JOHN CALE/PARIS 1919 K 44239 (-73) UK

After a couple of experimental and "trial and error" solo LP:s on this it's like he'd finally come home. By far his most accessible, apart from one raw rocker all numbers are ballads or light pop with lots of beautiful and catchy moments, showing the story teller and great songwriter. Melodic with introspective lyrics it's cool and thoughtful, different from Velvet Underground or his subsequent more rocking period. Had this album to and from through the years and even when the vinyl's not there the songs are and I keep most of them in memory. Especially the title track, "Graham Greene" and "Child's Christmas In Wales". Found one more copy a while ago and this time it's a keeper. Even though it wont be played as much nowadays it's like reaquainting with an old reliable friend. He wont surprise you anymore but can make you feel happy and comfortable. Premiere US on Reprise (MS 2131). First UK had label as shown here, thin matt cover and lyric insert. (CÄLX*)

MIKE McGEAR/McGEAR K 56051 (-74) UK

In spite of being part of what today is considered a cult record - "McGough & McGear" (Parlophone PMC/PCS 7047) - and having one UK #1 single and two more top 10 with his band The Scaffold (see earlier post), he's still today most known for being Paul McCartneys younger brother. Though changing his name first to "Mike Blank" and finally Mike McGear, so no one could suspect he was cashing in on his brothers fame, it seems he was no stranger to sibling collaboration or letting Paul helping him out every now and then. And that's very obvious on this his second solo album. Apart from the Bryan Ferry cover "Sea Breezes" McCartney wrote or co-wrote all tracks, produced and contributed guitars, bass and vocals together with the rest of Wings and couple of studio musicians. So in practice it is a Wings album with Mike McGear on lead vocals. The signature sound is almost the same, songwriting not entirely up there with contemporary Wings hits but good enough. A couple of the tracks have ability to stick, like the four rockers cuncluding side one and "Simply Love You" because of the beautiful background vocals. Only problem is under those circumstances you'd expect McCartney on lead vocals and McGrear doesn't match up. The faster tracks works OK, yet on the slower ones like "Sea Breezes" you can hear he's not a great singer - hitting the notes but lacking depth and conviction. Still it's an OK album with some very nice moments and valuable as much by own means as the Wings connection. US first on Warner Bros. (BS 2825). Premiere UK had label as shown here and matt fold/out cover with lyric insert. (BÄ*) (MÄCC*) (MÖK*)

DR. DEMENTO'S DELIGHTS BS 2855 (-75) US

Posting this as a follow-up to the 1985 "Greatest Novelty" box. That had six records with an amazing odyssey through 20th century musical oddities. As compiled by the doctor himself it's hard to criticize the track choice on that even if you happen to have favorites not included. Luckily there were a couple of "Demento" vinyl collections preceding the box where you can find some very good box rejects. This was the earliest of those with the best from his first four years of broadcasting. It has eight cuts not incuded in the box where of at least three are favorites of mine. Doodles Weaver's truly demented "Elenor Rigby" cover, Harry "The Hipster" Gibson's drug friendly "Who Put The Benzedrine In Mrs Murphy's Ovaltine" and the sissy Johnny Cash parody "Ballad Of Ben Gay". Though the two latter were a lot less PC 1985 than ten years earlier I don't believe for a minute Hansen would have let that affect his choices for the box, maybe he just had other personal favorites. In any case this LP is a very good complement taking you further on the ride to lunacy. Don't know of any other issues than this US. It had label as shown here and glossy cover with "Burbank" inner. (SÄM*) (YZÄ*)

THE BEST OF BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST SHSM 2013 (-77) UK

Another from the UK Harvest Heritage serie, responsible for 50+ LP reissues, collections and samplers with EMI cuts from 1975 well into the eighties. A chance to get rare albums and/or previous 45 only tracks with original mixes and remaining sound quality without paying a fortune. As with this from Barclay James Harvest's first years 1969-73 - containing both sides of the band's non-LP single "Rock And Roll Woman"/"The Joker" and most of the rest from albums already deleted by the time this was released. They had an impressive width these early years - going from orchestrated ballads and psych pop to heavy blues - so diverse it's like hearing different bands. All high quality production with some very good guitars. If I have to choose favorites - the rockers "Good Life Child", "Rock And Roll Woman" and the psych/pop ballad "Poor Wages". But the rest is pretty good too and the audio evenly inviting so I see no need to jump tracks. Also released in a couple of other Europes countries with same tracking, label and sleeve design. To my knowledge never reissued on CD. First UK had label as shown here and thin matt cover. (HÄVL*)(SÄSÄ*)

