BLACK WIDOW/SACRIFICE S 63948 (-70) UK

Band formed as "Pesky Gee" 1966 - a seven piece r&b/soul outfit with female vocalist. After playing clubs for a couple of years with style changing towards contemporary psych/prog they got to record an album for Pye - "Exclamation Mark" (NPL/NSPL 18293) - which didn't sell at all. At the end of 1969 lead singer Kay Garret left. The remaining members changed name to Black Widow and adapted a new musical agenda involving occult themes as devil worship and human sacrifice. The transition seemed to have worked for parts of the public and this debute became a minor breakthrough reaching #32 in UK and the '45 "Come To The Sabbath", though banned by BBC in England, became a minor hit in other countries, much due to its inclusion on the popular "Fill Your Head With Rock'" sampler. Today it's impossible not to compare with Black Sabbath. Two British bands with congruous names releasing debute albums with similar occult agendas at about the same time. You'd like to see some connection or inspiration between them, but the likeness could as well have been a coincidence brought on by a hardening social climate and change of drugs - an antithesis to the summer of love. Anyway - band names and lyric themes aside the musical outcome couldn't be more different. The Sabbath debute grinds on like a heavy machine, simple and self evident. This is melodic prog with prominent flute and organ, soft but never harmless, reminding of both Jethro Tull and The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown. I like it a lot - catchy prog, proficiently orchestrated with theme variations and attractive vocals. I've seen some critics calling it "aimless" but hear the opposite - elaborated ideas well implemented. Favorite tracks - "Come To The Sabbath", "Conjuration" and "Sacrifice". Not as hard hitting as the Sabbath debute, but spooky enough. First US on United Artists (UAS-6786) and in Australia on CBS (SBP 233935). Frequently reissued on vinyl and CD from 1990 and on, with or without bonus tracks. Prermiere UK had label as shown here and matt fold out cover with CBS ad inner.

HANSSON & KARLSSON/REX LPHM 46264/st (-68) SWEDEN

Swedish instrumental dou existing between 1967-69. The debute LP "Monument" (see earlier post) was the result of a commission work for Swedish Television - writing and performing a soundtrack to an experimental TV-show. The mix of jazz and rock, performed by Hammond organ and drums only, turned out totally unique for its time and one of the first exemples of what later would be called "prog". It caught on among the "hip" Stockholm public and some fellow musicians (Jimi Hendrix was an early fan who sometimes jammed with the guys and also recorded a cover of their number "Tax Free") so they decided to continue as a duo for the time being. It's hard to get info on the recordings for this second album, but as far as I can hear it's part studio sessions and part club live. There's only a few fragments left of public noise so best way to decide origin is by the cut's shifting sound quality. Though the music is divided into named sections on the vinyl you forget all about that when listening. It's a forty minute Hammond organ orgy, moving between jazz and rock, raw and beautiful, bombastic and graceful, melodic and disharmonic - most of it probably made up as they went along. Janne Carlsson's drumming is very adaptable as cool jazzy licks, sturdy rock or whatever support needed. It's unpredictable, challenging and very much alive. Label has mono number and an "M 33" triangle, but the record is compatible stereo and plays good either way. As far as I know this Swedish was the only original issue. 2012 CD on Universal Music (06025370647-1). First had label as shown here and thin fully laminated cover. (SCÄ*) (CCÖ*)

THE DAYS OF WINE AND VINYL PRO 540 (-72) US

US only sampler, part of Warner Brothers "loss leader" serie with thrirtythree issues between 1969-80. The term "loss leader" referring to a sales strategy where an item is sold way below marketing cost to promote more profitable articles - in this case a double album sold for $2 to raise interest for the original LP:s. But that context is long gone now, so most important - is it any good 2015? I'd say it is. As compiled by Barry Hansen (also known as "Dr. Demento") the track choice isn't the most obvious for a sales promotion sampler. Three of the cuts were '45 only - David Bowie "Can't Help Thinking About Me", Arlo Guthrie "The Ballad Of Tricky Fred" and Arthur Conley "Rita" (Roxy Music "Virginia Plain" a '45 only in UK, but on their US debute LP). Some of the other acts were, and still are, far from household names - e.g. Dick Heckstall-Smith "Future Song", The Section "Doin' The Meatball" and Alexis Korner "Country Shoes". Worth mentioning is also Mickey Heart's "Blind John" - made as he was on temporary leave from Grateful Dead -with guesting Paul Kantner and Grace Slick. Those tracks coupled with more or less odd offerings from Tir Na Nog, Tim Buckley, Harpers Bizarre, Sparks, Jethro Tull, Steeleye Span, Youngbloods and more makes it a top album for those of us who want a more profound understanding of the US music scene in the early seventies. Tons of good music with beautiful audio - warm and inviting. First came with label as shown here in a glossy fold/out cover with pic/info sheets inside and ad inners. (SÄM*) (YZÄ*) (LÖZZ*)

