SMALL FACES - SMALL FACES (IMMEDIATE 1967) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve + 21 bonus

Small Faces was the second LP of that name issued by the band in the space of a year, a fact that -- coupled with its release a year later in America in somewhat modified form as There Are But Four Small Faces -- has always confused fans of the group's work. This particular album was the Small Faces' Immediate Records debut, and caught the group in the transition from an R&B-based mod band into a psychedelic-oriented outfit. They were still finding their way along the trail from sweaty, soul-drenched James Brown- and Otis Redding-inspired covers and originals to flower-power trippiness, and the short running time and the relative lack of Steve Marriott lead vocals (Ronnie Lane is out front on three of the 14 numbers, in addition to the presence of an instrumental) reveal that they were still laboring to find a sound and a collective voice with which they were comfortable, amid other activities (lots of gigs plus playing on other artists' work as the unofficial Immediate Records house band). The short running time didn't prevent this from being a pretty imposing album, however, especially in its original British edition. "(Tell Me) Have You Ever Seen Me" would probably have been a single but for the fact that Steve Marriott and producer Andrew Oldham gave it away to a quartet of Small Faces admirers called the Apostolic Intervention -- no matter, for it made a strong album opener and a great lead-in to "Something I Want to Tell You" and the ballad "Feeling Lonely," which slides into the heavier-weight instrumental rocker "Happy Boys Happy," which showcases Ian McLagan's keyboards and Kenney Jones' drums. "My Way of Giving" was a superb soul shouter that could have been a B-side in the group's earlier phase, but the real treat is the bejeweled, soaring, spaced-out dream account of "Green Circles," with its beautiful lead piano and exquisitely spacy choruses, leading to a tough, crunchy-textured bridge and finale. Side two opened with "Become Like You," a trippy acoustic guitar-dominated psychedelic ballad, leading to the elegant opening strains of the punchy "Get Yourself Together" and the funny, Cockney-flavored "All Our Yesterdays," with its heavy brass and trumpet embellishment. "Talk to You" was another Marriott soul belter, and "Show Me the Way" was a superb harpsichord workout for McLagan, who got an even better break on "Up the Wooden Hills to Bedfordshire" amid Marriott's acoustic guitar strumming, all closing on the delightfully trippy, upbeat "Eddie's Dreaming" (which featured Georgie Fame's band supporting the quartet)....
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[I'm sorry...Rapidshare deleted the link (see comments) & I don't dare to upload it again...Also "goodbye" to their masterpiece "Ogdens'NutGone Flake" mono & stereo versions, I was planning to post as a SF epilogue these days...]

SMALL FACES - FROM THE BEGINNING (DECCA 1967) Jap DSD mastering cardboard sleeve + 14 bonus

From The Beginning was released in 1967 as a spoiler by Decca, the Small Faces' old label, to coincide with the release of their new album on the Immediate label entitled Small Faces (confusingly, the only album they made for Decca was also self-titled). The Small Faces did not especially appreciate the gesture, and made a point of specifically discouraging people from buying From The Beginning in the advertising for their new album.
From The Beginning contained all the hits they had had with Decca (What'cha Gonna Do About It, Sha-La-La-La-Lee, Hey Girl, All Or Nothing and My Mind's Eye), available on any number of compilations, alongside a number of previously unreleased recordings. These and are now the chief attraction of this album.
The Small Faces had one line-up change while they were with Decca, when in October 1965 Jimmy Winston left and was replaced on keyboards by Ian McLagan. Although the Decca album Small Faces depicted Ian McLagan on the cover when it was released in May 1966, Jimmy Winston played on five or six of the tracks, recorded before his departure, and largely comprising their stage act of the time.
Unfortunately, it seems not to be known when these outtakes were recorded but the stage favourite Baby, Don't You Do It (a Marvin Gaye cover) has Jimmy Winston on lead vocals and guitar so some others may well have been recorded before October 1965, possibly the bizarre but interesting version of Runaway and the excellent takes on Don Covay's Take This Hurt Off Me and the Miracles' You've Really Got A Hold On Me. Both of these demonstrate what a fine band they were, and what a great vocalist Steve Marriott was. Indeed one wonders why space could not be found for some of these recordings on their first album. After Ian McLagan joined, they began to put Booker T-style instrumentals on their B-sides, so the cover of Plum Nellie here probably features him rather than Jimmy Winston on keyboards.
The album also included earlier versions of songs they re-recorded for Immediate, including My Way Of Giving, which they had handed over to Chris Farlowe for a single, and (Tell Me) Have You Ever Seen Me...
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SMALL FACES - SMALL FACES (DECCA 1966) Jap DSD mastering cardboard sleeve + 13 bonus

