THE AEROVONS
Resurrection (RPM; CD)
     Due to their sophomore 45 'World Of You' appearing on Fading Yellow Vol.1 and the limited vinyl reissue of their hitherto unreleased LP last year, The Aerovons have become more talked about (within the micro-universe of 60s reissue enthusiasts at least) than at anytime since their original sojourn to Blighty in the late 60s. Here, for the first time, utilising this ground swell of interest, their LP gets a CD release. 
     The Aerovons tale of Fab Four adoration and aspirant emulation, resulting (through the noble efforts of Aerovon's singer and songwriter, Tom Hartman's mum) in the fulfilment of their dream of meeting the Beatles is by now, a well-known one. Contracted to EMI, the Aerovons (aged just 17-19) were able not just to meet the Beatles but record their album at Abbey Road. The album, shelved by EMI for the best part of 35 years, was written and indeed produced by 17 year-old Tom Hartman! The full story illustrated with some excellent photos, is told in Kieron Tyler's liner notes. The story indeed, has been a large part of the renewed interest in the band, everyone loves a fairytale come true, albeit with the frustrating bittersweet coda of not seeing your album get issued for 35 years! 
     However, this is not to undermine the music itself. Yes, as is often said, it is highly stylised late Beatles inspired (in places almost derivative) material, but as Tyler notes: "Tom Hartman heard the as yet unreleased 'Across The Universe' and wrote the album's title track 'Resurrection'. He heard the Beatles recording 'Oh Darling' and wrote 'Say Georgia' but so what. Badfinger were patronised by the Beatles and that was ok. Virtually every pop group in the 60s aspired to be the Beatles. In the '90s Oasis took whole chunks of Beatlemania into the charts." What stands out beyond this is the sheer accomplishment and sophistication of the music, the composition and performance of the songs by such young acolytes. The released 45 version of 'World Of You' is, as many will have heard for themselves by now, an awesome piece of orchestrated pop and how it can have laid dormant for so long on the reissue scene is mind boggling. Other standouts on the album include 'Bessy Goodheart', 'She's Not Dead', 'The Years', 'Everything's Alright' and 'The Children'. Every one of 'em a musically referenced homage in some way to The Beatles, but all with their own singularity and integrity. The sound quality is excellent, very crisp and clear. The only gripe I have is the way the songs are sequenced so close together, there is hardly time to draw breath between tracks.
     The four additional tracks comprise a demo version of 'World of You' sans orchestration, save for one lonely cello. In its skeletal form, it still packs a punch which proves its quality and also highlights the importance of the amazing Johnny Arthey / Tom Hartman arranged strings on the finished version. Likewise, their debut 45, The Bee Gees inspired 'The Train' also makes its debut reissue appearance here. Hartman is rather picky about it, but it is actually another great slab of orch-pop. Maybe not with quite the same drama as 'World...' but with just as much punch, and a joy to hear. 'Song For Jane', the flip to 'Train' is the only non-Hartman penned number having been written by the band's drummer Mike Lombardo. A slow, spartan acoustic led number with tabla sounding percussion and a harpsichord flourish, it is pleasant enough. There is also the unfinished demo 'Here' a plaintive and ultra-slow piano / vocal number. Just when you think it's all over, we find as an extension of track 16, a snippet of interview with the Aerovons from a local St Louis TV show, post-album recording. Irritatingly, the anchor man announces the Aerovons will play 'World Of You' right after a commercial, but we never get to hear it! Anyway, if you've been waiting for a CD edition of this album, it won't disappoint, a very nice package.
www.rpmrecords.co.uk
Paul Martin

MIKE D'ABO
A Little Misunderstood: Collection Volume 2 (RPM; CD)
     By the early '70s the singer-songwriter's craft focused on personal introspection, Mike D'Abo having left Manfred Mann flitted with pop and blue eyed soul before taking cues from Cat Stevens, Elton John and Co settling on a mellower, more thoughtful sound. RPM's second d'Abo collection covers his 1972-1976 output featuring tracks from Down At Rachel's Place, Broken Rainbows and Smith & d'Abo. It's all non-offensive material that display d'Abo's soulful voice and his talent as a songwriter, however, it's all rather mainstream and predictable singer-songwriter fare that borders on the mundane. 'Rachel's Place' is a decent Beatles inspired number and the material from the said album has a nice jazzy-edge supplied by members of jazz-rock act Affinity, and the Broken Rainbows selections country-bluesy feel are enjoyable, but there's really nothing here that breaks any boundaries or adds to the stylistic. Yes he could write brilliant material and sing wonderfully, it's just not that exciting. Perhaps this was a sign of the changing times and how '60s musicians got a little too competent!
www.rpmrecords.co.uk
Peter Dawe

