Stuck In The Past!

Judy Collins - A Maid Of Constant Sorrow (1961)

2012-01-27T17:09:00.014Z

Judy Collins is an American singer-songwriter.

Born and raised in Seattle, Collins began her musical career as a student of classical piano (at which she proved to be somewhat of a young prodigy), before she discovered folk music and took up the guitar. In the early 60s she made the move to New York City, and became emersed in the folk scene of Greenwich Village. She was soon signed to Elektra Records, and her debut album came out in 1961. A Maid Of Constant Sorrow is typical of early 60s folk, and owes alot to the pristine female folk-singer sound that Joan Baez had perfected a few years earlier. The traditional songs include "Wild Mountain Thyme", "John Riley", and a gender variant of "Man Of Constant Sorrow". It's not all performed solo, as there is sparse acoustic backing throughout from Bill Lee on bass, Erik Darling on banjo and Walter Raim on second guitar.

> Golden Apples Of The Sun (1962)

Download

2012-01-24T14:25:00.004Z

I'm on holiday for the next couple of weeks, so there won't be many posts until the second week of February. I've got my laptop with me, so will try and do a few, but can't promise many. When I get back it will be business as normal, so hold on!

Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited (1965)

2012-01-23T16:19:00.003Z

In July of 1965, Bob Dylan, once the crown prince of the American folk revival, had been causing a stir in the folk community. First he had stopped writing protest songs, and turned to personal matters, utilising cryptic wordplay. Then he had recorded an album backed by a rock band (Bringing It All Back Home). He was getting restless.
July saw the release of the single “Like A Rolling Stone”, the perfect crystallization of the changes his music was undergoing. Loud and defiant, it both said farewell to the world of acoustic folk music, and at over 6 minutes challenged the conventions of pop singles. It was a massive success, getting to #2 on the US charts, and becoming an international hit. Shortly after its release he caused further controversy by performing with an electric rock band at the Newport Folk Festival, putting the final nail in the coffin of his folk career.
The follow-up album, Highway 61 Revisited, came out in August. It was recorded with the same musicians that backed him on “Like A Rolling Stone”, namely guitarist Mike Bloomfield (of The Butterfield Blues Band), organist Al Kooper, pianist Paul Griffin, bassist Harvey Brooks and drummer Bobby Gregg, plus a few others. With this album, Dylan’s transformation from folkie to rock star and pop icon was completed. The sound was loud and abrasive, Dylan’s voice sneering and his lyrics truly surreal.
It reached #3 on the US album charts, and #4 in the UK. It is now seen as not only a landmark album in Dylan’s career, but in the wider pop world as a whole.

Bringing It All Back Home (1965) <|> Blonde On Blonde (1966)
More from Bob Dylan

Download

Gregg Allman - Laid Back (1973)

2012-01-22T14:49:00.004Z

Gregg Allman is an American singer-songwriter and musician, best known for his role as lead singer and organist with The Allman Brothers Band.

Gregg Allman first started playing music with his older brother Duane in the southeast during the mid 60s. The two of them played in a number of bands, including The Escorts, The Allman Joys, and The Hour Glass, before they founded The Allman Brothers Band in 1969. With the Allman Brothers, Gregg acted as the lead singer, and also played the Hammond organ. The band were pioneers in the genre of Southern rock, and also were recognised as one of the best 'jam bands' of their era. With the death of Duane Allman in 1971, things looked set to fall apart, but they perservered and released the commercially successful Brothers And Sisters in 1973.
Around the same time of Brothers And Sisters, Gregg worked on his first solo album. Laid Back came out in Octover 1973, and showed a different side to him, eschewing the improvisational focus of the Allman Brothers in favour of short, concise soul-based songs. With backing singers and orchestral arrangements, it was music that would not have fit in with the band's style. It featured strong original songs alongside covers of "Don't Mess Up A Good Thing" (by Oliver Sain), "These Days" (by Jackson Browne), the country-folk standard "Will The Circle Be Unbroken", and "All My Friends" (by Scott Boyer, who Allman had briefly worked with in The 31st Of February). It also featured new versions of his own "Please Call Home" and "Midnight Rider", both Allman Brothers songs, the latter re-worked into a moodier and more elaborate arrangement, helped along by some powerful string and horn backing - it got to #19 on the pop charts.
The album was a great success, and showed what Gregg could do outside the band, casting him in the role of a soulful singer-songwriter.

|> The Gregg Allman Tour (1974)

Download

The Buttefield Blues Band - In My Own Dream (1968)

2012-01-21T14:36:00.005Z

The Butterfield Blues Band were an American blues group fronted by vocalist and harmonica player Paul Butterfield, who was one of the first well-known white blues singers.

In My Own Dream was the second album from the new eight-man lineup of The Butterfield Blues Band. Like its predecessor (1967's The Resurrection Of Pigboy Crabshaw), it showed them moving away from pure chicago blues and starting to incorporate more jazz and soul influences in their sound, making full use of their three-piece horn section. It also showed them becoming much more of a group democracy rather than just Paul Butterfield's band, as the vocals were shared around. Butterfield sang lead on three songs, bassist Bugsby Maugh sang on two, drummer Philip Wilson sang on one, and guitarist Elvin Bishop sang on one (his self-penned "Drunk Again"). Maugh also wrote three of the songs. It also featured a guest appearance from Al Kooper, on organ.

The Resurrection Of Pigboy Crabshaw (1967) <|> Keep On Moving (1969)
More from The Butterfield Blues Band

Download

Don Covay - See-Saw (1966)

2012-01-19T20:22:00.005Z

Don Covay is an American R&B/soul singer and songwriter, who was most active in the 50s and 60s.

The 1965 song "Mercy Mercy" had given Don Covay's recording career a good kick start, after years of failing to light up the charts (finding more success as a songwriter). In 1965 he was re-signed to Atlantic Records, and through them he got access to the Stax studios in Memphis (where many of Atlantic's soul artists went to record). His next big hit was "See-Saw", co-written with guitarist Steve Cropper.
His second album came out in 1966, and was a compilation of singles and other tracks recorded at Stax (with "Mercy Mercy" appearing again). These Memphis recording sessions saw his music take on a grittier soul edge, particularly notable on the funky "Fat Man", "Sookie Sookie" and "Iron Out The Rough Spots". The result was another underrated classic album of 60s soul.

Mercy! (1965) <|> The House Of Blue Lights (1969)
More from Don Covay

Download

Manassas - Manassas (1972)

2012-01-17T22:06:00.004Z

Manassas was a short-lived rock band active in the early 70s, led by Stephen Stills.

By 1971 singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Stephen Stills had been a member of folk-rock group Buffalo Springfield (and penned their one hit, "For What It's Worth"), formed the supergroup Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and released two fantastic solo albums. His next project was a new band, called Manassas, consisting of various musician friends, including Chris Hillman (previously of The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers) and pedal steel guitarist Al Perkins (a seasoned session musician, who had also recently been in the Burritos with Hillman). The full line-up was Stills (lead vocals/guitar/slide/keyboards), Hillman (guitar/mandolin/vocals), Perkins (pedal steel/slide/guitar/vocals), Paul Harris (keyboards), Fuzzy Samuels (bass), Joe LaLa (percussion/vocals) and Dallas Taylor (drums). Both Taylor and Samuels had recently served as part of the CSNY rhythm section.
The band's self-titled album came out in 1972. A double album, each side of vinyl consisted of a suite of songs ("The Raven", "The Wilderness", "Consider" and "Rock And Roll Is Here To Stay") which incorporated the diverse range of musical styles Stills and his friends had at their fingertips, including rock, folk, blues, country, and latin. The first side was very much blues-rock orientated, and the second side saw the band turn to their country-rock side (with spectacular results, to rival that of The Flying Burrito Brothers). The other two sides were a more varied mix of styles. Guest musicians appearing on the album include Bill Wyman of The Rolling Stones (who co-authored "The Love Gangster" with Stills), and on the country-rock side bluegrass musicians Byron Berline and Roger Bush (of Country Gazette).
It was a great success, and is often referred to as Stills' masterpiece, incorporating the full scope of his musical talents. It eventually peaked at #4 on the album charts.

|> Down The Road (1973)

Download

Three Dog Night - Three Dog Night (1968)

2012-01-15T18:12:00.004Z

Three Dog Night is an American rock band, originally active from 1968 to 1976.

Three Dog Night started in 1967, and stood out due to the fact that they had three dedicated lead singers - Chuck Negron, Danny Hutton and Cory Wells. They originally went by the name of Redwood, and made some early recordings with Brian Wilson. However they soon abandoned the Redwood name, and recruited four musicians as their backing band - guitarist Michael Allsup, keyboardist Jimmy Greenspoon, bassist Joe Schermie and drummer Flyod Sneed. They managed to get noticed through their live shows in L.A., and were signed to Dunhill Records.
Their debut album came out in 1968. Rather than writing their own material, they pretty much relied on cover songs, but they managed to start and maintain a very successful career through these creative interpretations of other artists' material. Their first album featured songs by Harry Nilsson, Randy Newman, Traffic, Neil Young, The Band, Tim Hardin, Lennon & McCartney and others. It was only moderately successful at first, but the third single from the album, Nilsson's "One" (with Negron on lead vocals), became a massive hit as they were working on the follow-up. It eventually got to #5 on the singles chart. To capitalize on its popularily, the title "One" was quickly added under the group's name on the album cover. The album itself eventually got to #11 as the band's career took off.

|> Suitable For Framing (1969)

Download

Dave Mason - Alone Together (1970)

2012-01-14T08:57:00.006Z

Dave Mason is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist, best known for being a founding member of the band Traffic.

Dave Mason formed Traffic in 1967 with multi-instrumentalist Steve Winwood, percussionist Jim Capaldi and woodwind player Chris Wood. With Traffic, he shared guitar and lead vocal duties with Winwood, and also contributed other instruments such as bass and sitar. He wrote and sang roughly half their early repetoire. He was responsible for their highest-charting single, 1967's psychedelic pop classic "Hole In My Shoe", which got to #2 in the UK. He briefly left the band after their debut album, and released a non-charting solo single ("Little Woman" b/w "Just For You"), but then re-joined during the making of their second, which contained one of his best-known songs, "Feelin' Alright" (which was covered by all sorts of artists including Joe Cocker and Three Dog Night). However he departed again in late 1968, due to creative differences with the other members.
During his time with Traffic, he also befriended Jimi Hendrix. It was Mason that introduced Hendrix to Bob Dylan's "All Along The Watchtower" at a party he was invited to by Mason. When Hendrix decided to record his version later that same night, it was Mason who played the song's acoustic 12-string guitar. He also appeared on The Rolling Stones' 1968 album Beggar's Banquet, but was not credited (he apparently played the Indian shehnai on "Street Fighting Man" and the mellotron (using a mandolin voice) on "Factory Girl"). He also played live as a guest with Delaney & Bonnie, appearing on their 1970 On Tour album.
His debut solo album came out in 1970, featuring many of the musicians he had met through the Delaney & Bonnie experience - Leon Russell (piano), Carl Radle (bass), Jim Gordon (drums), Rita Coolidge (vocals), plus bassists Chris Ethridge and Larry Knetchel, drummers John Barbata and Jim Keltner, guitarist Michael DeTemple, and others. It turned out to be a fantastic singer-songwriter/rock album, with eight strong Mason originals. It was recieved well be the critics, and a single, "Only You Know And I Know", got to a modest #42 in the US (the song had also featured on On Tour, and would later be recorded by Rita Coolidge).

|> Headkeeper (1972)

Download

Happy & Artie Traum - Double-Back (1971)

2012-01-12T16:11:00.004Z

The brothers Happy and Artie Traum are/were both folk singer-songwriters and guitarists, who in the early 70s recorded together as a duo.

The second album from the Traum brothers, Double-Back was a continuation of their debut, with some first-class roots-rock, full of folk and country flavours. It was recorded both in Nashville and at Bearsville Studios (which was owned by their manager Albert Grossman). Without knowing who it was by, it could easily be mistaken for the work of one singer-songwriter, as the sound of the style of the two brothers mesh together so perfectly. Backing musicians include drummers Billy Mundi and Jerry Carrigan, steel guitarists Bill Keith and Weldon Myrick, bassist Tim Drummond, singer-songwriter Eric Kaz (on piano and harmonica) and slide guitarist Amos Garrett.

Happy & Artie Traum (1970) <|> Hard Times In The Country (1975)
More from Happy & Artie Traum

Download

JJ Cale - #8 (1983)

2012-01-11T17:18:00.004Z

JJ Cale is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is known for his distinctively laid-back musical style, and for living a humble and low-key existence on the outskirts of the music business. Many of his songs have been covered successfully by other artists.

#8 was JJ Cale's third album in as many years. So how did this one differ from the seven that came before it? Overall the mood is perhaps a bit grittier than its predecessors, in a moody, brooding sort of way. Songs like "Unemployment" and "Hard Times" deal with quite bleak subject matter, and the sounds throughout are a bit more hard-edged. However, having said that, in the end it is more standard JJ Cale - laid-back and groovy, deceptive in its simplicity.
The backing musicians include keyboard players Spooner Oldham and Glen D. Hardin, guitarists Steve Ripley and Richard Thompson, bassists Tim Drummond and Bob Moore, steel guitarist Weldon Myrick, and drummers Buddy Harmon, Jim Keltner and Karl Himmel. It was the fourth album to feature Christine Lakeland, who co-wrote the opening tune "Money Talks", on which she also shared the lead vocals with Cale.
Also features a great cover of Paul Craft's "Teardrops In My Tequila", the most country-sounding tune Cale has put out to date.

Grasshopper (1982) <|> Travel Log (1990)
More from JJ Cale

Download

Bobby Charles - The Imperial Singles (1958-1959)

2012-01-09T19:39:00.005Z

Compilation
Bobby Charles was an American singer-songwriter from Louisiana.

After his departure from Chess Records, Bobby Charles was then signed to Imperial, aged only twenty. He released six singles on Imperial, all of which are included here alongside their respective b-sides. Though Bobby's own recordings didn't turn out to be massive chart toppers, it was the songs he wrote for other artists that gave him the most success. Whilst with Imperial, he wrote three songs for New Orleans R&B legend Fats Domino - "Before I Grow Too Old", "Walking To New Orleans" and "It Keeps Rainin'". Of these three, it was "Walking To New Orleans" that was the most successful, becoming a massive cross-over hit in 1960 and charting at #6 on the pop charts. He also wrote songs for Clarence 'Frogman' Henry, the highest-charting being "But I Do" (#4).
Bobby Charles was surely going places as a songwriter, but his own releases from this period never had much to show sales-wise. Perhaps it was because Imperial didn't know how to market him - he was a white boy singing rhythm & blues, but was being marketed as a teen idol like his label mate Ricky Nelson. In 1963 Imperial was sold to the major label Liberty, and Charles was left to fend for himself.

The Chess Years (1955-1957) <|> The Jewel And Paula Recordings (1964-1965)
More from Bobby Charles

Download

Ramblin' Jack Elliott - Live 1965

2012-01-08T20:10:00.007Z

Originally released in 1976 as part of The Essential Ramblin' Jack Elliott
Ramblin' Jack Elliott is an American folk singer, originally an important part of the American folk revival.

In 1976 Vaguard Records released a 2-LP compilation called The Essential Ramblin' Jack Elliott. The thing is, he had only ever released one album on Vanguard - 1964's Jack Elliott. So the 'essential' collection was actually just that album with a second disc of live material.
However, the live disc is very good indeed, and so I have put it here as an album by itself. It was recorded in New York City in 1965, at a time when the new younger breed of folk singers (Bob Dylan et al) had taken over, and led the genre into fusions with pop and rock music. But members of the old guard such as Ramblin' Jack were still respected and reverred, as the captivated audience at this concert make clear. Songs include Jesse Fuller's "San Francisco Bay Blues", Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right", Woody Guthrie's "Ramblin' Round Your City" and Will Fyffe's "I Belong To Glasgow" (complete with convincing Scottish accent).
It is often said that the best of Jack Elliott can only be heard in his live performances, and this collection goes a good way in proving that.

Pure Prairie League - Two Lane Highway (1975)

2012-01-07T18:40:00.004Z

Pure Prairie League are an American country-rock band.

After the release of 1972's Bustin' Out, bassist Michael Reilly (who had appeared on the album) joined Pure Prairie League a full-time member. However it was then that lead singer and guitarist Craig Fuller had to do six months for draft evasion, and on his release he was uninterested in rejoining the band, who were then dropped by their record label RCA. But they perservered, Reilly, guitarist George Powell and drummer Billy Hinds being joined by guitarist Larry Goshorn, keyboardist Michael Connor (who had also played on Bustin' Out) and pedal steel guitarist John David Call (who had been a member before, and had been on their debut album). They continued to play live with a heavy touring schedule, and slowly built up a strong following. Then in 1974 their song "Amie" (written by Fuller) became a belated radio hit, and they were re-signed by RCA.
Their third album, Two Lane Highway, came out in 1975, with the lineup of Powell, Reilly, Connor, Call, Goshorn and Hinds. By this point their sound had changed somewhat, with a more commercial country-rock style. The album featured strong originals (mostly written by Goshorn) alongside covers of "Kansas City Southern" (by Gene Clark) and "I'll Change Your Flat Tire, Merle" (by Nick Gravenites, from his time with Big Brother & The Holding Company), and there were guest appearance from Emmylou Harris, Don Felder and Chet Atkins. The vocals were shared between Powell, Reilly, Goshorn and Call.
It became their most successful album yet, getting to #24 on the charts.

Bustin' Out (1972) <|> If The Shoe Fits (1976)
More from Pure Prairie League

Download

Tim Hardin - Tim Hardin 1 (1966)

2012-01-06T20:59:00.005Z

Tim Hardin was an American singer-songwriter.

