Victor Brady - Brown Rain 1970

Victor Brady hails from St. Croix in the United States Virgin Islands. He moved to mainland USA sometime in the 60's, and established himself as a popular and influential performer of the steel drum, performing in Central Park on a regular basis. Brady himself doesn't quite like the notion of coining his instrument of choice a steel drum - for him that is a cruder instrument consisting of a large 55 gallon steel barrel. Brady prefers to call the more refined instrument he plays a steel piano.
Anyhow, his steel drum performances were popular, and he soon became something of a tutor of the instrument - many performers of steel drums today can thank Brady or one of his students from the 60's and 70's for their skills in performing on the instrument.
Although mostly performing live outdoors or in special events, Brady got the chance to see his work issued on albums as well. In the late 60's he played on Scott Fagan's album South Atlantic Blues, and at about that time a talent scout from Polydor was suitably impressed by Brady's performance to offer him a record deal. The result was the album "Brown Rain", released in 1970. On this effort his steel piano was blended with a psychedelic form of heavy progressive rock, a stylisitc expression popular at the time.
In 1976 he would release another album, this time on New Your based Inner City Records. This sophomore effort, "Classic Soul", will be less interesting for those with an interest in progressive rock. But those with more than a passing interest in the steel drum as an instrument should find Brady's take on the classical works covered on this album to be a fascinating sonic experience. And while not recording any more solo albums Victor Brady kept going as an active performer of the steel drums, with a strong reputation among fans and performers of this instrument. He is still around and doing well.

This one seems to evoke some pretty strong reactions from those who hear it. Upon first listen, my good buddy (who is not a particularly big fan of prog.) literally begged me to get rid of it, so strong was his dislike. I, on the other hand (a big fan of prog) found it quite interesting, if not very different than virtually every other prog/hard rock album out there. According to the liner notes on the back cover, Brady, an accomplished steel drum player, travelled from his native St. Croix to NYC. Once there, he attempted to form a rock band showcasing his talents on the steel drum, but succeeded only in "annoying" the local music scene.

Dissolving his band, he began performing in Central Park, where he caught the ear of the president of Polydor records. Intrigued, he signed Brady on the spot. A studio band was assembled, and an album recorded. It features fairly hard prog rock, with heavy guitar and lots of Brady's steel drum, and even some fuzz at various points. There is a mix of light and heavy material. The 11:30 min. title track was the best to my ears, which I rate very good. Three of the remaining five tracks garner a solid "good" rating as well. If your open to new and unusual sounds when it comes to your rock 'n roll, this may be worth investigating.

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Xavier Cugat - Cugi's Cocktails 1963

Contrary to the title, Cugi's Cocktails is no sleepy album of "cocktail music." It has all the elements a listener would expect of Xavier Cugat's first great stereo album: an agreeable theme, a dash of exotic flair, and all the bombast of the preceding half-decade of experimenting with high-fidelity stereo recording. "One Mint Julep" would have made Twist With Cugat. Also of note are the bossa nova "Daiquiri," Hal Mooney's "Cugi's Cocktail" (a "hully gully cha cha"), and "Singapore Sling." Cugat's composition "Zombie" is exotic and wonderful, and only "Old-Fashioned" is dismissible. With fun, metaphor-laden liner notes and better than average artwork, Cugi's Cocktails makes a fine addition to any record collection or bar. AMG.

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Armageddon - Armageddon 1969

Not to be confused with Keith Relf's far better known outfit (and also with the homophone German band), this Texas-to-the-West Coast obscurity. 

Singer/lead guitarist Mark Creamer, rhythm guitarist James Parker, and drummer Johnny Stark had previously been members of the Texas-based The Kitchen Cinq. Following the band's collapse the trio along with Kitchen Cinq bassist James Dallas Smith decamped for Los Angeles. Smith apparently decided to return to Texas in order to get a college degree and was quickly replaced by Skip Battin.

The quartet was quickly signed to Jimmy Bowen's newly formed Amos label (Kitchen Cinq manager Tom Thacker and Bowen were longtime friends). As you probably guessed, the move to Southern California and a new label found the band ditching their earlier pop-psych roots in favor of a distinctively tougher, rock-oriented attack. Produced by Tom Thacker, 1969's cleverly titled "Armageddon" marked a major step forward in terms of creativity.

