Apr 28, 2009

SPIRIT OF JOHN MORGAN - S/T (CARNABY 1969) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve + 1 bonus




Although released in 1971, the debut self-titled album by Spirit of John Morgan was actually recorded two years earlier, before the spirit of the '60s dissipated into the excesses of the '70s. But even back in 1969, the British quartet were already fish out of water, gasping for R&B in a Technicolor age of psychedelia. So they created their own, an entire album's worth of strong, shadowed, R&B numbers underlit by magnificent musicianship and powerful rhythms. The set opener, a menacing cover of Graham Bond's "I Want You," is a case in point, stalker-like in its intensity, with John Morgan's organ conjuring up a phantom of the opera from which there is no escape. However, Morgan's phenomenal finger skills are best showcased on a cover of Meade "Lux" Lewis' "Honky Tonk Train Blues," a fabulously masterful piano boogie woogie, as is his equally extraordinary adaptation of Albert Ammons' "Shout for Joy." And Morgan is just as skilled on the organ, as is evidenced on the band's take on Big John Patton's "The Yodel." As astounding as the covers are, the quartet offered up their own numbers that are of equal quality. "Orpheus and None for Ye," is a particular standout, a dark, driving number that initially calls to mind the Spencer Davis Group before diving into the heart of the jungle, while Don Whitaker's guitar licks like flames around the piece. It is the set's final number, however, the ten-minute epic "Yorkshire Blues" that is the heart of the album...
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Keyboard player and vocalist John Morgan was a Graham Bond afficianado who turned toward psychedelia as the 1960's wore on. Billed originally as The Spirit of John Morgan, the band was successful enough to get booked into the Marquee and other top clubs, and cut three albums. Their self-titled debut into 1969 was followed by two more LPs in 1970 and 1972 (credited simply to John Morgan) for the Carnaby label. He also cut a single for British RCA in the early 1970's.[All Music Guide]
Here

9 comments:

18 RODAS said...

I´m not a fan of bands with blues inspiration but i love this record. Do you have the second? My vinyl copy hasn´t the hole in the geometric center, spanish freak editions

Georgie Hirezola said...

hmmm..I'm afraid I don't!
Also I'm not the "biggest blues fan in the world" too, but here we have a nice "Pub-rock" piece of the era with a great organ drivin' almost "live" sound ...
other top favs are the "Demon Fuzz", the "Gass","Brian Auger & Julie Driscoll"..among others.
thanks & cheers++++++++

18 RODAS said...

Are you worried with rapidsahre problem?

Georgie Hirezola said...

yeah but I'll be waiting for a few more days...
if the whole thing is going to be dangerous I'll delete the blog...
I don't have the time to start all over again ...find new file hosts... upload the files...the same old stories again!!..
it has no fun to do the same things for ages!!!

18 RODAS said...

Si, i don´t use rapidshare but i´m worried, i´ll had patiente for upload all again. Ah, i posted the second Spirit of John Morgan album

Anonymous said...

thanks - steve.

Anonymous said...

Hi from Cy
In GB bands had to come out of somewhere, and after '63 the Blues Explosion empowered so many musicians, as did the Folk Revival and it is no wonder that the musicians carried on from where they started out.
I recall listening to a local 'covers band' break into 'Like A Rolling Stone' and ahhhhhh.... I knew that the world had changed.
This Spirit of John Morgan was a real good listen to my ears anyhow.
Cy from Pck.

Anonymous said...

Thanx A LOT!

Anonymous said...

I found the 2nd album here:

http://plixid.com/2012/03/10/spirit-of-john-morgan-age-machine-cd-reissue-1970-1993-mp3/