Amiri Baraka & The Sun Ra Myth-Science Arkestra - A Black Mass 1968

A Black Mass is a curious piece that was extremely limited when it was first released in 1968 on Leroi Jones' (Amiri Baraka) Jihad records. Recorded at Spirit House, Jones' house/theater in Newark, this live performance of Jones' dramatic piece dedicated to Malcolm X -- and to a lesser extent, the Nation of Islam -- would have originally only been found in black nationalist bookstores in a few cities. Fans of Sun Ra & the Arkestra may be disappointed, as Ra and company never play more than a few notes here and there. Unfortunately, it's difficult to make out certain key elements of the dialogue, obviously essential to grasping the full understanding of Baraka's play. This is more a historical literary piece than a musical one, just as worthy of serious examination, albeit with strained ears. AMG.

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Narada Michael Walden - Garden Of Love Light 1976

Drummer/songwriter/producer/vocalist Narada Michael Walden's career spans over three decades and is threaded with gold, platinum, and multi-platinum awards. He's produced and/or (co) written number-one hits by Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey ("Vision of Love"), Aretha Franklin ("Freeway of Love"), and Lisa Fischer ("How Can I Ease the Pain"). His proficient drumming skills have made him a first-call session musician playing on countless recording sessions. Walden has played on all kinds of sessions from rock, jazz, pop, and R&B, to fusion, sharing the recording and concert stage with the likes of John McLaughlin, the Mahavishnu Orchestra (a 21-year-old Narada replaced drumming legend Billy Cobham), and Jeff Beck (his Wired album) to name a small few. His own career as a recording artist is showcased on Rhino's Ecstasy's Dance: The Best of Narada Michael Walden. Walden's eclecticism is threaded throughout his recordings in varying degrees. In the '80s, he became a Grammy-winning mega-producer: Producer of the Year in 1987, Album of the Year for the 1993 movie soundtrack The Bodyguard (Narada Michael Walden, producer), and the Song of the Year award in 1985 for writing Aretha Franklin's "Freeway of Love." The song helped the Queen of Soul land her first platinum album. Walden was named one of the Top Ten Producers With the Most Number One Hits by Billboard magazine. Narada produced the Temptations' "Stay," the group's first number-one record in 25 years from their platinum-plus Grammy-nominated Phoenix Rising. He also produced tracks for their follow-up album, Ear-Resistable issued by Motown/Universal on May 16, 2000. Born April 23, 1952, in Kalamazoo, MI, Walden was given the name Narada by guru Sri Chinmoy. After college graduation, he trekked to Miami, FL, playing in various rock bands. Signing with Atlantic Records, his debut album, Garden of Love Light, included the mid-tempo "Delightful," which charted at 81 R&B in the spring of 1977. His next LP, I Cry I Smile, boasted the sweet "So Long" and the radio-aired LP tracks the languid "I Need Your Love," the delicious "I Remember," and the charming "Better Man." Even though these top-notch tracks received airplay in Chicago and other markets, other than "Better Man," none were released as singles. Instead, the label picked "Soulbird" and "Manago Bop," which worked well as album tracks, but not singles. The Awakening proved to be his breakthrough album, going to number 15 R&B in the spring of 1979 on the strength of the brassy "I Don't Want Nobody Else (To Dance With You)." Awakening radio-aired LP tracks were the airy "Listen to Me" and the jubilant album opener "Love Me Only" (also arranged by Patrick Adams). Awakening also featured top session bassist Keni Burke, formerly of the Five Stairsteps and best known for his own "Risin' to the Top." His second-highest charting single, "I Shoulda Loved Ya," hit number four in R&B in late 1979. It was on his The Dance of Life (number nine R&B, late 1979), which included the gentle ballad "Why Did You Turn Me On." "You're #1" and "Summer Lady" were both on his Confidence LP from the summer of 1982. Walden's cover of the Four Tops' "Reach Out I'll Be There," "Reach Out," a huge dance hit, was listed on Looking at You, Looking at Me, which charted in the spring of 1983. Switching to Warner Bros., his duet with Patti Austin, the Motown-ish pop confection, "Gimme Gimme Gimme," issued as Narada Michael Walden with Patti Austin, went to number 39 R&B in early 1985 and was listed on his The Nature of Things album. His single "Divine Emotions" on the Warner Bros. imprint Reprise Records appeared in the Michael J. Fox movie Bright Lights, Big City. The Divine Emotion LP included the charting mellow single "Wild Thing" and the smooth, chugging, radio-aired LP track "That's the Way That I Feel About Cha." His 1995 Toshiba/EMI album was titled Sending Love to Everyone. In late 1985, Walden opened Tarpan Studios, a state-of-the-art recording studio located near San Francisco. Walden's work appears on releases by Stacy Lattisaw ("Let Be Your Angel"), Al Green (Your Heart's in Good Hands), Shanice Wilson ("I Love Your Smile," "I Hate to Be Lonely"), Ray Charles, Diana Ross, George Michael, Wild Orchid, Tevin Campbell, Angela Bofill, Diana Ross, MyTown, Steve Winwood, Phaze II, Regina Belle-Passion ("Baby Come to Me"), Andy Vargas, Debelah Morgan, Jai, Jermaine Stewart ("We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off"), Natalie Cole ("Good to Be Back), Clarence Clemons, Puff Johnson, Eddie Murphy ("Put Your Mouth on Me"), and Carl Carlton ("The Bad CC"), among many many others. Other Narada Michael Walden-related releases are Stacy Lattisaw and Johnny Gill (Perfect Combination), Lisa Fischer (So Intense), and the movie soundtracks to Beverly Hills Cop II, Perfect, Waiting to Exhale, License to Kill, The Bodyguard, Jason's Lyric, 9 1/2 Weeks, Crooklyn, Free Willy, and The Associate. AMG.

