Rainbow - After the Storm (1968)

Year: 1968 (CD 2008)
Label: Fallout Records (UK), FOCD2078
Style: Psychedelic Rock, Rock
Country: L.A., U.S.
Time: 43:57
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 258 Mb

 

Ritchie Blackmore may have gotten more mileage out of the band name, but the original Rainbow's one album from 1968 shows that this quartet, completely unrelated to Blackmore's outfit, had the idea for appropriate nomenclature first. That said, After the Storm is one of those releases that isn't deservedly obscure per se, but definitely doesn't deserve automatic kudos for being rare and therefore valuable for that reason alone. One of any number of L.A. groups of their time and place, Rainbow put together plenty that was in the air around them, from Love's amazing confections to the Byrds' transmogrifications to Iron Butterfly's keyboard-heavy explorations (perhaps no surprise given that bandleader/chief songwriter W. David Mohr played both organ and piano) to all sorts of electric blues -- the album's one cover is a take with saxophone of Willie Dixon's "I Just Want to Make Love to You." As an individual effort, though, it's generally unremarkable -- if anything, it's the odd little elements scattered throughout that give it any uniqueness, but that's not enough to sustain a full album. So there's the fragmentary "Debby's Party," which starts the album, all cheers and party noise; what sounds like a door opening before the beginning of "Love Allusions"; the easygoing guitar introduction to "Leaf Clover" (very much a post-SMiLE Beach Boys song in feel); the chipmunk voice followed by the intentionally over the top introduction of Mohr on "Does Your Head Need Straightening?" -- good moments all. Otherwise there's a lot of bravura singing here and there, soothing background harmony singing that's pleasant but little more, and the general sense that these guys meant well -- can't knock that, but there's nothing much more to say. The 2008 reissue adds no bonus tracks but the reproduction of the album packaging is pleasant enough.

(allmusic.com/album/after-the-storm-mw0000496105)

01. Debby's Party (00:32)
02. The Ballad of Captain Bob and the Good Ship Venus (04:37)
03. Love Allusions (03:06)
04. Milk and Honey Lovin' (03:54)
05. I Just Want to Make Love to You (04:46)
06. Leaf Clover (03:15)
07. Prelude to the Music Makers Concerto (01:27)
08. Does Your Head Need Straightening? (06:02)
09. Midnight Candle (06:17)
10. Mary Lou (01:49)
11. Everything's Cool (02:38)
12. After The Storm (05:28)

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Alexander Skip Spence - Oar (1969)

Year: May 19, 1969 (CD 1999)
Label: Sundazed Records (U.S.), A 30731
Style: Rock, Folk, Psychedelic Rock
Country: San Francisco, California (April 18, 1946 - April 16, 1999)
Time: 65:23
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 358 Mb

Alexander (Skip) Spence, a pivotal figure in psychedelic San Francisco rock, died Friday at Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, Calif., where he had lived. The cause was advanced lung cancer, said his son Omar. He was 52 years old.

Mr. Spence was a founding member of both Jefferson Airplane and Moby Grape. As a songwriter, he twisted blues, country and pop into unpredictable shapes. He was primarily a guitarist, although he was drafted to play drums in the Airplane. But as early as the 1960's, Mr. Spence had been found to be a paranoid schizophrenic. After making his 1969 solo album, ''Oar'' (Columbia), he was institutionalized for many years.

Mr. Spence was born April 18, 1946, in Windsor, Ontario, and made his way to San Francisco by the mid-1960's. On his way to an audition for the band that became Quicksilver Messenger Service, he was spotted by Marty Balin of the nascent Jefferson Airplane, who decided by his looks that Mr. Spence was the drummer he wanted. Although he had never played the drums, after a week of practice he joined Jefferson Airplane for its debut album in 1966, ''Jefferson Airplane Takes Off.'' He wrote some of the band's early songs, including ''Blues from an Airplane'' and ''My Best Friend,'' a single from the Airplane's 1967 album, ''Surrealistic Pillow.''

By then, he had helped start a new band, Moby Grape. In September and October of 1966, Moby Grape spent eight hours a day rehearsing songs by its five songwriters; it stood out among San Francisco bands with its three-guitar front line and its capacity for elaborate pop vocal harmonies as well as virtuoso jamming. Mr. Spence wrote the band's most innovative songs, using unconventional structures and experimenting with studio effects. ''His mind was always churning over with stuff,'' Peter Lewis, another Moby Grape guitarist, told an interviewer. ''It was hard for him to sit and talk. He didn't deal in words, but in ideas. Yet he was an inspiration, always able to get people going on his trip.''

