Mink DeVille - Cabretta 1977

Although a product of the New York punk scene, at heart Mink DeVille were a soul band with roots in R&B, the blues, and even Cajun music. The group was a showcase for frontman Willy DeVille (born William Boray in 1953), a native New Yorker who in 1971 traveled to London to form a band; unable to find compatible musicians, he worked as a solo performer before returning to the U.S. and settling in San Francisco, where he founded the first incarnation of Mink DeVille in 1974 with bassist Ruben Siguenza and drummer Tom "Manfred" Allen. After playing in Bay Area leather bars and lounges under a variety of names including Billy DeSade & the Marquis and the Lazy Eights, the trio read a music magazine feature spotlighting the Ramones; duly inspired, Mink DeVille relocated to New York, where they recruited guitarist Louie X. Erlanger. After debuting with three tracks on the Live at CBGB's compilation, the band entered the studio with legendary producer Jack Nitzsche and surfaced in 1977 with Cabretta, an energetic, soulful outing highlighted by "Spanish Stroll," a Top 20 hit in the U.K. After recording 1978's Return to Magenta, Willy DeVille dismissed his bandmates (save for Erlanger) and moved to Paris to record Le Chat Bleu, a record steeped in traditional French-Cajun romantic ballads -- complete with accordion backing -- and recorded with session luminaries including bassist Jerry Scheff, saxophonist Teenage Steve Douglas, and drummer Ron Tutt. Dismayed with the results, the group's label, Capitol, delayed its American release for over a year, prompting Mink DeVille to jump to Atlantic for 1981's Coup de Grace. By 1983's Where Angels Fear to Tread, Willy DeVille was the sole remaining founding member; after the release of 1985's Sportin' Life, he finally jettisoned the Mink DeVille name to continue working as a solo performer. Among his later recordings, the most successful was 1986's Mark Knopfler-produced Miracle; the single "Storybook Love" was later nominated for an Academy Award after it appeared in the film The Princess Bride. Willy DeVille died of pancreatic cancer in August 2009 at 58 years of age.AMG.

listen here

The Chambers Brothers - Now 1966

This nine-song, 41-minute album, originally released on the Vault label, was recorded live at performances at the Unicorn in Boston and the Ash Grove in Los Angeles. The shows, from 1965, pre-dated the Chambers Brothers' signing to Columbia by more than a year, and capture the group just coming up as a major discotheque attraction, still retaining elements of their gospel roots on songs such as "Baby Don't Cry" and even "High Heel Sneakers." The set includes a some basic rock & roll, "Long Tall Sally" and "Bonie Maronie," both highly animated in the playing as well as the singing, and stirring despite some moments of sloppiness, such as wrong notes, etc., but there's also some slow blues ("It's Groovin' Time," "C.C. Rider") present, which gives the group a chance to stretch out. The closing number, "So Fine," is about as perfect a song as the group generated during the early part of their history, showcasing their fine harmony singing, bluesy guitar work, and a rock steady beat in a performance that soars and surges for six solid minutes. This is one of the better-sounding live rock or soul documents of its period, captured in decent fidelity right down to the twisting guitar part in "Long Tall Sally" and about half of the vocals up fairly close as well. The band's sound is divided between the two channels, drums one on side, bass on the other, and the voices split between the two. The One Way Records reissue has no extra notes or bonus tracks, but does feature excellent sound which, coupled with a low price, makes it almost irresistible. AMG.

listen here

Nina Simone - I Put A Spell On You 1965

One of her most pop-oriented albums, but also one of her best and most consistent. Most of the songs feature dramatic, swinging large-band orchestration, with the accent on the brass and strings. Simone didn't write any of the material, turning to popular European songsmiths Charles Aznavour, Jacques Brel, and Anthony Newley, as well as her husband, Andy Stroud, and her guitarist, Rudy Stevenson, for bluesier fare. There are really fine tunes and interpretations, on which Simone gives an edge to the potentially fey pop songs, taking a sudden (but not uncharacteristic) break for a straight jazz instrumental with "Blues on Purpose." The title track, a jazzy string ballad version of the Screamin' Jay Hawkins classic, gave the Beatles the inspiration for the phrasing on the bridge of "Michelle." AMG.
 