MOTÖRHEAD/NO REMORSE MOTOR 1, PROLP 5 (-84) UK

Not the biggest fan of the band's music in the long run, but counting consistency, power, attitude and survival I am an admirer. Formed by Lemmy Kilminster 1975 after he'd been sacked from Hawkwind and have since released more than forty albums - including studio, live and compilations - through various settings, with a total sale of over 15 million. In total contempt for zeitgeists and fickle public tastes they continued playing the same kind of music the same kind of way for forty years. By many seen as originators of genres as Speed Metal and Trash Metal while the band members themselves unimpressed by such labeling just call their music - "rock'n'roll". This compilation has about everything I need by the band. A 2-LP set compiled by Lemmy himself as they were leaving Bronze in UK, containing twentyfour cuts recorded for the label 1977-84. Apart from the common album takes I also get two non-LP B-sides, an alternate live edit, a version of "Louie Louie" then exclusive for this, and four new recordings. Listening to it now as I write and though there's nothing of the things here I usually go for - catchy melodies, elaborated production or heartfelt connection - I am amazed. Two LP:s with full speed ahead on three levels - hard, rock hard and super hard. Like being hit by a steamroller and there's clearly no remorse of any kind. It's there whether I like it or not and probably always will be so I might as well give in. First US on Bronze (90233 -1-H). Premiere UK had label as shown here and came with two different sleeve alternatives - one glossy cardboard and one "special leather edition" - both including picture/lyric/info inners. (PÖP*) (PRÖZ*)

H.P. LOVECRAFT/II PHS-600-279 (-68) US

An LP that didn't make much impact on release and failed to chart, but today being rediscovered and admired by collectors and fans of sixties psych. After gathering a cult following due to their debute album and the singles "White Ship" and "Wayfaring Stranger" the band was frequently or tour. When called in to make this second album they didn't have any new material, just a couple of unfinished ideas. As the the story goes there were lots of acid dropping going on and the recordings started as incoherent improvs without real aim. Then studio engineer Chris Huston took over the lead and saved the day (confimed by band vocalist/guitarist George Edwards later - "We had no material, the band was totally fried and Chris helped us make a record. The record would never had happened without Chris"). To me that explains the outcome. Though built on the same folk/psych foundation as the debute this is less folk and much more psych. What you get are a couple of good but rather loose ideas and trials tied together by elaborate and for the time innovative effects, part soft with an all over trippy atmosphere. I'm almost there, but would have liked more catchy interludes or some kind of common thread. Maybe you need chemicals to be all in. Favorite track - the haunting "At The Mountains Of Madness". First UK on Philips (SBL 7872). CD issue 2000 coupled with the debute on Collectors Choice (B0000 4X0AZ). Premiere US had label as shown here and glossy fold/out cover. (YZÄ*)

MADE IN SWEDEN/SNAKES IN A HOLE SLP-2504 (-69) SWEDEN

Their 1968 debute https://monolover.blogspot.com/2014/09/made-in-sweden-with-love-slp-71-68.html was an exemple how the prog genre emerged at the time. Stretching towards jazz, but still with one foot in the band's earlier incarnation - the r&b/psych/garage "Lee Riders Group". On this second album the r&b roots are less detectable and the emphasis more on jazz. Same setting, here with Danish violinist Svend Asmussen guesting on two tracks. It has about the same garage feeling as the debute and some of it still comes through as studio jams, but at the same time I get the impression of more targeted and secure recordings. Some of it beautiful, like the instrumental covers of Dylan's "Lay Lady Lay" and a Swedish folk tune - "Kristallen Den Grymma". Others uptempo with scat singing, but also parts with a bluesy feel. All tied together by Georg Wadenius' elaborate guitar licks. I really like his octave play - a skill highly regarded back then, but now hardly acknowledged at all. To my taste almost as good as the debute though I miss some of the immediacy. The nude cover design, made by artist Ardy Struwer, was original for the issue and early sleeve pressings are today considedred as collectible as the record itself. Also issued in France with different cover layout (Barclay 920 271). Swedish 2006 CD on Universal (038 153-2) came with three bonus tracks and same sleeve pics as the original. First had label as shown here and laminated fold/out cover. (SCÄ*) (CCÖ*) (SÖNÄ*)