Tim Hardin was born in in Oregon, and at the age of 18 joined the marines. He was briefly in Vietnam, which is where it is said he discovered heroin. He moved to New York City after his discharge in 1961, and started to focus on his music career, becoming part of the fabled Greenwich Village folk scene. His style of folk-blues at this time was distinctive and really quite good, and recordings from this period were later released as This Is Tim Hardin - they rank high against the recordings of other solo folk performers of the era.
By 1965 he was signed to Verve Records. His debut album came out in 1966, by which time folk-rock had taken off and folk singers like Hardin were writing their own material, maturing into singer-songwriters. Tim Hardin 1 is a short album (under half an hour), but it contains 12 fantastic Hardin originals set to a mellow folk-rock sound, with some of the songs having a blues flavour. The guitar, piano, bass and drums format is sweetened in places by vibraphone from jazz musician Gary Burton, and there is also some harmonica from John Sebastian. A few of the songs had strings added after initial production, no doubt to try and make for a more commerical pop sound, which apparently Hardin wasn't happy about.
Though the album wasn't a massive commercial success at the time, it did lead to him getting noticed as a songwriter, and all sorts of acts would soon be recording his material (in particular "Reason To Believe", which has been covered by a great number of different artists).

|> Tim Hardin 2 (1967)
More from Tim Hardin

Download

The Allman Brothers Band - Brothers And Sisters (1973)

2012-01-05T19:12:00.006Z

The Allman Brothers Band are an American band formed in the late 60s, considered highly influential in the genre of southern rock, and also known for their musical improvisation in concert.

With the death of Duane Allman in 1971, The Allman Brothers band lost not only one of their guitarists (and arguably one of the best blues-rock guitarists of the era), but also one half of the brothers themselves, leaving just Gregg there to carry the family name. However they took the decision to move on. Rather than replace him, Dickey Betts remained as their sole guitarist, but they did bring in a new member in pianist Chuck Leavell, which changed the sound of the band somewhat.
Tragically, they lost another founding member as they were working on their fifth album. Bassist Berry Oakley died in November 1972, also in a motorcycle accident (eerily just three blocks from where Allman had died in the same manner the year before). The bass guitar position was filled by Lamar Williams, who joined in time for them to finish the album. Brothers And Sisters came out in 1973.
It turned out to be a landmark album for the band. Their sound had changed not only due to Leavell's presence, but due to Dickey Betts' rise as a singer and songwriter. Under his leadership, the band moved towards more of a country-flavoured sound. Betts' "Ramblin' Man" (which he sung) was one of the standout tracks, and endures to this day as a country-rock classic. The other important song on the album was the exuberant instrumental "Jessica" (also written by Betts). The album was a surprising success, and "Ramblin' Man" became a #2 hit single. Clearly the Allman Brothers Band were not going to allow tragedy get in their way, and though they had changed as a group, they were becoming more successful than ever.

Eat A Peach (1972) <|> Win, Lose Or Draw (1975)
More from The Allman Brothers Band

Download

Dr John - Desitively Bonnaroo (1974)

2012-01-03T21:34:00.005Z

Dr John (real name Mac Rebennack) is an American singer-songwriter and musician, best known as a pianist.

Desitively Bonnaroo was Dr John's follow up to his successful 1973 album In The Right Place, which had re-cast him as an ambassador of New Orleans funk, resulting in his greatest chart successes. Like its predecessor, Desitively Bonnaroo was produced by fellow New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint (who also contributed keyboards and percussion), and the instrumental backing came from The Meters (Art Neville on organ, Leo Nocentelli on guitar, George Porter on bass and Joseph Modeliste on drums). It turned out to be a harder, even funkier album, with tougher, grittier grooves throughout. However it didn't turn out to be as much of a chart success as In The Right Place had been. Nevertheless, it still ranks as among one of Dr John's best albums, and is definately the place to go if you want to hear him in full on funk mode.

In The Right Place (1973) <|> Hollywood Be Thy Name (1975)
More from Dr John

Download

Jesse Colin Young - The Soul Of A City Boy (1964)

2012-01-01T18:38:00.004Z

Jesse Colin Young is an American singer-songwriter, best known for being a founding member of rock band The Youngbloods.

Perry Miller was born and raised in raised in New York City. In the 1960s he began his career as a musician, living in Greenwich Village and calling himself Jesse Colin Young. He performed solo in the local folk clubs, and in 1964 was signed to Capitol Records. His debut album was recorded in four hours, and resulted in a collection of thirteen folk and blues songs, mostly originals. It showed him as a strong emerging talent, a promising songwriter with a fine voice and good guitar picking skills. Stylistically it fits in with most other folk albums coming out of New York in the early 60s.

|> Young Blood (1965)

Download

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Four Way Street (1971)

2011-12-30T16:55:00.005Z

Crosby, Stills & Nash are a folk-rock 'supergroup', made up of David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash. They are sometimes joined by occasional fourth member Neil Young.

After the success of their chart-topping Deja Vu album, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash and Neil Young went on tour together for a second time, accompanied by Fuzzy Samuels on bass and Johnny Barbata on drums. Recordings were made form the concerts, and a live album was produced. Shortly after the tour all four members released high-profile solo albums, the debuts of Crosby, Stills, and Nash, and the third for Young. Many of the songs they had debuted on the tour appeared on record for the first time on these albums.
In 1971 the live album taken from the tour was released. Four Way Street was a two-LP set, divided between an acoustic disc and an electric disc. The acoustic segment featured all four members performing both by themselves and in various configurations, all of them getting to take the spotlight in turn. A notable inclusion was Neil Young's "On The Way Home", an old song he had originally written when with Buffalo Springfield (their version featured Richie Furay on vocals). He had been performing it in his solo set for years (usually as the opening song), but this was the first time his version had been released on record (the other three helping out with extra guitar and vocals). Crosby also sang "Triad", a song he had written and recorded when with The Byrds, but never released (Jefferson Airplane instead had released the first version of it), and "The Lee Shore", a number he performed with Nash for years, but did not see its studio version released until their 1991 box set (also available here). The electric half let Stills and Young resume the extensive electric guitar workouts they had originally performed with Buffalo Springfield, in particular on the long jams of "Southern Man" and "Carry On".
The album got to #1. However behind the scenes, tensions between the four members were high, and eventually they were stretched to breaking point. By the time of the album's release, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young had officially broken up, and they all went back to work on their respective solo careers (though Crosby & Nash continued to work as a duo). There would be various attempted reunions over the years, and they did tour again in 1974, but attempts to record together again took a long time to see any results. Crosby, Stills & Nash managed to release albums in 1977 and 1982, but another album credited to all four of them had to wait until 1988.

This version of Four Way Street is actually the 1992 expanded edition, which features four bonus acoustic tracks.

Deja Vu (1970) <|> CSN (1977)
More from Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

Download

Ginger Baker's Air Force - Ginger Baker's Air Force (1970)

2011-12-29T19:50:00.004Z

Ginger Baker's Air Force was a short-lived jazz-rock group led by drummer Ginger Baker.

Ginger Baker rose to prominence as one of rock music's most important drummers in the 1960s through his role in the band Cream, with Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton. Previously he had played with pioneering British blues groups Blues Incorporated and The Graham Bond Organization.
After Cream's dissolution in 1968, he joined up with Steve Winwood, Ric Grech, and Clapton again to form the supergroup Blind Faith. After that group also broke up, Clapton went on to other things, and Baker looked to form his own band. Winwood and Grech both stayed with him. Among the others who joined in were his old bandleader Graham Bond and Winwood's Traffic bandmate Chris Wood. The full eleven-piece line-up consisted of Baker himself (drums/percussion/vocals), Winwood (organ/bass/vocals), Grech (bass/violin), Bond (sax/organ/vocals), Wood (sax/flute), Denny Laine (guitar/vocals), Harold McNair (sax/flute), Bud Beadle (sax), Jeanette Jacobs (vocals), Remi Kabaka (drums/percussion) and Phil Seamen (drums/percussion). Hardly a typical rock band line-up, with four sax players and three drummers.
Ginger Baker's Air Force could best be described as a jazz-rock fusion group, but with such a strong emphasis on percussion, their sound was really quite heavy. Various members sang, but the focus was mostly on instrumentals. Their first album was a live one, taken from a concert at the Royal Albert Hall. With a lot of focus on jamming, many of the songs clocked in at over ten minutes. Unsurprisingly, it features alot of drum solos. The songs themselves included numbers from his days with The Graham Bond Organization ("Early In The Morning"), Cream ("Toad") and Blind Faith ("Do What You Like"). Also features a version of the traditional tune "Man Of Constant Sorrow", arranged and sung by Laine.

|> Ginger Baker's Air Force 2

Download

Gene Clark - Two Sides To Every Story (1977)

2011-12-28T21:01:00.004Z

Gene Clark was an American singer-songwriter, best remembered as a founding member of The Byrds.

Three years passed since 1974's No Other before Gene Clark released another album. By then he had left Geffen records and signed with RSO. Two Sides To Every Story came out in 1977, and for the most part offered more characteristic Gene Clark country-rock, including a rendition of the traditional tune "In The Pines". Two songs stand out for having a hard bluesy rock sound - a cover of Young Jessie's "Mary Lou" and a new version of his own "Kansas City Southern" (which he originally recorded with Dillard & Clark). Elsewhere it features some truly spectacular ballads, always Clark's strong point, including a stirring string-laden cover of James Talley's "Give My Love To Marie", the tragic tale of a dying coal miner.
Featured guest musicians include Emmylou Harris, Byron Berline, Doug Dillard and Al Perkins.
Like most of Clark's albums, it failed to get far on the charts.

No Other (1974) <|> Firebyrd (1984)
More from Gene Clark

Download

The Animals - Animal Tracks (1965)

2011-12-27T19:57:00.006Z

The Animals were an English group active in the 60s, part of the 'British Invasion'.

In the time between The Animals' first and second albums, they had scored two more top 10 hits in the UK - "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" (#3) and "Bring It On Home To Me" (#7), covers of songs originally recorded by Nina Simone and Sam Cooke respectively. Though the Animal Tracks LP didn't feature the singles (as was common practice in the UK at the time), it did just as well, getting to #6 on the album charts (like their first one had).
Like all their UK albums, it focused on the pure R&B side of the band's sound. Lead singer Eric Burdon may not have had the sex appeal of Mick Jagger, but he was easily the best blues singer among the British Invasion groups. Alongside the usual covers of songs by Bo Diddley, Jimmy Reed and Chuck Berry, it's notable for three fantastic Ray Charles songs. It's also notable for being their last release with founding member keyboardist Alan Price, who left in May 1965.

The Animals (1964) <|> Animalisms (1966)
More from The Animals

Download

Shawn Phillips - Faces (1972)

2011-12-26T21:33:00.005Z

Shawn Phillips is a Texan singer-songwriter who has been making records since the 60s, yet still remains a mostly unknown figure (he has been referred to as ‘the best kept secret in the music business’). His music moves between acoustic folk and elaborate orchestral rock. The one thing which makes it instantly unique is his remarkable voice, with which he has an incredible range.

Shawn Phillips' 1972 album Faces followed in the footsteps of the three which came before it - elaborately arranged fusions of rock, folk, classical and beyond. However a study of the liner notes reveals that three of the eight songs date back to 1969, perhaps from the same sessions that produced Contribution and Second Contribution. The songs include the breath-taking "Chorale" (a seven-minute composition consisting of just acoustic guitar, sitar and wordless vocals), and a new version of his classic "'L' Ballade" (originally from Contribution), with an orchestral arrangement from Paul Buckmaster. Elsewhere there are appearances from Steve Winwood (on organ) and pedal steel guitarist Pete Kleinow. Despite the songs coming from both 1969 and 1972 recording sessions, the album flows together brilliantly, earning its place as the fourth in the series of remarkable albums Phillips began with Contribution.
Featured as a bonus track is the song he recorded for the soundtrack of the 1973 film Lost Horizon (composed by Burt Bacharach and Hal David).

Collaboration (1971) <|> Bright White (1973)
More from Shawn Phillips

Download

John Mayall - Blues Breakers With Eric Clapton (1966)

2011-12-24T14:44:00.008Z

John Mayall is a British blues singer and multi-instrumentalist, who was a major figure in the 60s British blues scene.

After the release of his debut live album and a couple of non-charting singles, John Mayall had to find a new lead guitarist for his band The Bluesbreakers, after the departure of Roger Dean. He found one in the young Eric Clapton, who had recently left The Yardbirds as he was unhappy with their move away from blues into pop. It was a match that suited both of them - Mayall got a flashy hot-shot guitarist to give his group a new appeal, and Clapton got to continue playing his beloved blues music with one of Britain's top artists in the genre. Clapton joined in April 1965.
With Clapton, the Bluesbreakers started to attract considerable attention, and they recorded a single ("I'm Your Witch Doctor" b/w "Telephone Blues"). However in August he suddenly disappeared to Greece, and Mayall had to quickly find a replacement, which he soon found in Peter Green. At the same time bassist John McVie was replaced by Jack Bruce from the Graham Bond Organization. But Clapton returned in November and took up his position as guitarist again. McVie also returned. The group (with Hughie Flint on drums) then went to the studio, and in three days recorded a new album, released on Decca Records in July 1966.
Blues Breakers With Eric Clapton proved to be a highly influential album, and a cornerstone in the British blues genre. Most importantly, Clapton's fluid and powerful guitar playing was entirely new at the time - it was one of the first instances of the Gibson Les Paul guitar and Marshall amplifier combination, and introduced a whole new sound to the electric guitar. The album had achieved the status of a classic guitar album, and elevated Clapton to 'God' status amongst British guitar fans.
The songs were a mix of blues covers (including Otis Rush's "All Your Love", Freddie King's "Hideaway", Robert Johnson's "Ramblin' On My Mind" and Ray Charles' "What'd I Say") and originals from Mayall. Mayall played organ, piano and harmonica and was the lead singer, though Clapton got to sing his first lead vocal on "Ramblin' On My Mind". On several songs the group were fleshed out by a three-piece horn section.
Clapton only stayed with the Bluesbreakers for little over a year. By July 1966 he had gone, to form Cream with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. The album turned out to be a small but majorly significant stepping stone in his career. For Mayall, it turned out to be a much-needed boost in popularity and recognition, and remains today his best-known album.

John Mayall Plays John Mayall (1965) <|> A Hard Road (1967)
More from John Mayall

Download

Manfred Mann - The Five Faces Of Manfred Mann (1964)

2011-12-22T20:13:00.004Z

Manfred Mann were a popular British rock group active in the 1960s.

Manfred Mann began as the Mann-Hugg Blues Brothers, formed in London by keyboard player Manfred Mann and drummer Mike Hugg. They were part of the British blues boom, but brought an element of jazz to the scene which most of their contemporaries (The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, The Animals, etc) lacked (Hugg was also a skilled vibraphone player). They soon changed their name to Manfred Mann & The Manfredds, before eventually becoming simply Manfred Mann in 1963, with the line-up of Mann (keyboards), Hugg (drums/vibes), Mike Vickers (guitar/flute/sax), Dave Richmond (bass) and Paul Jones (vocals/harmonica).
Their first commercial success came with 1964's "5-4-3-2-1", recorded as the theme tune to the TV show Ready Steady Go!. Released as a single, it got to #5 in the UK. Shortly afterwards Richmond left the band, and was replaced by Tom McGuinness. They had further success with "Hubble Bubble (Toil And Trouble)" (#11) and "Do Wah Diddy Diddy"(#1).
Their first LP, The Five Faces Of Manfred Mann, came out the same year. Whilst their singles highlighted the pop side of the band, their albums focused on the rhythm & blues side. It featured the standard covers of American R&B tunes (Howlin' Wolf's "Smokestack Lightning", Muddy Waters' "Got My Mojo Working", Willie Dixon's "Hoochie Coochie Man", Ike & Tina Turner's "It's Gonna Work Out Fine", Bo Diddley's "Bring It To Jerome"), plus some jazzy instrumentals and some strong original compositions. Their sound at this early stage really stood out from the other British R&B groups due to their jazzy sensibilites.
The album got to #3 on the UK charts (none of their later albums got that high). As was common pratice in the UK at the time, the hit singles were not included.

> Mann Made (1965)

Download

Byron Berline

2011-12-21T22:24:00.005Z

Byron Berline is an American fiddle player. His music career began in the 60s, most notably appearing as a prominent guest musician on bluegrass group The Dillards' third album, 1965's Pickin' & Fiddlin'. The same year he won the National Oldtime Fiddle Contest Championship. He was also offered a job as part of bluegrass pioneer Bill Monroe's band, but didn't join until 1967, shortly before he was drafted by the US army.

After his discharge from the army, he joined Dillard & Clark for their second album (1969's Through The Morning, Through The Night). He moved to California, and over the next few years found extensive work as the go-to fiddle player for all the top country-rock acts, including The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers and Gram Parsons, plus Arlo Guthrie, Gene Clark, Manassas and others. He also played the fiddle on The Rolling Stones' "Country Honk". In 1971 he became a member of The Flying Burrito Brothers. Whilst on tour with them he worked with bassist Roger Bush, banjo player Alan Munde and guitarist Kenny Wertz (plus the Burrito's leader Chris Hillman on mandolin), giving the band the ability to transform into a bluegrass act for part of the show. The four of them then christened themselves Country Gazette, and recorded their debut album in 1972.
Since then Berline's career has continued to flourish up to the present day. He has appeared on records by artists including Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, The Band, Willie Nelson, and many others. He has been in bands including Byron Berline & Sundance, Califorinia and The Byron Berline Band. In 1995 he opened his own fiddle shop in Oklahoma, and the next year founded the Oklahoma International Bluegrass Festival. He remains one of the most important fiddle players to be found in the cross-section of bluegrass and country-rock.