listen here

Jefferson Starship - Spitfire 1976

Spitfire was Jefferson Starship's 1976 follow-up to the chart-topping Red Octopus (1975), and it found the band in a cooperative mood. All seven bandmembers earned writing credits on at least one of the nine songs, along with eight outsiders, and even drummer John Barbata got a lead vocal on the simple rock & roll song "Big City." But the three main power centers in the group remained in place. Singer/guitarist Paul Kantner continued to turn out his lengthy, complex songs with their exhortatory, vaguely political lyrics (the five-minute "Dance with the Dragon" and the seven-minute "Song to the Sun: Ozymandias/Don't Let It Rain"). Singer Grace Slick contributed her own idiosyncratic compositions, simultaneously elliptical and passionately stated ("Hot Water" and "Switchblade"). And singer Marty Balin, whose romantic ballad "Miracles" had fueled the success of Red Octopus, wrote (or located) and sang more songs of love and pleasure ("Cruisin'," "St. Charles," "With Your Love," and "Love Lovely Love"). Weaving the three styles together were the fluid lead guitar work of Craig Chaquico and the alternating bass and keyboard playing of David Freiberg and Pete Sears. The result was an album that quickly scaled the charts, spending six consecutive weeks at number three in Billboard and going platinum. That it didn't do better on the band's considerable career momentum can be put down to the relatively disappointing nature of the material. There was no "Miracles" on the album, to begin with. Grunt Records released the more modest "With Your Love" as a single and got it into the Top 20, but the closest thing to "Miracles" was really "St. Charles," a song that certainly had some of the same elements but lacked the kind of direct emotional statement that made "Miracles" a classic. Similarly, "Dance with the Dragon" was no "Ride the Tiger" (from Dragon Fly [1974]), and while "Switchblade" was an unusually clear statement of romantic intent from Slick (whose "lyrical wordplay is...not easily accessible yet compelling and thought-provoking," as 2004 reissue annotator Jeff Tamarkin generously says of "Hot Water"), its provocative title made it an unlikely choice for an adult contemporary hit. Spitfire was more than the sum of its parts, boasting the sort of vocal interplay and instrumental virtuosity that had always been the hallmarks of Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship. If the band had taken more time to write and find better songs, it might have matched the sales and quality of its predecessor. AMG.
listen here

The Moving Sidewalks - Flash 1968

The sole album by the Moving Sidewalks is as fascinating as it is unremarkable. As the birthing ground for legendary blues-rock guitarist Billy Gibbons, one would expect at least a taste of what would later make ZZ Top one of the best touring and recording bands on the planet; sadly, the album offers little in the way of revelation in its 15 tracks. Admittedly, at the time of ZZ Top's 1970 debut, Gibbons' transformation from a journeyman bandleader into a boogie-blues demigod was still not fully realized, but his chops were miles away from what is heard here. Part of that lies in the fact that ZZ Top was less about psychedelia than straight blues; whatever psychedelic touches made their way onto the studio albums were largely an accessory. (They would eventually fully integrate on 1979's Deguello.) The Moving Sidewalks, on the other hand, were psychedelic rockers whose songs hinted at the blues without fully diving in. The songs show little of Gibbons' future promise, and in fact are so thoroughly mediocre (both in writing and playing) that it's amazing to think he was only a few years away from international success. "Pluto-Sept. 31st" shows a clear Hendrix influence (the two guitarists openly admired each other), and as a bonus, Akarma's reissue includes five bonus singles that are some of the strongest material on the album, especially "Need Me," "I Want to Hold Your Hand," and the legendary single "99th Floor." AMG.

