"Just As I Am" by BILL WITHERS – May 1971 US Debut Album on Sussex Records featuring Stephen Stills of CSNY, Chris Etheridge of The Flying Burrito Brothers with Donald "Duck" Dunne, Al Jackson and Booker T. Jones of Booker T. and The MG’s - Booker T. also Produced and Arranged (November 2012 UK Sony Music/Legacy 9CD Mini Clamshell Box Set of Remasters with Mini LP Card Repro Artwork Sleeves) - A Review by Mark Barry...

 

 

May 1971 "Just As I Am" US Debut Album on Sussex Records

Superb Remaster Inside 

"The Complete Sussex and Columbia Catalogue" 

Sony/Legacy 9CD Box Set 

 

 

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"...Sooth The Local Unwed Mother..."

 

Columbia have many world-class box sets in their "Complete Album Series" – but you'd have to say that this Bill Withers winner is just a little bit more special than most. And with a thoroughly deserved Grammy win under the belt - it's time to review the great Soul Man's legacy and his magical debut too. Box Set details...

 

Released November 2012 in the UK and USA - "The Complete Sussex And Columbia Albums" by BILL WITHERS is a 9-CD Mini Box Set with a 40-page booklet on Sony Music/Legacy 88697894672 (Barcode 886978946720) with the debut album on CD1 as follows:

 

Disc 1 (35:37 minutes):

1. Harlem [Side 1]

2. Ain't No Sunshine

3. Grandma's Hands

4. Sweet Wanomi

5. Everybody's Talkin'

6. Do It Good

7. Hope She'll Be Happier [Side 2]

8. Let It Be Me

9. I'm Her Daddy

10. In My Heart

11. Moanin' And Groanin'

12. Better Off Dead

Tracks 1 to 12 are his debut album "Just As I Am" – released May 1971 on Sussex SXBS-7006 in the USA and June 1971 on A&M/Sussex AMLS 65002 in the UK.

 

The attention to detail is pleasing - the first 4 discs sport the Sussex label as per the original vinyl albums while the following five have the red Columbia labels. "Still Bill" has its 'opening doors' front sleeve while the double "Live At Carnegie Hall" also has its original gatefold reproduced. Each card sleeve is now bordered in white but it looks and feels classy (even if the print is tiny). The chunky 40-page booklet doesn’t scrimp on detail either - track-by-track annotation with photos of the albums, rare music press adverts, liner notes by Michael Eric Dyson and even a letter from the great man himself at the beginning about his long musical journey.

 

But the big news for fans is the stunning new remastered sound carried out by a trio of engineers - MARK WILDER for 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9 with 1, 2 and 7 handled by JOSEPH M. PALMACCIO and 3 done by TOM RUFF. Original analogue master tapes have been used in all transfers and what a job they’ve done. Right from the opening acoustic strum of "Harlem" on his fabulous debut album "Just As I Am" and onto the gutsy pump of "Lonely Town, Lonely Street" which opens the equally brill follow up LP "Still Bill" - the sound quality is truly glorious throughout. Beautiful feel - space around the instruments - clarity - warm bass - not to over-trebled - it's a top notch job done and makes you re-hear all those wonderful songs anew. 

 

To the debut - two USA 45-singles were released around the album - "Ain't No Sunshine" b/w "Harlem" on Sussex 219 (June 1971 - originally issued in April 1971 with the same catalogue number - but with the tracks reversed) - and "Grandma's Hands" b/w "Sweet Wanomi" on Sussex 227 (October 1971).

 

Britain had slightly different configurations - "Everybody's Talkin'" b/w "Harlem" on A&M Records AMS 845 (May 1971), "Ain't No Sunshine" b/w "Harlem" on A&M Records AMS 858 (September 1971) and "Lean On Me" b/w "Better Off Dead" on A&M Records AMS 7004 (August 1972) [the A-side is on the Sony Legacy CD of his 2nd album "Still Bill"].

