fredag 31 mars 2017

SCAFFOLD/FRESH LIVER ILPS 9234 (-73) UK

For band background check post on their previous "L the P" album. This follow-up, released four years later, has about the same disposition. One so called "Song Side" with more or less regular song numbers in a kind of rocking vaudeville style and one "Words & Music Side" containing poetry or just quirky speech mixed with light instrumental parts. I've seen it branded as "comedy rock", which fits if you're into that kind of very odd British humor. I first bought it for the guest list - including names as Ollie Halsall (Patto, Tempest, Timebox), Gerry Conway (Fairport Convention, Fotheringay), Neil Innes (Bonzo Dog, Grimms, Rutles) and Zoot Money. But apart from Halsall doing some good guitars in the two rock numbers "Devon's Dead" and "Nuclear Band" the guests remain rather anonymous. In a way adjacent to Bonzo Dog and Monthy Python though a lot less obvious craving more attention. So special it's impossible to value against anything else and therefore in a way beyond good or bad. Not an album I play a lot, but it is a keeper and I'm glad it's there. Also originally issued on Island in Spain (86968-I) and Australia (IL 34932). Japan 2009 CD on Island (UICY 94110). Premiere UK had label as shown here and thick, fully laminated fold/out cover. (MÖK*)

torsdag 30 mars 2017

THE MOONLIGHTERS/SOUND OF POP SWELPC 62 (-67) SWEDEN

For many Swedish rock/pop groups in the sixties the small domestic market went sour after a while and one way to survive was by converting into a dance band, as those were always in demand throughout the land. Known exemples - Sten & Stanley, Sven-Ingvars, Shanes and Jackpots. Moolighters instead started as a dance orchestra with a pop/rock repertoire, first recording in English but soon changing to an all Swedish songbook. After hearing and liking this debute LP I went to see them playing Savoy Hotel in Luleå 1968. It was a big disappoinment. A couple of neat lads doing slow dance covers for a posh audience, nothing even remotely rocking. Not that the music on the record is especially hard or breathtaking, but well done pop and rock with lots of fine organ and pleasant vocals. "Lucille" done slowly and screamy with fat hammond, "Mohair Sam" borderline jazzy and "Yesterday" an instrumental with flutes. Most of the rest in white soul style with some resemblance to Alan Price or Georgie Fame. As a whole a totally ok album, blending light soul and pop without being too easy listening. Vocalist Lars-Erik Holm, here under pseudonym "Larry Moon", quit the band 1975 and became one of the leading figures in Swedish show-biz as singer, songwriter, producer and TV host. He was also one of the men behind the two ill-reputed erotic "Bordellmammas Julvisor"  (Brothel Madam's Christmas Carols) and "Gammeltjo Med Bordellmamma"  (Old Time Whoopee With The Brothel Madam) LP:s  https://monolover.blogspot.com/search?q=kondom   , trying to cash in on the Johnny Bode trademark  https://monolover.blogspot.com/search?q=johnny+bode   . This was released in Sweden only. Reissued 1969 on Interdisc (ILPS 124). First had label as shown here and thin fully laminated cover. (SCÄ*) (CCÖ*)

tisdag 28 mars 2017

JOHNNY WINTER M 63619 (-69) UK MONO

Don't know if to call this a forgotten gem. In any case it's sad the album isn't mentioned more or regarded higher among guitar afficionados today. Counting together feeling, presence and skill it is one of the better guitar blues efforts of its time, or of any time for that matter. Though as an albino being the whitest of all white blues stars Johnny Winter (1944-2014) was deep into the black from an early age. He grew up watching performances by BB King, Bobby Bland and Roy Head and sometimes invited to sit in and play, thus getting it right from the start. After a less successful debute LP - "The Progressive Blues Experiment" on Sonobeat Records (RS 1002) - he got a contract with US Columbia and recorded this eponymous second, backed by Willie Dixon, Walter Horton and brother Edgar among others. Not sure exactly what went on in the studio, but it must have been magic back then...mojo leaking into my vinyl world as I'm listening right now - guitar and backing together causing a pleasant stirr in the gut making my mouth water for doing it again and again till I can't take anymore. So filled with that rare blend of outmost skill and feeling you wanna be there and never leave. On such high level it seems silly to nominate favorite tracks, but "Be Careful With A Fool" has it all. If you haven't heard that already - go Youtube and listen to the studio version and you'll understand. Premiere US on Columbia 360 label (CS 9826). This UK mono is with all certainty a fold, but so strong and well balanced I couldn't ask for more. It came with label as shown here and thin laminated cover. (YMÖ*)