The band was quickly signed to Columbia Records, released its debut album in June 1967, and started a remarkable streak of bad luck and misguided decisions. The label released five songs simultaneously as singles, virtually guaranteeing that no one song became a hit. In the wee hours after the party to celebrate the release of the album, Mr. Spence and the band's two other guitarists, Jerry Miller and Peter Lewis, were arrested with three underage girls, though charges were later dropped. The band's first national tour earned it few new fans.

Moby Grape settled in Los Angeles to record a second album in late 1967, but spent more time partying than recording. Columbia had the band start new recording sessions in New York City, where Moby Grape was thrown out of numerous hotels and Mr. Spence took increasing amounts of hallucinogens.

One of his songs for ''Wow,'' Moby Grape's second album, was recorded with a 1930's-style dance orchestra and featured an appearance by Arthur Godfrey. After ''Wow'' was released, during recording sessions in July 1968, a delusional Mr. Spence went after band members with a fire ax. He was jailed at the Tombs and then committed to Bellevue Hospital.

He was discharged at the end of 1968, and went to Nashville. There, in four days in December, he made ''Oar,'' on which he played every instrument through multitracking. It included quasi-Appalachian ballads, eerie psychedelia and whimsical tunes with titles like "Lawrence of Euphoria." Ignored at the time, it has since gained a cult following among musicians. It was Mr. Spence's last album.

His mental illness worsened, and he spent much of the 1970's and 1980's in and out of mental hospitals. In 1981 he became a ward of the state of California. He continued to play guitar and write songs, and he remained in contact with the members of Moby Grape. In 1990 he contributed a new song, "All My Life I Love You," to a reunion album, with the band recording as the Legendary Grape because of a legal dispute over the Moby Grape trademark. "Oar" was reissued as a compact disk in 1993.

(nytimes.com/1999/04/18/nyregion/skip-spence-psychedelic-musician-dies-at-52.html?sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1)

01. Little Hands (03:44)
02. Cripple Creek (02:16)
03. Diana (03:32)
04. Margaret - Tiger Rug (02:17)
05. Weighted Down (The Prison Song) (06:27)
06. War In Peace (04:05)
07. Broken Heart (03:29)
08. All Come To Meet Her (02:04)
09. Books Of Moses (02:42)
10. Dixie Peach Promenade (Yin For Yang) (02:53)
11. Lawrence Of Euphoria (01:31)
12. Grey / Afro (09:38)
13. This Time He Has Come (04:42)
14. It's The Best Thing For You (02:48)
15. Keep Everything Under Your Hat (03:06)
16. Furry Heroine (Halo Of Gold) (03:35)
17. Givin' Up Things (00:59)
18. If I'm Good (00:47)
19. You Know (01:47)
20. Doodle (01:02)
21. Fountain (00:34)
22. I Think You And I (01:14)

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Procol Harum - Shine On Brightly [Japan Edition] (1968)

Year: September 1968 (CD 2012)
Label: Victor Records (Japan), VICP-75092
Style: Progressive Rock, Art Rock, Psychedelic Rock
Country: Southend-on-Sea, Essex, UK
Time: 70:25
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 419 Mb

Procol Harum is a hard group to review, if only because they have chosen stylistically to place themselves in competition with middle-late (Blonde on Blonde) Dylan and the Band (Music From Big Pink); thus Keith Reid can write uncannily like a certain period Dylan (as Rambling On on Shine On Brightly) and BJ Wilson often sounds like Levon Helm taught him how to play drums.

It has been remarked how much the Band album showed the influence of the first Procol Harum album; it might also be remarked how much the second Procol Harum album shows the influence of the Band album. Perhaps this juxtaposition is unfair – it must be admitted Procol Harum suffers in these comparisons – but Gary Brooker, in spite of his unique style, just cannot match Richard Manuel's vocals, and Robin Trower can't begin to touch Robbie Robertson's guitar playing.

In spite of these limitations Procol Harum is nevertheless quite capable of powerful music when not being wantonly eclectic (note the absurd quote from Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez in the middle section of Skip Softly). The dilemma of the group is illustrated quite bluntly by In Held 'Twas In I, a seventeen-minute sonic blitz that ranges from an anecdote concerning a koan the Dalai Lama presumably once delivered, to an electric mass of sorts.

Sandwiched in the midst of all this often patent nonsense is a very moving song decidedly (and effectively) schizoid, about the 'autumn of my madness'. Shine On Brightly is also a beautifully constructed little song, an effective wedding of lyrics and music.