 

"Just As I Am" is not so much Funky-Soul but more Folk-Soul - so a lot of the tracks have just acoustic guitars and lots of air around them. I went through so many copies of the (frankly dodgy) US Sussex LP and even the British A&M tan label original and they were always good rather than great, and in some instances hissy as Hell. Not so here. It hasn't been trebled to the nines for the sake of it - it's just breathing. 

 

And although you're not told on what tracks which plays – we know guests include STEPHEN STILLS on Guitar, CHRIS ETHERIDGE of The Flying Burrito Brothers is on Bass with three from BOOKER T & THE MG'S – DONALD "Duck" DUNNE on Bass, AL JACKSON on Drums and BOOKER T. JONES himself on Organ and Guitar (Produced and Arranged too).

 

Right from the off the acoustic guitars and drums on "Harlem" are amazing - as are the strings, soft bass and vocals on his masterful "Ain't No Sunshine" - all so sweet. The fantastically personal and socially aware "Grandma's Hands" still has the power to move (lyrics above) and it's a blast to finally get unheard gems like "Hope She'll Be Happier", "I'm Her Daddy" and "Moanin' And Groanin'" in top-notch sound quality. In fact of the 12 tracks - Withers impressively wrote 10 - the two covers being Fred Neil's "Everybody's Talkin'" (made famous by Nilsson in "Midnight Cowboy") and a very nice uptempo soul take on The Beatles' "Let It Be". 

 

Favourites - I particularly love "Do It Good" where the MG's play a blinder in terms of sheer slinky feel. And even though the gunshot at the end of "Better Off Dead" is still too abrupt - it's such a great tune. Yes folks. Love it. Love it. Love it.

 

Somehow like equal giants Bobby Womack, Minnie Riperton and Donny Hathaway - Bill Withers has always been the underdog of Soul - never spoken about in the same awe-struck tones that are routinely given to Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and Otis Redding. In my book he's always been right up there with the best of them - a world class Soul Brother - and this ludicrously good mini CD box set is a way for us mere mortals into that musical greatness that is now sadly gone.

 

"I loved that old lady..." – a heartfelt Bill Withers told the audience as he introduced his debut album gem "Grandma's Hands" on the 1973 "Live At Carnegie Hall" double (it was already a classic two years after release). Well - we feel the same about you mate. Beautiful and then some...

"Black And White" by TONY JOE WHITE – July 1969 US Debut Album on Monument Records in Stereo (1969 UK on Monument in both Mono and Stereo) – Stereo Album Plus 45s and Unreleased Inside "Swamp Music: The Complete Monument Recordings" (September 2006 USA Rhino Handmade 4CD Brick Block Mini Box Set with Bill Inglot and Dan Hersch Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

 

"Black And White" US Debut LP on Monument Records (July 1969)

Remastered in Stereo with Many Bonuses 

Inside "Swamp Music: The Complete Monument Recordings"  

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"...Funky Fingers... "

 

Born in 1943 Louisiana as the seventh son (literally) in the White Family and reared on a weekly diet of Gospel and Church music – one fateful day Daddy White brought home a Lightnin' Hopkins album and the young Tony Joe was solid gone. Cut to the Union Chapel in Islington, London in 2014 and that young boy now walks on stage with an electric guitar and a voice that rattles a church to its core as he simply says - "Evening y'all!"

 

Minutes later as he launches into his one-man Soul Francisco vibe, his loud electrified swamp boogie feels like the beginning of JJ Cale morphing into a one-man ZZ Top via maybe a little dash of Creedence. The effect as you can imagine was quite awesome. But then, amongst certain circles (especially within the industry) – Tony Joe White has always been a little bit special in the Mojo stakes. And now with his recent loss, his legacy is being rediscovered like no man's business. Details for the box set first...

