FOX-THE SAN FRANSISCO SESSIONS-

This trio outfit from the USA got this Collection of recordings released in 2010. The most known thing is that only a single was release from the recordings cut in studio 10. A megararity these Days.

The production is a bit closed in and got some time wearness to it but the instrumental performances is very good with great interaction between the musicians. The infamous guitarwork from Boston´s Gary Peel is just a treat for searchers of Hard/Blues/psych rock in the higher end of the delivery department. This is a very good statement for the San Fransisco Music scene back in the day. Marvelous!! This like a good longdrink(San Fransisco?), A very good Company!

Whatabout the drummer, Roy Garcia?? This is for all you with a good sense of following this blog, not a stranger. Mr Garcia would persue a great career with the band Gold and not to my surprise. This is a very good, hard hitting drummer with excellent striking abilities. The Dynamics are splendid and you just “dig along” with all the free passes and instrumental breakdowns. The technical abilities are all fine but the true appetizer is the personal input and the fabulous drive. This is good stuff!!

For all you searchers who just want to step back to the early ´70s and that magic musicscene, this is just the record to get. Nothing I ever Heard could come Close to capture the spirit of a certain timeperiod. Great copies are out there for a reasonable pricetag but do remember that this is unreleased material. A stirdy mix of Hard/Blues/Psych rock at it´s best. A very good record!

VINYLRATING/GRADE

7-VERY GOOD!-GAME, SET & MATCH-

BIKE-BIKE

Well here we are with a sought after rarity! This outfit from Detroit can only be counted as the true obscurity. This, their sole album, released in 1978 was pressed at a private  label at an unkown number. As they never reach any recognizion outside the Detroit area this your textbook dragonfly. This album stir up a Collection of songs with very high Hard/Blues/Southern rock standards that only sum it all up like the Tour de France. Every single leg of  the distance makes it a glorious event!!

The production is Sharp with a great postmodern Hard/Heavy soundframe with exciting interaction between the guitars and the howling/screaming from vocalist Don Pierle. Great mixing of the album leaves an impression of timeless rock record that only brings up the question, what happened???

Whatabout the drummer, Jerry Field?? This is a hard hitting backbeating machine with a cool approach towards the songs. The Striking abilities are great with that personal distance and touch that really brings the funky beat to the songs. The technical skills are not so much up for display but they are lurking beneath and at some times pops up and brings a smile to your face. This is a great drummer with smooth Dynamics and not over doing anything. A funky metal/rock delivery! A Very good job!! 🙂

This is one of the Holy grails for the collector or searcher for Hard/Blues/Southern rock from the ´70s. Not many albums comes with such Little information and high quality in every song. This is a must have in the vinylshelf and if you do find a good copy be prepared for high prices. But this album delivers, so you might just have to compromise and take it easy on the beer-account for a week or two. This album deserves it! 🙂

VINYLRATING/GRADE

7-VERY GOOD!-GAME, SET & MATCH-

HARD MEAT-HARD MEAT-

This outfit from the UK formed in 1969 by Birmingham Brothers Michael & Steve Dolan. This album was released in 1970 and was the first out of two records. A stirdy mix of Hard/Psych/Prog rock with great vocal achievment and splendid songs.

The Production is a bit “fuzzy” and unclear but this just amplifies the time document in which this forgotten album lies. The interaction between the guitars and vocals are timetypical but to bad, there are some signs of hesitation on where to go in the musical path. Several tunes would fit the bill as chart hits but the direction is missing. Perhaps this is the reason why the sales never took off even if the band toured heavily in the US and UK. A Face in the Crowd in 1971…

Whatabout the drummer, Mick Carless?? This is just what you would digest on a monday evening supper. Baked Beans and bangers! This is truly one of the more avarage drummers ever to put his mark on an album. Several well knowned striking abilities and technical tricks are used on this album. The hit ratio is just plain common and the only positive thing is the personal drive Mr Carless puts in. You just get the feeling of Deja Vú so that is just a low water mark in my book. Not more exciting than a vintage horror Movie with Bela Lugosi… Classic but outdated.

The best thing about the album is its obscurity. Collector´s were after it for years but there are good original copies out there for a low dollar price. And why not? This is just that time piece of history that almost nobody ever Heard of and it´s not all that bad. If you got the interest of Hard/Psych/prog rock with a hefty seasoning of “pop” references this might just be the lost Trophy you have been searching for….. 🙂

VINYLRATING/GRADE

-5-OK!-WORTH EXPLORING-

PLUTO-PLUTO-

This UK outfit formed in North London in 1970 and released their only album in 1971. As this album is almost unkown by the Contemporary releases, raises a hugh questionmark how this just disappeared like a tidal wave.

The production is very good by time standards with great guitar and rhythmsection interaction and with splendid vocals on top. The songs are all above avarage and with a Hard/Psych/Classic rock soundframe collecting every song in a very good package. This a very good album with no “No1” song to front but there are no low water marks either. The name was rip off from the Disney character “Pluto” and perhaps this is best described as a cartoon mischief in the sense of the band. Cool, avantgarde with great popinfluences to the harder sound and performance… 🙂

Whatabout the drummer, Derek Jarvis?? This fellow is just the person to reflect the Contemporary drummer from the early ´70s. A great backbeating machine with plenty of good interaction together with the bass. Though there are some itches and scratches with the personal affection. There are good striking abilities and very nice job with the Dynamics but the personal input and drive is shining with it´s absence. To bad because you got some fine parts of good hit ratio and technical skills. I´m sorry but nothing that will Wake me up at night with excitement….

