"Feelin' Alright? Mod Rock, Funky Prog & Heavy Jazz 1967-1972" by VARIOUS ARTISTS – Featuring Deep Purple, Sharon Tandy, The Spencer Davis Group, The Love Affair, The Creation, Traffic, Love Sculpture, Spooky Tooth, The Lion Tamers, Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac, Small Faces, Jethro Tull, The Alan Bown!, Jeff Beck (with Rod Stewart on Lead Vocals), Chicken Shack, The Attack, Wynder K. Frog, Free, Blodwyn Pig (with Mick Abrahams), George Fame, Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & The Trinity, Savoy Brown, Mighty Baby, Mott The Hoople, Keef Hartley, Terry Reid, The Open Mind, Manfred Mann Chapter Three, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Affinity, Clouds, Killing Floor, Caravan, Juicy Lucy, Faces, The Kinks, Status Quo, East Of Eden, Walrus, Norman Haines Band, Mick Abrahams (ex-Jethro Tull and Blodwyn Pig), Brian Auger's Oblivion Express, Satisfaction, Galliard, Fuzzy Duck, MacDonald And Giles (ex-King Crimson), Graham Bond With Magick, CCS and more (June 2025 UK Cherry Red/Strawberry 64-Track 3CD Clamshell Box Set with a 40-Page Booklet, Three Compilation Mini LP Card Sleeves and Simon Murphy Mastering) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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RATINGS:

Overall ****

Presentation *****

Audio **** to *****

"...Sunshine Help Me..."

As a bona-fide old fart in body and addled mind, I only had to catch a glimpse of the title "Feelin' Alright? Mod Rock, Funky Prog & Heavy Jazz 1967-1972" and its scope of 64-tracks and I was there like a Gull to a Trawler Wake. There is much to unpack in this wee Boogie 'n' Environs Beasty from Cherry Red's label imprint Strawberry Records – so let's have at it…

UK released Friday, 20 June 2025 - "Feelin' Alright? Mod Rock, Funky Prog & Heavy Jazz 1967-1972" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Cherry Red/Strawberry CR3JAMBX44 (Barcode 5013929434431) is a 64-Track 3CD Compilation with a 40-Page Booklet and Themed Mini LP Sleeve CDs that plays out as follows:

CD1 (79:06 minutes) - 23-Tracks from January 1967 to October 1968 

Deep Purple feature on the cover
1. Hush (Mono Mix) - DEEP PURPLE (June 1969 UK 7" 45-Single on Parlophone R, 5708, A-side - Rod Evans on Lead Vocals)
2. Hold On - SHARON TANDY (August 1967 UK 7" 45-Single on Atlantic 584124, B-side to "Stay With Me" - Lead Electric Guitar by Bryn Haworth of Fleur De Lys)

3. I'm A Man (Mono Mix) - THE SPENCER DAVIS GROUP (January 1967 UK 7" 45-single on Fontana TF 785, A-side - Lead Vocalist Steve Winwood)

4. So Sorry - THE LOVE AFFAIR (from the December 1968 UK LP "The Everlasting Love Affair" on CBS Records S 63416 in Stereo - with Steve Ellis on Lead Vocals)

5. Sunshine Help Me - SPOOKY TOOTH (January 1968 UK 7" 45-single on Island WIP 6022, A-side, and on the Debut LP "It's All About" on Island ILPS 9080 in Stereo - featured Lead Vocalists Mike Harrison and Gary Wright)

6. Tinker, Tailor - TERRY REID (from his December 1968 US Debut LP "Bang, Bang, You're Terry Reid" on Epic Records BN 26427 in Stereo - Produced by Mickie Most - for his 1969 UK Debut LP "Terry Reid" on Columbia Records see also Track 20 on CD2)

7. Midway Down (Mono Mix) - THE CREATION (April 1968 UK 7" 45-Single on Polydor 56246, A-side)

8. Think Of Love - LOVE SCULPTURE (November 1968 UK 7" 45-Single on Parlophone R 5744, B-side to "Sabre Dance" - featuring Dave Edmunds on Lead Guitar)

9. Speak Your Mind - THE LION TAMERS (September 1968 UK 7" 45-Single on Polydor 56283, A-side)

10. Suspicions (Part One) - JOHN MAYALL'S BLUESBREAKERS (October 1967 UK 7" 45-Single on Decca F 12684, A-side Non-LP Track - featuring Mick Taylor on Guitar, Paul Williams on Bass, Keef Hartley on Drums with Dick Heckstall-Smith and Chris Mercer on Saxophones)

11. Feelin' Alright? - TRAFFIC (September 1968 UK 7" 45-Single on Island WIP 6041, A-side, also on the LP "Traffic" from September 1968 on Island Records ILPS 9081 in Stereo - featuring Steve Winwood, Dave Mason (song written by him), Jim Capaldi and Chris Wood)

12. Shake Your Moneymaker - (Peter Green's) FLEETWOOD MAC (from their February 1968 UK Debut LP "Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac" on Blue Horizon Records S7-63200 in Stereo)

13.  San-Ho-Zay - CHICKEN SHACK (from the June 1968 UK Debut LP "Forty Blue Fingers Freshly Packed And Ready To Serve" on Blue Horizon Records S 7-63203 in Stereo - featuring Stan Webb on Guitar, Mike Vernon Production)

14. Song Of A Baker (Mono Mix) - SMALL FACES (from the May 1968 UK LP "Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake" on Immediate Records IMLP 012 in Mono - featuring Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Ian McLagan and Kenney Jones)

15. Feel Like Flying - THE ATTACK (recorded in March 1968 as a planned fifth Uk 45-single, finally released in 1990 on the LP "Magic In The Air" on Reflection MM08)

16. Baby I Need You - CURIOSITY SHOPPE (November 1968 UK 7" 45-Single on Deram DM 220, A-side)

17. Jumping Jack Flash (Mono Mix) - WYNDER K. FROG (August 1968 UK 7" 45-Single on island WIP 6044, A-side - a Cover of The Rolling Stones classic - Wynder K. Frog is Mick Weaver and the song features heavy Hammond organ grooves)

18. Trouble On Double Time - FREE (from their October 1969 UK 2nd studio LP "Free" on Island Records ILPS 9104 in Stereo - featuring Paul Rodgers, Paul Kossoff, Andy Fraser and Simon Kirke)

19. Let Me Love You - JEFF BECK (from the November 1968 UK LP "Truth" on Columbia Records SCX 6293 in Stereo - features Rod Stewart on Lead Vocals)

20. Friends In St. Louis - THE ALAN BOWN! (from the February 1970 UK LP "The Alan Bown!" on Deram SML 1049 in Stereo)

21. Walking In The Park - COLOSSEUM (from the May 1969 UK Debut Album "Those About To Die Salute You" on Fontana Records STL 5510 in Stereo)

22. Sing Me A Song That I Know - BLODWYN PIG (from the July 1969 UK Debut LP "Ahead Rings Out" on Island Records ILPS 9101 in Stereo - features Guitarist Mick Abrahams (ex-Jethro Tull) and Saxophonist Jack Lancaster)

23. Serenade To A Cuckoo - JETHRO TULL (from the October 1968 UK Debut LP "This Was" on Island Records ILPS 9085 in Stereo - features Ian Anderson on Vocals and Flute with original guitarist Mick Abrahams)

CD2: (79:20 minutes) 22-Tracks from March 1967 to Oct 1970 

Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & The Trinity feature on the cover

1. I'm Alive - DON FARDON (August 1969 UK 7" 45-Single on Youngblood YB 1003, A-side - Fardon was with The Sorrows, a Tommy James And The Shondells cover version, Mod song later featured in a '5-Alive' Juice Drink advert in the UK)

2. Somebody Stole My Thunder - GEORGIE FAME (May 1970 UK 7" 45-Single on CBS Records S 5035, A-side - Produced by his former Animals band mate Alan Price, was also on the December 1969 UK LP "Seventh Son")

3. The Eagle Flies On Friday - THE EXCEPTIONS (March 1967 UK 7" 45-Single on CBS Records 202632 - Written and Sung by Drummer Alan Eastwood, the Bassist was Dave Pegg later of Fairport Convention and Robert Plant (then pre Led Zeppelin) plays Tambourine)

4. One Way Glass - MANFRED MANN CHAPTER THREE (from the November 1969 UK LP "Manfred Mann Chapter Three" on Vertigo VO 3 / 847 902 VTY - Vocals by Mike Hugg, band featured Peter Thomas and of course keyboardist Manfred Mann)

5. Flesh Failures (Let The Sunshine In) - JULIE DRISCOLL, BRIAN AUGER & THE TRINITY (from the May 1969 UK LP "Streetnoise" on Marmalade 608005/6 in Stereo - Driscoll on Vocals, Auger on Hammond Organ - song originally featured in the musical "Hair")

6. Emmaretta - DEEP PURPLE (February 1969 UK 7" 45-Single on Parlophone R 5762, A-side, Non-LP Track - Rod Evans on Lead Vocals)

7. Skillet - GALLIARD (from the January 1970 UK Debut LP "Strange Pleasure" on Deram SDN 4 in Stereo)

8. Waiting In The Bamboo Grove - SAVOY BROWN (from the November 1969 UK LP "A Step Further" on Decca SKL 5013 in Stereo - band featured Guitarist Kim Simmonds, Keyboardist Bob Hall, Chris Youlder on Vocals with Lonesome Dave and Roger Earl on Bass and Drums who would later form Foghat)