 

"Swamp Music: The Complete Monument Recordings" by TONY JOE WHITE was put out Stateside in September 2006 by Rhino Handmade on RHM2 7731 (Barcode 603497773121). Across 4 CDs and 83 tracks, the flip-top Brick Block mini Box Set offers three full albums, the A&B's of 10 x US 7" 45-singles (many non-album) and a whopping 41 Previously Unreleased.The debut album is Disc 1...

 

Disc 1 (75:37 minutes):

1. Willie And Laura Mae Jones [Side 1]

2. Soul Francisco

3. Aspen Colorado

4. Whompt Out On You

5. Don't Steal My Love

6. Pork Salad Annie

7. Who's Making Love [Side 2]

8. Scratch My Back

9. Little Green Apples

10. Wichita Lineman

11. The Look Of Love

Tracks 1 to 11 are his debut album "Black And White" released July 1969 in the USA on Monument Records SLP 18114 (Stereo) and in late 1969 UK on Monument LMO 5027 (Mono) and SMO 5027 (Stereo) – Stereo Mix Used. Produced by Billy Swan – the album didn't chart in either country.

 

BONUS TRACKS Disc 1:

12. Willie And Laura Mae Jones (Alternate Version)

13. I Protest

14. A Man Can Only Stand Just So Much Pain

15. Toil & Trouble (Early Version)

16. Georgia Pines

17. It's Not What You Got

18. Prison Song

19. Hung Up On You

20. Ten More Miles To Louisiana (B-side to "Georgia Pines", see 16)

21. Let The Party Roll On

22. Watching The Trains Go By (Alternate Version)

23. Georgia Pines (Alternate Version)

24. Baby Please Don't Go

NOTES on Bonus Tracks:

Tracks 13 and 14 are the Non-LP A&B-sides of a May 1968 US 7" 45-single on Monument 45-1070

Track 16 is the A-side of his March 1967 Debut US 7" 45-single for Monument on Monument 45-1003 - Produced by Ray Stevens

Tracks 12, 15, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23 and 24 are Previously Unreleased

 

This Box set will also allow fans to sequence Mono and Stereo variants of all of the following US and UK 45-singles around the debut album:

 

US 7" 45-Singles:

1. Georgia Pines b/w Ten More Miles To Louisiana, March 1967 on Monument 45-1003 (Tracks 16 and 20 on Disc 1)

2. Watching The Trains Go By b/w Old Man Willis, February 1968 on Monument 45-1053 (Tracks 11 and 12 on Disc 2)

4. I Protest b/w A Man Can Only Stand Just So Much Pain, May 1968 on Monument 45-1070 (Tracks 13 and 14 on Disc 1)

5. Soul Francisco b/w Whompt Out On You, August 1968 on Monument MN 45-1086 (Tracks 1 and 4 on Disc 1 in Stereo)

6. Pork Salad Annie b/w Aspen Colorado, October 1968 on Monument MN45-1104 (Tracks 6 and 3 on Disc 1 in Stereo)

 

UK 7" 45-Singles:

1. Soul Francisco b/w Whompt Out On You (September 1968, Monument MON 1024 – Tracks 1 and 4 on Disc 1 in Stereo)

2. Pork Salad Annie b/w Aspen Colorado (February 1969, Monument MON 1031 – Tracks 6 and 3 on Disc 1 in Stereo)

3. Willie And Laura Mae Jones b/w Scratch My Back (June 1969, Monument MON 1036 – Tracks 1 and 8 on Disc 1 in Stereo)

 

Compiled by BILL INGLOT and MASON WILLIAMS with Tape Research and Mastering done by BILL INGLOT and DAN HERSCH – the mini box set features a flip-back lid with 4 repro sleeves and a booklet contained within. The quality of the oversized card sleeves is superb with most of the rear liner notes and credits perfectly readable (even on the hard-to-read rear sleeve of the “Tony Joe album). The sepia-feel 36-page booklet is numbered on the rear page to 5000 and features detailed liner notes by BEN EDMONDS and interviews with Tony Joe White, Friend and Musical Advisor Bob Beckham and Producer Billy Swan. Interspersed between the dense texts are full-page shots of several Monument 7” singles (some demos) and comprehensive reissue details at the rear. The remasters are fantastic – bringing out that deeply funky groove and far better than what I had before.

