JULIE DRISCOLL, BRIAN AUGER & THE TRINITY
Open (Castle Music; CD)
     Auger wisely conscripted old Steampacket mate Jools as the featured vocalist for his new project The Trinity; with her on board, combining jazzy takes of pop and soul recordings along with Brian’s instrumental jazz tones (and his sole vocal outing, the exceptional Spencer Davis Group homage ‘Black Cat’) debut Open genuinely impresses. And when Ms Driscoll sings they really hit their stride: Lowell Fulson’s ‘Tramp’ is tackled with a gritty club soul edge, band original and duet ‘Break It Up’ is a funky Stax-a-like whilst ‘A Kind Of Love In’ and ‘Season Of The Witch’ sit in most comfortably with the psychedelic haze of ’67. Of the four bonus cuts, the unreleased ‘I’ve Gotta Go Now’ is a superb mod dancer that courts perfect company with the superb single sides ‘Save Me’ and (the now famous, thanks to BBC sit-com Absolutely Fabulous) ‘This Wheels On Fire’.
     In a word: Classic!!!
www.sanctuaryrecordsgroup.co.uk
Jon ‘Mojo’ Mills

BRIAN AUGER & THE TRINITY
Definitely What! (Castle Music; CD)
     1968’s Definitely What! sees Auger and co in a mixed bag mood, an album without a defining principle. Starter, ‘A Day In The Life’ sees Auger and The Trinity doing to the well-loved Beatles number what Dizzy Gillespie and the Bee-Boppers used to do to Tin-Pan Alley standards, i.e. turn them inside out and upside down. This is done with aplomb accompanied by some tasty orchestration that renders this treatment a lounge-corp must have -- instro hipsters will want the CD for this track alone! ‘George Bruno Money’ is a homage to Auger’s friend Zoot Money (under his real name). ‘Far Horizon’ would have been a standout but for Auger’s lame vocal. Gifted keyboard player he may have been but lead vocalist he was not. The tune is sublime, if Julie Driscoll (or someone of her calibre) had sung it, it would be a classic, but Auger’s thin voice just wavers around and irritates. ‘John Brown’s Body’ is a novelty filler, say no more. ‘Red Beans & Rice’ is a juicy, full and wholesome, a full-on Auger Hammond jazzbo freakout. I love it!
     ‘Bumpin’ On Sunset’ has its moments whilst ‘If You Live’ is a Mose Allison tune done with panache and delivered well despite Auger’s vocal shortcomings. Title track ‘Definitely What!’ is a foray into Afro-jazz fusion which works well enough for the first half but then leaves a lone flute (and I mean ‘lone’) to carry the tune which is a bit much to ask in this instance. Not satisfied with that the number then lurches into an extemporised drum solo (which should be banned in my opinion!). CD bonus tracks ‘What You Gonna Do’ and the two-part 45 version of Red Beans & Rice’ are most welcome relief and remind us of why we revere Auger in the first place. So, a bit rum in places, but one or two presses of the skip button and you have yourself a pretty decent album’s worth of classic Auger.
www.sanctuaryrecordsgroup.co.uk
Paul Martin

JULIE DRISCOLL, BRIAN AUGER & THE TRINITY
Streetnoise (Castle Music; CD)
     After the jazz-only Definitely What! Jools jumps back on board The Trinity for their most ambitious effort. Clearly indebted to the political climate (‘Czechoslakia’, ‘A Word About Colour’) 1969’s double-album Streetnoise (the final release of the lengthy musical marriage between Jools and Brian) although not as instant its predecessors, plays the serious-thinking card, and results in their most engaging album. Opener ‘Tropic Of Capricorn’ may point towards the progressive leanings of The Nice and Soft Machine, but the jazz imprint was still just as strong, particularly on the slowed down and soulful rendition of ‘Light My Fire’, Auger’s instrumentals, and his Mose Allison inspired performance on ‘Looking In The Eye Of The World’. A storming arrangement of Richie Havens folk gem ‘Indian Rope Man’ (perhaps the band’s most popular cut) takes the melody of the bare-bones original and conjures it into a frantic psych-rock piece, not dissimilar to Arthur Brown’s doomy organ-heavy pieces. Untouchable! Slightly slower, but of equal quality, is a wonderful reading of ‘Let The Sunshine In’ from the hit musical Hair. But it wasn’t all soul, jazz and instrumentation, ‘Vauxhall To Lambeth Bridge’is a plaintive folk number sung by Jools backed by a plaintive acoustic guitar and a few slightly prog tinged pop tunes, such as Laura Nyro’s ‘Save The Country’, play with the pop, jazz and hippy framework in a crafted manner. Politically aware, musically accomplished and with a shifting musical palette, this final outing of the 60’s Trinity stands up impeccably.
www.sanctuaryrecordsgroup.co.uk
Jon ‘Mojo’ Mills

