Continuum organized the famed 1971 multimedia concert "Images: Sons/Ancestors" at Powell Symphony Hall -- it was delayed by a bomb threat. In 1971, Bobo Shaw, Luther Thomas, and saxophonist Jack Marshall founded the Human Arts Ensemble, an internationally celebrated musical collective that was in near constant in dialogue with BAG and AACM, and hosted many BAG musicians including both Bowies, Parran, Hemphill, Lake, Carroll, and Bluiett, as well as saxophonist Marty Ehrlich, bassist John Lindberg, and percussionist Gene Lake -- who made his recording debut at age six on HAE's debut album Whisper of Dharma.

In 2020, director Brian De Matteis unearthed the 49-minute documentary Black Artists' Group: Creation Equals Movement. It was shown on PBS and at film festivals globally. In September 2024, French indie label Wewantsounds released For Peace and Liberty, In Paris Dec 1972. BAG's second album -- and first in more than a half-century -- offers a performance (long thought lost) recorded in optimal conditions at Maison de l'ORTF (a French state radio). The tapes were unearthed from the vaults of INA (Institut National de l’Audiovisuel). The 35-minute set mixes free improvisation with spiritual jazz and funk. Released by BAG and INA, the sound was remastered from the original tapes. The package offers a 20-page booklet featuring notes from Lake, Joseph Bowie, Carroll and Bobo Shaw's and LeFlore's daughters; extensive liner notes by BAG scholar Benjamin Looker, and previously unseen photos by cult French photographer Philippe Gras. AMG.

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Sammy - Sammy 1972

It's doubtful many folks have ever heard the British band Sammy - I certainly hadn't which was kind of surprising given the band's impressive pedigree.   Drummer Mick Underwood was apparently the band's driving force, with the lineup rounded out by a collection of rock veterans including ex-Audience horn and woodwinds player Keith Gemmell, ex-Billy J. Kramer keyboardist Mick Hodgkinson, former Ginhouse guitarist Geoff Sharkey, and ex-Roy Young Band bassist Paul Simmons. Signed by Philips, the band debuted with a 1972 45 'Goo Ger Woogie' b/w 'Big Lovin' Woman' (Philips c.  While the single did little commercially, it attracted enough interest and attention for Philips management to green light an album.

Co-produced by Louie Austin and Deep Purple's Ian Gillan (not Jon Lord) and the front cover artwork was done by Philip Castle who was the man who did the artwork for the film Clockwork Orange. 1973's "Sammy" offered up a competent, if slightly worn set of mid-1970s hard rock.  

Largely penned by Sharkey and Simmons, lyrically and musically there wasn't a lot of originality going on here (kind of like the album cover) - Gemmell's sax adding occasional jazz-influenced runs to the band's blues and rock-oriented sound.  As lead singer Sharkey wasn't bad; his raw raspy voice sounded surprisingly good on tracks like 'Give Me More', their unlikely cover of 'I Ain't Never Loved a Woman (The Way That I Love You)', and 'Get Into a New Thing'.  Imagine Uriah Heep-lite with the saxes, a little more boogie and variety ('Who Do You Really Love') and you'll be in the right aural neighborhood.  

The band was actually far more impressive on their isolated stabs at more-pop oriented material like 'Sioux-Eyed Lady' and 'Jo Anne'.  Elsewhere the album spun off a UK single in the form of 'Sioux-Eyed Lady' b/w '70 Days'.  Brainless fun, it's actually not a bad effort, especially if you approach it with the right mindset. therockasteria.

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Harold Ousley - The Kid 1972

Although Harold Ousley is not a big name in the jazz world and has only recorded sporadically as a leader, the hard bop/soul-jazz musician has backed some major jazz artists over the years. Ousley (who is primarily a tenor saxophonist but has played the flute as a second instrument) was born in Chicago on January 23, 1929, and grew up in the Windy City, where he began playing professionally in the late '40s. Backing vocalists is one of his strengths -- he was playing with Billie Holiday at one point, and the late '50s found him backing fellow Chicago native Dinah Washington. Ousley also played with Gene Ammons (another Chicagoan) in the '50s, and in the '60s he was employed as a sideman on albums by Jack McDuff and George Benson. It was also during the '60s that Ousley started recording as a leader; Tenor Sax came out on Bethlehem in 1961, and he recorded some albums for Muse in the '70s (a decade that found him playing in the bands of Lionel Hampton and Count Basie). But when the CD era arrived in the late '80s, none of Ousley's albums were still in print. Ousley had just turned 71 when, in January 2000, he finally returned to the studio as a leader and recorded Grit-Gittin' Feelin' for Delmark. AMG.

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Gallagher & Lyle - Seeds 1973

Gallagher & Lyle beef up their folk-based sound from previous albums on this recording produced by Glyn Johns. The duo adds several uptempo cuts in a more rock-oriented vein, using saxophone on the opening and most rock-oriented cut, "Country Morning." Harmonicas add energy to the second song, the uptempo "A Misspent Youth," one of several songs with a social edge. Both Gallagher and Lyle have thin voices, but on songs that have an edge of melancholy, such as "Remember Then," and "The Clearings," (two of the outstanding tracks) the voice quality lends itself to good effect. Although many songs on the album deal with regret or loss, several tip the balance in favor of upbeat moods and feelings. Also, melodies and arrangements are strong throughout the album. Side One is particularly effective, with each song having a particular mood. Although Gallagher & Lyle headed more into mainstream rock production values with their next effort, this transitional effort is their best album overall. AMG.

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