The Youngbloods - Elephant Mountain (1969)

2011-12-20T20:52:00.006Z

The Youngbloods were an American folk rock group originally formed in the 60s by frontman Jesse Colin Young.

By the time of their third album, guitarist Jerry Corbitt had left the group, leaving them as a threesome - Jesse Colin Young (vocals/bass/guitar), Lowell Levinger (guitar/keyboards) and Joe Bauer (drums). Elephant Mountain (produced by Charlie Daniels) has come to be viewed as their best work, most notably featuring the dark folk-rock classic "Darkness, Darkness" (with violin from David Lindley of Kaleidoscope). Elsewhere the album has a diverse mix of folk, blues, jazz and rock. It includes several instrumentals, many of which lean towards a sophisticated jazz-rock fusion sound, with Lowell Levinger's wurlitzer electric piano particularly prominent (plus some vibraphone from British jazz musician Victor Feldman).
The album didn't do particularly well on the charts, despite its good critical reception. However the same year of its release saw their earlier recording of Dino Valenti's "Get Together" (from their debut album) being used in TV and radio adverts. It was subsequently re-released, and gave the band a top 5 hit.

Earth Music (1968) <|> Rock Festival (1970)
More from The Youngbloods

Download

Davy Graham - Large As Life And Twice As Natural (1968)

2011-12-18T20:08:00.005Z

Davy Graham was a British guitarist who emerged from the 1960s British folk revival. He is considered one of the most innovative and influential players of fingerstyle acoustic guitar.

Davy Graham's third Decca album was his most daring and complex to date. Alongside some dark, moody jazz-blues numbers were a series of intense modal ragas, plus a strange arrangement of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now", and a fantastic piece of English folk in "Bruton Town". The most extraordinary piece has got to be the solo arrangement "Tristano". Whether this was an off-the-cuff improvisation or a carefully planned composition is not clear, but it has got to rate as among Graham's most dazzling pieces of guitar playing.
The backing throughout came from acoustic bassist Danny Thompson and drummer Jon Hiseman, plus saxophonist Dick Heckstall-Smith and flautist Harold McNair on a few cuts. All very skilled musicians able to keep up with Graham's jazz-folk-world genre blending.

Midnight Man (1966) <|> Hat (1969)
More from Davy Graham

Download

Emmylou Harris - Pieces Of The Sky (1975)

2011-12-17T21:25:00.006Z

Emmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter.

Harris' recording career had actually begun back in 1970, with her Gliding Bird album, but she has since come to disown it. Her next album would have to wait until 1975, but by then many important things had happened to her. First she divorced her folk singer husband Tom Slocum, and then she worked as part of a trio with Gerry Mule and Tom Guidera. It was then she was discovered by Chris Hillman of The Flying Burrito Brothers, who briefly considered asking her to join the band, but instead reccomended her to his old bandmate (and original Burrito Brothers founder) Gram Parsons. She thus appeared on Parsons' debut solo album, and went on to tour with him as part of his band, The Fallen Angels (see Live 1973). Parsons gave her a study in country music, and under his tutelage she found her identity. When Parsons died in 1974, she was left at a crossroads.
Her new direction became apparent with 1975's Pieces Of The Sky, released on Reprise records, where she strove forward with the country-rock sound Parsons had introduced her to. Alongside her own tribute to Parsons, "From Boulder To Birmingham", were covers of songs by country artists such as Merle Haggard, The Louvin Brothers and Dolly Parton, plus a version of The Beatles' "For No One". Among the high profile backing musicians featured were guitarists James Burton, Herb Pederson, Bernie Leadon and Amos Garrett, fiddle player Byron Berline, keyboard players Bill Payne and Glen D Hardin, and pedal steel guitarist Ben Keith.
The album was a massive success, and effectively kick-started Harris' career as a country singer. It got to #7 on the album charts, and "If I Could Only Win Your Love" became a #4 hit single.

Gliding Bird (1970) <|> Elite Hotel (1975)
More from Emmylou Harris

Download

Jefferson Airplane - Volunteers (1969)

2011-12-16T20:14:00.005Z

Jefferson Airplane were one of the best-known bands of San Francisco’s legendary 60s psychedelic rock scene. They were pioneers of the genre and the first band from the area to achieve mainstream commercial success.

Jefferson Airplane's fifth studio album proved to be one of their best. It was recorded at Wally Heider's state-of-the-art 16-track studio in San Francisco, and featured lots of musical guests including Jerry Garcia (on pedal steel), Stephen Stills (organ), Joey Covington (percussion) and English session pianist Nicky Hopkins (who was making his presence known in San Francisco at the time, as he also became a member of Quicksilver Messenger Service for a couple of years). All-girl San Francisco rock group Ace Of Cups sang backing vocals on a couple of songs, and the Airplane's road manager Bill Laudner even got to sing lead on "Song For All Seasons".
Musically, many of the songs were notably long and complex, including the classic "Wooden Ships", written by Paul Kantner in collaboration with Stephen Stills and David Crosby (their version appeared on Crosby, Stills & Nashs' debut album the same year). Elsewhere there were more acoustic textures, and a couple of brief excursions into country-rock. Hopkins piano was particularly prominent, and singer Grace Slick played alot of piano throughout as well. Still, Jorma Kaukonen's electric guitar and Jack Casady's bass retained their position as the band's signature instrumental ingredients. In terms of lyrical themes, Volunteers focused on many subjects popular at time - anti-war, pro-anarchism, nature, community and the ecology. It can be seen as a classic album of the late-60s counter-culture, and the title song endures as its perfect two-minute distillation.
In the end it turned out to be the end of an era for the band. It was their last with founding member Marty Balin, who had originally put the group together back in 1965. His contributions had decreased over the years, and here he only sang lead on two songs, and just got one co-writing credit. It was also their last album with drummer Spencer Dryden (he left for the New Riders Of The Purple Sage), who would be replaced by Joey Covington. Significantly, the band didn't record another album until 1971. In the mean-time the members were all distracted by side projects, most significantly Kaukonen and Casady's Hot Tuna blues project, and Paul Kantner's Blows Against The Empire solo album.

Bless Its Pointed Little Head (1969) <|> Bark (1971)
More from Jefferson Airplane

Download

Long John Baldry - Long John's Blues (1964)

2011-12-15T20:51:00.005Z

Long John Baldry was an English blues singer.

Long John Baldry emerged in the early 60s as part of the British blues boom, singing in various London clubs where he made a name for himself with his growling voice and distinctive appearance (he was 6ft 7in). His recording debut came in 1962, when he was the featured singer on three tracks from Blues Incorporated's R&B From The Marquee, one of the first British blues albums. He was associated with many of the other soon-to-be-famous musicians who hanged out with Blues Incorporated, including future members of the Rolling Stones.
When harmonica player Cyril Davies left Blues Incorporated to form his own group, Baldry went with him to become a member of Cyril Davies' R&B All Stars. When Davies died in 1964, the group became Long John Baldry & His Hoochie Coochie Men, and he recorded his first album with them. Long John's Blues is a great collection of jazz-flavoured R&B numbers, including such classics as Muddy Waters' "I Got My Mojo Working", Willie Dixon's "My Babe" and "Hoochie Coochie Man", Eddie Boyd's "Five Long Years" and John Lee Hooker's "Dimples". A great find for fans of early 60s British blues.
The Hoochie Coochie Men later recruited a young Rod Stewart as a second vocalist, and then became The Steampacket in 1965, with Brian Auger on organ and Julie Driscol as a third vocalist.

|> Looking At Long John (1966)

Download

Traffic - Welcome To The Canteen (1971)

2011-12-12T20:07:00.006Z

Traffic were a British rock band active from the late 60s to the early 70s. Their line-up changed numerous times, but the three constant members throughout their career were the core trio of Steve Winwood, Chris Wood and Jim Capaldi.

After what was supposed to be Steve Winwood's first solo album turned into a Traffic reunion (John Barleycorn Must Die), the band reunited and went on tour, adding a fourth member in bassist Ric Grech (originally of the band Family, he had recently played with Winwood in Blind Faith). Then in 1971 they expanded further with drummer Jim Gordon (best known as a member of Derek & The Dominos) and percussionsit Rebop Kwaku Baah, plus an old friend - founding member Dave Mason. Traffic had always before been stretched thin over just four (or three) members, but with this new talented seven-man line-up they promised to be a spectacular live unit. They went on tour in '71, and their next album was a live one.
Welcome To The Canteen had just six tracks, a song from each of their first three albums, plus two Dave Mason numbers which had recently appeared on his solo debut, and a new arrangement of the Spencer Davis Group classic "Gimme Some Lovin'". Winwood and Mason were the stars throughout, the former on keyboards and the latter on guitar, though they both traded guitar solos on the 11-minute "Dear Mr Fantasy" jam. Mason sang lead on his two songs, which proved perfectly suited to be given the Traffic treatment. Strangely, Jim Capaldi, the original drummer and percussionist of the group, was relegated to tambourine, as two of the new members had between them stolen his job.
Though it could be accused of not having the best sound quality, Welcome To The Canteen is an excellent album, showing what the new big Traffic line-up could do. It was actually a flop in the UK, but in the US managed to get to #26. The new line-up would not last though, as after just six performances Mason left the band again, for the third and last time.

John Barleycorn Must Die (1970) <|> The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys (1971)
More from Traffic

Download

Quicksilver Messenger Service - Comin' Thru (1972)

2011-12-11T17:07:00.004Z

Quicksilver Messenger Service were one of the premier ‘jam bands’ from San Francisco’s 60s psychedelic rock scene, though they never quite reached the same level of commercial success as their contemporaries.

Comin' Thru was Quicksilver's second album with the latter-day lineup of Dino Valenti (guitar/vocals), Gary Duncan (guitar/vocals), Chuck Steaks (keyboards), Mark Ryan (bass) and Greg Elmore (drums). Like all their Dino Valenti era output, it is often unfairly dismissed as one of their weaker efforts, which is a great injustice, as it's an absolutely fantastic album. Sure, they didn't sound like they did back in 1968, but that's the point - its effectively an entirely new band (only Duncan and Elmore remained from the classic lineup).
If 1971's Quicksilver showcased the folk-rock side of the band's sound, Comin' Thru focuses on the hard bluesy side. It's a heavy album, fully electric, with lots of brilliant playing from all members. In particular it features some of Gary Duncan's most intense guitar playing, and Chuck Steaks plays some great hammond organ. Many of the songs are strengthened by a powerful horn section.
It turned out to be the last album by the band until their 1975 reunion record, though they did tour well into 1974 through several more lineup changes.

Quicksilver (1971) <|> Solid Silver (1975)
More from Quicksilver Messenger Service

Download

Jim Ford - Sounds Of Our Time

2011-12-11T14:59:00.005Z

Compilation
Jim Ford was an American singer-songwriter, who after releasing one fantastic album in 1969 mysteriously disappeared from the music business.

In 2006 L-P Anderson, of Sweden's Sonic Magazine, managed to track down the elusive Jim Ford to his trailer home in California. Ford had been a singer-songwriter back in the late 60s and early 70s, and his songs had been recorded by many artists including Bobby Womack and Aretha Franklin. He had also released a brilliant album in 1969's Harlan County, but had never really got much recognition, and had since retired from the music business. Nobody had heard of him since the 70s.
On his rediscovery, he was able to help locate some lost master tapes, and Bear Family Records re-issued Harlan County in 2007 with 15 new bonus tracks. These new songs, consisting of demos and lost singles, are truly fantastic, so I have put them together here into an album of their own. The original Harlan County LP, without bonus tracks, can be found here.
Stylistically, the bonus tracks cover a broader range of styles than Harlan County's soul-rock, as they touch on rock, pop, R&B, soul, folk and country. Many of the songs aren't the best sound quality, and you can tell that a few of them are clearly unfinished recordings, but the material itself is brilliant, featuring what must be many of Ford's best songs, among them "She Turns My Radio On", "Linda Comes Running", "Big Mouth USA", "Hanging From Your Lovin' Tree" and "I Wonder What They'll Do With Today". The title track was co-written with Bobby Womack. Also features an excellent cover / re-working of Sam Cooke's "Chain Gang". The result is a brilliant compilation, which in reality gives a wider and much more accurate vision of Ford's music than Harlan County does.
With the success of the re-issue, there were plans for Ford to start recording again. Unfortunately it would not come to pass, as he died in 2007.

Country Joe And The Fish - I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die (1967)

2011-12-08T20:24:00.005Z

Country Joe and the Fish were an American psychedelic rock band, part of the 60s San Francisco scene.

Country Joe and the Fish's second album came out in 1967, just seven months after their debut. Like its predecessor, it showcased their distinctively experimental style of psychedelic rock. It has become notorious for its opening song, "The 'Fish' Cheer / I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin-To-Die Rag". The first part is a cheerleader-style call-and-response, spelling out the word 'fish', whilst the latter is a ragtime number with lyrics in clear oppositon to the Vietnam war. Country Joe McDonald had recorded the song previously back in 1965 on an EP called Songs Of Oppositon. It has endured today as a much-loved Vietnam protest song, helped by McDonald's solo performance of it at the Woodstock festival (where he incited the audience to spell out FUCK rather than FISH).
Despite the song's infamy, the album itself didn't actually sell as much as its predecessor.

Electric Music For The Mind And Body (1967) <|> Together (1968)
More from Country Joe and the Fish

Download

Little Feat - Time Loves A Hero (1977)

2011-12-06T21:17:00.005Z

Little Feat are an American rock band originally formed in 1969 by guitarist Lowell George and keyboardist Bill Payne.

From 1974's Feats Don't Fail Me Now onwards, Little Feat had moved from being Lowell George's band to being a true democracy. Their sixth album, 1977's Time Loves A Hero, marked the point where he moved into the background, as the other band members (most notably guitarist Paul Barrere and keyboard player Bill Payne) came to dominate the songwriting and stylistic direction. The album moved further in the direction of jazz fusion, particularly notable on the instrumental track "Day At The Dog Races". George only contributed one song (plus another co-written by Barrere) - the truth was his health was declining, and there was increasing tension between him and Payne. It was also the first Little Feat album since Sailin' Shoes he did not produce. Nevertheless it was a successful album, and despite the growing tensions behind the scenes Little Feat were still going strong.

The Last Record Album (1975) <|> Waiting For Columbus (1978)
More from Little Feat

Download

Tim Buckley - Goodbye And Hello (1967)

2011-12-05T21:20:00.004Z

Tim Buckley was an American singer-songwriter.

Buckley's second album was a radical step forward for him. Recorded when he was only 20 years old, it was an ambitious record, which saw his folk-rock sound move into various exciting new directions. The arrangements were innovative and increasingly complex, and his voice was better than ever, as he made greater use of his splendid vocal range. Half the songs were solo composition, and the other half were written with his old schoolfriend lyricist Larry Beckett.
Goodbye And Hello is the sort of album that is hard to classify, as it defies any attempt to put it comfortably into one genre. At times dark and hallucinatory, at others calm and tranquil, it can rightfully be called one of Buckley's greatest works. Certainly it contains two of his best songs, the sublime "One I Was" and "Morning Glory". Though the album wasn't exactly a massive chart success, it showed that he was maturing into one of the most interesting singer-songwriters of the 60s, with a style he could definately call his own - soulful, eloquent and unique.

Tim Buckley (1966) <|> Happy Sad (1969)
More from Tim Buckley

Download

Canned Heat - Living The Blues (1969)

2011-12-04T16:29:00.005Z

Canned Heat are an American blues-rock band originally formed in the 60s.

Following their success with "On The Road Again", Canned Heat's next record was a double album, which mostly followed their by-now familiar blues/boogie formula. However it is notable for containing the song "Goin' Up The Country", sung by Alan Wilson and with flute by Jim Horn. A re-writing of Henry Thomas' "Bull-doze Blues", with its 'back-to-nature' hippie message it became massively popular. It got to #11 in the US, and made it to #1 in 25 other countries. It also became the unofficial anthem of the Woodstock festival, which Canned Heat played at, due to its use in Michael Wadleigh's film of the event.
Elsewhere on the album, Dr John contributed piano and horn arrangements, as he had done on its predecessor. The 20-minute "Parthenogenesis" was a psychedelic collage of sounds, but even that was dwarfed by the live recording "Refried Boogie", which at over 40 minutes long took up an entire two sides of vinyl.

Boogie With Canned Heat (1968) <|> Hallelujah (1969)
More from Canned Heat

Download

Big Brother & The Holding Company - Be A Brother (1970)

2011-12-03T11:42:00.005Z

Big Brother & The Holding Company are an American rock band which emerged from the psychedelic music scene of San Francisco in the 1960s.

After singer Janis Joplin left the band, Big Brother & The Holding Company momentarily split up. Sam Andrew had gone with her to help with her solo project (the Kozmic Blues Band). Meanwhile, Pete Albin and David Getz joined Country Joe & The Fish and appeared on their album Here We Go Again. However eventually the band got back together in 1969, though without Joplin they had to try and forge a new sound. They also found new members in guitarist Dave Shallock and singers Nick Gravenites and Kati McDonald. Gravenites was already known in the 60s rock scene as a songwriter and producer, having worked with The Butterfield Blues Band, Quicksilver Messenger Service and The Electric Flag.
Their next album therefore featured the lineup of Sam Andrew (guitar/vocals), Nick Gravenites (vocals), Kathi McDonald (vocals), Pete Albin (guitar/bass), James Gurley (guitar/bass), Dave Shallock (guitar) and David Getz (drums). Gravenite's vocals dominate the album, which he also produced, though the others get to sing in places as well. Strangely, Kathi McDonald's contributions seem to just be backing vocals on a few songs. With four excellent lead guitarists in the band (Gurley and Albin taking turns to handle bass duties), there is predictably some really good six-string work throughout. It's some great psychedelic rock, with a country pastiche thrown in for good measure as well ("I'll Change Your Flat Tire, Merle"). Three of the songs are solo Gravenites compositions, and another ("Joseph's Coat") he wrote with John Cipollina of Quicksilver Messenger Service, who had already recorded it on their Shady Grove album.
All too often bands that lose key members and continue to record find their subsequent output unfairly criticised or simply ignored. This might be the case here, as after the departure of Joplin Big Brother never seemed to be considered such a big deal. A great shame, as they still produced some damn good rock music, as this album shows.