söndag 26 mars 2017

YARDBIRDS/LITTLE GAMES LN 24313 (-67) US MONO

Even if much criticized now and then, both by true fans and professional know-it-alls, this has grown to be a classic. In the late sixties there may have been reasons to react over the psych-pop attempts and partly sloppy finish substituting the carefully produced hard blues filling their earlier albums, but today in retrospective it's like opening a treasure chest. There's for exemple a lot to devour here for the hard core Zeppelin fan and then not only the Jimmy Page/John Paul Jones collaboration. "Tinker Taylor Soldier Sailor" was the first time Page recorded his bow-guitar play, "White Summer" is a not unsimilar forerunner to "Black Mountain Side" from Zeppelin's debute - the two often performed interwoven at LZ's concerts - and the kind of coinciding vocal-guitar appearing in "Drinking Muddy Water" was subsequently also used by Page/Plant. Though even without that connection it's a very good album. A little uneven maybe, but you do get raw blues with "Drinking Muddy Water" and "Smile On Me Baby". "Glimpses" is fine whimsical eastern psych and title track tophole psych pop. Page's guitars are prominent and adventurous and the audio stunning. Problem with producer Mickie Most at the time was he only concentrated in single material and may have seen the rest of the album as a not so important appendix to the "Little Games" 45. That song is top production while some of the others sounds less cared for. I've seen debates if this mono version is true or a fold, but the copy here is true beyond doubt - can be told by the title track having a vocal overdub and Page's guitar break coming through loud and clear. Be aware a bunch of stereo records by mistake got mono labels and covers. If you can't listen before buying, check matrixes on the dead vinyl. I take all first press monos have the same as this - stamped XEM 118047-1C/XEM 118048-1C. Originally issued also in Canada (Capitol T/ST 6207), Germany (Epic BN 26313) and downunder (Columbia SCXM 5017). First UK came 1985 on Fame (FA 4131241) as part of a fourteen track compilation. To my knowledge the original mono tapes were only used in US and Canada. Premiere US had label as shown here and glossy cover. (YÄB*) (YZÄ*) (ÖXCÅ*)

fredag 24 mars 2017

THE HOLLIES/HOLLIES' GREATEST PCS 7057 (-68) UK STEREO

As it is a collection of 45 cuts, most of them previously non-LP in UK, the mono has always been the obvious choice for me since I wanted the original mixes and versions. And because many of them didn't exist in stereo before I expected at least some fakes on this. I needen't have worried. Good news is all tracks here are some kind of true stereo, a couple probably mixed just for the issue. Starting with "I Can't Let Go", "Bus Stop", "We're Through" and "Carrie Ann" done the same way - instruments evenly distributed with all vocals loud to the right - sounding like someone in the studio was under a lot of stress to finish the job and didn't care much about quality. Seriously limping, thus handicapping the outcome and almost taking away the joy from listening. But the rest is more or less all right. E.g. "Jennifer Eccles" and "On A Carousel" are good sixties stereo and though I didn't like the two-channel version of "King Midas In Reverse" before I have to admit now it actually adds something to the mono by better separation. So even if the mono for me as a whole is the best choice for listening and reminiscing, I can enjoy this stereo too - but then for empirical reasons rather than perceptional pleasures. Many variations of Hollies compilations were issued around the world at this time and later enhanced on CD. This UK continued to be reissued into the seventies on black/silver label in both mono and stereo. First had label as shown here and laminated flip/back cover. (HÖLY*) (PÖP*) (PÖX*)