 

His debut has huge fan craves like "Soul Francisco" ("...some of those children got something to say…") and the equally cool "Pork Salad Annie". The realistic "Willie And Laura Mae Jones" proved just too gritty for US radio as an album track play (it never got issued as a 45 in America, only in the UK and certain Euro territories). The tail end three covers versions are the album's undoing though – saccharine takes on "Little Green Apples" with Glen Campbell and Jimmy Webb's "Wichita Lineman" abutting the Bacharach/David smoocher "Look Of Love" (you can feel his TJW Soul wincing as you listen and he sings). Far better is his "...right there!" cover of Slim Harpo's "Scratch My Back" and amongst the previously unreleased are great discoveries like "Prison Song" ("...breaking up rocks in the hot, hot sun…").

 

This box set will also allows fans to access the rare US stand-alone 45s outside of the debut – a very nice touch indeed. The debut album is a cracking start with some flaws for sure, but it most definitely points to the magic to come in the next few years.

 

I’ve long been of the reasoning that J.J. Cale nicked it from Tony Joe, Clapton nicked it from Cale and Mark Knopfler nicked it from all three for his Dire Straits debut. Tina Turner would take his "Steamy Windows" and make another worldwide hit too.

 

Whatever way you look at it – this is a fabulous (if not illusive) box set. Real Gone Music would do the same for his fabulous Warners Brothers albums that quickly followed his termination with Monument Records (see separate review).

 

In the meantime "Swamp Music" is the very best of starting points and a cool way to sample why so many followed/half-inched Tony Joe White's Crocodile shoes…

"ZZ Top's First Album" by ZZ TOP - January 1971 US Debut Album on London Records (no UK release at the time) featuring Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard – Disc 1 Inside "The Complete Studio Albums 1970-1990" (June 2013 UK Warner Brothers 10CD Clamshell Box Set of Remasters in Mini LP Card Repro Sleeves) - A Review by Mark Barry...

 

 

ZZ Top's First Album from 1971 - CD Remaster 

Inside "The Complete Studio Albums" BOX SET "...Certified Blues... "

A bit of ZZ History is needed on this one...

 

Back in the mists of early CD reissues and especially remasters - 1987's "Six Pack" by ZZ TOP was considered to be the height of desirability. It contained Discs 1 to 5 and 7 in this 10-disc set from 2013 - the debut "ZZ Top's First Album" (1971) along with "Rio Grande Mud" (1972), "Tres Hombres" (1973), "Fandango!" (1975) and the "El Loco" album from 1977. So it naturally looked like a great remaster deal. That is until you listened to it.

 

In order to cash in on the huge success of 1983's "Eliminator" and its 1985 follow up "Afterburner" - 1980's type percussion was 'remixed' into the first five LPs in the set (excluding "El Loco") and the results were awful. By way of finally placating fans, 2006 saw proper CD remasters of "Tres Hombres" and "Fandango!" that even contained bonus tracks (not included in these reissues unfortunately). "Eliminator" also saw a Deluxe Edition 2CD proper remaster in September 2008, but the other albums including the debut have only seen sporadic tracks crop up in remastered form on Anthologies and the 2003 "Chrome, Smoke & BBQ" 4CD Retro.

 

Which brings us to this fab little box set - "The Complete Studio Albums 1970-1990" on Warner Brothers 8122796519 released June 2013. It features 10 albums, 100 tracks, and all using the original mixes - and for the first time in the case of "ZZ Top's First Album", "Rio Grande Mud" and "Tejas" - proper remasters. And they're in lovely 5" card repro sleeves with "Tres Hombres" and "Tejas" sporting their original gatefolds (a tri for "Tejas"). The debut album is Disc 1 and plays out as follows...

