Juicy Groove - First Taste 1978

A short-lived late-'70's band called Juicy Groove, which featured former members of Steppenwolf, Captain Beefheart's Magic Band, and Spirit. Their leader was a character named Michael "Rainbow" Neal, who was involved with many of Sky Saxon's post-Seeds activities. Their 1978 album First Taste is a fun piece of garage psychedelic that sounds like it was recorded a decade earlier.

listen here

Quicksilver Messenger Service - Happy Trails 1969

Without question, this follow-up to Quicksilver Messenger Service's self-titled debut release is the most accurate in portraying the band on vinyl in the same light as the group's critically and enthusiastically acclaimed live performances. The album is essentially centered around the extended reworkings of Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love?" and "Mona," as well as the lesser lauded -- yet no less intense -- the contribution of Gary Duncan's (guitar/vocals) "Calvary." This album is the last to feature the original quartet incarnation of QMS. The collective efforts of John Cipollina (guitar/vocals), Greg Elmore (percussion), David Freiberg (bass/vocals), and the aforementioned Duncan retain the uncanny ability to perform with a psychedelic looseness of spirit, without becoming boring or in the least bit pretentious. The side-long epic "Who Do You Love?" suite is split into an ensemble introduction and coda as well as four distinct sections for the respective band members. The perpetually inventive chops of QMS are what is truly on display here. The musicians' unmitigated instrumental prowess and practically psychic interaction allow them to seamlessly weave into and back out of the main theme. Yet all the while, each player takes center stage for uncompromising solos. "Mona" and its companion, "Calvary," continue in much the same fashion. Here the members of QMS play off each other to form a cohesive unit. This track also contains some of Cipollina's finest and most memorable fretwork. He is able to summon sonic spirits from his guitar in a way that is unlike any of his Bay Area contemporaries. A prime example of his individuality is the frenetic "Maiden of the Cancer Moon" -- ascending from the remnants of "Mona." The angst and energy in Cipollina's guitar work and line upon line of technical phrasing could easily be considered the equal of a Frank Zappa guitar solo. The brief title track, a cover of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans' "Happy Trails," seems almost insignificant in the wake of such virtuoso playing. It clears the sonic palette and also bids adieu to this particular fab foursome of psychedelia. AMG.

listen here

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 the 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
 

listen here

Hoi' Polloi - Hoi' Polloi 1972

Hoi’ Polloi’s only self-titled private press LP is a true lost gem.  Record Collector Magazine referred to this album as “a buried treasure” while Acid Archives writer Aaron Milenski said of the album, “Here’s proof that great finds are still out there awaiting us.”  Family Vineyard reissued this strange but engaging album on vinyl and digital download. The group, which hailed from Richmond, Indiana, mixes various early 70s pop/rock styles (CSN&Y styled singer-songwriter pop, country rock, power pop, folk-rock, progressive rock, lite psychedelia) into an appealing whole.  Hoi’ Polloi was recorded at Earlham College during spring break using two stereo deck tapes.  Album opener “Who’s Gonna Help Me” sounds like a lost Emitt Rhodes track – this is radio-friendly and highly accomplished pop for a self-released disc.  The folk-rock tracks such as “Stories,” “Devil Song,” and “Old Bootstrap” are the group’s greatest strength as they are tuneful and finely crafted pieces of music – how was this excellent band overlooked? Other winners are the acid-soaked but brief “Last Laugh,” the progressive harpsichord instrumental “Sid Stoneman Gets Scaled,” and the catchy singer-songwriter styled “15 Miles To Mexico.”

While influences are easy to spot, Hoi’ Polloi had a unique quirkiness and strong sense of musicianship that keeps this music original and fresh.   They were a group that could sing, write, and plays better than most major label acts of their time.  There are no rough spots or dull moments to be found on this very entertaining set, which is highly recommended to fans of early 70’s pop-rock.

listen here

Byard Lancaster - Funny Funky Rib Crib 1974

A lesser-known avant-gardist who based much of his career in Philadelphia, Byard Lancaster was an advanced improviser who was not shy to show the influence of blues and soul in his solos. He played with Sunny Murray starting in 1965 and worked with Bill Dixon (1966-1967), Sun Ra (off and on between 1968-1971), and McCoy Tyner (1971-1977). Lancaster played for a bit with Memphis Slim in Paris, but mostly performed jazz locally. All of his own recordings were for obscure labels (including Vortex, Dogtown, Palm, Philly Jazz, and Bellows), but his 1966 ESP date with Sunny Murray was reissued digitally. Byard Lancaster died of cancer in August 2012 at the age of 70. AMG.