listen here

The Third Power - Believe 1970

The Third Power were part of the same Detroit high-energy rock scene as the MC5, the Stooges, SRC, and the Frost, but they never achieved the same recognition as many of their peers that were regularly gigging at the Grande Ballroom in the late 1960s, especially outside of their home stage. Believe, the group's only album, reveals more than a few stylistic debts to Cream, especially in the tight, thoughtful interplay of the three musicians and the clear, strong vocals of singer and guitarist Drew Abbott, which bear a certain resemblance to Jack Bruce's style. But the Third Power's songs were less firmly rooted in the blues and lean further into psychedelia and hard rock, while Jim Craig's muscular drumming is less obsessively busy than Ginger Baker's percussive barrage. On songs like "Persecution," "Getting' Together," and "Love Me, Love Me," the Third Power hit hard and strong enough to sound like a potent Detroit rock outfit of the day, but there are enough numbers like "Lost in a Daydream" and "Crystalline Chandelier" to document the group's more languid side, and while legend has it the Third Power were dropped by Vanguard Records shortly after Believe was released because the label thought they were too heavy for them, listening to this back to back with the first two albums by the Frost (fellow Michiganians who also recorded for Vanguard) makes that story pretty hard to swallow. The Third Power had a way with a melody that's impressive for an amped-up power trio of the day, and Abbott's guitar heroics are solid throughout (he later put his talents to more profitable use as a longtime member of Bob Seger's Silver Bullet Band), as is Craig's drumming and Jem Targal's bass work. But the production doesn't always work to the music's advantage (especially the fascination with panning, not uncommon for the era), and Believe could stand to rock harder. Despite it all, this album and the band that made it certainly deserved better than the fate they received, and with a bit more experience in the studio, the Third Power could have made a follow-up that better captured the fabled strength they were said to have on-stage. AMG.

listen here

Joe Tex - The Love You Save 1966

Joe Tex was at the top of his game as the down-home philosopher of Southern soul when he cut The Love You Save, one of three (!) albums Tex would release in 1966. Tex's warm and passionate tenor is in superb form on these tunes, and his songs, which offer plenty of advice on keeping your relationship in good shape (" "Build Your Love (On a Solid Foundation)"), keeping up with the Joneses ("Funny Bone"), understanding what you want out of life (" "I'm a Man"), and various other topics of importance, are solid, funny, and bear the sing of truth. Buddy Killen's production is the perfect marriage of deep South vibe and East coast polish, and all 12 songs hit the bullseye (including an idiosyncratic but beautifully executed cover of "Heartbreak Hotel." Great stuff that any fan of Southern soul should have on their want list. AMG.

listen here

The Novells - That Did It! 1968

"Discovered by recording artist, producer and arranger H.B. Barnum and signed to his Mothers Records label in 1968, The Novells, an LA-based outfit, managed to release That Did It! and a couple of singles before calling it a day a year later. Barnum, whose arrangement credits included work for Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Etta James, The Supremes, The Temptations and Aretha Franklin, had clearly taken on more than he could chew with The Novells whose album, That Did It! was a nice blend of pop melodies and heavier rock -- not Barnum's thing at all, although he did manage to convince the band to do a cover of Otis Redding's 'Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay. There's also some tasty fuzz guitar on tracks such as 'Love' (a Lee Michaels cover) but the band seemed unable to decide on exactly what their musical identity was, as they were a passable pop group as well as a serious rock band and evidence of their ability to be both is found here in ample supply. This is a surprisingly good, with varied styles, thought worthy of investigation." therockasteria.
 

listen here

Frankie Miller - Frankie Miller's High Life 1974

This is the second album by Scottish R&B vocalist Frankie Miller, this time recorded in Atlanta. The album is a nice mix of songs, half of which were self-penned. A note of interest: Miller's version of "Play Something Sweet" was released a year before Three Dog Night had their hit with the same song. AMG.