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The Plastic People of the Universe - Egon Bondy's Happy Hearts Club Banned 1974

Sounding like a meeting between Zappa, Henry Cow, and Allen Ginsberg, this is a wild, politically charged chunk of avant-garde agitprop. Egon Bondy's poetry may not be the most lyrical you've ever heard, but his imagery is striking in its desperation and anger. Lots of honking saxes courtesy of Vratislav Brabenec, who is a big-time blower in the style of German free jazz player Peter Brotzmann. For those whose love for late-'60s/early-'70s progressive rock is boundless, this is absolutely essential. But, even if you're squeamish about anything labeled art rock, don't pass this by; the raw emotions and intense idealism in the face of oppression, despite their being sung in a language you don't speak (there are English lyrics on the LP jacket), are very moving. AMG.

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Chris Youlden - Nowhere Road 1973

Though this album may disappoint those hoping for a hard-rocking Savoy Brown kind of time, "Nowhere Road" still wins you over on Youlden's unique but likable vocals and charming musical roads that are taken here. The opening title track is a perfect example of a track that musically you may find disappointing but you may get the feeling you wouldn't have liked it so much had anyone else 

been singing it. "One October Day" is a chirpy popped-up bluesier which is admittedly not one of the best moments, nor is the breathy swirling "Street sounds" and "Standing in the corner" is a whimsical skipper (featuring horns) I would not call a highlight and the funk of "Wake up neighbor" (which sounds faster than another funk on the record, "Cryin' in the road" (due to its wah-wah guitar noises) is one I admittedly skip occasionally. Still, the rest is virtually as good as gold like the aforementioned "Cryin' in the road" with an irresistible up-tempo rhythm guitar riff. Speaking of guitars, Danny Kirwan is listed as one of three guitarists playing on this album but it doesn't say which song(s) he's on there are some songs where his playing is possibly detectable such as the fast rocking "Mama don't you talk so loud" and another speedy rock song (though admittedly weaker than "Mama...") called "Time will tell" which has loud piano watering it down somewhat but this track is the closest sounding to Savoy Brown you'll get on the album but even then, it sounds like the lighter (in comparison to the latter Youlden days of SB anyways) Dave Walker era Savoys, it still does rock though. 

The track I think I can hear Kirwan's playing the most is the mellow wah-wah sounding "In the Wood". More soothing pieces enclosed are the engaging echoing strummer "Chink of Sanity" (save for the horn-featured blasts in the bridges).and "Pick up my dogs and gone" which is light flute fronted pleasant fluff. Danny didn't do many guest appearances in his career, but he sure made a wise choice getting involved in the making of this record. by John Fitzgerald

 

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Fairport Convention - Liege & Lief 1969