9. You Really Got Me - MOTT THE HOOPLE (from the November 1969 UK Debut LP "Mott The Hoople" on Island ILPS 9108 in Stereo - band featured Ian Hunter)

10. Magic Potion - THE OPEN MIND (August 1969 UK 7" 45-single on Philips BF 1805, A-side)

11. Egyptian Tomb - MIGHTY BABY (from the November 1969 UK LP "Mighty Baby" on Head Records HDLS 6002 in Stereo - band featured former members of The Action)

12. Conversationally Making The Grade - BLONDE ON BLONDE (from the June 1969 UK Debut LP "Contrasts" on Pye Records NSPL 18288 in Stereo) 

13. Blue Mink - BLUE MINK (1969 UK 7" 45-Single on Morgan Blue Town BTS 3, A-side - Instrumental featuring Alan Parker on Guitars and Herbie Flowers on Bass)

14. Don't Be Afraid - KEEF HARTLEY BAND (from the January 1970 UK 2nd LP "The Battle Of North West Six" on Deram SML 1054 in Stereo - band featured Mick Weaver [aka Wynder K. Frog], Spit James on Lead Guitar with Miller Anderson on Vocals)

15. Mona Lose - BOBAK, JONS, MALONE (from the late 1969 UK LP "Motherlight" on Morgan Blue Town BT 5003 in Stereo - band was Mike Bobak (Guitar), Andy Johns (Engineer) and Wilson Malone (formerly Orange Bicycle) on Vocals, Keyboards and Drums)

16. My Babe - THE SHADOWS (from the October 1970 UK LP "Shades Of Rock" on Columbia SCX 6420 in Stereo - band featured Guitarist Hank Williams and Drummer Brian Bennett - song is a Willie Dixon-penned Chess Records classic made famous by Blues Harmonica legend Little Walter)

17. If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You - CARAVAN (October 1970 UK 7" 45-Single on Decca F 13063, B-side of "Hello Hello" - track also on the LP of the same name from September 1970 on Decca SKL 5052 in Stereo)

18. My Mind Can Ride Easy - KILLING FLOOR (from the June 1969 UK LP "Killing Floor" on Spark Records SRLP 102 in Stereo - band member and pianist Lou Martin would go on to have a long career and be a part of Rory Gallagher's studio and touring band in the early Seventies on Polydor Records)

19. Born In The City - ROCK WORKSHOP (June 1970 UK 7" 45-Single on CBS Records S 5046, Non-LP B-side to "You To Lose" - Band featured Scottish Rock legend Alex Harvey on Lead Vocals alongside Horn Players Harry Beckett, Bob Downes, Tony Roberts and Derek Wadsworth)

20. Marking Time - TERRY REID (from his October 1969 UK debut LP "Terry Reid" on Columbia Records SCX 6370 in Stereo - his US debut LP "Bang, Bang, You're Terry Reid" had been issued in 1968 by Epic Records - it was not given a UK issue and the "Terry Reid" album is different)

21. G.E.A.B. - PUSSY (from the March 1969 UK Debut LP "Pussy Plays" on Morgan Blue Town BT 5002 in Stereo - instrumental)

22. For Your Love - ACE KEFFORD STAND (March 1969 UK 7" 45-Single on Atlantic 584 260, A-side - Kefford is ex-Move and the song is a cover of the Graham Gouldman-penned hit by The Yardbirds - the Ace Kefford Stand also featured drummer Cozy Powell with Dave Ball on Guitar)

CD3 (79:48 minutes) - 19 Tracks from May 1969 to February 1972

Faces on the cover

1. Fill Your Head With Laughter - BRIAN AUGER'S OBLIVION EXPRESS (from the 1971 UK LP "A Better Land" on Polydor 2383 062)

2. Call You Liar, Liar - SATISFACTION (from the January 1971 UK Debut LP "Satisfaction" on Decca SKL 5075)

3. I Am And So Are You - AFFINITY (from the June 1970 UK Debut LP "Affinity" on Vertigo 6360 004 - band featured Lead Vocalist Linda Hoyle)

4. Cold Sweat - CLOUDS (from the July 1971 UK LP "Watercolour Days" on Chrysalis Records ILPS 9151)

5. Extract From Tomorrow's People - The Children Of Today - MacDONALD AND GILES (first issued on the May 1971 UK 2LP label Sampler "El Pea" on Island IDLP 1 - original full version appeared on the November 1970 UK LP "MacDonald And Giles" on Island ILPS 9126 - both ex-King Crimson)

6. Pineapple & The Monkey - FACES (Instrumental from the March 1970 UK Debut LP "The First Step" on Warner Brothers WS 3000 - band featured Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood, Ronnie Lane, Kenny Jones and Ian McLagan)

7. Tomorrow, Today - HARDIN-YORK (May 1969 UK 7" 45-Single on Bell Records BELL 1064, A-side - Eddie Hardin (Singer/Organist) and Pete York (Drummer) were ex Spencer Davis Group)

8. Nadine - JUICY LUCY (from the November 1969 UK Debut LP "Juicy Lucy" on Vertigo VO 2 / 847 901 VTY - band featured Glenn Ross Campbell on Lead Guitar (ex-Misunderstood), Chris Mercer on Saxophone, Guitarist Neil Hubbard (ex-Bluesology), Vocalist Ray Owen and Bassist Keith Ellis (ex-Koobas) - the song is a Chuck Berry cover version)

9. More Than I Am - FUZZY DUCK (from the September 1971 UK Debut (and only) LP on MAM Records MAM-AS 1005 - featured Mick Hawksworth of Five-Day Week Straw People and Andromeda)

10. Solar Level - JOHNNY ALMOND MUSIC MACHINE (from the July 1969 UK LP "Patent Pending" on Deram SML 1043 in Stereo - Produced by Mike Vernon of Blue Horizon Records fame - Multi-Instrumentalist, Session Player and Keyboardist Johnny Almond would go on to form the band Mark-Almond with Guitarist Jon Mark) 

11. Variations On Nainos - BLODWYN PIG (from their second and last studio album "Getting To This", April 1970 on Chrysalis ILPS 9122 - featuring Guitarist Mick Abrahams, originally with Jethro Tull for "This Was" Debut LP, and Saxophonist Jack Lancaster)

12. Lola (Instrumental) - THE KINKS (from the March 1971 UK LP "Percy - Original Soundtrack" on Pye Records NSPL 18365 - featuring Ray and Dave Davies)

13. (April) Spring Summer And Sundays - STATUS QUO (from the August 1970 UK LP "Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon" on Pye Records NSPL 18344 - featuring Francis Rossi, Rick Parfitt, Alan Lancaster and John Coghlan)

14. Marcus Junior - EAST OF EDEN (May 1970 UK 7" 45-single on Deram DM 297, B-side of "Jig A Jig" - featuring Dave Arbus on Violin and Ron Caines on Alto Saxophone - "Marcus Junior" also appeared on East Of Eden's second studio LP "Snafu" albeit as the middle section of a longer song called "Leaping Beauties For Rudy")

15. Who Can I Trust? - WALRUS (August 1970 UK 7" 45-Single on Deram DM 308, A-side - written by Steve Hawthorn - also appeared on their debut (one and only) LP "Walrus" in January 1971 on Deram SML 1072)

16. I Really Need A Friend - THE NORMAN HAINES BAND (from the August 1971 UK Debut LP "Den Of Iniquity" on Parlophone PCS 7130 in Stereo - Haines was a Keyboardist in Birmingham band Locomotive)

17. Greyhound Bus - MICK ABRAHAMS (from his May 1971 UK Debut solo LP (ex-Jethro Tull and Blodwyn Pig) "Mick Abrahams" on Chrysalis ILPS 9147 - Abrahams' band featured ex- Blodwyn Pig Saxophonist Jack Lancaster alongside Keyboardist Bob Sargeant)

18. I Put My Magick On You - GRAHAM BOND WITH MAGICK (from the August 1971 Debut album "We Put Our Magick On You" on Vertigo 6360 042 - features Diane Stewart on Vocals)

19. Brother - CCS [aka C.C.S.] (February 1972 UK 7" 45-single on RAK Records RAK 126, A-side - CCS is Collective Consciousness Society and featured Alexis Korner, John Cameron and Peter Snape with Production by RAK Records owner Mickie Most)

Compiled by good men and true (well maybe good occasionally and true only as industry bribery demands) JOHN HARRINGTON and JOHN REED – Harrington brings a huge amount of info to each entry – band leading lights – pictures of the 45s from foreign territories – British demos – LP sleeves – trade adverts – promo photos (check out the Atlantic Records shot of Sharon Tandy on Page 5) – and at 40-pages it’s a feast and a typically brilliant job done. JOHN REED knows these kinds of compilations well – a vastly experienced Brit who has been giving punters the CD reissue goods for decades at Sanctuary and Universal. SIMON MURPHY of Another Planet (a very experienced dude) does the Mastering and it all Boogies along very nicely indeed. You will indeed (please forgive the pun) be feeling all right as you listen, each disc offering toppermost playing times too – the equivalent to three double-albums worth and more (Deep Purple, Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & The Trinity and Faces get the cover art for CDs one, two and three respectively). But it’s the discoveries and the dip-ins that thrill. To the tunes…

CD1: I hold no truck with Deep Purple's "Hush" as an opener - I can understand its grunge guitar inclusion - but I find it second fiddle to what should have opened the Box - the utterly fantastic 1967 freakbeat-groover "Hold On" - chanteuse Sharon Tate ably assisted by grinding wild geetar from Bryn Haworth of Fleur De Lys. The follow-up is just as 'groovy chick' - The Spencer Davis Group smashing it with one the great drivers of the lates Sixties - "I'm A Man" - a Steve Winwood-sung winner that's probably shown up in a 100 movies. Young Mod and About-The-Town Turk Steve Ellis takes lead vocals for The Love Affair's "So Sorry" - a sexy mover dancers love to bits even if the band has admitted that all musicians were professionals and not them (and that certainly applies to the ladies giving it aah-aah-aah). The cool goes on with a very smart choice - Spooky Tooth's "Sunshine Help Me" - the Island Rock Act bolstered up by Vocalists Mike Harrison and Gary Wright as the Harpsichord and Guitar do so-Sixties battle. 