listen here

Arlo Guthrie - Running Down The Road 1969

Although this album's "Coming in to Los Angeles" crossed Guthrie over and into the rock underground, especially via its performance at Woodstock, most of his third record is actually far more laid-back country-rock. Very much a production of its time, in a slightly negative sense, Running Down the Road features Guthrie employing the cream of L.A.'s top country-rock players as session men: Ry Cooder, James Burton, Clarence White, Jim Gordon, Gene Parsons, Jerry Scheff, and Chris Etheridge. The tone is good-natured and easygoing -- too good-natured and easygoing sometimes, in fact, as on the unexciting cover of "Stealin'." Guthrie acknowledges his folk roots with covers of tunes by his father Woody Guthrie ("Oklahoma Hills"), Pete Seeger ("Living in the Country"), and Mississippi John Hurt. These are surrounded by originals that follow the Dylan "back to basics" mold of the late '60s, both in musical and lyrical concerns ("My Front Pages" might even be taken as a gentle Dylan satire). As such, much of the record is inoffensive but inconsequential, although the drug smuggling ode "Coming into Los Angeles" adds a touch of much-needed urgency. The title track is entirely uncharacteristic of the album, with its harsh blasts of distorted psychedelic guitar and tough, walking-blues stance -- for these reasons, it's a standout. AMG.

listen here

Bobby Taylor - Taylor Made Soul 1969

A San Francisco nightclub launched one of the most exciting bands to come out the Northwest. Tommy Chong and Bobby Taylor formed Four N*ggers & a Ch*nk from Little Daddy & the Bachelors, who originated from the Shades, a Calgary/Edmonton-based group. Little Daddy & the Bachelors recorded a couple singles, including "Too Much Monkey Business" out of Vancouver, British Columbia. The offensive name killed the fan base that Little Daddy & the Bachelors had built. It's unclear whether Bobby Taylor was a member of the Bachelors -- Tommy Milton, Donald Mallory, Chong, and Wes Henderson -- but he was with the latter group who changed their name weekly around the same theme: Four Coloured Fellas and a Chinese Lad...Four N's and a C, before settling on Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers. The original Vancouvers, in addition to Chong and Taylor, were Wes Henderson (guitar), Robbie King (keyboards), Ted Lewis (drums), and Eddie Patterson (bass).

They rebuilt their fan base by doing spirited, rockish versions of Motown hits. Jimi Hendrix played with them at one point for a year (prior to his stint with the Isley Brothers), mainly at Seattle's Black and Tan Club, but was fired because his solos were too long and loud. Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard heard the band when they played at Chong and Taylor's after-hours joint, the Elegant Parlor in Vancouver; Berry Gordy was contacted and the group signed with the hot recording company. It turned out to be a horrible mistake, but if they hadn't, would they have ever emerged from the Northwest? Taylor was a veteran when he inked with Motown in 1967, he was born February 18, 1934, making him 33 at the time of the signing. In Washington, D.C., he grew up in a public housing project and sang doo wops with friends on the street corners, sometimes joined by a tall, skinny kid named Marvin Gaye. Taylor's father was a full-blooded Native American and his grandfather, who had a singing group, was Puerto Rican. The Taylors knew all the musicians and their home was used as a resting place and motel for many artists who came through the district. Taylor and friends traveled to Brooklyn, New York -- the Fort Green Projects -- to doo wop with locals who became Little Anthony & the Imperials and Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers, but nothing happened until he migrated west and connected with Chong.