DUNCAN BROWNE
Journey: The anthology 1967-1993 (Sanctuary; 2-CD)
     Duncan Browne is a name often mentioned but a sound not necessarily often heard. This double CD is a fitting tribute (and introduction) to an artist who has a loyal and dedicated following but who never reaped the commercial success he deserved. Browne first came to the public’s attention via his debut LP for Immediate in 1967, Give Me, Take You. Disc 1 showcases tracks from this and his second self-titled LP but kicks off with a hitherto unissued cut from the Give… sessions ‘Here And Now’. This, in my opinion, is perhaps one of his best numbers from his early period, an almost whimsical paisley pop piece and very much of its time. The first half of the disc features tracks from the debut album which is so light you fear to breath to hard lest it should waft the music away. That for me is the problem with Give… Whenever an orchestral instrument dare intrude to lend colour or texture to Browne’s acoustic guitar and tremulous vocal, I find myself thinking “yes, that’s what it should be like!”, but all too soon the supporting cast disappears. Nonetheless a well loved album by many even if it sold squat at the time.
     There was a five-year interlude between the first and second albums (during the collapse of Immediate, Oldham even sent Browne an invoice for the recording costs of his album!). Signing to Mickey Most’s RAK records, 1972’s Duncan Browne LP is for me anyway, where Browne recorded his most attractive work. Tracks like ‘Ragged Rain Life’, ‘Babe Rainbow’, ‘The Last Time Around’ and period singles like ’Black Shoulder Lace’ and ‘Journey’ (which also closes Disc 2 is the form of ‘Journey ‘93’) see a far more confident Browne in a full band setting.
     Disc 2 picks up in 1976 with one of Browne’s most widely regarded tracks of the time in his group Metro’s single ‘Criminal World’ and carries us through until Browne’s untimely death from cancer in 1993. Here Browne is caught in a variety of soundscapes that owes much to Peter Gabriel (e.g the Wild Places album) and Hamill (just listen to track 11, ‘End Of The Line’ for instance). As David Wells notes in his sleeve notes (busy lad these days isn’t he?) Browne’s late ‘70s stylish Euro-pop outfit, Metro were post Roxy Music and pre new romantic ‘80s, into either of which genres Metro would have fitted but instead fell between them. Both the Wild Places (1978) and Streets Of Fire (1979) albums have plenty to offer in a similar vein and which Browne took forward into the 1980s. A gifted artist, Duncan Browne deserves a wider audience and if you have a broad enough palette (or like solo Peter Gabriel for instance) then this double CD makes for a rewarding and engaging listen.
www.sanctuaryrecordsgroup.co.uk
www.insyncnet.com/duncan
Paul Martin

TERRY CALLIER
The New Folk Sound Of… (BGP; CD)
     Nine years before the funkily sensuous What Color Is Love black American jazz/folk singer Terry Callier worked predominantly in the folk idiom. The New Folk Sound Of…, although not released until 1968 on Prestige, featured eight trad pieces recorded in 1965. Here, the mystical jazz styling that was to become Callier’s calling card was largely ignored; with his gentle lulling voice and relaxed picking carrying the songs as bassists John Tweedle and Terbour Attenborough supply a haunting ambience – and just a hint of jazz. This folk-with-a-difference would clearly influence the young Brit coffee bar performers that would go onto become stars later in the decade (see: Pentangle, John Martyn…) and is highly recommended to both mid-60’s folk fans and Callier-nuts alike.
www.acerecords.co.uk
Jon ‘Mojo’ Mills