torsdag 23 mars 2017

THE SPENCER DAVIES GROUP/AUTUMN '66 TL 5359 (-66) UK MONO

A band I liked a lot and followed faithfully back then, but as Winwood went to do good with Traffic and sixties UK white soul got run over by hard rock, prog and disco I stopped listening and the LP:s got lost or ended up as fillers. This was their third and last with Winwood. Mainly a cover album, with two of the songs written especially for them by Jamaican artist Jackie Edwards (1938-92) - "Somebody Help Me" and "When I Come Home". To my ears the rest of the album is good white soul though without any remarkable moments, but these two cuts remain as some of the best of its kind from the time and with me as a big part of their legacy. Positive here also the audio is stunning - big and warm bringing an over all cozy feeling and fitting background to peaceful and loving situations...a soothing blanket from the past still working in this day and age. Originally released all over Europe, downunder and in Southamerica. US and Canada had their own agenda, though four of the tracks - "Nobody Loves You When You're Down And Out", "Midnight Special", "Somebody Help Me" and "When I Come Home" - showed up on the 1967 compilation "Gimmie Some Lovin", US on U.A. (UAS 6578/UAL 3578) and Canadian on Stone Records (SX 3701). Japan 2008 CD (Fontana UICY 93688) came with eight bonus tracks. CD version of the US/Canada mono variation on Sundazed (SC 11103) also with eight bonus tracks. Premiere UK had label as shown here and laminated flip/back cover. (TXÄW*)

tisdag 21 mars 2017

DEEP PURPLE/DEEP PURPLE IN ROCK SHVL 777 (-70) UK

(Started writing about the record following the usual path, but digressed and got lost as I often do when tired. Was about to scrap it and re-write, then I thought - it is me and the way my mind works so why not do an unsanitized version for once.) After long wait I finally found a UK copy of this all time classic with 1st press label. Wanted UK because it was a British band and first because it is a classic. Very happy initially, but after a while the pondering began. Had the second label - still having "grammophone" top left, but an added EMI logo - for ages and been quite content with that. Though there are a couple of more differences - the earlier cover has a deeper blue background and the vinyl is a tiny bit thicker - both copies have the same -2/-1 matrixes and sound exactly the same. It is one of those albums where everything fits - songwriting, vocals, backing, production and audio - molded into something both stunningly hard and very catchy, but I've heard it so much already it has become self-evident and will probably just find its way to the shelf collecting dust (shelf-evident?). So why do I think I need it? Can that simply be explained by some kind of collector's frenzy, or is there in a larger perspective something seriously wrong with me when I keep buying stuff that I know just will satisfy a few senses a short period of time and then forgotten. That kind of madness sure makes me a well functioning part of any capitalist society, but then what? Anyway I am good with this for now, but as there always will be more special issues, mixes and prints I just must have I'm probably trapped in the race forever. That said I know there are worse traps. At least this one I can live with and most of the time enjoy. (DHÄ*) (HÄVL*)

fredag 17 mars 2017

GENESIS/DUKE CBR 101 (-80) UK

At time for release Genesis had almost disappeared from my radar, but as a creature of habit I still bought it, kept it and today occationally even enjoy it. Up to "Wind And Wuthering" and to some extent "...And Then They Were Three..." Genesis had mainly been a true prog band, coss-cutting on the edge, most of the time exciting or at least surprising. This showed a clear change of direction. While still having a few so called progressive parts the whole atmosphere is closer to pop. Softer and more secure, embedded in a synth blanket. Don't know if they consciously aimed for a commercial result and therefore sacrificed cheekier turns, but it sure sounds like it. In any case the new agenda went well with the public. The album got all the way to #1 in UK and #11 in US and the spawned singles did a-ok on both sides of the Atlantic. Though disappointed then I don't dislike it that much today, but now as from another band than the Genesis I used to know and love. That said - it is comfortable listening with a fair share of catchy moments. I like Phil Collins vocals all through and if I manage to ignore the most bombastic synth backing there's also a couple of good melodies to enjoy. Released and reissued on all possible medias over the world through the years. First US on Atlantic (SD 16014). Premiere UK had label as shown here and matt fold/out cover with specially designed "Duke" price tag. (CÄX*) (GYÄ*)