Cheap Thrills (1968) <|> How Hard It Is (1971)
More from Big Brother & The Holding Company

Download

The Stills-Young Band - Long May You Run (1976)

2011-12-02T08:19:00.007Z

The Stills-Young Band was a short-lived collaboration between Stephen Stills and Neil Young.

In 1976, Stephen Stills and Neil Young hadn't recorded togethether since 1970, with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's Deja Vu and the live album Four Way Street. Since then, Stephen Stills had recorded five solo albums, and two with his band Manassas. Neil Young had seen much greater success with his critically-acclaimed solo career, releasing his most famous work between 1970 and 1975. There had also been a CSNY reunion tour in 1974, but attempts to record an album with the quartet had failed.
In 1976 they began work on an album together. They used Stills' session musician friends as their backing group, all of whom had appeared on his recent solo albums - Jerry Aiello (organ/piano), George Perry (bass), Joe Lala (percussion) and Joe Vitale (drums). Both Stills and Young handled the guitars. David Crosby and Graham Nash joined in with the recording, adding their vocals to many songs, and at one point it looked likely to transform into the long-awaited CSNY reunion album. However they at the time were busy with an album of their own (Whistling Down The Wire), and Stills and Young wiped their vocals from the finished album. This led to a big fall-out between the four of them.
The album was released in September 1976, and the Stills-Young Band embarked on a tour to promote it. However after nine dates Young dropped out, and Stills was forced to complete the tour by himself. The brief experiment was over. Retrospectively, the album can't really be seen as a highlight of either of their careers, but it does contain some good material, in particular the title track, which has endured as part of Young's set-list to the present day. The song is actually about his car.

Download

Wilson Pickett - The Exciting Wilson Pickett (1966)

2011-11-30T21:13:00.005Z

Wilson Pickett was an American soul singer and songwriter.

With the success of his 1965 singles "In The Midnight Hour" and "Don't Fight It", Wilson Pickett's career had really begun. 1966 saw him release two more fantastic singles, which like their predecessors were recorded at the studios of Stax Records, with backing from guitarist Steve Cropper, keyboard player Isaac Hayes, bassist Donald Dunn and drummer Al Jackson Jr. "634-5789 (Soulsville, USA)" (written by Cropper and Eddie Floyd) was another #1 R&B hit, and got to #13 on the pop charts, whilst "Ninety-Nine And A Half (Won't Do)" (by Cropper, Floyd and Pickett) got to #13 on the R&B charts.
However Stax records banned outside productions in December 1965 (Pickett was signed to Atlantic records), so for his next sessions he went to Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Here he recorded his stunning version of Chris Kenner's "Land Of 1000 Dances", which was his biggest hit - #1 R&B and #6 pop.
His third album, The Exciting Wilson Pickett, came out in 1966. Alongside the three aforementioned singles was a collection of other originals and soul covers, which included Robert Parker's "Barefootin'", Don Covay's "Mercy Mercy" and Bobby Womack's "She's So Good To Me". It also repeated his earlier hit "In The Midnight Hour". Some seriously funky southern soul, some of the best of the genre. Features recordings from both Stax and Fame, the latter featuring keyboard player Spooner Oldham, guitarist Chips Moman and drummer Roger Hawkins. Most of the songs also feature The Memphis Horns.
The album got to #21 on the charts.

In The Midnight Hour (1965) <|> The Wicked Pickett (1967)
More from Wilson Pickett

Download

Joe Cocker - Joe Cocker! (1969)

2011-11-28T21:04:00.004Z

Joe Cocker is a British singer who first came to popularity in the late 60s.

Cocker quickly followed his fantastic debut with a second album the same year. Like its predecessor, it followed the formula of creative re-inventions of pop and rock songs, which included those by The Beatles ("She Came In Through The Bathroom Window" and "Something"), Bob Dylan ("Dear Landlord"), Leonard Cohen ("Bird On The Wire") and John Sebastian ("Darling Be Home Soon"). It also featured two songs from Leon Russell ("Delta Lady" and "Hello Little Friend"), who at the time had not begun his solo career and was working as a session musician. He co-produced the album with Denny Cordell. "Delta Lady" was released as a single and got to #10 in the UK. Russell's own version came out the next year on his debut album.
Among the musicians that appear on the album are keyboardist Chris Stainton, guitarist Clarence White, bassist Allen Spenner, drummer Bruce Rowland, pedal steel guitarist Pete Kleinow, percussionist Milt Holland, and Russell himself (on piano, organ and guitar).

With A Little Help From My Friends (1969) <|> Mad Dogs And Englishmen (1970)
More from Joe Cocker

Download

Leon Russell - Will O' The Wisp (1975)

2011-11-27T16:28:00.007Z

Leon Russell is an American singer, songwriter and musician, best known as a virtuoso pianist. He has played as a session musician on countless records since the 60s, and also has his own extensive solo discography.

Russell's seventh album proved to be one of his best. Will O' The Wisp is a diverse record, showcasing many sides of his sound, with tender ballads, funky grooves and rollicking piano. It seems to be very much an experimental studio album, much like Carney. Among the backing musicians are many of Russell's friends, incuding JJ Cale (guitar), Jim Keltner (drums), Steve Cropper (guitar), Carl Radle (bass), Reverend Patrick Henderson (keyboards & percussion), Karl Himmel (drums), Don Preston (guitar), Donald Dunn (bass), Al Jackson Jr (drums) and Jim Horn (sax). Russell himself plays piano, organ, clavinet, synthesizer, guitar, bass and percussion. Many of the songs have an eerie psychedelic vibe, helped by some mind-frying synthesizers in places. Of particular note is "Little Hideaway", which is a dark, breath-taking masterpiece, and "Laying Right Here In Heaven", a duet with soon-to-be-wife Mary McCreary.

One song from the album, "Lady Blue", was released as a single and became a hit, getting to #14 on the charts. The album itself got to #30, making it one of his most successful.

Stop All That Jazz (1974) <|> Wedding Album (1976)
More from Leon Russell

Download

The Gosdin Brothers - One Hundred Years From Now (1966-1968)

2011-11-27T10:32:00.006Z

Compilation
The Gosdin Brothers were a country-rock duo active in the 1960s.

The Gosdin Brothers (Vern & Rex) began their music career singing gospel, and then moved to California and started playing bluegrass. They were in a band called The Hillmen in the early 60s, which also featured future Byrds bassist Chris Hillman on mandolin. Years later they were signed to Gary Paxton's Bakersfield International label. They were part of the studio crew, and appeared on various records by other artists on the label, usually alongside Clarence White, Gib Guilbeau, Gene Parsons and Wayne Moore (aka The Reasons, or Nashville West). They also appeared as backing vocalists on Gene Clark's first post-Byrds solo album, Gene Clark With The Gosdin Brothers (which also featured Clarence White).
They recorded their own album, backed by The Reasons, which was released in 1968. Sounds Of Goodbye is a vastly underrated country-rock classic. In 2003 it was reissued with thirteen bonus tracks, which included non-album singles, b-sides, outtakes and other loose ends, all recorded during their time with Bakersfield International. I've put these extra tracks together here into one album.
Some of the songs were recorded during the Gene Clark sessions in 1966, so feature the same musicians (presumably Clarence White on guitar, Chris Hillman on bass and Michael Clarke on drums). Others were recorded between '66 and '68, featuring The Reasons as their backing group (some of which were written by Guilbeau). Compared to Sounds Of Goodbye, this compilation has a greater diversity of sounds. Many of the songs have more of a Byrds-style folk-rock edge, complete with jangling 12-string guitar, whilst others are pure country. The most well-known song is "Hangin' On", which was their most successful single.

Barry McGuire - Eve Of Destruction (1965)

2011-11-26T22:09:00.004Z

Barry McGuire is an American singer-songwriter.

Eve Of Destruction was McGuire's third album, and came out in 1965, the year that folk-rock took off. It has an early folk-rock sound in line with what many other electrified folk singers were doing at the time (in particular Bob Dylan, who was obviously a major influence). It's title track, written by fellow singer-songwriter P.F. Sloan, was a classic of the 60s protest song genre, and became a #1 hit for McGuire. It's the one song that he's remembered best for today. The album also included others by P.F. Sloan ("Sins Of A Family", "Ain't No Way I'm Gonna Change My Mind" and "What Exactly's The Matter With Me"), Sylvia Tyson's "You Were On My Mind" and two Dylan songs ("She Belongs To Me" and "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue").

The Barry McGuire Album (1963) <|> This Precious Time (1965)

Download

Danny Whitten (1943-1972)

2011-11-26T12:17:00.006Z

Danny Whitten was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter, best known for his work with Neil Young and Crazy Horse.

Whitten's musical career began in the 60s, singing in a doo-wop group called Danny & The Memories, which also featured Billy Talbot and Ralph Molina. After a while the group moved to San Francisco and became a rock group called The Psyrcle, with Whitten playing guitar, Talbot on bass and Molina on drums. By 1967 they had been joined by the brothers George and Leon Whitsell (both on guitars) and violinist Bobby Notkoff, and renamed The Rockets. They released one eponymous album, which sold poorly. However it did come to the attention of Neil Young, who took Whitten, Talbot and Molina and used him as his backing group on his second album, 1969's Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere. He renamed them Crazy Horse, and thus was started a long and fruitful alliance. Whitten's guitar and backing vocals are prominent on Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, and can also be heard on the archive album Live At The Fillmore East. Crazy Horse were a vital ingredient in what made Young's early solo sound so unique.
They also backed him on a few songs on his breakthrough album After The Gold Rush, and it was here that they met guitarist Nils Lofgren and pianist/producer Jack Nitzsche. With Lofgren and Nitzsche they expanded into a quintet to record a self-titled album, released in 1971. Whitten was the most dominant artistic force on Crazy Horse, writing five of the songs and singing most of the lead vocals. It featured his best-kown song, "I Don't Want To Talk About It", which was later covered with great success by both Rita Coolidge and Rod Stewart.
However, at the same time Whitten was suffering from a heroin addiction, which proved to be his downfall. Talbot and Molina kicked him from Crazy Horse, and he began to struggle. In 1972 Young asked him to join his touring band in support of his massively successful Harvest album, but Whitten proved a liability, and could not keep up with the rest of the band in rehearsals. In the end Young sent him home before the tour began, on the 18th February. That same night Whitten died, from an overdose of valium and alcohol (which he was using to try and get over his heroin addiction).
The legacy of Danny Whitten is one of sadly wasted potential. Based on the strength of the songs he wrote and performed with both The Rockets and Crazy Horse, he could have had a very successful career ahead of him either as a band leader or a solo singer-songwriter. Unfortunately his life was cut too short.

Blood, Sweat & Tears - Child Is Father To The Man (1968)

2011-11-24T19:12:00.007Z

Blood, Sweat & Tears are an American band formed in 1967, known for their fusion of rock, R&B and jazz styles with horn arrangements.

Al Kooper first rose to prominence in the 60s rock scene both as a member of The Blues Project, and for playing keyboards on Bob Dylan's milestone album Highway 61 Revisited. In 1967 he left The Blues Project, and looked to form a new group. He was interested in the idea of fusing rock music with a horn section. Guitarist Steve Katz (also from The Blues Project) joined him. Soon an eight-person band was formed, christened Blood, Sweat & Tears, and consisting of: Al Kooper (piano/organ/vocals), Steve Katz (guitar/vocals), Fred Lipsius (alto sax/piano), Randy Brecker (trumpet), Jerry Weiss (trumpet), Dick Halligan (trombone), Jim Fielder (bass) and Bobby Colomby (drums/percussion).
Their debut album, Child Is Father To The Man, came out on Columbia Records in February 1968, produced by John Simon. It was a groundbreaking record for its time, as they were among the first rock bands to make use of a full horn section as an integral part of their sound, rather than just using session musicians to add embellishments (The Electric Flag were doing something similar at the same time). Stylistically it mixed rock, blues, soul and jazz, with notable flavours of psychedelia and classical at the same time. Kooper was the lead vocalist, and the album was dominated by his singing and songwriting (including many of his best compositions). There were also four cover songs, put to exciting new arrangements - "Morning Glory" (Tim Buckley), "Without Her" (Harry Nillson), "Just One Smile" (Randy Newman) and "So Much Love" (Gerry Goffin and Carole King).
It was relatively successful, getting to #47 on the album charts. However shortly after its release Kooper left, followed by Brecker and Weiss. The rest of the band chose to move forward without their original leader, but they had to find a new singer first....

|> Blood, Sweat & Tears (1968)

Download

Blind Faith - Blind Faith (1969)

2011-11-22T20:36:00.007Z

Blind Faith were a short-lived English rock 'supergroup' consisting of Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Ginger Baker and Ric Grech.

In 1968, Cream broke up. Cream had attained massive success in a short few years, with their pioneering style of heavy blues-rock, but by the end they were being torn apart by the internal bickering of Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker, with guitarist Eric Clapton tiring of their sound at the same time. In 1969 he began jamming with his friend Steve Winwood, whose band Traffic had also recently broken up. Ginger Baker joined the jam sessions, and though Clapton was reluctant at first to deal with superstardom again, Winwood persuaded him that they could have a great new band on their hands. They found a bassist in Ric Grech, formerly of the band Family, and a new super-group was formed. The band was christened Blind Faith - Steve Winwood (vocals/guitar/piano/organ), Eric Clapton (guitar), Ric Grech (bass/violin) and Ginger Baker (drums/percussion).
The public and the press were obviously very excited, and the band's first gig was a free concert in Hyde Park. This was followed by tours of Scandinavia and the US. Clapton was worried that Blind Faith would go in the same direction of Cream, and was critical of their first performances. This wasn't helped by the fact that they didn't have much new material, and were forced to play old Cream and Traffic songs to fill up their set.
Their self-titled album came out in August 1969 (with a cover that caused no small ammount of controversy), and it quickly topped the charts. Stylistically, it mixed guitar-driven blues-rock with mellower folk and jazz sounds. It would be fair to call it a mix of the Cream and Traffic sounds. Winwood's vocals were one of the high points, and it's also worth noting how his guitar playing easily kept pace with Clapton's on the opening number "Had To Cry Today", where they both traded solos. Winwood wrote most of the songs ("Had To Cry Today", "Can't Find My Way Home" and "Sea Of Joy"), with Clapton contributing "Presence Of The Lord" (which he would keep as part of his solo live set in years to come), and Ginger Baker's sole writing credit being the jazz-rock jam "Do What You Like". There was also one cover, a version of Buddy Holly's "Well All Right". The fact that there were only six songs on the album could be considered a flaw. "Do What You Like" was over fifteen minutes long, most of it taken up by a lengthy drum solo. Perhaps if the band had more time to develop their material without the public's high expectations looming over them, they could have produced more.
In the end, Blind Faith dissolved just two months after their only album. The band was flawed from the start, and never managed to reach their full potential. Nevertheless, they did leave behind a really good album as their legacy (despite only being six songs long!).
Eric Clapton went on to work as a sideman with Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, who had been their opening act on the US tour. Baker went on to form Ginger Baker's Air Force, with both Winwood and Grech as members. Winwood then reformed Traffic, and shortly afterwards Grech joined as the band's new bass player.

Download

Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated - At The Cavern (1964)

2011-11-21T17:17:00.009Z

Blues Incorporated were an early 60s British blues band, led by Alexis Korner.

Blues Incorporated was originally founded by both Alexis Korner and harmonica player Cyril Davies. On their debut album (1962's R&B From The Marquee), Korner had played guitar, whilst the vocals were shared by Davies and Long John Baldry. At the time of its release it was a pioneering early British blues album, but two years later R&B had been brought into the pop world by younger groups such as The Rolling Stones and The Animals, and Blues Incorporated were no longer such an important band. By this time both Davies and Baldry had left. Graham Bond joined for a while, as did Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker, before the three of them left to form The Graham Bond Organization (soon followed by sax player Dick Heckstall-Smith).
Blues Incorporated continued to perform in the London clubs, through various lineups of musicians, with Korner always at the helm as the one steady member. Their second album was a live one, recorded at The Cavern in Liverpool, with the lineup of Korner (electric guitar), Dave Castle (alto sax), Malcolm Saul (organ), Vernon Brown (bass) and Mike Scott (drums). Korner sang on four of the album's eight tracks, and on three of them he introduced guest vocalist Herbie Goins, who was obviously a much better singer (Korner readily admitted as much himself). It's some fantastically raw, unpolished blues, with an intimate club atmosphere. Truly among the most authentic R&B to come out of Britain in the 60s.

R&B From The Marquee (1962) <|> Red Hot From Alex (1964)
More from Blues Incorporated

Download

Joan Baez - Any Day Now (1968)

2011-11-20T20:17:00.003Z

Joan Baez is an American folk singer who was an important part of the early 60s folk music revival.