THE SPENCER DAVIS GROUP
Keep On Running: 40^th Anniversary (Cherry Red; CD)
     It should be known before purchasing Keep On Running that this celebration of one of Birmingham’s most important bands is not a definitive “greatest hits”. Cherry Red     however have made a decent collection from the material they own – previously issued on RPM. The focus on the well-known Winwood-era is culled from the two volumes of Mojo Rhythms & Midnight Blues that consist of radio and TV appearances recorded prior to and at the height of their mid-‘60s fame: including decent versions of ‘Dimples’, ‘She Put The Hurt on Me’, ‘Keep On Running’, ‘Gimme Some Lovin’’ and ‘I’m A Man’. The post-Winwood era is drawn from Mulberry Bush (a collection of singles and soundtrack recording from ’67) and the great With Their New Face On album (the new-line up’s successful blend of Brit R&B and psych-pop), whilst the seldom heard, and not particularly inspiring, 70’s recordings are represented with a few tracks from Gluggo (’73) and Living In A Back Street (’74).
     Casual fans may be disappointed with the source material (particularly due to the non-inclusion of the original recordings of the Fontana hit singles) but for those seeking a thorough chronicle of ten years of the changing faces of The Spencer Davis Group this will prove interesting.
www.cherryred.co.uk
Jon ‘Mojo’ Mills

THE FACES
Five Guys Walk Into A Bar (Rhino; 4-CD)
     It’s thirty years since the much-loved Faces called it a day, and this new collection of material from their short career has just appeared. The band's story is well known.
     Well the good news is that under the watchful direction of Ian McLagan, we’ve been handed a near perfect Faces box set. Where to start? When Warners reissued the four original albums a few years ago, they sounded great, but there was no sign of the non-album singles and flipsides, let alone any unreleased material. A subsequent compilation Good Boys When They're Sleep added one song from the last Faces recording session. but, no, this four-disc set offers up more than we could have wished for.     Five Guys Walk Into A Bar is a treasure box full of unreleased material. The studio recordings come from that last session, as well as several Ooh La La out takes. There are tapes from their earliest rehearsals, and one incredible demo recorded in a hotel room. The live numbers are culled from their countless BBC sessions, a 1975 gig, and one raw bootleg recording from Tampa 1972. There is a good selection from the four studio albums, twenty-four of the sixty-seven tracks in all. You'll also find all of the non-album singles and their B-sides and the rare NME flexi, ‘Dishevelment Blues’.
     The earliest material here was recorded at their rehearsals prior to recording First Step. ‘Shake, Shudder, Shiver’, Howlin' Wolf's ‘Evil’, and Bill Broonzy's ‘Feel So Good’ were are all regular items in the set on the earliest tours. Some of these rehearsal sessions have surfaced in trading circles, but the sound here is excellent. So where's the rest of it?    
     There is a good argument for a whole collection of BBC material. The thirteen songs here are well chosen. Just when I was beginning to worry, there it was: ‘Love In Vain’ from John Peel'sSunday In Concert, thoughI might argue that the version of ‘Bad And Ruin’ from that session would have been a better choice than the one here from Disco 2. Small quibble.
     Some of the BBC tracks also are heard in their original studio form. Mac also felt the need to include two BBC session recordings of ‘Miss Judy's Farm’ as well as the studio take. Recorded only six months apart in 1971, the later version shows the band playing with a ferocious power not usually associated with the band.     My only disappointment is the omission of a live version of ‘Wicked Messenger’, one of the highlights of their early live appearances.     In fact this song isn't here in any form. The only other track I found missing is the cover of ‘Get Back’ from the All This And World War Two sound track.
     The concert material comes mostly from a 1975 gig at the Swing Auditorium in San Bernardino. The band sound surprisingly sharp -- considering their reputation as the drunkest band around. I had it in my mind there would be more from the Fillmore East concert that gave us ‘Maybe I'm Amazed’ and ‘Feel So Good’ on Long Player, but there is a good story behind this omission, which you'll have read for yourself.
     Rod's symbiotic solo career is represented in BBC takes of ‘Maggie May’, ‘Cut Across Shorty’ and ‘Gasoline Alley’. There is also an early studio version of ‘Jodie’, which later appeared as a Stewart solo single. The real surprises are live Faces recordings of ‘I Can Feel The Fire’ and ‘Take A Look At The Guy’ from Ronnie Wood's debut solo album. And if you never picked up the Wood-Lane soundtrack to Mahoney's Last Stand, ‘Tonight's The Night’, the best track from that album is also found here. Maybe a bit out of place, but welcome none the less. And yes, that would be Pete Townshend on guitar.
     It's the unreleased material that proves to been a real eye opener.     The selections are evenly split between originals and a raft of covers. The ragged but right take on The Beach Boys’ ‘Getting Hungry’ is the real surprise and a few originals left over from the Ooh La La sessions are all as good as anything on the album, although it appears that there might have been a shortage of new material by the time the band entered the studio to record the follow up album. Instead we get a trio of R&B covers including a spirited medley of ‘High Heeled Sneakers’/‘Everybody Needs Somebody To Love’. Maybe these were just the band warming up in the studio. With out the presence of Ronnie Lane, the creative spark seems spent.
     Listening to this set is a real joy. Rather than a chronological run through, the four discs are programmed in a logical ebb and flow. The thing that struck me is the claims that The Faces were merely based on The Rolling Stones are proved completely false. Yeah they are a rock and roll band, but they swing and groove like a Stax Volt band if anything. You have to remember that they came out at a time when there was a return to roots rock. Also emerging at the time were acts like The Band, Delaney and Bonnie, Leon Russell, Derek And The Dominoes and the "wooden -music" of Crosby Stills And Nash.
     The Faces had the Booker T sound down pat as witnessed in the string of instrumental b-sides on CD; here for the first time. And Rod had one foot firmly in his folkie past. The combination of these two elements makes for some very complex arrangements. They make it sound so simple and comfortable, but a close listen shows intricate ideas coming from all instruments. Ron Wood has never played anything with this depth in his time with the Stones. Well maybe he has, but it's not the major element it is here.
     Ian McLagan has promised to follow this set with expanded editions of the original four albums and more BBC material. I can't wait. Meanwhile, go buy this now.
www.rhino.com
Ron Sanchez