DEAD ON ARRIVAL VD 2508 (-78) UK

Illustrious 2-LP sampler, today more famous for the tasteless package than the music. The fully laminated fold out cover has pictures of a piglet in red rubber boots and includes a poster of the same animal thinking of a pork sausage. Pressed on translucent vinyl with a lumnious quality so if you listen in a dark room you can see the record glow on the turntable. That alone makes it stand out, but there's also a stack of very good songs especially for those into early punk rock, new wave, art music, kraut, raggae and electronic. From acts that still to some extent remain in public veiw - like Captain Beefheart, Kevin Coyne, Elkie Brooks, Can, Slapp Happy and XTC - to those only existing for a short while and today almost forgotten - e.g. Delroy Washington, Roogalator and Penetration. Only a couple of the twentythree cuts may have had some kind of hit potential, the rest providing a very enjoyable exposé of what was going on under the commercial radar in the late seventies. Four of the cuts were previously '45 only, larger part of the rest from LP:s that today can be tricky to find. So whatever makes you tick - strange arty covers, shiny vinyls, rare tracks or just getting a bundle of good songs - it fits. To my knowledge only issued in UK. (SÄM*)

JOHN LENNON/MIND GAMES PCS 7165 (-73) UK

Checking old reveiws for the album the consensus was Lennon at a downslope. The former - "Sometime In New York City" - had been a critical disaster with comparatively low sales and this seemed to follow the same path. Hard to imagine today, but in my home town back then the local paper dismissed it with a few derogatory words and non of the record shops bothered to purchase it so I had to make a special order. I'm one of those who really liked SINYC back then - both music and the political angle, but this follow up wasn't love at first sight. Thought it sounded blunt and harmless, almost mushy in comparison with inferior production and audio and only title song reminding of a more glorious past. In hindsight it's easy to see why - with both studio support (Phil Spector) and life support (Yoko) gone depression and self medication followed and he was forced to trial and error on all areas. Learning about the background makes it easier to look past bad studio handeling and the self-revealing romantic approach and enjoy it on another level. Apart from the magic title track I get four beautiful love ballads addressed to Yoko - One Day (At A Time)", You Are Here", "Aisumasen" and "Out The Blue" - and two ranuchy rockers - "Meat City" and "Bring On The Lucie (Freeda People)". All showing what a great songwriter and singer he was even under such dire straights. So for me it has gone from being a filler in the Beatles collection to one I actually listen to and enjoy. Premiere US on Apple (SW-3414), First UK had label as shown here, thin matt cover, lyric inner and matrixes with both etched US number and UK stamped. (BÄ*)(JYZÖ*) (ÄPLÄ*)

MARTHA & THE VANDELLAS/WATCHOUT! GLP 920 (-66) US MONO

I bet most music lovers have heard or danced to some version of their biggest hit "Dancing In The Streets". As public memory faded through the years they are today often seen as a one hit wonder because of that, but there was a lot more going on at the time. Between 1963-67 the combo recorded a string of hits for Motown's Gordy label, including six top ten on Billboard and twelve on the US R&B list, some of them also reaching high in UK and other parts of the world. Much of their success was due to the talent of songwriters Holland-Dozier-Holland and mentor/producer William "Mickey" Stevenson, but after both H-D-H and Stevenson left the label 1967 sales started to drop and they disbanded 1972. This album was the last with the old gang. Following a common Motown pattern at the time it has equal parts uptempo dance music and emotional ballads. Most outstanding tracks are the three H-D-H melodic uptempo numbers starting side one - "I'm Ready For Love", "Jimmy Mac" and "One Way Out". The rest also high quality with the familiar Motown magic, but to my taste a little more ordinary. The mono audio on this US press is top notch - big and clear with fine separation - making it as suitable for tranquil listening as for dirty dancing. US Gordy stereo (S-920). UK 1967 issue on Tamla Motown (TML/STML 11051). Premiere US had label as shown here and glossy cover. (TÖMÖ*) (YZÄ*) (ÖXCÅ*)