Blighty's Terry Reid shows up and immediate displays why Zeppelin and everyone else wanted his fantastic geezer rasp on the microphone - the "Tinker Tailor" tune is good but his voice is fabulous. Bearded ladies turn up in the Bass-Ballsy "Midway Down" - a so-cool groove from Mod darlings The Creation first issued in April 1968 (few quid to acquire that one). Great pounding piano and guitar audio for Love Sculpture's "Think Of Love" - future Swan Song label Rock 'n' Roller Dave Edmunds twinning his singing with blistering guitar. By comparison The Lion Tamers sound like Popsters with their "Speak Your Mind" - a girl who give an answer to her pining sutor. October 1967 sees John Mayall's Bluesbreakers going crazy - dodgy things hanging around their doors in "Suspicions (Part One)" - a great brassy groover by this tight band of professional R&B rockers (clever choice by the compilers). At last we get a song that could be featured on here three times - Traffic's gem and Box Set title piece "Feelin' Alright" - a Dave Mason winner that Joe Cocker would only make better on A&M Records in 1969. If I had my way, I would have included Cocker's stunner as well - check out its use in the Denzel Washington drunk-pilot movie "Flight".  

Just in time to save us from too much thinking, Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac comes roaring in with their tale of 'a gal who lives up on the hill' - a lady of amplitude they are urging to "Shake Your Moneymaker". This is cleverly followed by the second Blue Horizon Records chart act - Chicken Shack giving it some "San-Ho-Zay" - Stan Webb's big guitar amped up to the nines by Producer Mike Vernon for this Freddie King instrumental cover version (wow audio). Back to grunge and grind and Blighty types singing about non-Blighty things - the Small Faces going all Sufism with their fantastic "Song Of A Baker" packing a kick-in-the-spiritual nuts (Mono mix or not). Time to go deep and speaker-grungy with the greasy but brill "Feel Like Flying" - it's a March 1968 that was apparently scheduled to be their fifth 45-single but got shelved only to see light of day on a 1990 compilation. What a discovery! Not surprisingly, it's time to get Psych and Acid weird with Curiosity Shoppe trying their best to emulate the Small Faces circa Autumn Stone - turning down the night with heavy organ and driving drums. Mick Weaver in his Wynder K. Frog alter-ego gets seriously and brilliantly groovy with his Organ-Driven instrumental cover version of The Rolling Stones "Jumping Jack Flash" - killing it in stunning Hammond solos for four-minutes - the kind of Mono-Clean Aural Explosion that is bound to put a smile on the most jaundiced of expressions. 

We start to hit the home stretch for a stunning CD1 - a great piece of programming placement giving us Free's forgotten groover "Trouble On Double Time" from their second Island Records LP from 1969 - "Free". It is hard to believe the sound they made - mind-blowingly accomplished - Rodgers slaying it as one of the truly great Rock voices of the century - and of course - Koss - Paul Kossoff only a lad and already gifted in his delivery (the Remaster is astounding). Determined to impress you, we now get that other god-given set of pipes - Rod Stewart fronting a heavy-heavy Jeff Beck Band line-up. "Let Me Love you" is a wild Rawk adaptation of a 1961 Buddy Guy Blues called 'Let Me Love you Baby' and my God is it grooving heavy. Time to calm a little into the almost Pop feel of "Friends in St. Louis" - The Alan Bown! blessed with the pipes of Jess Roden for the excellent Brass and Funk goer (this will be a genuine surprise to those who don't know its fab 2:30 minutes). Keeping up the frantic horny horns, Colosseum come on all Blood, Sweat & Tears on an R&B Boogie tip with their driving "Walking In The Park" - Vocalist and Guitarist James Litherland smashing it alongside Keyboardist Dave Greenslade and Bassist Tony Reeves (both later with Greenslade). Cannot get enough of Blodwyn Pig's "Ahead Rings Out" 1969 debut album (that Pig's head and Headphones shot slays me every time) - so Abrahams' "Sing Me A Song That I Know" is a very smart inclusion - Funky Prog with some Bluesy vibes. And Disc One jaunts home with the big daddies Jethro Tull - Ian Anderson sauntering to a chilled finish with "Serenade To A Cuckoo" - the only cover on their 1968 Debut LP "This Was" (a Roland Kirk song). Cool...

CD2: Fuzz Guitar, Drum Whacks and Big Brass open the Don Fardon August 1969 single "I'm Alive" - an interpretation of a Tommy James & The Shondells tune that kicks booty. The Minister of Suave weighs in with his Mod-Popular anthem "Somebody Stole My Thunder" - Georgie Fame produced by his fellow Animals cohort Alan Price (what a cool groover). Vibes open the lesser-heard Exceptions groove of "The Eagle Flies On Friday" - a can't take no more groove that sets collectors alight. In August 2017 RPM Records named an entire 3CD compilation box set after the next Manfred Mann Chapter Three track - "One Way Glass: Dancefloor Prog, Brit Jazz & Funky Folk 1968-1975"  - suitably groovy. Far better is the short-of-breath "Flesh Failures (Let The Sunshine In)" - an organ groover from the "Hair" musical done by the sexy Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & The Trinity (you can so hear why their albums go for money - Marmalade and Jam). Rockers Deep Purple get entry number two - "Emmaretta" not much better in my books than "Hush" - Rod Evans still on lead vocals. Next up is a Deram Records whig-out in the shape of "Skillet" by Galliard - guitars and brass gettin' funky by the ovens. On to a more untypical Blues-Funk groove from boogie merchants Savoy Brown in the shape of "Waiting In The Bamboo Grove". Guitarist Kim Simmonds has a soloing field day, but I can't say I like the track. 

It's decidedly weird to hear Mott The Hoople get heavy on The Kinks punkish "You Really Got Me" (never worked for me) - better is the driving guitars of The Open Mind on the more convincing "Magic Potion". Speaking of better, up pops the darlings of underground Mighty Baby with their "Egyptian Tomb" - a shockingly melodic outing about a silly subject. Blonde On Blonde are one of those second-tier bands that didn't make much of an impression and their anti-USA "Conversationally Making The Grade" shows why - it's good rather than great - and even feels derivative of something if you could only remember what it is. Unlikely addition but a clever choice is Popsters Blue Mink and their Funky-Weird instrumental A-side of the same name "Blue Mink" - Guitarist Alan Parker letting rip as an Organ anchors the backbeat. Ever so slightly Allman Brothers is how you might describe "Don't Be Afraid" by Keef Hartley's Band - a funky be-there-with-you groove that chugs along very nicely indeed. The obscure seemingly handmade "Motherlight" LP by Bobak, Jons, Malone on the collectable Morgan Blue Town label was the kind of LP we initially couldn't sell at Reckless Rarities back in the Nineties - then it exploded on the Psych scene and is now a hugely expensive ticket-item. Those old farts The Shadows put in a stellar and clever cover of Little Walter's Chess Records classic "My Babe" by pairing up guitar in the left speaker with organ in the right while the soloing goes onto the center soundstage. 

Three goodies follow after that slightly lacklustre run - Killing Floor and Terry Reid put two infectious move-baby-move winners up in the shape of "My Mind Can Rise Easy" (rocking guitar and brass boogie) while "Morning Time" has Reed's fantastic rasp accompanied by Organs and Guitars going at it in the background. Rock Workshop benefitted from Scottish legend Alex Harvey at the vocal helm for the B-side "Born In The City". A slightly less-convincing CD2 (than CD1) comes to an end with two obscures - the provocatively monikered Pussy giving us the bucket-recorded "G.E.A.B." - an impressive instrumental that pushes along with guitars and organs. Finally - a Yardbirds cover - "For Your Love" given a restructured whack by Ace Kefford Stand - but the poor production kind of does for what is a damn good stab at the Graham Gouldman song.  

CD3: Clever choice to open the lead into the early Seventies with Brian Auger's Oblivion Express - the purveyor of so many Rock-Funk-Fusion albums on RCA Records. "Fill Your Head With Laughter" is a cool groover while Decca Records act Satisfaction makes a good follow-on with their Brass-Funker "Call You Liar, Liar" even if the lyrics are a little too cliched for comfort. Fuzzy Guitar ahoy as Linda hoyle of Affinity tells us she's a singer of songs and a bringer of joy in the Brass-Prog holy-roller of "I Am And So Are You". Island Records' Clouds tell us about shivering up a "Cold Sweat" as a manic organ works the background rhythms. Ian MacDonald And Michael Giles [ex-King Crimson] echo the vocals of "Extracts From Tomorrow's People..." - an edit that was exclusive to the Island's fourth sampler outing - the 2LP set "El Pea" in May 1971. I will admit it's not quite my cuppa Darjeeling but I know there are those who love its trippy Flute and Bongos 3:57 minutes. Better for me by a Country Mile is a band I adore - Rodders and The Two Ronnies and Co - the Small Faces just become Faces. Very clever compilation choice in "Pineapple & The Monkey" - a throwaway Keyboard-driven instrumental from their debut as Faces in 1970 (on Warner Brothers) that in place bears slight resemblances to the Small Faces "Collibosher" from The Autumn Stone period.