THE FIVE EMPREES
Little Miss Sad (Arf! Arf!; CD)
     The Five Emprees were a five piece band from Boston Harbour on Lake Michigan. (Originally The Five Empressions, pressures from the more famous Impressions made them shorten their name.) Their story doesn’t follow the path of the typical mid-60’s garage band. For a start, their first single, ‘Little Miss Sad’, was a major regional hit and made the national charts. None of their other records were anything like as successful. It is a decent slice of catchy garage pop, and the band stuck with this style throughout the sixties. They didn’t write much of their own material, and were clean-cut boys who never ventured into Brit-style R&B, drugs, pop-psych or heavier sounds.    
     Another unusual aspect of The Emprees’ career was that they were able to record an album on the strength of their hit single. In the tradition of many LPs of the time, it was a rush job filled with covers that probably sounded great live but sound merely competent on record. Unfortunately the album is included in its entirety, yet covers of 50’s and early 60’s stuff like ‘Tell Her No’, ‘Oh Carol’, ‘Johhny B.Goode’ etc, fail to excite. The best songs on this 25-song collection are the later singles, which are delivered with more punch and beat, with good backing vocals and organ. Typical are ‘Little Miss Happiness’, ‘Would You Believe’ and ‘Nobody Will Ever Know’, which blend simple garage band arrangements with soulful pop vocals.
     Towards the end of their career horns and a fuller production were added, to great effect on their energetic version of Sam Cooke’s ‘Shake’; but sometimes the brass swamps the song, as on the re-recorded 1968 version of ‘Little Miss Sad’.
     Sadly one typical aspect of the garage band story did not escape The Emprees – the draft, which effectively wound up the band, even though they carried on with other line-ups.      The Emprees’ best stuff still retains its appeal, finding a middle ground between feral raunch and sugary pop. I would have put the LP tracks at the end though.
www.arfarfrecords.com
Phil Suggitt