Motown got Bobby & the Vancouvers' name out there, but things were never right. They suffered the same indignation as the Isley Brothers and were viewed as carpetbagging, newcomers, and were ignored, by Taylor's account, by "90 percent of the artists." And to add salt to an open wound: Johnny Bristol didn't like Tommy Chong, who was married with a kid and a die-hard pot smoker. Taylor left the group sometime after the first album, which contained their hit "Does Your Mama Know About Me" (number 29, 1968), and two lesser smoothies: "Malinda" and "I Am Your Man." The Vancouvers were reduced to backing blue-eye soul singer Chris Clark on gigs. A Canadian, Chong needed green cards for himself and the bass player and was fired by Clark (actually Bristol) when he left in the middle of a gig for a green card interview. Taylor "discovered" the Jackson 5, who were billed with him for a ten-day stint at Chicago's Regal Theater. He took them back to Detroit and put them up in his apartment while he prepped them for an audition with Motown. He was living in a mostly lily-white apartment building at the time, and when management saw all the little black kids running around, they kicked Taylor and the Jacksons out. Motown released his solo album, Taylor Made Soul, on Gordy; a good album that met with disinterest. Some of its titles, however ("I've Been Blessed," "Don't Be Afraid," "Out in the Country," and "Eleanor Rigby"), were bona fide. A second album was reportedly recorded but never issued.

The Jacksons passed their audition with distinction and Taylor was busy flying to Los Angeles to record them. His productions with the J5, except for some tracks that appeared on their debut album, were shelved for years. Taylor cut mostly old soul tunes with them to demonstrate their singing skills. But Berry Gordy wanted a contemporary sound that would cross over to all segments, so he created the Corporation with Deke Richards, Fonce Mizelle, Freddie Perren, Taylor, and himself. Taylor worked on the first three Jackson 5 hits, but got no credit. He was out by 1970; according to many, Taylor was a bear to get along with. The Jackson 5 situation caused IRS problems for Taylor and he subsequently sued Motown for unpaid royalties, won the suit, but supposedly never got paid. Tommy Chong hooked up with Cheech Marin and the two became comedians and actors who glorified marijuana use. The rest of the Vancouvers continued in bands and worked day jobs. After Motown, Taylor recorded for Epic, Playboy, and Philadelphia International Records (never issued); none were as successful as his Motown releases. He developed throat cancer and relocated to Columbus, Ohio, where he lived with his mother for years before returning west and settling in the San Jose, California area. He was part of Ian Levine's near 900-track Motorcity project, cutting one of the Britisher's best songs and tracks -- "Cloudy Day," a stupendous ballad. He formed Bobby Taylor & the New Vancouvers and reportedly performed occasional gigs in the San Jose area. Later, Taylor moved to Hong Kong, where he set up a production company and also performed. He died in Hong Kong in July of 2017 Little Daddy & the Bachelors tracks -- featuring Tommy Chong's rock guitar licks -- can be heard on Northwest Killers, Vol. 2: Shout (1964-1965), which includes "Come on Home," and Real Gone Aragon, Vol. 1, which features "Junior's Jerk" and "Too Much Monkey Business." Another track, "Valley of Tears," has been compiled elsewhere. AMG.

listen here

Buffalo Springfield - Buffalo Springfield 1966

The band themselves were displeased with this record, feeling that the production did not capture their on-stage energy and excitement. Yet to most ears, this debut sounds pretty great, featuring some of their most melodic and accomplished songwriting and harmonies, delivered with a hard-rocking punch. "For What It's Worth" was the hit single, but there are several other equally stunning treasures. Stephen Stills' "Go and Say Goodbye" was a pioneering country-rock fusion; his "Sit Down I Think I Love You" was the band at their poppiest and most early Beatlesque; and his "Everybody's Wrong" and "Pay the Price" were tough rockers. Although Neil Young has only two lead vocals on the record (Richie Furay sang three other Young compositions), he's already a songwriter of great talent and enigmatic lyricism, particularly on "Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing," "Out of My Mind," and "Flying on the Ground Is Wrong." The entire album bursts with thrilling guitar and vocal interplay, with a bright exuberance that would tone down considerably by their second record. [Some reissues present both mono and stereo mixes of the album, and include "Baby Don't Scold Me" (which was on the first pressing of the record, but was soon replaced by "For What It's Worth").] AMG.