Lane and Marriott met in 1965 while Marriott was working at the J60 Music Bar in Manor Park, London. Lane came in with his father Stan to buy a bass guitar, struck up a conversation with Marriott, bought the bass and went back to Marriott's house after work to listen to records. They recruited friends Kenney Jones and Jimmy Winston (born James Edward Winston Langwith, 20 April 1945, in Stratford, East London), who switched from guitar to the organ. They rapidly progressed from rehearsals at The Ruskin Arms public house (which was owned by Winston's parents) in Manor Park, London, to ramshackle pub gigs, to semi-professional club dates. Marriott's unique and powerful voice attracted rising attention. Singer Elkie Brooks was struck by Marriott's vocal prowess and stage presence, and recommended them to a local club owner, Maurice King. Impressed, King began finding them work in London and beyond.
The band's early song set included R&B/soul classics such as "Jump Back", James Brown's "Please Please Please", Smokey Robinson's "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" and Ben E. King's "Stand by Me". The band also performed two Marriott/Lane original compositions, a fast and loud "Come on Children" and the "speed enhanced" song "E too D", in which Marriott would display his considerable vocal abilities in the style of his heroes and role models, Otis Redding and Bobby Bland. "E too D", which appears on their first album, Small Faces, is named after the guitar chord structure. On US compilation albums the track is titled "Running Wild".
They were kicked out of their first out-of-town gig, a tough working men's club in Sheffield, after only three songs. The crowd at that concert was mainly made up of Teddy boys and hard-drinking workers. Despondent, they literally walked into the mod-oriented King Mojo Club nearby (then owned by a young Peter Stringfellow) and offered to perform for free. They played a set that left the local mods wanting more and started a strong buzz. During a crucial residency at Leicester Square's Cavern Club, they were strongly supported by Sonny & Cher, who were living in London at the time and had first seen them perform in Sheffield.
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THE "DECCA" YEARS
They signed a management contract with management impresario Don Arden, and they were in turn signed to Decca Records for recording. They released a string of high-energy mod/soul singles on the label. Their debut single was in 1965 with "Whatcha Gonna Do About It", a Top 15 UK singles chart hit. Marriott and Lane are credited with creating the instrumental to the song, "borrowing" the guitar riff from the Solomon Burke record "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love". The lyrics were written by The Shadows band member Ian Samwell (who arguably wrote the first British rock 'n' roll record, "Move It"). The group failed to capitalize on the success of their first single with the follow-up which was written by Marriott/Lane, the hard-edged mod number "I've Got Mine". The band appeared as themselves in a 1965 crime film titled Dateline Diamonds starring Kenneth Cope as the band's manager. It featured them playing their second single release, "I've Got Mine". Arden thought the band's song would receive publicity by the film; however, the film's UK release was delayed, and "I've Got Mine" subsequently failed to chart...
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VELVET OPERA - RIDE A HUSTLER'S DREAM (CBS 1969) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve + 4 bonus

