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The Artwoods were every bit the rivals of such bands as the Animals and the Spencer Davis Group, but never saw the success as a recording act that either of them enjoyed. Rather, their following was confined to the clubs they played, despite releasing a half-dozen singles and an LP during their four years together.Art Wood, the older brother of Ron Wood, had been involved with the London blues scene almost from the beginning, as an original member of Blues Incorporated, the pioneering blues/R&B outfit founded by Alexis Korner and Cyril Davies. He was the backup rhythm singer in the band's early lineup, before the split between Davies and Korner (and prior to their recording their one and only album); he also had a group of his own that he fronted on the side, called the Art Woods Combo. They later became the Artwoods in 1963 and Jon Lord later joined along with guitarist Derek Griffiths, after their own earlier band, Red Bludd's Bluesicians, split up. The group's decision to turn professional in 1964 required a new drummer and Keef Hartley was recruited by way of an ad in Melody Maker magazine. For their bassist, they raided Malcolm Pool from the Roadrunners lineup. In the booming London music scene, getting a recording contract was relatively easy -- labels were signing everything in sight that could make a noise that sounded like music -- and they joined Decca Records' roster in 1964.The Artwoods' early records are some of the most fondly remembered British R&B singles, rivals to the work of the Rolling Stones, the Yardbirds, or, ironically enough, the Birds, the outfit of which Art Wood's younger brother Ron Wood was a member. Their sound was as steeped in soul and funk as it was in blues, which set them apart from many of their rivals. What's more, they were good at it, with a natural feel for the music and even capable of writing decent originals, which graced the B-sides of their singles. And they had a virtuoso lineup: Jon Lord's piano and organ sound was a great complement to Wood's singing, Derek Griffiths' guitar work was tastefully flashy, and Keef Hartley was animated as well as powerful, with a bigger sound on the drums than, say, Jim McCarty of the Yardbirds. All of these attributes made the Artwoods a top stage attraction. Club audiences always knew they were good for a great show and the band loved playing live. Ultimately, in fact, the group's success in touring and their love of playing live may have hurt them. They had no problem playing hundreds of gigs a year at venues like Klooks Kleek in Hampstead and dozens of lesser clubs for the sheer enjoyment of it, but they earned relatively little money doing it.At the same time, their singles never seemed to connect, despite appearances on programs like Ready, Steady, Go! and other television venues promoting them. Their failure as a recording outfit is inexplicable upon hearing the singles -- they weren't strong songwriters, to be sure, but when covering American-style R&B, their records were soulful, funky, and played not only well but inventively; close your eyes and it seems like they were the U.K. answer to Booker T. & the MG's. And the vocals -- if not as charismatic as what Eric Burdon, Mick Jagger, or Paul Jones were doing with their respective bands -- were attractive and memorable and sounded authentically American. And, in contrast to a lot of other British bands of that period, they did manage to capture something of their live sound on those records, which made them very potent. In fairness, Decca even allowed them to cut a complete LP despite their lack of chart success, but the quintet never broke through. Like the Action, another U.K. R&B outfit that made great records that never got heard, the Artwoods never did more than amaze audiences one club at a time and leave behind some great music to be found by pop culture archivists.A series of label switches in 1967 to Parlophone and then Fontana gave them some furtive success on the continent (in Denmark, of all places) and after four years of hard work, the Artwoods called it quits after a brief foray under the name the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. Keef Hartley was the first to go, heading to John Mayall's band (Macolm Pool followed his lead) and then into his own group, while Jon Lord, who had dabbled in studio outfits like Santa Barbara Machinehead, took up an offer from ex-Searcher Chris Curtis to join a group called Roundabout, which evolved into Deep Purple. Art Wood himself never left music, despite the disappointment inherent in the Artwoods. Like such older contemporaries as Alexis Korner, he made the occasional recording and was one of the members of the revived Downliners Sect during the 1980s and 1990s.