EVOLUTION
Evolution (Wah Wah; CD)
     The late '60s in Spain saw a fascination with soul music -- perhaps the upbeat groove of black America was a suitable reaction to the staid ways of Franco's dictatorship. Evolution initially arrived in Spain from Germany as beat/soul band Los Vampires, who overtime changed direction, lost members and regrouped at the end of the decade in Barcelona to become the cities hottest soul act. When the psych-prog boom took off influences such as Santana, Spirit, King Crimson, Traffic and Blood, Sweat & Tears also began to play a crucial part in their sound. The band originals combined incredible psych-rock dance floor fillers - notably 'Dr. Vazquez' - which were packed with fuzz guitar, Hammond and Det Ferring's impressive vocals, with more introspective rock. (It comes as no surprise that recently the Mod scene has picked up on Evolution's dazzling interpretation of Spirit's 'Fresh Garbage' {included on this album}). Wah-Wah's splendid digipak re-issue of the 1970 Evolution album is packaged in the peculiar 'carrier bag' styled sleeve of the original 12" sleeve (including cardboard handgrip). 
wahwahsounds@teraa.se
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

MAC MacLEOD
The Incredible Musical Odyssey Of The Original Hurdy Gurdy Man (Bam Caruso/RPM; CD) 
     And what an odyssey it was! Though destined to remain in relative obscurity, Mac's various 60's ventures as both solo artist and band member make for a near-stereotypical tale of missed opportunities, business gaffes and drug busts as well as perfectly gauging the shifting styles of the decade.
     Mac's career began in 1963 as a Stevenage coffee house folkie. During this time he met and impressed Donovan, John Renbourn and Maddy Prior with whom he formed the folk duo Mac 'n' Maddy. He takes an opportunity to go to Sweden where he forms folk-rock group The Other Side who record one single, the garagey 'Out My Light'. He then moves on to Denmark and hooks up with a couple of Danish pot-heads to form The Exploding Mushroom who, despite the fantastic name, sound more like a wet handshake on their single 'There Will Come A Day'. Mac reverts to cutting folk-orientated material like Buffy St Marie's 'Codine' before being busted and spending Christmas 1967 in a Danish jail. 
     Upon returning to the UK in early 1968 he christens his newly transplanted three-piece Hurdy Gurdy. Donovan offers him 'Hurdy Gurdy Man', a song inspired by MacLeod. Sadly, Mac's recording (not included here) is deemed unusable so Don re-works the song into his 1968 chart-buster. Hurdy Gurdy were essentially a psychedelic folk outfit who seemed to morph into a heavy rock band when they entered the studio with old friends Rod Argent and Chris White at the controls to cut 'Tick Tock Man', a stunning showcase for both Mac's Bert Jansch-esque finger picking and his super-charged Blue Cheer fantasies. Mac then cuts some demos with his old mates Rod Argent and Chris White who have recently disbanded The Zombies. The resulting 'Telescope' is a magnificent discovery on which Mac's fluid electric guitar work shines. Sadly, Mac didn't become a permanent member and Argent never pursued the moody pop-psych overtones of this lost gem. He then cuts some introspective material as one half of Amber which mixes sitar and tabla with the acoustic guitars and keeps a low profile as the 70's dawn.
     A smattering of unremarkable contemporary cuts round things off a little too politely but it's that clutch of adventurous late 60's cuts which will leave you wanting more.
www.rpmrecords.co.uk
Andy Morten

