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Tracks 1 to 10 are their 2nd album - which as well as their 1970 debut - was simply called "CCS" on the original vinyl LP - here it's called CCS II for CD purposes. It was originally released in April 1972 on Rak Records SRAK 503 and on the strength of the March 1972 7" single "Brother" - the album charted at 23, the only one of their three LPs to break the UK Top 50. Great sleeve too. (Their first album in the USA was called "Whole Lotta Love" released in April 1971 - named after their hit cover version of the Zeppelin classic - see paragraphs below).Tracks 11 and 12 are the bonus tracks:11 is "Mister What You Can't Have" which is the non-album B-side to "Brother" on RAK 126(it's a John Cameron original - great fun track)12 is "Sixteen Tons" which is the non-album A-side of RAK 141 issued in 1972. It's B-side is the Peter Thorup original "This Is My Life" - it's Track 7 on the album. However, the single version is shorter and different. It has Thorup vocals only, while the album version includes both Thorup and Korner. If you want the single mix (unfortunately not included here), it's on the superb EMI CD "A's B's & Rarities" which also sports 2 previously unreleased CCS tracks not on any of these Repertoire issues. Well worth seeking out that. Back to the A though. I've always thought CCS's version of "Sixteen Tons" to be one of 'the' great lost Seventies gems - and for soul boys looking for a funky rock track to fill out that cool 70's CD-R, this is the place to look. It's a cover version of the Tennessee Ernie Ford 1950's classic which was followed quickly by a Platters version - this fabulous take on that famous 'shovelling coal' song borrows a bit from both of those versions and it's a song that whenever we play it in the shop, it has customers coming to the counter asking "who's this, who's this?"The huge ensemble group CCS was the brain-child of British Blues Boom Godfather ALEXIS KORNER who along with Danish singer PETER THORUP and British arranger JOHN CAMERON pulled together the cream of brass/flute-playing session-men of the time and went after the BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS market for funked-up rock. Deciding right from the start to include cover versions ala B, S & T, they did a fantastic brassed-up take on Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" that not only complimented the original, but also defined that "CCS" sound. So when the new BBC pop program "Top Of The Pops" needed a cool new theme song, they took this winner from their 1970 debut album, dropped the flute intro and the vocal middle and end - and a theme song legend was born. That mixture of cover-versions given the CCS treatment alongside JOHN CAMERON and ALEXIS KORNER originals continued on this LP. "Black Dog" is another Zeppelin cover from IV, "I Want You Back" was made famous by The Congregation and The Jackson 5 while the "Whole Lotta Rock `N' Roll" track is a 5-part medley of Chuck Berry, Little Richard and a reprise of Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love".But the best bit is the SOUND. Repertoire re-issues are always good in my book, but this licensed-from-EMI remaster is exceptional. I'd expected wads of hiss, but the transfers are very clean - and given the amount of brass coming at you, muscular to a point where you have to sometimes reach for the volume control! A really great job done.When CCS folded, both Korner and Thorup teamed up with King Crimson's BOZ BURRELL and IAN WALLACE to form SNAPE who issued some albums in Europe which were good too. But my heart is with the fab C.C.S. Highly recommended to those who love their Seventies with a bit of balls and a sense of humour. ( By Mark Barry at Revival Records, Berwick Street )Tracks :
Edgar Winter came out of the chute kicking with this remarkable record filled with jazz, blues and a little old-fashioned rock & roll. The record follows an established theme throughout its first side, stringing the songs together without breaks, highlighted by dreamy keyboard and sax work, plus Winter's smooth vocalizations. But jazz isn't the only thing Edgar brings to the party. His first recorded version of the old J.P. Loudermilk tune "Tobacco Road" has a few nice punches in it (although the live version with White Trash a few years later would prove the definitive one). "Jimmy's Gospel" plays on his early church influences, while "Jump Right Out" is the predecessor of half a dozen "jump up and dance" numbers Winter would pepper his records with in years to come. ~ Michael B. Smith, All Music Guide
Tracks :
Entrance
Where Have You Gone
Rise to Fall
Fire and Ice