In the decades since its original release, more than one writer has declared Fairport Convention's Liege & Lief the definitive British folk-rock album, a distinction it holds at least in part because it grants equal importance to all three parts of that formula. While Fairport had begun dipping their toes into British traditional folk with their stellar version of "A Sailor's Life" on Unhalfbricking, Liege & Lief found them diving head first into the possibilities of England's musical past, with Ashley Hutchings digging through the archives at the Cecil Sharp House in search of musical treasure, and the musicians (in particular vocalist Sandy Denny) eagerly embracing the dark mysteries of this music. (Only two of the album's eight songs were group originals, though "Crazy Man Michael" and "Come All Ye" hardly stand out from their antique counterparts.) Liege & Lief was also recorded after a tour bus crash claimed the lives of original Fairport drummer Martin Lamble and Richard Thompson's girlfriend, Jeannie Franklyn. As the members of the group worked to shake off the tragedy (and break in new drummer Dave Mattacks and full-time fiddler Dave Swarbrick), they became a stronger and more adventurous unit, less interested in the neo-Jefferson Airplane direction of their earlier work and firmly committed to fusing time-worn folk with electric instruments while honoring both. And while Liege & Lief was the most purely folk-oriented Fairport Convention album to date, it also rocked hard in a thoroughly original and uncompromising way; the "Lark in the Morning" medley swings unrelentingly, the group's crashing dynamics wring every last ounce of drama from "Tam Lin" and "Matty Groves," and Thompson and Swarbrick's soloing is dazzling throughout. Liege & Lief introduced a large new audience to the beauty of British folk, but Fairport Convention's interpretations spoke of the present as much as the past, and the result was timeless music in the best sense of the term. AMG.

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Wicked Lady - The Axeman Cometh 1972

To say Wicked Lady was an ultimate cult band is almost an understatement -- the U.K. power trio's contemporary reputation was derived solely from a small if committed live fan base. The Axeman Cometh, with original bassist Bob Jeffries, covering selections from 1969 to 1972, comes from tapes that lead figure Martin Weaver freely admitted in 2012 were done just to keep clear how the songs were performed. Part of the appeal lies in how good everything sounds -- for basement recordings by a band with no resources, even the earliest songs stand up pretty well. Vocals are a bit distanced at times, but both the basic riffing and the enthusiastic if unremarkable drumming are clear enough. That the trio was a product of its time is perfectly evident, but for all the heavy riffing the band is playing with, there are moments of individual flair, with Weaver's own work sounding especially inspired, mixing yank-'em, crank-'em tendencies with solid senses of mood while never losing sight of the core rhythm work. While songs like "Living on the Edge" can sometimes feel a bit draggy, nothing ever slows down, and the fairly standard arrangements always give way to a little moment of Weaver glory at some point or another. The opening "Run the Night" features a bit of frenetic soloing from Weaver that could be ahead of its time, and nearly everything else has a similar moment of glory. If "War Cloud" sounds more like a bit of moody folkiness filtered through a touch of Deep Purple, the sentiments aren't far removed from Black Sabbath. But the instrumental title track, with Weaver pulling off some double-tracked solos careening beautifully over the central chug, is pretty close to its own beast. AMG.

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Groundhogs - Scratching The Surface 1968

The Groundhogs' debut album is a long way from the "classic" sound of the better-known Thank Christ for the Bomb/Split/Who Will Save the World? trilogy. Indeed, the mellow classic blues through which the band pursues its nine tracks offer the unsuspecting listener little more than a direct blast from the peak of the British blues boom past. Early Fleetwood Mac, Chicken Shack, and Savoy Brown all haunted precisely the same corridors as Scratching the Surface, with only the occasional burst of fuzzed Tony McPhee guitar to distinguish the sonics from the rest of the pack. That said, Scratching the Surface ranks among the finest albums to emerge out of that entire period, a moody shuffle that includes an epic recounting of the Chicago classic "Still a Fool" and which matches five solid McPhee originals with a pair of blistering contributions from outgoing harmonica whiz Steve Rye. In fact, his "Early in the Morning" and "You Don't Love Me" might well be the album's best numbers, a discrepancy that puts one in mind of another of the blues boom's hottest acts, Jethro Tull, and just how much they changed once a founding member (Mick Abrahams) departed. Again, if you arrive at Scratching the Surface in search of a fresh "Cherry Red" or "Status People," you'll probably be disappointed. But if you want to hear the blues sluicing straight out of the Southern England Delta, there are precious few better introductions. AMG.

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Kristyl - Kristyl 1970

An interesting album from this psychedelic rock band from Louisville, Kentucky, USA. Not too much info about it, but it is worth listening to. Give it a try.
 