JIM MESSINA & HIS JESTERS
The Dragsters (Wah-Wah; LP)
     Practically every '60s guitarist in the US started out playing surf instros and Jim Messina of Buffalo Springfield was no exception. The Dragsters features high-octane, mucho-reverbed tracks centred around the drag strip recorded when the band were all the tender age of 14-15 in 1964! Much like the chaos of the strip this album shifts along, powered by clattering drums and Messina's simplistic guitar riffs. Although lacking the dexterity of heroes Link Wray and Dick Dale, and for that matter many other small time instro bands, Messina and cronies managed to pull-off a primal and crazed album that should appeal to all fans of the genre. Buffalo Springfield, Poco and Loggins And Messina collectors may want this for this the historical value, but this music has nothing in common with the far more subtle and crafted guitarist that he became. File under: pill popping, wyld reverbed guitar.
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

MUSICA DISPERSA
Musica Dispersa (Wah Wah; LP)
     Throughout the early '70s musicians were going places that no one would have considered in the mid-'60s. However ridiculous the music you made was students and academics would enjoy it. In Barcelona a conglomeration known as Musica Dispersa indulged in experimental soundscapes that borrowed liberally from the improvisational aspect of West Coast Psych (ala Country Joe & The Fish's use of mouth organ), The Incredible String Band's eccentric acoustic folk and the ethereal wailing of Daevid Allen's earliest French Gong outings. This won't be to everyone's liking, but there is indeed something compelling about these mainly instrumental pieces.
wahwahsounds@teraa.se
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

THE PALACE GUARD
The Palace Guard (Gear Gab; CD)
     Eagerly awaited due to Emitt Rhodes (he of the magnificent Merry Go Round and Macca inspired solo career) and Terry Rae (later of Jamme) connection the output of this popular LA teen-band is more disappointing than good. Although the later cuts, 'A Girl You Can't Depend On' in particular defined the Beatley-harmony folk-rock of The Merry Go Round and 'Calliope' was a stunning middle-eastern pop-psych cut, The Palace Guard's output consisted of incredibly average parodies of teen-pop and merseybeat. The best was yet to come.
http://www.swiftsite.com/gearfab/
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

PAN & REGALIZ
Pan & Regaliz (Wah Wah; CD)
     Franco was still in power, but that didn't stop young Spanish musicians growing their hair and recording freaky rock. The strict regime probably gave them even more of an incentive! Pan & Regaliz, from Barcelona, released an album full of spaced-out, mind bending material in '71 that is hard to believe sprung from a country struck by dictatorship. Echoes of Canned Heat, Jethro Tull and Focus (an extensive usage of flute), Family (Paris' quivery vocals), Pink Floyd, and even UK psychedelia can be heard. (Final 45 'Magic Colours', included on this issue, wouldn't have sounded out of place on a volume of Rubbles). The production isn't perfect, and by side two some of the indulgences get boring. However, this is an often intriguing and extremely rare artefact of the progressive music scene that arose from a country stuck in the ways of the past.
wahwahsounds@teraa.se
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

PHANTOM
Phantom's Divine Comedy Part. 1 (Radioactive; CD)
     Rumour has it that on its release in 1974 this album actually led critics and fans to believe that Jim Morrison had in fact not died, but been in hiding for a few years and returned with a new band. And yes, vocalist Tom Carson does indeed sound identical to Jim Morrison. If The Doors were in existence in 1974 this is exactly how they would have sounded. The guitars rock harder, and a slightly heavier funkier edge is evident, but this is still clearly more than a band just inspired by Jimbo. This is a band that wanted to be The Doors. If you can accept the lack of originality, and are a Doors fan, this is an essential purchase: even if for curiosity value alone. 
www.radioactiverecords.com
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

SILVER APPLES
Contact (Radioactive; LP/CD)
     Viewed in some circles as genius the conversations I have had with fellow SD readers all come to the same conclusion as me: this sucks big time, what utter rubbish! Art? Wet farts more like.
www.radioactiverecords.com 
I P Freely

THE SOFT MACHINE
Kings Of Canterbury (Recall/Snapper; 2-CD)
     This shoddy double is another repackage of the oft released Live At The Paradiso which was recorded at an Amsterdam gig in '69 prior to the release of Soft Machine Vol.2 and a mix of the 1970 concert recorded on tape by Hugh Hopper's brother at Croydon (this has also been released as Facelift) and a few tracks from Live 1970. To these ears other than their earliest recordings the Softs epitomised pretension in music. This rubbish double is further proof to my assessment; even worse most of the sound is diabolical. Avoid.
www.snappermusic.com
Dave Johannson

