LIVERPOOL EXPRESS/TRACKS K 56281 (-76) UK

Took some time to finally get this debute album and give it a fair chance. For me it had warning signs all over - former members of Liverpool beat band The Merseybeats getting together for some kind of comeback by playing list friendly rather mushy seventies pop. At the time very successful in Brazil with three #1 but also quite popular in UK with four singles high on the list. The little I heard from them back then had a style reminding of contemporary top acts as ELO, Wings or 10CC and I had enough of that already so I let it be. Listening today forty years later I'm surprised how good it is. Even if the sound as such has a lot in common with the aforementioned bands it's so well done you might soon forget the likeness and just enjoy. There are no fillers here, songwriting is diverse with elaborated melodies and catchy moments. Vocals beautiful, sometimes high pitched and always nailing it with nice timbre. Arrangements by Bruce Baxter and produced by Hal Carter/Peter Swettenham. Not the most famous in the trade, but result showing on considerable skill. This album maybe not for those who's always looking for 100% personal or one-of-a-kind stuff, but if you just want a couple of catchy love songs, well performed and wrapped in a warm cozy atmosphere it could fit. Favorite track - "You Are My Love". Also originally released in some European and South American countries, but to my knowledge not in US. Never reissued though a couple of the tracks showed up on the US 2002 Every Man Records CD compilation "The Best Of Liverpool Express" (no number). Premiere UK had label as shown here and thin matt cover.

MOODY BLUES/A QUESTION OF BALANCE THS 3 (-70) UK

An attempt by the band to leave the refined symphonic psych style behind and concentrate on more regular songwriting. It proved very successful and the album became a huge seller world wide with #1 in UK, #3 on Billbord and topping a number of other lists. The "news" you get here is ten separate songs having no obvious common theme, but the arrangements and production are as meticulous and beautiful as ever before. The melodies are still romantic, well written and catchy, but when not tangled or hidden in some kind of symphonic pattern they appear even clearer and strike harder. I loved the album from first listen and fortyfive years later still keep it in mind. Doesn't matter how long between spins, as soon as I start playing it all comes back...so many emotions. I get sentimental and relaxed in a very positive way. Highly commercial, very catchy and moving - but never mushy or grovelling. No one does stuff like that anymore. Favorite tracks - "Minstrel's Song", "Don't You Feel Small" and "Melancholy Man". Issued and reissued on vinyl, 8-track, cassette and CD over the years, some with bonus cuts. First US on London/Threshold (THS 3). Early UK had label as shown here, top opening Garrod & Lofthouse fold out cover with "tuck-in flap", pink lyric/picture insert and blue square stereo inner. (MBÅL*) (DÄRR*)

ROCK FUR DEN FRIEDEN 8 55 863 (-82) EAST GERMANY

"Rock fur den frieden" (Rock for peace) was an annual music festival organized by DDR cultural institutions and taking place in East Berlin between 1982-87. It served a dual purpose - both as part of the state propaganda machine and presenting high class domestic rock to the public. A couple of these performances were chosen for issues on EP or LP, as I guess involving some censorship not to interfere with the common political agenda. This was the first in the serie and even if you probably don't get the full picture it's partly very rewarding. Well played with catchy moments and though the audio shifts a little most of it sounds great. The songs by Hans Biebl Band, Gruppe WIR, No 55, Puhdys, Prinzip, Stern Meissen and Karrusell are all fine rock'nroll, going from simple krautish to bombastic with lots of good guitars. I don't understand German, but the music and performance is sufficiant enough. To my knowledge this was the only issue with label as shown here and thin glossy cover. (SÄM*) (GÖXÄ*) (BÅC*) (LYBÖ*) (ÄMY*)

JOHN MAYALL/BARE WIRES SKL 4945 - LK 4945 (-68) UK STEREO VS. MONO

Had the mono for decades and always thought it was some kind of different mix. Perfect audio and balance with a warm glow fit me just fine and I never reallty bothered to make a thorough comparison. Now after doing it for the first time I have to say I'm a little disappointed as I don't get anything showing on a separate mix. There are a couple of miniscule differences in volume and balance, which could be explained by other use of equipment during engraving, apart from that it sounds like a fold from a perfect compatible. I do prefer the mono outcome as more collected bringing a cozier atmosphere, but you can get almost the same result from just pushing the mono button. (MÄH*) (CPYC*)(MÅW*)

SAMMY DAVIES JR/SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE STML 11160 (-70) UK

Part of Motown's strategy to sign and release artists from a wider spectra of genres thus trying to broaden their musical horizon and increase sales. To my ears this was not one of the more successful attempts. Mostly consisting of covers from contemporary hits - like "Spinning Wheel" and "In The Ghetto" - handeled by rat pack producer Jimmy Bowen and coming through as easy listening. There are a couple of remakes of Motown stuff, still not much soul and apart from those far from the label's classic output. Sammy Davies was, and still remains for many music lovers, one of the greatest 20th century entertainers, but here he sounds partly uninspired like he's not really into the songs just working his way through. One track he really owns is an innovative big band version of "High Heel Sneakers" and him doing "My Way" could never be bad, even as this lounge jazz version, but that's it for me. It didn't sell a lot and became his only Motown album. Premiere US on Motown (MS-710). First UK had label as shown here and laminated flip/back cover. (TÖMÖ*) (MÖRS*)