ROY WOOD'S WIZZARD/WIZZARD'S BREW UA-LA042-F (-73) US

For more on the album check post on the UK original. That's a-ok if you want premiere release on a collectible label, Roger Alexander cover art or the "hand written" lyrics/band pic insert. Still if you go for best possible audio - this is the one. UK Harvest issue and a couple of others I've heard seems to suffer from the same compressed, flattened audio. That could be seen as deliberate, adding to the all over odd impression, but I guess a mistake since the bad separation actually drowns some of the instruments and the glossy surface makes it harder to connect. At least that's what I get listening to this US press, coming through bigger, wider and a lot more revealing. It's clear Wood went for rawest possible result, among other things using "ring modulation" to get a harsh distorted sound. That in combination with well written melodies in a fifties rock'n'roll style, spiked by psych interludes, makes this album one of a kind and probably the cheekiest from the period. The UK press shows that from a distance, but here you're invited in to take part. It's a rocky trip and not always pleasant, but worth every second. US first had label as shown here and matt fold/out cover. (RÖWS*) (YZÄ*)

TONY McPHEE/TWO SIDES OF TONY (T.S.) McPHEE WWA 001 (-73) UK

Solo project recorded after the relase of Groundhogs "Split" album. This is all him. Not only doing all instruments and vocals, arrangements, production and songwriting. The lyrics are also introspective dealing with his own thoughts on religious matters, society, relations and ageing. As the title implies the LP is divided into two different parts. Side one just vocals and guitars - acoustic or electric - first four tracks with lyrics on lost love and divorce and last a raw slide instrumental. The entire side two - "The Hunt" - builds on a poem dealing with the stratified British society and his contempt for the upper classes, instrumentally supported by synthesizers. I'm not much for synths mimicking other instruments, but that's not the case here. You get the pristine "moog" sound with effects in the vein of early ELP or late sixties Moody Blues. Themes woven together with sometimes unexpected twists and turns placing it somewhere on the borderline between prog and psych. So it's like two albums, musically miles apart yet held together by the personal lyrics and sincere performance. Better devoured in two separate listenings, each equally rewarding. To my knowledege never released in US. First CD issue 1992 on UK Castle Communications (CLACD 267). Japanese 2004 remastered CD on Air Mail Archive (AIRAC-1072). First UK had label as shown here, thin matt die-cut "tear"/"punched card" cover symbolizing the two sides, and four page lyric/picture inner (image there probably from his last wife with kid thus part subject for side one).

MEL TORMÉ/SONGS FOR ANY TASTE PMC 1114 (-59) UK MONO

For a while now I've had a period listening to the music I heard as a kid fifties and early sixties on our big valve radio in the living room or the kitchen transistor. Even if different from most of the stuff I'm into today much of it remains with me, not only as memories but also a prerequisite to my taste in music as it was an inspiration to many sixties and seventies acts. Multi talented Mel Tormé (1925-99) active as among other things vocalist, drummer, pianist, actor, author, arranger and composer. Starting as a child prodigy at age four and remained active up to his seventies with shifting success. Between 1955-57 he recorded seven jazz vocal albums for Betlehem label, today considered classics and by many his biggest achievement. This is one of them. Two of my favorites from the British sixties r&b/jazz scene are Georgie Fame and Alan Price. I guess some of their inspiration must have come from Mel Tormé. Same type of songs, warm cosy atmosphere and soft jazzy vocals. Maybe Fame's and Price's more pop oriented style attracts me more today, but there's no doubt that without singers like Tormé they couldn't have done it and if not for the songs of his I heard on the radio as a kid I wouldn't have liked them so much. US premiere on Betlehem Records (BCP 6031). Also issued in Japan on Betlehem 1969 (PAP-23030). First UK had label as shown here and laminated flip/back cover. (MÖRS*) (CLÄZ*) (PÖX*) (GCÖ*)