THEM
Now And 'Them' (Revola; CD)
     OK, you're in ancient Egypt trekking across the sand dunes and the batteries in your Walkman or portable MP3 player are running low (yeah, yeah, but we're time travellin' you know, suspend disbelief and all that). Then suddenly, appearing as if from nowhere, a Sphinx, a real one (whooo, spooky!). The Sphinx offers you replacement batteries, a crate of Fosters, a four-wheel drive all-terrain vehicle and plenty of petrol to alleviate your current situation. However, in order to win this coveted redemption package, you have to play the Sphinx's game. The Sphinx shows you four doors. Behind each door is a version of 'Them', all you have to do is decide which is the genuine 'Them'. Choose wisely and the goodies are yours, guess wrongly and you have to carry on walking.
     So, behind door No.1 we have 'Them' as graduate mod-soul funsters ('I'm Your Witch Doctor', 'What's The Matter Baby', 'Truth Machine'). They play in a soulful R&B mode which with new singer Kenny McDowell out front comes across like a slightly skewed version of The Action. There's a brass section in places (which adds rather than detracts from the sound overall, even a bit of woodwind!). Also, in an 'afterhours Artwoods after too many woodbines torch song' sort of a way, a finely rendered (but incongruously included) 'Nobody Loves You When You're Down And Out'. But lest you feel that this is the only 'Them' (there was a US impersonator band at the time as well!), we should look behind door No.2. What do we have here then? Why, it's 'Them' as west coast psychedelic drone meisters. This time a ten minute long workout of 'Square Room', a delicacy which comes across, as liner scribe, Jon 'Mojo' Mills rightly suggests, The Doors 'The End' without Morrison's theatrics (both bands jammed together coincidentally). There is though also, given the cale-esque viola drone underpinning the tune cycle, a very strong sense of Velvet Underground at play as well. This is a veritable masterpiece of the idiom and worth buying the CD for alone. 
     So, to Door No.3, behind which is 'Them' as US garage punks with 'Walking In The Queens Garden' and Goffin / King's ' I Happen To Love You', (more familiar via the snotty rendition by The Electric Prunes). Both these get double entries due the addition of the bonus mono 45 versions. 'Them' are as punk as any Texas garagers of the time on 'Walking...', so snarl if you dare! Finally, behind Door No.4 we find 'Them' as popsters with ''You're Just What I Was Looking For Today' (Goffin / King again), 'Dirty Old Man (At The Age of Sixteen)' and 'Come To Me'. All good poptastic solid beaty numbers.
     So which is the real 'Them'?? Well, technically given the nature of their next album Time Out Time In For Them (due out on Revola in the near future), 'Square Room' would be the real indicator. However, even though stylistically much of this album has as much in common with itself as George Bush at an anti-globalisation rally, every number is a thumping good production. Whether the disparate nature of the album had more to do with the unpreparedness of this particular line-up of Them or represented a band trying out the in-styles to find direction is hard to say. It fails miserably as a unity, but succeeds in wads as 10 (+ 2 bonuses) self-contained, stand-alone belters of late 60s beat, pop, garage etc. etc.. As for the Sphinx, you spend so long digging each version of 'Them' that s/he (who knows!) nods off into a deep slumber, so you scoop up the goodies and make off pronto, heading for the nearest hip record shop (is there one in Cairo??) to score this quizzical gem of a CD!
www.revola.co.uk
Paul Martin.