Whereas The Kitchen Cinq LP and singles frequently followed prevailing musical trends, original tracks like 'Armageddon Theme', 'Water Lilly' and 'Another Part Of Our Life' offered up a first-rate set of fuzz guitar propelled hard rock, though much of the material was tempered by catchy melodies. The other big difference was found in the vocal performances. Whereas The Kitchen Cinq lacked a distinctive singer, this time out all four members came off as first-rate vocalists.

Virtually every one of the ten tracks was worth hearing (okay, any song based on a Tolkin character was of dubious worth ('Bilbo Baggins' and the stoned cover of the Walt Disney class 'The Magic Song' was simply a bad idea to start with). Personal favorites included the acid-tinged ballad 'Cave of the Winds' and their Cream cover 'Tales of Brave Ulysses'. Not a major masterpiece, but easily on of the better albums I've stumbled across over the last couple of years.

Piece of needless trivia - Finishing the recording sessions Battin dropped out in order to join a late inning Byrds line up. He was replaced by Robert Ledger (Ledger's face is on the album cover). Thanks to Rockasteria.

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Bobby Hatfield - Messin' In Muscle Shoals 1970

After the break-up of the Righteous Brothers in 1968, Bobby Hatfield's first solo release was the Mann/Weil song 'Hang Ups', which he produced himself, followed by the self-penned autobiographical 'Brothers'. Verve Records then decided to record him performing standards from the 1950s like 'Only You', 'My Prayer' and 'Answer Me'. There was an unissued album from this period. Hatfield, who had already appeared in the films Swingin' Summer and Beach Ball with Bill Medley, also appeared in the TV movie The Ballad Of Andy Crocker which was intended a pilot for a TV series.

In 1969, a year after honouring the contractual condition, Bobby Hatfield took the extraordinary and bizarre decision to replace Bill Medley in the Righteous Brothers with Jimmy Walker of the Knickerbockers. This partnership lasted for just one album, 'Rebirth', although the act did tour and appeared on several TV shows.

Following the inevitable break-up of this new partnership, Bobby Hatfield went to Rick Hall's Fame Studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama to record his only released solo LP 'Messin' In Muscle Shoals'. A complete departure from anything that he had recorded previously, it was a vibrant album combining the splendour of Bobby Hatfield's vocals coupled with the captivating Muscle Shoals sound. With bankruptcy looming, MGM Records was in turmoil at this time and the LP went almost completely unnoticed by the record buying public. The scheduled single from the album, 'The Promised Land'/'Woman You Got No Soul' was never issued.

In 1972 on Warner Brothers Records he recorded what is arguably his best solo track, a Richard Perry-produced version of 'Stay With Me', a song perfectly suited to Bobby Hatfield who gave a virtuoso performance. He also recorded a version of another soul classic, 'Oo Wee Baby I Love You', in London.

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A.B. Skhy - Ramblin' On 1970

A.B. Skhy was a blues-rock quartet from San Francisco consisting of guitarist Dennis Geyer, keyboard player Howard Wales, bass player Jim Marcotte, and drummer Terry Andersen. This lineup made the group's debut album, A.B. Skhy, in 1969, with a seven-piece horn section. The album failed to chart, but the instrumental "Camel Back" hit number 100 on the Hot 100 for one week in December. Andersenand Wales then left and were replaced by guitarist James "Curley" Cooke and drummer Rick Jaegerfor the group's second album, Ramblin' On (1970), which was produced by Kim Fowley. They broke up during the recording of their third album. AMG.

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The Dave Clark Five - Glad All Over 1964

The Dave Clark Five's first album might seem a bit on the meager side outside of the context of the first flush of the British Invasion. At the time, though, it was a pretty exuberant slab o' vinyl that rocked pretty hard for the most part, paced by the three Top 10 singles "Glad All Over," "Do You Love Me," and "Bits and Pieces." It was a huge seller as well, peaking at number three and remaining in the charts almost as long as the albums by their chief competitors of the era, the Beatles. And it does have a few decent, though not great, original songs that don't show up on greatest hits compilations: the solid pop/rocker "I Know You," the raucous "Twist and Shout" rip-off "No Time to Lose," and the surprisingly savage instrumental "Chaquita," an inversion of "Tequila" with its snaky, growling guitar riffs and dirty sax. There's also some pure filler, like the jazzy instrumental "Time" and the infantile "Doo Dah." It certainly ranks among their best non-greatest-hits albums, which isn't as high a recommendation as it sounds, since the group's LPs weren't that good overall. AMG.