listen here

Moonquake - Moonquake 1972

Rock trio from Montreal, Canada. Very interesting album, worth listening to. Don't miss it.

listen here

Rosebud - Rosebud (Judy Henske & Jerry Yester) 1971

Rosebud's sole album was an eclectic but erratic venture. It veered between psychedelic-tinged, poetic tracks reminiscent of Henske-Yester's Farewell Aldebaran ("Le Soleil," "Lullabye II (Summer Carol)," "Lorelei"), ornately orchestrated, tuneful art-pop ("Flying to Morning"), pedestrian-period L.A. singer-songwriter music, and country-rock. It seems no coincidence that the four tracks praised in the previous sentence were penned by Henske and Yester, while most of the remaining ones on the LP were not. The record was at its best when it attained that oddball mystical, ethereal air characteristic of Henske-Yester's best collaborations, retaining accessibility via their almost pseudo-classical melodies. When they weren't aspiring to this level, Rosebud was just an ordinary, laid-back, early-1970s, California rock band. It might be misguided to criticize the record for what it wasn't, and for not featuring Henske more as the lead vocalist, since the other singers in the band couldn't match her at all. Rosebud was a group project, not a duo one like Henske-Yester, which might be why she and he are more subdued on this effort. Still, it seems like there's half of a good album struggling to become a whole one. AMG.

listen here

Soft Machine - Softs 1976

At this point in the band's history, Soft Machine's lineup might raise the question of Theseus' paradox: if all the pieces of something are replaced, bit by bit over time, does the identity of the original something still remain? On Softs, Mike Ratledge, the only original bandmember present on Bundles, the group's preceding Harvest LP, was relegated to guest status, contributing synthesizer to only two tracks, "Song of Aeolus" and "Ban-Ban Caliban." Otherwise, keyboard duties fell completely to Karl Jenkins, who joined the group prior to the recording of Six and had gradually taken over the conceptual reins as the Softs finished their tenure with Columbia and moved over to Harvest. On Softs more than ever before, Soft Machine was Jenkins' band; he composed fully seven of the LP's 11 tracks, making the album a vehicle for his own artistic conception. And yet, as Soft Machine albums go, this one is just fine, thank you. Jenkins had always put his own personal stamp on the material he wrote for the band, but he also retained elements of a Soft Machine style that emerged around the time Ratledge began penning LP side-long opuses on Third: a marriage of modalism and minimalism with memorable themes in layered counterpoint and an occasional backdrop of rippling, echoey overdubbed electric keyboards, giving the music a trippy, trance-inducing quality. Nimble keyboard and reed solos were also an important element of the Soft Machine sound, although, as the group entered its Harvest fusion period, they tended to take a back seat to the work of fleet-fingered electric guitarists, first Allan Holdsworth on Bundles and then John Etheridge here. With Etheridge proving that Holdsworth wasn't England's only blindingly fast fusion guitar riff-meister, and with new saxophonist Alan Wakeman being a somewhat heftier reedman than Jenkins, the Softs lineup was plenty strong enough in the soloing department, so Jenkins could concentrate on overdubbing an arsenal of keyboards to give the music its overall structure and mood. Meanwhile, the Roy Babbington (bass) and John Marshall (drums) rhythm-section team, intact since Seven, was as fine as ever, kicking the band into overdrive at the drop of a hi-hat. While Softs has plenty to satisfy the Canterbury and jazz-rock fusion fan, another stylistic element -- new age -- can be heard blowing in with the synthesized wind and strings of the slow and lovely "Song of Aeolus." A precarious balance is usually maintained and the music keeps its footing in jazz-rock, although Softs certainly has more polish than grit. Moments of subtlety and understatement, like the pastoral soprano saxophone and acoustic guitar duet of the opening "Aubade" and Etheridge's folk-jazz duet with himself on the album-closing "Etka," are balanced by passages of high drama: the multitudinous layers of guitars and keyboards piled onto the closing of "The Tale of Taliesin" might suggest the Beatles' "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" coda through a widescreen '70s fusion lense. Elsewhere, the careful buildup and breakdown of lovely themes on "Out of Season" and the insistent groove of "Ban-Ban Caliban" are notable highlights. Softs is adventurous listening, yet accessible and engaging enough to have broad appeal, and its stylistic links to the past maintain Soft Machine's distinctive identity -- even if this particular machine is constructed of replacement parts. [Some good selections from Softs can also be heard on Tales of Taliesin: The EMI Years Anthology 1975-1981,  AMG