Up next is Singer and Organist Eddie Hardin and Drummer Pete York advising us that yesterday may have been sour but today is sugary sweet - "Tomorrow, Today" benefitting from the ladies going all 'Hair' choir as the piano-and-organ churches its way onwards. Clever switch to the fabulous Slide Gee-tar of Glenn Ross Campbell in Juicy Lucy for their snotty cover of Chuck Berry's "Nadine" - campaign shouting like a Southern Diplomat. Ross Campbell would amaze again with his blistering slide axe-work on "Who Do You Love" in February 1970 (also on Vertigo) - a cover of the Bo Diddley R&B classic. MAM Records was the home of teen-aimed Popsters Gilbert O'Sullivan and Lindsey De Paul - so finding the decidedly Fuzzed-Up Fuzzy Duck on that label with their grungy groover "More Than I Am" was a surprise - a chugger about doing all I can. Back to CCS-type Brass jabbing accompanied by Piano punctures for "Solar Level" - a very cool neck-swaying instrumental from Keyboard sessionman Johnny Almond (he buffed up Fleetwood Mac and Chicken Shack albums on Blue Horizon Records too).  Love that fab Blodwyn Pig groove Mick Abrahams and Co. got for the second LP highlight "Variations On Nainos" - the band sounding like the love child of Jethro Tull and some hippie minstrel just in from Europe. Many might laugh at the decidedly less cool 'instrumental' version of "Lola" by The Kinks coming like a Top Of the Pops copy - but with its organ-led sound and good guitar-groove - I can see why someone thought it a good idea to include it here (it's not the brilliance of the original with those lyrics, but as an Organ-led groover it works).  

Quo were starting their 12-Bar Boogie assault on their August 1970 Pye Records album "Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon" – the riffage and organ of "(April) Spring Summer And Wednesdays" making for a smart feel-change but still in keeping with the sets themes. Absolute gem comes in the shape of the East Of Eden "Jig A Jig" 45 B-side - "Marcus Junior" – an instrumental where both Dave Arbus and Ron Caines play blinders (Violinist Arbus of course later making such an impact on The Who Side 1 opener "Baba O'Reilly" on their 1971 masterpiece "Who's Next"). Time to get heavy with Walrus and their "Who Can You Trust?" - a bit of a plodder with the requisite chugging guitars and brass jabs to include it on CD3. Very big bucks indeed to acquire the Norman Haines LP "Den Of Iniquity" on original vinyl - the organ, bongos and high voices of "I Really Need A Friend" vey much of 1970. "Greyhound Bus" is probably the best song and groove on Mick Abrahams' debut solo LP in May 1971 (Track 1 on Side 1) - while both Graham Bond and the mighty Blues Brother Alexis Korner and his big-brassy vehicle C.C.S. bring proceedings to a fabulous bopping "Brother" ending (don't give me no jive talk brother, stay loose). 

For sure CD2 and some of CD3 dip a bit - hence the four stars - but there is no doubt that what this wee besty offers is a fantastic array of goodies that would cost you an arm-and-a-leg to acquire on individual digital sets let alone original vinyl. 

A Possible Volume 2 Box Set called "Bootie Cooler" might include other deep dive LP and 45 genre slayers like "Collibosher" by The Small Faces, "Rumplestiltskin" by Rumplestiltskin, "Bootie Cooler" by Shuggie Otis, "Fire Eater" by Three Dog Night, "Space Child" by Spirit, "Slunky" by Eric Clapton, "Coronarias Redig" by Deep Purple, "Midnight Moodies" by Joe Walsh - I have a list as you can imagine for a double-album's worth. We'll see...

"Feelin' Alright? Mod Rock, Funky Prog & Heavy Jazz 1967-1972" is a 3CD 64-Track toe-tapping discovery winner and well done to Harrington and Reed and all at Strawberry Records for delivering once again...

"Please Re-Adjust Your Time: The Early Blues & Psych-Folk Years 1967-72" by IAN A. ANDERSON (November 2021 UK Cherry Tree 4CD 65-Track Anthology in a Clamshell Box Set with Four Mini LP Repro Card Sleeves, a 24-page booklet, Almost Six LPs Worth of Material Plus Three Previously Unreleased - Simon Murphy Masters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

https://amzn.to/4sObYNu

Overall: ****

Material: *** to *****

Audio: *** to *****

Presentation: *****

"...Singer Sleeps On As Blaze Rages..."

Taking its title from a song on his second studio album "(Royal York Crescent)" on his own The Village Thing Records – this 4CD 65-Track Anthology gives us a hefty overview of Somerset Folkie and Acoustic Guitar Virtuoso IAN A. ANDERSON (not to be confused with Tull mainman Ian Anderson). 

When I worked at Reckless Records in Islington and Soho as the Rarities guy (twenty years of RPM servitude) – Ian A. Anderson albums were thin on the ground throughout those two decades to say the least, and now as the decades have passed into five and half hence – they have started clocking up ghoulish price tags in places. There is a lot to unpack here, so once more my pirates of audio hazard waste unto the crazy fool mumbles of Stereo yore. Here are the Somerset details…

UK released Friday, 21 November 2021 - "Please Re-Adjust Your Time: The Early Blues & Psych-Folk Years 1967-72" by IAN A. ANDERSON on Cherry Tree CDTREEBOX025 (Barcode 5013929692503) is a 4CD 65-Track Anthology Clamshell Box Set. It contains four full UK Studio Albums on Liberty and Village Thing Records (June 1968 to December 1972), eight songs of a twelve-track fifth album on Fontana Records from April 1970, Exclusive 45-Single EP Tracks, a Sampler LP duo, Songs from a Collaboration LP with Mike Cooper (all on Saydisc/Matchbox Records), a Live September 1969 Folk Festival Rarity and three Previously Unreleased outtakes from 1973 (Anderson with his band Hot Vultures).
Housed in a Mini-LP Sized Clamshell Box Set, Each Card Sleeve is a Replica of the Four Original British Albums and each CD has Bonus Tracks. The 24-Page Booklet sports new liner notes by ELIZABETH KINDER (July 2021) and features input from Anderson about his formation of Village Thing Records and beyond. Project managed by JOHN REED of Cherry Red and approved by Anderson with Remasters are by SIMON MURPHY at Another Planet. It plays out as follows...

CD1 (76:14 minutes):
1. Get In That Swing [Side 1]
2. Litte Boy Blue
3. (My Baby Ain't Nothing But A Doggone) Crazy Fool Mumble
4. New Lonesome Day
5. Short Haired Woman Blues
6. Hot Times
7. Stereo Death Breakdown [ Side 2]
8. When I Get To Thinking
9. Way Up Your Tree
10. Bring 'Em Down
11. That's Alright
12. Baby Bye You Bye
Tracks 1 to 12 are the June 1968 UK Debut Solo LP "Stereo Death Breakdown" on Liberty Records LBS 83242E, Stereo only release credited to Ian Anderson’s Country Blues Band

CD1 BONUS TRACKS:
13. Put It In A Frame
14. Stop And Orange
Tracks 13 and 14 from the April 1970 UK Second Solo LP "Book Of Changes" by Ian Anderson on Fontana STL 5542 in Stereo (Musician Credits in Booklet) – see also CD2 for two more (Tracks 13 and 14) and CD3 (Tracks 11 to 14) for four further cuts from this LP (eight out of a total of twelve)

15. Louise
Track 15 is from the 1969 UK 5-Track LP-Speed EP "Anderson Jones Jackson" on Saydisc 33SD 25 in Stereo. Credited to Ian Anderson, Alun Jones and Elliot Jackson – it is a cover version of a Johnny Temple Blues song on Decca Records from 1946 originally called "Louise, Louise Blues" – Alun Jones would go on to be large part of the Cats Stevens band on Island Records

16. Cottonfield Blues
17. Big Road Blues
18. Tom Rushen Blues
Tracks 16, 17 and 18 are from the 1968 UK 4-Track 45-Single EP "Almost The Country Blues!" on Saydisc SD134 in Stereo. Credited to Ian Anderson with Elliot Jackson. The missing fourth track is "Shake Em On Down" which is Track 10 on the debut solo LP "Stereo Death Breakdown" credited as "Break Em Down" (see Track 10 above)

19. Friday Evening Blues
20. West Country Blues
Tracks 19 and 20 are from the 1968 UK Label Sampler LP "Blues Like Showers Of Rain" on Saydisc/Matchbox SDL 142 in Stereo – Anderson had two tracks featured on this famous Various Artists album

21. West Country Blues
22. Don't You Want To Go
23. The Inverted World
Tracks 21, 22 and 23 are from the 1968 UK LP "The Inverted World (The Country Blues Of Mike Cooper and Ian Anderson)" on Saydisc/Matchbox SDL 159in Stereo. A shared LP credited to Mike Cooper and Ian Anderson with seven songs to each artist on each side of the LP. The song "The Inverted World" is the last song by Mike Cooper on his Side 1, but it also features Ian A. Anderson in a song-writing credit and on Guitar. Three other songs (credited to Anderson) on Side 2 of that shared album were "Cottonfield Blues", "Big Road Blues" and "Tom Rushen Blues" – but these were also on the "Almost The Country Blues!" EP (Tracks 16, 17 and 18) so are not duplicated here. The final two songs on the shared "The Inverted World" LP by Ian Anderson are two Traditional Song cover versions called "Little Queen Of Spades" and "Beedle Um Bum" – both feature Anderson on Guitar and Vocals – but are not included in this set