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Julius Hemphill - Dogon A.D 1972

This historic album features four then-unknowns on three lengthy avant-garde explorations that were quite influential not only in St. Louis (where they were recorded) but eventually on such diverse players as altoists Tim Berne and David Sanborn. Julius Hemphill (on alto and flute), trumpeter Baikida Carroll, cellist Abdul Wadud, and drummer Philip Wilson are in superb form, both as soloists and in ensembles where they react instantly to each other. This important music is better to be heard than described. AMG.

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Muddy Waters - Folk Singer 1964

Muddy's "unplugged" album was cut in September of 1963 and still sounds fresh and vital today. It wasMuddy simply returning to his original style on a plain acoustic guitar in a well-tuned room with Willie Dixon on string bass, Clifton James on drums, and Buddy Guy on second acoustic guitar. The nine tracks are divvied up between full rhythm section treatments with Buddy and Muddy as a duo and the final track, "Feel Like Going Home," which Waters approaches solo. What makes this version of the album a worthwhile buy is the inclusion of five bonus tracks from his next two sessions: An April 1964 session brings us Willie Dixon's "The Same Thing" and Muddy's "You Can't Lose What You Never Had," while the October 1964 session features J.T. Brown on sax and clarinet on "Short Dress Woman" and "My John the Conqueror Root," as well as "Put Me in Your Lay Away," another strong side. Folk Singer offers both sides of Muddy from the early '60s. AMG.

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Mark Murphy - Rah 1961

This early-'60s effort, not Murphy's first but still pretty early in his discographical canon, has worn well over the years. Credit of course can be lavished on the vocalist himself, who didn't sound like this 20 years later, although every stage of his developing vocal chops has been interesting to be sure. On tracks such as "Green Dolphin Street," he dives into the rhythm with the relaxed calm of an expert. And when the result can be the harebrained complexity of "Twisted" or the funky timing of "Doodlin'," the wisdom of letting the experts handle the hard work has never been more apparent. But this is not justMurphy's display. The undersung Ernie Wilkins was working behind the scenes on combo and orchestra arrangements and came up with some effective and fun charts, expertly matching horn soloists such as the contrasting trumpeters Clark Terry and Blue Mitchell or embellishing the medium tones of Murphy's voice with the striking tone of Melba Liston's trombone. And what a rhythm section! This is really all Murphy has ever needed to get off, or at least that's what he wants his fans to believe, and in this case listeners have either Wynton Kelly or Bill Evans on piano. Either one is fine; both have been road-tested by maestro Miles Davis. Likewise for drummer Jimmy Cobb, whose cymbal flair keeps the time going on "Stopping the Clock" and whose tom-tom caresses and snare drum flutter literally do launch "Out of This World." This fine album is the result of several different recording sessions that clicked perfectly, produced and edited with taste by Orrin Keepnews. AMG.

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Them - The Angry Young Them! 1965

Them forged their hard-nosed R&B sound in Belfast, Northern Ireland, moving to England in 1964 after landing a deal with Decca Records. The band's simmering sound was dominated by boiling organ riffs, lean guitars, and the tough vocals of lead singer Van Morrison, whose recordings with Them rank among the very best performances of the British Invasion. Morrison also wrote top-notch original material for the outfit, whose lineup changed numerous times over the course of their brief existence. As a hit-making act, their résumé was brief -- "Here Comes the Night" and "Baby Please Don't Go" were Top Ten hits in England, "Mystic Eyes" and "Here Comes the Night" made the Top 40 in the U.S. -- but their influence was considerable, reaching bands like the Doors, whom Them played with during a residency in Los Angeles just before Van Morrison quit the band in 1966. Their most influential song of all, the classic three-chord stormer "Gloria," was actually a B-side, although the Shadows of Knighthad a hit in the U.S. with a faithful, tamer cover version.

