JOHN MAYALL/THE DIARY OF A BAND VOLUME 2 LK 4919 (-68) UK MONO

 

For more background also check the post on "Volume 1". No need for format comparison here since this mono is a known fold. Live performances from the tour following the "Crusade" release, captured by Mayall himself on an even for its time rudimentury tape recorder.  I ususally care about audio, but though this is quite bad it still delivers snap shots of how the band sounded back then, nothing gained nothing lost.  Even if this mono sounds a little more damp than the stereo (see earlier post), it's not by much and they both forward the same club milleu feeling.  Direct and uncensured,  very right on, very close and very cozy.  Rather messy at parts, but I guess that's the way even some of the live audience got it. As a live album it has got quite a bad rep, still to my my ears acceptable and it's nice to hear the 1968 setting including Keef Heartly, a very young Mick Taylor and even Paul Williams pitching in on one track.  So far from an audiophile treat, but an important part of British music history.  To my knowledge only issued in Europe and Downunder.  German 1994 CD on Deram (844 030-2). Premiere UK had ridged label as shown here and laminate cover.  (MÄH*)  (LYBÖ*)

               

 

THE FIRM /MEAN BUSINESS 81628-1E (-86) US

 

 

I've been asked why I care so much about audio.  It seems most music lovers never give that a second thought and instead say that it's all about the music.  I get that works for many music lovers, but there are undeniable cases when bad audio hamper the listening experience and thus turn what could have been a top album into something much less appealing.  This is one exemple.  An expert band consisting of Jimmy Page, Paul Rogers, Chris Slade and Tony Franklin, perfoming self-penned songs in the best possible way.  You get some good dark rockers, like the uptempo "Fortune Hunter" or the slower  "Tear Down The Walls" and "Cadillac", coupled with emotional ballads as "Live In Peace" and "Dreaming",  filled by Rogers sensitive vocals and Page's emotive guitar.  A top album indeed if it wasn't for the presentation.  Cut so dense it's all leveled with little or non separation or depth, then with far too much reverb added at places.  May do it for radio or distant hearing, but nothing for the listening chair.  This copy has "Townhouse" etched on matrixes, showing it was originally UK cut. Don't know if there are other better sounding releases out there. Would be nice to know.  Issued and reissued on vinyl and CD all over the world through the years, also cassette and 8-track.  Early US had labels as shown here in a glossy cover with arty inner.  (YZÄ*)  (LÖZ*)

 

FUGS/VIRGIN FUGS ESP 1038 (-65/-67) US MONO

 

 In an FBI file from the sixties The Fugs were labeled as "The most vulgar thing the human mind could possibly concieve".  I guess that was kind of accurate for the time and place as they handeled sex, drugs and bodily fluids in a way no other band did in those days.  For more on their whereabouts I recommend the Wikipedia article.  This is about the record only.  As the story goes two sessions were completed 1965, where of the second was used for their debute album "The Village Fugs" (or "The Fugs First Album"), while the earlier takes first appeared on this.  If that's so the ones here are their premiere recordings.  What I hear is a couple of poets and/or musicians challenging  about everything PC back then, breaking borders and testing if there really was any freedom of expression.  That way it still stands as an important part of music history and as such a must in many collections.  They had it in the library in the town where I grew up in the sixties and me and a friend used to go there and listen and have fun.  Back then all the rule breaking gave us something special to enjoy.  Sadly it doesn't give me the same pleasure today.  With titles like "New Amphetamine Shriek",  "Hallucination Horrors" and "My Bed Is Getting Crowded" I get an abundance of sex and drugs, but sadly no rock'n'roll.  More like a collection of recited, grunted or shouted poems or whims to a sparse backing of acoustic guitars and bongos, sounding like a couple of guys entering the studio unprepared trying to do their worst.  What did it then was the taxing of good taste and the whole establishment, but as the zeitgeist had changed a lot since it's not that challenging anymore. Not one I wanna listen a lot to, but a must in the history section.  Sixties issues in US and a couple of European countries. First UK on Fontana (STL 5501).  US 2005 CD 0n ESP (ESP 1038).  No clue if this issue was the absolutely first US, but as it was a 1967 mono with the rare "nude" booklet included I guess very early.  (YZÄ*)  (ÖXCÅ*)

 

BEAT GIRL 33SX 1225 (-60) UK MONO

 