 

Disc 1 (35:37 minutes):

1. (Somebody Else Been) Shaking Your Tree [Side 1]

2. Brown Sugar

3. Squank

4. Goin Down To Mexico

5. Old Man

6. Neighbor, Neighbor [Side 2]

7. Certified Blues

8. Bedroom Thang

9. Just Got Back From Baby's

10. Backdoor Love Affair

Tracks 1 to 10 are their debut LP "ZZ Top's First Album" – released January 1971 in the USA on London PS 584 (no UK release at the time)

 

ZZ TOP was:

BILLY GIBBONS – Lead Guitar, Vocals

DUSTY HILL – Bass, Vocals

FRANK BEARD – Drums

 

Bitty bad news first - as it appears to be with all these Warners mini boxes (see reviews for Ry Cooder, Little Feat and Joni Mitchell) - there's no booklet - when such a thing would have been just oh so sweet. That aside what you do get is blindingly great Blues Boogie and ZZ's brand of Swamp Rock that doesn't let up for the duration (even if the later Eighties LP are patchy in places). And the sound is fantastic - clear, warm and full of ballsy clarity - and best of all - untampered. Musically how good is it to finally hear the "First Album" and "Rio Grande Mud" sound this kicking - a few seconds into slinky "Bedroom Thang", the harmonica boogie of "Mushmouth Shoutin'" and the rip of "Ko Ko Blue" and I'm in Rocking Nirvana.

 

The debut offered up ten honestly recorded originals opening with the cool chug of "(Somebody Else Been) Shaking Your Tree" – a soft-shoe-shuffle of a boogie chune. We get speaker-to-speaker Bluesy with the fantastic "Brown Sugar" – five and half minutes of friends telling Billy that has to have some, pals saying how its going to change his life – make him feel so right (or not). On to "Squank" where Billy and Dusty share lead vocals – a down and dirty tale of unsavoury types that could have done with a more ballsy rendition truth be told. 

 

Mean and tight riffage sails out through your speakers with "Goin Down To Mexico" – a song about idiotic race bias and border types with itchy fingers (great guitar solo). Side 1 comes to a close with one of the LP's better moments – the very Lynyrd Skynyrd "Old Man" – great slide guitar work working both speaker channels while Dusty bemoans hard times for US elderly.

 

Side 2 opens with a rocker from Billy Gibbons about a "Neighbor, Neighbor" talking to his wife just too friendly-like. Woke up this morning with the "Certified Blues" – about to drive poor Billy into the clay – nice panning of the guitars – very clean and muscular. I mentioned earlier the nasty groove of "Bedroom Thang" – a cool guitar boogie slice of salacious suggestiveness (sounding as hot as its subject matter too). Douse that light for "Just Got Back From Baby's" – another ZZ Top song where a gal may not be fully committed to a monogamous relationship with our hirsute Texas loverboy (fabulous Remastered audio). Dusty is prepared to go to any lengths for his crush in "Backdoor Love Affair" – even if it means dicing with the law or relatives (whichever comes for him first).

 

Even the most diehard ZZ-fan would admit that the debut is good rather than great – bolstered up with those three or four songs where the promise of the same is so evident.

 

The first ZZ Top LP is a getting-there record for our Texas Blues Rock Heroes in big hats and nudie suits. But listening even now in early 2022 to that cool guitar battle as "Backdoor Love Affair" fades out (51 years after the event), greatness is indeed what I hear, even if it isn't as amped-up to the nines as the later Warners/RCA stuff. Clean and honest – yum yum!

 

Buy it and start boogieing across the ceiling whilst you grow that beard long mamakins. 

 

YAR!