Morrison recalled his days with Them with some bitterness, noting that the heart of the original group was torn out by image-conscious record company politics, and that sessionmen (including Jimmy Page) often played on recordings. In addition to hits, Them released a couple of fine albums and several flop singles that mixed Morrison compositions with R&B and soul covers, as well as a few songs written for them by producers like Bert Berns (who penned "Here Comes the Night"). AfterMorrison left the group, Them splintered into the Belfast Gypsies, who released an album that (except for the vocals) approximated Them's early records, and a psychedelic outfit that kept the name Them, releasing four LPs with little resemblance to the tough sounds of their mid-'60s heyday. AMG.

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Rufus Thomas - Walking The Dog 1963

One of the artists who defined Memphis soul and put Stax Records on the map, Rufus Thomas is known for liking his R&B hard-edged, gritty and earthy. That approach served him impressively well on his debut album Walking the Dog. In contrast to the sleeker, more elaborate production style favored by the Northern soulsters of Motown, Thomas rejects pop elements altogether and thrives on rawness on his hits "Walking the Dog" and "The Dog," as well as inspired versions of "Land of 1000 Dances" (which became a major hit for Wilson Pickett), Lee Dorsey's "Ya Ya" and John Lee Hooker's "Boom Boom."Thomas was in his mid-40s when these fun, infectious recordings were made, and he definitely lives up to his title "The World's Oldest Teenager" (a title later given to Dick Clark as well). Reissued on CD in the early 1990s, Walking the Dog is an album Memphis soul aficionados shouldn't overlook. AMG.

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Joseph Jarman - Egwu-Anwu 1978

Jarman was not so accomplished a saxophonist as his reed-playing partner in the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Roscoe Mitchell. But Jarman's sense of color was fine, his blunt-edged improvisations projected an emotionally immediacy of their own, and his interest in poetry and theatre informed the band's live performances. While attending high school in Chicago in the early '50s, Jarman took up the drums under the tutelage of the famous music teacher Walter Dyett. He switched to saxophone and clarinet while in the army. Upon his discharge in 1958, he returned to Chicago. There, he joined pianistMuhal Richard Abrams' Experimental Band (formed in 1961), alongside his future Art Ensemblecompatriots Malachi Favors and Mitchell. Jarman played in a hard bop sextet with Mitchell, and in 1965, he became one of the first members of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians.
Starting around 1967, Jarman was one of the first saxophonists to perform solo, a tactic also embraced by other members of the AACM, notably Anthony Braxton. Jarmanled his own group from 1966-1968, which included bassistCharles Clark, drummer Thurman Barker, and pianistChristopher Gaddy, among others. Separate editions of that band recorded a pair of albums for Delmark: Song for...(1966) and As if it were the Seasons (1968). In 1967, Lester Bowie recorded Numbers 1 & 2 for Nessa; on "2," the four musicians who would become the Art Ensemble (Bowie,Mitchell, Favors, and Jarman) recorded together for the first time. In 1969, that band would become Jarman's primary creative outlet. By then, the untimely deaths of Gaddy and Clark had compelled Jarman to disband his own group. Jarman would continue withthe Art Ensemble until 1993. In that time, he also recorded under his own name, for the Black Saint, AECO, and India Navigation labels. Upon leaving the Art Ensemble, Jarman virtually retired from music, in order to devote himself more completely to spiritual matters. As the '90s progressed, however, he did continue to perform and record, often as a guest with such musicians as Marilyn Crispell, guitarist/composer Scott Fields, bassist Reggie Workman, and drummer Lou Grassi. AMG.

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Keef Hartley Band - Little Big Band 1971

b. 8 March 1944, Preston, Lancashire, England, d. 27 November 2011. Together with Colosseum, the Keef Hartley Band of the late 60s forged jazz and rock music sympathetically to appeal to the UK progressive music scene. Drummer Hartley had already had vast experience in live performances as Ringo Starr’s replacement in Rory Storm And The Hurricanes. When Merseybeat died, Hartley was enlisted by the London-based R&B band the Artwoods, whose line-up included future Deep Purple leader Jon Lord. Hartley was present on their only album, Art Gallery (now a much sought-after collector’s item). He joined John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and was present during one of Mayall’s vintage periods. Both Crusade and Diary Of A Band highlighted Hartley’s economical drumming and faultless timing. The brass-laden instrumental track on John Mayall’s Bare Wires is titled ‘Hartley Quits’. The good-natured banter between Hartley and his ex-boss continued onto Hartley’s strong debut, Halfbreed. The opening track, ‘Hearts And Flowers,’ has the voice of Mayall on the telephone officially sacking Hartley, albeit tongue-in-cheek, while the closing track ‘Sacked’ has Hartley dismissing Mayall! The intervening music features some of the best ever late-60s jazz-influenced blues, and the album remains an undiscovered classic.

