"Sun Zoom Spark: 1970 to 1972" by CAPTAIN BEEFHEART (November 2014 Rhino 4CD Box Set - Dan Hersch and Brian Kehew Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"Sun Zoom Spark" takes its title from a track on the wonderfully bat-shit "Clear Spot" album from 1972. But by my calculations, the last time CD remasters were applied to Captain Beefheart's hugely sought after trio of Seventies albums listed below was over 20 years ago (in 1993 I believe). 

So this 2014 reissue box set of 4CDs by Rhino Records of the USA with its truly fabulous sonic overhaul has been long overdue and is made all the more exciting by Previously Unreleased goodies on Disc 4. Makes me want to booglarize my big toe right quick and grow fins. But before we get all metaphysical on yo ass - here are the Smithsonian Institute Blues, Golden Birdies and Big-Eyed Beans from Venus...

UK released Monday 17 November 2014 - "Sun Zoom Spark: 1970 to 1972" by CAPTAIN BEEFHEART on Rhino R2 541728 (Barcode 603497905553) is a 4CD Box Set of Remasters that breaks down as follows:

Disc 1 (38:48 minutes):

1. Lick My Decals Off, Baby

2. Doctor Dark

3. I Love You, You Big Dummy

4. Peon

5. Bellerin' Plain

6. Woe-Is-Uh-Me-Bop

7. Japan in A Dishpan

8. I Wanna Find A Woman That'll Hold My Big Toe Till I Have To Go [Side 2]

9. Petrified Forest

10. One Red Rose That I Mean

11. The Buggy Boogie Woogie

12. The Smithsonian Institute Blues (Or The Big Dig)

13. Space-Age Couple

14. The Clouds Are Full Of Wine (Not Whiskey Or Rye)

15. Flash Gordon's Ape

Tracks 1 to 15 are the album "Lick My Decals Off, Baby" - his fourth album first released October 1970 in the USA on Straight/Reprise RS 6240 and January 1971 on Straight STS 1063 in the UK.

Disc 2 (35:59 minutes):

1. I'm Gonna Booglarize You Baby

2. White Jam

3. Blabber 'n Smoke

4. When It Blows Its Stacks

5. Alice In Blunderland

6. The Spotlight Kid [Side 2]

7. Click Clack

8. Grow Fins

9. There Ain't No Santa Claus On The Evenin' Stage

10. Glider

Tracks 1 to 10 are his 5th studio album "The Spotlight Kid" - released February 1972 in the USA on Reprise Records RS 2050 and Reprise K 44162 in the UK

Disc 3 (37:30 minutes):

1. Low Yo Yo Stuff

2. Nowadays A Woman's Gotta Hit A Man

3. Too Much Time

4. Circumstances

5. My Head Is My Only House Unless It Rains

6. Sun Zoom Spark

7. Clear Spot [Side 2]

8. Crazy Little Thing

9. Long Neck Bottles

10. Her Eyes Are A Blue Million Miles

11. Big Eyed Beans From Venus

12. Golden Birdies

Tracks 1 to 12 are his sixth studio album "Clear Spot" - released November 1972 in the USA on Reprise MS 2115 and February 1973 in the UK on Reprise K 54007

Disc 4 "Out-Takes 1970 to 1972" (46:39 minutes):

1. Alice In Blunderland (Alternate Version) [3:55 minutes]

2. Harry Irene [3:33 minutes]

3. I Can't Do This Unless I Can Do This/Seam Crooked Sam [2:00 minutes]

4. Pompadour Swamp/Suction Prints [4:23 minutes] - see NOTE

5. The Witch Doctor Life (Instrumental Take) [5:27 minutes]

6. Two Rips In A Haystack/Kiss Me My Love [2:38 minutes]

7. Best Batch Yet (Track) Version 1 [2:18 minutes]

8. Your Love Brought Me To Life (Instrumental) [3:11 minutes]

9. Dirty Blue Gene (Alternate Version 1) [2:52 minutes]

10. Nowadays A Woman's Gotta Hit A Man (Early Mix) [3:59 minutes]

11. Kiss Where I Kain't (Instrumental) [2:44 minutes]

12. Circumstances (Alternate Version 2) [3:23 minutes]

13. Little Scratch [2:57 minutes]

14. Dirty Blue Gene (Alternate Version 3) [3:03 minutes]

All Tracks Previously Unreleased. Note: "Pompadour Swamps" appeared on the Virgin Records LP "Bluejeans And Moonbeams" LP in November 1974 - but the music is an early version of "Suction Prints" which later appeared on the Virgin Records LP "Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller)" in February 1980.