TWENTIETH CENTURY ZOO
Thunder On A Clear Day (Radioactive; LP/CD)
     I do feel for fledgling labels and hope all goes well for them, but I also lose all sympathy for their poor sales when I see things like this, a reissue of a great psych album that Sundazed only reissued a few years back and is still in the shops -- their version also includes bonus cuts, is better packaged and has copious liners. A silly mistake and lost opportunity. C'mon guys do some research. Okay it's on vinyl, but still too…
www.radioactiverecords.com
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Lost Legends Of Surf Guitar: Vols 1-3 (Sundazed; CD)
     These three CDs start Sundazed's new cohesive surf series and guarantee optimum reverbed Fender amps and guitars throughout! As an overview of rare American instrumental guitar music these are essential, and even hardened fans will become hot under the collar due to the inclusion of a number of unreleased songs on each CD: including gems from such icons as future Beach Boy David Marks & The Marksmen's wonderfully titled 'The Sheriff Of Noddingham' and Jim Messina's Jester's 'The Jester' (see full review of Jesters' album earlier). Each CD features a splendid fold-out sleeve containing interviews with such major players as Gary Usher and Terry Melcher, great pics, extracts from journals and diatribes on surf music from renowned experts Domenic Priore and Stephen M. McFarlane, as well as track-by-track annotations. The sound is great, there're twenty tracks on each CD and if you like twanging surf instros you'll find a lot to enjoy on this new series, which is looking set to be the Pebbles of Surf! 
www.sundazed.com
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Pop In Volume 2: More Fizzy Pop Confectionery From The UK 1967-70 (Elevator Pop CD)
     Ok, you want 60s pop? We got 60s pop! Get it while it's hot (the weather that is), these babies were made for partying with! Young Blood kick us off with the mantra-like musings of 'just who did you kill Bungalow Bill' Better than the Beatles?? Virgin Stigma (guffaw) aka Peter Lee Sterling offers up a lightly organ led piece of prog pop in his theme from Groupie Girl (listen for the film trailer as hidden track 27, oh now I've gone and spoiled it for ya!). Tony Hazzard's take on his own song 'Goodnight Sweet Josephine' is every bit a cool as the Yardies (sorry Shade), as is the whole of the eponymously titled album from which it has been culled here. The Gaylords sans the Dean Ford prefix serve up 'He's A Good Face', their last 45 before the name change to Marmalade, which is a pleasant mid-paced pop harmony mover. Kelly's 'Mary Mary' is a fine lightly orchestrated blues-soul number with appropriate wailing girly backing singers (and a standout on the disc for me). The Alan Bown!'s 'We Can Help You' comes on like a good Samaritan on prozac, smiley pop indeed! Fairfield Parlour's 'Bordeaux Rose'? All sing along now. Another standout is The Fortunes 'The Idol' a suitably introspective ditty on the vagaries of pop stardom. If you thought The Fortunes roster was essentially the stuff of cabaret acts, this beauty will be an eye opener. A powerful, punchy period pop performance, pity there were no others like it. It changes tempo ¾ of the way through and comes over all breathy, a very cool number indeed. The CD is worth the price for this alone!
     For whimsical toy town pop The Cymbaline's 'Down By The Seaside' is hard to beat. A typically period observational lyric about the British ritual of seaside holidaying, chirpy and cheerful. Likewise Thoughts And Words 'Charlie Gates' about an old codger on holiday (perhaps Rupert's People's 'Charlie Brown' in old age having escaped his work routine). Though this also has a very nice string arrangement, I'd love to hear the whole Thoughts & Words album (hint hint!). Lace's (Pete Dello) 'I'm A Gambler' has a slight Cajun feel, acoustic guitar led harmony pop with accordion interceptions, a simple but effective tune. Vanity Fair provide a nice enough piece of melotronic backed prog-pop in 'Man Child' whilst Toby Twirl tell the story of Harry Faversham's Billy Liar-like fantasy world with aplomb. Nicky James renders a big voiced (and with big orchestration) version of The Hollies 'Would You Believe' and Billy J Kramer's take on The Gibb Brothers 'Town of Tuxley Toymaker', whilst pleasant, doesn't add anything to personalise it. Andy Ellison's first solo 45 from '67 'It's Been A Long Time' is an interesting tune with a nice line in chamber orchestration whilst The Ryan Brothers 'Pictures of Today', is a sitar driven popsiker which couples 'Madrigal' as their most desired 45. The Casuals 'Naughty Boy' is a crisp little popper with a punchy bass sound and the often dreary Flying Machine turn in an uncharacteristically robust performance in their terrifyingly titled ' The Devil Has Possession of Your Mind' - a nice funky, full-bodied harmony pop piece with some muscley guitar fills. Graham Gouldman's 'The Impossible Years' is an excellent and mature observational piece on female adolescence, no home should be without one! I think that pretty much every track from his That Graham Gouldman Thing album is going to end up on a comp soon. Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich - post Dave Dee, rather surprise with 'Mr President' snatched from their prog-pop structured Fresh Ear LP. Finally, The Hollies end the day with 'Wings', a dreamy, slow, melt-away number, like an ice cream cornet too long in the hand on a blisteringly hot day!
     So, another good 70+ minutes worth of finely re-upholstered hardly-heards from the dream time of 60s UK chartlesness for us all to fetishise! Mine's back on the CD player already!
elevatorpop@yahoo.co.uk
Paul Martin