CD2 (50:38 minutes):
1. That's No Way To Get Along [Side 1]
2. Please Re-Adjust Your Time
3. Goblets And Elms
4. Shining Grey
5. The Worm
6. Hero
7. Silent Night No. 2 [ Side 2]
8. Mr. Cornelius
9. The Maker/The Man In The High Castle/The Last Conjuring
10. Ginger Man
11. Working Man
Tracks 1 to 11 are the November 1970 UK Third Solo LP "(Royal York Crescent)" on The Village Thing VTS 3, Stereo only release credited to Ian A. Anderson. The Village Thing Records was formed by Anderson and part of the Saydisc group of labels from Gloucestershire specialising in Folk and Acoustic Blues

CD2 BONUS TRACKS:
12. Get Back Into Town (Live)
13. Sleepy Lynne
14. Internal Combustion Rag
Track 12 was recorded live at Farnham Folk & Blues Festival in September 1969 and first appeared on the May 2016 UK Expanded Edition Reissue CD "Almost The Country Blues: EPs And Extras 1966-1969" by Ian Anderson on Ghosts From The Basement GFTB 7050

Tracks 13 and 14 "Sleepy Lynne" and "Internal Combustion Rag" were recorded Autumn 1969 at Chapel Studios in London and appeared on the April 1970 UK Second Solo LP "Book Of Changes" by Ian Anderson on Fontana STL 5542 in Stereo (see also two tracks from that LP on CD1 and four more on CD3 - eight songs out of twelve in total)

CD3 (50:37 minutes): 14 tracks
1. One More Chance [Side 1]
2. Black Uncle Remus
3. Policeman's Ball
4. Edges
5. The Survivor
6. Well…All Right [Side 2]
7. Time Is Ripe
8. Wishing The World Away
9. One Too Many Mornings
10. Number 61
Tracks 1 to 10 are the December 1971 UK Fourth Solo LP "A Vulture Is Not A Bird You Can Trust" on The Village Thing VTS 9, a Stereo only release credited to Ian A. Anderson. The Village Thing Records was formed by Anderson and part of the Saydisc group of labels from Gloucestershire specialising in Folk and Acoustic Blues. All songs are Anderson originals except "Black Uncle Remus" which is a Loudon Wainwright III cover version, "Well…All Right", a Buddy Holly cover and "One Too Many Mornings", a Bob Dylan cover.

CD3 BONUS TRACKS:
11. Boof Changes
12. Anthem (You Can Go On Forever)
13. Mouse Hunt
14. Galactic Wings (And Other Tales)
Tracks 11 to 14 "Book Of Changes", "Anthem (You Can Go On Forever)", "Mouse Hunt" and "Galactic Wings (And Other Tales)" appeared on the April 1970 UK Second Solo LP "Book Of Changes" by Ian Anderson on Fontana STL 5542 in Stereo (see also two further tracks from that LP on CD1 and two more on CD2)

CD4 (50:30 minutes): 14 tracks
1. Hey Space Pilot [Side 1]
2. Marie Celeste On Down
3. Spider John
4. A Sign Of The Times
5. Paper And Smoke
6. Paint It, Black [Side 2]
7. Pretty Peggyo
8. The Western Wind
9. Out On The Side
10. Shirley Temple Meets Hawkwind
Tracks 1 to 10 are the December 1972 UK Fourth Solo LP "Singer Sleeps On As Blaze Rages" on The Village Thing VTS 18, Stereo only release credited to Ian A. Anderson. The Village Thing Records was formed by Anderson and part of the Saydisc group of labels from Gloucestershire specialising in Folk and Acoustic Blues. Les Calvert of Machine Gun and Graphite plays Bass and Organ. All tracks by Anderson except Track 6 which is a Rolling Stones cover version

CD4 BONUS TRACKS:
11. Baby Let Me Dance With You
12. Dan Scaggs
13. London Blues
14. You Can't Judge A Book By The Cover
Tracks 11 to 14 are Demos recorded by his band HOT VULTURES in 1973 – Tracks 12, 13 and 14 are Previously Unreleased – Ian A. Anderson on Guitar and Vocals with Maggie Holland on Bass – Track 12 is an Al Jones song, Track 13 is a Chris Thompson song while Track 13 is Willie Dixon cover version – the song most closely associated with Muddy Waters

The Clamshell Box Set features four Mini LP Card Repro sleeves – the albums "Stereo Death Breakdown" (June 1968 – CD1), "(Royal York Crescent)" (November 1970 – CD2), "A Vulture Is Not A Bird You Can Trust" (December 1971 – CD3) and "Singer Sleeps On As Blaze Rages" (December 1972 – CD4) – with all four discs containing copious extras (as listed above). The rear of the card sleeves also mimic original rear cover art when they can. Unmentioned on the outside tracks lists, the fifth LP "Book Of Changes" has eight of its twelve tracks spread across three CDs (not pictured in the booklet) and as you can see from the lists above – the other extras practically represent a sixth LP in terms of sheer content. The 24-Page Booklet provides a seriously indepth overview of the five or six years dealt with – ELIZABETH KINDER providing photos, memorabilia (concert posters, trade reviews, fliers) and Album/EP artwork where possible as well as interviewing Anderson for this deep dive. Page 18 for instance has Anderson with friends gathering for the Royal York Crescent cover shoot in 1970 – another photo has him with Maggie Holland in 1974 when they were called Hot Vultures – playing acoustic in 1968 on the Serpentine river watching a circle of duffle-coated admirers and so on. The final pages give album credits, tracks, production, players etc for all 4 CDs – the whole project managed by longtime associate to Cherry Red and all-round-good-guy – JOHN REED (always a name associated with thorough releases). 

And as most of the recordings are Acoustic Guitars in varying 6-and-12 string guises (lots of slide), the SIMON MURPHY Masters do a stellar job at bringing out pings and things as you travel across the huge amount of material on the four discs. My only complaint (if you could call it that) is that the Psych-Folk label in the title is what Cherry Red know will appeal to punters - but there are very few tracks I could point to displaying anything that’s Psych-Folk!

Box Sets like this allow you to dip, dive and discover - "The Worm" for instance on his third album "(Royal York Crescent)" is the kind of three-minute-plus Bongo and Acoustic Guitar funky ditty that would have not looked out of place on a Led Zeppelin or Roy Harper LP as an inbetween instrumental. "Sleepy Lynne" (another instrumental) from the 1970 "Book Of Changes" LP features Slide Acoustic that will appeal to Bryn Haworth fans. His Funky Harmonica and Fast-Strummed Acoustic cover version of the Loudon Wainwright III briar patches classic "Black Uncle Remus" is very Area Code 615 circa "Stone Fox Chase". 

CD3 offers the excellent December 1971 album "A Vulture Is Not A Bird You Can Trust" – an accomplished set of songs that opens with the melodious "One More Chance". Keith Warmington provides the Lead Harmonica for the big chiming cover of "Black Uncle Remus" – a fast off the block take on a tune that would come to define Loudon Wainwright III. Straight up Acoustic Boogie Blues comes a sliding across your speakers with the manic instrumental "Policeman’s Ball". Pretty and substantial is what you would call the band-effort of the eco-vested "The Survivor" – ruins of cities – humans like a wayward child – crops failing. A cover of the Buddy Holly classic "Well Alright" is good rather than great. Better is the well-recorded "Time Is Ripe" – almost like an acoustic interlude song on a Jethro Tull album from 1971. I really like "Wishing The World Away" – a trying-to-write-this-song melody that our hero is struggling with (go away world). Dylan gets a cover in a truly lovely and simple acoustic guitar take on "One Too Many Mornings" with John Turner providing Double-Bass notes accompaniment. The equally quiet and slyly majestic "Number 61" talks of a long blond-haired woman he worships from afar. 
Recorded in 1969, the "Book Of Change" Acoustic songs (with very clean remastered audio) featured Al Jones on Guitar, John Turner on Double Bass, Keith Christmas on Bongos with Max on Flute. The Flute and Acoustics do battle in the lovely John Martyn-esque "Anthem (You Can Go On Forever)" while a very Gordon Giltrap set of virtuoso guitar runs opens "Mouse Hunt" – a song that jaunts like its title suggests. Earth man moves out to the unknown spaces in "Galactic Wings (And Other Tales)" once again features flute from Max. Speaking of this album…

For some reason eight of the twelve songs on the Second Solo LP "Book Of Changes" from April 1970 on Fontana Records are spread across three CDs without any real reference as to why or where the other four cuts are? (see Notes on CD1, 2 and 3 above for those eight songs). Shame too that the duo of missing cuts from "The Inverted World" shared LP with Mike Cooper and the four from the "Book Of Changes" LP are not here - because there was room to include the six (one can only presume licensing difficulties). Still, what you are getting from "Please Re-Adjust Your Time: The Early Blues & Psych-Folk Years 1967-72" by Ian A. Anderson is the guts of five very hard-to-find albums in the Acoustic Folk /Acoustic Blues/Folk Psych genres and some straggler EP change into the not-so-moneyed bargain. And all of it in more than tasty sound. 