torsdag 16 mars 2017

BLOOD SWEAT & TEARS 013 0995 (-71) MONO CZECHOSLOVAKIA - RECORD CLUB ISSUE

For background check post on their debute - https://monolover.blogspot.com/2016/05/blood-sweat-tearschild-is-father-to-man.html  . In comparison this second album sounds like from a totally different band. That was an experiment with the blues form and in its way a forerunner to much of the US rock as it developed in the seventies, partly depending on improvisations and coming through with a live feeling rather than elaboratedly produced. This is a lot more eclectic - a mix of jazz, classic music and pop with a fair share of catchy moments. The production is flawless and though including elements then less appreciated by the large public they succeeded to make it highly commerial and a big seller. Either you call it symphonic rock, prog or art rock it was one of the first and also most widely loved in any of those genres. I liked it at first listen and as is my wont early started to look for an enjoyable mono version. Couldn't find any US promo and the UK fold came out too unbalanced for my ears. Then I got this Czech record club issue as part of a trade and it's been my favorite version since. Don't know what those Supraphon guys did, but to me it sounds exactly like a classic UK mono mix. Warm and well separated with prominent bass and perfect balance, good to the ears and suitable for snug moments. To my taste the unique sleeve design also fits the arty impact of the tunes better than the regular. No clue if this particular version was reissued or released elsewhere. In any case the one shown here has to be early. It came on thick unflexible vinyl in a thin matt flip/back cover. (BÅC*)

tisdag 14 mars 2017

RINGO STARR/BLAST FROM YOUR PAST SW 3422 (-75) US

Ringo became Americas Beatle darling in the early seventies. While the other former members struggled with personal, politic or religious issues he stayed the uncomplicated happy-go-lucky guy everyone loved. That also reflected in the record sales there with two #1 and further six top ten singles on Billboard. At the time this collection was released two of those A-sides and four further B-sides were still non-LP, so it would have helped many Ringo-lovers and completists if they'd included all of those here. But for some reason apart from the A:s - "Back Off Boogaloo" and "It Don't Come Easy" - they only choosed one B-side - "Early 1970". And as the total playing time finally released was just about thirty minutes there would have been lots of space for the three missing B:s if anyone responsible had been awake. But in spite of that it's still a lovely album. Simple, happy and catchy, well produced and arranged. The songs themselves may be tagged as trifles, but the all over friendly atmosphere nails it anyway. Maybe some of that also has to do with the audio on this US press. So big and warm you just wanna stay there. Even a track like "No No Song" I never really cared about before grabs me when treated like this. After listening through the album now I'm just one big smile and no worries. Issued all over the world on vinyl, 8-track, cassette and CD through the years. First UK on Apple (PCS 7170), South African on Parlophone (PCSJ(D) 7170). Tried to find a CD or vinyl reissue containing the three missing B:s as bonus tracks, but no luck so far. Premiere UK had label as shown here and glossy cover with picture/lyric inner. (ÄPLÄ*) (BÄ*) (YZÄ*) (RYNX*)

söndag 12 mars 2017

JOE COCKER/WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS UK STEREO SLRZ 1006 VS. MONO LRZ 1006

This is a tricky one. I'm treading thin ice here, but as I can't find anything posted on this relation before feel I have to give it a try and get the ball rolling. Had the mono version for decades and always loved it for its balance, power and presence. Lately been trying to find a corresponding stereo in my price range, decent enough to enjoy as well as compare and check if the mono by chance was a separate mix. Now I have (-2/-2 matrixes) and the outcome is somewhat surprising. "Marjorine" has the "cut circle" sign on rear sleeve for re-channeling which is appropriate and there is also a large sign under record number, as Regal, Starline and a couple of other EMI budget labels sometimes used to show if part of an issue was fake stereo. Don't know if to call any of the other tracks fakes, but for some of them I don't get well separated stereo either. Much of it close to mono where connecting channels just changes the width while the balance between the components remains about the same. Could maybe pass as some kind of rough compatible, but though connecting the channels gives a similar result it doesn't answer fully to the mono version either, that appearing a lot clearer and more natural than a straight fold would. I don't believe producers Denny Cordell and Tony Visconti (here working as mixing engineer) would have left behind a first hand stereo like this 1969. My guess is mono was the initial working mix and stereo made as an afterthought, at least that's how it sounds. I wished for one that could add something to the mono thus making it enjoyable also by comparison, but that's not the case here. Disappointing, but either I'm right about the context or not the mono still comes through a lot better all over and remains my first choice for a UK press. (RÄZ*) (JÖC*) (CPYC*) (MÅW*) (YMÖ*)