Quite Rightly So and Rambling On are nice tracks, while Magdalene is certainly pleasant enough. Having said this however, it must be noted that Shine On Brightly is not the album one might have hoped for. The Procol Harum's first release was generally more satisfying, especially since this new album displays little in the way of startling growth – the group has apparently chosen to refine their old approach and the musical result, while usually listenable, is not consistently interesting.

One question the album does raise is whether the Procol Harum have the imaginative and musical potential to creatively evolve, and on this score Shine On Brightly must remain an ambiguous statement.

(Jim Miller in Rolling Stone, 7 December 1968) (procolharum.com/sob_rev_rs.htm)

01. Quite Rightly So (03:38)
02. Shine On Brightly (03:30)
03. Skip Softly (My Moonbeams) (03:43)
04. Wish Me Well (03:19)
05. Rambling On (04:27)
06. Magdalene (My Regal Zonophone) (02:47)
07. In Held Twas I a) Glimpses Of Nirvana (04:20)
08. In Held Twas I b) 'Twas Teatime At The Circus (01:15)
09. In Held Twas I c) In The Autumn Of My Madness (03:01)
10. In Held Twas I d) Look To Your Soul (04:48)
11. In Held Twas I e) Grand Finale (03:39)
12. Quite Tightly So (Mono Single Version) (03:41)
13. In The Wee Small Hours Of Sixpence (Mono Single Version) (03:01)
14. Monsieur Armand (Mono Outtake) (02:38)
15. Seem To Have The Blues (Most All The Time) (Mono Single Version) (02:48)
16. McGreggor (Stereo Outtake) (02:47)
17. The Gospel According To... (Stereo Alternate Of 'Wish Me Well') (03:28)
18. Shine On Brightly (Alternate Mono 1967 Version) (03:22)
19. Magdalene (My Regal Zonophone) (Alternate Mono 1967 Version) (02:24)
20. A Robe Of Silk (Stereo Backing Track) (01:58)
21. Monsieur Armand (Stereo Backing Track) (02:42)
22. In The Wee Small Hours Of Sixpence (Stereo Backing Track) (02:59)

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Queen - Live At The Rainbow (2xCD) (1974)

Year: March / November 1974 (CD 2014)
Label: Virgin / EMI Records (Europe), 0602537910687
Style: Rock, Hard Rock
Country: London, England
Time: 64:29, 79:40
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 461, 537 Mb

A deluge of concert footage and personal memories evoke what a great live band Queen was. Much of what has been released in recent years has focused on the live shows from the 1980s, when Queen had become more of an international phenomenon, transcending their hard, progressive roots of the early days. Thankfully, someone finally remembered what an incredibly vibrant, edgy, and gloriously bombastic band Queen was before they became champions of the world, and had the good sense to piece together Live At The Rainbow ’74.

At this time of its November 1974 recording, Queen was in the midst of a major transition — moving from their hard rock, progressive style to a more song-oriented approach that would garner heavy radio airplay and bigger record sales. On Live At The Rainbow ’74, however, this is hardly the case as the hard edge of their sound, given an extra push by the flash and execution of their stage show, are firing on all cylinders. “Now I’m Here,” one of seven the band pulled from the then-new Sheer Heart Attack, would become one of the band’s most powerful opener for years to come.

Much of the show is filled with tracks from the band’s epic Queen II, long singled out as being the band’s most progressive and regal album — radically different from latter day albums like Jazz and The Game, which would go on to redefine Queen as a more mainstream band. “Ogre Battle” is a go-for-the-throat riff, typical of other early Queen rockers while “Father To Son” and “White Queen (As It Began)” are more drawn-out, meticulously arranged and fluffed up to underscore Freddie Mercury’s regal-sized aspirations. This is especially brought to the fore when Brain May and Mercury brilliantly align the guitar and piano in a momentous build that would become one of Queen’s greatest musical trademarks.

Both May and drummer Roger Taylor, who continue to bear the Queen torch to this day, get in their chops a-plenty on the allotted solo spots. This only adds to the band’s fire power when they, along with precision bassist John Deacon, let loose on shakers like “Keep Yourself Alive” and “Stone Cold Crazy.” At the end of “Jailhouse Rock,” Taylor kicks and shoves his drum kit off its pedestal, perhaps in one last act of rock and roll defiance before he and the rest of the Queen would change course a year later with A Night At The Opera. Live At The Rainbow ’74 reminds of us of how kick-ass Queen was as a rock and roll band.