Hung Up
Back in the Blues
Re-Entrance
Tobacco Road
Jump Right Out
Peace Pipe
A Different Game
Jimmy's Gospel
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Artwork Included
Most people remember Blood Sweat & Tears as the incarnation led by the gravel-voiced white blues of David Clayton-Thomas. During his tenure as leader, the hits "Spinning Wheel," "And When I Die," and "Hi-De-Ho" helped to bring pop/rock/jazz to mainstream audiences. BS&T's debut, Child is Father to the Man, didn't feature Clayton-Thomas, nor did it spawn any hits, yet its remarkable influence—due primarily to Al Kooper—opened the door not only for the latter day BS&T but also for such '70s pop/rock/jazz mavericks as Steely Dan and early Chicago.Producer, session organist, guitar player, and Dylan bandmate Al Kooper put the band together with the idea of incorporating his love of jazz (especially Maynard Ferguson) into a working jazz-oriented rock band. Kooper originally wanted to make this happen in Britain, but after a few shows with a handful of musicians in New York, Kooper formed the original BS&T.As the group's self-appointed leader, the former Blues Project member intended to create a sound that utilized horns as much as rock guitar. Unlike R&B groups, the horns were not used to accent choruses; they played complex arrangements that flowed throughout, and Kooper and guitarist Steve Katz gave them room to solo. What is interesting about this record, unlike the more commercially successful followup, Blood Sweat and Tears II, is that it lacks the sappy commercialism that imbued tracks like "You Made Me So Very Happy."Child is Father to the Man is not only one of the finest jazz/rock hybrids, it is one of the finest records of the late '60s, standing up along side the Rolling Stones' Beggar's Banquet, the Beatles' White Album, the Velvet Underground self titled, Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks and Dylan's John Wesley Harding. It boasts many choice cuts from Kooper, as well as covers of Tim Buckley, Harry Nilsson and Gerry Goffin & Carole King. Though the album is enveloped with a great horn sound, the drops of Kooper's organ recall Jimmy Smith, while Katz plays some smokin' guitar solos that rival much of San Francisco's acid rock of the period.Interestingly enough, Kooper also wanted to bring symphonic composition into the band's sound as well. Classical styles appear in the mix, but they do not copy the chamber pop of the Beatles, the Bee Gees, or Left Banke. Kooper uses a piano based style of composition that uses elements of 18th Centaury composers rather than arranging a pop piece into a chamber composition as George Martin would do with the Beatles. Unlike the rest of the record, the opening "Overture" mixes a healthy dose classical composition with pyschedelic grooves of laughter.Then music works into Kooper's legendary blues grooves on "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" and "I Can't Quit You." But tracks such as the Buckley cover "Morning Glory" and the Kooper-penned "My Days are Numbered" feature a blazing jazz sound that works within the pop sound. "My Days are Numbered" features a bass and horn interchange that shows off just how brilliant an arranger Kooper could be.Unlike the work of fusion giants who began to appear at this time, BS&T started from a rock environment, which formed the backbone of the group's music. Still, this record's progressive vibe and sound will be of interest to jazz fans looking for a little something out of the ordinary. Child is Father to the Man is one of the most original, eclectic, and brilliant recordings to come out of late-'60s rock and '70s fusion. By Trevor MacLaren (http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=18914)Tracks : Overture2.I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know 3.Morning Glory 4.My Days Are Numbered5.Without Her 6.Just One Smile 7.I Can't Quit Her 8.Meagan's Gypsy Eyes 9.Somethin' Goin' On 10.House in the Country11.Modern Adventures of Plato, DioGenes & Freud, The 12.So Much Love / Underture 13.Refugee From Yuhupitz - (TRUE instrumental)14.I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know - (demo) 15.Modern Adventures of Plato, DioGenes & Freud - (demo)