After the first two CDs of purely Folk-Acoustic and Blues - those looking for the Psych-Folk genre casually thrown into the title will be wondering when that genre shows – truthfully, I think for the most part it doesn’t. The fourth LP "Singer Sleeps On As Blaze Rages" (from December 1972) for instance with story songs like Dave Peabody’s "Spider John" and Anderson’s own "A Sign of The Times" are purely Acoustic – Jug Band at times – little Bluesy in the playing – but it sounds more Ralph McTell or John Martyn than Trees or Mellow Candle. Only on Mike Cooper’s "Paper And Smoke" does something resembling a band show – Bill Boozman on Leslie’d guitar with Mike Cooper on Slide – but again it’s more Folksy Faces than anything like Psych. There’s even a Country ye-ha shuffle to his jaunty cover of The Rolling Stones classic "Paint It, Black" – not too far from Mungo Jerry on Dawn Records. Bryn Haworth slide twelve-string fans will dig the Bluesy Traditional "Pretty Peggyo" – a tale of a Captain who falls in love with a local Louisiana beauty (Anderson is accompanied by Maggie Holland on Guitar). Even better is the echoed speaker-panned 12-string bottleneck of "The Western Wind" – a swirling number Anderson describes as a ghost story – great playing with muscular audio. Acoustics dance across both speakers for the noisy-human-race song "Shirley Temple Meets Hawkwind" – a witty ditty on travelling to Venus with the child actress possibly never flying back home.

The three 1973 Hot Vultures demos featuring a Slide 12-String Blues Traditional in the shape of "Baby Let Me Dance With You" (very professionally recorded) followed by three Previously Unreleased - a slightly rough-edged cover of the Al Jones song "Dan Scaggs" and two excellent Acoustic and Bass Guitar tales in "London Blues" (by Chris Thompson) and the Willie Dixon Chess Records R&B classic "You Can’t Judge A Book By The Cover" turned into a race-past-the-post Acoustic. Lots of great moments…

Somerset’s Ian A. Anderson (more than a few times confused with Tull’s mainman) continued in the late 70s with Folk-Blues groups like Hot Vulture, and into the Eighties with The English Country Blues Band and Tiger Moth. He even teamed up with his old mucker Mike Cooper in 1984 for the "The Continuous Preaching Blues" LP on the obscure Appaloosa Records.

But this dinky 4CD 65-Track little bruiser from Cherry Tree (part of Cherry Red) is where his journey started. "Please Re-Adjust Your Time: The Early Blues & Psych-Folk Years 1967-72" by Ian A. Anderson will not be for everyone, but those in love with Folk, Acoustic Blues and a few genre side-dishes along the way will eat it up. Top marks to all involved…

"Surrender To The Rhythm: The London Pub Rock Scene Of The Seventies" by VARIOUS ARTISTS – Featuring Legend with Mickey Jupp, Eggs Over Easy, Steve Ellis, Brinsley Schwarz, Deep Feeling, Roogalator, Mott The Hoople, Status Quo, Ducks Deluxe, Bees Make Honey, Brewers Droop featuring Mark Knopfler and Pick Withers of Dire Straits, Chilli Willi & The Red Hot Peppers, Ace, Writing On The Wall, Dr. Feelgood, Fumble, Stray, Kursaal Flyers, Byzantium, Stretch, Fox, Sean Tyla & His Gang, Kilburn & The High Roads (featuring Ian Dury), Strapps, Thin Lizzy, Heavy Metal Kids, Supercharge, The Gorillas, Chris Spedding, Cado Belle, Dave Edmunds, The Jam, Darts, Clover, Jess Roden, Philip Rambow, Billy Bremner, Matchbox, The Pirates, Sniff 'N' The Tears, Meal Ticket, Graham Parker & The Rumour, Elvis Costello, Squeeze, The Inmates, The Merton Parkas and many more (July 2022 UK Grapefruit 71-Track 3CD Compilation in a Capacity Wallet with Three Individual Card Sleeves, a 48-Page Booklet and Simon Murphy Masters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Surrender-Rhythm-London-Seventies-Capacity/dp/B0882LQZ8R?crid=P7XSNHEPNUXU&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.HXgBUpYMesnGJn3Wik4YpQ.7OwwWxNZRyhYDXhybiYT8cYHRH1oNLFLXUZ6NoFoHp0&dib_tag=se&keywords=5013929187429&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1733754330&sprefix=5013929187429%2Caps%2C80&sr=8-1&ufe=INHOUSE_INSTALLMENTS%3AUK_IHI_3M_AUTOMATED&linkCode=ll1&tag=mabasreofcdbl-21&linkId=b40d99d23309a4b48df3d1468774b97a&language=en_GB&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

RATINGS:

Overall **** to *****

Audio ****

Presentation *****

"…Billy Bentley (Promenades Himself In London)…"

Knickers in a knot and warm beer. Ah the good old days. I was looking forward to this 71-track 3CD beast from those terribly with-it chaps over at Grapefruit Records. And in part – their musical benevolence has delivered once again – even if some of the entries left me a little chilly in the arsenal aperture (so to speak). Nonetheless, so much great stuff to unpack and deeply imbedded good times to rekindle – once more to the Gassy Kegs and Brylcreem Boys…

UK released 17 July 2022 - "Surrender To The Rhythm: The London Pub Rock Scene Of The Seventies" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Grapefruit CRSEG074T (Barcode 5013929187429) is a 3CD 71-Track Remastered Compilation in a Capacity Wallet with Three Mini LP Card Sleeves, a 48-Page Booklet and Sixteen Previously Unreleased Tracks plus Other Rarities. It plays out as follows:

CD1 (78:58 minutes): 

1. Cheque Book – LEGEND (from the January 1971 UK LP "Legend" on Vertigo 6360 019 – band featured Mickey Jupp)
2. Funky But Clean – EGGS OVER EASY (Not Originally Issued, Recorded January 1971)
3. Time To Kill – WILD ANGELS (April 1971 UK 45-Single on B&C Records CB 145, A-side)
4. You Said It Would Be – SMOOTH LOSER (Previously Unreleased, recorded April 1971)
5. Have You Seen My Baby – STEVE ELLIS (August 1971 UK 45-single on CBS Records 7411, A-side)
6. Nanana – STATUS QUO (from the November 1971 UK LP "Dog Of Two Head" on Pye NSPL 18371)
7. Surrender To The Rhythm – BRINSLEY SCHWARZ (from the October 1972 UK LP "Nervous On The Road" on United Artists UAS 29374)
8. Why, Lady, Why? – DEEP FEELING (October 1972 UK 45-single on Philips 6006 346, A-side)
9. Ride With The Roogalator – ROOGALATOR (Previously Unreleased, recorded February 1971)
10. I Wish I Was Your Mother – MOTT THE HOOPLE (from the April 1974 UK LP "Mott" on CBS Records S 69038)
11. Heart's On My Sleeve (Early Mix) – DUCKS DELUXE (Not Originally Issued, recorded October 1973 – featuring Martin Belmont and Sean Tyla on Guitars)
12. Madman – G.T. MOORE & THE REGGAE GUITARS (Not Originally Issued, recorded November 1973)
13. Where Are You Tonight? – BREWERS DROOP (Nort Originally Issued, recorded November 1973 – band featured Mark Knopfler and Pick Withers later of Dire Straits)
14. Tripsy Lady – WRITING ON THE WALL (Not Originally Issued, recorded December 1973)
15. Sergeant Fury – THE SENSATIONAL ALEX HARVEY BAND (August 1974 UK 45-single on Vertigo 6059 106, A-side)
16. My Funny Valentine – BEES MAKE HONEY (Previously Unissued, recorded July 1974)
17. Piggy Back Sue – JONA LEWIE (September 1974 UK 45-single on Sonet SON 2048, A-side – ex Brett Marvin & The Thunderbolts)
18. Money Is No Friend Of Mine – STARRY EYED And LAUGHING (October 1974 UK 45-singkle on CBS Records 2686, A-side)
19. You Kept Me Waiting – DAVE EDMUNDS (from the October 1974 2LP Soundtrack Album "Stardust" on Ronco RG 2009/10)
20. We Get Along – CHILLI WILLI & THE RED HOT PEPPERS (from the November 1974 UK LP "Bongos Over Balham" on Mooncrest CREST 21)
21. Rock And Roll Runaway – ACE (from the November 1974 UK Debut LP "Five-A-Side" on Anchor ANCL 2001)
22. Billy Bentley (Promenades Himself In London) – KILBURN & THE HIGH ROADS (November 1974 UK 45-single on Dawn DNS 1090, A-side – featuring Ian Dury and Members of The Blockheads)
23. Nervous – NATIONAL FLAG (November 1974 recording first issued December 1976 on the UK privately pressed LP "Thank You & Goodnight" – no catalogue number)
NOTES on CD1:
Tracks 2, 4, 9, 11 to 14 and 16 are PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