Soundtrack to a teen drama movie (in US shown as "Wild For Kicks") probably very few remember today, still with enough good stuff to cherish. It was the first British soundtrack to be released on LP and also the first such handled by John Barry, who would go on to make music to many a James Bond movie.  Title role played by Gilian Hills, later in films as "Blow Up" and "A Clockwork Orange" while also having success as a French pop singer.  Apart from starring then popular pop/rock singer Adam Faith it also includes actors Christopher Lee and Oliver Reed in minor roles.  Most of the eighteen tracks are rocking or at least rock-ish, three sung by Adam Faith, one by now renowned actress Shirley Anne Field, the rest instrumental. The Field number a quite cute ballad, the Faith ones kinda kind rock'n'roll while most of the instrumentals at least reminds me a lot of what you would hear in some of the coming James Bond soundtracks.  The audio on this issue is tophole, big and clear, providing enjoyable listening. Good as a mood setter and a reminder of how it used to be.  Issued 1960 also Downunder and in South Africa. UK 2013 vinyl reissue on Poppydisc (POPPYLP 021).  UK 2012 CD on Hallmark (711092). Premiere UK had label as shown here and laminated flip/back cover.  (ZÖNT*)

 

THE SEEDS/FUTURE GNP 2038 (-67) US

Los Angeles garage psych band formed 1965 by former doo-wop/soul singer Sky Saxon (born Richard Elven Marsh 1937-2009).  While their first two albums - the eponimous debute and "A Web Of Sounds" -  can be described as raw, drugged garage rock (I'll get back to those later), this third is more towards orchestrated psych.  It didn't go well with many of the band's early fans and just made top 100 on Billboard, so not a big hit back then. I have seen it compared to Sgt. Pepper, but don't get that at all. Both albums adding orchestrations to pop and rock songs  at about the same time, but that's about it.  While Pepper is a wonder of variety, faithfully covering popular genres back then, this also has it's blend but all in a more US sixties psych atmosphere.  I get eastern style in "Travel With Your Mind" and "Six Dreams",  positively drugged in " March Of The Flower Children", and "Flower Lady And Her Assistent",  chaotic psych in "Where Is The Entrance Way To Play...and so on.  Even if I can hear great things going on here I honestly don't feel invited to the whole party.  Either it's  too autist to be fully understood, or it is a true masterpiece and I just don't get it. My bad if so, in any case way too interesting to let go. Maybe I can find more love later. Original vinyl issued also in Canada, UK (Vocalion SAVM 6060), Italy, Downunder and a couple of Southamerican countries. Also issued as US mono (same number). EU 2013 2xCD on Big Beat Records came with both mono and stereo mixes plus session outtakes.  Premiere US had ridged label as shown here in a glossy fold/out cover.  Some copies came with three picture inserts sadly missing with this.  (YZÄ*)

 

POP-SIKE PIPEDREAMS PAPRPD 002 (-87/-03) UK MONO

 

 Another compilation allowing me to dig deep into an important period of sixties psych pop and rock.  This one with sixteen oddities, all original mono.  The ones by The Mode, The Talismen and all three from Wimple Winch all previously unissued and here for the first time saved from the vaults.  The Parking Lot "World Spinning Sadly" A-side from a one-off 45.  Keith West "Kid Was A Killer" 45 flip side from a time when he was still in Tomorrow, here backed by Steve Howe, Aynsley Dunbar and Ronnie Wood.  The Pretty Things tracks are one -67 A-side and one -68 flip side, both non-LP at the time.  Not sure who played what on Shotgun Express "Indian Thing", but as the band at times included Rod Stewart, Mick Fleetwood and Peter Green I can only imagine.  But you can be almost certain that both Mick Fleetwood and Mike Patto contributed to the Bo Street Runners track.  So there's a lot here to digest for the student of rock history, but if to chose a personal favorite it'll be  Idle Race "Knocking Nails Into My House", a non-LP flip side to "The Skeleton And The Roundabout" sounding like something belonging to the Birthday Party sessions.  This release was UK only and saw three issues - 1987 on Bam Caruso (KIRI 025), this 2003 and 2008 on Rubble (FORLP 2902).  It would maybe be more rewarding for some to have the 1987 original, but as all issues are far from the fact and the audio on this second is a-ok it's good enough for me.  (SÄM*)

 

WARHORSE 6360 015 (-70) GERMANY

 