"Steppenwolf" by STEPPENWOLF – January 1968 US Debut Album on ABC-Dunhill Records in Mono and Stereo (May 1968 UK on RCA Victor in Mono and Stereo) – featuring John Kay – Eight of Eleven Stereo Tracks Inside "Gold" (September 2005 UK Universal UME/Geffen 2CD Anthology of Erick Labson Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

Steppenwolf's Self-Titled Debut Album from 1968 

A Reasonably Cheap Way of Getting 8 of its 11 Tracks in Stunning Audio 

Inside the Erick Labson Remastered 2CD "Gold" Anthology

 

"…Everybody Work Out!"

 

As you can see from this release's dull artwork and naff title, on the outside, this reissue has all the imagination and aesthetic appeal of a cold hamburger on a Monday morning. It's the kind of compilation you'd probably ignore in the rack of your local music emporium. "Gold" for God's sake!!

 

So why review it, give it the time of day and what has "Gold" got to do with getting the best out of their superb 1968 debut album? Because of what's contained on the inside – stunning remasters offering a huge eight of the debut album's eleven sexy tracks in spiffing audio curvaciousness.

 

Some explanation with regard to the seriously upgraded audio... 

I've had various compilations throughout the years in order to have Steppenwolf tracks in my collection - both British and American issues - and some like the Beat Goes On British 2CD set of their first two albums are excellent. But they are all rendered redundant by this fantastic 2CD Anthology. To the details of that first...

 

UK released September 2005 – "Gold" by STEPPENWOLF on Universal/Geffen 0602498629468 (Barcode 602498629468) is a 31-Track 2CD Anthology of New Remasters. The album from which each song is taken from is listed after each entry...

 

CD1 (70:03 minutes):

1. Born To Be Wild (Steppenwolf)

2. Sookie Sookie (Steppenwolf)

3. Everybody's Next One (Steppenwolf)

4. Your Wall's Too High (Steppenwolf)

5. Desperation (Steppenwolf)

6. The Pusher (Steppenwolf)

7. The Ostrich (Steppenwolf)

8. Take What You Need (Steppenwolf)

9. Magic Carpet Ride (Steppenwolf The Second)

10. Don't Step On The Grass Sam (Steppenwolf The Second)

11. Tighten Up Your Wig (Steppenwolf The Second)

12. It's Never Too Late (Steppenwolf The Second)

13. Jupiter's Child (At Your Birthday Party)

14. Rock Me (At Your Birthday Party)

15. Monster: Suicide/America Medley (Monster)

 

CD2 (66:29 minutes):

1. Move Over (Monster)

2. Power Play (Monster)

3. Hey Lawdy Mama (1970 US 7" 45-single)

4. Snow Blind Friend (Steppenwolf 7)

5. Who Needs Ya (Steppenwolf 7)

6. Renegade (Steppenwolf 7)

7. Foggy Mental Breakdown (Steppenwolf 7)

8. Hippo Stomp (Steppenwolf 7)

9. Screaming Night Hog (1970 US 7" 45-single)

10. For Ladies Only (For Ladies Only)

11. Tenderness (For Ladies Only)

12. Ride With Me (For Ladies Only)

13. I'm Movin' On (John Kay solo - Forgotten Songs & Unsung Heroes)

14. My Sportin' Life (John Kay solo - My Sportin' Life)

15. Drift Away (John Kay solo - My Sportin' Life)

16. Straight Shooting Woman (Slow Flux)

 

The stunning remastered sound engineered by ERICK LABSON is way better than anything else previously issued and the sheer numbers of tracks also make it seriously great value for money too (you can pick it up for less than a fiver in certain places). Erick Labson is one of those great unsung-heroes of CD reissues. Working on the huge and varied Universal catalogue, he has amassed a monumental 1200 + credits to his name for Engineering, Mastering, Restoration and Digital Remastering stretching back to the early Nineties. So old EL knows his way around a master tape or two. His better-known mastering/remastering Rock credits include: The Who's "My Generation Deluxe Edition", Neil Diamond's "Play Me: The Complete Uni Studio Recordings", Joni Mitchell's "The Beginning Of Survival", Wishbone Ash's "Argus" and Three Dog Night's "The Complete Hit Singles". And as anyone who owns these will know, they are all exceptional in their sound quality and thorough in their presentation.

