STEAMHAMMER - STEAMHAMMER (CBS 1969) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve + 2 bonus

The self-titled debut from Steamhammer has been issued under a number of titles -- the most famous of which is Reflection -- all of them including an identical track list and in essence, are one and the same. The numerous and short-lived incarnations of the band began on this long player and spilled over onto a subsequent 7" single with an edit of "Junior's Wailing" b/w the non-LP track "Windmill". For these sides Steamhammer features the talents of: Kieran White (vocals/harmonica/acoustic guitar), Martin Pugh (lead guitar) Martin Quittenton (guitar), Steve Davey (bass) and Michael Rushton (drums). Like Chicken Shack, Fleetwood Mac, Cream, Ten Years After and a plethora of other late ‘60s British rock groups, Steamhammer had been influenced by the mostly American-made R&B. However, a conspicuously high ratio of original material separated them from many of their more prominent contemporaries. They also included a few somewhat obligatory covers, such as the seven-plus minute workout on Eddie Boyd's "Twenty-Four Hours" as well as a high and mighty rendition of B.B. King's "You'll Never Know". Other standout sides come from within the band and include the trippy and slightly progressive "Even The Clock" as well as the jazzy syncopation of "Down the Highway" -- with Harold McNair (flute) of Donovan fame making some notable contributions to the latter. The previously mentioned "Junior's Wailing" should not be missed as it sports a heavy-duty and otherwise propulsive blues shuffle. Every subsequent Steamhammer long player was accompanied by a personnel change that yielded a tremendous stylistic vacillation from release to release. Their subsequent effort, MK II, would venture farther out into a progressive and jazz-fusion style akin to that of Egg or Gong than to the electric blues-based found on this platter.[allmusic]
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BLUES PROJECT - LIVE AT TOWN HALL (VERVE FORECAST 1967)

Third album & the Blues Project by this time were ready to disband. Al Kooper and Steve Katz would go onto form Blood Sweat and Tears, and Danny Kalb would do some jamming around before forming Seatrain. The egos and the different music influences did them in. As Kooper would go onto say the only thing they had in common was that they were all Jewish. Kooper was a veteran of music already starting in the business when he was 15, and scoring with "Short Shorts" in 1958, and then went onto be part of Bob Dylan's band of studio musicians. He was the Rock and Roller, Danny Kalb was strictly blues, Steve Katz was the folk musician, and the keyboard player was into classical music while the drummer was a jazz addict. Thier breed of music was strictly underground where some songs got recognition, but it would take "No Time Like The Right Time" to become thier lone hit song. They did gain some airplay with the FM side with "Wake Me Shake Me", "I Can't Keep From Crying Sometimes", and the legendary "Flute Thing". This was an album to be freed from thier recording contract, but it's done up rather well. There's some very good sounds with an electric version of "Flute Thing", and also "Where There's Smoke There's Fire" with some showy organ playing by Kooper...
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