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Crosby, Stills, Naxh & Young - 4 Way Street 1971

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young had come out of Woodstock as the hottest new music act on the planet, and followed it up with Deja Vu, recorded across almost six months in the second half of 1969 and released in March of 1970, supported by a tour in the summer of that year. As it happened, despite some phenomenal music-making on-stage that summer, the tour was fraught with personal conflicts, and the quartet split up upon its completion. And as it happened, even Deja Vu was something of an illusion created by the foursome -- Neil Young was only on five of the album's ten tracks -- which meant that an actual, tangible legacy for Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young was as elusive and ephemeral to listeners as Ahab's Moby Dick. But then came 4 Way Street, released in April of 1971: a live double-LP set, chock-full of superb music distilled down from a bunch of nights on that tour that more than fulfilled the promise of the group. Indeed, contained on those original four LP sides was the embodiment of everything great that the unique ethos behind this group -- which was not a "group" but four individuals working together -- might have yielded. Each of the participants got to show off a significant chunk of his best work, whether presented alone or in tandem with the others, and the shared repertory -- "Long Time Gone," "Ohio" etc. -- binding it all together as more than a documentary of some joint appearances.  Conceptually, it was all as diffuse as the concept behind the group, but musically, 4 Way Street was one of the great live rock documents of its time, a status that the original vinyl retains along with such touchstones as the Allman Brothers' At Fillmore East, the live half of the Cream's Wheels of Fire, and the Grateful Dead's Live/Dead; some of the extended guitar jams between Stills and Young ("Southern Man") go on longer than strict musical sense would dictate, but it seemed right at the time, and they capture a form that was far more abused in other hands after this group broke up. Although Neil Young and Stephen Stills had the advantage of the highest wattage on their songs and their jams together, David Crosby and Graham Nash more than manage to hold their own, not only with some strong and distinctive songs, but also with a strong case that less could be more: they reached the more introspective members of their audience, mostly individually, while Stills and Young wowed the crowds collectively. In many respects, this was the greatest part of the legacy that the foursome left behind, though it is also a bit unfair to stack it up next to, say, Deja Vu, as 4 Way Street had the advantage of all four participants ranging freely across a combined 20 years of repertory. AMG.

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If - If 1970

If's first album came out in the summer of 1970, while most horn-driven jazz-rock bands were still mimicking the successful formula employed by Chicago and Blood, Sweat & Tears. If was different, with more of a jazz feel on both the instrumental and the vocal ends. The material on If provides plenty of room for reedmen Dave Quincy and Dick Morrissey, plus guitarist Terry Smith, to stretch out. Though not particularly deep or profound, the lyrics nonetheless express the positive, optimistic sentiments prevalent at the time. J.W. Hodgkinson's unusual tenor vocal timbre fits like a lead instrument in the mix, soaring above and within the arrangements. "What Can a Friend Say" kicks the album off in fine style, setting the parameters within which the band works throughout the rest of the disc, with the horns complementing Hodgkinson's rendering of the verses, which wrap around excellent, extended sax and guitar solos. The instrumental "What Did I Say About the Box, Jack?" showcases Morrissey's high-octane flute work and the speedy fingers of guitarist Smith. The album continues in the same consistently excellent vein, with the ballad "Dockland" providing a beautiful respite toward the end of the album. AMG.

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Blodwyn Pig - Getting To This 1970

A quirky detour of late-'60s British progressive/blues rock, Blodwyn Pig was founded by former Jethro Tull guitarist Mick Abrahams, who left Tull after the This Was album. Abrahams was joined by bassist Andy Pyle, drummer Ron Berg, and Jack Lancaster, who gave the outfit their most distinctive colorings via his saxophone and flute. On their two albums, they explored a jazz/blues/progressive style somewhat in the mold of (unsurprisingly) Jethro Tull, but with a lighter feel. They also bore some similarities to John Mayall's jazzy late-'60s versions of the Bluesbreakers, or perhaps Colosseum, but with more eclectic material. Both of their LPs made the British Top Ten, though the players' instrumental skills were handicapped by thin vocals and erratic (though oft-imaginative) material. The group was effectively finished by Abrahams' departure after the 1970's Getting to This. They briefly reunited in the mid-'70s, and Abrahams was part of a different lineup that reformed in the late '80s; they have since issued a couple of albums in the 1990s. AMG.

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Andy Bey - Experience and Judgment 1974

Criminally overlooked by academics, critics, and purists who refuse to listen to anything outside of conventional jazz vernacular, Andy Bey's delivery on Experience and Judgment goes beyond anything he previously committed to tape, revealing a spiritual side that's punched up and supported by a jazz-funk ensemble. The album's opener "Celestial Blues" finds Bey delivering lines that wouldn't be out of place on Bill Withers records from this era, and the remainder of the album sounds similar to the works of such contemporaries as Roy Ayers and Gil Scott-Heron. It's soul-soothing music that's been played with great reverence by the rare soul and funk community for years and rightly so, as Bey captures the essence of the soul world brilliantly, and fuses it into something uniquely his own. AMG.