This ensemble evolved out of the soul-blues based band the Five Proud Walkers and in early 1967 was influenced by Pink Floyd to go psychedelic and change its name to Velvet Opera. The group soon extended its moniker to Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera when member Dave Terry (lead vocals, guitar, harmonica) changed his name to Elmer Gantry and started wearing a cape and preacher's hat similar to the title character in the Sinclair Lewis novel 'Elmer Gantry' turned Oscar winning movie in 1960. Other original members included Colin Forster (lead guitar), John Ford (bass, vocals), Richard Hudson (drums, sitar, vocals) and Jimmy Horrocks (organ, flute).
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The band soon became a favorite on the London club scene and secured a record contract with the CBS subsidiary label, Direction. They released their first single in the fall of 1967 ('Flames' b/w 'Salisbury Plain'), which almost made the U.K. charts and was later covered by Led Zeppelin during live performances. The modest success of their debut 45 prompted the quick recording and issue of a self-titled debut LP in late 1967. The album is excellent and contains several outstanding songs of varying rock-pop styles. Highlights include the sitar laden, Eastern influenced 'Air', the driving 'Mother Writes', the loony 'Dream Starts' and the brilliant ballad 'Reactions Of A Young Man'. The record also contains the outstanding 'Mary Jane', but a faster tempo, BBC broadcasted alternate version of the song is showcased on TWOS. Unfortunately this song was soon removed from the BBC playlist after they realized its drug connotations.
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In 1968 things began to splinter when poor sales of their album and a push for a change in musical direction by Ford and Hudson prompted the departure of Gantry and Forster who were replaced by Johnny Joyce (guitar, vocals) and previous Tintern Abbey member Paul Brett (lead guitar). As a side note, Forster went on to switch roles with Brett as the guitarist in Tintern Abbey.
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With Gantry gone, the group reverted back to the name Velvet Opera and released a final LP ('Ride A Hustler's Dream') and single ('Volcano' b/w 'A Quick 'B'') in 1969. A continued lack of commercial success caused the band to break up when the rhythm section of Ford and Hudson left to join the Strawbs. Gantry went on to perform in the musical 'Hair' and later sang lead vocals on a few tunes for the Alan Parsons Project...
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GARY OGAN & BILL LAMB - PORTLAND (ELEKTRA 1972) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve

Most people don't recognize the name Gary Ogan although he's shared the stage with many superstars. He's a mainstay of the Portland music scene. Inspired by the Beatles, he developed his talents early with his high-school basement band. Just after graduation he recorded for his first major record label. But despite his association with the likes of Leon Russell and Michael McDonald, he's spurned the short cut to fame, choosing instead to stay true to his music.
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As a veteran of 35 years in the music business, and CEO / manager of the new Portland, Oregon based music conglomerate, Sound Ground, Gary maintains a youthful enthusiasm in his quest for new music and fresh projects. From his first major label release on Elektra Records in 1972, called Portland, Gary has created an ever-evolving world of activity. Moving to Los Angeles in 1977 to sign with Leon Russell’s Paradise Records on the Warner Brothers label, Gary released his first self-titled album that year, co-produced with Russell. He also co-produced Leon and Mary Russell’s duet album, Make Love to the Music, and toured the U.S. extensively with them, including shows at Radio City Music Hall and the Universal Amphitheater.
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A close cousin to the first album by Aztec Two-Step from 1972, this is one of those classic records that has continued to escape almost everyone. As a fan of this album from day one I can tell you that it deserved to remain in my list of favorite albums even though the original mastering was not quite on par with so many of my other cherished records from that era...[net]
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HARPERS BIZZARE - ANYTHING GOES (WARNER BROS 1967) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve + 2 bonus