The Box Set (using his own paintings as cover art) is shaped a little like a 7" single set with the sepia-printed 20-page booklet inside and four 5" Card Repro Sleeves inlaid into a centred hollow with a red ribbon to pull them out with ease. The fourth disc not surprisingly utilizes one of his paintings as its artwork - a pastel from 1970 called "Button Down Fashion Bow". Each of the three album repro sleeves is of a very high quality with clear facsimiles of the colour artwork front and rear (no gatefolds). A real nice touch is that "The Spotlight Kid" has the lyric insert that came with original copies of the vinyl album and "Clear Spot" has its outer plastic envelope (I'd put the naked CD in a protective to avoid scratching).

The Box has been produced by STEVE WOOLARD and BILL INGLOT (a long time associate remaster engineer for Rhino) and inspired by TIM FRASER-HARDING. The hugely experienced DAN HERSCH carried out the remasters at D2 Mastering in LA with the "Out-takes" done by BRIAN KEHEW at Timeless Studios in North Hollywood. The remasters are sensational to my ears - full of life and presence - both men are to be praised for their work on this.

The booklet I'm glad to say is a classy affair. The size of a 7" single - it foregoes track lists and time-wasting for an essay called "The Sky Ran Down My Pencil" by RIP RENSE which features extracts from Beefheart interviews, Magic Band Trombonist Fowler, Guitarist Morris Tepper, Eric Feldman - celebrities and admirers like Matt Goening of The Simpsons, David Hidalgo of Los Lobos, the famous reviewer Lester Bangs from The Rolling Stone and there's even a wicked poem on Don by none other than TOM WAITS on Page 11. There's a witty quote on the side of the box too. But let's get to the real deal - the sonic wallop...

I'm probably going to elicit the wrath of legions, mental health enquiries and many sharp instruments rammed up the softer parts of my elderly person's flabby behind by saying that I've always found the 1969 double-album "Trout Mask Replica" 'hard going'. I say this because the 1971 single-album follow up "Lick My Decals Off, Baby" (after Replica quite possibly the best album title ever in the Universe) feels like "Trout" Part 2. And for this (spurious I know) reason - its fifteen short 'n' gangly discordant vignettes frankly do my brain in. But - and this is not up for debate or grabs - fans who've been listening to the 1993 "Decals" CD version are going to have their grey matters fried this time around because the new DAN HERSCH remaster sounds unbelievable - fantastically detailed and vibrant - bringing new layers to the music that simply wasn't there before. Comparing the new remaster of say "Woe-Is-Uh-Me-Bop" to its previous version is like comparing a Derby Car wreck to a James Bond's Aston Martin Vanquish - the mad Tom Waits rhythms of "Smithsonian" is the same.

Things go from great to frigging stratospheric on "The Spotlight Kid". There is slight hiss around the opening guitars of "I'm Gonna Booglarize You" for sure - but Mother-of-God when they kick in - the power of the riffage is just HUGE. And then his fantastic voice comes out of the speakers and I'm gone baby gone. The clarity of the pitter-pattering drums and vibes on "Blabber 'n' Smoke" is fantastic and his vocals just 'there' like never before. The same applies to the instrumental "Alice In Blunderland" with that manic Winged Eel Fingerling guitar solo. And I've waited near four decades to hear the harmonica/piano/guitar battle of "Click Clack" sound this good - and that harmonica wailing on "Grow Fins" ("I'm gonna take up with a mermaid...") - wowser!

Then it's on to my favourite album of his and one of the great-unsung masterpieces of the Seventies - the fabulous "Clear Spot". "Nowadays..." sounds amazing - full of life - while you see why people like Everything But The Girl covered the beautiful "My Head Is My Only House Unless It Rains". The title track rocks and Zoot Horn Rollo's guitar on "Big Eyed Beans From Venus" slides across your speakers like a snake with a Gibson strapped on (lyrics from it title this review). The lovely vibe "Too Much Time" has is now amplified and not over trebled for the sake of it. Great.