Joan Baez was an early champion of Bob Dylan's work, and when he was just starting out she helped introduce him and his songs to her established audience in the folk community. They had also been briefly involved romantically. Before long though Dylan's fame eclipsed hers. She recorded many of his songs - seven of them by 1968. Her tenth album, Any Day Now, was made up entirely of Dylan songs, and was a double album.
It was recorded in Nashville, and saw Baez use substantial instrumental backing for the first time - not just subtle acoustic embellishments, but drums, bass, electric guitar, pedal steel, fiddle and keyboards. It could thus be called her true folk-rock debut. At the same time much of the music had a country feel, no doubt due to its use of top Nashville session musicians (including drummer Kenny Buttrey, pedal steel guitarist Pete Drake and pianist Pig Robbins), making it fit in with the country-rock sound that was becoming popular at the time. The sessions that produced the album also resulted in its follow-up, David's Album, which saw her truly embrace the country sound.
Of the sixteen Dylan songs, six had not at the time been released by Dylan himself. And one, "Love Is Just A Four Letter Word", he has apparently never even recorded.
The album was a great success both commercially (getting to #30 on the pop charts) and artistically, proving Baez as the greatest interpreter of Dylan's works.

Baptism: A Journey Through Our Time (1968) <|> David's Album (1969)
More from Joan Baez

Download

Fleetwood Mac - Mr Wonderful (1968)

2011-11-19T18:13:00.004Z

Fleetwood Mac started out as a blues band, one of the British groups to start playing American R&B in the 60s. They managed to find success under the leadership of guitarist Peter Green, before his departure and a flurry of line-up changes, after which they transformed into an entirely different band in the 70s.

Fleetwood Mac's second album was much like their first from a few months earlier - American blues music played with passion and authenticity. The band of Peter Green (guitar/harmonica/vocals), Jeremy Spencer (guitar/slide/vocals), John McVie (bass) and Mick Fleetwood (drums) were assisted by a group of horn players, and keyboard player Christine Perfect of Chicken Shack on piano (who would later marry John McVie, and become a member of the band herself). Like its predecessor, the singing was split between Green and Spencer, both having different styles of blues. However, on Mr Wonderful it started to become apparent that Jeremy Spencer was perhaps getting a bit bogged down with his Elmore James covers and tributes - as well as the oft-covered "Dust My Broom", there were three other songs that started with the exact same signature riff, and were almost identical except for the lyrics. Meanwhile Peter Green offered more interesting songs, including the upbeat album opener "Stop Messin' Round" and the captivating minor-key "Love That Burns". The latter in particular showed his distinctive guitar style, with which he was becoming known as one of the best British blues guitarists.
It was becoming increasingly apparent that Green was the band's leader. Two singles released around the same time (but not included on the album, as was the way with UK artists in the 60s), a cover of Little Willie John's "Need Your Love So Bad" and his own "Black Magic Woman", showed that he had a signature sound with which he could achieve great things. Indeed these two singles both made it into the Top 40. The latter of course later found massive success when it was covered by Santana.

Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac (1968) <|> Then Play On (1969)
More from Fleetwood Mac

Download

James Taylor - James Taylor (1968)

2011-11-18T23:42:00.005Z

James Taylor is an American singer-songwriter.

James Taylor was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and when a child his family moved to North Carolina. He learnt guitar at a young age, listening to folk and blues music, and played as a duo with his friend Danny Kortchmar. Towards the end of his school career he began to suffer from depression, and at Kortchmar's urging moved to New York City to start a band, which became The Flying Machine. Around this time he got into heroin, and things looked bleaked, until he was rescued by his father and return to North Carolina to recover.
After his recovery he decided on a change of scenery, and moved to London to work as a solo act. His demos were heard by Peter Ascher, and he was soon signed to The Beatles' Apple Records, the first non-Brit to do so. When it came to recording his debut album, he had already lived alot, and seen many ups and downs - ingredients for some powerful singer-songwriter material. His self-titled album was built around his tender voice and talented acoustic guitar picking, with orchestration added by arranger Richard Hewsen. This orchestration, which included unusual link passages between the songs, received a mixed reception, and it could be argued that it marred an otherwise fine record. However two brilliant songs stood out, which have endured as among his best-loved works - "Something In The Way She Moves" and "Carolina In My Mind".
Unfortunately during the recording of the album Taylor got back into heroin. He returned to New York and was hospitalized. On the album's release he was uable to promote it, and subsequently it did not chart well. At the same time, Apple Records had fallen into chaos, and they parted ways with Taylor. But he did take Peter Ascher with him as his manager, and before long was signed to Warner Brothers. After many years of hard work, great things were soon to come his way.

|> Sweet Baby James (1970)

Download

Otis Redding - Pain In My Heart (1964)

2011-11-16T20:06:00.004Z

Otis Redding was a highly influential American singer and songwriter, considered one of the most important artists of the soul genre.

Otis Redding was born the son of a gospel singer in Georgia in 1941. He was musically talented from a very early age, with Little Richard and Sam Cooke as major influences. After years of playing in bands and winning talent shows, his first big success in the music business came in 1962, with the self-penned #20 R&B hit "These Arms Of Mine", released on Stax Records. It was then followed by "That's What My Heart Needs" (#27 R&B) and "Pain In My Heart" (#11 R&B). The former was again written by Redding himself, whilst the latter was penned by Allen Toussaint (under the pseudonym of Naomi Neville).
To follow up on these singles' sucesses, his first album came out in the beginning of 1964. Alongside the afore-mentioned singles and other strong originals were covers of songs by Rufus Thomas ("The Dog"), Ben E. King ("Stand By Me"), Sam Cooke ("You Send Me"), Little Richard ("Lucille") and Richard Berry ("Louie Louie"). The instrumental backing throughout came courtesy of the Stax house band, Booker T. & The MGs. Pain In My Heart introduced one of the most distinctive voices of southern soul and R&B. It was Redding who would become one of soul music's most recognised artists throughout the 60s, his voice both heartfelt and distinctly gritty. He was soon going to get a great deal more success.

|> The Great Otis Redding Sings Soul Ballads (1965)

Download

Gram Parsons - Live 1973

2011-11-15T17:49:00.006Z

Posthumous release (1982)
Gram Parsons was an American singer-songwriter, considered a pioneer in the country-rock genre.

Many Gram Parsons albums have been released since his death in 1973, most of them compilations of his solo work and Burrito Brothers days. The most worthwhile is Live 1973, a recording of a concert originally aired live on WLIR-FM on March 13th 1973, just two months after the release of his splendid solo debut. The album is actually credited in full to 'Gram Parsons and The Fallen Angels, featuring Emmylou Harris'. The Fallen Angels band themselves consist of Jock Bartley (electric guitar), Neil Flanz (pedal steel), Kyle Tullis (bass) N.D. Smart II (drums). Harris' presence is prominent, more so than on GP, as she shares vocals with Parsons, at times stealing the show from him. This actually came two years pefore Harris' country-rock debut. She had released an obscure folk-based album in 1970, but she was not yet a major star at the time. Famously it was Parsons that turned her towards country-rock, so listening to this live recording is almost like hearing her rehearsing for what she was about to do under Parson's tutelage.
Live 1973 is an excellent album, and on its release was a much-needed addition to Parsons' quite slim output of work. In terms of country-rock, it definately leans towards the traditional country side, and is really quite mellow and laid-back. The songs featured include some that had appeared on GP, some that would later appear on Grievous Angel, plus a few country and rock & roll covers. Also includes "Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man", a song Parsons wrote with Roger McGuinn during his time with The Byrds. However the Byrds didn't record it until after his departure, so this can actually be considered the 'official' Gram Parsons version.

Bobby Charles - The Chess Years (1955-1957)

2011-11-12T15:10:00.006Z

Compilation
Bobby Charles was an American singer-songwriter from Louisiana.

Born in southern Louisiana in 1938, Robert Charles Guidry got started in the music business when he was young, singing in a band of older musicians called The Cardinals. One of his early songs, “See You Later Alligator”, was heard by Leonard Chess of Chess Records, who recorded Charles and released the single in 1955. It did moderately well on the charts, but was soon covered by Bill Haley & The Comets, whose version became a massive hit. Chess eagerly awaited a follow-up, and invited Charles to Chicago, where they were surprised to find out that he was in fact white (they had assumed he was black). He went on to tour with various big names in the R&B world (including Chuck Berry and Jimmy Reed). By the time he was nineteen he had released seven singles with Chess. However he didn’t part with Chess on good terms, due to the lack of success of his post-“Alligator” singles, and he was demanding from them the royalties he was owed. By 1957 he was without a record label, but that did not last long.
This extensive compilation covers his recordings from the early Chess days. Twenty-eight tracks including “See You Later Alligator”, other singles, b-sides and more, all recorded before his twentieth birthday.

|> The Imperial Singles (1958-1959)
More from Bobby Charles

Download

The Spencer Davis Group - Autumn '66 (1966)

2011-11-10T19:24:00.004Z

The Spencer Davis Group were a British R&B band active in the mid-60s.

The success The Spencer Davis Group had with "Keep On Running" was soon followed in 1966 by another #1 single, "Somebody Help Me", which like its predecessor was also written by Jamaican singer Jackie Edwards. Their third album came out in September of the same year. Alongside "Somebody Help Me" was a selection of eleven more fantastic R&B tunes. These included covers of Percy Sledge's "When A Man Loves A Woman", Elmore James' "Dust My Broom", Jimmy Cox's "Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out" and Don Covay's "Take This Hurt Off Me". As always, the focus was fully on singer, keyboardist and lead guitarist Stevie Winwood (though Spencer Davis himself did sing lead on "Dust My Broom").
It actually turned out to be their last LP with Winwood, as he left the band to form Traffic in 1967 (but they did manage to put out a few more classic singles with him before his departure).

The Second Album (1966) <|> With Their New Face On (1968)
More from The Spencer Davis Group

Download

Robert Hunter - Tales Of The Great Rum Runners (1973)

2011-11-08T20:39:00.006Z

Robert Hunter is an American singer-songwriter and poet, best known for his work as lyricist for the Grateful Dead.

Robert Hunter's association with the Grateful Dead is due to his long friendship with Jerry Garcia, which dates back to when they used to play in bluegrass bands together in the early 60s. After being an early volunteer test subject of LSD, he joined with the Grateful Dead in 1967. His association was at first informal, but he soon became an integral part of the band. Their third album, 1969's Aoxomoxoa, was the first to see him get a co-writing credit on every single song. Almost all of his songs he co-wrote with Jerry Garcia, so the majority of the Dead's original songs are credited to the Garcia/Hunter partnership. He stayed with the Dead as a non-performing member until their demise in 1995.
In 1973 he released the album Tales Of The Great Rum Runners. His first album as a singer-songwriter, it was mostly in a rootsy country-folk style, and proved him to be a fine vocalist himself. Notable songs are "I Heard You Singing", co-written with Quicksilver Messenger Service's David Freiburg (whose version was released on 1975's Solid Silver), and "It Must Have Been The Roses", which Garcia recorded on his 1976 Reflections album, and became a treasured part of the Dead's live set. Among the backing musicians are Garcia, Freiburg, Mickey Hart and Keith Godchaux (of the Dead), Barry Melton (of Country Joe And The Fish), Pete Albin (of Big Brother & The Holding Company) and Buddy Cage (of New Riders Of The Purple Sage).

|> Tiger Rose (1975)

Download

Stephen Stills - Stephen Stills 2 (1971)

2011-11-06T18:18:00.007Z

Stephen Stills is an American singer-songwriter and musician, best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash.

1971 saw Stephen Stills release the follow-up to his fantastic debut album. Although it did not fare as well on the charts, its arguably just as good as its predecessor, featuring a similar mix of rock, folk and more. Its strength lies in the splendid production, the arrangements, and its use of brilliant musicians. These included Fuzzy Samuels on bass, Dallas Taylor on drums, and Paul Harris, Dr John and Billy Preston on keyboards. Stills himself played guitar, keyboards and bass, and the album really showcases him as a fantastic and versatile singer. There are also brief guitar cameos from Eric Clapton, Nils Lofgren and Jerry Garcia (who also plays pedal steel).

Stephen Stills (1970) <|> Stills (1975)
More from Stephen Stills

Download

The Flying Burrito Brothers - Flying Again (1975)

2011-11-05T15:57:00.005Z

The Flying Burrito Brothers were a pioneering country-rock group. They were originally founded by Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman, but underwent many personnel changes, break-ups and reunions over the years.

Through many shifting line-ups, the original run of the Flying Burrito Brothers had ended by 1973. However the band name was soon to be resurrected. After the release of some posthumous compilation albums, interest in the band actually grew, so that their original manager Eddie Tickner decided to organise a reunion of sorts. However most of the original members were not interested at the time.
So instead Tickner turned to Gene Parsons. Parsons already had a long history in the country-rock field, most notably being drummer for The Byrds in their latter years. He persuaded original bassist Chris Ethridge to join, along with guitarist Joel Scott Hill, who had played in bands with both of them (and had also been a member of Canned Heat from 1970-72). Pedal steel guitarist Sneaky Pete Kleinow soon joined them as well, and the final member was Parson's old friend and musical partner Gib Guilbeau. The new five-piece went on tour as the Flying Burrito Brothers - having two of the original Burritos allowed them to use the name. Parsons was the drummer, but also contributed guitar and harmonica, and Guilbeau played his signature cajun fiddle as well as rhythm guitar. The result was a diverse lineup in terms of instruments, vocals and songwriting, and a strong live unit.
The appropriately named Flying Again album came out in 1975, with guest musician Spooner Oldham handling keyboards. Now as it was released under the Burrito Brothers name, expectations of course were high, and it has often been unfairly dismissed as being mediocre. The truth is that it is an absolutely fantastic album. The songs, performances and production are all top notch. Alongside great original songs by Parsons and Guilbeau there are covers of George Jones' "Why Baby Why", Joe Maphis' "Dim Lights, Thick Smoke", and a couple of Dan Penn numbers (the band's 1969 debut had also featured two Penn songs). Hill performed most of the lead vocals admirably, with both Parsons and Guilbeau singing on a few too. The results is a great fusion of rock, country, soul and R&B.
Surely if the band had called themselves something different it would have been praised as a splendid debut from a country-rock supergroup - using the Burrito Brothers name was the flaw in their plan. It didn't sell particularly well, and many probably saw them as little more than pretenders to Gram Parson's legacy. Nevertheless they toured successfully, and this second run of the Burritos kept going for many years, through many more line-up changes, and often with little connection to the original group formed by Parsons and Hillman. Instead the Flying Burrito Brothers would become a moniker used by whatever group of country-rock veterans were performing together at the time.

Live In Amsterdam (1973) <|> Airborne (1976)
More from The Flying Burrito Brothers

Download

Bob Dylan - Bringing It All Back Home (1965)

2011-11-03T20:17:00.007Z

By 1965, Bob Dylan had been moving away from the folk community which he had emerged from. Many had noted how Another Side Of Bob Dylan made the move away from the protest song and into more personal and abstract themes. However it was his next album that caused the biggest stir, as with Bringing It All Back Home he entered the world of electric rock music. The folk purists were outraged. His growing audience in the rock and pop worlds were delighted.
Side one of the album saw him backed by a band, performing in a ragged blues-rock style. Side two was mostly acoustic, though he was backed here and there by Bruce Langhorne's electric guitar or Bill Lee's bass. Aesthetic changes aside, his songs were moving in increasingly surreal directions, with his lyrics becoming even more cryptic and unusual. A detailed reading of the songs on Bringing It All Back Home would reveal his disattisfaction with the folk community and his desire to leave it behind. The album introduced many of his most famous songs, among them "Subterranean Homesick Blues", "Mr Tambourine Man", "It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)" and "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue".
Bringing It All Back Home was a major landmark for Dylan, and it created waves that moved throughout the folk and pop worlds. It was his declaration of independence from the folk community that had spawned him, and it effectively bridged the gap between folk and rock music. In it's wake, folk artists looked to the use of electric instrumentation, and rock artists turned to folk music for song-writing inspiration. Retrospectively, it can be called one of the first (if not the first) albums of the folk-rock genre, and began a new and controversial chapter in Dylan's career.

Another Side Of Bob Dylan (1964) <|> Highway 61 Revisited (1965)
More from Bob Dylan

Download

Fairport Convention - Rosie (1973)

2011-10-31T21:36:00.005Z

Fairport Convention are a successful English band who are credited with inventing ‘electric folk’, a subgenre of folk rock based heavily on traditional English folk songs.

By the time of their eighth album, Fairport Convention contained no original members. Simon Nicol had left in late 1971, the last of the founding members to do so. The band was now under the leadership of Dave Swarbrick, who led them through various confusing line-up changes, until by 1973 they had settled on the refreshed line-up of Swarbrick (vocals/fiddle/mandolin/acoustic guitar), Trevor Lucas (vocals/guitar), Jerry Donahue (lead guitar), Dave Pegg (vocals/bass/mandolin) and Dave Mattacks (drums). Lucas and Donahue were no strangers to the Fairport scene, as they had both been part of Fotheringay, the band formed by Sandy Denny after she had left in 1969. Lucas was also by this point married to Denny!
Rosie came out in 1973. It turned out to have a more diverse sound than their last few records, no doubt due to the presence of Lucas (an Australian) and Donahue (an American). They brought more diversity to the English folk style the band had been pursuing over the last few years, in particular Donahue's country-tinged guitar adding a new element to the band's sound. The material itself was less dependent on traditional sources - with the exception of one folk instrumental which had by now become a standard Fairport album feature, the songs were all originals, mostly written by Swarbrick, who proved himself as a fine singer-songwriter. In particular the title track is worthy of great praise. The album also featured several musical guests - there are appearances from ex-Fairport members Sandy Denny and Richard Thompson, guitarist Ralph McTell, and Fotheringay drummer Gerry Conway. Conway actually drums on three songs, and Tim Donald does on another three, with Mattacks only appearing on four - he briefly left the band during the making of the album, but came back in time to finish it.
Rosie proved that Fairport were going to keep making music regardless of who was in the group, and were keen to keep expanding artistically. It proved so admirably.