Harpers Bizarre's second album, released in 1967, is a joy for pop music lovers, and the best of their four Warner Brothers releases. The opening, "This is Only the Beginning," establishes a faux radio broadcast typical of the 1940's, leading directly into the opening verse of "Anything Goes," sung by Cole Porter himself! This segues into the group's performance of the song (featuring Van Dyke Parks on piano; check out his later work, both solo and with the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson), and is followed by another Cole Porter tune, "Two Little Babes In the Wood," again featuring Porter's own voice on the intro. Naturally, these two songs sport some of the cleverest lyrics ever written. These are followed by the first of two songs by one of the 20th century's greatest songwriters, Randy Newman, "The Biggest Night of her Life," a sweet, uptempo song with an instrumental break the flapper set will love. Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen's title song from the movie "Pocketful of Miracles" is a pure joy, and is followed by another Randy Newman song, "Snow," a beautiful, moody, emotional piece. This is followed by a cover of the big band-era classic, Glenn Miller's "Chattanooga Choo Choo," in a sparkling arrangenment that pays homage to the original. "Hey You In the Crowd," an original by Ted Templeman and Dick Scoppettone of the group, is an unptempo charmer presented in a faux-live-on-stage style. Doug Kershaw's classic "Louisiana Man" and the Edith Piaf classic "Milord" both get top-flight treatments here, followed by another Templeman/Scoppettone original, "Virginia City". "Jessie" by Jimmy Griffin (later to be a member of Bread, and to win an Oscar for co-writing "For All We Know" from the movie "Lovers and Other Strangers") is an urban mood piece with a melody that owes a lot to George Gershwin. David Blue's "You Need A Change" is a lost gem, and makes you wonder why Blue never won wider acceptance. The original album closes with "High Coin," by the brilliant Van Dyke Parks. It's unusual, as you would expect from Parks, but the Harpers handle it with aplomb.There are two bonus tracks, "Malibu U," by Don and Dick Addrisi (of "Never My Love" fame), the theme from a frothy little TV series of the day; and the 45rpm version of Kenny Rankin's "Cotton Candy Sandman," a different version of which would appear on the LP "Harpers Bizarre 4". (Neither of these bonus tracks has appeared on LP or CD before.) The arrangements on this album are absolutely top-notch, and much credit goes to Perry Botkin, Jr., Nick de Caro, Bob Thompson, and Van Dyke Parks, as well as Ron Elliott of the Beau Brummels, a group which also spawned the Harpers' own John Petersen...[net]
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HARPERS BIZARRE - FEELIN' GROOVY (WARNER BROS 1967) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve + 2 bonus

If any group and song was the prototype for sunshine pop, it would be Harpers Bizarre and their hit version of "Feelin' Groovy". Their high range choir boy harmonies, positive themed material, and sophisticated arrangements were all part of the genre's model.
Along with Spanky and Our Gang, The Association, The Sunshine Company, The Free Design, The Cowsills, and the Fifth Dimension, Harpers Bizarre produced music that poured out of AM radios in the 1960's.
"Feelin' Groovy featuring 59th St. Bridge Song" was the first LP release for the group in 1967.
The production pattern ,set on this release, was as follows: regardless of the song style, each song is gussied up in the Harpers Bizarre sound of Ted Templeman and Dick Scoppettone's voices singing soft and high; lush background harmonies weaving in and out of orchestration with strings, flutes, oboes, horns; and John Petersen drumming with brushes to tie it all together.
The title song reached #13 on the charts in 1967 and its soaring Van Dyke Parks composed follow up "Come to The Sunshine" reached #37 that same year.
The LP contained a catchy version of "Happy Talk" from the musical "South Pacific"; a couple of smooth pop nuggets ("Come Love"and "Raspberry Rug"); and three Randy Newman tunes("Simon Smith and The Amazing Dancing Bear", "Happyland", and "The Debutante's Ball").
Bonus tracks include two original songs recorded when the group was known as The Tikis-"Bye Bye Bye" and "Lost My Love Today". The vocals are similar, but the accompaniment is pure British Invasion garage guitar and drums.
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Additional personnel: Van Dyke Parks, Randy Newman (piano).
Mojo (Publisher) (3/02, p.120) - "...Whether drawing on folk, country, soul, Roaring Twenties or baroque influences, they liked to put the 'shh!' into kitsch....They are fascinating....Their lush vocals and elaborate orchestrations are strangely affecting....highly enjoyable..."
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THE LOVE GENERATION - MONTAGE (IMPERIAL 1968) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve

Of the many sunshine pop groups that proliferated in Southern California in the late '60s, the Love Generation were one of the most wholesome and downright sunniest. "Sunniest" is not necessarily synonymous with "best," even for a genre called "sunshine pop." The Love Generation's records were about as over-the-top as their name in their smiley-face, see-no-evil, upbeat, even anodyne harmonized pop/rock, commercial enough to often be mistaken for commercial jingles. Taking the advances of sunshine pop godfathers and godmothers the Mamas & the Papas to the most saccharine extremes (with echoes of the Beach Boys and the Association as well), the Love Generation released three albums in 1967 and 1968, getting small hit singles with "Groovy Summertime" and "Montage From How Sweet It Is (I Knew That You Knew)." The Love Generation were not quite as faceless as some acts plundering this territory, though, as much of their material was written by brothers John Bahler and Tom Bahler. The arrangements were densely crafted blends of male-female vocal harmonies and orchestrated pop/rock that put quite a bit of frosting on the incessantly chipper tunes.
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At its outset, the group was a sextet of the Bahler Brothers, ex-New Christy Minstrels member Ann White, Marilyn Miller (who had supplied Sally Field's singing voice on the Gidget TV show), Mitch Gordon, and Jim Wasson. John Bahler took the greatest share of the lead vocals, and session musicians played the instruments. The lyrics often tapped into the most optimistic and innocuous traits of the early hippie generation, with references to love-ins, sunshine (naturally), summer, dreams, candy, and magic peppering not just the words but the song titles: "Fluffy Rain," "Meet Me at the Love-In," "Consciousness Expansion," "Love and Sunshine," "Candy," "Magic Land," and "Love Is a Rainy Sunday" were just some of them.
The group really existed in name only by the third and last album, Montage, on which only the Bahlers and producer/arranger Tommy Oliver were listed in the liner notes. Gordon, White, and the Bahlers all sang as studio backup vocalists in subsequent years, with Tom Bahler writing songs for others including Cher ("Living in a House Divided") and Michael Jackson ("She's Out of My Life"), as well as co-writing "We Are the World." The Bahlers might be most famous/notorious, though, for recording and supplying several songs used in early episodes of The Partridge Family, several of them appearing (with the Bahlers' lead vocals) on the Partridge Family's first album. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
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FOTHERINGAY - FOTHERINGAY (ISLAND 1970) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve + 7 bonus

The folk rock group Fotheringay was formed in 1970 by singer Sandy Denny upon her departure from Fairport Convention. The band drew its name from Fotheringhay Castle, where Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned in England. Said castle was also the inspiration for the song "Fotheringay", which Fairport Convention had included on their 1969 album What We Did on Our Holidays, before Denny's departure from the group.
Two former members of Eclection, Trevor Lucas and Gerry Conway, and two former members of Poet and the One Man Band, Jerry Donahue and Pat Donaldson (bass), completed the line-up responsible for what was long assumed to be the quintet's only album. This folk-based set included several Denny originals, notably "Nothing More", "The Sea" and "The Pond and The Stream", as well as meticulous readings of Gordon Lightfoot's "The Way I Feel" and Bob Dylan's "Too Much of Nothing". Although criticized contemporaneously as constrained, Fotheringay is now viewed as a confident, accomplished work. During the year of its original release, however, the album failed to match commercial expectations, and pressures on Denny to undertake a solo career—she was voted Britain's number 1 singer (two years consecutively) in Melody Maker's readers poll—increased.
Fotheringay disbanded in 1971 during sessions for a projected second album. Some of its songs surfaced on Denny's 1971 debut album, The North Star Grassman and the Ravens. Lucas, Conway and Donahue resurfaced in Fairport Convention in 1972 to record the Rosie album (on which some Fotheringay material was also used). However, Conway played on three tracks only and began session work afterwards. Both Conway and Donaldson have worked with Richard Thompson, among many others. Lucas and Donahue stayed with Fairport (the Nine album came out in 1973) for another couple of years, with Sandy Denny rejoining in 1974...
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IAN MATTHEWS - MATTHEWS' SOUTHERN COMFORT (UNI 1970) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve + 1 bonus