(Shawn Perry. vintagerock.com/queen-live-at-the-rainbow-74-dvd-review/)

CD1: "Queen II" Tour Live At The Rainbow, March '74

01. Procession (01:14)
02. Father To Son (06:07)
03. Ogre Battle (05:26)
04. Son And Daughter (03:29)
05. Guitar Solo (02:24)
06. Son And Daughter (Reprise) (02:01)
07. White Queen (As It Began) (05:48)
08. Great King Rat (07:04)
09. The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke (02:52)
10. Keep Yourself Alive (02:22)
11. Drum Solo (00:27)
12. Keep Yourself Alive (Reprise) (01:22)
13. Seven Seas Of Rhye (03:09)
14. Modern Times Rock'n'Roll (02:40)
15. Jailhouse Rock Medley (04:31)
16. Liar (08:27)
17. See What A Fool I've Been (04:58)

CD2: "Sheer Heart Attack" Tour Live At The Rainbow, November '74

01. Procession (01:18)
02. Now I'm Here (04:57)
03. Ogre Battle (05:30)
04. Father To Son (05:53)
05. White Queen (As It Began) (05:33)
06. Flick Of The Wrist (04:06)
07. In The Lap Of The Gods (03:17)
08. Killer Queen (01:25)
09. The March Of The Black Queen (01:35)
10. Bring Back That Leroy Brown (01:40)
11. Son And Daughter (03:44)
12. Guitar Solo (04:41)
13. Son And Daughter (Reprise) (02:14)
14. Keep Yourself Alive (02:22)
15. Drum Solo (00:51)
16. Keep Yourself Alive (Reprise) (01:24)
17. Seven Seas Of Rhye (03:28)
18. Stone Cold Crazy (02:39)
19. Liar (08:39)
20. In The Lap Of The Gods... revisited (04:09)
21. Big Spender (01:31)
22. Modern Times Rock'n'Roll (03:11)
23. Jailhouse Rock (04:07)
24. God Save The Queen (01:18)

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CD2: "Sheer Heart Attack" At The Rainbow, November '74     KatFile              GigaPeta             TurboBit

Arlo Guthrie - Alice's Restaurant (1967)

Year: October 1967 (CD ????)
Label: Reprise Records (U.S.), 6267-2
Style: Folk, Folk Rock
Country: Brooklyn, New York City, U.S. (July 10, 1947)
Time: 35:12
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 198 Mb

 

Alice's Restaurant is the debut studio album by Arlo Guthrie released in October 1967 by Reprise Records. It features one of his most famous songs, "Alice's Restaurant Massacree". A steady seller, the album peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 album chart in March 1968. The album re-entered the chart in October 1969 and reached No. 63 in November of that year.[4] Alice's Restaurant went gold (500,000 units sold) in September 1969 and Platinum (1,000,000 sold) in October 1986.

(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice%27s_Restaurant_(album))

Arlo Davy Guthrie is an American folk singer and son of the famous folk pioneer Woody Guthrie. Known for protesting against social injustice through his music, Arlo shot to fame with his song ‘Alice's Restaurant Massacree’, a sarcastic blues song, which became so popular that it was sung as the Thanksgiving anthem in the United States. His song ‘Massachusetts’, a part of his album ‘Amigo’, was adopted by the legislature as the official folk song of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Being the son of a popular folk artiste, he was exposed to music from a young age. It did not take him long to realize that music was his life’s calling. Arlo was 13 when he performed for the first time at a public show. By the mid-1960s, he had become an icon of the counterculture generation, and was at the peak of his career in the late 1960s and early 1970s. His albums ‘Arlo’ and ‘Running down the Road’ were quite successful. His song ‘Coming into Los Angeles’ was featured in the soundtrack of the film ‘Woodstock.’ He created his own recording label, Rising Son Records, in 1983. Like many other folk musicians, Arlo Guthrie also feels that it is his duty to pass folk music and its values on to the coming generations.

(thefamouspeople.com/profiles/arlo-guthrie-8056.php)

01. Alice's Restaurant Massacree (18:36)
02. Chilling of the Evening (03:04)
03. Ring-Around-A-Rosy Rag (02:15)
04. Now and Then (02:23)
05. I'm Going Home (03:18)
06. The Motorcycle Song (02:50)
07. Highway in the Wind (02:41)

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Mott The Hoople - Mott (1973)

Year: 20 July 1973 (CD 2006)
Label: Columbia / Legascy (U.S.), 82796 93810 2
Style: Rock, Glam Rock
Country: Hereford, Herefordshire, England
Time: 58:42
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 351 Mb

 

Charts: UK No. 7 / US No. 35 / Can. No. 43. In 2003, the album was ranked number 366 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, and 370 in a 2012 revised list.