Dickey Betts joined the Allman Brothers Band as second lead guitarist and singer in the late '60s. In addition to matching bandleader Duane Allman lick for lick, Betts also wrote such memorable songs as "Revival" (number 92, 1971) and the instrumental tour de force "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed." After Duane Allman was killed in a road accident in 1971, Betts and Allman's brother Gregg shared leadership of the band, with Betts writing and singing the group's biggest hit, "Ramblin' Man" (number two, 1973). Members of the band began solo careers in 1973, and Betts released his first solo album Highway Call, in 1974. The Allmans split up in 1976, and Betts formed Dickey Betts and Great Southern. The Allmans reformed in 1978, with Betts contributing "Crazy Love" (number 29, 1979), "Angeline" (number 58, 1980), and "Straight From the Heart" (number 39, 1981). But they split again, and both Betts and the Allmans were inactive for several years. Betts returned with the Dickey Betts Band and Pattern Disruptive in 1988, and in 1989 he and a couple of members of his backup band joined a second, more permanent re-formation of the Allmans. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
Sharks was a band formed by ex-Free bass player, Andy Fraser, upon his second (and final) departure from Free, in late 1972. They were signed to Island Records and were that label's Great White Hope for the 1970s.[citation needed] The band was highly rated by critics, especially for Chris Spedding's guitar work. The initial line-up consisted of Andy Fraser (bass, piano), Snips (vocals), Chris Spedding (guitar) and American, Marty Simon (drums).At the start of 1973, they embarked on a UK tour and also made an appearance on the BBC TV programme Old Grey Whistle Test. On the 19 February 1973, on the way back to London from a gig in Cleethorpes, the band's car skidded and hit a tree. Fraser suffered injuries to his wrist and, during recuperation, had second thoughts about the band. The tour continued to the end of April but Fraser had some difficulties playing with the injury. Sharks' debut album, First Water, was released in April but Fraser left shortly afterwards and the band began searching for a replacement. Those considered included Tom Robinson, Ric Gretch and Boz Burrell. Mick Jagger then recommended a bass player from Memphis, Busta Cherry Jones, who joined in July 1973, along with ex-Audience keyboard player Nick Judd.A new UK tour with this line-up began in September 1973 and ran through until March 1974, when their second album, Jab It in Yore Eye, was released. The band then toured America during April & May 1974. On their return to the UK, the band began recording their third album, to be titled Music Breakout. However, Simon was fired and replaced by Stuart Francis and Jones returned to the States. Island didn't like the masters for the third album and the band folded in October 1974.Spedding continued his session work and solo career, whilst Snips joined Ginger Baker in the Baker Gurvitz Army and then went solo.In 1993, Spedding and Snips began recording together again as Sharks, although the album, Like a Black Van Parked on a Dark Curve..., wasn't released until 1995. There was a one-off gig in London, in December 1995, featuring Snips, Spedding, Jackie Badger (bass), Blair Cunningham (drums) and Nick Judd (keyboards) but the band has not re-surfaced since.
Brook's earlier material reflected a distinctive hard rock and psych edge, whereas his later stage material bounced all over the spectrum. Written, produced and arranged by Brooks, 1981's "High Flyer" was divided into 'Earth' and 'Space' side. The 'Earth' side featured three rock tracks while the 'Space' side showcased four of Brooks 'softer' efforts. Normally I wouldn't subject someone to a track-by-track description of an album, but based on its wrongheaded quotient this one deserved a little more insight. 'You Will Be Loved' started the album off with a patented slice of Brooks hard-rock moves. Complete with manic vocals, mind-numbing fast and crude guitar and dumb-as-a-doorknob lyrics you either loved it, or hate it. No in-betweens with respect to this one. Similarly 'Child of the City' and 'Rock and Roll Woman' both showcased Brooks' longstanding love of echoplex, sophomoric lyrics and headache inducing leads. Mind you Brooks could certainly play guitar, but he didn't have much of a style other than loud, fast, and largely tuneless. Starting off side two 'What Kind of Man' was clearly intended to showcase Brooks' as a deep and insightful artist ... Okay, 'My Lady and Me' sported cheesy synthesizers, hysterically funny female backing vocals, and had-to-hear-to-believe lyrics ('my lady and me are from another galaxy; we're here to teach love you see'). Complete with spoken word segment and an attempt at a falsetto (disturbing to say the least - our cat was not thrilled), 'Love of the Ages' underscored the fact Brooks wasn't born to sing ballads. The title track melded spacey lyrics, a surprisingly funky rhythm and a touch of Brooks' guitar prowess. (http://www.geocities.com/badcatrecords/BROOKSterry.htm)