Matthews grew up in a working-class family in Scunthorpe. He sang with several minor bands during the British pop music explosion of the mid-1960s. He moved to London in 1966, taking a job in a Carnaby Street shoe shop. That year, he formed a trio, The Pyramid, which recorded one single, "Summer Of Last Year/Summer Evening," in January 1967 released as Deram 111. A remaining song, "Me About You," surfaced on Iain's Orphans & Outcasts Volume 3 cd in 1999. The Pyramid may be England's only surf band, albeit a short-lived one.
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Not long afterwards, he was recruited by Ashley Hutchings as a male vocalist for Fairport Convention, where he duetted first with Judy Dyble, but more famously with Sandy Denny. In 1969, as Fairport's music veered much more toward British traditional influences, Matthews found out he had not been invited to a recording session and, after a short discussion with Ashley Hutchings, he headed off in his own musical direction.
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With Thompson, Nicol, and Hutchings from Fairport Convention, plus drummer Gerry Conway (of Fotheringay, and later to join Fairport) and pedal steel player Gordon Huntley, he recorded his first solo album, Matthews' Southern Comfort, whose sound was rooted in American country music and rockabilly; this was his first significant experience as a songwriter, although the band also covered the likes of Neil Young and Ian and Sylvia. He then formed a working band using the name of his first album and recorded Second Spring and Later That Same Year. The band went through several different lineups and toured extensively for the next two years, to general critical acclaim. They had one commercial success: a cover version of "Woodstock" (written by Joni Mitchell) was a number one hit single in the UK and saw heavy airplay in Canada reaching #5, as well as reaching #23 in the US. After this, Matthews split with Southern Comfort, who went on to release three albums of their own on Harvest Records....[wiki]
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DAVE DEE,DOZY,BEAKY,MICK & TICH - IF NO-ONE SANG (FONTANA 1968) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve + 10 bonus

The third DDDBM&T album!
One more left!!!!....lol
As the sound of 'Swinging London' evolved from the mod rock and pop scene, so did Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich (DD, D, B, M & T), which featured Dave "Dee" Harman (guitar/vocals), Trevor "Dozy" Davies (bass), John "Beaky" Diamond (rhythm guitar), Michael "Mick" Wilson (drums), and Ian "Tich" Amey (lead guitar). The quintet's third long-player, If No One Sang (1968), reflects the progression within the genre and is arguably the combo's most musically satisfying and eclectic outing. It would likewise be the final full-length platter that they would issue prior to Dee's departure in the summer of 1969. Although success in the States remained elusive, they continued to produce hits throughout England and Germany. Specifically, the nonsensical "Zabadak" and the chart-topping "Legend of Xanadu" became definitive entries in their catalog. True to their previous hits, the songwriting team of Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley — who also managed the band — centered their material on catchy, if not somewhat quirky, melodies with highly singable choruses. However the title composition, "If No One Sang" — which bookends the effort with a pair of renderings — demonstrates DD, D, B, M & T's versatility. The dark chord progressions and solitude of the desolate acoustic guitar and solo vocal immediately suggest the more mature tenor of the material. The introspective and slightly baroque ballad "Where From, Where To?" as well as the lightly orchestrated samba-tinged cover of Tim Hardin's "If I Were a Carpenter" are other examples of the more thoughtful and reflective nature of the tunes. "Time to Take Off" is a punchy, driving waltz arrangement that propels the melodies Latin-flavored overtones. Considerably more theatrical is the overtly Mediterranean sound of the aforementioned "Legend of Xanadu," which also became a showstopper thanks to the dramatic crack of Dee's whip. If No One Sang was issued on CD with ten supplementary sides, consisting of non-LP singles, as well as Italian versions of both "Zabadak" and "Save Me," the latter of which is titled "Follemente Vivo."
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ASSOCIATION - BIRTHDAY (WARNER BROS 1968) Jap mastering + 3 bonus