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Psychedelic States: Texas In The '60s Vol. 1 (Gear Fab; CD)
     The amazing stuff that we already know included on this latest onslaught on the Texan garage/psych scene sounds magnificent, really improving on the sound of Texas Flashbacks; there is also a handful of uncomped material included here well worth hearing. Some is great, other inclusions less inspiring. Of the better new finds are relocated Californians Euphoria, whose twisted 'Oh Dear You Look Like A Dog' sounds as if the guys had been greatly taken by The Golden Dawn; unreleased Michael track 'Caretaker' is a wonderful breezy middle-eastern tinged power-pop/garage-psych crossover; Bubble Puppy turn in two unheard 1968 cuts, amongst the finest tracks included and AA40's 'Marenthelia Glows In The Dark' is a cosmic harmony-psych number. But what in the hell is the dire piece of '80s metal-psych art-rock bollox masquerading as a 1966 cut by Airhead???? What???
     Some classics, some nice new discoveries and a completely stupid '80s cut. Uneven to say the least, but the good outshines the bad.
www.swiftsite.como/gearfab
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Spinning Wheel: Vol. 2 (Sheroo; CD)
     Volume two improves tenfold on it's predecessor (which in itself was a bloody fine collection that gained the thumbs up from us a few months back). Well mastered, having rectified the previous outings sound problems, sleeved in a stunning Victoriana sleeve, and featuring 22 cuts of blissful late '60s pop in the Fading Yellow school of thought, this limited run compilation is highly recommended to those of you that have been put in a spin from the current influx of delicious melodic late '60s pop sounds. From the famous side comes Adam Faith's much talked about Gibbs Bros penned laconic folk-rocker 'Cowman Milk Your Cow'; Village Green Preservation Society outtake 'Lavender Hill' from The Kinks US only Great Lost Kinks album; Spinning Wheel fave Peter Sarstedt's heavily orchestrated David McWilliamsesque 'Frozen Orange Juice'; The Bee Gees' 'Nobody's Someone' (a beautiful orchestrated ballad earmarked for Odessa); numero uno '60s babe Claudine Longet's reading of Joni Mitchell's 'Both Sides Now' (which is as pretty and nubile as its singer), and chirpy UK/US chart regulars Herman's Hermits come close to sounding like Graham Nash's '67 Hollies output on 'London Look' their tribute to my fair city. Swedish pop gods The Tages also owe more than a nod-of-the-head-and-a quick-wink to Nash on their sprightly jangle fest 'Miss McBaren'. Susan Jacks sounds like "a psychedelic Karen Carpenter" on the tabla dominated floating soft-popper 'Beyond The Clouds' and Nick Garrie also keeps exceedingly mellow on his 'Nightmare Of JB Stanislas', which really is a psychedelic wonder! Just dig that voice, production and whispering strings! Mortimer's 'Dedicated Music Man' is a delightfully bouncy nasal folk-rocker with an uplifting chorus and similarly the all-but-the-WCPAEB-in-name Markley (the surname of the older weirdo and self-elected frontman Bob) keep with the folky/country vibe on 'Booker T And His Electric Shock', a lyrically captivating dope smoked oddity. Los Iberos' (a fine, fine Spanish pop band well worth seeking out) 'Why Can't We Be Friends' is a drifting harmony-pop tune of "epic proportions" and keeping with the Spanish flavour Pic Nic, who stick with the Claudine Longet / Astrud Gilberto template on the lullaby-like 'Callate Nina', and Los Angeles '72 Spanish sung hit 'Monica' are both lush with extra sugar -- further airing Spinning Wheel's eclecticism. Australian writer Steve Kipner gets a double serving this time around and goes all kitchen-sink-Bee Gees on Steve & Stevie's 'She Getting Married', the second selection, made under the moniker of Tin Tin, 'Tomorrow Today' is a heavily orchestrated affair with a Lennon Pepper era vibe. Alternatively Wolfe takes the Macca route on 'Us'. Although The David have been heavily praised for their drifting classic 'Light Of Your Mind' for years, flip 'Hey Mr Policeman' has surprisingly gone unnoticed. It's a fab slice of groovy mod-dancefloor-psych and it's inclusion here will no doubt lead to cries of delight. As will the entire compilation which is yet another splendid addition to the wealth of late '60s pop compilations that are at last becoming accepted by psychedelic music fans. It ain't that freaky, but it sure is nice.
sheroo@blueyonder.co.uk 
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