CD2 (79:44 minutes) 
1. She Does It Right – DR. FEELGOOD (from the January 1975 UK Debut LP "Down By The Jetty" on United Artists UAS 29727 in Mono – Band featuring Wilko Johnson on Guitar and Lee Brilleaux on Vocals)
2. Love Me Real – CHARLIE & THE WIDEBOYS (January 1975 UK 45-Single on Anchor ANCE 1002, A-side)
3. Free The Kids – FUMBLE (from the January 1975 UK LP "Poetry In Lotion" on RCA Victor SF 8403)
4. Imagination (Is A Powerful Deceiver) – FLIP CITY (Not Originally Issued, recorded January 1975)
5. Blow Me Down – BRENT MARVIN & THE THUNDERBOLTS (April 1975 UK 45-single on Sonet SON 2053, A-side)
6. Baby What You Want Me To Do – JO-ANN KELLY (Not Originally Issued, recorded 1975)
7. As Long As You Feel Good – STRAY (from the May 1975 UK LP "Stand Up And Be Counted" on Dawn DNLS 3066)
8. Yellow Sox – KURSAAL FLYERS (from their July 1975 UK Debut LP "Chocs Away" on UK Records 2330 101)
9. It Could Be Better – BYZANTIUM (Previously Unreleased, recorded July 1975)
10. Midnight Flight – BEARDED LADY (Not Originally Issued, recorded 1975)
11. Jailbreaker – RAZORBACKS (Previously Unreleased, recorded August 1975)
12. One Fing 'n' Anuvver – CHAS & DAVE (from the September 1975 UK LP "One Fing 'n' Anuvver" on Retreat Records RTL 6004)
13. Why Did You Do It – STRETCH (October 1975 UK 45-single on Anchor ANC 1021, A-side)
14. Whatever It's Worth – FOX (from the October 1975 Debut LP "Tales Of Illusion" on GTO Records GTLP 006)
15. I Ain't Got You – THE COUNT BISHOPS (November 1975 UK 45-single on Chiswick SW1, A-side)
16. Midnight Moon – SEAN TYLA & HIS GANG (Recorded 1975, November 1976 Dutch 45-single on Dutch Dynamo DYR 45002, A-side)
17. Writing On The Wall – EDDIE & THE HOT RODS (February 1976 UK 45-single on Island WIP 6270, A-side)
18. You Can Leave Your Hat On – THE JESS RODEN BAND (March 1976 UK 45-single on island WIP 6286, A-side)
19. Schoolgirl Funk – STRAPPS (from the March 1976 UK Debut LP "Strapps" on Harvest SHSP 4055)
20. Romeo And The Lonely Girl – THIN LIZZY (from the March 1976 UK LP "Jailbreak" on Vertigo 9102 008)
21. She's No Angel – HEAVY METAL KIDS (May 1976 UK 45-single on RAK Records RAK 234, A-side)
22. You've Gotta Get Up And Dance – SUPERCHARGE (from the May 1976 UK Debut LP "Local Lads Make Good" on Virgin V 2053)
23. Keys To Your Heart – THE 101'ERS (May 1976 UK 45-single on Chiswick S 3, A-side – featuring Joe Strummer who went on to form The Clash)
24. She's My Gal – THE GORILLAS (July 1976 UK 45-single on Chiswick S 4, A-side)
NOTES on CD2:
Tracks 4, 6, 9, 10 and 11 are PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

CD3 (79:43 minutes):
1. Don't Wear It – MOON (from the July 1976 UK Debut LP "Too Close For Comfort" on Epic EPC 81456 – pre-Sniff 'N' The Tears)
2. Bedsit Girl – CHRIS SPEDDING (from the April 1976 UK LP "Chris Spedding" on RAK Records SRAK 519)
3. Brandy (You're A Fine Girl) – GONZALEZ (September 1976 UK 45-Single on EMI Records EMI 2521, A-side - a Looking Glass cover version)
4. Stone's Throw From Nowhere – CADO BELLE (from the October 1976 UK Debut LP "Cado Belle" on Anchor Records ANCL 2015 - featuring Maggie Reilly)
5. Radio Sweetheart – ELVIS COSTELLO (March 1977 UK 45-single on Stiff BUY 11, B-side of "Less Than Zero" – features Nick Lowe of Brinsley Schwarz on Bass and Backing Vocals and two members of Clover – John McFee and Mickey Shore)
6. Back To Schooldays (Live) – GRAHAM PARKER & THE RUMOUR (Not Originally Issued, recorded March 1977)
7. Get It – DAVE EDMUNDS (from the April 1977 UK LP "Get It" on Swan Song SSK 59404)
8. Slow Down – THE JAM (from the May 1977 UK Debut LP "In The City" on Polydor 2383 447 – a Larry Williams cover version – band featured Paul Weller)
9. Daddy Cool/The Girl Can't Help It – DARTS (October 1977 UK 45-single on Magnet MAG 100, A-side – a Medley of early Vocal Groups and Rock & Roll cover versions originally done by The Rays and Little Richard)
10. Ain't Nobody Own Nobody's Soul – CLOVER (from the November 1977 UK LP "Love On The Wire" on Vertigo 6360 155 – band featured Huey Lewis on Vocals)
11. Rock 'n' Roll Radio – THE PLEASERS (Recorded late 1977, Not Originally Issued)
12. Young Lust – PHILIP RAMBOW (Recorded December 1977, Previously Unissued)
13. Fool (If You Think It's Over) – CHRIS REA (March 1978 UK 45-single on Magnet MAG 111, A-side)
14. Come On – IAN GOMM (March 1978 UK 45-single on Albion ION 1, A-side)
15. The Creature From The Black lagoon – BILLY BREMNER (Not Originally Issued, recorded 1978)
16. Gunning For The Dog – MATCHBOX (from the August 1978 UK LP "Setting The Woods On Fire" on Chiswick WIK 10)
17. Shakin' All Right (1978 Studio Version) – THE PIRATES (October 1978 UK 45-single on Warner Brothers K 17231, A-side)
18. Driver's Seat – SNIFF 'N' THE TEARS (October 1978 UK 45-single on Chiswick CHIS 105, A-side)
19. Mirror Star – THE FABULOUS POODLES (October 1978 UK 45-single on Pye International 7N 46118, A-side)
20. The Shape I'm In – MEAL TICKET (from the November 1978 UK LP "Take Away" on Logo Records LOGO 1008 – The Band cover version)
21. Goodbye Girl – SQUEEZE (November 1978 UK 45-single on A&M Records AMS 7398, A-side)
22. Loud Music – STREETBAND (from the November 1978 UK LP "London" on Logo Records LOGO 1012)
23. You Need Wheels – THE MERTON PARKS (July 1979 UK 45-single on Beggars Banquet BEG 22, A-side)
24. Dirty Water – THE INMATES (June 1979 UK 45-single on Soho SH 7, A-side)
NOTES ON CD3:
Tracks 6, 11, 12 and 15 are PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

Compiled and Annotated by Grapefruit's resident brainbox and enthusiast DAVID WELLS - the Capacity Wallet for "Surrender To The Rhythm..." houses three individual card sleeves (as pictured above) sat snuggly alongside a superb 48-page booklet. You get song-by-song info that digs deep - photos for each act and of course Discography details too. I've pictured some of the inside two-page spreads to give you an indication of the efforts put in here. Fab stuff. Mastered by long-standing Cherry Red associate SIMON MURPHY - the Audio (as you can imagine) varies from Top Notch through Great to Acceptable across such a huge range of dates and (in some cases) home-cooked Productions. Mostly though, you're just marvelling at so much music that has been largely forgotten and shouldn't be. To the beer stains...

Unexpected nuggets turn up everywhere on CD1 – try "Have You Seen My Baby" – a Randy Newman cover done by Steve Ellis of Love Affair. Roped into the rollicking tune is Zoot Money on Keyboards, Jimmy McCulloch of Thunderclap Newman on Guitar with ex-Animals John Steel on Drums. And just when you sit prepared for 12-Bar Boogie when you see the name Status Quo next – this compilation pulls a fast one over your eyes by picking the so Chas and Dave piano-and-acoustic barroom amble that is "Nanana" from their second Pye Album "Dog Of Two Head". Clever. Better however is Nick Lowe fronting the deeply popular Brinsley Schwarz and their compilation title song "Surrender To The Rhythm" – the prominent organ and bopping seaside beat very reminiscent of what Springsteen would do on his first two albums in 1973 and 1974 - "Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. " and "The Wild, The Innocent & The E-Street Shuffle".

The Deep Feeling 45 "Why, Lady, Why?" is good rather than great – better is the early Punk of Roogalator - a heavy-and-rough Iggy Pop & The Stooges-type guitar trashing brute (Danny Adler on the axe) called "Ride With The Roogalator" – a great previously unreleased find (even if it doesn't feel too much like Pub Rock per se). Equally impressive is the fabulous vocals of Ian Hunter fronting the mighty Mott The Hoople on their "I Wish I Was Your Mother" – Ian channelling his inner Ronnie Lane melody – all acoustics and mandolin until the very English Rock & Roll chorus comes a dolloping up to the old Johanna in the pub corner. Very cool is the Ron Watts fronted Brewers Droop discovery "Where Are You Tonight" – an ambling, wistful and rather lovely ballad where you can so hear both Mark Knopfler and Pick Withers (pre-Dire Straits) and their playing. Back to rough and ready Rock & Roll with "Tripsy Lady" by Writing On The Wall – lead singer and guitarist Willy Finlayson and Saxophonist Alan Greenhaigh both featured on this boogieing 1973 find. Time for Vaudeville with a Scottish Rock & Roll tuning – up steps the judge and jury of "Sergeant Fury" – Alex Harvey and his Sensational boys having a laugh (not my fave SAHB track it must be said, but I can hear why its boozy-vibe was included here). 