Birthday is a strong record. Vocally, the intricate harmonies shine, and there is a lyrical depth on some songs that challenge the Association's reputation as a mere pop group. Granted, there are some light moments, such as the opening cut, "Come On In" (though the vocals do stand out on this cut). And "Toymaker" and "Hear in Here" show the vocal limitations of the lead singers. But "Like Always" does an excellent job of wryly commenting on the loss of a relationship, with the usual fine vocal interplay. "The Time It Is Today" mixes the political and personal in an effective way. And "Everything That Touches You" (their final Top Ten ) is one of their finest love songs, if not one of their best songs, period. The vocals are as intricate as the arrangement, and the sincerity of the lyrics is very apparent. Production by Bones Howe gives the record a very commercial, clean sound that fits well with the material presented. ~ Michael Ofjord, All Music Guide
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Released in March 1968, Birthday was probably the Association's most pop-sounding album, as producer Bones Howe and the group polished their trademark harmony sound to a brilliant sheen. And, like on Insight Out, studio musicians extraordinaire Blaine and Larry Knechtel lent expert accompaniment. This album spawned the top 10 hit "Everything That Touches You" and another top 40 hit in "Time for Livin'". Later that year, the group released a self-produced single, the harder-edged "Six Man Band". This song is also one of the three bonus tracks here...
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THE CEYLEIB PEOPLE - TANYET (VAULT 1967)

...POSTED BY REQUEST
Ry Cooder's Ceyleib People are arguably one of the more innovative groups of the late 60s. Taking the loping blues romp of Captain Beefheart and filtering it through Indian music, the group created a very short album, what would be an EP now, of two 10-11 minute parts. For 1967, this is definitely hippy experimental music, hopping from guitar riffs to sitar drones to mellotron rambling and back without regard for convention. It's almost as if there was an intent to fuse the influences of Ravi Shankar with those of the old blues legends, except that rarely is there any true juxtaposition of both styles, instead one will start out and then give way to another, segment by segment. It's as if someone gave a studio the masters for several Ravi Shankar and Captain Beefheart albums, asked them to splice them together, and then left, only to have the engineer play a joke by adding parts of Days of Future Passed in as well. Overall, it's a pretty successful experiment especially considering its age.
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The reissue of the album gives you two new versions of the two pieces, "Aton" and "Aton II," supposedly processed, but not really sounding all that much different from the first two.
While this might not have been so impressive had it been from a few years later, its presence in 1967 is quite prescient...[Mike McLatchey Gnosis 2000]
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Amazing psych-raga bluesy rock from this underrated "classic" project by Ry Cooder. With a lot of inventions and variations, this music conciliates eastern buzzing ragas to rocking energy and synth progressive orchestrations. The opening track (divided into 5 parts) features a catchy bluesy vibe, nice percussions parts and evocative, dreamy like flute passages. Rapidly, the composition explores in a meditative style sitar / flute combinations...after 3 minutes, we have the return of Ry Cooder's typical guitar sound, communicating with inspired "ethereal" keyboards and buzzing sitar strings. It finishes with violin like strings with some expeditive classical covers...really enigmatic and passionate song. The second composition (for 6 parts) also alternate bluesy rock interludes and raga sonorities...featuring very catchy melodies and rhythms. Impressive bluesy-folky-psych raga fantasias!..[net]
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HONEYBUS - STORY (DERAM 1969) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve + 13 bonus