The "Out-Takes 1970 to 1972" disc opens strongly with a kicking version of the instrumental "Alice In Blunderland" - wonderful clarity too (no crappy demo feel). He then gets tender on "Harry Irene" and Harmonica Boogie on the short but cool "obscene cookie Sam" song "I Can't Do This..." There's fantastic opening guitar riffing on "Pompadour Stomp" while we get some "right on" dialogue at the beginning of mid-paced instrumental "The Witch Doctor Life". It's Tom Waits time again with "Two Rips In A Haystack" which features his trademark growl vocals sounding not unlike a white Howlin' Wolf. Because I'm so familiar with the realised song - the early mix of "Nowadays A Woman's Gotta Hit A Man" is utterly brilliant to me - that chug of the brass and guitars have subtle differences - so damn cool. The instrumental "Kiss Where I Kain't" is a fast boogie number that could so easily have been on either "Spotlight" or "Clear Spot". In fact listening the whole of Disc 4 - it feels like the album that should have maybe followed "Clear Spot".

The word genius is liberally bandied about in music - but in truth there's only been a few out-and-out genuine contenders - and the mighty Don Van Vliet was/is one of them. And isn’t it so good to see Rhino return to reissue form and give Captain Beefheart's recorded legacy such a tasty makeover. "Dawned on me man..." - what a winner - and for me a clear reissue of the year 2014.

Rest with the angels and your paintbrushes you anarchic peach...

"The Other Side Of The River" by TERRY REID (2016 Future Days Recordings CD Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Things To Try..." 

I ripped the shrink-wrap off this sucker with the glee of a piranha that hasn't eaten for three weeks as a baby elephant unwisely decides to take a nice bath in the 'river'. I've loved Terry Reid's third album and Atlantic Records debut with a passion for near 45 years - so the idea that a whole sixty-minute CD's worth of outtakes and unheard songs from these sessions existed was always going to test my pacemaker to the limit.

Details first - Future Days Recordings are part of 'Light In The Attic Records' group (with a Rhino association on this release) - a hugely respected American reissue label that has brought the world fabulous reissues of forgotten meisterworks by people like Michael Chapman, Betty Davis, Big Jim Sullivan, Bobby Whitlock, Karen Dalton, Kris Kristofferson and their big baby - Rodriguez (see my reviews for most of these artists and the Rodriguez film "Searching For Sugar Man"). Produced for release by experts PAT THOMAS and MARK BLOCK (they've also provided the superlative song-by-song liner notes) - the material has been licensed from Rhino and the analogue original tapes Researched by BILL INGLOT and MIKE JOHNSON, Multi-Track Mixing by BRIAN KEHEW with the final Remaster carried out by JOHN BALDWIN at John Baldwin Mastering.

USA and UK released Friday, 20 May 2016 - "The Other Side Of The River" by TERRY REID on Future Days Recordings/Rhino Custom Products FDR 629 (Barcode 826853062923) is a 11-track CD compilation offering six never-before-heard outtakes and five Alternate Versions of songs from the "River" sessions recorded in 1973 in two countries. EDDIE OFFORD (associated with Yes, ELP and Taste) recorded and produced the initial sessions in London (Advision and Olympic Studios) followed by TOM DOWD in Miami and Los Angeles (famously produced huge swathes of the Atlantic Records catalogue including Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin). All are Previously Unreleased and play out as follows (61:03 minutes):

1. Let's Go Down - Previously Unreleased Song
Features Bassist LEE MILES from the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, Drummer ALAN WHITE of YES and Guitarist DAVID LINDLEY (ex Kaleidoscope)
2. Avenue (F Boogie) - Previously Unreleased Alternate Take
London recording taken by Tom Dowd in the USA and overdubbed with the Ike & Tina Turner singers THE IKETTES
3. Things To Try – Previously Unreleased Alternate Take
Features Terry on Acoustic and David Lindley on Electric Guitar
4. Country Brazilian Funk - Previously Unreleased Song
Features Lee Miles, Terry Reid on Vocals and Gilberto Gil's 'The Brazilians' play Percussion
5. River - Previously Unreleased Alternate Take
Features Lee Miles, Terry Reid on Vocals and Latin Percussionist Willie Bobo
6. Listen With Eyes - Previously Unreleased Song
Features Lee Miles on Bass, Terry Reid on Acoustic and Willie Bobo on Percussion
7. Anyway - Previously Unreleased Alternate Take
Features Alan White of Yes on Piano - no Vocals
8. Celtic Melody - Previously Unreleased Song
Acoustic Instrumental recorded in London
9. Funny - Previously Unreleased Alternate Take
Features David Lindley on Pedal Steel Guitar and is one-minute longer than the version that turned up in 2006
10. Late Night Idea - Previously Unreleased Song
Recorded in Hollywood by Tom Dowd - Terry Reid on Steinway piano alone
11. Sabyla - Previously Unreleased Song
Features Lee Miles on Piano and Terry Reid on Lead Guitar