 

After Nick Simper was sacked from Deep Purple 1969 he continued in Marsha Hunt's backing band to which he recruited guitarist Gad Peck (who he'd earlier played with in Flower Pot Men) and drummer Mac Poole from the band Big Bertha.  Then when Hunt got pregnant (spawned by Mick Jagger) she withdrew and Simper went on adding organist Frank Wilson (just out of Velvet Fogg) and singer Ashley Holt to form Warhorse. They soon got a contract with Vertigo and this was their debute album.  With Nick Simper in charge it's not that surprising it comes out somewhat similar to Deep Purple Mk I...at least to my ears.  The guitar sound , the organ licks  and some of the songwritng reminds of what DP did in the sixties.  Singer Ashley Holt's outbursting vocals aren't all bad, but if you replaced them with Rod Evans' it could as well have been the fourth album from the first Mk. A little heavier and proggier though with the same unmistakable atmosphere.  Favorite tracks - the wild "St. Louis" cover and the uptempo "Ritual".  Originally issued in Europe, Southamerica, Downunder, South Africa and Japan. To my knowledge first US release was the 2015 white vinyl on Cleopatra (CLP 2071).  Japan 2002 CD on Arcangelo (ARC 7014) in paper sleeve came with five bonus tracks - four live and one demo.  First German had labels as shown here  in a matt fold/out cover.    (WLÖ*) (GÖXA*) (DHÄ*)                                 

 

 

PAUL AND LINDA McCARTNEY/RAM HRM-33452-01 (-12) E.U. MONO PROMO

Feel I have to do a repost on this one. Seems I was too quick to condemn it at first and now have to make amends. The original is one of the most classic and sought-after mono mixes so after buying this reissue I expected some kind of miracle, but since what I got from my first spin was a more or less ordiary mono I was disappointed and without further pondering graded it below both the UK stereo and Brazil mono. Now a couple of years later after playing it a lot I've changed my mind . It is a frickin' good mono mix of a great album with quite a few differeces to the stereo and the audio is awesome - big and clear with lots of presence. So here's a more positive version of what I wrote the first time... 2012 remastered reissue of the 1971 US mono promo mix offering pretty much everything the true Beatle fan needs. Prepared at Abbey Road studios just before release and hosted in a simulated promo/test press plain white sleeve with title in lead pencil on top right front and a short description note about the issue on bottom left. Insert is a small card having song list on one side and credits on the other. Vinyl protected by a glossy plain white inner. It's pressed on thick unflexible high quality vinyl, each copy is numbered and the audio is top notch. Perfect for radio play and also with details not as audible on other versions it's a must in my book. A fine background to almost any chore, but also doing it up close, inviting us Ram lovers to get in even further. I do like both the original UK stereo and Brazil mono, but this is also has an historical value and even if a much later remastered repress it has a lot to give. (BÄ*) (MÄCC*) (ÖRJ*)

LOVE/REVISITED EKS 74058 (-70) US

Very good compilation from one of the most inventive and influential US psych bands. Their sixties stuff is still celebrated by most genre fans, but sometimes critizised that a couple of the original albums came somewhat uneven, mixing top numbers with what seems to be fillers.  No such problems here.  To my taste the tracking is super - blending former 45 A:s and B:s with album only tracks, where of the 1968 single "Your Mind And We Belong Together" was the only previous non-album. Part of it rather soft and deramy, but also with a couple of up-tempo killers, like "My Little Red Book",  "Good Times" and the haunting "7 and 7 Is".  And for us fans of flashy howling guitars there are quite a few portions to enjoy, especially the second part of "Your Mind And We Belong Together"...very raw, very appealing.  All tracks true stereo. I guess some of the songs came out a lot more explicit on the mono singles and the somewhat softer approach on this may dampen the experience a little bit,  but it's still very good listening so no big deal.  Highly recommended to all lovers of US sixties psych who crave vinyl, but for different reasons can't get hold of the original LP:s or 45:s.  It doesn't show up that often, but with a little luck you may find it in one of the cheaper bins.  Issued on vinyl in Canada, a couple of European countries and Downunder, also cassette and 8-track.  To my knowledge never reissued like this on CD.  First UK on red Elektra label (2469 009). Reissued 2001 by Sundazed (LP 5104). Premiere US had label as shown here in a glossy fold/out cover with Elektra co. inner.  (YZÄ*)