Time to mellow down easy – Barry Richardson of Ireland’s Bees Make Honey pouring on the strings and pain in their cover version of the pining classic "My Funny Valentine" – good but you hear why it was left in the 1974 can. Both the Jona Lewis and Starry Eyed And Laughing cuts complement each other – English Jerry Lee Lewis type Rock & Roll vs. The Byrds. Dave Edmunds channels his Beach Boys fixation for "You Kept Me Waiting" – a stand-alone cut from the Ronco Soundtrack LP to "Stardust" (another clever inclusion aimed at fans looking for those straggler songs). Straight into Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris and Poco Pedal Steel Guitar territory with Chilli Willi & The Red Hot Peppers giving us the jaunty love-is-a-burning-flame "We Get Along" (two nights are never the same). You can literally feel the well-cor-blimey-guv move-along-sunshine fun as Ian Dury fronts Kilburn & The High Roads for "Billy Bentley" – the precursor and template for Ian Dury & The Blockheads that would storm the charts from 1977 onwards. And CD1 rocks out with the Foghat-like baby you make me "Nervous" – National Flag employing Danny Edwardson on Guitar and Seamus Sell on Drums (another clever inclusion).

CD2 opens with a Pub Rock barnstormer by one of my favourite bands in the whole word – Dr. Feelgood making us all feel good with the fabulous "She Does It Right". Taken from their explosive debut "Down By The Jetty" (January 1975) – Wilko Johnson goes manic-man on his axe while one of the truly great leading men Lee Brilleaux snarls into the mike about his best baby. The Feelgoods would give us a 2nd LP in November of 1975 with "Malpractice" and then score big with their first live set in 1976 "Stupidity" which slammed its way to No.1 Fun and teenage memories come fast and furious for me with Charlie & The Wideboys and Fumble – the Fumble cut especially memorable (shame this comp didn't include "Keep On Knockin'" from their second LP "Poetry In Lotion" – a great rocker). The first of three superb unreleased in now unleashed. Flip City were fronted by a young Elvis Costello and his aching vocal is probably the best thing about the ballad "Imagination (Is A Powerful Deceiver)" – the kind of tune that might have sided say "Alison" on his 1977 "My Aim Is True" Debut LP on Stiff. Another smart inclusion is the slide-guitar bop of "Blow Me Down" – future New Waver Jona Lewie fronting Brent Martin & The Thunderbolts. But then we are hit with genuine class and another Previously Unreleased coup for "Surrender To The Rhythm" – the Bessie Smith meets Karen Dalton vocals of British female Blues Hero Jo-Ann Kelly going all Fats Domino rolling piano R&B on "Baby What You Want Me To Do" – great stuff. 

Stray ape the melodiousness of Brinsley Schwarz on their "As Long As You Feel Good" which is in turn followed by the pretty lilt of "Yellow Sox" – the Kursaal Flyers advising a pretty girl to not be so eager to give it away so fast to some schmuck who ain't worth it. Down and dirty and surprisingly tight – Razorback go all Joe Jackson energetic with their live "Jailbreaker" – a very New Wave bopper – shame the recording is obviously rougher that Grapefruit might have wanted – but I think it adds real urgency to the delivery (neat unreleased inclusion). The law has been around again to see me little brother – Chas & Dave laying into Cockney rhyming slang with their tale of a wayward cow-son in "One Fing 'n' Anuvver" (had a bleedin nuff of it). Tremendous, unexpected inclusion comes in the very Average White Band-funk of Stretch doing the superb "Why Did You Do It" – an actual British 45 chart hit about a misunderstanding with Mick Fleetwood. England's Fox were channelling their best America circa-72 on their lovely and hugely commercial "Whatever It's Worth" – an obvious identikit take on "A Horse With No Name" – fronted by Kenny Young instead of Noosha.

Creeping out of Pub Rock and inching towards British New Wave – The Count Bishops, Sean Tyla and Eddie & The Hot Rods start getting grittier with their rhythms – the guitar-and-harmonica manic-side of Dr. Feelgood influencing the lot of them. Salacious and even questionable is what you might call the leery "You Can Leave Your Hat On" (a ribald Randy Newman cover) – The Jess Roden Band letting rip with slide guitar and brass backing (Tom Jones, are you listening). Very much leaning into Funk with a little Punk on the side – Strapps hit us with jive and groove in the brilliant "Schoolgirl Funk" – although the naff lyrics would raise more than eyebrows in 2024. We race to the finish of CD2 with the mighty Phil Lynott and the Thin Lizzy Classic Rock masterpiece "Jailbreak" (March 1976 on Vertigo) – the first of two great LPs for 1976 ("Johnny The Fox" would be the other in November). Always with his way of penning a melody inside the riffage – the lovely and cool "Romeo And The Lonely Boy" features great solos too from Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham. 

Always loved the amazing Rock & Roll larynx of Gary Holton fronting the snot-nosed Boogie Band Heavy Metal Kids – once considered a replacement for Bon Scott after his loss for AC/DC - but drug dependency would eventually get the better of Holton. The Heavies and their "She's No Angel" will not win political-correctness awards any day soon for its less than enlightened lyrical content – but a worthy inclusion it is still. Not so sure though that I need the get-up-and-dance of Supercharge who come on sounding like some horrible hybrid of Kool & The Gang and Boney M (oh dear). Better finishers are the potence of what is to come – two 45s from Chiswick Records – Joe Strummer of The Clash inside The 101'ers (named after the house-number squat they lived in at Walterton Road in Maida Vale) and the hairy-assed boogie of The Gorillas – Pub Rock evolving into something deeper and more effecting than any of us could have known.

CD3 opens with the swagger brass of Moon lusting after a lady who is not leaving much to the poor boy and his imagination in "Don't Wear It". Chris Spedding was an ace axeman and long-time session-player but his "Bedsit Girl" is hardly gripping stuff. Time to go Soulful Rock - twice – Gonzalez doing a smooth cover of the Looking Glass hit "Brandy (You're A Fine Girl)" from 1972 and Scotland's Cado Belle fronted by the fabulous vocals of Maggie Reilly impressing with their wrong-side-of-despair "Stone's Throw From Nowhere". Cado Belle made only one self-titled album on Anchor Records (1976) and a 4-track EP in 1977 (see my separate review for a Cherry Red CD Remaster of that nugget). Cado Belle were a very popular band in Dublin at the time – the tune and LP sounding not unlike Boz Scaggs meets Average White Band balladry – impressive stuff. But for heart-pounding bliss – I am lost to Graham Parker with The Rumour – represented here with a revved-up Previously Unreleased live version of the fab "Back To Schoolboys" – oh yes baby.

Even after all these decades, I'm still seriously impressed by Paul Weller inside The Jam trashing their three-piece way through the Larry Williams mod R&B dancer "Slow Down" – God damn but The Jam were amazing right from the get-go - unbelievable energy and commitment. Unfortunately, even with the powerhouse vocals of Huey Lewis fronting Clover their contribution "Ain't Nobody Own Nobody's Soul" is weaker than I would like - while the Darts medley of The Rays (1957) and Little Richard (1956) Vocal Group and Rock & Roll hits "Daddy Cool/The Girl Can't Help It" is an inspired choice - not just as cover versions - but placed here to liven up proceedings. We hit a very cool run of boppers - The Pleasers with their wickedly good "Rock 'n Roll" (what a great Unreleased inclusion) and a never-heard-it-before Demo version of "Young Lust" from Philip Rambow – the Canadian sounding like a anger-shaking Graham Parker (I loved that 1979 "Shooting Gallery" album from Rambow on EMI back in the day). Surprisingly smooth and even a tad out of place, I still nonetheless adore Chris Rea's debut 45 on Magnet "Fool (If You Think It's Over)" – his knack with a great melody screaming through the string-laden smooch. 

Pleasant surprise comes in the shape of ex-Brinsley Schwarz songwriter Ian Gomm doing a shiftily moody re-run of a Chuck Berry Chess Records classic "Come On". Smart audio follow-on comes from Rockpile mainman Billy Bremner doing "Creature From The Black Lagoon" – a very Dave Edmunds song because most of us lads know it from the Edmunds Swan Song Records LP "Repeat When Necessary". Time for some Stray Cats-type Rockabilly as Matchbox go "Gunning For The Dog" – pistol in hand – and revenge on their minds cause some fool ran their baby down. But good as Matchbox are – they get pummelled into the dust by an incendiary studio version of The Pirates doing Mick Green's "Shakin' All Over". I had honestly forgotten just how Punk this rocker was from the autumn of 1978 – wow! Despite their great band names – neither Sniff 'N' The Tears nor The Fabulous Poodles impress that much with two neither-here-nor-there 45s. Meal Ticket take a classic by The Band from 1970 and do a half-decent boogie version of "The Shape I'm In". Back to English eccentricity and musical innovation – Squeeze popping yet another great 45 – sunlight on the lino waking up our hero in the morning – but the "Goodbye Girl" in the hotel room from the night before is gone. Unfortunately, CD3 kind of limps home with two so-so singles from Streetband and The Meron Parkas – saved by a perfect finisher – a snotty head-jerking Dr. Feelgood-type Rocker from The Inmates singing the praises of late Seventies London.

If I am completely honest – I was expecting to be scorched by "Surrender To The Rhythm: The London Pub Rock Scene Of The Seventies" - but instead I got burned in some places then only mildly singed in others. But you must hand it to Grapefruit for assembling what I think is some of the best unreleased material on a threesome CD compilation I have ever heard. Throw in the myriad discoveries and fond remembrances of bands long forgotten – and you can understand why so many purchasers have loved this jaunt down dirty streets and into dank and sweaty bars with a stage smaller than a postage stamp. Pub Rock was cheap - it was cheerful and at times – it was fucking magnificent.

For a liberal dose of the vice that's nice – a squeeze or two in the lush backrooms of The Hope & Anchor with Nancy Naturals & Her Nighty Lesses – then "Surrender To The Rhythm: The London Pub Rock Scene Of The Seventies" is the saucy barmaid for you. Recommended…