The album featured different album covers in the U.K. and U.S., as well as remastered tracks on some editions. The U.S. cover featured a photo of the four band members with the word "MOTT" on it, with "Mott The Hoople" written in the O. The U.K. front cover featured an illustration based on a bust of Roman emperor Augustus, the band's name written in a typeface simultaneously evocative of a 1920s Art Deco font and the "Future Shock" font inspired by computer-readable punch cards.[citation needed] Initial copies had a gatefold sleeve with the Augustus image printed on a transparent plastic sheet.[citation needed] The emperor would appear again on the inner sleeve of The Hoople, the band's next and final album in both the United States and the United Kingdom.

(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mott_(album))

01. All The Way From Memphis (05:02)
02. Whizz Kid (03:25)
03. Hymn For The Dudes (05:24)
04. Honaloochie Boogie (02:43)
05. Violence (04:48)
06. Drivin' Sister (03:53)
07. Ballad Of Mott The Hoople (05:25)
08. I'm A Cadillac / El Camino Dolo Roso (07:50)
09. I Wish I Was Your Mother (04:53)
10. Rose (Non-LP B-Side of ''Honaloochie Boogie'') (03:58)
11. Honaloochie Boogie (Demo Version) (03:08)
12. Nightmare (Demo) (03:38)
13. Drivin' Sister (Live, Hammersmith Odeon) (04:30)

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Chet Baker - On a Misty Night (The Prestige Sessions) (1965)

Year: 1965 (CD 1996)
Label: Prestige Records (Europe), 0025218517423
Style: Cool Jazz, Hard Bop, Jazz
Country: Yale, Oklahoma, U.S. (December 23, 1929 - May 13, 1988)
Time: 70:03
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 374 Mb

 

Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist. He is known for major innovations in cool jazz leading him to be nicknamed the "prince of cool".

Baker earned much attention and critical praise through the 1950s, particularly for albums featuring his vocals (Chet Baker Sings (1954), It Could Happen to You (1958)). Jazz historian Dave Gelly described the promise of Baker's early career as "James Dean, Sinatra, and Bix, rolled into one". His well-publicized drug habit also drove his notoriety and fame. Baker was in and out of jail frequently before enjoying a career resurgence in the late 1970s and 1980s.

Baker was born and raised in a musical household in Yale, Oklahoma. His father, Chesney Baker Sr., was a professional guitarist, and his mother, Vera Moser, was a pianist who worked in a perfume factory. His maternal grandmother was Norwegian. Baker said that owing to the Great Depression, his father, though talented, had to quit as a musician and take a regular job. At age 10 in 1940, his family relocated to Glendale, California.

Baker began his musical career singing in a church choir. His father gave him a trombone, which was replaced with a trumpet when the trombone proved too large. His mother said that he had begun to memorize tunes on the radio before he was given an instrument. After "falling in love" with the trumpet, he improved noticeably in two weeks. Peers called Baker a natural musician to whom playing came effortlessly.

Baker received some musical education at Glendale High School, but he left school at the age of 16 in 1946 to join the United States Army. He was assigned to Berlin, Germany, where he joined the 298th Army Band. After leaving the Army in 1948, he studied music theory and harmony at El Camino College in Los Angeles. He dropped out during his second year to re-enlist. He became a member of the Sixth Army Band at the Presidio in San Francisco, spending time in clubs such as Bop City and the Black Hawk. He was discharged from the Army in 1951 and proceeded to pursue a career in music.

(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chet_Baker)

01. Cut plug (04:40)
02. Boudoir (06:24)
03. Etude in Three (05:13)
04. Sleeping Susan (08:46)
05. Go-Go (04:11)
06. Lament for the Living (06:59)
07. Pot Luck (08:16)
08. Bud's Blues (06:16)
09. Romas (06:50)
10. On a Misty Night (07:34)
11. Hurry (04:50)

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A Passing Fancy - A Passing Fancy (1968)

Year: 1968 (CD 2008)
Label: Pacemaker Entertainment (Canada), PACE-034-LN
Style: Psychedelic Rock, Rock
Country: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Time: 35:53
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 229 Mb

A Passing Fancy was a Canadian band from Toronto, Ontario, active from the mid-1960s fronted by the singer-songwriter and guitarist Jay Telfer (Died 20 May 2009, in his 61st year) and Brian Price.

At Downsview Secondary School, Brian Price (organ, vocals) formed his own band, the Dimensions with brothers Jay (rhythm guitar) and Ian Telfer (bass guitar), Phil Seon (guitar) and Greg Hershoff (drums) in July 1965, The Dimensions were managed by Bernie Finkelstein, (future president of True North Records and Bruce Cockburn's longstanding manager), who had also been a student at Downsview. After playing dates at many high schools across Ontario, the Dimensions became the house band at Cafe El Patio in the Yorkville Village through Finkelstein's connections. The band changed name to A Passing Fancy in January 1966 when Finkelstein left to take over the management of The Paupers.