listen here

V.A. - The Harvest Bag - Harvest Records 1971

 

The Harvest Bag (1971 UK 10-track label sampler LP featuring a selection of progressive acts from the Harvest label, including The Edgar Broughton Band, Grease Band, BJH, Roy Harper, East Of Eden & more.

listen here

Zephyr - Sunset Ride 1973

There are two kinds of Zephyr fans; those who think the band died when Tommy Bolin left, and those who know it didn't. Zephyr's second and final Warner Bros. album (and third album overall) featured Boulder, Colorado guitar slinger Jock Bartley in place of Bolin, the replacement of Bobby Berge and John Faris, and one of the few known recorded appearances of Bobby Notkoff, other than his work with Neil Young, for whom he created the heart-wrenching violin break on "Running Dry." Without Bolin, the band took a decided turn toward jazz. This is a stunning album, featuring unknown classics like "Moving Too Fast," "Chasing Clouds," and "Winter Always Finds Me." Lead singer Candy Givens died in 1984, and this album is perhaps her most passionate legacy. AMG.
 

listen here

V.A. - Heads Together - First Round Vertigo Records 1971

Like the liner notes rightly suggest, this is not a label sampler in the usual meaning. No top-selling acts draw the cart, no Black Sabbath, no Uriah Heep, no Colosseum, no Juicy Lucy. Moreover, there are five otherwise unavailable tracks on this sampler, so it seems natural to have a closer look at these. The track by Sunbird sounds vaguely like the old Nirvana, even like Bronco. The Jimmy Campbell track is non-LP and on par with the best of his album and therefore an asset. Folkie Carthy makes an unexpected appearance and this is a classic version of a classic tune, excellent. Pete Aikin plays a self-penned song that sounds traditional too but is quite inspired. Only the Lassoo track sounds like the ''new'' Nirvana and is expendable. From the already issued tracks, the best cut by Tudor Lodge is very welcome too, as this is a much cheaper way to get hold of this marvelous cut than trying to secure their sole and not so very exciting album.

listen here

Sun Ra - Astro Black 1973

One of a handful of albums Sun Ra released on Impulse in the early '70s, Astro-Black provides a reasonably comprehensive picture of where the Arkestra was around the time, drawing to the end of their ultra-free period and beginning to investigate some traditional jazz forms. The opening title track explores some of Ra's spacier side, sounding a bit like a calmer alternative to his well-known "Space Is the Place" with June Tyson's ethereal vocals and the leader's ghostly synthesizer. "Discipline '99'" is a relaxed, bluesy number, although, as was often the case, one could argue that the band is a bit too relaxed and the piece does plod a little. But this is followed by a lively African-percussion-driven work, "Hidden Spheres," which, along with the propulsion provided by the great, underappreciated bassist Ronnie Boykins, is a fine example of Ra's band at their most enjoyable. "The Cosmo-Fire," the 18-minute track that closes the album, is a sprawling affair, a smorgasbord of Arkestra once again held in place by Boykins' bass, serving as a solid stem off of which Sun Ra launches abstract organ and vibraphone explorations and the rest of the band wails and sputters. Again, the performance is loose, but in a way that enhances the otherworldly effect that Ra strove for. Astro-Black isn't by any means the finest work by this musician, but is a decent introduction to his unique sound world. AMG

listen here

Zuider Zee - Zeenith 1975

There are sadly way too many stories out there similar to the tale of the boys in Zuider Zee. A Memphis-based power pop band that started recording in the early 1970s, Columbia Records released their one and only album in 1975, a self-titled LP that should have been big, considering the success of other power pop like Cheap Trick, Badfinger and The Raspberries. The band also curiously opened for the Sex Pistol in Memphis – one of only a handful of U.S. shows before Johnny Rotten and his pals saw their band implode spectacularly just a few shows later. But, Columbia never even bothered to release a Zuider Zee single to radio. Combine that label apathy with a bizarre stabbing of their bassist as he caught thieves trying to break into their van to steal equipment, Zuider Zee dissolved by the late ‘70s.