Babbacombe Lee (1971) <|> Nine (1973)
More from Fairport Convention

Download

The Allman Brothers Band - Eat A Peach (1972)

2011-10-30T15:36:00.007Z

The Allman Brothers Band are an American band formed in the late 60s, considered highly influential in the genre of southern rock, and also known for their musical improvisation in concert.

Tragedy struck the Allman Brothers Band in October 1971, when guitarist Duane Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident. The band were at the peak of their creativity after their breakthrough live album, At Fillmore East, and Duane was only 24 years old when he died. The band could easily have chosen to finish right then.
However they strove onwards, with Dickey Betts taking on all the guitar duties. They finished the album they had been working on, and the 2-LP set Eat A Peach was released in 1972. Six of the songs were recorded before Duane's death, whilst the other three were recorded afterwards and so feature just Betts on guitar. The result was a mix of the different directions the band's music had taken over the years, featuring both lengthy jazz-styled improvised jams and shorter, more concise numbers. Much of the music had a more laid-back, melodic sound when compared to the intense blue-rock of At Fillmore East. Of these songs, "Melissa" had been originally recorded by Duane and Gregg back in 1968 when they jammed with the 31st Of February. "Blue Sky" was another notable song, being the first on which Dickey Betts sang lead, and indicative of the country-rock sound he would soon lead the band towards. He was becoming an increasingly important member of the group, not just as a guitarist, but as a singer and songwriter too.
Three of the songs were live recordings from the Fillmore concerts. Of these, it was the 30-minute "Mountain Jam" which demonstrated the jam side of band's music the best, taking over two whole sides of vinyl! The melody of the song was loosely based on Donovan's "There Is A Mountain".
Eat A Peach was a great success, getting to #4 on the album charts. Being the last album to feature Duane Allman, it turned out to be the swan song of the original group.

At Fillmore East (1971) <|> Brothers And Sisters (1973)
More from The Allman Brothers Band

Download

Delaney & Bonnie and Friends - D&B Together (1972)

2011-10-29T17:15:00.006+01:00

Delaney & Bonnie Bramlett were a husband and wife soul duo known for the ‘friends’, a large non-permanent group of famous musician associates who played with them both in the studio and on tour.

Delaney & Bonnie's sixth album was originally recorded for Atco Records (which their last three albums had been released on), under the title Country Life. However Atco weren't satisfied with it, and sold their contract to Columbia Records, who re-ordered the album and released it as D&B Together. Atco's decision might have been a little harsh, as it's a perfectly fine album, with some excellent funky soul-rock grooves, plus a bit of gospel ("Wade In The River Jordon") and country ("Country Life", co-written by Bobby Whitlock, who released his own version on his solo album the same year). Includes studio versions of "Comin' Home" and Dave Mason's "Only You Know And I Know", which they had originally released on their 1970 live album. Also features "Groupie (Superstar)", written by the Bramletts with Leon Russell, which has been recorded by many different artists (most famously The Carpenters, who had a #2 hit with it in 1971).
The list of 'friends' playing alongside the Bramletts on this record is extensive, and include among many others Duane Allman, Billy Preston, Eric Clapton, Leon Russell, Bobby Whitlock, Dave Mason, John Hartford, Steve Cropper (of Booker T & The MGs), Carl Radle and Jim Gordon (of Derek & The Dominos), pedal steel guitarist Red Rhodes, Little Feat bassist Kenny Gradney and saxophonist King Curtis.
However, despite what the album's title might has suggested, Delaney & Bonnie were actually breaking up by this point. It was their last album together, and they divorced in 1973.

Motel Shot (1971) <|
More from Delaney & Bonnie and Friends

Download

Crosby & Nash - Graham Nash/David Crosby (1972)

2011-10-27T21:24:00.008+01:00

Crosby & Nash are a duo consisting of David Crosby and Graham Nash, better known for being two parts of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

After the massive success of CSNY's Deja Vu album, and all four members' high profile solo albums of 1971, David Crosby and Graham Nash went on tour together as an acoustic duo, to great success. As the CSNY name was pretty much abandoned and there was no hope for a follow-up album any time soon, they decided to record together as a duo. The result was 1972's Graham Nash/David Crosby.
Of the four of them, it has always been Crosby and Nash who have stuck together the closest over the years, being inseperable throughout most of their careers. Their musical styles are actually very different, Crosby having a penchant for the weird and abstract, and Nash's work being more accessible and commerical. But it turns out that the two complement eachother perfectly. Their first duo album tied both sounds together very well, their voices harmonizing together beautifully. Most of their instrumental backing came from guitarist Danny Kortchmar, keyboard player Craig Doerge, bassist Leland Sklar and drummer Russ Kunkel (ie The Section), plus appearances from members of the Grateful Dead (Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh and Bill Kreutzmann), bassist Chris Ethridge, guitarist Dave Mason, drummer Johnny Barbata and CSNY bassist Greg Reeves.
The album proved to be a success, reaching #4 on the album charts. Crosby & Nash would record two more duo albums before CSN ever got round to recording their Deja Vu follow-up.

|> Wind On The Water (1975)

Download

The Grateful Dead - Europe '72 (1972)

2011-10-26T00:30:00.004+01:00

The Grateful Dead were an American rock band renowned for their lengthy musical improvisations in concert and their loyal following of fans who would follow the band around the country from show to show. They started out as one of the major bands of the 60s San Francisco psychedelic rock scene before developing their own unique sound which they played until their break-up in the 90s.

1971's Skull & Roses had given the Grateful Dead a chance to showcase the wide range of their sound on record, incorporating both the live improvised jam side and the rootsy Americana side of their music into a signature package. It's follow-up was another live album, taken from their 1972 tour of Europe, and it finely honed this form into perfection. By now they had been joined by second keyboardist Keith Godchaux, plus his wife Donna as a backing vocalist, given them the line-up of Jerry Garcia (lead guitar/vocals), Bob Weir (rhythm guitar/vocals), Phil Lesh (bass/vocals), Ron McKernan (organ/harmonica/vocals), Keith Godchaux (piano), Donna Godchaux (vocals) and Bill Kreutzmann (drums).
Europe '72 is often seen as the band's greatest live record, being perhaps the one which best represents the sound of the Grateful Dead over their entire career (the only vital ingredient it misses is the dual drums of Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart, the latter being on a break from the band at the time). Whilst its predecessor was heavy on cover material, Europe '72 introduced a lot of excellent new original songs, ones which hadn't been recorded in the studio beforehand. The few old songs included were transformed through their live renditions, and there were a few covers in Hank William's "You Win Again", Elmore James' "It Hurts Me Too" and Bonnie Dobson's "Morning Dew". Being a triple album, it gave the band plenty of room to jam, and showcased some of their most exciting playing. In particular Godchaux's piano added an important new element to their sound.
The album was successful, reaching #12 on the pop album charts. With its fusion of rock, folk, blues, jazz, country and improvised jams, it has come to define what the Dead were all about, and remains their best to this day.
Sadly it turned out to be their last tour with founding member Ron McKernan. His contributions had been lessening over the years, and with the exception of the few songs he sang and played harmonica on, his organ was now in the shadow of Godchaux's piano. He was ill, and gradually getting worse, no doubt sped along by his drinking. He died in 1973 shortly after retiring from touring.

Skull & Roses (1971) <|> History Of The Grateful Dead, Volume One (1973)
More from the Grateful Dead

Download

Skip Spence - Oar (1969)

2011-10-23T17:05:00.004+01:00

Skip Spence was an American singer-songwriter and musician, best known for being a founding member of both Jefferson Airplane and Moby Grape.

Skip Spence was first recruited as a guitarist by San Francisco band Quicksilver Messenger Service. However whilst they were rehearsing at The Matrix, the club's owner Marty Balin poached Spence from the group and encouraged him to join the band he was forming as their drummer. That band became Jefferson Airplane, and Spence played on their debut album, after which he left to form his own group (back on guitar again). Moby Grape was formed by Spence, Jerry Miller, Peter Lewis, Bob Mosley and Don Stevenson, and their debut album has gone down in history as one of the greatest of the San Francisco scene.
However whilst with the Grape, Spence began to suffer from mental health issues, perhaps brought about from too much LSD. He spent time in jail, and was eventually diagnosed with schizophrenia and spent six months under psychiatric care.
On his release, the legend goes that he drove down to Nashville on a motorbike, wearing just his pyjamas, to record an album (though apparently that's not quite accurate). Oar was recorded in December 1968, with Spence playing all the instruments, and released the next year on Columbia Records. It is a very strange record, stark and harrowing, the sound of a musician on the brink of mental collapse. The first track, "Little Hands", could have worked as an excellent Moby Grape song, but from there things get more minimalist and unsettling.
Unsurprisingly Oar was not a commerical success, but it has endured today as somewhat of an undergrond favourite.
Sadly Spence never really made it back. Though he contributed to Moby Grape reunions in 1971 and 1978, the rest of his life was ruined by mental illness, drug addiction, alcoholism and homelessness. He died in 1999.

Download

The Electric Flag - A Long Time Comin' (1967)

2011-10-22T01:25:00.009+01:00

The Electric Flag were an American band originally formed in 1967 by blues guitarist Mike Bloomfield.

In 1967 guitarist Mike Bloomfield left The Butterfield Blues Band, with the idea to start his own group that incorporated a wide range of American music styles. He really wanted to incorporate a horn section as part of the band, inspired by the recordings of various Stax soul artists. He found an ally in keyboard player Barry Goldberg, and the two of them started work putting a band together. Harvey Brooks (whom Bloomfield had played with on Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited album) joined on bass, and on drums they recruited a 19-year old Buddy Miles (who at the time was working for Wilson Pickett). For the horn section, they hired Peter Strazza on tenor sax and Marcus Doubleday on trumpet. Nick Gravenites was recruited as lead vocalist. Buddy Miles sang as well, having a fine soul voice himself.
The story of The Electric Flag is one of wasted potential, drug abuse and infuriating setbacks. It would be a long time before their album was released. Until then, they developed a unique fusion of rock, soul and blues, with the horn section an integral part of their sound. At the same time, the Butterfield Blues Band which Bloomfield had left was also doing a similar thing with horns.
Their career began with being hired to record the soundtrack to the film The Trip, with the help of keyboardist Paul Beaver (playing one of the first Moog Synthesizers to be recorded). The film recieved mixed reviews, but the soundtrack got a good critical response. The band then performed for the first time at the Monterey Pop Festival, and went on to tour whilst at the same time starting work on an album for Columbia Records. Herbie Rich was then added to help fill out the horn section.
During this period Goldberg, Bloomfield and Strazza all developed heroin habits (Doubleday had joined the band as an addict). The group was having a hard time, and Bloomfield was becoming disillusioned (the arrival of Jimi Hendrix on the music scene had severly shaken him up). Goldberg eventually left, and was replaced briefly by Michael Fonfara. Work on the album continued at a painful pace. Fonfara was then fired, and Herbie Rich moved over to keyboard duties, his place in the horn section being filled by saxophonist Stemzie Hunter.
Eventually the album came out in March 1968, aptly titled A Long Time Comin'. Though it could be argued that it fell short of its potential, and could have been so much more, it was still certainly a fine album, fusing psychedelic rock, blues, soul and jazz into a cohesive whole.
Within two months of its release, Bloomfield had left the band, exhausted through insomnia medicated by his heroin use. By this time however Buddy Miles had emerged as the band's leader, so the group moved on without him.

|> An American Music Band (1968)

Download

Steve Young - Renegade Picker (1976)

2011-10-19T21:37:00.006+01:00

Steve Young is an American country music singer-songwriter, known as part of the ‘outlaw country’ movement.

His fourth album on his fourth record label (RCA), Renegade Picker was more fantastic country music from the much underrated Steve Young. It featured music in both the traditional country style and a harder-edged 'outlaw country' style, with covers including Merle Haggard's "I Can't Be Myself", Guy Clark's "Broken Hearted People" and J.D. Loudermilk's "Tobacco Road". Also featured a new, more rock-styled recording of his own "Lonesome, On'ry And Mean" (originally on Seven Bridges Road). As always, it was his stunning voice that dominated the record.

Honky Tonk Man (1975) <|> No Place To Fall (1978)
More from Steve Young

Download

Fred Neil - Sessions (1967)

2011-10-18T23:09:00.006+01:00

Fred Neil was an influential American singer-songwriter.

1967's Sessions was an interesting record for Fred Neil, coming after his critically lauded self-titled album. It featured the same sounds and textures, his rich baritone voice riding on waves of jangling, buzzing guitars and other stringed instruments. However whilst Fred Neil for the most part consisted of concise songs, Sessions featured only seven tracks, many of them very long, with more focus on grooves and jams than the songs themselves. Detractors of the album would call it unfocused and rambling. Those in favour would still call it rambling, but would consider it a good thing. The musicians around Neil (guitarists Bruce Langhorn, Cyrus Faryar and Pete Childs, and standup bassist James E. Bond Jr) are given plenty of room to explore and improvise, their approach at times bordering on jazz. Neil's lyrics themelves almost seem improvised at certain points, and at times break into echoes of his past as a folk singer (in particular there are certain lines of the traditonal "In The Pines" which pop up). The overall mood of the album is more sparse and darker than its predecessor, and could be called it's experimental, uncommercial counterpart.

Fred Neil (1966) <|> The Other Side OF This Life (1971)
More from Fred Neil

Download

Traffic - John Barleycorn Must Die (1970)

2011-10-16T19:57:00.005+01:00

Traffic originally broke up in early 1969, with Steve Winwood going on to form the short-lived super group Blind Faith with Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Ric Grech. After that band’s dissolution, he was back by himself and working on a solo record. His old Traffic bandmates Jim Capaldi and Chris Wood were brought in to help, and in the end it became a Traffic reunion album (though without Dave Mason). It proved to be their most mature and consistent record to date, with a sophisticated fusion of rock, jazz and folk music. The title track was an arrangement of a traditional English folk song, and the other five songs were written either by Winwood alone or by Winwood and Capaldi. It was a success, getting to #11 on the UK album charts, and #5 in the US.
However a closer look at the personnel of John Barleycorn Must Die reveals something interesting - despite being released under the Traffic name, it actually almost is a Steve Winwood solo album. As well as singing all lead vocals and writing all the music, he played pretty much all the instruments himself. Capaldi only drummed on four out of the six songs, and Wood’s sax and flute are only on three of them. Almost all of the instruments you hear are played by Winwood. If it had been released under his name, it would surely have been hailed as a fantastic start to a solo career (which otherwise didn’t begin until 1977), showcasing his diverse talents as singer, songwriter, arranger and multi-instrumentalist.

Last Exit (1969) <|> Welcome To The Canteen (1971)
More from Traffic

Download

Matthews' Southern Comfort - Later That Same Year (1970)

2011-10-16T10:22:00.003+01:00

Ian Matthews is an English singer-songwriter, known as having been a member of Fairport Convention, Matthews' Southern Comfort and Plainsong.

Later That Same Year was Ian Matthews' third solo album, and second to be released under the group name Mattews' Southern Comfort. It was a continuation of the mellow country-rock sound he had developed since leaving Fairport Convention, with both strong original songs and covers of material by artists including Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and Jesse Winchester. His guitarist Carl Barnwell also contributed two songs.
If Later That Same Year could have been considered his best album yet by that point, it actually showed it with a good dose of commercial success, something Matthews has generally not seen too much of throughout his career. His cover of Joni Mitchell's "Woodstock" was released as a single, and became a #1 hit in the UK.

Second Spring (1969) <|> If You Saw Thro' My Eyes (1971)
More from Ian Matthews

Download

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Willy & The Poor Boys (1969)

2011-10-14T00:06:00.003+01:00

Creedence Clearwater Revival (often abbreviated as CCR) were a popular American rock band active from the late 60s to early 70s.

CCR showed no signs of slowing down, as Willy & The Poor Boys was their third album to be released in the year of 1969. It expanded upon the roots-rock formula they had perfected on Bayou Country and Green River, incorporating more diverse textures and ideas. The result was surely their best album to date, with some of their finest songs and most sublime sounds. Alongside eight fantastic John Fogerty tunes (including the rocking "Fortunate Son", a timeless protest song) were covers of the traditional country-blues "The Midnight Special", and an outstanding reading of Leadbelly's "Cotton Fields".
The singles from the album didn't actually fare as well as its those from its two predecessors. Nevertheless getting to #3 with "Down On The Corner" wasn't too bad. The album itself got to #3 as well.

Green River (1969) <|> Cosmos' Factory (1970)
More from Creedence Clearwater Revival

Download

Davy Graham - Midnight Man (1966)

2011-10-12T19:19:00.004+01:00

Davy Graham was a British guitarist who emerged from the 1960s British folk revival. He is considered one of the most innovative and influential players of fingerstyle acoustic guitar.

Midnight Man was Davy Graham's second album on Decca Records, after 1964's groundbreaking Folk, Blues & Beyond. Like its predecesor, it explored territory which bordered folk, jazz, blues and world music, with Graham's guitar and vocals backed by acoustic bass and drums. In comparison, it could be said that Midnight Man has a bit more focus on the rhythm & blues side of his music, with an overall harder edge than Folk, Blues & Beyond. Indeed it includes some of his best blues cuts, with familiar standards such as "Stormy Monday" and "Money Honey" re-invented by his fantastic guitar style and inventive arrangements.
The album also includes a cover of The Beatles' "I'm Looking Through You" and two strong original songwriting efforts ("No Preacher Blues" and "Hummingbird"). A couple of the songs also see his playing electric guitar instead of his usual acoustic.
Overall, a solid follow-up.

Folk, Blues & Beyond (1964) <|> Large As Life And Twice As Natural (1968)
More from Davy Graham

Download

The Butterfield Blues Band - The Resurrection Of Pigboy Crabshaw (1967)

2011-10-08T08:59:00.009+01:00

The Butterfield Blues Band were an American blues group fronted by vocalist and harmonica player Paul Butterfield, who was one of the first well-known white blues singers.