Their debut single, "Delighted to See You," which was cut with the help of Roulettes members Bob Henrit and Russ Ballard, sounded more like the Beatles than anything heard in British pop/rock since the Searchers had faded from view in early 1966. The B-side, "The Breaking Up Scene," could have been the work of the Jimi Hendrix Experience or the Creation. Actually, if anything, they sounded a great deal like the Bee Gees, who had just begun establishing themselves as something more than Beatles sound-alikes -- the difference was that the Bee Gees were a performing band as well as a top-notch studio outfit, fully capable of doing (and willing to do) most of their output on-stage Then Honeybus hit with their third release, "I Can`t Let Maggie Go," in March of 1968, which rode the British Top 50 for three months and peaked at number eight. One of the most fondly remembered examples of psychedelic pop/rock to come out of England in 1967, with a richly textured, reed-dominated arrangement (with a bassoon very prominent and a break played on oboes and clarinets) and a pleasant McCartney-esque lead vocal surrounded by gentle high harmonies, all wrapped up in a melody that wore well on repeated listening. The record should have made the group, but instead it shattered them. All three of the songs are on this cd.
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"Honeybus` sole album was recorded in 1969 and released in early 1970, by which time "I Can`t Let Maggie Go" was fading from the memory of the British public, original leader Pete Dello was long gone, and the band themselves had been inactive for months. It`s therefore not entirely representative of what the group was about. They did show themselves to be one of the few bands that could emulate the lighter and quieter sides of the 1968-69 Beatles with a degree of competence, although as is usual when the Beatles were imitated, the songs and execution were much more lightweight than what the Beatles themselves recorded. At times it sounds like Badfinger without the muscle or occasional outstanding songs that made Badfinger recall the Beatles without sounding like tepid wannabes. The Beatlesque harmonies are nice and the lyrics sometimes clever, and the arrangements are tasteful, sometimes employing substantial traces of country music and subtle orchestration.
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FAIRPORT CONVENTION - FAIRPORT CONVENTION (A&M 1969) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve + 3 bonus

The best British folk-rock band of the late '60s, Fairport Convention did more than any other act to develop a truly British variation on the folk-rock prototype by drawing upon traditional material and styles indigenous to the British Isles. While the revved-up renditions of traditional British folk tunes drew the most critical attention, the group members were also (at least at the outset) talented songwriters as well as interpreters. They were comfortable with conventional harmony-based folk-rock as well as tunes that drew upon more explicitly traditional sources, and boasted some of the best singers and instrumentalists of the day.
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Sandy Denny's haunting, ethereal vocals gave Fairport a big boost on her debut with the group. A more folk-based album than their initial effort, What We Did on Our Holidays was divided between original material and a few well-chosen covers. This contains several of their greatest moments: Denny's "Fotheringay," Richard Thompson's "Meet on the Ledge," the obscure Joni Mitchell composition "Eastern Rain," the traditional "She Moves Through the Fair," and their version of Bob Dylan's "I'll Keep It With Mine." And more than simply being a collection of good songs (with one or two pedestrian ones), it allowed Fairport to achieve its greatest internal balance, and indeed one of the finest balances of any major folk-rock group. The strong original material, covers of little-known songs by major contemporary songwriters such as Dylan and Mitchell, and updates of traditional material were reminiscent of the blend achieved by the Byrds on their early albums, with Fairport Convention giving a British slant to the idiom. The slant would become much more British by the end of the 1960s, though, both gaining and losing something in the process.
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Confusingly, What We Did on Our Holidays was titled Fairport Convention in its initial US A&M release, with a different cover from the U.K. edition, although Fairport's very first US album from 1968 had used the title Fairport Convention but on a different label (Cotillion), as well. This reissue adds three bonus tracks from the same era, one from a BBC broadcast, one from a non-LP B-side, and one a studio outtake....
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