MUSIC FROM FREE CREEK ADS 1/2 (-73) UK

In a way the most super of all super sessions, including fiftyone musicians in different constellations of which at least 10-15 were top names at time for recordings, made at Record Plant 1969. Among the participants were Keith Emerson, Mitch Mitchell, Jeff Beck (as A.N. Other), Linda Ronstadt, Todd Rundgren, Eric Clapton (as King Cool), Valerie Simpson, Chris Wood and Delaney Bramlett. According to sleeve notes a lot was going on in and around the sessions causing sickness and bad blood and some of the players didn't get paid. Obviously most of the musical input was pure jamming without any preset arrangements. To quote project leader Earle Doud - "...we made up most of the tunes on the spot on the top of our heads". With that in mind you could expect the outcome to be somewhat distracted and parts of it is, but there's also quite a few gems making it worthwhile. "Freedom Jazz Dance" played by Keith Emerson, Mitch Mitchell and Buzz Feiten is catchy and quirky not far from contemporary ELP. Blues number "Road Song" has a sufficient Clapton solo and sincere vocals from Tommy Cosgrove. Jeff Beck does some very good guitar in "Cherrypicker". My favorites are "No One Knows" - with Eric Mercury singing to a Clapton/Dr. John/Motown Singers backing - and "Big City Woman" beacuse of the excellent Jeff Beck guitars. Those picks according to my personal taste, but there's also high quality stuff with Linda Ronstadt and others. I could have been without the instrumentals with insipid covers of "Lay Lady Lay", "Sympathy For The Devil", "Hey Jude" and a few more. With those gone, slimmed down to a single album it would have been a real treat. Produced by Earle Doud and engineered by Tony Bongiovi with some additional mixing by Keith Emerson and Neil Slaven. The audio is great all through. Release was withheld for over three years due to legal problems and issued first 1973 on Buddha/Charisma in US (CADS 101). European vinyl also in France and Germany. CD on Lake Erie Records (LER 43014). Premiere UK had label as shown here and matt fold/out cover. (SÄM*)(ÄPY*)(JÄBÄ*)