 

To the self-titled "Steppenwolf" debut... 

Their first LP was released January 1968 in the USA on ABC/Dunhill Records D-50029 (Mono) and ABC/Dunhill Records DS-50029 (Stereo) - March 1968 in the UK on RCA Victor RD 7974 (Mono) RCA Victor SF 7974  (Stereo) – this 2CD set uses only the STEREO mixes. You can sequence the eight of eleven as follows...

 

Side 1:

1. Sookie Sookie [2]

2. Everybody's Next One [3]

3. Berry Rides Again

4. Hootchie Kootchie Man

5. Born To Be Wild [1]

6. Your Wall's Too High [4]

 

Side 2:

1. Desperation [5]

2. The Pusher [6]

3. A Girl I Knew

4. Take What You Need [8]

5. The Ostrich [7]

 

As per the track outlay given above, the three that are missing are John Kay's "Berry Rides Again" and their cover of the Willie Dixon Chess Records classic "Hootchie Kootchie Man" from Side 1 - as well as "A Girl I Know" from Side 2 – a co-write between John Kay and Morgan Cavett.

 

The LP featured the 60ts counter-culture anthem "Born To Be Wild" which along with the grind of "The Pusher" would be made globally iconic after both were featured in the "Easy Rider" film about bikers sidestepping the man. I do wish Steppenwolf weren't forever attached to that biker song - solely - almost as if it's all they ever did because when you play the fantastic opener "Sookie Sookie" (a Don Covay cover version) or the Kay original "Your Wall's Too High" at the end of Side 1 – you realise they had so much more to offer that was way better. 

 

The wildly famous 60ts rebel anthem "Born To Be Wild" was inked by one Dennis McCrohan under the penname Mars Bonfire – and I dare say old Dennis was glad he did as the royalties much have kept him in rock candies for decades to come. McCrohan had been with a group called The Sparrow before joining Steppenwolf although he left and wasn't with the band when "Wild" became the huge hit it was and still is (Sparrow managed three rare 45s in 1965 and 1966 - one on Capitol and two with Columbia Records).

 

The mighty Country Rock singer Hoyt Axton penned the stunning guitar-wailing anti-drugs song "The Pusher" – a subject matter Hoyt often obsessed over after he had seen too much of its downsides (a lot of people walking around with tombstones in their eyes). John Kay would return to Axton on his solo LPs for material - he also penned "Joy To The World" - a No. 1 for Three Dog Night. 

 

Kay then pleads for some more mercy in the aching slow rawk of "Desperation" – take my hand if you don't know where you're going. The near six-minutes of "The Ostrich" that ended Side 2 contains Sixties Rock, Sixties Psych by way of The James Gang and even The Allman Brothers – a fabulous romp with its drums and warbling organ punishing your speakers as Lead Singer and Songwriter John Kay warbles his way through the harsh ways of the real world. Piano gets introduced for "Take What You Need" – easily the most poppy song on an otherwise Hard Rocking album.

 

Given the sheer amount of back catalogue and artists that Universal owns and maintains, it's no real surprise to find that the number of compilations in the "Gold" series is somewhat hair-raising. But in there are bands like The Crusaders, Traffic and Steppenwolf with storming audio that most don't hear about.

 

"Sookie Sookie…Let It Hang Out Baby...Everybody Work Out!" indeed! 

 

Time to rediscover just how good LA's Steppenwolf really were/are and dig into this fabulous Anthology overhaul. Still cool after 50+ years...