Thankfully, the saviors of the forgotten and criminally under looked, the folks behind Light in the Attic Records, have re-released a lost Zuider Zee gem; Zeenith is a completely remastered set of a dozen songs recorded by the band between 1972 – and- 1974. None of these songs have ever been officially released until now.

The album manages to seamlessly bridge the Glam Rock world with Power Pop. Though a handful of tracks sound a little dated, like the organ-drenched opener “Haunter of the Darkness,” for the most part, the album boasts a timeless quality making this record just as relevant more than four decades later than it should have been if it got a proper release in the ‘70s. The band impressively wields razor sharp pop hooks as easily as they toss out harmonies that would make The Beatles jealous. This stellar set is completed with a dense booklet of photos and liner notes from writer/musician Alec Palao putting the band’s (should have been) legacy in proper perspective. It may have taken decades, but the band is finally getting the attention they deserved all along. newnoisemagazine.com.

 

listen here

V.A. - Warner Brothers Loss Leaders - Non-Dairy Creamer 1971

A Rare 1LP Loss Leader Anomaly. The arrival of this single LP Loss Leader was a bit unusual, and curious that it rarely showed up in any of the WB’s inner sleeve and brochure advertisements, so it’s been largely forgotten about over the years. Which is a shame, because it’s an excellent off-beat release, and you can enjoy it. Many of the artists here are of the low-profile variety – as Little Feat was still new in 1970 and Peter Green was freshly on his own after leaving Fleetwood Mac. So, the quietly progressive acoustic offerings that dot Non-Dairy Creamer, along with the lack of big star power, lend this album its own subdued vitality and charm. Rosebud is a short-live group featuring Jerry Yester (Modern Folk Quartet, Lovin’ Spoonful) and soon to be ex-wife Judy Henske; Ohio Knox features Peter Gallway, late of the 5th Avenue Band; Zephyr is young Tommy Bolin’s first signed band; Ron Nagle is produced by Jack Nitzsche and Tony Joe White was just on Letterman recently performing with The Foo Fighters.

listen here

Quicksilver Messenger Service - What About Me 1971

Musically, there is little to delineate the fifth long-player from Quicksilver Messenger Service, What About Me, from their previous effort, Just for Love. Not surprisingly, material for both was initiated during a prolific two-month retreat to the Opaelua Lodge in Haleiwa, HI, during May and June of 1970. The quartet version of Quicksilver Messenger Service -- which had yielded the band's first two LPs -- expanded once again to include Dino Valenti (aka Chester A. Powers, Chet Powers, and most notably on this album, Jesse Oris Farrow) as well as British session keyboardist Nicky Hopkins. The additional talents of Mark Naftalin (keyboards) were incorporated when Hopkins was unavailable. This began his short stint with Quicksilver Messenger Service, which lasted through their sixth LP, Quicksilver (1972). The most apparent change in Quicksilver Messenger Service's sound can be directly attributed to the return of Valenti. The group has departed the long, free-flowing improvisations that prevailed on both their self-titled debut and follow-up, Happy Trails. The songs are now shorter and more notably structured, with an added emphasis on Valenti's compositions. The title track, "What About Me," became an ethical and sociological anthem with challenging and direct lyrical references to the political and social instability of the early '70s. Valenti, whose songwriting credits on this disc are both numerous and attributed to his Farrow persona, also comes up with some passable introspective love songs, such as "Baby Baby" and "Long Haired Lady," as well as a couple of interesting collaborations with Gary Duncan (bass/vocals). The psychedelic samba "All in My Mind" also highlights the often overlooked percussive contributions from Jose Reyes. Two of the more distinguished entries on What About Me are John Cipollina's raunchy blues instrumental "Local Color" -- replete with a driving backbeat reminiscent of their take on the Robert Johnson standard "Walkin' Blues" -- as well as Nicky Hopkins' emotive "Spindrifter." AMG.

listen here