DAVID HEMMINGS
Happens (Rev-Ola; CD)
     Yes indeed. That cool blonde 60’s chap from Blow Up and Barbarella, director of 80’s low-bro fun The A-Team and, prior to a far too early death, loveable wheezing older character actor with magnificent furry caterpillar eye-brows (unrecognisable from his younger self) also – ‘tho hardly anyone is aware -- cut one helluva mad cap folk-rock album in ’67. Produced by Jim Dickson, backed by The Byrds, arranged by Leon Russell and featuring a solid bond of mournful folk tunes akin to solo Gene Clark (the first track is in fact an unreleased Clark song, ‘Back Street Mirror’) and Tim Hardin (whom Dave adored, and covers ‘Reason To Believe’), Happens is far more than an actor-turned-singer curio….on top of that, the "beyond description" diversions into crazed freeform singing accompanied by the Byrd boys doing the greatest improv psych ragas of their career is really quite special.     Firstly, Hemmings could sing (he’d been trained professionally as a child) and has a unique folky baritone. Secondly, he really was hip and totally in tune with what was going on, and cuts a similarly skewed ethnic tinged trip as The Incredible Stringband one moment and then reverts to Celtic-via-California folk-rock balladry the next. I know you trust me by now, so get hip to this pronto. You won’t be sorry… as an aside, listening to this album and then watching Mr Hemmings in Last Orders (sadly, the last movie he made) is a truly rewarding experience, and one that, without question, is a fitting epitaph to a truly great Brit!!
www.rev-ola.co.uk
Jon ‘Mojo’ Mills

THE KNIGHT BROTHERS
Temptation (RPM; CD)
     Perhaps one of the last great deep soul duos to receive their reissue dues, The Knight Brothers finally get some attention courtesy of RPM. Like many acts of their time, they were billed as, but were not actually, brothers. Richard Shelton Dunbar and James Leon ‘Jimmy’ Diggs were amongst those black American artists who harnessed blues to the church and the secular sanctification (if that’s not a contradiction in terms!) of deep soul in the early 1960s. Best known for their killer sides ‘Temptation ‘Bout To Get Me’ and latterly thanks to Dave Godin’s Deep Soul Treasures series on Kent, ‘I’m Never Gonna Live It Down’ and ‘Tried So Hard To Please Her’, Temptation compiles all their best work in one place. Tracks one-six and 15-24 are The Knight Brothers proper in all their southern soul glory whilst tracks 7-14 capture Jimmy Diggs as part of The Carltons who do a good job (as many artists attempted to) at sounding like The Impressions. These sides however are the least interesting on the disc, not bad, just nothing special. The KB’s proper though are worth every penny of investment in this disc. They recorded for a welter of labels between 1963-1968, but their Chess / Checker sides are what they’re known for. Dunbar has, since the early 1980s, formed part of The Drifters (still touring!) whilst Diggs has been homeless for the last twenty years and is reported to be suffering from glaucoma. Sad indeed, let’ s hope some dollars from this RPM project reach him, and like the surviving partner in Eddie & Ernie (see the Kent CD of their wonderful deep soul) get to know they haven’t been forgotten and that their music from all those years ago is more revered and loved now than it has ever been.
www.rpmrecords.com
Paul Martin

MAN
And In The Beginning…The Complete Early Man 1968-‘69 (Castle Music; 2CD)
     Yet another reissue of Man’s first two albums might not seem like big news. Revelation and 2 Ozs Of Plastic With A Hole In The Middle have been repackaged several times now. But what a difference a little care makes.
     When The Bystanders split at the end of 1968, they recruited Deke Leonard and renegotiated their agreement with Pye. The band then headed off into the studio under the influence of the West Coast sounds emanating from California and given a free hand to record their first album, made the most of the opportunity. Revelation is a loose concept album, which owes a lot to Steve Miller’s debut, Children Of The Future. In an effort to capture the new sound, producer John Schroder wisely chose to record the band live in their hometown, as well as in a studio setting.
     The results are a fantastic slice of heavy psych pop. After years of chasing a hit single, the expanse of a full album was fully utilized. The songs are complex and compact, with the requisite dramatic changes and sound effects. Thirty-five years later it still holds up. (Three mono single sides are added to the album.)
     Man wasted no time, returning to the studio straight away to record the follow up. 2 Ozs Of Plastic With A Hole In The Middle shows the effect of constant gigging and sees Man heading towards the longer numbers they have become famous for. (Three tracks from this album were regular features of the bands live set until Deke’s recent departure.) ‘The Storm’ and ‘Spunk Box’ pretty much sum up the sound the band became know for. The former is a mood piece, complete with seagull sounds and massed voices whilst ‘Spunk Box (Rock)’ has one of those classic Man riffs that won’t quit. ‘Brother Arnold’s Red And White Striped Tent’ shows off the rock and roll side of the band. It’s the blue print for most of Deke’s solo career!
     The bonus tracks on this disc are what give this release its value: an early take of ‘Spunk Box’, titled ‘Walking The Dogma’ is a major addition to the band’s catalogue. And a previously unheard number, ‘A Sad Song’ is purported to be an early version of ‘Grasshopper’, a song that appeared on the 1975 album, Slow Motion.
     If you haven’t investigated The Manband, this may well be the best place to start. And it’s all wrapped up in a well annotated package too!
www.sanctuaryrecordsgroup.co.uk
Ron Sanchez