SVEN-INGVARS/DANS I KVÄLL SALP 002 (-66) MONO SWEDEN

Swedish combo started as a rock band 1956 (for more on their earlier stuff check this   https://monolover.blogspot.com/2017/01/sven-ingvarste-dans-ma-karlstatosera-pl.html ) , but through the sixties and on more and more transforming as a dance band which eventually made them a domestic name and big record seller with a large number of hits. Still active today with singer Sven-Erik Magnusson as only original member. This has to be the oddest of all albums they've released so far. Presented as "live", recorded at Baldakinen, Stockholm, but the public noise is clearly added and the cuts have a studio feeling. All tracks but two are instrumental - "Po Rom Pom Po'n" has the title line repeated and "Ricardo" some "tra-la-la". Since the vocals were a big part of their act I wonder if it originally was aimed for export, but their English too bad to be revealed, or maybe the thought was for home dancing or singalong. Anyway it is very well played, part uptempo with raw saxophone leads and part ballads with nice organ interludes and the audio a-ok. A little too anonymous for my taste, but it's always nice to hear Beatles covers played different than the originals - in this case "A Hard Days Night" and "I Wanna Be Your Man" much like fifties rockers with prominent brass. Released in mono only. To my knowledge never reissued on vinyl or CD. First had label as shown here, thin fully laminated cover and EMI ad inner. (SCÄ*) (LYBÖ*) (CCÖ*)

MICHEL POLNAREFF/LE DISQUE D'OR DES DISQUES D'OR STEC LP 63 (-69) FRANCE

Have to admit up to a while ago my only aquantances with French music had been classics like Piaf, Aznavour, Greco, Trenet and assorted novelties by Serge Gainsbourg and his girls. For some reason I never got into French sixties rock and psych...that is till I bought this Polnareff "Gold Record of Gold Records" and found out how good it can be. He has been called "the great French pop genius" and I get that now, but can't believe it took me over forty years. Didn't know anything about him before and got nothing to add on the Wikipedia article, so if you want facts on the artist - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_Polnareff . This record is a compilation of A and B sides from two 1969 singles and eight EP tracks recorded between 1966-68. Track order does not follow time of release, instead they put the slow languishing ballads on side one and the pop/rock/psych numbers on side two. Seems like a good disposition. If you love slow, heavily orchestrated ballads go for the A side and if you're like me and prefer good late sixties pop-psych just turn it around and get stuck. Catchy melodies, superb arrangements including both supporting rock setting, strings, brass and background vocals as well as psych interludes and occational whims. He also has a pleasant voice and is no stranger to the higher notes. Very entertaining nailing me to the listening chair - not a dull moment. Also issued on Barclay in Belgium (920178). German release as "The Million Sellers Of Michel Polnareff" 1970 - Metronome (MPL 15.357). First French had label as shown here and laminated flip/back cover. (MFÄX*) (GZÅ*)

FREE ILPS 9104 (-69) UK

Today hailed as one of the pioneer bands of hard rock and by early seventies the biggest selling British blues rock outfit, success taking off with their 1970 world hit "All Right Now". Group founded 1968 after Simon Kirke and Paul Kossoff left Black Cat Bones and teamed up with Paul Rogers from The Roadrunners and Andy Fraser, earlier with John Mayall. All of them still teens when recording their first Island album "Tons Of Sobs", a low budget Guy Stevens production and as such direct and forgiving with minimal use of overdubs. Though that today is considered a classic and much sought after it was a flop back then, not charting in UK and only reaching #197 on Billboard. This second LP did a little better in UK with #22 while failing in US. At that point Island main man Chris Blackwell had taken over production, resulting in the more cool and collected sound that would become part of their signature from then on. As a whole I rate it a lot higher than their following albums. It has that perfect blend of soft and raw (yes it is possible), challenging and secure at the same time. All tracks self-written, including a couple that later would be considered band classics - e.g. "Woman" and "I'll Be Creepin". Rogers and Kossoff fronting with perfect levelling and drum/bass backing cool, almost lethargic. Audio on this first UK press is superb - big and sturdy with very good separation. Couldn't pick a favorite - it's all evenly good and working as well for close listening as background mood setter. First US on A&M (SP 4204). Premiere UK had structured label as shown here and matt fold/out E.J. Day cover. As I get it these first UK matrixes were US made. This copy has hand etched ILPS 9104 A #4307/ILPS 9104 B #4308 and both sides with "Bell Sound" stamps showing they must have been made at Bell Sound studios New York, probably by engineer Sam Feldman active there at that time. Anyone knows the story behind this - please tell. (ÖSÄP*) (FDÄ*)