THE WIZARDS FROM KANSAS
The Wizards From Kansas (Radioactive Records; CD)
     You want laid-back country-rock in all of its long-haired and handlebar moustachioed glory? You want harmonies, subtle acoustic guitars, sustained Quicksilver-esque solos and well thought out songs and adaptations? If so, this welcome UK re-release of this obscure American band's sole 1970 album is a must have. Drifting somewhere between Californian styled acid rock and country-rock the Wizards, although soon disintegrating after the album was recorded, left an impressive example of calculated hippy rock behind them. 'Misty Mountainside' has to be one of the greatest pieces of mellow harmony-ridden countryish psych ever recorded: a meisterwork that has sadly been all but forgotten.
www.radioactiverecords.com
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

WARREN ZEVON
The First Sessions (Varese Sarabande/Varese Vintage; CD)
     Long before he was a werewolf of London, Warren Zevon was a Los Angeles singer/songwriter trying to find his niche. In 1965, while attending Fairfax High School, he met Violet Santangelo, a gal whose voice and outlook complemented his, and they teamed up under the nom de plume Lyme & Cybelle. The recordings the pair made under this moniker, along with several Zevon demos, are collected here on The First Sessions.
     Many Shindiggers have long been familiar with Lyme & Cybelle due to 'Follow Me,' which has graced many a compilation. 'Follow Me,' with its biting folk-rock sound and cool counterpoint vocals, was released by White Whale Records in 1966 and made it to #65 on the Billboard charts. It's definitely the centrepiece of this collection, but there are a lot of other keen tracks here, showing the wide range of styles Zevon and Santangelo were able to tackle. Among the standout Lyme & Cybelle tunes are the very pretty 'Like The Seasons,' a take on Jimmy Reed's 'Peeping And Hiding' on which the pair gets down pretty good, and The Mamas & The Papas styled '(You Used To) Ride So High,' which was recorded under the cheeky name The Motorcycle Abeline.
     The Zevon solo recordings include 'Outside Chance,' which The Turtles made famous and on which Zevon's patented overstated vocal style starts to emerge, the Phil Ochs styled 'I See The Lights,' and 'A Bullet For Ramona,' cleverly recorded to sound like an authentic 1920's blues tune!
     The First Sessions includes two bonus tracks which team Santangelo with a session singer named Wayne Erwin. Both of these, 'Song 7' and 'Write If You Get Work' are bright, sunshiney tunes produced by the legendary Curt Boettcher, and they definitely sound like it!
     With so many unreleased tunes gracing The First Sessions, it's an essential purchase for Warren Zevon completists and fans of '60s pop music.
www.VareseVintage.com
David Bash

SPOTLIGHT ON SUBLIMINAL SOUNDS
     Stefan Kery runs an eclectic label that I have often read about but own nothing by, after Stefan kindly sent me a copy of the label's new anthology of his '80s garage band The Stomachmouths (reviewed elsewhere) I contacted him to thank him for the great CD. He responded to my eagerness to review it by sending over a collection of his past releases. MERREL FANKHAUSER's excellent mid-'70s chilled-out cosmic Hawaiian jungle penned collection of songs entitled Maui -- although from 1976 -- is a nod back to the free spirited days of late '60s California. Its acoustic harmony feel is most certainly endearing. Also good is the rare 1972 recording by DR HOOKER, a stoned longhair and friends that cut a slew of garagey psychedelic numbers, which really are mightily impressive. So much obscuro collector's-price psych is drivel, but this really is the business. Slow, poetic and slightly spooky, it's a must. Far more out there and less enjoyable are Swedish art-rock deconstructionalists TRAD GRAS OCH STENAR whose tuneless noise maps may have sounded revolutionary then, but now just sound droney and uninspired; earlier excursion of the same band PARSON SOUND offer more of the same. Not to knock this stuff, but it sure ain't pleasing pop. If interested in experimental/underground rock they may appeal… but it's not for me…WORLD OF LIFE however are a contemporary band who clearly dig Gong and Hawkwind along with '60s psych and newer shoegazing indie bands. All is as not bad as it sounds, and if a fan of Delerium record bands like Porcupine Tree etc these guys and gal may be worth checking out in time for your next chillum session.
http://members.chello.se/subliminalsounds/
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