NICK NICELY
Psychotropia (Castle; CD)
          In the early '80s Nick Nicely may have been viewed as a messiah of psychedelia by the press, and was indeed the man that inspired Andy Partridge to take XTC into Mr Benn's magic changing room and come out as the paisley clad Dukes Of The Stratosphere. 'Hilly Fields (1892)' is most certainly a memorable slice of psych-pop too (albeit with that early 80's Tears For Fears production) and Nicely's particularly emotionless diction on '49 Cigars' clearly lifts from our Syd's "posh boy in the clouds" manner of singing. But alas most of this album sounds just like any other 80's seriouser-than-thou synth pop drivel rather than psychedelia as we know -- and love -- it. Whereas Andy Partridge had the foresight to realise that the inaugural Abbey Rd everything-but-the-kitchen-sink vintage production was essential for the mood of Brit psych, the contemporary thinking Nicely missed the point entirely. Why mend something when it ain't broke???
www.sanctuaryrecordsgroup.com
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

THE PILGRIMS
Telling Youth…The Truth (LRL; CD)
     Does the devil have all the good tunes? Judging by this set, nope! You may not feel like a repenting sinner, but perhaps a few shots of some of these toons will at least garner a euphoric shout of     “Hallelujah” across the lounge. Ever since the 1970s, the Christian rock festival has been a constant and accepted (if under reported in the mainstream press at least) part of rock culture. However, it is not often realised that there was a pre-history to this phenomenon. The Pilgrims were probably the first Christian beat group in Britain. These 21 recordings date from between 1962 and 1967, though I suspect the majority were made c.1964-6. Don Sanders, Tony Goodman, John Hubbard, Derrick Phillips and Ian Wilkie were not just shining a light for the eternal souls of lost youth, but also for young people in the Christian church itself. Tales circulate of Christian beat groups who discovered the Churches they played in the night before being reconsecrated after their performance by jittery vicars who feared the devil’s music had entered by the back door! No less than a Countess condemned The Pilgrims themselves after playing in front of Princess Margaret.
     So what does it sound like? Well the first tracks are the most surprising. ‘Thank You Lord’ or ‘Heaven’s The Place For Me’ may sound as appealing as a gospel tent on Camber Sands out of season, but don’t let that fool you. ‘Thank You Lord’ for instance is as snotty as any pre-’67 Pretty Things snarler featuring as mean a dose of biting fuzztone as you’re likely to hear anywhere. If any of the hip and happenin’ garage heads had heard this already, it would have been on a comp long ago. ‘Hey You!’, the opener, is an R&B mover with clout and sounds like something you think you already know but can’t quite place (an early Them song possibly? )‘Heaven’s The Place For Me’ and ‘There’s Someone In Your Life’ are also great tunes. In the latter stages of the disc numbers like ‘What Are You Doing With Your Life?’ and ‘I Praise The Lord’ are beautiful lo-fi garage tunes. The band faced with sectarian riots in Ireland spent their time there playing at discos and youth clubs. I doubt that they made many converts, but I suspect the medium was very much enjoyed even if the message was ignored. With tongue firmly out of cheek and in all seriousness, if you are predominantly a 60’s beat / garage / R&B fan, this little silver spinner will make a very decent addition to your shelf and at the very least will make an interesting conversation piece. This is history Jim, but not as we know it!
Nadoroznyed@hotmail.com
Paul Martin