listen here

Sonny Criss - This Is Criss! 1966

Along with tenor saxophonist Harold Land, altoist Sonny Criss qualifies as one of the most overlooked giants of West Coast jazz. His sound -- like most alto players of the bebop and hard bop days -- was heavily influenced by Charlie Parker, but Criss still managed to forge an original style featuring a very original melodic bent with loads of bluesy underpinnings. The goods can be optimally previewed on this great Prestige date from 1966. Backed by a trio consisting of pianist Walter Davis, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Alan Dawson, Criss makes fine work of such rare-bird covers as "Sunrise, Sunset" and "When Sunny Gets Blue." There are also some fine originals here, including Criss' own "Steve's Blues" and Davis' classic "Greasy." A perfect start to your Criss collection. AMG.

listen here

Crowfoot - Crowfoot 1970

The rock trio Crowfoot was launched as a high school band by its members, Russell DaShiell (guitar and vocals), Doug Killmer (bass and vocals), and Rick Jaeger (drums), under the name the Beau Gentry in Florida in the mid-1960s. Originally, they played British Invasion songs, but turned more to original material as DaShiell began to write it. They were signed by manager Ken Adamany (who later handled Cheap Trick); he took them to the Midwest for a summer tour, and they continued to be based there for the next two years. In December 1968, they moved to Marin County, CA, in hopes of getting a record deal during the renaissance of San Francisco rock bands, but they eventually found success playing with others rather than in their own band. DaShiell and Jaeger played and recorded with former Canned Heat guitarist Harvey Mandel, and DaShiell and Killmer recorded with Norman Greenbaum, including the gold-selling hit "Spirit in the Sky." In 1970, DaShiell secured a record contract with ABC-Paramount for Crowfoot, but by then it was essentially a solo act. Nevertheless, he recorded a self-titled Crowfoot album, with Jaeger playing drums, that was released in the fall of 1970. A year later came Find the Sun, which found DaShiell backed by Sam McCue (guitar and vocals), Bill Sutton (bass), and Don Francisco (drums and vocals). Neither album succeeded commercially, and DaShiell went on to other projects. In the early 1990s, he reunited with Killmer and Jaeger for an EP under the name Mesenger that he released on his own Aerial View label. AMG.

listen here

The Seeds - The Seeds 1966

Of the great garage punk bands of the 1960s, some were louder (the Sonics), some were angrier (the Music Machine), and some were trippier (the 13th Floor Elevators), but few seemed like a bad influence on so many levels as the Seeds. The Seeds had long hair, a gloriously lamentable fashion sense, an attitude that was at once petulant and lackadaisical, and music that sounded aimless, horny, agitated, and stoned all at once. Is it any wonder America's delinquent youth loved them? The Seeds' aural signature was as distinctive as any band of their era, and they got a bit fancier with their formula as they went along, but they never captured their essential seediness with more impressive concision than they did on their self-titled debut album from 1966. Dominated by the fierce, drawling yelp of Sky Saxon's vocals and Daryl Hooper's hypnotically repetitive keyboard patterns, and supported by the snarling report of Jan Savage's guitar and Rick Andridge's implacable drumming, the Seeds had a limited bag of melodic tricks, but they hardly seemed to care that roughly half their songs sounded identical, as Saxon bellowed about people who had done him wrong in some way or another (usually women) and the band locked into cyclical grooves that picked up impressive momentum when they gained enough traction (especially "Evil Hoodoo," "You Can't Be Trusted," and the Seeds' signature tune "Pushin' Too Hard"). On their second album, A Web of Sound, the Seeds would become more blatant in their celebrations of sex and drugs, but the glorious primitivism and narrower focus of their debut ultimately works to their advantage; there are few albums of the era that mirror the delicious arrogance of a beer-sodden teenage misfit with the effortless simplicity of the Seeds, and it's justly celebrated as a classic of first-wave garage punk. Amg.

listen here