THE BEST OF GET BACK VINYL
     THE KINKS reissue campaign continues with a further two albums: the fabulous Face To Face (1966) was the first of Davies' albums to fully break the 'You Really Got' me garage-punk mould and established him as a quintessential English observer of people; Lola vs. Powerman And The Money Go Round (1969) is a rough concept album about Davies hatred of the music industry, and includes the huge hit 'Lola'. It appears that Earmark will release the entire Kinks catalogue -- great news for vinyl obsessives and audiophiles alike. And of course, Kinks fans… Dipping into Ska, the DERRICK MORGAN Trojan compilationI Am The Ruler gets a fabulous vinyl outing (sounding punchy and warm). Album features early ska hits 'The Hop' and the whimsical duet 'Housewives Choice' alongside rocksteady gems like 'Got You on My Mind' and 'I Am the Ruler' and early reggae track 'Gimme Back'. Train To Skaville: 1966-1969 is a beautiful double album of ska, rocksteady and proto-reggae from THE ETHIOPANS (an act that helped forge, what would become the norm in reggae: the duality between reggae and Rastafarianism.)… The BERT JANSCH back catalogue is continued with Birthday Blues (the 1969 album produced by Shel Talmy and featuring the majority of The Pentangle)…. Another band receiving a thorough audiophile going over of their back catalogue are MOTORHEAD; Lemmy and gang let it rip on the 1981 live album No Sleep 'til Hammersmith. Unfortunately THE MC5 live collection Motor City Is Burning is really a-for-fans-only set. Like fellow cult bands The Stooges and New York Dolls, the 5 have suffered from fifth rate live recordings. This isn't advised. The 'while every effort has been made to ensure optimum sound quality, priority has been given to historic content and importance' disclaimer says it all. Basically: 'This sounds shit'! Avoid… THE RUNAWAYS' final album And Now The… features the novel Joan Jett sang cover of Slade's 'Mama Weer All Crazee Now', and although by far not the gurls best this is still a fun album that has a nice ironic kitsch twist to it… Hello The Donnas… We absolutely raved about the RPM CD version of the magnificent For Fox Sake (album title of the century) a few months back; for those who want a nice vinyl edition (san bonus cuts) of THE FOX classic, here 'tis…. Punk this month comes in the form of THE BUZZCOCKS brand new Cherry Red album, Californian 1982 punk from CHANNEL 3 and eccentric avant-punk from VIRGIN PRUNES. While I know nothing of the latter two my fave pop-punks The Buzzcocks latest is superb. More rockin' and propulsive than their '70s outing, yet still innocent and fresh as the best of their output this doesn't sound like the product of old geezers and shits on all of the new American punk that the teens seem to adore. It reminds me of early Supergrass more than anything else! Wonderful…Sky Saxon is back on the road with a reported decent new Seeds, so what better time could there be for quality vinyl reissues of THE SEEDS first two albums (The Seeds and A Web Of Sound)? And yes, they sound great too, so for those who own the horrid '80s Line re-issues now is the time to upgrade…. The very clever George Clinton hit the big time with One Nation Under A Groove in 1978 with the truly eccentric rock-funk outfit FUNKADELIC. It is a classic in it's own right, but I figure that like me the majority of SD readers will far prefer Parliament's Osmium and the Funkadelic's third album, 1971's crazed Maggot Brain... Finally this month, we round of our brief review of Get Back's on going vinyl crusade with a compilation of early JOHN LEE HOOKER material from 1949. Boogie Chillen features said song and another 13 cuts of prime stripped down acoustic blues.
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Jon 'Mojo' Mills