The origins of the band derive from the enthusiasm for music generated by the Beatles and the idealism of the mid-Sixties. From October 15, 1967 through August 23, 1970, the five members of the band developed the music skills and indentity that enabled us to create this album in the summer of 1970. We wanted to make a record of our music to preserve and commemorate the special bonds of friendship which continue to this day. The Rubber Memory was something special and this album, with all its imperfections, is exactly what we were, and will always be.Many thanks to Scott Bubrig whose interest, enthusiasm and determined attention to detail have made the reissue of this album possible.The Rubber Memory continued as a four member band until May 1971 with Bill on drums, Ted on lead guitar/vocals, David Parker on bass guitar/vocals and Joe Montelepre on organ/vocals. In October 1971, Brian Simeon joined the band on bass guitar/vocals and the name was changed to "Oakridge."The band played its last job in late spring 1972.
Upon first listen to psyche-rock obscurity ORANGE WEDGE, one would think they came from the darkest depths of Deutschland. In actuality, these folks come from the Pooch’s neck of the woods in Baltimore, MD. Information on the band is scarce at best, but here’s the skinny: they released two albums, this being the first. It was limited to only 500 pressings; so yes, “obscure classic” would be the appropriate term here. They’ve since gained a little exposure from the track “From the Womb to the Tomb” (not featured here) which can be found on a few psyche-rock rarity collections. Now while this is all well and good, the important thing is obviously the music itself. Thankfully, we’re talking high quality, well crafted stuff that still sounds good 35 years after the fact.Album opener “Love Me” is a catchy little folk rock number, with a crisp, clean blend of electric and acoustic strumming. The band’s singer has a powerful voice that’s versatile enough to work with the musical changes that occur throughout the album. Good thing, too, because the next track, “Death Comes Slowly”, is where these guys really get adventurous. It’s an 11+ minute jam with a totally unexpected jazzy breakdown in (I believe?) 11/8 time. Song three, “The Comfort of You”, is a tender semi-ballad that would have probably been better served with a higher key (the singer sounds like he’s struggling with the low register), but the acoustic to electric build-up is done quite nicely. Following that, we have a straight-forward, upbeat anthem in “Keep on Livin’”, and then a bit of a darker, minor-keyed rocker in “One Night Lover”. Still not satisfied with the musical exploration they’ve done so far, these guys completely switch gears on the classic rock & roll boogie of “Meat House Shuffle” before shoving the listener head-first into a sea of psychedelic with album closer “Revenge”, a 6 ½ minute jam full of solos and flanger drum effects that also proves to be the album’s darkest and heaviest moment.If there’s any major criticism to be offered here, it’s that the 11+ minute jazzy jam “Death Comes Slowly” probably should have been quite a bit further down in the track listing – y’know, let the listener get their feet a little wet first. Other than that, “Wedge” is a solid album that has stood the test of time rather well. I’d be interested to see what sort of stories the either the Pooch or Ray have on these guys. In the meantime, I’ve all of a sudden become intrigued as to what Detroit obscurities are out there that I’m missing out on…
Megarare, sometimes Eastern sounding Westcoast?Psychedelic with a fantastic songwriting and massive fuzz guitar assaults. Their roots are in the sixties punk movement starting ´64 in San Bernardino CA as the Torquays, with a few 45´s. The only album Corduroy Roads was recorded in 1970, there were only 100 copies made! Their music is sneaky, loner, killer, desert sound that creeps down your back and leaves you asking for more.
A fantastic all WHITE-BLUES album with fantastic guitar work from MICK HUTCHINGSON.The album was recorded at year 1968, but it was first released by German Little Wing of Refugees label (1994) on limited vinyl pressing, and later on CD (1997).Mick Hutchinson says .Due to the odd circumstances that the album was recorded in .Like....I didn't own an amplifier or have anywhere to live.I used to go into guitar shops and drool over Marshalls .And a man with a broken nose [Ballif ] came and took my Gibson 345 away .Actually the band didn't own any of it's own equipment .All sorts of mad things kept happening !!We weren't altogether happy with the way it turned out ,and they were crazy times anyway !!!.That's why it didn't get realeased in the 1960s.We wished that we could have re recorded lots of it !!