The band for the first album was comprised of Miller Anderson (b. 12 April 1945, Johnston, Renfrewshire, Scotland; guitar and vocals), Gary Thain (b. 15 May 1948, Wellington, New Zealand, d. 8 December 1975, Norwood Green, Middlesex, England; bass), Peter Dines (b. 17 December 1944, Hertford, England, d. 28 January 2004; organ) and Spit James (guitar). Later members to join Hartley’s fluid line-up included Mick Weaver (aka Wynder K. Frog) organ, Henry Lowther (b. 11 July 1941, Leicester, England; trumpet/violin), Jimmy Jewell (saxophone), Johnny Almond (flute), Jon Hiseman (who guested on percussion and congas) and Harry Beckett. Hartley, often dressed as an American Indian, sometimes soberly, sometimes in full headdress and war paint, was a popular attraction on the small club scene. His was one of the few British bands to play the Woodstock Festival, where his critics compared him favourably with Blood, Sweat And Tears. The Battle Of North West Six in 1969 further enhanced his club reputation, although chart success still eluded him. By the time of the third album both Lowther and Jewell had departed, although Hartley always maintained that his band was like a jazz band, in that musicians could come and go and be free to play with other aggregations.

Dave Caswell and Lyle Jenkins came in and made The Time Is Near.... This album demonstrated Miller Anderson’s fine songwriting ability, and producer Neil Slaven’s excellent production. They were justly rewarded when the album briefly nudged its way into the UK and US charts. Subsequent albums lost the fire that Hartley kindled on the first three, although the formation of his Little Big Band and the subsequent live album had some fine moments. The recording at London’s Marquee club saw the largest ever band assembled on the tiny stage; almost the entire British jazz/rock fraternity seemed to be present, including Chris Mercer, Lynn Dobson, Ray Warleigh, Barbara Thompson and Derek Wadsworth. By the time Seventy Second Brave was released, Anderson had departed, having signed a contract as a solo artist. He was clearly the jewel in Hartley’s crown (or headgear) and the cohesion that Anderson gave the band as the main songwriter, lead vocalist and lead guitar was instantly lost. Future recordings also lacked Slaven’s even production. Hartley and Anderson came together again in 1974 for one album as Dog Soldier but Hartley was largely inactive in music for many years apart from the occasional tour with John Mayall and sessions with Michael Chapman. In the mid-90s he had a carpentry business in Preston, Lancashire, and although it was alleged that he no longer owned a drum kit, attempts were made in the mid-90s to re-form the original line-up of this highly undervalued band (which certainly warrants reappraisal in the 21st century). However, the reunion never transpired, and Keef Hartley died on 27 November 2011 at the age of 67. AMG.

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Brigitte Fontaine - Est...Folle 1968

Brigitte Fontaine's first album, arranged by Jean Claude Vannier (who had also done arrangements for Serge Gainsbourg), is her most normal and accessible record. It's still not terribly normal by pop standards, its arty songs dressed up with period Continental orchestration and quirky melodies and vocal deliveries. These can both hark back to Edith Piaf-styled material, or look forward to slight avant-garde/experimentalism. At times it sounds like the kind of thing Francoise Hardy might have done had she continued to develop along adventurous lines and keep pace with progressive pop and rock trends in the late '60s. In fact, songs like "Une Fois Mais Pas Deux" sound rather close to Hardy's best late-'60s material, but Hardy would have never done anything as goofy as "L'Homme Objet," with its music-box backing, or as odd as "Eternelle," with its tribal male backup vocals and rhythms, and "Blanche Neige," with its overdubbed tropical bird effects. AMG.

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