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Matching Mole - Little Red Record 1972

Released later in the same year as their debut, this 1972 album was the band's last. The punningly titled band (an English pronunciation of the French translation of Robert Wyatt's previous band, Soft Machine) broke up just after it was issued. This outing is a bit more experimental than its predecessor, favoring a range of sonic experiments, such as "Gloria Gloom." This also marked the debut of one of Wyatt's most gorgeous enduring songs, "God Song." Its quiet bearing actually points the way for his classic solo albums that followed a few years later (Rock Bottom and Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard). Produced by Robert Fripp, this album presents the more intellectual and introspective side of the era's British progressive bands. It has aged very well over the decades and is an important chapter in Wyatt's varied career and output. AMG.

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Alphonse Mouzon - The Essence Of Mystery 1973

Several different drummers helped put jazz fusion on the map in the '70s. The one who seems to get most of the credit is Billy Cobham, but Alphonse Mouzon contributed quite a bit to the cause as well. Born on November 21, 1948, in Charleston, South Carolina, Mouzon got serious with his drumming in high school, where he studied with both a saxophonist and a drummer. Relocating to New York City in the late '60s to attend college, Mouzon had a hard time deciding between a career in music, drama, or medicine. The music wound up getting the nod by the dawn of the '70s when Mouzon served as a session drummer on recordings by Tim Hardin (Bird on a Wire), Gil Evans (Gil Evans), Weather Report (Weather Report), Norman Connors (Dance of Magic), John Klemmer (Magic and Movement), and Teruo Nakamura (Unicorn). Mouzon began issuing solo albums around this time, including such early releases as 1972's The Essence of Mystery and 1973's Funky Snakefoot. But he decided to take a momentary break from session work to concentrate on being a full-time member of Larry Coryell's Eleventh House, with whom he appeared on several releases from 1974 through 1975 (Introducing the Eleventh House, At Montreux, Level One, etc.). Throughout it all, Mouzon never stopped issuing solo albums on a regular basis, including arguably his finest solo release, 1974's Mind Transplant, which would have undoubtedly garnered more attention if it wasn't issued so close to Cobham's 1973 classic, Spectrum. Mouzon also collaborated with others from time to time (such as the release Trilogue Live!, credited to Albert Mangelsdorff, Jaco Pastorius, and Mouzon) as well as teaming up with his old friend Coryell (1977's Back Together Again and also a full Eleventh House reunion during the late '90s).

Mouzon wasn't limited to just fusion, however, as he proved his versatility by either recording with or performing alongside the likes of Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Carlos Santana, Patrick Moraz, Tommy Bolin, and Chubby Checker. Additionally, Mouzon returned sporadically to his other love, acting, including a part alongside Tom Hanks in the 1996 film That Thing You Do!, and also served as chairman/CEO for his own record label, Tenacious Records. Mouzon continued to issue albums and also toured Europe and the U.S. on a regular basis -- leading his own trio, quartet, or quintet. Diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer in September of 2016, Mouzon struggled with the disease for several months -- and benefited from a crowdfunding effort to pay for treatment -- but finally succumbed to a heart attack on Christmas Day of that year. AMG.

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May Blitz - May Blitz 1970

May Blitz (alongside Rory Gallagher's Taste) were among the first of the newly formed hard rock power trios to take up the challenge of Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience; that is, making the biggest possible noise with the smallest available lineup, but never losing sight of melody and finesse while they did so. Certainly, anyone catching their early live show was guaranteed to leave with their ears ringing but their brainbox humming and the band's debut album was a seamless reiteration of their in-concert impact, all the way down to the extended riffing and miniature solos. May Blitz's strongest point, in terms of audience recognition, was drummer Tony Newman, and fans of the jazz-inflected style that he injected into the Jeff Beck Group certainly won't be disappointed by what they find here -- indeed, with guitarist James Black beside him, it's not difficult to compare May Blitz to the Beck band's Beck-Ola, and find the better-known disc come up wanting every time. The epic "Smoking the Day Away" kicks things off in dynamic form, laying down the grinding, almost proto-metallic assault that was May Blitz's raison d'etre; later in the set, "Dreaming," "Virgin Waters," and "Squeet" all howl with a vengeance that might sound a little old-fashioned today, but was breathtakingly fresh at the time. Even better is "Fire Queen," which essentially blueprints the best parts of every metal act from Judas Priest to the Cult, except it doesn't hang around long enough to spoil the effect. Rather like May Blitz themselves, in fact. AMG.
 

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