Sacred Mushroom -- led by future Pure Prairie League member Larry Goshorn (guitar/vocals) and featuring brother Danny Goshorn (vocals) -- were a short-lived rock/blues quintet based in Cincinnati, OH. Their efforts coalesce on this, the band's self-titled debut (and only) long-player. The album contains a blend of proficient originals as well as a pair of well-chosen cover tunes, such as the blues standard "Mean Old World" and the Kinks' "I'm Not Like Everybody Else." While their name conjures images of late-'60s psychedelic or acid rock, Sacred Mushroom's roots were decidedly more bluesy than trippy. Likewise, their harder-edged performance style is well served by the tight and somewhat pop-driven arrangements, resembling artists such as the Allman Joys, Kak, or the pre-Blue Öyster Cult Stalk-Forrest Group. A few of the Larry Goshorn-penned tunes are certifiably lost classics. These include the up-tempo rocker "Catatonic Lover," which features some lyrical chord changes reminiscent of "3/5's of a Mile in 10 Seconds" by Jefferson Airplane, and the Chicago blues-style waltz "All Good Things Must End." The latter is highlighted by some inspired harp playing from Rusty Work. The opening track, "I Don't Like You," is a funky rocker spotlighting the Goshorn Brothers' tight harmonies as well as Larry's distinctive lead electric guitar licks. Another standout is their reworking of "I'm Not Like Everybody Else." The track retains a timeless pop sensibility that incorporates interweaving acoustic and electric guitar lines. "Lifeline," the most extended track on the disc, recalls the electric blues of seminal Fleetwood Mac or Stan Webb's Chicken Shack. Along the same lines is the blues boogie rendering of "Mean Old World," which might easily be mistaken for an obscure version by a mid-'60s lineup of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers.After decades of poorly manufactured European bootleg reproductions, Larry Goshorn has reissued Sacred Mushroom. Additional information can be found at http://www.goshornbrothersmusic.com/CD_mushroom_frame.htm. ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide
One could make the argument that J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings fantasy trilogy (published 1954-1955) had as significant a formative influence on the emergent hippie generation as did Robert Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land (1961) or Joseph Heller's Catch-22 (1961). Certainly you can hear it in the twee archaisms of British folk from the era and in the more whimsical, otherworldly strains of British psychedelia (the Incredible String Band comes immediately to mind), and, in time, it would saturate '70s prog rock. It is right there, too, as a catalyst in American folk-rock (perhaps Simon & Garfunkel's "Scarborough Fair/Canticle," probably the Byrds' "Renaissance Fair") and Baroque pop (Sagittarius' Present Tense, Love's "Forever Changes"), and ultimately in its acid folk (Perry Leopold's dark masterpiece Christian Lucifer). But Chris Wilson took the inspiration to its logical extreme on The Grey Wizard Am I. His nom de guerre, appropriated from the novels, is the ultimate homage, while many of the lyrics on the album were directly inspired by Tolkien's imaginary landscapes as well, and even by some of his characters. The remainder convert the ins and outs of Wilson's bohemian life in Greenwich Village into a sort of fantasy world of its own. And it is all quite delightfully, if earnestly, done -- or, to be less precious about it, The Grey Wizard Am I is often a transfixing, bewitching little relic, particularly on such songs as "My Elven Home," "Go and See," and "Sunshine Down the Line." It's not likely to have a wide appeal -- anything this eccentric, unworldly, and chimeric, no matter how well done, probably has a limited audience -- and there is not a great deal of melodic variation from song to song to push it into the upper echelon of similar recordings. Nevertheless, The Grey Wizard Am I is a lovely little pastry for fans of obscure '60s and '70s folkadelica, ideal music for playing dress-up to, or for daydreaming. ~ Stanton Swihart, All Music Guide