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Heart So Cold: The North Country 60's Scene (Dionysus/Bacchus Archives; CD)
     Whilst Elvis was in the army and The Beatles had yet to invade America, rock 'n' roll (as many believe) was not dead. The North West States were practically brimming with raucous teen acts indebted to the Raiders and Wailers high octane sound, whilst just north of New York another healthy (and now neglected) teen rock 'n' roll scene was also flourishing. If the NW bands pilfered "lock, stock" from black R&B, their New York counterparts honed something a little more forward thinking. Alongside the staple surf, ballads and kegged-up frat typical of the early 60's, these local acts unknowingly referred to the same Buddy Holly/Everly's pop styling that The Beatles were adapting. Indeed, Mike & The Ravens' ‘I've Taken All I can’ (1962) injects a driving drum beat and group sound into the standard mid-tempo and vocal harmony approach of The Everly Bros. Even at this early date American teens appear to have been quite capable of creating a new rock 'n' roll blueprint, without outside help. "Wild" Bill Kennedy & The Twiliters' proto-punk cover of Johnny Kidd's ‘Shakin' All Over’ -- recorded a full year before The Guess Who's acclaimed reading -- is further proof of the region's zestful originality. Best of all are The (read about ‘em in SD#7) Thunderbolts (an amalgamation of various scene band members) whose '64-'65 recordings are nearly as good as The Byrds. It really must have been "happening" when these bands hit the stage at the local skating rink, Rollerland!
www.dionysusrecords.com
Jon ‘Mojo’ Mills

VARIOUS
Soft Sounds For Gentle People Vol.3 (Pet Records; CD)
     The previous two volumes in this wonderful series have embellished my record collection immensely and proffered new sounds to my eager ears. This is what these kind of collector generated compilations are designed to do, that is their mission accomplished. This time round I have to be grateful to Pet Records for alerting me to great LPs I have now ordered by The Pipe Dream (‘Wanderers Lovers’), The Gainsborough Gallery and The Serendipity Singers (‘Love Is A State of Mind’), wonderful cuts from all three of which appear on this great collection. If you’re a Fading Yellow or a general soft pop enthusiast, you need to get this.
     All 24 tracks have their own charm and poise, but some that stand out for me after several plays include (the post Mojo Men) Mojo’s ‘Candle To Burn’, a pacey number with phased vocal, West Coast Branch’s horn led ‘Where Is The Door’, Pipe Dream’s Wendy and Bonnyish ‘January Girl’ and especially Le Cirque’s ‘Land Of Oz’ with its speeded up ending. Any of the following can cast a spell on you however. Fun And Games’ ‘Take Me To Carmel’ will make everyone want to go (is Clint Eastwood still the Mayor by the way?). Bryan’s ‘Learn To Love’ was produced by Steve Clark, who taught Curt Boettcher his chops, so that should be recommendation enough. Jim & Jean’s ‘Time Goes Backwards’ is a nice wish fulfilment number by this highly likeable folk pop duo (watch out for the forthcoming 2fer CD reissue of their People World and Changes albums in the near future). The Hungry Jury’s ‘Buses’ I have only ever heard rendered by Neder poppers Sharks And Me, and this west coast treatment is very cool. Status Cymbal’s ‘Lovin’ Day’ is a lovely cut from their self-titled album which you should grab if you find it, while Second Helping’s ‘Floating Downstream On An Inflatable Rubber Raft’ is an electric sitar inflected charmer.
     It is criminal that Mike Condello’s work is not more widely known or available, he produced a great amount of quality material in the late ‘60s such as his Phase 1 album from which the track ‘Oh No’ is taken, pure class. Cinnamon Ship’s ‘October Rain’ is a real nice grower, with a great chorus refrain. A.M. Gately’s pop floater, ‘Battle In The City’ has an immortal line as the notes point out in “I like to see you in a mountain stream, washing the fashion from your hair”. The Music Bachs’ ‘Life And Death’ is a maudlin lament seemingly based around a reluctant individual’s draft to the Viet Nam war and contemplating the inevitability of his own demise as a result. Heeaavvy and of course an excellent counterpoint to all the general happy harmonies found elsewhere.
     The liner notes as with the first two volumes are well informed and packed with the kind of information you want to know. Clearly written by collectors with a passion for this music. There’s no excuse whatsoever for not owning this little beauty if soft pop’s your bag. A volume 4 is promised and the Mystic Males and Sounds Of She comps are seemingly not far behind either. If this Summer is being good for you, buy this disc to remember it by.
Petrecords@hotmail.com
Paul Martin