The Butterfield Blues Band's lead guitarist and star player Mike Bloomfield departed in 1967, tired of the group's rigorous touring schedule and wanting to start his own band. He relocated to San Francisco, and formed The Electric Flag.
This left Elvin Bishop as the Butterfield Band's only guitarist. He rose to the task admirably, as he had always been a first-class blues player, but being in a band alongside Bloomfield had forced him (as it would have done to almost anyone) into the role of 'second guitarist'. But now he was able to show what he was really made of. Bassist Jerome Arnold and drummer Billy Davenport had also left, so The Resurrection Of Pigboy Crabshaw was the band's first album with the revised line-up of Paul Butterfield (vocals/harmonica), Elvin Bishop (guitar), Mark Naftalin (keyboards), Bugsy Maugh (bass/vocals) and Phil Wilson (drums). The band also added a three-piece horn section consisting of Gene Dinwiddie (ternor sax), David Sanborn (alto sax) and Keith Johnson (trumpet).
With its extensive use of the horn section, the new album moved ever-so-slightly away from pure blues and towards an R&B / soul sound, most notable on the opening track, a cover of the Motown tune "One More Heartache" (written by The Miracles, first recorded by Marvin Gaye). They were still undoubtedly a blues band, but were clearly beginning to expand beyond the confines of the genre.

East-West (1966) <|> In My Own Dream (1968)
More from The Butterfield Blues Band

Download

Neil Young - Zuma (1975)

2011-10-05T22:35:00.004+01:00

Neil Young is a prolific Canadian singer-songwriter who has been releasing records since the 60s.

After his famed 'Ditch Trilogy' of albums, Neil Young made a move away from despair and the dark themes his music had taken after the success of Harvest. This coincided with the reformation of Crazy Horse at last, signalling that the ghost of Danny Whitten had been put to rest. Since Whitten's death, Crazy Horse had released two albums by themselves with new members, but neither lineups had stayed around for long. When they re-united with Neil Young, they found their new guitarist in Frank 'Poncho' Sampedro, who has ended up staying with the band until the present day.
Zuma was a more positive and upbeat album than the ones that preceded it, with a rough, guitar-driven garage rock sound characterstic of the Horse. Young's electric guitar was to the forefront, in particular on the long jam "Cortez The Killer", which has endured as one of his best-loved songs. Most of the other songs were short, concise and catchy, with one notable exception (the gargantuan, lumbering "Danger Bird"). Two of the songs did not come from the Zuma sessions but were dug up from past recording sessions - the acoustic "Pardon My Heart", from the aborted Homegrown album, and "Through My Sails", a Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young song from their attempted follow-up to Deja Vu which had never really got under way.

On The Beach (1974) <|> American Stars 'N Bars (1977)
More from Neil Young

Download

Simon & Garfunkel - Sounds Of Silence (1966)

2011-10-03T22:01:00.005+01:00

Simon & Garfunkel are an American singer-songwriter duo, consisting of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel.

After their debut album's lack of success in 1964, Simon & Garfunkel split. However they soon got back together again, after a decision made on their behalf by their producer Tom Wilson. In 1965 The Byrds had introduced the potential of folk-rock, with their electrified Bob Dylan covers, and Wilson decided to leap onto the bandwagon whilst the duo were apart. He took one of their songs, "The Sound Of Silence", and overdubbed the original recording with electric guitar, bass and drums. The new electric version was released as a single, apparently without the knowledge of Simon & Garfunkel, and went on to become a massive hit. It got to #1 on New Years Day, 1966.
With sudden fame and chart success, they quickly re-united and recorded a second album. Sounds Of Silence experimented with the idea of folk-rock, mixing their folk roots with various rock and pop sounds and instrumentation. The result was a very diverse record, full of interesting sounds and ideas. The tunes themselves proved Paul Simon to be a first-class songwriter. Many of them actually had already appeared in solo form on his obscure 1965 UK-only album The Paul Simon Songbook. Also included was his version of the Davy Graham instrumental "Anji", proving him also to be a very talented guitarist.
A second single from the album, "I Am A Rock", also became a Top 10 hit (#3). In between the two singles was "Homeward Bound" (which reached #2), but that song wasn't included on the album.
Simon & Garfunkel were now big stars.

Wednesday Morning, 3 AM (1964) <|> Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme (1966)
More from Simon & Garfunkel

Download

Shawn Phillips - Collaboration (1971)

2011-10-02T22:09:00.005+01:00

Following the release of what is arguably his masterpiece, Second Contribution, Shawn Phillips released Collaboration in 1971, the title referring to the collaborations with the other great musicians who took part in recording it. Indeed these is some really fantastic instrumentation throughout, with particularly tasty bass, keyboards, drums and orchestral arrangements. Collaboration took his fusion of rock and classical music into even more experimental and extraordinary territories - the orchestra was used not just for overdubbed embelishments, but as an integral part of many of the songs. The songs, the band arrangements, the orchestra and his godly voice combined to make something really special once again.

Second Contribution (1970) <|> Faces (1972)
More from Shawn Phillips

Download

Bob Weir - Ace (1972)

2011-09-30T21:56:00.005+01:00

Bob Weir is an American singer-songwriter and musician, best known for his role as rhythm guitarist and vocalist for The Grateful Dead.

Bob Weir's debut solo album came out in a period when the Grateful Dead were focusing on live albums. The band backing him was actually just the rest of the Dead, so in reality Ace is a Grateful Dead studio album with the focus on Weir. Stylistically it fits in with the sound of the period's live albums (Skull & Roses, Europe '72), with a rootsy mix of rock, folk, blues, country, etc... Most of the songs were collaborations between Weir and lyricist John Perry Barlow. Many of them would become much-loved parts of the Grateful Dead's live repetoire ("Playing In The Band", one of Weir's best-known songs, had actually already appeared on Skull & Roses).

|> Heaven Help The Fool (1978)

Download

The Animals - The Animals (1964)

2011-09-29T20:53:00.005+01:00

The Animals were an English group active in the 60s, part of the 'British Invasion'.

The Animals were Newcastle's main contribution to the British Invasion of young English groups playing American R&B with youthful energy and passion. By the time of their debut album's release, they had already had three Top 20 singles, and "The House Of The Rising Sun" having given them a #1 hit. They were therefore big news in the English pop world (and relatively big news in America as well). However, whilst their singles (all available on this compilation) filtered their blues roots through pop songs (albeit tough, gritty pop songs), their album saw them playing the American rhythm and blues music that they loved without any such thoughts of trying to top the charts.
Their debut album featured songs by black American artists such as Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, John Lee Hooker and Fats Domino (plus "Bury My Body", written by a young Al Kooper). It was the same formula most of the other British Invasion bands (The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Yardbirds, etc) were using at the time, but Eric Burdon's powerful vocals undoubtedly put them ahead in terms of blues authenticity (or at least the sound of it).
The album actually turned out to be a chart success too, no doubt pulled along in the wake of "The House Of The Rising Sun". It got to #6.

|> Animal Tracks (1965)
More from The Animals

Download

Ry Cooder - Show Time (1977)

2011-09-28T20:04:00.004+01:00

Ry Cooder is an American musician who plays a diverse range of styles perhaps best described as ‘roots music’. He is an experienced session musician, having played on hundreds of records, but is also known for his own solo albums, where he champions obscure American musical forms with a scholarly passion, drawing his repertoire from dusty and forgotten corners of American cultural history. Though he is a master of many stringed instruments, he is best known as one of the greats of bottleneck slide guitar.

Ry Cooder's sixth album was a live one, recorded in San Francisco in the December of 1976. Backing him was a fantastic band consisting of Flaco Jiminez (accordion), Henry Ojeda (bass), Jesse Ponce (bajo sexto), Frank Villarreal (alto sax) and Isaax Garcia (drums), along with Bobby King, Terry Evans and Eldridge King on vocals. The combination of the band's Tex-Mex flavours alongside the gospel-styled vocals of the backing singers makes for a truly unique Americana sound that only Cooder could have put together. And of course his guitar playing is to the fore, with some particularly amazing slide solos to listen out for.
The songs from Show Time are mostly re-arrangements of numbers from his earlier albums, but also include "Volver, Volver", sung by Flaco Jiminez. King, Evans and King really shine on their vocal delivery of the soul classic "The Dark End Of The Street", which Cooder had previously recorded as an instrumental on Boomer's Story. And though it's a live album, it actually opens with a studio recording - a sublime cover of Gary U.S. Bonds' "School Is Out".

Chicken Skin Music (1976) <|> Jazz (1978)
More from Ry Cooder

Download

Peter Green Splinter Group - Soho Session (1999)

2011-09-27T20:21:00.010+01:00

The Peter Green Splinter Group was a band led by British singer-songwriter and blues guitarist Peter Green, the leader of the original Fleetwood Mac in the 1960s. Its formation was considered his second comeback, after he famously suffered a mental breakdown and disappeared from the music business in the early 70s.

The Splinter Group's third album was a live recording. Now their debut had also been a live one (with the exception of the first two songs), so was another needed so soon afterwards, with just a studio album of Robert Johnson covers in between? Well Soho Session (recorded at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club) is actually just simply a far superior record, so that it almost renders the first live album obsolete. It's a double CD, with about an hour and a half of music, and both the performances and recordings seem to be much better quality than its predecessor (some songs are on both albums, and heard side by side the versions here are surely superior). The songs themselves include both blues classics (Slim Harpo's "Shake Your Hips", Sonny Boy Williamson's "Help Me", two Otis Rush numbers and a large number of Robert Johnson songs, ) and old Fleetwood Mac tunes ("Black Magic Woman", "Rattlesnake Shake", "Albatross", "The Green Manalishi"). Also includes the Peter Green instrumental "The Supernatural", which he originally recorded during his tenure with John Mayall's Bluebreakers.
The band lineup which recorded Soho Session was Peter Green (guitar/vocals), Nigel Watson (guitar/vocals), Roger Cotton (keyboards), Neil Murray (bass) and Larry Tolfree (drums). On a couple of the Robert Johnson numbers they are joined by backing singers (The Street Angels) who add a gospel flavour. There is some really fantastic guitar interplay between Green and Watson throughout, with some brilliant jams. Nigel Watson also gets to perform one of his own songwriting efforts ("Indians"), which would later appear as a more refined studio recording. This was clearly a very talented group, and Soho Session sees them captured at their very best.

The Robert Johnson Songbook (1998) <|> Destiny Road (1999)
More from the Peter Green Splinter Group

Download

The Byrds - Byrdmaniax (1971)

2011-09-26T23:44:00.005+01:00

The Byrds were an influential rock band who took part in the development of various rock sub-genres in the 60s. They pioneered the fusion of folk and pop music, before being among the first bands to experiment with psychedelia, and later country rock.

Byrdmaniax was recorded in early 1971 whilst the Byrds were busy with touring, and has ended up being one of their least highly regarded albums. It was their second album with the lineup of Roger McGuinn, Clarence White, Skip Battin and Gene Parsons, but somewhat undid the reputation the band had earned with the previous (Untitled). Much of the blame is often put on the producer, Terry Melcher, who added gospel choirs, strings, horns and keyboards, making the album sound far removed from the band the fans were used to. But whilst some would lament the absence of the 'classic Byrds sound', it could also be argued that Byrdmaniax is a more diverse and musically complex record, with a broader scope incorporating a fuller vision of Americana - folk-rock, country, gospel, rock & roll, bluegrass and even dixieland jazz are all touched on. Byrdmaniax's weakness could probably be better attributed to the distraction of the band's gruelling tour schedule, which no doubt led to much of the underdeveloped material and their absence during Terry Melcher's overdubbing sessions (which apparently happened without their knowledge).
Among the songs on the album are two notable covers - "Glory Glory" by Arthur Reynolds, and "Jamaica Say You Will" by Jackson Browne (sung by lead guitarist Clarence White). Also worth nothing was bassist Skip Battin's increasing role as a singer and songwriter.

(Untitled) (1970) <|> Farther Along (1971)
More from The Byrds

Download

The Band - Cahoots (1971)

2011-09-20T22:00:00.004+01:00

The Band were an influential and highly acclaimed rock band formed in the 1960s.

The Band's fourth album, Cahoots, came out in 1971. Generally it is seen as one of their weaker releases, with Robbie Robertson's songwriting not quite turning out as much quality as it had on their first three albums. Overall, the sound was a bit more harsh and difficult, though of course even the slightest weaknesses were going to be amplified when seen alongside the fantastic albums that preceded it. But Cahoots was not without a few gems, most notably the funky "Life Is A Carnival" (with horns arranged by Allen Toussaint), and a slendid cover of Bob Dylan's "When I Paint My Masterpiece" (which actually pre-dated Dylan's own version by two months). Van Morrison also made a guest appearances, singing on "4% Pantomime", which he co-wrote with Robertson.

Stage Fright (1970) <|> Rock Of Ages (1972)
More from The Band

Download

Quicksilver Messenger Service - Quicksilver (1971)

2011-09-19T21:06:00.009+01:00

By 1971 the original lineup of Quicksilver Messenger Service had broken up. Singer-songwriter Dino Valenti was now in control, and the two founding members left with him were guitarist Gary Duncan and drummer Greg Elmore. They found a new bassist in Mark Ryan (who had briefly played with Country Joe & The Fish), and a keyboard player in... well, actually there is some confusion over who the keyboard player is on this album. Either Mark Naftalin (ex-Butterfield Blues Band, who had appeared on their last album), or 'Chuck Steaks'. Perhaps the latter was a pseudonym for the former?
The sixth album, Quicksilver, came out at a time when the band's heyday was definately over, and subsequently is often overlooked. Which is a shame, as it is a great album. Generally it has more of a folkier side than their earlier guitar-driven rock, with lots of acoustic textures, though Duncan does get to play some stunning electric guitar on a few numbers. And there are a few songs here which stand out as some of the band's all-time best - in particular the beautiful piano-driven "Don't Cry My Lady Love".

What About Me (1970) <|> Comin' Thru (1972)
More from Quicksilver Messenger Service

Download

Jerry Garcia - Reflections (1976)

2011-09-18T17:43:00.005+01:00

Jerry Garcia was an American singer-songwriter and musician, best known as the lead guitarist for the Grateful Dead.

On Garcia's third solo album he was backed by two different bands. Half of the songs saw him with the Grateful Dead, and were essentially Dead songs put out on a solo release. On the other four songs he was backed by the Jerry Garcia Band, consisting of John Kahn (bass), Nicky Hopkins (piano), Larry Knetchel (Fender Rhodes electric piano) and Ron Tutt (drums). The Jerry Garcia Band became his primary project outside the Grateful Dead, and he toured and recorded with them from this point onwards until his death. However their membership changed frequently, and this is the only release featuring this first lineup.
Despite the songs being divided between the two bands, Reflections still managed to retain a strong, consistent vibe throughout - languid, relaxed, often jazzy and complex in its arrangements, all tied together by Garcia's distinctive vocals and electric guitar. Half the songs are Garcia/Hunter originals, and the covers include Allen Toussaint's "I'll Take A Melody" and the Robert Hunter solo composition "It Must Have Been The Roses". Many of the songs here became integrated into the Grateful Dead set list, and later appeared on various live albums.

Compliments (1974) <|> Run For The Roses (1982)
More from Jerry Garcia

Download

Eric Clapton - Eric Clapton (1970)

2011-09-17T19:45:00.005+01:00

Eric Clapton is a highly influential and successful English guitarist and singer-songwriter.

Eric Clapton had risen to fame in the 1960s as one of the greatest English blues guitarist, through his work with The Yardbirds, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream and Blind Faith. However his solo career didn't begin until 1970. His debut album was recorded during the period he was playing with Delaney & Bonnie and Friends. He had tired of his super-star bandleader roles, and was relishing the chance to play as a sideman for the soul-rock husband-and-wife duo. The Bramletts and their friends assisted him greatly in the recording of the album, co-writing most the material with him. They encouraged him as both a singer and songwriter, and let him step out of the confinements of being seen as just a guitarist. Most of the instrumental backing came from the Bramletts' touring band - Leon Russell (piano), Bobby Whitlock (organ), Carl Radle (bass), Jim Gordon (drums), Jim Price (trumpet), Bobby Keys (sax) and Tex Johnson (percussion). Delaney produced the album and contributed rhythm gutiar, Leon Russell co-wrote "Lonesome And A Long Way From Home" and "Blues Power", and there were backing vocals from Delaney, Bonnie, Whitlock, Rita Coolidge, Sonny Curtis, Jerry Allison and Stephen Stills.
It was a song called "After Midnight" that gave Clapton his first hit single, reaching #18 on the charts. The song was written by an unknown American musician called JJ Cale. Clapton's success with the song gave Cale unexpected royalties, and encouraged him to record his first album. The rest is history!
The album itself reached #14 on the UK charts. Clapton went on to form Derek & The Dominos with Whitlock, Radle and Gordon.

|> Eric Clapton's Rainbow Concert (1973)
More from Eric Clapton

Download

Ian & Sylvia - Play One More (1966)

2011-09-15T22:30:00.005+01:00

Ian & Sylvia were a Canadian husband-and-wife folk duo.

The fifth album from Ian & Sylvia saw a progression from their tried-and-tested acoustic folk style, albeit ever so subtly. Certain songs on Play One More featured extra instruments as well as the usual acoustic guitar and bass - a bit of electric organ here and there, and two of the songs also had drums and hinted at a bit of a folk-rock direction. The title track also made use of mariachi horns, and strings were used sparingly. The Canadian duo were keeping up with the new ideas and stylistic fusions of folk-rock, but in the end it didn't really change their sound much.