THE WHO/MY GENERATION LAT 8616 (-65) UK MONO

For listening pleasures I've always preferred the US mono - "The Who Sings My Generation" https://monolover.blogspot.com/2023/03/the-who-sings-my-generation-dl-4664-66.html  - because of its different tracking and clearer audio. Still this is the original, issued four months earlier and recorded on their home turf at IBC studios in London. The band wasn't totally pleased with the result and has described it as a haste job, rushed to follow up their two first singles and recorded in just five days. Maybe there was stress even through mixing and pressing, which would explain the sometimes muddy outcome of the UK 1st press. Even so this has about everything you need from a mid-sixties rock album. Many new self-penned songs, direct live-in-the-studio feeling, all well played with a very rude outcome. In a way simply good garage, but as time went by also grown to be embraced by rock historians and collectors and frequently called "first hard rock album", "first power pop album" or "best rock album ever". To my taste there were a few other groups in Britain alone competing for those titles at the time - like the Pretty Things debute, many early Kinks efforts or Yardbirds - but as a whole this is sure one of the better. Frequently issued in all possible formats all over the world through the years. Premiere UK had matt ridged label as shown here and thin laminated cover. (WÖH*)

BILDJOURNALENS TOPPSKIVA/No. 1, 2, 5 flexi discs (-65/-66) MONO SWEDEN

Flexi discs must be counted as the black sheep among vinyl formats. Sheet thin and floppy with fragile grooves they didn't last many spins if treated wrongly which many of them were. Most frequent in the sixties, always as freebees with albums and magazines or even unrelated merchandize. Best way to play was putting them on a regular 45 with a weight in the middle to smooth the wobbles. If you're lucky enough to find one of those carefully treated today you'll hear that some play quite sufficiant. The ones shown here are three out of totally five flexis released 1965-66 by Swedish pop/rock magazine "Bildjournalen" - all 33rpm with three cuts on each. Recordings were made especially for the issues and never originally put on any other format, though some of the songs showed up re-recorded later. To me very rewarding getting oddities by then prominent Swedish bands as well as one-offs from the almost unknown. RECORD 1 - Mascots "Words Enough To Tell You", Merrymen "In Vain", Shanes "People Don't Like Me". RECORD 2 - Ola & Janglers "My Mean Memory", Stranglers "I'll Never Cry Again", Tages "The Man You*ll Be Looking For". RECORD 5 - The Hounds "Sunday On The Beach", DeeJays "Inside My Mind", Anita Berggren "You Can't Go Wrong". Don't have enough time or place to go into every single track, but if you're into Swedish sixties pop/rock you're guaranteed to find gems here. My favorites are the Shanes number, having a much rawer version of the song that later showed up on their "Shanegang" album, and Merrymen's rather primitive garage cut. All records were hosted in thin paper bags with pictures and band/song info. (SÄM*) (SCÄ*) (XHÄ*) (CCÖ*)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

May Your 2016 be filled with bargains on rare and precious vinyl.

All the best/Erik

WILSON PICKETT/THE EXCITING WILSON PICKETT SD 8129 (-66) US

Something for the New Years Eve dancing? His third original album, but listening today it's more like a greatest hits with classics like "Land Of 1000 Dances", "In The Midnight Hour", "Ninety-nine And A Half (Wont Do)" and "634-5789 (Soulsville USA)" - all high on the lists back then - plus other known songs like "Barefootin" and "Mercy Mercy". A party record for sure - up-tempo or slow movers all treated with same energy and powerful vocals. I get a lot of presence here, a guy reaching out to touch. The stereo isn't exactly to my taste - sometimes sounding true, sometimes fake and almost too loud at parts, but when you hit the dance floor it's all about the power and the rest is soon forgotten. Also as US mono (8129). First UK on Atlantic (587/88 029). Premiere US stereo had label as shown here, glossy cover and Atlantic ad inner. (YZÄ*)(PÖC*)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

As I'm working larger part of Christmas and boxing week, together with seasonal obligations, I'm forced to take some time off from posting. See You again 2016. Wishing You Happy Holidays wherever You are/Erik

SMOKEY ROBINSON & THE MIRACLES/THE SEASON FOR MIRACLES S 307 (-70) US

One of many many Christmas LP:s issued through the years from the late forties and on, where of larger part seems to have been just another day at work for the artists trying to cash in on the season using a semi-traditional style and getting a result solely confined to the holiday. This is a lot more than that. Though the songs are seasonal the performance and most of the style goes beyond and what you get is mainly a very good Smokey Robinson & The Miracles album. A nice soul album with a couple of jazzy interventions and all over touching vocals. If you forget about the lyrics most of the cuts would fit midsummer eve as well as Christmas day. A candy that lasts longer. Favorite track - a very soul filled "Jingle Bells". To my knowledge only originally issued in US and Canada (same number and sleeve design). First US had label as shown here and glossy front cover. (SXÖM*) (TÖMÖ*) (YZÄ*) (CXÅ*)

THE CHRISTMAS ALBUM -18 ORIGINAL CHRISTMAS HITS NOX 1 (-85) UK

Christmas sampler issued through UK EMI:s "Now!" budget serie and to me a cheap and easy way getting many nowadays rare Christmas singles from known acts together with a bundle of good music. It stretches from Bing Crosby to Band Aid and beyond - including Lennon, McCartney, Wizzard, Slade, Beach Boys, Greg Lake and Queen among others. For once also with the first vinyl issue here being the most comprehensive with eighteen cuts while the vinly reissue had seventeen - omitting Greg Lake's "I believe In Father Christmas" (originally thought as a protest against the commercialization of Christmas) - and the CD version (CDNOX 1) as a sixteen track, leaving both Lake's song and the Lennon track behind. Sadly the the audio on this press is rather dull and even, still fitting as background to seasonal chores laying ground for a rock'n'roll Christmas. First UK with label as shown here and thin glossy cover. (CXÅ*) (SÄM*) (QÄN*)