Harsh Reality are a little-known, proto-prog band born in Stevenage, Hertfordshire out of the remnants of the Freightliner Blues Band (formerly the Revolution) in the early sixties. The band consisted of Mark Griffiths and Dave Jenkins on guitars, Alan Greed on lead vocals and organ, Roger Swallow on drums, and Steve Miller on bass and backing vocals. They released a single for Phillips in 1968 ("Tobacco Ash Sunday"/"How Do You Feel") before releasing their only LP, Heaven and Hell, on Phillips in 1969. A final single followed soon after, before the band split in 1969.Their Heaven and Hell LP is now a highly-sought rarity, going for hundreds of pounds between eager collectors. For this reason, Harsh Reality is somewhat famous/infamous in collecting circles.Though technically proto-prog, their work represented a marriage between the sounds of Procol Harum and early Deep Purple.Following the band's demise, Roger Swallow has lent his talent variously to Principle Edwards Magic Theatre, Matthews Southern Comfort, Plainsong, Albion Country Band, and Al Stewart before moving to California and establishing himself as an electronic musician, songwriter and entrepreneur. Alan Greed went on to work with Ray Russell[1] on the Rock Workshop albums and as a session singer. Mark Griffiths has worked with Matthews Southern Comfort, Jonathan Kelly, Al Stewart, David Essex, The Everly Brothers, and Cliff Richard & The Shadows. The rest of the band also went into session work.
Artwork included
After their 1971 debut album failed to register a blip in the marketplace, Chicago sextet String Cheese promptly faded away. Their failure is woeful, because with proper backing and encouragement, they could have been the next It’s A Beautiful Day. Like that San Francisco band, String Cheese’s sound was steeped in sparkling hippie subject matter, strongly delivered by chanteuse Sally Smaller and aided by the electric violin of Gregory Bloch. Unfortunately, their debut album was also their last.12-string guitarist and co-vocalist Lawrence W. Wendelken wrote most of the songs on String Cheese, and there are some truly tasteful arrangements contained within. "Soul Of Man," for example, benefits from lush, live strings over folksy acoustic guitar picking and sparse drums, while a Larry and Sally duet muses on the winding road that is the human experience. Meanwhile, the harpsichord-led intro to "Woke Up This Morning" (not the theme to The Sopranos) comes straight out of a renaissance court, progressing to a summery, psychedelic electric sitar jam with lyricism glowing in sunshine-induced optimism. There is some serious talent on display here.Sure, the electric guitar and bass on String Cheese sound more late-’70s than one would hope for, and the themes are a little vague considering America’s involvement in an unjust war propelled by a criminal president, but another album or two surely would’ve worked the kinks out. C’est la vie, I suppose, and at least we have this Fallout reissue. There is nothing in the way of inflated liner notes or bonus tracks, but the new cover art is nice, the remastering has taken quite well, and it’s the first time the album has made it to CD.by Alan Ranta
Src's final album was recorded after the departure of guitarists Gary Quackenbush and Steve Lyman, Ray Goodman assuming all the guitar chores. Despite the shakeup, the sound hardly changed at all, perhaps becoming a bit more progressive-minded. The organ-guitar duels and alternation of concise hard rock with lengthy progressive passages also remained intact. If this album came out today, you'd swear it was a satire of the progressive rock era, some of it is so prototypical. But these guys were serious about what they did, and impressive, in their own way. The CD reissue includes a non-LP B-side from the same era, "My Fortune's Coming True." ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
1970 debut from French progressive rock band Alice. Guitars, organ, flutes, saxes, violin and piano all combine to create a stunning album similar to many early UK progressive albums. One of the first wave of French groups, they have been likened to Traffic, Jethro Tull and Family.