Early Morning Rain (1965) <|> So Much For Dreaming (1967)
More from Ian & Sylvia

Download

Crosby, Stils, Nash & Young - Find The Cost Of Freedom (1969-1973)

2011-09-14T18:55:00.005+01:00

Compilation
Crosby, Stills & Nash are a folk-rock 'supergroup', made up of David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash. They are sometimes joined by occasional fourth member Neil Young.

Shortly after the massive success of their Deja Vu album, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young quickly followed it by the fantastic single "Ohio". The song was written by Neil Young as a reaction to the Kent State shootings of May 1970, and it quickly made it to #14 on the singles charts. It is today both one of the band's and Young's best-known songs.
However the song and its fantastic Stills-written b-side ("Find The Cost Of Freedom") were never actually released on an album, barring greatest hits packages and live albums. Therefore I've put this ten-song compilation together, both songs bookending a selection of outtakes. Four of these songs were released on the band's 1991 box set, whilst the other four are rarities.
The best song here is surely David Crosby's "The Lee Shore". A live solo version of this song was released on Four Way Street, but this studio outtake (with full band arrangement) is really something else, and perhaps even one of the best ever CSNY recordings. There's also a fantastic version of Joni Mitchell's "Urge For Going", and acoustic readings of The Beatles' "Blackbird" and Fred Neil's "Everybody's Talkin'" (the latter performed solo by Stills). For Neil Young fans, there is an early group version of "Human Highway", and a fantastic rocking studio cut of "Sea Of Madness" (a song which has never been released except the live version on the Woodstock soundtrack).

Pure Prairie League - Bustin' Out (1972)

2011-09-12T21:43:00.007+01:00

Pure Prairie League are an American country-rock band.

After a strong debut album, Pure Prairie League underwent some changes when John David Call, Jim Lanham and Jim Caughlan all left the band. At the same time frontman Craig Fuller was facing charges for draft evasion. However their persevered and recorded a second album, guitarists Fuller and George Powell being joined by drummer Billy Hinds. They were also helped out by lots of session musicians, including pedal steel guitarist Al Clark and keyboardist Michael Connor. There were also string arrangements on several songs, arranged by Mick Ronson.
Bustin' Out was released just five months after its predecessor, and considering the band's situation at the time, it really is a fantastic album. However shortly after its release Fuller had to face trial, and was sentenced to six months. At the same time the band was dropped by RCA. The future did not look bright. When Fuller was released, the band reformed with John David Call and new members, but Fuller declined to rejoin. They began to tour heavily, and then surprisingly one of the songs from Bustin' Out, "Amie", became a big radio hit. The album was re-released, and "Amie" eventually made it to #27. Thing were finally looking up for the band, but it was almost an entirely new lineup that came to record their next album, and the Craig Fuller era of Pure Prairie League was over.

Pure Prairie League (1972) <|> Two Lane Highway (1975)
More from Pure Prairie League

Download

Jefferson Airplane - Bless Its Pointed Little Head (1969)

2011-09-11T15:24:00.005+01:00

The Airplane's fifth album was a live one, recorded in 1968 and released in 1969. As was to be expected, it highlighted the heavy rock end of their sound, and showed how the roles of the six members were balanced perfectly in concert, with focus on both the fantastic vocal interplay of Grace Slick and Marty Balin and the loose, improvisational style of the instruments. They were part of the San Francisco jam band scene after all, and though their jamming never went as far as that of The Grateful Dead, Bless Its Pointed Little Head showcased their jamming talents in a way their studio albums had never quite done.
Alongside four songs from their earlier albums, it introduced some notable covers - the blues standard "Rock Me Baby" (which foreshadowed the direction Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady would go in with their Hot Tuna side project), Fred Neil's "The Other Side Of This Life" and Donovan's "Fat Angel" (which the Scottish singer-songwriter had actually name-checked the band in).

Crown Of Creation (1968) <|> Volunteers (1969)
More from Jefferson Airplane

Download

Gordon Lightfoot - Lightfoot! (1966)

2011-09-10T17:59:00.005+01:00

Gordon Lightfoot is a Canadian singer-songwriter.

Gordon Lightfoot was one of the first successful singer-songwriters to emerge from Canada. Before his first album was released, his songs were being covered by various artists including Ian & Sylvia, Peter, Paul & Mary, Marty Robbins, The Kingston Trio and Judy Collins. Lightfoot! was released in 1966, but had actually been recorded back in 1964. It includes many of his best-known songs, including "Early Morning Rain", "The Way I Feel" and "Ribbon Of Darkness". Also features covers of Hamilton Camp's "Pride Of Man", Ewan MacColl's "The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face" and Phil Ochs' "Changes". Lightfoot plays acoustic 12-string guitar, and is backed by Bill Lee's acoustic bass. The album brought him widespread recognition as both a songwriter and performer, and "I'm Not Saying" reached #12 on the Canadian singles chart.

> The Way I Feel (1967)

Download

Ronnie Barron - Reverend Ether (1971)

2011-09-09T15:51:00.005+01:00

Ronnie Barron was an American singer-songwriter and keyboard player.

Originally from New Orleans, Ronnie Barron met with Mac Rebennack in 1958, and the two performed together throughout the 60s. It was during this time that Barron created a stage persona - Reverend Ether - to give an extra element of theatricality to his stage shows. Rebennack was so impressed with it that he invented his own persona - Dr John. Apparently he originally wanted it to be Barron, but ended up becoming the Doctor himself. Barron moved to California in 1965 to become a session musician, and also appeared as a guest on many Dr John albums over the years.
In 1971 he released his first solo album, named after his old Reverend Ether character. It's some seriously groovy New Orleans funk/R&B, with lots of fantastic piano and Hammond organ, all tied together by Barron's unique vocals.

|> The Smile Of Life (1978)

Download

Fairport Convention - Babbacombe Lee (1971)

2011-09-07T22:12:00.005+01:00

Fairport Convention are a successful English band who are credited with inventing ‘electric folk’, a subgenre of folk rock based heavily on traditional English folk songs.

Babbacome Lee marked the first time in their history that Fairport Convention had ever recorded two albums in a row with the same lineup (then consisting of guitarist Simon Nicol, fiddle player Dave Swarbrick, bassist Dave Pegg and drummer Dave Mattacks). This time their distinctive English electric folk sound was used to create a rock opera (perhaps the first folk-rock opera), based on the story of Victorian murderer John 'Babbacombe' Lee, following his life from birth to gallows. Dave Swarbrick was the main creative force behind the project, showing how he had risen to become the most important member of the band. The album recieved considerable press interest at the time, but although critically acclaimed it failed to sell well. Shortly after its release Simon Nicol (the last remaining founding member of the group) left to join the Albion Band.

Angel Delight (1971) <|> Rosie (1973)
More from Fairport Convention

Download

Tim Buckley - Tim Buckley (1966)

2011-09-06T23:37:00.006+01:00

Tim Buckley was an American singer-songwriter.

Tim Buckley began his music career when he was still at school, after which he dropped out of college just two weeks in to dedicate himself to music full time, playing folk clubs in and around L.A. He was soon signed to Elektra records, and his debut album came out in 1966. Stylistically it can best be described as folk-rock, but with an element of sophistication quite interesting for its time. Buckley's distinctive high, keening vocals made him easily stand out from other artists in the genre. Backing him throughout was a talented band made up of Lee Underwood (lead guitar), Van Dyke Parks (piano/keyboards), Jim Fielder (bass) and Billy Mundi (drums/percussion). Much of the album had strings arranged Jack Nitzsche. The songs were all originals, most co-written with lyricist Larry Beckett (an old school friend of Buckley's).
The album was strong, and showed much potential for the young singer-songwriter. Though his sound would expand and mature quickly over his next few records, Tim Buckley was definately a strong start, and a few of the songs in particular stand out as among his best still today.

|> Goodbye And Hello (1967)
More from Tim Buckley

Download

The Jeff Beck Group - Truth (1968)

2011-09-05T21:12:00.005+01:00

The Jeff Beck group were an English rock band originally active in the late 60s, led by guitarist Jeff Beck.

When Jeff Beck left The Yardbirds in 1967 (leaving Jimmy Page as the band's guitarist), he went on to form a new group with singer Rod Stewart (who had previously been in The Steampacket) and rhythm guitarist Ron Wood. Bassists and drummers changed regularly, until they settled on Aynsley Dunbar on drums, and Wood switched over to bass. The band released a single, "Hi Ho Silver Lining", which became a chart hit at #14, before Dunbar left and was replaced by Mickey Waller. After their next two singles failed to chart, they were ready to throw in the towel, until road manager Peter Grant booked them for a short US tour, where they proved massively popular. Back home in England, he secured them an album contract with Epic Records.
Their debut album, Truth, came out in 1968. It proved to be something very exciting, a heavy blues-rock fusion that was entirely new at the time. Driven by Beck's experimental, blues-styled guitar riffs and solos, it effectively paved the way for the hard rock that was to come, and is often credited as being the first glimpse of what would later emerge as heavy metal. Rod Stewart's gritty, soulful vocals were the perfect foil for Beck's guitar, and Wood and Waller provided a solid rhythm section. Keyboards were provided by session men Nicky Hopkins and John Paul Jones. The songs included two Willie Dixon classics ("You Shook Me" and "I Ain't Superstitous"), a reworking of the Yardbirds hit "Shapes Of Things", Bonnie Dobson's folk classic "Morning Dew", and a couple of originals which were obviously 'inspired by' a couple of other classic blues numbers. More surprisingly, there were versions of the traditional English tune "Greensleeves" and "Ol' Man River" (from the musical Show Boat).
The most interesting song of the album was the stunning instrumental "Beck's Bolero", which wasn't actually recorded by the Jeff Beck Group. On this song Beck was backed by Jimmy Page on rhythm guitar, John Paul Jones on bass, Nicky Hopkins on piano and The Who's Keith Moon on drums. It was actually recorded back in '66 when Beck was still in the Yardbirds, and had been the b-side of "Hi Ho Silver Lining".
Truth was a success, and reached #15 on the album charts. Alongside Cream, The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Led Zeppelin, The Jeff Beck Group were pivotal in taking rock into heavier territories and paved the way for heavy metal.

|> Beck-Ola (1969)

Download

Bob Dylan - Another Side Of Bob Dylan (1964)

2011-09-04T18:24:00.005+01:00

Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter who emerged out of the 1960s folk revival to become an informal chronicler and reluctant figurehead of social unrest. He famously made the move from folk music to electric rock in the mid-60s, and has remained a major figure in music for five decades. He is generally considered the greatest songwriter to emerge from the 60s music scene.

By 1964 Bob Dylan was the pride of American folk music, but his fourth album actually alienated alot of his fans (albeit only the overly-conservative folk purists among them) with its shift in direction. Musically it was much the same as his earlier work - performed solo on acoustic guitar and harmonica (and for the first time on one song, piano). It was lyrically where the change was found. Another Side Of Bob Dylan left behind the socially conscious 'spokesman of a generation' style he had perfected on The Times They Are A-Changin', and made a move towards more personal matters. Simply put, he was no longer singing about the people; he was singing about himself. At the same time his lyrics became more abstract, their meanings more difficult to decipher. He had left the protest songs behind and entered the realm of lyrical poetry.
This change of direction was noticed. He was accused by certain figures in the folk community as having "lost touch with the people", and being "caught up in the paraphernalia of fame". Retrospectively, it can be said that he was instigating the move from 'folk singer' to 'singer-songwriter'. Many would follow him, as the lines between folk and pop music quickly began to narrow.
At the end of the day, what a few self-important folk purist authorities thought does not matter. Another Side Of Bob Dylan was another triumph for Dylan, making it to #8 on the UK charts, containing many of his best songs, and subtly leading the way towards folk-rock and the rise of the singer-songwriters.

The Times They Are A-Changin' (1964) <|> Bringing It All Back Home (1965)
More from Bob Dylan

Download

Seatrain - Seatrain (1970)

2011-09-03T20:02:00.006+01:00

Seatrain were an American rock band active from 1969 to 1973.

Seatrain had risen from the ashes of The Blues Project, and released a fantastic self-titled album in 1969. However their original lineup did not last, leading to a brief period of temporary members coming and going (including singer Red Shepherd, drummers Bobby Moses and Billy Williams, and guitarists Teddy Irwin and Elliott Randal). By the time of their second album, they had settled on a strong new lineup - Peter Rowan (guitar/vocals), Lloyd Baskin (keyboards/vocals), Andy Kulberg (bass/flute), Richard Greene (violin) and Larry Atamanuik (drums). Jim Roberts was still on board as the group's dedicated lyricist. Kulberg and Greene were the only original members, and Kulberg was the only one left who used to be in the Blues Project. Newcomer Peter Rowan had previously been in psychedelic rock band Earth Opera, but his real background was in folk and bluegrass.
The new Seatrain had a new sound, which their new album showcased, produced by George Martin in his first post-Beatles work (confusingly, it was another self-titled record, but this time Seatrain rather than Sea Train). Their sound moved away from progressive rock filled with jazz and classical influences, and went in the direction of a more concise, commercial sound, with a bit more roots thrown in (violinist Richard Greene was obviously enjoing having Rowan on board). However they didn't completely disavow their old sound, as there was still a great deal of complex, sophisticated song structures and interesting fusions. The instrumental focus was fully on Greene's violin, often used with wah and fuzz effects. The vocals were shared by Rowan and Baskin, both of whom proved to be very strong singers.
The songs themselves were not all originals, with covers including Lowell George's "Willin'" (actually pre-dating the first Little Feat version), the traditional "Sally Goodin" and Ervin T. Rouse's "Orange Blossom Special" (the latter two really letting Greene show off his bluegrass skills). From his Earth Opera days, Rowan brought "Home To You" which was remade, and the band also re-did "Out Where The Hills", originally from their first album.
The album actually had a surprise minor hit - "13 Questions" reached #49 on the singles charts.

Sea Train (1969) <|> The Marblehead Messenger (1971)
More from Seatrain

Download

Gib Guilbeau - Gib Guilbeau Sings (1973)

2011-09-03T13:58:00.004+01:00

Gib Guilbeau is an American country-rock musician, best known as a fiddle player. He has been a member of Nashville West, Swampwater and The Flying Burrito Brothers.

Guilbeau had actually recorded his first solo album back in 1967, but it wasn't released at the time. Since then he had been a member of Swampwater, who had released two albums. In 1973 he went to record in Nashville, resulting in several singles and two albums. The first of these, Gib Guilbeau Sings, saw him as a country singer on a modest collection of twelve original songs, recorded with top Nashville session men such as guitarist Reggie Young, pianist Pig Robbins and pedal steel man Pete Drake. It actually doesn't feature much fiddle playing from Guilbeu himself, which is a bit odd. He has been quoted since as saying these songs were just demo recordings, and weren't originally intended to be put out as an album.

Cajun Country (1967) <|> Gib Guilbeau (1973)
More from Gib Guilbeau

Download

The Yardbirds - For Your Love (1965)

2011-09-01T22:32:00.005+01:00

The Yardbirds were a British rhythm and blues band active in the 60s, known for having in their members at various times three of the most influential British guitarists of the era (Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page).

The Yardbirds' third single proved to be an important milestone for them. "For Your Love", written by Graham Gouldman, became their first big hit - it reached #3 in the UK and #6 in the US. The song signalled a shift from their R&B roots towards pop music... a move that outraged lead guitarist Eric Clapton, who promptly left the band, despite their new found chart success. He was their star member, so how were they to replace him? They found their answer in Jeff Beck. First Clapton had reccomended Jimmy Page to take his place, but he had been reluctant to give up his lucrative studio work, so Page in turn reccomended Beck. Beck proved a brilliant guitarist perfectly able to fill Clapton's shoes, and at the same time his more experimental style suited their new change of direction well.
In America, For Your Love became the band's first studio album, capitalising on the single's success. It wasn't a proper album, but rather a compilation consisting of the first three singles and their b-sides with five other songs, and it wasn't actually released in the UK at all (though three of the extra tracks were put out as an EP, making only two of the songs US-only releases). It was taken from both Clapton-era and Beck-era recording sessions, and so both of them are featured on different tracks.
Despite its pieced-together nature, retrospectively it can actually be seen as one of their best albums, and definately contains some of their best recordings (in both blues and pop styles). In particular, the two pre-"For Your Love" singles and their b-sides show them at their best - "I Wish You Would" / "A Certain Girl" and "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" / "I Ain't Got You", and feature some of Clapton's best early solos.

Five Live Yardbirds (1964) <|> Having A Rave Up (1965)
More from The Yardbirds

Download

New Riders Of The Purple Sage - The Adventures Of Panama Red (1973)

2011-08-31T20:35:00.005+01:00

The New Riders Of The Purple Sage are an American country-rock band, with roots in the San Francisco psychedelic scene of the 60s.

The band's fourth album proved to be their most successful, taking them to #55 on the charts. Two of the songs, "Panama Red" and "Lonesome L.A. Cowboy", were by Peter Rowan, and despite being written by an outside songwriter they in many ways sum up the sound and imagery of the New Riders Of The Purple Sage, being their definitive 'psychedelic country' numbers. The lyrics of "Panama Red", depending on how they are viewed, can either be taken to be about a famous cowboy character or a particularly potent strain of cannabis ("The judge don't know when Red's in town / He keeps well hidden underground"). The song became the band's biggest radio hit. Peter Rowan himself later performed it with Old And In The Way, and repeatedly throughout his solo career.
The rest of the album consists of classic NRPS, from their classic lineup - John Dawson (rhythm guitar/vocals), David Nelson (lead guitar/vocals), Dave Torbert (bass/vocals), Buddy Cage (pedal steel) and Spencer Dryden (drums). Both Dawson and Torbet contributed strong original material, and the other songs also included "Kick In The Head" by Robert Hunter.

Gypsy Cowboy (1972) <|> Home, Home On The Road (1974)
More from New Riders Of The Purple Sage

Download