The gatefold card sleeve comes with a fab 16-page booklet featuring PAT THOMAS and MATT BLOCK liner notes. Entitled 'Many Rivers To Cross' – the prelude essay gives a potted history on Terry's career and hassles with Mickey Most's two-album lock down at the beginning of his career. But the details excel in the song by-song breakdowns (I've filled out the entries above from these). There are four photos of Advision and Olympic Sound Studios tape boxes and a snap on the front cover of Terry looking like a vagrant needing a good wash, a haircut and a real job. Odd though that the centre gatefold is blank - no photos guys?

The AUDIO is fantastic – the whole thing feeling like a well-recorded yet ramshackle Rolling Stones session – people feeling for a song – for a vibe – trying things out. It isn't all genius for damn sure but for lovers of the album "The Other Side Of The River" is going to be a thrill ride they will need in their life. And there's also a tangible sense of pride and excitement from the FDR compilers as well as Terry's amazed and bemused involvement with something that happened over 40 years ago (his comments feature a lot in the notes).

"Let's Go Down" was apparently a spontaneous jam and is probably the most exciting Rock track on the CD – a fabulous kicker of a song with amazing Production values and the band making every instrument wail and howl (Violin, Guitar and Brass). At 6:48 minutes – it's a very cool opening. Just as good is the Alternate of "Avenue" which features The Ikettes to stunning effect - making you wonder why they weren't included on the finished album version. But for me the goose bumps race up the arms on "Things To Try" - a more chilled version with amazing Production values as the acoustic guitars and drums assault your speakers (that gutteral vocal clear and powerful). "Country Brazilian Funk" is just odd - a six-hundred mile-an-hour guitar driven piece of drum battering that must have been fun to record but feels out of place with the mellow of the original album. Far better is the spoken count-in 'one-two...you know what to do...' to an Alternate "River" - a gorgeous ambler with beautifully clear Bass and Acoustic and a sexy vocal from Reid (feels like Santana on a chill with a great singer at the mike). The unissued "Listen With Eyes" again has that Jose Feliciano Latin acoustic guitar feel - a laid-back ballad with Willie Bobo guesting - very, very nice.

Some wonderful geezer studio chatter precedes the acoustic strum of "Anyway" and with Alan White's lovely barrelhouse piano complimenting the background - it already feels like a classic Ronnie Lane and Slim Chance beauty that you know you're going to love forever. He hums half way through (instead of lyrics) and it’s a crying shame there isn't a take with finished words (gorgeous stuff and 5:41 minutes long). "Celtic Melody" is only 1:35 minutes and consist mainly of hissy stops and starts on the Acoustic - but it shows his creative process - just playing and as his comments in the liner notes confirm - just 'making s*** up' as he went along. Back to the real deal with a fabulous Alternate "Funny" that runs to a whopping 8:06 minutes - apparently a minute longer than the mix that turned up on the 2006 CD compilation. He lets rip with that amazing voice as the acoustic and soft guitars keep it very mellow in-between. "Late Night Idea" is an accident - a work in progress never completed. Recording at Wally Heider's studio in Hollywood - Terry came upon a Steinway Grand piano and with Dowd letting the tapes roll - he sat down and played this intimate amble. It ends on "Sabyla" – an aimless meandering piano and guitar instrumental that the liner notes contend could have been a 70ts TV show theme (with a lot of a polish boys maybe).

So there you have it – "The Other Side Of The River" by Terry Reid is not all brill by any stretch - but man those good bits have me knobbling at the knees. And at my age I'm glad to be knobbling at anything...