The Dave Pike Set cd Album from 1971 (presented here as a Japanese CD reissue) is one of the albums vibist extraordinaire Dave Pike recorded while on a stint in Germany in the late 60s/early 70s on the excellant jazz label MPS.At this time Dave Pike was working with a group of Germans, featuring Volker Kriegel on guitar, J.A. Rettenbacher on bass, and Peter Baumeister on drums.For quite awhile these albums were non-existent in the US market - so much so that when Dave eventually re-joined us state-side some of his old friends had thought that he was dead.That is gladly not the case on this set of vibrant, funky tunes, mostly penned by the Set's guitarist Volker Kriegel. I've heard that Album is a little more jazz-oriented than the earlier MPS recordings - and that is definitely true to my ears: most of this album *is* straight jazz but don't let that stop you from checking this disc out - there are quite a few moments that send this beyond that basic stamp of simplicity.Track 1 Big Schlepp is a funky number with some great cowbell led stops and starts, killer bass, and joint vibes/guitar interplay. The distorted guitar solo is what sends this one over the top.Track 4 Papa Joy starts out simply enough with an extended intro (which would be great to do voice-overs btw) eventually opening up into one hell of a jam-fest with one of the best vibe solos on this disc. The melody here reminds me of the Bobby Hebb's song Sunny. Around the 3 minute mark this track gets freeform for a few seconds and when the track comes back there is a hot electric guitar solo which sends this one flying, eventually fuzzing out into more free formness.Track 5 Toys starts out freeform, with some jangling percussion, blown flute notes, and of course various toy-like noises. This track reminds me of Can at their most experimental. Eventually some voices coming in reminding me of Stockhausen. Oddly this track just ends abruptly leavin me to wonder if the entire track is on this disc - it sounds like it's just getting going when this happens.The rest of the tracks, while all being excellant performances, are more along the lines of straight forward jazz.
Rare original LP from this group around Wolfgang Dauner, featuring Jon Hiseman on drums and Larry Coryell on guitar. Great jazzy and sometimes experimental Prog Krautrock.
This album was, for many years, a choice and expensive collectable in the U.K. and elsewhere, mostly owing to its sheer obscurity -- the group had virtually ceased to exist by the time the 12" vinyl platter made it into record shops on either side of the Atlantic, and it disappeared soon after. But The World of Oz has more than rarity or obscurity to recommend it -- it actually works on two levels, the original album's 11 songs holding up as first-rate sunshine pop, strongly reminiscent of the Bee Gees' Horizontal and Idea albums, while more select parts of the record document a band that was regarded as one of the more promising to come out of late-'60s Birmingham. On the softer side of the music, "Beside the Fire" recalls "World" from the former album, while "Jackie" is strongly reminiscent of any number of early Robin Gibb-sung ballads, and that is hardly to be considered negative criticism. The only problem one has with those songs, and the album as a whole, is the same one that the bandmembers reportedly had with it: that it doesn't always represent what the group really sounded like. Deram Records A&R chief Wayne Bickerton lavished attention on this band, including the budget for a 35-piece orchestra that accompanied them on many of the tracks, which made the music sound great but somehow lost the sound of the band itself in the process. The group does reveal a somewhat heavier sound on "The Hum-Gum Tree," which was also their third single -- the thicker-textured guitar and bass work are probably closer to what this group sounded like on-stage, while the haunting "With a Little Help" mixes a restrained orchestral accompaniment and Beatlesesque harmonies, it's a great compromise between their pop and rock aspects. The music may sometimes seem a bit fey and light, but as with the Bee Gees on Horizontal, one does get a strong sense of a band with some solid chops there beneath the harmonies and orchestral flourishes. "Mandy-Ann" works even better as a horn-and-harmony driven piece with the rhythm section coming to the fore, though one wishes that the producers had avoided one annoying punctuating sound-effect. The band gets to indulge in a leaner (and perhaps, by 1969, more dated) brand of psychedelia on "Like a Tear," in which Indian sounds -- especially sitar and tabla -- crop up beneath a solid core performance, but for the finale, "Willow's Harp," producer Bickerton pulls out all of the stops on the orchestra. It's difficult to imagine the group performing the latter on-stage, but there's just enough of the real World of Oz on this record to make it worth hearing as a document of the band, as well as the psychedelic indulgences of the time. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide Tracks : 1. Muffin Man2. Bring The Ring3. Jackie4. Beside The Fire5. Hum Gum Tree6. With A Little Help7. We've All Seen The Queen8. King Croesus9. Mandy Ann10. Jack11. Like A Tear12. Willow's Harp