As this is a forgotten masterpiece it is almost an obligation to get the album. Great reissues and original copies are out there for a fair price. Recordcollectors have a perticular interest in this album though, due to Low distribution, but there are lost, dark places where you can get it. This is a very good Hard/Psych/classic rock album with a band that almost nobody cared about and just forgot…..What a shame & luck for us!!

VINYLRATING/GRADE

-6-GOOD!- WORTH BUYING-

KLEPTOMANIA-ELEPHANTS LOST-

This Belgian outfit got together in 1970 but it wasn´t until 1995 their collected recording history was available for public market. The fourpiece highly recognized live act never ever got the cards to play in their favour in the sense of getting an album out. Unlucky is just the paraphrase…

This albums is a Collection of songs from 1970 to 1979 and the production varies a bit. From being solid rock sound to more simple soundframe demos. A bit like bedlam in Belgium, no hold bars. The guitarsound is topnotch though and bassplaying is just superb. Vocals interacts in a avarage way but nothing to scream and shout about. As the the songs are spread out over a timeperiod this is really more like a time document in which it is easy to follow the development in Kleptomanias style of Hard/Blues/Prog/Psych/Jazz rock. This is an odd bird in the pond but I do understand that the band had a hugh live following.

Whatabout the drummer, Roger Wollaert??? This fellow´s impression is a bit anxious and perhaps not to much in for powerful impact. I do miss some drive and personal touch but the striking abilities and hit ratio are all just fine. Nothing to you will remember as a live changing experience but the right fit for the this band. A Second row impression. The band´s focus is guitardriven so not much of a surprise.

As this is one of Belgium´s most underated bands but with a great live history it just fits the bill as an obscure gem! Great copies are out there for a descent buck but if you aim for the original pressing beware, top dollars are required. This mix of Hard /blues/Prog/Psych/Jazz rock is intoxicating but never the less suggestive and addictive. A great record in that sense! 🙂

VINYLRATING/GRADE

-5-GOOD!-WORTH EXPLORING-

HOOKFOOT-LIVE IN MEMPHIS 1972-

This fourpiece outfit from the UK released this album in 1972 as an exclamation mark in 1990. This is due to a career  contributing excellent cover and background musicians with Elton John. As a straight forward road laid up ahead, no recognition and poor sales drop the band from the radar. To bad and Another band suffering as the Winner takes it all. It is a dangerous road to play second fiddle!

To please us with a great live record though, this album suffers from no what so ever lack of great songs, excellent musicians and a great production. A Heavy but controlled bass just lay the perfect Concrete ground for the guitars and the harmony singing. This is an effort Worth investing into! A very good record with Classic/Hard/blues/soul rock ingredients. Very nice!! 🙂

Whatabout the drummer, Roger Pope?? As the name maybe should give a clue towards divine playing, this is not the case. All right drumming in the sense of great backbeating striking abilities and a groovy drive. The lack of Dynamics and perhaps a bit to comfortable in the approach towards some songs could argue against Mr Pope´s input. The interaction together with the bass is impeccable but there is something missing here. Overall a good effort but nothing you will remember after the record shuts. Avarage! 🙂

Perhaps this album is a big one in the UK but the rest of the World almost never Heard of this guys and this is why you should be looking around for several good albums released between 1970-1976. Strong Classic/Hard/Soul/blues presence gives this album a very nice laidback tone and a very good background album to just enjoy your friday evening with. To bad this one´s only a CD release but hey you can play in your car!!This is seriously a very good album!! 🙂

VINYLRATING/GRADE

-6-GOOD!-WORTH BUYING-

DOWNCHILD BLUES BAND-BOOTLEG-

This Canadian sixpiece outfit got together in 1969 and released this album in 1971. As a Rather unknown gem outside Canada this is just the right type of blues that was not popular in the early ´70s. More traditional arrangements brought this very good album Little recognizion with a bit of ressurrection in later years. This is just the right record for you to get in that blue & lonesome mood…

Brothers Donny and Richard Walsh brought out the best of the rest of the band and branded a new standard towards the sound of Blues/R&B/Folk rock. The production is a bit closed and boxed but the Great interaction between the musicians brings the feeling of a late night smoking bluescafé with gin-drenched women and “tired of Life” blue collar workers. This is a frontrunner in the sense of what to come a decade later. This is suppose to be one of “Blues Brothers” most influential records. I can understand why, this is top notch stuff!! 🙂

Whatabout the drummer, Cash Wall?? As this is just the right fit for this outfit there are no surprises to be expected here. Laidback striking abilities with an anxious approach. The Dynamics are at the same level through the whole album and not much is happening on the technical front but hey! We do talk about having the blues…. An avarage performance.

As most  people never ever encountered this band even if they´re in the genre just adds up the obscurity. Great copies are out there for no Money at all and this is the one to look for at vinylfairs. This is a must have record if you´re in for the blues. Not one low water mark what so ever and a really special kind of record in a time when Everything was directed towards hard/Electric blues. This is a time classic. Invite your friends for a turntable challange quiz and don´t forget to pop a few beers!! Just have plain great good time fun!! 🙂

VINYLRATING/GRADE

-6-VERY GOOD!-WORTH BUYING-