VARIOUS
Sometimes I Wonder: The Psychedelic Pop Sound of President (President; CD)
     What you have here is essentially ELAT Vol.1 with knobs on (or extra tracks as we say in the trade, ahem). For those who are not familiar with ELAT1, it’s the first 13 tracks on the CD plus track 27. The rest are bonuses. This is a jolly nice comp even if I already have most of the tracks elsewhere. It’s cool to hear this in expanded form and on CD. They’re all here, Hat & Tie, Rhubarb, Rhubarb (twice), The Gass Company’s ‘Nightmare’, The Symbols, She Trinity et al. A good, truly pop collection. The bonus tracks come in the shape of Rick Price, with two tracks from his Talking To The Flowers LP for Gemini (a second as yet unissued album was also recorded, this I want to see issued please Mr President). Then there’s the Seychelles, both with and without Brian Poole in post-Tremeloes aftershock. Their own track ‘Baker’s Daughter’ being much better than the rather tepid ‘Send Her To Me’ avec Msr Poole. Barbara Ruskin’s ‘Pawnbroker, Pawnbroker’ is a welcome addition (it featured on Piccadilly Sunshine Vol.2 from a vinyl dub) - also make sure to check out Barbara’s President anthology. Sticking with Ms Ruskin, Yellow Taxi’s ‘Anna Laura Lee’ is also one of her confections and has a mind-sticking pop quality I’d like to hear more of. Pure Gold’s ‘Fairground’ is as Circus Days as you’d wish, whilst The League’s take on Sonny Flaherty’s ‘Hey Conductor’ is also quite interesting in its own way. If you already have ELAT Vol.1, but not the bonus tracks, then this is still worth buying. It’s got great packaging and pics as well. If you don’t know many of these tracks, so long as you have a strong paisley pop affectation, you’ll treasure this CD.
www.president-records.co.uk
Paul Martin

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Tremors (Castle Music; CD)
     Between ’69-’74 musicians grasped to fit the zeitgeist and members from such disparate bands as bubblegum soul peddlers The Foundations and psychedelic falconers Tintern Abbey grew their hair, forgot to wash their denims and gorrr ‘eavy! And it must be said with varying degrees of success. Of the bands included on this album “Andover’s Finest” The Troggs sound the most predatory, mean and dirty – without relying on sub-boogie schhhl-rock Reg & co dish up the snide fuzzer ‘Feels Like A Woman’. Not surprising really considering their punk pedigree. The inclusion of a fair share of crud is where the problem lies with this otherwise solid compilation -- whether it be Mighty Hard’s cock-up heavy cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s ‘Save The Life Of My Child’ or the uninteresting boogie-sludge by Writing On The Wall. It’s apparent that what really needs to be addressed here is what’s the “hard rock” the compiler talks of? It’s a broad term, and here heavy rock, glam-punk and prog uncomfortably rub shoulders. Maybe Shindig!’s Rex Thomas’ term “Freak-Rock” (see the guide in the next issue of the mag, due this autumn) would be a more appropriate catchall … but you cant have it lads. It’s ours! Quiet World’s primo proto-punk ‘Rest Comfortably’; the mentioned gnarly Troggs’ come-on; sharp post-mod rockers, The Casuals’ ‘The Witch’ and Hamlett’s ‘Vampire’ and Spiv’s brand of yob-rock are all examples of freak rock that work well together and seem to embody what Tremors is attempting to put across.
     The idea is plausible, but at this stage appears to be not quite fully realised.
www.sanctuaryrecordsgroup.com
Jon ‘Mojo’ Mills