By this stage, Rick Mann (aka Fruchtman) had replaced Jay's brother on bass. The new line-up began to gig extensively on the local scene. Through the band's fan club president, Barb Young, A Passing Fancy was introduced to record storeowner Walter Honsberger and partner Dan Bartollini, who began to shape the band's sound and image as Wal-Dan Management. Within a few months, the management team had wrangled a three-single deal with Columbia Records. The first single under this deal, I'm Losin' Tonight was very successful and charted across Canada.

In September 1966, Steve Wilson came in to replace Greg Hershoff on the drums. Aside from playing regularly at clubs like the Night Owl, the Gogue Inn and Club 888, A Passing Fancy also worked extensively at the Blue Fox and established a local following throughout late 1966 and early 1967.

(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Passing_Fancy#Discography)

01. I'm Losing Tonight (02:51)
02. A Passing Fancy (02:39)
03. You're Going Out Of My Mind (02:35)
04. Sounds Silly (02:28)
05. She Phoned (02:14)
06. I Believe In Sunshine (02:25)
07. Island (02:09)
08. Your Trip (03:08)
09. Little Boys For Little Girls (03:33)
10. Under The Bridge (02:40)
11. Spread Out (02:55)
12. People In Me (03:20)
13. I'm Losing Tonight (Bonus) (02:49)

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Poco - Pickin' Up the Pieces / Poco (2xCD) (1969 / 1970)

Year: May 19, 1969 / May 6, 1970 (CD )
Label: BGO Records (UK), BGOCD612
Style: Bluegrass, Country Rock, Folk Rock, Soft Rock
Country: Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Time: 40:10, 41:03
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 266, 286 Mb

 

Charts "Pickin' Up the Pieces": U.S. #63 / "Pickin' Up the Pieces" U.S. #58; AUS #34; CAN #15.

Poco , seminal West Coast country-rock band of the 1970s. Membership: Jim Messina, lead gtr., bs., voc. (b. Maywood, Calif., Dec. 5, 1947); Richie Furay, rhythm gtr., voc. (b. Yellow Springs, Ohio, May 9, 1944); Randy Meisner, bs., voc. (b. Scottsbluff, Neb., March 8, 1946); Rusty Young, pedal steel gtr., dobro., voc. (b. Long Beach, Calif., Feb. 23, 1946); George Grantham, drm., voc. (b. Cordell, Okla., Jan. 20, 1947). Timothy B. Schmit, bs., voc. (b. Sacramento, Calif., Oct. 30, 1947) replaced Randy Meisner; and Paul Cotton, gtr., voc. (b. Los Angeles, Feb. 26, 1943) replaced Jim Messina, in 1970. Schmit and George Grantham left in 1979, to be replaced by Steve Chapman, drm.; Charlie Harrison, bs.; Kim Bullard, kybd.

Poco did not attain the popularity of the Eagles, the first commercially successful band of the genre, until the late 1970s. By that time founders Jim Messina and Richie Furay had moved on, as had founder Randy Meisner, who subsequently joined and departed the Eagles. Despite the personnel changes, Poco maintained a remarkably consistent sound, featuring group vocal harmonies and rock instrumentation. They recorded several outstanding albums, including 1973’s Crazy Eyes, eventually breaking through with 1979’s Legend and its two hit singles. The group disbanded in 1984 and reunited with the original members in 1989.

Jim Messina and Richie Furay, both former members of the Buffalo Springfield, formed Poco with Rusty Young, Randy Meisner, and George Grantham in August 1968. Debuting at the Troubadour in Los Angeles in November, Poco auditioned for Apple Records but signed with Epic. Given the chaotic career of the Buffalo Springfield, Poco’s debut album was appropriately titled Piekin’ Up the Pieces. The album sold only modestly and failed to yield a hit single. By the time of the album’s release, Meisner had already departed to join Rick Nelson’s Stone Canyon Band, later to help form the Eagles. Poco remained a quartet until February 1970, when Timothy B. Schmit joined the band. Poco and Deliverin’ yielded minor hits with Messina’s “You Better Think Twice” and Furay’s “C’mon.”

In November 1970 Jim Messina left Poco to form the successful Loggins and Messina duo with Kenny Log-gins. He was replaced by Paul Cotton, the erstwhile leader of the 111. Speed Press. This lineup-Furay, Young, Cotton, Schmit, and Grantham-recorded three albums and toured extensively, usually as a support act. Crazy Eyes, probably their finest album for Epic, sold moderately and included Furay’s title song as well as excellent versions of Gram Parsons’s “Brass Buttons” and J. J. Cale’s “Magnolia.”