Heavily influenced by San Francisco bands (Big Brother and the Trucking Company and The Jefferson Airplane quickly come to mind), the Santa Rosa, California-based A Euphonious Wail was roughly five years behind creative and popular tastes. Not that it stopped a struggling Kapp Records from signing the quintet. Built around the talents of drummer Doug Hoffman, keyboardist Bart Libby, singer Suzanne Rey, singer/guitarist Steve Tracy and bassist Gary Violetti, the band's self-titled 1973 debut teamed them with producer Brian Ingoldsby (Lowell Levinger of Youngbloods fame reportedly also helped out). while "A Euphonious Wail" had a couple of moments, for the most part the LP was surprisingly lame and uninspired. As lead vocalists Rey and Tracy had decent, if unexceptional voices (though Rey tended to screech in the higher registers). The same type of limitations were true of the band as songwriters (all but Hoffman contributing material). Taken individually guitar and keyboard propelled rockers such as "Pony", "We've Got the Chance", "When I Start To Live" and "F#" weren't bad, but stretched over an entire album, there simply wasn't much to stand out. The band were even less successful when they tried slowing things down - check out the lame ballads "Did You Ever" and "I Want To Be a Star". (The Michael Hawes cover drawing was interesting. Depending on how you looked at it you saw something completely abstract, or possibly obscene.) Needless to say, the album vanished without a trace, followed in short order by the banD.(http://www.geocities.com/badcatrecords/EuphoniousWail.htm)
Martin Carthy MBE is an English folk singer and guitarist who has remained one of the most influential figures in British traditional music, inspiring contemporaries such as Bob Dylan and Paul Simon and later artists such as Richard Thompson since he emerged as a young musician in the early days of the folk revival.Performing with The Imagined Village at Camp Bestival - 20th July 2008He was born in Hatfield on May 21, 1941 and grew up in Hampstead, North London. After leaving school, he worked behind the scenes at the open air theatre at Regent's Park as a prompter, then an assistant stage manager (ASM) on a tour of The Merry Widow, and then at Theatre in the Round in Scarborough. He then sang in coffee bars. He became a resident at The Troubadour Folk Club in Earls Court in the early 1960s. He joined Redd Sullivan's Thameside Four in 1961. He is a renowned solo performer of traditional songs in a very distinctive style, accompanying himself on acoustic guitar; his style is marked by the use of alternative tunings, and a strongly percussive picking style that emphasizes the melody. His debut album, Martin Carthy, was released in 1965, and also featured Dave Swarbrick playing fiddle on some tracks, although he was not mentioned in the album's sleeve notes. Carthy's arrangement of the traditional ballad Scarborough Fair was adapted, without acknowledgment, by Paul Simon on the Simon and Garfunkel album recording Parsley Sage Rosemary and Thyme in 1966.He has also been involved with many musical collaborations. He has sung with The Watersons since 1972, was twice a member of the UK electric folk group Steeleye Span, was a member of the legendary Albion Country Band 1973 line-up, with members from the Fairport Convention family and John Kirkpatrick, that recorded the seminal 'Battle of the Field' album, and was part of the innovative Brass Monkey ensemble, which mixed a range of brass instruments with Carthy's guitar and mandolin and John Kirkpatrick's accordion, melodeon and concertina.For many years Carthy has enjoyed a creative partnership with fiddle player Dave Swarbrick and, more recently, Waterson:Carthy has provided the forum for a successful partnership with partner Norma Waterson together with their daughter Eliza Carthy.In June 1998 he was appointed an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours. He was named Folk Singer of the Year at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2002, and again in 2005 when he also won the award for Best Traditional Track for 'Famous Flower of Serving Men'. In the 2007 Folk Awards Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick won "Best duo".Tracks : 1.Bedmaking, The2.Locks and Bolts3.King Knapperty4.Geordie5.Willie's Lady6.Virginny7.Worcestershire Wedding, The8.Bonny Lass of Anglesey9.William Taylor the Poacher10.Old Tom of Oxford11.Palaces of GoldLink : @Ripped by : evermorebluesArtwork Included
Tracks 1 to 10 are their 2nd album - which as well as their 1970 debut - was simply called "CCS" on the original vinyl LP - here it's called CCS II for CD purposes. It was originally released in April 1972 on Rak Records SRAK 503 and on the strength of the March 1972 7" single "Brother" - the album charted at 23, the only one of their three LPs to break the UK Top 50. Great sleeve too. (Their first album in the USA was called "Whole Lotta Love" released in April 1971 - named after their hit cover version of the Zeppelin classic - see paragraphs below).
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