A blues rock band who were based in Adelaide and played between 1972-74. Their sole album sold quite well spending five weeks in the charts and making the Top 50. Prior to this they'd recorded a couple of lightweight pop singles, the second of which was a minor hit.Their album is patchy and encompasses a wide range of styles. “A Song For Tooley” is psych-pop, “Headsong” is good-time pop, “Land Of Supercars” veers towards a jazzy feel, “Country Lady” is a tedious country-tinged song and some cuts like “Brand New Morning”, “Wait Until Tomorrow” and “Goodbye Mother Nature” are pretty dire. “Stay With Me” with its fuzz guitar and “Children's Dreams” are among the better cuts. All the tracks were penned by Mauri Berg (or co-written by Berg and keyboardist Peter Beagley). The album featured a fold-out insert with photos and biographical details of band members and the cover art is stunning.Bassist Chris Bailey had previously been in Red Angel Panic and went on to play in Aussie pub rock outfit The Angels. Berg and skinman Joff Bateman were later half of Mickey Finn.Taken from "Dreams, Fantasies and Nightmares" by Vernon Joynson, an extensive guide to Canadian / Australian / New Zealand and Latin American psych and garage music 1963 - 1976.Tracks :
Apparently hailing from chicago, the troll only released one album, though they did have several other singles prior to this record, including a couple of very minor chart appearances...this album, which is hard to classify, sounds as if it was thrown together rather haphazardly, as some of the tuns sound like they were recorded at different times. some of this material, like the decent " i've only myself to blame," is very beatles or early bee gees sounding. the album runs the gamut from soft and dreamy folk-rock to hard pop/psych to vaudeville nostalgia. werewolf and witchbreath is a fine, somewhat eerie, hard rock number that sounds a litle bit like some of the detroit groups, like Src or Frijid Pink, of this era. There's some cool guitar and weird keyboards on this cut, and also some fairly creepy lyrics. satin city news, the 45 from this release, is a standard but fairly good blues-rock commercial number. mr abernathy, a song about a fundamentally decent and honest but nevertheless doomed politician , mirrors the type of campaign songs that were prevalent during the 1920's or 1930's. fritz und sweeney is perhaps the most annoying song on the album, a tale about two shoemaker's sons who reach adulthood in germany at the time of hitler. have you seen the queen? is a not terribly successful comic number with pretentious , upper class british voices. everybody's child is an ok but typical 60's rock song. mourning of the day is a good psychedelic song with a driving beat and insistent keyboards.for me, the highlight of the disc is professor pott's pornographic projector, an 1890's- 20's type tune, complete with varispeed vocals, funny lyrics, kazoos etc., with a great bassline that recounts the humorous saga of an eccentric professor who shows pornographic events on his machine. many groups in the 60's did these throwback type songs, and this is one of the better ones.. overall, the strengths of this album ( particularly werewolf and witchbreath and professor pott's...) outweigh the drawbacks..it's disjointed, and some of the tracks are rather weak, but worth investigation for the two stellar tracks nonetheless..By Stephen F Mulcahy (United States)
One of the leading lights of progressive bluegrass in the '60s, the Dillards played a major part in modernizing and popularizing the sound of bluegrass, and were also an underappreciated influence on country-rock. The group was founded by brothers Doug (banjo) and Rodney Dillard (guitar), who grew up in Salem, MO, playing music together. During the late '50s, they appeared often on local radio and performed with several different area bands, including the Hawthorn Brothers, the Lewis Brothers, and the Dixie Ramblers; they also recorded a couple of singles for the St. Louis-based K-Ark label as the Dillard Brothers in 1958. In 1960, they decided to form their own group, recruiting DJ pal Mitch Jayne on bass, as well as mandolin player Dean Webb. Christening themselves the Dillards, the quartet decided to move to Los Angeles in 1962, and were quickly signed to Elektra after being discovered at a gig with the Greenbriar Boys. Not long after, the group landed a recurring role on The Andy Griffith Show, appearing in several episodes over the next few years as a musically inclined hillbilly family called the Darlings. Meanwhile, the Dillards released their debut album, Back Porch Bluegrass, in 1963, and also teamed up with Glen Campbell