Richie Furay left Poco in September 1973 to form the ill-fated Souther-Hillman-Furay Band, with singer-songwriter John David Souther and Chris Hillman, a former member of the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers. An early associate of Jackson Browne and Glenn Frey, Souther had cowritten several songs for the Eagles and contributed three songs to Linda Ronstadt’s album Don’t Cry Now. Formed at the behest of Asylum Records president David Geffen as a prospective supergroup, they scored a major hit with Furay’s “Fallin’ in Love” from their debut album. However, the group encountered a credibility problem brought on by Asylum’s massive hype campaign, and they disbanded in late 1975. Furay later recorded three solo albums for Asylum, managing a moderate hit with “I Still Have Dreams” in late 1979.

With Furay’s departure, Poco continued as a four-piece, with Paul Cotton taking over as lead vocalist and Cotton and Young composing most of the material. They recorded two more albums for Epic before switching to ABC Records in 1975. They were able to achieve minor hits with “Keep On Tryin’” and the title songs to Rose of Cimarron and Indian Summer. However, by March 1978 Timothy B. Schmit had left to join the Eagles and George Grantham had left, to eventually join the Doobie Brothers. Rusty Young, the only remaining original member, and Paul Cotton reconstituted the group for their best-selling album Legend, which yielded the major hits “Crazy Love” and “Heart of the Night.” Buoyed by the album’s success (it stayed on the album charts for a year), Poco continued to tour and record until 1984, when they disbanded.

In 1989 the five original members of Poco-Jim Messina, Richie Furay, Randy Meisner, Rusty Young, and George Grantham-reunited to record Legacy for RCA. The album yielded a moderate hit with "Nothin' to Hide," cowritten by producer Richard Marx, and "Call It Love." They toured in 1990 with drummer Gary Mallaber, but the band soon disintegrated.

(encyclopedia.com/arts/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/poco-0)

CD1 "Pickin' Up the Pieces" (1969):

01. Foreword-What a Day (03:19)
02. Nobody's Fool (03:29)
03. Calico Lady (03:05)
04. First Love (03:11)
05. Make Me a Smile (03:18)
06. Short Changed (03:19)
07. Pickin' Up the Pieces (03:22)
08. Grand Junction (03:00)
09. Oh Yeah (04:09)
10. Just in Case It Happens, Yes Indeed (02:47)
11. Tomorrow (03:14)
12. Consequently, So Long (03:52)

CD2 "Poco" (1970):

01. Hurry Up (04:06)
02. You Better Think Twice (03:21)
03. Honky Tonk Downstairs (02:43)
04. Keep On Believin' (02:51)
05. Anyway Bye Bye (07:00)
06. Don't Let It Pass By (02:33)
07. Nobody's Fool (02:36)
08. Nobody's Fool-El Tonto de Nadie, Regresa (15:50)

CD1 "Pickin' Up the Pieces" (1969):     KatFile               GigaPeta               TurboBit

CD2 "Poco" (1970):                              KatFile               GigaPeta               TurboBit

Humble Pie - Eat It [Japan Edition] (1973)

Year: March 16, 1973 (CD Aug 25, 1993)
Label: A&M Records (Japan), POCM-1889
Style: Rock, Soul
Country: Moreton, Essex, England, UK
Time: 65:03
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 410 Mb

Charts: UK #34, U.S. #13, CA #10, AUS #41

At the start of 1969 and soon after leaving Small Faces, Steve Marriott joined the newly established trio that he had helped to form: Humble Pie.

The band consisted of former Herd frontman Peter Frampton on guitar, bassist Greg Ridley who was previously in Spooky Tooth and the young Jerry Shirley on drums. Marriott and Frampton were both regarded as “teen idols” at that time, so the union of the two resulted in Humble Pie being labelled with another common term of the time – “Super Group”.

The formation of Humble Pie brought massive expectations from public and press alike, so under a veil of secrecy, the four left London and secluded themselves in the adjacent county of Essex to begin the creative process. A lot of the writing took place at Steve’s Beehive Cottage in Moreton, and the Village Hall in nearby Magdalen Laver was booked for rehearsals.

It was a fruitful time for the newly formed Pie, as a couple of albums worth of material came from the process. Contractual snags briefly postponed their release, nevertheless “As Safe As Yesterday Is” was released, swiftly followed by “Town and Country”, both on Andrew Loog Oldham’s Immediate label.“As Safe As Yesterday Is” included the hit single “Natural Born Bugie” and the group commenced appearances to promote their newly released albums.

