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"...I'm The Man You Need..."
JACKIE LOMAX has seen his
60ts output with The Undertakers done by Big Beat of the UK (part of Ace
Records), his lone Apple album reissued twice in 1993 and 2010 on Expanded CDs
and his duo of Warner Brothers LPs from 1971 and 1972 also Expanded by Rhino –
all in fine style.
Now it’s the turn of England’s Angel Air label to have a go.
This is a Lomax fan-orientated 2CD compilation, which generously mops up
unreleased tracks, rare live and studio recordings and various other unreleased
stragglers. But as is the nature of these kinds of releases - it’s a very mixed
bag on both song quality and audio (both good and bad). Here are the Sour Milk
Seas...
UK released May 2015 -
"Rare, Unreleased and Live, 1965-2012" by JACKIE LOMAX on Angel Air
SJPCD466 (Barcode 5055011704664) is a 2CD posthumous retrospective and plays
out as follows:
CD1 – Unreleased – 76:20
minutes:
1. Soul Light
2. More (Livin' For Lovin')
3. California
4. Who's Foolin’ Who
Tracks 1 to 4 recorded 1975
at Hollywood Central Studio and features Paul Barrere of Little Feat on Guitars
(including Slide).
5. If Only I Could Find A
Way
6. She Feels That Way
Tracks 5 and 6 are the
A&B-sides of a 1977 USA 7” single on Pan American PAX 134.
7. The Little Things Of Love
8. Fallen Angel (both recorded
1980, no other details available)
9. I'm Gonna Be There
10. You're So Beautiful
11. Green Eyes
12. Don't Talk To Me (9 to
12 recorded 1985, no other details available)
13. Devil Eyes (a cover
version of a Tim Buckley song by Jackie Lomax and Juke Logan. Originally on a
1990 Various Artists CD compilation called "True Voices" on Demon
FIEND CD 165)
14. Give Your Heart To
Somebody
15. Hold On Tight To What
You Got
16. Against All Odds
17. The Edge Of The World
(Tracks 14 to 17 recorded 1990, no details)
18. I Can't Hold Out (an
Elmore James cover)
19. One Night In Chicago
(Tracks 18 and 19 by The Undertakers featuring Jackie Lomax on their 2009 CD
“Resurrection” on Meadow Records 3. He sang lead vocals on these two songs)
20. Dead And Gone (from the
2012 CD compilation "Black On Blue: A Tribute To The Black Keys" on
Cleopatra CLP 8727)
CD 2 – Rare & Live –
74:59 minutes:
1. Throw Your Love Away
(1965 recording first issued on the 1996 "Unearthed" CD compilation
by The Undertakers featuring Jackie Lomax on Big Beat CDWIKD 163)
2. You Better Get Going Now
(by The Lomax Alliance)
3. Genuine Imitation Life
(1968 UK solo 7” single on CBS Records 2554, A)
4. Sour Milk Sea (George
Harrison song)
5. The Eagle Laughs At You
(Tracks 4 and 5 recorded live at the BBC "Top Of The Pops" in
November 1968 with Tim Renwick on Guitar and Chris Hatfield on Piano)
6. So War Das Netz Gewoben
(German Version of "How The Web Was Woven". Same backing track as the
UK hit - just with German lyrics overdubbed).
7. Too Complicated (by Heavy
Jelly and from their self-titled debut album on Island Records which was Promo
Only – never released)
8. Sour Milk Sea (Live)
9. More (Livin' For Lovin')
(Live)
10. Peace Of Mind (Live)
11. (Put Some) Rhythm In
Your Blues (Live)
12. Blue World (Live)
13. Our Love (Live)
14. Hold On To Your Loved
One (Live)
15. It Isn't Only Love
(Live)
16. On The Road To Be Free
(Live)
17. Hellfire, Night Crier
(Live)
18. She Took Me Higher
(Live)
Tracks 8 to 18 recorded live
at "The Savoy" in San Francisco, California, 12 December 1976
The 12-page booklet has
short but informative liner notes by compilation producer ALISTAIR HEPBURN and
although it doesn’t state who did the Remasters – all material is licensed from
the Estate of Jackie Lomax. The Audio is a very mixed bunch indeed – ranging
from superb modern day recordings (the reformed Undertakers) to hissy home
cassettes and ok live stuff. This is aimed at fans a whole CD of Previously
Unreleased is what they want – those looking for hits should perhaps opt for
the Apple CD of “Is This What You want?” or the two Rhino 2005 CD reissues of
his Warner Brothers LPs “Home Is In My Head” from 1971 and “Three” from 1972.
It opens with a winner – a
four-song session from 1975 with Paul Barrere of Little Feat guesting on
Guitars. The audio quality on Tracks 9 to 12 is very bad – clearly dubbed from
discs or knackered tapes. It’s a hissy shame because “You’re So Beautiful” is
very AWB territory with a sexy Soulful groove and great playing. More funky Rock
comes with the 1990 recordings of “Give Your Heart To Somebody” – but again
“Hold On Tight”, “Against All Odds” and “The Edge Of The World” are covered in
noticeable hiss. Far better is a great Boogie version of Elmore James’ classic
“I Can’t Hold Out” by Jackie as part of The Undertakers in properly great
audio. His own “One Night In Chicago” isn’t great but a wicked and kicking
“Dead And Gone” is fantastic 60ts Freakbeat. The live set on Disc 2 gives the
fans what they want by opening with his Apple hit “Sour Milk Sea” and then
going into his latest Capitol Records material – the audio on the whole set is
only ok.
A mixed bag for sure
(especially on the audio front) – but one that fans will love and need to
own...