and Tut Taylor for the side project the Folkswingers, who went on to release two albums. The Dillards' second album, 1964's concert set Live! Almost!, captured their controversial move into amplified electric instruments, which was considered heresy by many bluegrass purists; they also began to tour with rock groups, most notably the Byrds. In response to purist criticism, the group followed Live! Almost! in 1965 with the more traditional Pickin' & Fiddlin', which featured co-billing for fiddler Byron Berline. Dissatisfied with the way Elektra was marketing them, the Dillards switched labels to Capitol, but found a similar lack of kindred spirits in the producers they worked with there, and wound up returning to Elektra without releasing an album. Meanwhile, Doug and Rodney were increasingly at odds over the group's creative direction, with Rodney pursuing a more radical break with tradition than Doug. Doug moonlighted in the backing band for ex-Byrd Gene Clark's groundbreaking collaboration with the Gosdin Brothers, and after he and Rodney recorded some material for the Bonnie & Clyde film soundtrack in 1967, he decided to leave the Dillards and strike out on his own. Doug soon teamed up with Gene Clark as Dillard & Clark and recorded some highly regarded material before starting a solo career that remained productive through the '70s. Rodney, meanwhile, replaced his brother with banjoist Herb Pedersen, and the Dillards recorded what many critics regard as their masterwork, Wheatstraw Suite. Released in 1968, the album displayed Rodney's progressive eclecticism in full cry, featuring fuller instrumentation and covers of the Beatles' "I've Just Seen a Face" and Tim Hardin's "Reason to Believe." Though it wasn't a hit, critics and musicians praised its unpredictable mix of bluegrass, country, folk, rock, and pop. 1970's Copperfields took a similarly adventurous approach, and drummer Paul York became an official member of the group. Unfortunately, Elektra was still somewhat mystified by their music, and they parted ways again. Pedersen departed in 1972 to join Byron Berline's band, Country Gazette, and was replaced by Billy Ray Latham; by this time, the Dillards had signed with the smaller Anthem label, where they landed their only charting pop hit, "It's About Time," in 1971. An opening slot on tour with Elton John in 1972 helped Roots & Branches become their biggest-selling album to date, but the group subsequently switched over to the Poppy label for their follow-up, 1973's country-rock effort Tribute to the American Duck. Mitch Jayne left the group in 1974, partly due to hearing loss, and was replaced by new bassist Jeff Gilkinson. It took several years to reconvene for their next album, 1977's The Dillards vs. the Incredible L.A. Time Machine, which was released on Flying Fish. Latham subsequently departed and was replaced by Doug Bounsall, and Herb Pederson also returned for the group's next two albums, 1978's Mountain Rock (after which Paul York retired) and 1979's Decade Waltz. Also in 1979, the group reunited with Doug Dillard and other past members (and relatives) for the Salem, MO, concert celebration Homecoming and Family Reunion. Following that performance, most of the Dillards left the group. Rodney Dillard and Dean Webb briefly organized a new lineup that featured Joe Villegas, Eddie Ponder, and Peter Grant, but it proved short-lived; Rodney subsequently formed the Rodney Dillard Band and settled in Branson, MO. In 1988, the original Dillards lineup reunited for a series of performances, and interest in the group was rekindled thanks to the publicity surrounding The Andy Griffith Show's 30th anniversary. With new member Steve Cooley later taking Doug Dillard's place, the group cut two new albums for Vanguard, 1990's Let It Fly and 1992's Take Me Along for the Ride. The group reunited several times throughout the '90s for concert performances, and both Doug and Rodney continued to pursue their own ventures. ~ Steve Huey, All Music GuideTracks : 1. Old Joseph 2. Somebody Touched Me 3. Polly Vaughn 4. Banjo in the Hollow 5. Dooley 6. Lonesome Indian 7. Ground Hog 8. Old Home Place 9. Hickory Hollow 10. Old Man at the Mill 11. Doug's Tune 12. Rainin' Here This Mornin' 13. Cold Trailin' 14. Reuben's Train 15. Deulin' Banjo (Hootin' Banjo) 16. Black-Eyed Susie 17. (I'll) Never See My Home Again 18. There Is A Time (Live) 19. Old Blue 20. Sinkin' Creek 21. Whole World Round 22. Liberty! 23. Dixie Breakdown 24. Walkin' Down the Line 25. Jody's Tune 26. Pretty Polly 27. Taters in Sandy Lane/Gimme Chaw T'Baccer 28. Buckin' Mule
The Artwoods were every bit the rivals of such bands as the Animals and the Spencer Davis Group, but never saw the success as a recording act that either of them enjoyed. Rather, their following was confined to the clubs they played, despite releasing a half-dozen singles and an LP during their four years together.
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