Whilst Marriott, Ridley, and Frampton shared frontman duties, concerts were musical marathons presented around two distinct parts The first was acoustic and mellow, frequently performed by the four members of Humble Pie sitting on the stage floor barefooted, and the second half of the concerts was plugged-in, louder and much more rhythm & blues-influenced.

When Immediate Records folded due to financial disarray, Humble Pie spent a period of time in limbo until eventually a deal was signed with A&M. At the same time, Dee Anthony was introduced as the band’s manager to bring a change in the business side of the group’s affairs. This proved to be a pivotal moment in the Pie’s career since the musical focus of the band shifted into a more rock and blues repertoire, which is certainly evident in their subsequent LP release in 1970, the self-titled “Humble Pie”.

With Anthony in charge of the group’s affairs, Humble Pie’s focus was on the United States, which had been in the midst of the so-called “British Invasion”. American music fans were eager for as much British new music as they could consume, and a slice of Humble Pie was a welcome addition to the musical menu, and so the quartet embarked on several tours across “the Pond”. Their live set was now a mix of boogie and blues with Marriott coming to the fore as the primary front man and focus of the band. This prompted co-leader Peter Frampton to move on again to what would become an occasionally legendary solo career.

(stevemarriott.co.uk/humble-pie/humble-pie/)

01. Get Down to It (03:26)
02. Good Booze and Bad Women (03:16)
03. Is It for Love? (04:37)
04. Drugstore Cowboy (05:39)
05. Black Coffee (03:10)
06. I Believe to My Soul (04:04)
07. Shut Up and Don't Interrupt Me (03:06)
08. That's How Strong My Love Is (03:46)

Bonus Tracks:

09. Say No More (01:59)
10. Oh, Bella (All That's Hers) (03:26)
11. Summer Song (02:45)
12. Beckton Dumps (03:14)
13. Up Our Sleeve (05:02)
14. Honky Tonk Women (03:57)
15. (I'm a) Road Runner (13:29)

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Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band - Stranger In Town (1978)

Year: May 15, 1978 (CD 2001)
Label: Capitol Records (Canada), 72435-35232-2-0
Style: Pop, Rock
Country: Detroit, Michigan, U.S. (May 6, 1945)
Time: 39:25
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 265 Mb

Charts: U.S. #4, AUS #12, GER #28, SWE #45, UK #35. US: 6x Platinum, CAN: 4 Platinum, UK: Gold.
After the runaway success of Live Bullet and Night Moves, the title Stranger In Town was Bob Seger sounding a note of caution. "I was a stranger to all of this: success, fame, money," he said in 1979. "I was so afraid that it was going to stop at any minute. I was afraid that I had just gotten lucky.
"We all have self doubts... but after 13 years of people telling you, 'you're gonna make it,' and not making it, and you actually disappointing those people... after 13 years, I was trying to figure out what I had done right."
Seger had no need to worry, and the album features some of his most fearless songs: Hollywood Nights, despite its theme of innocence abroad, is a ferocious, adrenalin-fuelled rush; while We Got Tonight is the polar opposite, an achingly tender ballad that was later covered by artists as disparate as Shirley Bassey, Richie Havens, Barry Manilow and Jeff Healey.
Old Time Rock And Roll – used in the iconic Tom Cruise dancing scene in Risky Business, and the second-most-played single on American jukeboxes ever (behind Patsy Cline’s Crazy) – was added almost as an afterthought.
"Old Time Rock And Roll came to me at the very end of Stranger In Town," said Seger. All I kept from the original [written by George Jackson and Thom Jones] was:‘Old time rock and roll, that kind of music soothes the soul, I reminisce about days of old with that old time rock and roll.’ I rewrote the verses and I never took credit.
"That was the dumbest thing I ever did. And Thom Jones and George Jackson know it too. But I just wanted to finish the record. I rewrote every verse you hear except for the choruses. I didn’t ask for credit.
"My manager said: “You should ask for a third of the credit.” And I said: “Nah. Nobody’s gonna like it.” I’m not credited on it so I couldn’t control the copyright either. Meanwhile it became a Wendy’s commercial because I couldn’t control it. Oh my god, it was awful!"
(loudersound.com/reviews/bob-seger-and-the-silver-bullet-band-stranger-in-town-album-of-the-week-club-review)

01. Hollywood Nights (04:59)
02. Still the Same (03:18)
03. Old Time Rock and Roll (03:14)
04. Till It Shines (03:50)
05. Feel Like a Number (03:42)
06. Ain't Got No Money (04:11)
07. We've Got Tonight (04:38)
08. Brave Strangers (06:20)
09. The Famous Final Scene (05:09)

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